F-Zero RPG

8/10/2019 F-Zero RPG

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racingandroleplaying

inthe26thcentury

!


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In the latter half of the 20th century, Mankind

was gripped by the fear of being invaded by

extraterrestrials. They referred to extraterrestrial

spacecraft as UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects).

Now, to those of us in this day and age, this soundslike a fairy tale.

It is now the year 2560, and due to the human

races countless encounters with alien life forms

throughout the Universe, Earths social framework

has expanded to cosmic proportions. Now, trade,

technology transfer and cultural interchange are

carried out on an interplanetary basis.

The multibillionaires who earned their enormous

wealth through intergalactic trade, while satisfied

with their rich lifestyles, also yearned for a new

entertainment to stimulate their lazy lives. Their

wishes were met by a call for a new project based

upon a seemingly simple premise-"Why not hold, on

a galactic scale, some competition like the F-1 races

once held on Earth centuries ago?At once, everyone jumped at this idea. Rich

merchants from cities in the clouds or asteroids with

almost uninhabitable environments invested their

wealth in the construction of racing circuits.

These racing circuits were located as high up

as 300 feet above grounds and held in place by

anti-gravitational guide beams on both sides of the

course.

The racing machines developed for these tracks

used the very latest in super-magnetic technology

and were designed to travel without wheels, hovering

one foot above the course track.

When the first Grand Prix race was held, peoplewere angered at the brutality of the competition. The

organizers had, during construction, placed various

obstacles and traps along the raceway. But as time

passed, and people grew to these dangers, they

soon demanded even more excitement in the race.

In time, winning this race meant earning the highest

honor that could be bestowed on anyone in the

Universe.

In a very short time, people came to call this

Grand Prix simply, F-ZERO.


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the f-zero rpg2012 viral games

F-ZERO 1990, 2012 Nintendo


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table of contentsYour Pilot 5

Your Machine 6Character Sheet 8

Action Rules 9

Character-Scale Rules 9

Character Skills 10

Vehicle-Scale Rules 11

Accidents 11

Vehicle Skills 12-13

Braking and Boosting 14

Damage and Repair 14

The Finish Line 15

Death Race 15

Equipment, Minions and Upgrades 16-17

The Announcer 18

Racing Step by Step 19

Announcer Screen 20-21

Features and Obstacles 22-23

Sample Track Sections 24-25Premade Tracks 26-30

Non-Player Characters 31-34

Adversaries 35-37

Vehicle Weapon Rules 38

Conversion to REDLINE 38

Inspiration and Thank-yous 39

Culture Shock 40-44


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5

The F-Zero RPGuses the

ABCDE rating system

A: d12

B: d10C: d8

D: d6

E: d4

Character Attributes

AACE AADDABBE ABCD

ACCC BBBD

BBCC

Common Equipment

Sidearm(Shooting)

Armor(Blocking)

Shock glove(Striking)

Robot servant(Mechanics)Hacking kit (Larceny)

Emotion detector(Savvy)

Wardrobe(Influence)

Cybernetics(Balance)

Hologram disguise(Lying)

chapter 1:start your

machines!

your pilot

To create your pilot, determine their name, age, species (Human,Takoraian, etc.), appearance and background.

Your pilot has four attributes that distinguish their character: Aim,

Nerve, Brainand Flair. Choose a rating set from the Character

Attributes table and arrange them as you wish.

Most F-Zero pilots have Aim A or B. Your Aim must be at least C to

compete in the F-Zero tournament.

Each attribute has four key skills. The attribute's rating is rolled

whenever a skill is attempted. If a character has any modifiers for a

skill they are added to the roll. For example, a character with Flair A

(d12) and a +2 bonus for Influence rolls a d12 and adds 2 to the

result for all Influence rolls.

You may assign three +1 modifiers to your pilot's skills at the

beginning of the game. You must assign each +1 to a different skill.

Every time you finish a game session (or episode) you gain oneskill point that can be spent to increase the modifier for a specific

skill. Bonuses cost a number of points equal to the total bonus

after purchase. Each increase must be paid for separately. For

example, increasing a bonus from +0 (the default bonus) to +3

costs 6 points (from +0 to +1, +1 to +2, and finally +2 to +3).

Your pilot may have a maximum bonus of +4 in each skill.

Your pilot also starts with two pieces of useful equipment with their

own ratings. Each piece of equipment is used with a specific skill.When you use a piece of personal equipment you roll your skill and

the equipment's rating and keep the higher result.

You may design one piece of B equipment and one piece of D

equipment at the beginning of the game. Other equipment may be

purchased or constructed during the course of the game. You may

have as much equipment as you like but you may only have three

pieces at hand during a scene. You may not use personal equipment

during an official F-Zero race.


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6

Your machine's base weight

affects its acceleration and max

speed. You may decide how

much your machine weighs in

kilograms within the confines ofits weight category.

Your machine's acceleration is

determined by its Boost and

Body. Look at the listed speeds

for these two attributes on the

Acceleration table and add them together. The

result is your machine's acceleration before the first

Piloting roll ofeach section.

Machines

weighing less

than 100 kg above

the lowest weight

in their rating

increase their

listed Accelerationby 20 km/h.

Machines weighing

more than 100 kg above the lowest weight in their

rating increase their listed Max Speed by 20 km/h.

Machines weighing exactly 100 kg above the lowest weight increase

both Acceleration and Max Speed by 10 km/h.

To begin designing your machine

decide on a suitable name and

concept for it (ultralight racer,

wrecking machine, etc). The enginetype is largely thematic and has no

applicable effect when racing.

Your machine has three essential

attributes, Body,Boostand Grip, rated

from A to E. Choose a set of ratings

from the Machine Ratings table and

arrange them in any order.

Once your machine has ratingsyou may determine its other

qualities.

Your machine's power bar

has 12 boxes. Machines

lose power from

piloting failures,

impacts, and

boosts. Machineswith high Body resist

impact damage more readily than

machines with low Body.

Pit areas restore power when your

machine passes through them: 4 boxes plus your Repair Bonus.

If your machine runs out of power due to an impact you are

immediately disqualified.

AAE ABD

ACC BBC

Machine Ratings

your machine

Base Weight

A 1800-2000 kg

B 1600-1800

C 1400-1600

D 1200-1400

E 1000-1200

Body Weight

1-3 34-6 2

7+ 1

Body roll Boxes lost

Impact Damage

A +0

B +1

C +2

D +3

E +4

Body rating Extra

Repair Bonus

bodyboost

grip

A 50 km/h 10

B 40 20

C 30 30

D 20 40E 10 50

Acceleration Boost Body


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Your machine's max speed is determined by

its Body and Grip. Look at the listed speeds

for these two attributes on the Max Speed

table and add them together. The result is your

machine's max speed. For example, a machine with

Body A (240 km/h) and Grip E (200 km/h) has amax speed of 440 km/h.

Your boost lasts for a number of actions equal to

your machine's (Boost + Body) divided by 2 (round

down) on the Boost

Duration table. For

example, a machine with Boost A (5)

and Body D (4) has a boost duration

of (5+4=9) / 2 = 4 actions: theaction it is declared on

and the next three actions.

Your machine's maximum

boosting speed is

determined by its Body

and Boost. Look at the

Boost Max table. Add the

speeds listed for your machine's Body and Boost toyour normal max speed. For example, a machine with

Body B and Boost C adds 30 km/h

and 40 km/h to its normal max speed.

To determine your machine's boost

accel, add the speed listed for your

machine's Boost on the Boost Max

table to its normal acceleration.

Your machine's handling affects your Piloting rolls. A machine's

handling is determined by its Grip and Boost. Your Handling

modifier is equal to your machine's (Grip + Boost) divided by 2

(round down) on the Handling table. The result is the modifier

to any Piloting rolls made when piloting your machine.

To personalize your machine,

you may add or subtract up to

your Grip die x10 kg to your

machine's base weight. For

example, a machine with Grip C (d8)

may add or subtract up to 80 kg.

This additional Grip weight does not

affect acceleration or max speed.

Your total weight (including

additional Grip weight) is

used to determine your starting rank in races.

If two or more machines have identical weights the pilots

may make Body rolls to determine which machine begins

in the leading rank. The higher result begins in front of

the other equally-heavy machine(s). Reroll any ties.

