Double Cross: The Hits of 2013 just keep on coming

[grandexperiment]

About a month ago, whilst I was deep in discussion regarding Tenra Bansho Zero, I became aware of the imminent release of an English translation version of the Double Cross RPG. I knew of the Double Cross RPG as it is one of Japan's most popular RPGs, made by the same company as Tenra Bansho Zero and is also AndyK's (the translator of Tenra Bansho

Comments

[grandexperiment]

And the translator has confirmed that the first supplement "Advanced Rulebook" is already in the process of translation