A

B

C

D

E

40 km/h 60

30 50

20 40

10 30

0 20

Boost MaxBoostBody

A 5 1B 4 2

C 3 3D 2 4

E 1 5

Boost Duration Boost Body

A 2 -2

B 1 -1

C 0 0

D -1 1

E -2 2

Handling

Grip Boost

Max Speed

A 240 km/h

B 230C 220

D 210

E 200

Body + Grip


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POWER

Repair Bonus

BODY

BOOST GRIP

Weight

Max Speed

Acceleration

Handling

MACHINE:

ENGINE UNIT:

UPGRADES

SKILL POINTSBACKGROUND

APPEARANCE

AIM

NERVE

BRAIN

FLAIR

Shooting

Balance

Passing

Piloting

Blocking

Striking

Lying

Ramming

Sideswiping

Mechanics

Larceny

Savvy

Accolades

Cheating

Dodging

Influence

VEHICLE DESIGN

PILOT NAME

AGE

SPECIES

Boost Duration

Add to Piloting

Pit area repairs 4

+ Repair Bonus

Boost Accel Boost Max

Number ofactions boosting

Accelerate

before Piloting

+Handling

PERSONAL EQUIPMENT

WINNINGS

RACE POINTS


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character scale rulesWhen a character attempts an action, roll the die for that attributerating and add any skill points. Most conflicts are either opposedrolls with other characters or a minimum needed result decidedby the Announcer. If your result is at least equal to the minimumrequired you succeed. In the event of a tie the defending result wins.

Each character may normally attempt one action during their move.A character may attempt two actions during their move, but the firstroll is penalized by 1 rating and the second roll is penalized by 2ratings. For example, a character with Aim B (d10) who attemptsto dodge and shoot rolls a d8 (C) for dodging and a d6 (D) forshooting. This does not apply to equipment. You may not attemptthe same action twice against the same target during your move.

If the rating is penalized below E the task is impossible for that

character and they automatically fail.

The target may attempt to counter an action during the aggressor'smove if it immediately affects them. If the target attempts to countertwo actions, they may make the first roll with no penalty and thesecond roll with a 1-rating penalty. For example, a character withNerve B (d10) who attempts to dodge a Shooting attack and blocka Striking attack in the same move rolls a d10 for Dodging and a d8for Blocking. A character may use the same skill twice to counter two

actions.

A character may opt to substitute a different attribute for a roll onceper race or scene. The rating for this roll is one lower than normal.For example, a character with Nerve A could use their Nerve in placeof an Aim roll to shoot someone, but the die rolled would be a d10(B) instead of a d12 (A).

There are two types of conflict rules in the F-Zero RPG :character-scale(CS) andvehicle-scale(VS).

When two or more characters attempt to act first, everyone involvedmakes a Nerve roll (without any modifiers). Move order is decidedby the results, from highest to lowest. Reroll any ties to decide which

roll acts first. For example, if four characters made Nerve rolls andthe results are 8, 7, 7 and 5, the two characters with 7s reroll todecide which of them acts immediately after the character with the 8.

A character who fails to counter an attack either loses one piece ofpersonal equipment or reduces their Aim or Nerve rating by one(player's choice). Equipment must be reacquired but your pilot's Aimor Nerve may be recovered by medical treatment. You may incur a500-point penalty to restore your Aim or Nerve by one rating, up to

their normal maximums.If your Aim or Nerve rating ever falls below E you are incapacitatedand unable to appear in the game until the next episode. If your pilotremains active until the episode is over they begin the next episodewith their Nerve and Aim ratings reset to their normal maximums.

A player character may attempt to influence or lie to another playercharacter. The target may attempt to counter using Savvy. If the

target fails they are susceptible to the other character's words. TheAnnouncer is advised to forbid players from using the Influence skillagainst other players' pilots.

The next page describes Character-Scale (CS) skills in more detail.

The Announcer may decide that certain acts such as spotting a cluedo not require skill rolls if success enhances the story.


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Balance: Coordination and athletic ability. Use Balance to jumpover obstacles, climb chains, outrun opponents, and cross narrowpathways. Balance is also used to escape inanimate dangers likeexploding bombs.

Blocking:Parrying and shielding attacks. Use Blocking to counterShooting and Striking. The Announcer may decide that certainattacks like nets cannot be countered with Blocking. Attempts tocounter these attacks with Blocking always fail.

Dodging:Leaping and rolling to avoid attacks.Use Dodging to counter Shooting and Striking.

Influence:Personal magnetism andcommanding presence. Use Influence tothreaten authority figures and sway crowds.The target(s) may attempt to counter withSavvy. Crowds and mobs are generally assigneda collective minimum number required topersuade them to act.

Larceny:Theft and burglary. Use Larcenyto steal a wallet or unlock a door withouttriggering alarms. The target may attempt tocounter with Larceny.

Lying:Telling falsehoods and tricking others. Use Lying to bluff yourway past guards and disguise your voice. The target(s) may attemptto counter with Savvy.

Mechanics:Creating improvements to your machine or personalequipment purchased with Winnings. Upgrades cannot be addedduring a race. The Announcer may decide that certain upgrades arenot available through normal channels. Mechanics is also used tooperate or repair unknown machinery.

A character may attempt to construct their own equipment andupgrades using the Mechanics skill. See Equipment, Minions andUpgrades for more information.

Shooting:Firing and launchingprojectiles. Use Shooting withguns, bows and thrown rocks. Thetarget may attempt to counter

with Blocking or Dodging. Animprovised projectile counts asE-rated equipment (Shooting).The Announcer may decide certainobjects cannot be used withShooting attempts. You must haveShooting equipment to use this skill.

Striking:Physical and close-

combat attacks. Use Striking withswords, clubs, fists, and claws. Thetarget may attempt to counter withBlocking or Dodging. An improvised

hand weapon counts as E-rated equipment (Striking). The Announcermay decide certain objects cannot be used with Striking attempts.

Savvy:Detecting falsehoods and subterfuge. Use Savvy to counter

Lying and Persuasion.


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During racing scenes, Rankis used to indicate each machine'sposition on the track. The machine in Rank 1 is in the lead. Only one

machine may be in each rank at a time. Starting rank is determinedby machine weight. The heaviest vehicle begins the race in Rank 1and the lightest machine is last. Move order is determined by therank each machine is in at the beginning of the section: the pilotin the last rank acts first. Pilots maintain this move order for theentire section, even if machines change ranks during the section.

When the race begins, all machinesimmediately accelerate to 300 km/h. Each

machine accelerates on its own at thebeginning of each section before any Pilotingrolls are made. If a machine's current speedfalls below 300 km/h from power loss thepilot is automatically passed by the machinein the rank behind them and their machineaccelerates back to 300 km/h.

At the beginning of every section (including

the starting section), each pilot rolls theirPiloting skill one at a time from Rank 1backward. Pilots who roll below the minimumrequired suffer the listed failure effect. If thepilot rolls a 1 on the die they suffer the listedfailure effect regardless of the roll's result.

Pilots must declare whether or not they arebraking before this roll is made. See Braking

and Boostingfor more information.

After all Piloting rolls are made everyone still in the race beginsmaking their moves. The move orderfor a section is determinedby the positions of the pilots at the beginning of the section(before anyone has made their Piloting roll) from last rank to firstrank. A pilot may choose to skip their move if they do not want toattempt any action during it.

A pilot may normally only target those in the ranks immediatelyahead of or next to them.

Any time a pilot rolls a 1 using their attribute dieduring a move they must immediately roll a d6 on

the Accident table and suffer the resulting effects.Any actions or attempted actions that previouslyoccurs during the move are ignored in favor of the

Accident's result. Rolling a 1 on the Accident tabledoes not incur an accident.

Rolling a 1 using an Upgrade die degrades theupgrade by 1 rating instead. See Equipment,Minions and Upgradesfor more information.

Accidents incurred from certain obstacles duringthe section's Piloting phase occur before the first

move in that section. In this case the last sentenceof the result is ignored.

A boosting machine may be passed by a non-boosting machine if the boosting pilot rolls a1,2,or 3 on the Accidents table. An action or movecut short by an accident counts as a full action ormove for determining boost durations.

The next page describes Vehicle-Scale (VS) skillsin greater detail.

vehicle scale rules

1 Heavy failure: The machines in the two ranksbehind you immediately pass you, and your machine

takes Impact damage. This move is over.

2 Moderate failure: The machine in the rankbehind you immediately passes you, and yourmachine loses 1 power box. This move is over.

3 Light failure: The machine in the rank behindyou immediately passes you, and your machineloses 1 power box. This action is over.

4 Static: Your machine loses 1 power box. This

action is over.

5 Accidental success: You immediately pass themachine in the rank ahead of you. Your machineloses 1 power box then accelerates by its boostaccel (up to its max speed, or boost max ifboosting). This action is over.

6 Amazing success: You immediately pass the twomachines ahead of you. Your machine takes Impactdamage then begins moving at its max speed, or

boost max if boosting. This action is over.

Accidents


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vs skills

Your pilot may only use certain skills during race scenes. These arePiloting, Passing, Ramming, Dodging, Blocking, Sideswiping,Cheatingand Accolades. Your Savvyskill may also be used tocounter certain rolls.

Accolades: Performing crowd-pleasing stunts. If you are within thecurrent lap's Target Rank after your Piloting roll, you may attempt togarner accolades as an action during your move.

If the result is at least equal to the required Piloting roll for thecurrent section, you are awarded additional points at the end of thelap equal to the required Piloting roll for that section x100. These

points are added onto your total Winnings. If your Accolades roll isless than the required Piloting roll for the current section you sufferthe listed failure effect.

Blocking: Stopping another machine from passing you. If yousucceed you block the other machine, your machine acceleratesby its listed Acceleration up to its normal max speed and the othermachine decelerates by 20 km/h. If you fail you are passed by theother machine.

Cheating:Exploiting flaws in the course for your own benefit. Anycurved section with a Jump Plate or guide rails is vulnerable tocheating. The pilot may decide to cheat as an action during theirmove. Instead of any other action during their move the pilot makesa Cheating roll.

Jump Plates: If the result is at least equal to the required Piloting roll

for that section +2 the pilot immediately passes the two machines infront of them. If not, the pilot incurs a foul and is manually movedback 2 ranks to a minimum rank equal to the Target Rank for that lap.

Guide rails: If the result is at least equal tothe required Piloting roll for that sectionyour machine loses 1 power box andimmediately passes the machine in frontof it. If you fail your machine loses 1

power box and falls back one rank.

Dodging: Avoiding a collision with anothermachine. If you succeed you avoid theother machine. If you fail you suffer theconsequence of the attempt.


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Passing: Switching ranks with the machine in front of you. A slowerpilot may attempt to pass but the Passing roll is penalized by -1for every 10 km/h below the target's speed. You may not attemptto pass a machine if its current speed is more than 20 km/h aboveyours. The target may attempt to counter using Blocking, Rammingor Sideswiping.

You may also choose to brake below 300km/h as an action during your move to forcethe machine behind you to pass. The targetmay attempt to counter with Blocking. If yousucceed you switch ranks. If you fail yourmachine accelerates to the other machine'scurrent speed.

Piloting: Navigating the course effectively.You may choose to make a Piloting attemptas an action during your move, separate fromyour Piloting roll at the beginning of thesection. If the result is at least equal to therequired Piloting roll for that section yourmachine's speed increases by its listed Acceleration up to its listedmax speed. If you fail your machine loses 1 power box.

Ramming: Illegally hitting another machine. The target may attemptto counter using Dodging. If you succeed the target takes Impactdamage +1 extra box. If you fail the target avoids you. You may notattempt to ram a machine if its current speed is more than 50 km/habove yours.

Rammings carry a 200-point penalty per attempt, even if

unsuccessful.

You may also use Ramming to counter a Passing attempt. If yourRamming result is higher than the other pilot's Passing result yousuccessfully ram them. If their speed decreases to more than 20km/h below yours because of this ramming the passing attempt fails.If you fail the other pilot passes you.

Savvy:Using inherent knowledge toyour advantage. You may use yourBrain die (without skill points) toreroll one of your actions. You may dothis once per race plus once per pointof Savvy. You may not use Savvy toreroll rolls on the Accidents table butrolling a 1 with a Savvy reroll causes

an accident.

Sideswiping:Covertly forcing anopponent into obstacles or offthe track. The target may attemptto counter using Dodging. If you

succeed the target incurs the same consequences as a failed Pilotingroll for that section. If you fail you incur the consequences instead.

You do not incur a penalty for attempted or successful sideswipings.

You may also use Sideswiping to counter a Passing attempt. If yoursideswiping result is higher than the other pilot's Passing result yousuccessfully sideswipe them. If you fail you incur the consequencesof a failed Sideswiping attempt. If their speed decreases to morethan 20 km/h below yours because of this sideswipe the passingattempt fails.


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You may choose to brake while passing through a section, butyou must declare if you are doing so before you make your initialPiloting roll. Braking gives you a bonus to your Piloting roll for thatsection: +1 per 20 km/h of deceleration. The maximum bonus for

braking is +2. You may also choose to brake below 300 km/h as anaction during your move to force the machine behindyou to pass. See VS Skillsfor more information.

You may use your machine's boost after the first lap.You may declare that you are boosting during yourown move as well as the moves immediately beforeand after it. When you boost your machine immediatelyaccelerates by its Boost Accel that action and every

successive action up to its listed Boost Max or untilits boost duration ends. You may not use successiveboosts until the current boost ends. You may not end aboost early.

Each time you boost your machine loses 3 powerboxes. If you have fewer than 3 boxes you may not useyour boost. If you lose speed while boosting (from impact damage,etc.) you accelerate every successive action according to your

machine's listed Boost Accel up to its Boost Max.

A non-boosting pilot has a -4 penalty to all Blocking, Ramming andSideswiping rolls against boosting pilots. If a boosting machine issuccessfully blocked by a nonboosting machine the blocking machineloses 1 power box.

If your machine is currently at its Boost Max you may attempt to passother machines regardless of their speed.

Every time your machine is damaged from impact damage or anobstacle your current speed drops by 20 km/h per box lost. This iscumulative with any other speed lost. Power lost from boosting doesnot reduce your machine's current speed.

If your machine loses its last power box from anything other thana boost you are immediately disqualified. If your machine loses its

last power box because of a boost, any further damage will result indisqualification.

Pit Areas:Pit areas restore your machine's power boxes when youdrive through them. Your machine automatically regains 4 boxes plusextra boxes based on your machine's Body on the Repair Bonus tableif you successfully maneuver through the pit area.

braking and boosting damage and repair


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Target Ranks: Your pilot must remain above acertain rank each lap to remain in the race. Any

machines below the Target Rank at the end ofthe lap are disqualified. Any machine that fallsbelow Rank 20 is immediately disqualified.

Lap Points:You are awarded points for crossing the finish line eachlap. The amount of points earned depends on the number of starsa track is rated at. A one-star track is designed for beginning pilots,while a five-star track is only survivable by the best of the best.

You may also gain additional points through use of the Accoladesskill during the race. These points are added to your final tally todetermine Winnings, etc.

Winnings: You are rewarded with cash prizes, endorsements, orother monetary rewards called Winnings by performing well. Thesetake many forms, but for simplicity's sake they are referred to

collectively. Winnings may be used to fund upgrades or equipment.

You receive a Winning every time you accumulate 5,000 pointsduring your racing career. You also receive multiple Winnings forplacing first overall in F-Zero tournaments.

The Announcer may also award you with Winnings for other actionsoutside of the track.

the finish line

Lap 1:top 10

Lap 2:top 8Lap 3:top 6Lap 4:top 4

Target Ranks

lap points

Section average: 0 16 22 28 32

Points Awarded For Laps 1+

RANK 1 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000

RANK 2 600 1,200 1,800 2,400 3,000

RANK 3 400 800 1,200 1,600 2,000

RANK 4 200 400 600 800 1,000

Points Awarded For Final Lap

RANK 1 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000RANK 2 1,200 2,400 3,600 4,800 6,000

RANK 3 800 1,600 2,400 3,200 4,000

RANK 4 400 800 1,200 1,600 2,000

death race

A Death Race is similar to a standard race except points are only

awarded for destroying other machines. Most death races have tencombatants, counting the player pilots. A pilot is awarded 1,000points per kill. Only the final three pilots may keep their points.

The last pilot left active earns an additional 4,000 points. Thesecond-last pilot earns an additional 2,000 points, and the third-lastpilot earns an additional 1,000 points. The pilot with the most killsearns an additional 2,000 points.


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purchasing equipment

New equipment costs a number of Winnings equal to half itsrating die. For example, a new piece of B (d10) equipment costs 5Winnings to purchase.

You may also add a +1 bonus to a piece of personal equipment'srating that is added to the die's result in a manner similar to skillpoints. This costs a number ofWinnings equal to the total bonusafter purchase. Each increase

must be paid for separately. Forexample, increasing a bonus from+0 (the default bonus) to +3costs 6 Winnings (from +0 to +1,+1 to +2, and finally +2 to +3).

A piece of equipment may nothave a bonus higher than +4.

creating equipment

A character may attempt to construct their own equipment using theMechanics skill. If the roll's result is at least equal to the equipment'scost the character succeeds. Equipment constructed in this way costhalf the normal Winnings (rounded up). Bonuses to equipment mustbe constructed and paid for separately. The minimum cost for anypurchase is 1 Winning.

The character may choose to abandon the project before spendingWinnings if they are not satisfied with the roll's result. You may add

a bonus to equipment at a later date. If you fail your attempt youmust wait until the next episode to try again.

Characters may acquire other vehicles like spaceships. Largestructures are treated like equipment but cost their rating dicein Winnings. For example, a C (d8) spaceship costs 8 Winnings.

Damage to a structure reducesits rating by one. Structuresmay be repaired at the cost of

one Winning per rating lost. Astructure may have a number ofUpgrades equal to half its ratingdie.

The Announcer may decide thatcertain objects may be used asimprovised equipment. These arealways rated E.

minions

Minions, assistants and fans are created using the same rules asequipment. A minion or group of minions has a single rating and aspecific skill they may be used with (Influence, Savvy, etc). Thesecharacters are generally for background flavor only. Importantcharacters may be created like other pilots.

equipment,minions and upgrades


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purchasing upgrades

An upgrade costs a number of Winnings equal to its rating die +1.For example, an C (d8) Ramming upgrade costs 9 Winnings. Bonusesmay be purchased for a number of Winnings equal to twice the totalbonus after purchase. Each increase must be paid for separately. For

example, to increase a bonus from +0 to +2 costs 6 winnings (from+0 to +1 (2 winnings) and then +1 to +2 (4 winnings).

Machines may have a maximum of 3 upgrades at any time. Amachine may only have one version of each of these upgradesinstalled at any time. For example, a pilot with a D (Piloting) and a C(Piloting) upgrade may not have both installed at the same time.

using upgrades

Upgrades are treated like equipment but are installed in machinesand may be used with skills during races. Whenever a pilot attemptsa skill that their machine has an upgrade for they may roll the ratingdie for the upgrade as well.

Any time a pilot rolls a 1 using an upgrade die during an attemptedaction the upgrade causes an accident. This is treated as if the pilot

had rolled a 1 while attempting a skill.

creating upgrades

A character may attempt to construct their own Upgrades using theMechanics skill. Each attempt takes one scene. If the roll's result isat least equal to the upgrade's normal purchase cost the charactersucceeds. Upgrades constructed in this way cost half the normal

Winnings (rounded up). For example, an E (d4) Blocking upgradethat costs 5 Winnings to purchase costs 3 Winnings to construct.

The character may choose to abandon the project before spendingWinnings if they are not satisfied with the roll's result. If you failyour attempt to create or improve an upgrade you must wait until thenext episode to try again.

Purchased or created upgrades may be sold for half their normal

purchase cost (rounded down).

repairing upgrades

When a pilot rolls a 1 using an Upgrade die the upgrade's ratingdegrades by 1. If the rating falls below E (ignoring any bonuses) itis unusable until repaired.

A character may attempt to repair an upgrade one rating at a timeusing the Mechanics skill. If the roll's result is at leastequal to the next-highest rating die the upgrade'srating is increased by 1, up to its previous maximum.A successful repair costs 1 winning.

An upgrade repair attempt may be made as an actionduring a VS race.


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18

If the players are not content simplyracing each other, NPC rivals may beadded and created with the same rulesas player pilots. The Announcer isencouraged to give these plot-significantNPCs upgrades to make the players workfor their success.

The race may also be padded out withlesser machines that serve as a constantthreat to the players' ranks. Thesemachines' Body, Boost and Grip are all C.

The majority of NPC machines aregenerally behind the players' machinesfor much of the race, with the players'pilots being the only serious contenders.

For a more elaborate racing scenario in the style of the originalF-Zero, the Announcer may opt to use an alternate rule for passingNPCs: a player may pass a number of plot-insignificant NPC machinesequal to their Piloting roll's success. For example, a pilot who rollsa 9 on a section with a Piloting requirement of 5 may pass four NPCmachines.

For a faster race, shorten the number of laps to 3 or even 2.

chapter 2:the announcer

The Announcer should announce the features and obstacles of eachupcoming section just before the players encounter it. Do not tellthem any of the numbers needed for Piloting rolls.

The following pages detail an assortment of different stock sections.

These may be connected together to design a custom track. TheAnnouncer is encouraged to adjust the sections'attributes to increase their difficulty. Everysection has a short statistics block detailing keyinformation:

Type(Straight or Curved)Piloting roll

Feature(s)(Pit Area, Land Mines, etc.)Failure

The Piloting roll is the minimum result needed froma Piloting roll to successfully navigate each section.If the result is lower than the minimum required thepilot suffers the Failure effect listed. The typicalfailure effect is 1 box of damage for easy sectionsand Impact or Impact +1 damage for hard sections.

If the Piloting roll is listed as "Automatic" the section's difficulty is

considered trivial, but the roll may still be required to avoid or makecontact with track features.

The number listed after a Feature is the minimum number neededto avoid or make contact with the feature. The player may choose toavoid a "beneficial" feature like a Dash Zone if their Piloting resultis high enough to make contact with it. The effects of most featureslike Land Mines and Jump Plates occur during the Piloting phase.


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19

racing step-by-step

The pilots' machines are lined up atthe starting line in order by weight withthe heaviest machine in Rank 1. Themachines accelerate from the startingline to 300 km/h.

Every pilot rolls their Pilotingskill, starting with the pilot inRank 1. Each pilot must specifyif they are braking through thecurrent section before they roll.The Announcer decides if theysuccessfully navigate the section.

starting line

When the last pilot in the move orderis finished with their move the actionmoves on to the next section.

At the beginning of the sectionevery machine acceleratesaccording to its Accelerationlisting to a maximum of themachine's max speed.

Each pilot makes their move in orderfrom last rank forward. A pilot mayattempt one or two actions duringtheir move.If a 1 is rolled thepilot must immediately roll on the

Accident table before proceeding.

success

failure

The pilot's machine suffers the listedFailure effect for the current section.If the machine is still in the race itdecelerates by 20 km/h per box ofpower lost.

The pilot's machine contacts oravoids features as determined bytheir Piloting roll.

If the action or actions affect anothermachine (for passing, ramming, etc.) thetarget may attempt to counter the actionduring the aggressor's move. If a 1 isrolled the pilot must immediately roll on

the Accident table before proceeding.

1

2

3

4

5

A: d12B: d10C: d8D: d6E: d4

race actions

Passing Blocking

SideswipingDodging

Ramming

Counter withAccolades

Piloting Cheating


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Weight

A 1800-2000 kg

B 1600-1800

C 1400-1600

D 1200-1400

E 1000-1200

Body Weight

AAE ABD

ACC BBC

Machine Ratings

Character Attributes

AACE AADD

ABBE ABCD

ACCC BBBD

BBCC

A: d12

B: d10C: d8D: d6E: d4

vehicle specifications

ratings

Pick a set and

arrange them

to fit

Acceleration occurs

every section

A

B

C

D

E

40 km/h 60

30 50

20 40

10 30

0 20

Boost MaxBoostBody

Boost max = Body +

Boost + max speed

Boost accel =

Boost + accel

Weight influencesacceleration and

max speed

A 2 -2B 1 -1

C 0 0

D -1 1

E -2 2

Handling

Grip Boost

Max Speed

A 240 km/hB 230

C 220

D 210

E 200

Body + Grip

A 50 km/h 10

B 40 20

C 30 30

D 20 40E 10 50

Acceleration Boost Body

Grip + Boost 2

(round down)


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A 5 1

B 4 2

C 3 3D 2 4

E 1 5

Boost Duration

Boost Body

Lap 1:top 10Lap 2:top 8Lap 3:top 6Lap 4:top 4

Target Ranks

A +0

B +1C +2

D +3

E +4

Body rating Extra

Repair Bonus

1-3 3

4-6 27+ 1

Body roll Boxes lost

Impact Damage

Minimum duration

is one move

race specifics

Boost duration begins

during the action in which

you declare it

-20 km/hper box lost

Machines below this

rank at the end of

the lap are DQ'd.

1 Heavy failure: The machines in the two

ranks behind you immediately pass you, andyour machine takes Impact damage. This moveis over.

2 Moderate failure: The machine in the rankbehind you immediately passes you, and yourmachine loses 1 power box. This move is over.

3 Light failure: The machine in the rank

behind you immediately passes you, and yourmachine loses 1 power box. This action is over.

4 Static: Your machine loses 1 power box. Thisaction is over.

5 Accidental success: You immediately passthe machine in the rank ahead of you. Yourmachine loses 1 power box then accelerates by

its boost accel (up to its max speed, or boostmax if boosting). This action is over.

6 Amazing success: You immediately passthe two machines ahead of you. Your machinetakes Impact damage then begins moving atits max speed, or boost max if boosting. Thisaction is over.

Accidents

(Boost + Body) 2

rounded down


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The following are several of the most common track features. Mosttrack features have a minimum required Piloting result needed tomake contact with or to avoid. Some features alter track conditionsor impose specific penalties to certain actions. The Announcer will

decide which features can be avoided and how. For example,a Dash Zone may span the entire width of the track, or a JumpPlate may be necessary to avoid a bank of magnets.

Pilots are affected by features in the order the features arelisted in. The effect of each feature is handled separately.For example, a pilot that fails to avoid both Land Mines and aBoost Trap must make a separate Impact roll for both the LandMines and the Boost Trap.

To determine the star rating of a racetrack, look at the values listedafter each feature. Multiply each positive value by its Piloting roll andadd these numbers together. Multiply the Piloting roll for each sectionby 3. Negative values are simply subtracted from the total. Featureswithout Piloting rolls of their own use the Piloting roll for that section.Sections with the Split Track feature count as multiple sections butevery second extra path is not counted as another section.

Divide this total by the number of sections on the track. If theresult is at least equal to the minimum value for that rating the trackqualifies for that star rating.

Boost Trap (1): A Dash Zone positioned to fling cars into adamaging situation (usually the guide rails). Any pilot that failsto clear a Boost Trap begins boosting and must roll on the ImpactDamage table.

features and obstacles Dash Zone (0):Area of the track that accelerate your machine.Each Dash Zone you contact increases your machine's speed by itslisted Boost Accel up to its listed Boost Max. Your machine remainsat boosting speed until the end of your move. During this time yourmachine is considered to be boosting. Passing over a Dash Zonedoes not reduce your machine's power.

Gap (3):Open space between areas of the track. Failure to clear agap results in immediate disqualification. You automatically clear agap if you are moving at your max speed or higher. Gaps are alwayspreceded by at least one Jump Plate.

Inverse Pipe (2):Track built along the outer surface of a pipe.Pilots on an inverse pipe have a -4 penalty to Blocking rolls. Ifa pilot boosts on an inverse pipe they must immediately make a

Piloting roll. This does not count as an action. If the result is not atleast 3 they are immediately disqualified.

Jump Plate (-3): Magnetic ramp triggered by contact. Makingcontact with a Jump Plate launches your machine into the air, allowingyou to clear gaps or other obstacles. Using a jump plate makes yourmachine accelerate by its listed Boost Accel. When a machine endsthe jump its current speed may not be higher than its max speed.


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Land Mines (2): Explosive obstacles triggered by contact. Passingover a land mine results in a roll on the Impact Damage table andinflicts 1 additional box of damage. You must also roll on theAccidents table. If you roll a 1 on the Accidents table you pass overanother mine and must roll again (in addition to any other result).

Magnets (1):Banks of magnetic plates on the track surface. Passingover down-pull magnets causes a machine to scrape against the tracksurface. This inflicts Impact damage and slows the machine's currentspeed by an additional 50 km/h in addition to any deceleration frompower loss. Side-pull magnets do not cause the additional 50 km/hdeceleration when contacted.

No Rails (4):A section without guide rails. If your Piloting result is

a 1 or 2 in this section you are DQ'd. A pilot may attempt to knock anopponent off the track with a Ramming or Sideswiping roll. If yourmachine loses more than 2 power boxes you are DQ'd.

Pit Area (-5):Area provided to restore machine power. Pit Areasare usually found near the starting line. Your machine gains 4 powerboxes plus your Repair Bonus from the pit area.

Pipe (0):Areas of track enclosed in a tube. Pilots passing through a

pipe incur a -4 penalty to Blocking rolls.

Rough (1):Areas of track treated to reduce speed. Machinespassing over Rough have their current speed or temporarily reduceddepending on the type of Rough: 50 km/h for Sparse Rough and100 km/h for Thick Rough. Your Piloting roll is not improved from theeffect of Rough.

Slip Zone (0):Areas of track treated to reduce traction. Pilotspassing through a Slip Zone incur a -2 penalty to Blocking andDodging rolls.

Split Track (1):Forks in the road. Pilots may ram or sideswipe only

the machines on their path. A pilot may attempt to pass multiplemachines on other paths if there is not a machine in the next rank ontheir path. The pilot makes a Passing roll with a -1 penalty for eachrank between them and the target. The target makes a Passing rollinstead of a Blocking roll to counter. The slower pilot's Passing roll ispenalized by -1 for every 10 km/h below their opponent's speed.

You may not attempt to pass a machine if its current speed isgreater than 20 km/h above yours. A pilot may attempt to pass the

machine in front of them on their path even if it is not in the rankahead of them by making a Passing roll with a -1 penalty for eachrank between them and the target. Pilots on other paths may notintervene in this case. If successful, you take the target's rank andall other pilots fall back 1 rank.

You may not boost during another pilot's move unless you are bothon the same path.

Tracks with Split Track sections count as having one less total sectionfor determining their star ratings.

Wind (2):Heavy atmospheric disturbance. Pilots on a windy sectionincur a roll on the Accident table whenever they roll a 1 or 2 duringtheir move.


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sample track sections

The following premade track sections can be linked together tomake a custom track. The value listed after the section name isthe section's value for determining star rating. Add the values

for each section together and divide the total by the number ofsections to determine the track's star rating value.

Boost Run (6)Type: StraightFeature: Dash Zone (3)Feature: Dash Zone (5)Piloting roll: Automatic (2)

Failure:1 boxA Boost Run is similar to a Straightaway but has several DashPlates built into the track. The first Dash Plate is relatively easyto contact, but successive Dash Plates are often positioned tomake them harder to reach.

Boost Trap (15)Type: Straight

Feature: Boost Trap (3)Feature:Jump Plate (5)Piloting roll: 5Failure: Impact + 1 boxA Boost Trap appears similar to a Boost Run but contains aBoost Trap to smash unwary pilots into the guide rails or otherobstacles. Most Boost Traps are installed on straight sections,but they are also found on curved sections.

Gap Jump (15)Type: StraightFeature:Jump Plate (3)Feature:Gap (3)Piloting roll: 3

Failure: DisqualificationA Gap Jump sends pilots hurtling over a missing area of track.Failure to clear the gap results in immediate disqualification.

Gentle Curves (10)Type: CurvedFeature:Sparse Rough (4)Piloting roll: 2

Failure:1 boxThis section is comprised of gentle curves that are easy tonavigate. The presence of Sparse Rough may slow pilots whofail to roll the minimum needed to avoid it.

Hard Curves (24)Type: CurvedFeature:Heavy Rough (6)

Piloting roll: 6Failure:ImpactThis section has tight, winding curves that virtually guaranteemachines will not come through unscathed. Heavy Rough slowseven the best pilots.


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Jump (3)Type: StraightFeature:Jump Plate (3)Piloting roll: Automatic (2)Failure:1 box

This section contains a Jump Plate and no other features. Analternate Jump is built around a curved section and allows craftypilots the opportunity to cheat.

Minefield (12)Type: StraightFeature: Land Mines (3)Piloting roll: 2Failure: Impact + 1 boxThis section appears simple save for the presence of landmines. They are spread out in this section, but an alternatesection may have more tightly-spaced areas of land mines thatare more difficult to avoid.

Mine Jump (18)Type: CurvedFeature:Jump Plate (5)Feature: Land Mines (5)Piloting roll: 3Failure: Impact + 1 boxMany sections have obstacles that may only be avoided by JumpPlates. Failure to contact the Jump Plate means passing over atleast one land mine.

Slip Curves (13)Type: CurvedFeature:Sparse Rough (4)Feature: Slip Zone (5)Piloting roll: 3

Failure: 1 boxThis section is fairly easy to navigate but contains areas oftrack that may hinder unwary pilots.

Straightaway (2)Type:StraightFeature:Pit area (2)Piloting roll: Automatic (2)

Failure: 1 boxThis is the simplest type of section: a straight section oftrack with no obstacles. Straightaways are often seen at thebeginning of a track with a pit area located just after thestarting line.

Wind Run (17)Type: StraightFeature:Dash Zone (6)Feature:WindPiloting roll:5Failure:ImpactA Wind Run is a simple and easy to navigate section... exceptfor the presence of fierce winds that blow machines all over thetrack. Not surprisingly, Death Wind's tracks are famous for thesetypes of sections.


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26

streets of mute city 9 pts. Section 1 (Straight)

Piloting: Automatic (2) Failure: 1 box

Section 2(Straight) Piloting: Automatic (2)

Feature: Pit Area (2) Failure: 1 box

Section 3 (Curves) Piloting: 5 Feature: Jump Plate (2) Feature: Gap (2) Failure: DQ

Pilots may not attempt jump cheats in this section.

premade tracks

The following tracks are already constructed for Announcers toquickly put together a race. Every track is given a star rating and atotal point value, along with any useful information about it.

Streets of Mute City is a simpletrack with only one dangerousfeature: a gap jump that can DQunwary pilots.

The track can be made into a2-star course with the addition

of traffic: raise the Piloting rollby 3 and change the Failure forthe first two sections to Impactdamage.

Note that the placement of thegap jump just before the finishline does not allow for jumpcheating.


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mitosis 17 pts.

Section 1 (Straight) Piloting: Automatic (2) Feature: Pit Zone (2) Failure: 1 box

Section 2: (Curves) Piloting: 3 Feature: Split Track A Feature: Mines (6) Feature: Dash Zone (4) Feature: Boost Trap (5) Failure: Impact

B Feature: Magnets (5)Feature: Sparse Rough (4)

Failure: 1 box

Section 3 (Curves) Piloting: 3 Feature: Split Track A Feature: Dash Zone (4)

Feature: Boost Trap (5) Feature: Mines (6) Failure: Impact B Feature: Sparse Rough (4) Feature: Magnets (5) Failure: 1 box

Mitosis is a strange track with atwist... two of them!

Pilots must choose either the left orthe right path once they clear thefirst section. The right path is easier,with only magnets and rough toworry about.

The left path has Dash Zones (andboost traps) but a cluster of LandMines await pilots willing to risk thispath!

Mitosis designed by Marl Shiner


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rainbow road 34 pts.

Section 1 (Straight) Piloting: Automatic (2) Feature: Pipe Feature: Pit Area (4) Failure: Nothing

Section 2 (Curves) Piloting: 6 Feature: Land Mines (5)

Failure: Impact

Section 3(Curves) Piloting: 4 Feature: Sparse Rough (8) Feature: Heavy Rough (6) Failure: 1 box Feature: Gap Jump*

Section 4(Curves) Piloting: 3 Feature: No Rails Feature: Heavy Rough (6) Feature: Dash Zone (7) Failure: DQ Feature: Gap Jump*

Section 5(Curves)

Feature: Split Track A Piloting: 4

Feature: Land Mines (6) Failure: Impact Feature: Gap Jump* B Piloting: 6 Failure: Impact

Feature: Gap Jump*

*Gap Jump after action phase (Piloting: 4)Autosuccess if moving at max speed or higher.

Failure: DQ

This insane course is sure to challenge the mostdie-hard race fans! The pilots start the race

inside a pipe, head through land mines beforea series of last-second Gap Jumps! The fourthsection has no guide rails to keep machines onthe track, so watch out!

Rainbow Road designed by Ernst Kapplan


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Wildlife is infamous for its untamed curves anddeadly hazards, including the very animalsthemselves! It has every hazard in the game! Andif that wasn't enough, Night Mode (NM) offerseven morehazards! The animals come out to preyonce the sun goes down, so watch out for Skrees,smog, serpents, metallivores, krakens, and thefearsome Dragonoid Lord!

This track doesn't lap - the first pilot to survive tothe finish line is the winner!

wildlife 32 pts.(Night Mode: 38 pts.)

A Gap Jump in Section 2 allows speedy machinesto overtake the competition, but if you can't makethe cut you're out of the race!

Pilots gain boost power at the beginning ofSection 5 when they cross over the boostdelimiter, and can attempt to ride the center railand contact features on both paths at once!

Wildlife designed by Faaris Shazad bin Abdullah


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There are five types of characters in the F-Zero RPG:

Player characters: Pilots created by the players. Player charactershave four attributes and 16 skills.

Minions:Trivial characters employed by the players' pilots. Minionsare treated like pieces of equipment and usable for only one type ofskill roll (specified when the minion is created). They have a singlerating from A to E that may include a modifier of +1 to +4.

Minions may be lost like equipment when a pilot fails to counter an

attack, but cannot otherwise be "damaged".

Important NPCs:Rivals or counterparts to the player characters'pilots. Important NPCs are created and treated exactly like playercharacters. The Announcer may create "seasoned" NPCs with extraskill points or equipment to provide the player pilots with morechallenging opponents.

non-player charactersAdversaries:Street criminals, vicious animals, malfunctioningrobots, etc. Adversaries are characters created solely to menacethe pilots. They have a single rating die used for determining moveorder and for attacking and countering attacks. Some adversarieshave a modifier after their rating. This modifier is added to theadversary's roll. For example, an adversary rated D+2 rolls a d6 andadds 2 to the result.

When an adversary fails to counter an attack their ratingis reduced by 1. For example, a D+2 gangster whofails to counter an attack becomes an E+2 gangster. Iftheir rating falls below E (ignoring modifiers) they aresubdued or destroyed.

If your attack result is at least 2x the adversary's ratingdie you instantly defeat them. For example, an E (d4)adversary will be instantly defeated if your attack resultis at least 8. If the adversary's die has a modifier it isapplied after the 2x. For example, an E+3 adversary will

only be instantly defeated on a result of 11 (4 x 2 +3) or higher.

Adversaries with A or B ratings should be reserved for "boss battles"or other significantly dangerous situations. The Announcer maydecide that certain adversaries are resistant or immune to specific

types of damage such as fire or cold and increase their rating orbonus against those attacks or rule that such attacks are useless.

Certain adversaries have equipment of their own treated like normalequipment. This equipment is generally unusable by the playercharacters and is almost always destroyed when its owner is beaten.

Extras:Any other characters that need to be represented with gamestatistics. These characters are treated like Adversaries and given a

single rating but are not inherently antagonistic.


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samurai goroh

From: Unknown (believed to be Japanese-American)Age: Unknown (believed to be in his early 40s)The leader of a renegade band of thieves known to hide out in Red Canyon.It is known that he participates in the Grand Prix under an alias, and it is

also rumored that his machine is stolen proper ty.

equipment:

Katana (Striking) A+2Burglary kit (Larceny) B+1Gang of thieves (Larceny) C

captain falcon

From: Port TownAge: Unknown (rumored to be in his early 30s)Besides being an accomplished F-ZERO pilot, he is a renowned andtalented bounty hunter. Not much is known about his past.

equipment:

Blaster pistol (Shooting) A+3Body armor (Blocking) BRobot servant (Mechanics) B+2Falcon Flyer (spaceship) A

AIM

NERVE

BRAIN

FLAIR

Shooting

Balance

Passing

Piloting

Ramming

Striking

Lying

Blocking

Sideswiping

Mechanics

Larceny

Savvy

Accolades

Cheating

Dodging

Influence

+ Handling

ab

cd

4

4

4

3

3

0

4

0

0

4

2

4

0

0

2

3AIM

NERVE

BRAIN

FLAIR

Shooting

Balance

Passing

Piloting

Ramming

Striking

Lying

Blocking

Sideswiping

Mechanics

Larceny

Savvy

Accolades

Cheating

Dodging

Influence

+ Handling

ab

be

4

4

1

3

3

3

3

3

2

1

3

2

0

3

2

2


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dr.stewart

From: Mute CityAge: 31Though he had followed the lifestyle of the elite as an accomplishedand well respected medical doctor, he has par ticipated in theF-ZERO Grand Prix as the pilot of the Golden Fox since the death ofhis father the scientist, Professor Kevin Stuart.

equipment:

Diploma (Influence) A+3

picoFrom: Death WindAge: 34Believed to be an ex-soldier who worked in the Polipoto ArmysSpecial Fighting Unit. He is a highly aggressive pilot, and his coldheart is a perfect complement to this. Officially, his occupation is anF-ZERO pilot, but, it is rumored that he is also a competent hit-man.

equipment:

Sniper rifle (Shooting) A+4

AIM

NERVE

BRAIN

FLAIR

Shooting

Balance

Passing

Piloting

Ramming

Striking

Lying

Blocking

Sideswiping

Mechanics

Larceny

Savvy

Accolades

Cheating

Dodging

Influence

+ Handling

ae

bb

4

4

04

2

0

00

0

3

0

2

3

0

4

4

AIM

NERVE

BRAIN

FLAIR

Shooting

Balance

Passing

Piloting

Ramming

Striking

Lying

Blocking

Sideswiping

Mechanics

Larceny

Savvy

Accolades

Cheating

Dodging

Influence

+ Handling

a

a

ce

3

2

4

4

2

4

4

2

0

2

3

3

0

1

0

0


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samus aran

From: K-2LAge: Unknown (presumed to be in her mid to late 20s)Samus is a famous bounty hunter often employed by theGalactic Federation to combat dangerous threats to theUniverse. She has a fierce hatred for the Space Pirates, but willtake almost any assignment if the pay is right.

equipment:Power suit (Blocking) A+4Power beam (Shooting) A+4Hunter-class gunship A

"big time"brannigan

From: UnknownAge: UnknownThe alien bounty hunter called "Big Time"Brannigan boasts a 100% efficiencyrating and is one of the top hunters inthe Universe.

equipment:

Power armor (Blocking) A+2Power cannon (Shooting) A+4

AIM

NERVE

BRAIN

FLAIR

Shooting

Balance

Passing

Piloting

Blocking

Striking

Lying

Ramming

Sideswiping

Mechanics

Larceny

Savvy

Accolades

Cheating

Dodging

Influence

+ Handling

ab

cd

3

0

4

4

2

0

3

2

0

3

3

4

0

3

4

3

AIM

NERVE

BRAIN

FLAIR

Shooting

Balance

Passing

Piloting

Blocking

Striking

Lying

Ramming

Sideswiping

Mechanics

Larceny

Savvy

Accolades

Cheating

Dodging

Influence

+ Handling

ab

cd

2

0

4

4

0

2

1

2

0

2

4

3

0

2

4

2


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Every adversary is given a short write-up containing the following:name, type, rating, and information. The name is simply the

adversary's common label. The type is a shorthand reference like"Thug" or "Metroid". See Types below for more information.

An adversary's rating indicates the size of the die they initially useto attack, defend, and attempt skills as well as make their Nerve rollto determine acting order.

The information blurb contains suggestions for the Announcer andother useful facts.

adversary types

Flying Monster:These are monsters that can fly toreach high places or fleeing characters.

Metroid:Metroids are artificial life forms thathatch from eggs. They are largely invulnerable to

everything but extreme cold. Metroids drain energyfrom living creatures - they can also drain energyfrom F-Zero machines!

Monster:This is a catch-all term for fierce barbaricalien creatures. They may or may not be intelligentbut they are always dangerous.

adversaries

Paranormal:These creatures have supernatural powers like magicor psychic ability. Many paranormal creatures can attempt Shooting

attacks without possessing any equipment.

Thug:Thugs are fighters who make their living with weapons or theirfists. Thugs are almost never magical or psychic.

Robot:Most robot adversaries have a low rating but a high bonus.This makes them hard to crack but easy to put out of commission.


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infant metroidMetroid E+1

Infant Metroids hatch from eggs and areinquisitive and fairly harmless for a fewmoments before attacking. They are easilydestroyed by very low temperatures.

skreeFlying Monster D+2

These creatures hang

from cave ceilings anddive-bomb anything thatresembles prey.

hired gunmanThug C+1

Mercenaries and thugs are oftenpaid to act as muscle by crimebosses. They are often found ingroups of two or three.

giant animalMonster A+3

Fierce alien lifeforms may be found on worlds throughoutthe Universe. They are usually relentless and attack untildead or driven off.


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gimmick fighterThug B+1Special

Gimmick fighters have a single piece

of B- or C-rated equipment thatmakes them formidable opponents.Some common equipment includesrocket boots (Dodging), forcefields (Blocking), or hand-mountedblasters (Shooting).

rogue robotRobot D+4Rogue robots are persistentadversaries. They are notparticularly dangerous buttheir +4 bonus makes themhard to vanquish.

Robot E+4

space rangerThug A+1Special

Space Rangers are a cut aboveGimmick Fighters. Each one carries apiece of B- and C-rated equipment.They may be found solo, in pairs, or insquads of 10 or more. Space Rangershave a strong code of honor and mayoccasionally be persuaded to aid justcauses.

Sentry robots are often deployed

to prevent beings from enteringrestricted areas. They will warnnearby allies or central commandunless taken by surprise. Sentryrobots tend to remain in a specificarea or follow a specific path.

sentry robot


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vehicle weapon rules(optional)

Weapons are banned in the F-Zero circuit but there are plenty ofunderground tracks where you might find vehicle-mounted ordnance.Vehicle weapons are treated like Upgrades and count against a

machine's three-upgrade limit. Unless otherwise specified all vehicleweapons are used with the Shooting skill and inflict Impact damage.The target may attempt to counter withDodging.

A standard weapon (machine gun, missile,etc.) can target the machine in the rankimmediately ahead of you or a machineattempting to pass. Additional effects like

longer range can be added to a weaponbut this increases its cost. The Announcerwill decide what kinds of ordnance areavailable and how many Winnings theycost. Some sample weapon effects include:

Long range: Can target machines fartherahead. Cost: 2 + 1 per rank after the one immediately ahead of you.

Trap: Create obstacle that racers behind you must avoid. Cost: 1per +2 to required Piloting roll. When used every machine behindyou must immediately roll the increased Piloting one at a time untilsomeone hits it or every racer behind you avoids it.

Freezer: Disable target's boosting ability for this section. Cost: 3.

Heater: The opposite - forced boosting! Cost: 2

redline

Racing in the REDLINE setting very similar to F-Zero, except thecars are generally wheeled. One major difference is how boostsare handled. Instead of a standard boost, REDLINE races use threetypes of nitros: Silver Nitro, Gold Nitro and Platinum Nitro. Instead ofdraining 3 power boxes per boost, nitros cause varying degrees of

damage to your machine when used. Damage caused by nitros doesnot affect your speed. Racers do not have to complete any sections

before they may use their nitros.

Silver Nitro: Treated as a normalBoost but your machine takesImpact damage each time.

Gold Nitro: Your machinetakes Impact damage +1 andimmediately accelerates to itsBoost Max. You begin with 3 goldnitros.

Platinum Nitro: Your machinetakes Impact damage +2 and immediately accelerates to a speedequal to its Boost Max + Boost Accel. Platinum nitros cannot bepurchased, but a racer may choose to own one in place of theirstarting B equipment.

REDLINE tracks use physical boundaries instead of magnetic guiderails used on F-Zero tracks. A failed Piloting roll is treated as if thepilot contacted Light Rough or Heavy Rough (Announcer's choice).This result is cumulative with any other features they fail to avoid.

Finally, REDLINE machines do not race laps. Instead, lap points are

awarded each section based on rank. A race is going from Point A toPoint B as fast as you can!


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You don't need anything other than this rulebook to jump into abreakneck F-Zero race, but when you want more action here aresome great places to get inspiration for your pilot, your track andyour game!

Film and television:Cowboy Bebop: Mainly the CS part.

Death Race 2000: The original murdercar movie!

Knight Rider: Shades of Captain Falcon!

Redline: The anime, not the American movie.

Speed Racer: This classic cartoon has a bunch of great ideas forAnnouncers to steal for their own games.

Wacky Races: Eclectic racers in outlandish machines?

Literature:

Why Johnny Can't Speed: Alan Dean Foster's short story about aworld where arguments are settled on the freeway.

The Racer: Ib Melchior's short story of a racer paid to murderpedestrians was the basis for the cult classicDeath Race 2000.

RPGs:

Car Wars: The classic Steve Jackson tabletop wargame largelyinspired by Why Johnny Can't Speed.

GorkaMorka: A Warhammer 40,000setting primarily focused onvehicular combat.

Video games:

Battle Cars, Extreme G, the F-Zeroseries (obviously!),Jet Moto,Interstate '76, Star Wars Pod Racer, Vigilante 8, Wipeout

The following people were absolutely necessary in making this gamewhat it is. They ran endless laps playtesting track bugs, churned outdozens of pilots to expand character options, and came up with a tonof great ideas for rules.

inspiration the big thank-you list:

Mack HatchetMack McCoyMack TargannMarl ShinerMichelle CuunisNamillusNapNekowaffle

NibblesNothing ManPresentPresenceReturn0fDjangoToastmonsterWreckingfistYavinosXankek

AltasaireBoris MakarovBrian AndromedaCaesarSaladCasadonEliElricErnst Kapplan

Faaris Shazad bin AbdullahFiremanPrimeHootingsIggy WhightInquisitorFrolloJeb KermanLaBambaManLisandra Brave

A big thanks to Rick N. Bruns at snesmaps.comfor his great rips of F-Zero track maps!

VREEM VREEM, baby!


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What begins as just another race for our pilots turns into a game of

cat and mouse with galaxy-wide ramifications! Can they keep theircool long enough to find the real culprit?

The pilots are all assembled in a ski lodge on White Land fora promotional party the night before their next race. Fuzzysweaters and parkas are the fashion here as attractive serverscirculate between tables piled high with hot food and spicydrinks! The player pilots are not the only guests here - severalExtras are present including race officials and other pilots.

Their revelry is momentarily halted when a nearby telescreendisplaying a sports game is suddenly interrupted! As severalof the viewers begin to protest the face of a well-known newsreporter springs into being!

"This is Tom Rather bringing you a special announcement fromthe Galactic Federation headquarters! The reclusive Rahnorianshave emerged from secrecy and have petitioned to join theGalactic Space Federation!"

Excitement erupts in the ski lodge as everyone is curious tosee what these mysterious aliens look like, and moments laterthe Rahnorian Minister of Foreign Affairs appears on a stage! Atall, gaunt, blue-skinned humanoid in military dress, he cuts animposing figure standing next to the Galactic Space Federationambassador (a pudgy five-foot tall upright pillbug in a tuxedo).

culture shock The Rahnorian minister steps forward. "Greetings, noblebeings ofthe Galax-" he begins to pronounce, voice dripping with disdain,before a small explosion at the podium sends a cloud of obscuringdebris into the air!

The SpaceFed hall is filled with cries and shouts, but when the dust

settles the Rahnorian minister stands tall, apparently unharmed!Next to him the SpaceFed ambassador scuttlesupright, brushes dust off of his rippedand tattered tuxedo and looks around withuncertainty as guards move to close off the halland the view changes back to the reporter!

"Ladies and gentlemen, it looks like we'vejust witnessed an attempt on the Rahnorianminister's life! We can't even begin to speculatewhat this will mean for the people of Earth!"Rather remarks breathlessly while armoredguards hustle him out of the building along withthe other reporters.

"As our viewers may recall, the planet Earth wasnearly conquered by the Rahnorians severalcenturies ago, until they were defeated by theMach Riders. This new demand for entry into theSpaceFed seems to have ruffled some feathers!Keep your eyes glued to this channel for moreas this story develops!"

He manages to get out his entire piece beforethe telescreen goes dead for a moment and

switches back to the slug fights!

Rahnorian Minister

of Foreign Affairs

an f-zero starterfor 2-5 pilots


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After that excitement the Announcer may continue the festivities ortransition to the next morning just before the start of the race! TheAnnouncer may decide that racers who have toomuch fun at theparty incur a -1 penalty to all Piloting rolls in the first lap.

The next morning the sun shines through the cloudsand lights up the pink and purple fields of White

Land's countryside, far removed from the transteeldomes of the hotels, inns and shopping centersof this popular romantic vacation planet. A lightsnowfall has already dusted the machines by thetime their crews begin prepping for the race, and thebreath of the organics present is visible in the briskair as spherical frost-wreathed camerabots hoverabout the staging area nosily recording everything.

"Good morning, race fans!" The voice of theannouncer booms out as the pilots climb into theirvehicles and carry out their last-minute rituals."We're here on White Land to bring you an excitingrace through the famous Ice Forest!"

"This track takes our pilots through an ancient forestof supermassive trees that were flash-frozen in ageological event thousands of years ago! The course winds betweenice-covered trunks more than 1,000 feet high before soaring upwardto the immense branches where huge chunks of ice hang suspendedlike glistening fruit!"

"Pilots, take your mark!"

"Get ready!"

"3...2...1...START

!"

The race progresses normally - the magnets make this trackdangerous for machines with low Body ratings, and the abbreviatedpit area is hard to take advantage of. The real challenge comes onwhat the pilots might assume is a simple straightaway - this sectiontakes them straight through the immense branches and into danger!

Feature

Falling Ice (5*): Look out below! The heat from the racers' machinesis melting the icicles above the track and sending them plummetingdown! Machines struck by ice take Impact damage.

*If a machine is struck by falling ice, the pilot in the rank behind itincurs a -1 penalty to avoiding the falling ice during their Pilotingroll. This penalty is cumulative, so if two machines in a row arestruck the third pilot has a -2 penalty to avoiding all the ice!


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Once the pilots cross the finish line and step out of their machinesthey are immediately assaulted by reporters, asking them how theyfeel about the Rahnorian ambassador demanding to be allowedto participate in the F-Zero tournament! Thereporters don't know anything about theambassador except that they are rumored to bea military veteran!

Suddenly, word reaches the reporters that theRahnorian ambassador is landing on the planetto join the racers as they continue their tourof the F-Zero circuit! As everyone looks up,a fearsome-looking spaceship bristling withweapons cuts through the pristine skies of WhiteLand, headed for the ski lodge!

Back at the lodge the player pilots are alltogether in one room when the doors slide openand the Rahnorian Minister of Foreign Affairssteps in, with the Rahnorian Ambassador behind him!

"Greetings, noble beings," the Minister croons in hisoily voice. "Allow me to introduce esteemed Fleet Commander MotoOhana, ambassador to the Galactic Space Federation." He gesturestoward the blue-skinned woman and continues. "The Rahnorian HighCouncil has decreed that in lieu of our traditional military response,political relations with the SpaceFed will be carried out on the F-Zerotrack, your civilization's most popular event." He looks at the playerpilots and smirks. "I am sure you will find her a most challengingopponent."

With that the reporters pepper Ohana with questions about herreclusive society, which she ignores to deliver a single statement: "I

will crush these pilots and bring glory to the Rahnorian Army!"

The Minister and Ohana exchange a glance, and he leaves the roomwhile she stays behind. Ohana looks over the player pilots and coollystates "It will be an honor to destroy you." She urns to the F-Zero

commissioner and demands "Where are my quarters? Iwish to retire until we leave for the next race."

The Announcer is free to spin out this scene, but

at some point the player pilots are approached bySpaceFed officials and briefed on the political situationas well as the anti-Rahnorian faction of Earth patriotsbelieved to be behind the bombing. The pilots aregiven the choice between spying on Moto Ohana forthe SpaceFed or having their memories of the last fewminutes erased (the latter is only mentioned if they ask"what if we refuse?") After all, "We can't have it gettingaround that we're using pilots to spy on enem- er, onforeign powers!"

The pilots have to travel together to the next race siteunder orders from the F-Zero commission - can't have theirracers turning up dead before the big meet! The scenemoves on to the player pilots and Ohana boarding a ship to

take them to Mute City for the next track. During the trip the playerpilots might witness several possibly incriminating events:

Ohana leaving the ship's communication room. She claims she

merely wanted to see SpaceFed technology up close.

Ohana being found "skulking around" in the bay where the pilots'

machines are kept, closer to someone else's machine than her own(the Hyper Nautilus).

A number of strange encrypted messages being sent from the

ship to an unknown location. If they are deciphered they read " Themission is continuing as planned", "No one aboard suspects," and"Everything is in position."

Rahnorian Ambassador

Moto Ohana


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Taken together, these things seem to implicate Ohana for...something bad. Mysterious, anyway. The other pilots may beginto view her as an enemy, which she does little to counter. TheAnnouncer may let these tensions play out throughout the trip, butwhen the pilots arrive at Mute City they find themselves in the middle

of another bombing, this time targeting the racers themselves!

The Announcer may decide the specifics, but at some point whenOhana and the player pilots are together before the next raceanother explosion occurs, one that might injure unwary pilots! Whenthe bomb goes off everyone (including Ohana) must attempt aBalance action with a minimum result of 4 needed to avoid injury.

Anyone who fails their Balance attempt loses either 1 rating from

Aim or Nerve or one piece of equipment. If Ohana is injured (now orat any time) she will lose her Aim first, then Nerve. Only if both Aimand Nerve reach E will she lose any equipment.

As the pilots dust themselves off and look for clues, the localauthorities arrive, quickly herding the pilots out of the area andsealing it off. A police guard is posted at the bombing site, but ifanyone manages to sneakback in and look around theAnnouncer may reveal thatthe blast seemed to havebeen targeting Ohana!

How does the episode end? That's for the Announcer to decide! Hereare some ideas for the final twist:

The Mach Riders, a group of anti-Rahnorian zealots based on the

22nd-century heroes, have been responsible for the bombings just

like the media proclaimed! They may even attempt to kidnap theracers (and Ohana) to get their pro-Earth manifesto out!

The Rahnorian High Council secretly

intends to make a martyr out ofOhana, hoping that her death will besuitable justification for an all-out waragainst the "treacherous" SpaceFed!

The real villain is the F-Zero

commissioner who thinks a few high-profile deaths and a war with theRahnorians will be great for ratings!

Brief notes about

Rahnorian culture

The tri-wheel vehicles used by theRahnorians to police the ravaged Earthof 2112 were manned by a strangeslave-caste of nonsapient dronesgood for little else besides high-speedpiloting. These same drones are still inuse and can be found plugged into

most Rahnorian vehicles, includingtheir spaceships.

Moto Ohana's presence in the F-Zerocircuit is therefore atypical, though sheis not the only capable pilot among thehigher caste of Rahnorians.

Rahnorian trike pilot


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AIM

NERVE

BRAIN

FLAIR

Shooting

Balance

Passing

Piloting

Blocking

Striking

Lying

Ramming

Sideswiping

Mechanics

Larceny

Savvy

Accolades

Cheating

Dodging

Influence

+ Handling

bb

cc

+

=

=

+

=

=

=

+

moto ohanarahnorian ambassador

POWER

Repair Bonus

BODY

BOOST GRIP

Weight

Max Speed

Acceleration

Handling

MACHINE:

ENGINE UNIT:

UPGRADES

VEHICLE DESIGN

Boost Duration

Add to Piloting

Pit area repairs 4+ Repair Bonus

Boost Accel Boost Max

Number of

actions boosting

Accelerate

before Piloting

Hyper Nautilus

MR-2112 x4

b

b c

1,890 kg

470 km/h

550 km/h110 km/h

3 actions

60 km/h

-1

+1

If this is the pilots' first episode the Announcer may assign Ohana pointslike a new character and increase the skills marked with a + by 1.

If the pilots are seasoned regulars on the F-Zero circuit the Announcermay assign her skills marked with a = as equal to the highest skill amongthe player pilots and assign the skills marked with a + at 1 higher thanthe highest player pilot's skill. For example, if one of the player pilots hasa Balance skill of 3 and no other player pilot has a higher Balance skill,

Ohana's Balance skill is also 3.

None of Ohana's skills may be higher than 4.

The Announcer may decide that the Hyper Nautilus has upgrades basedon the player pilots' machines.

equipment:

Body Armor(Blocking) A

Cybernetic Headgear(Mchanics) B


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F-Zero RPG

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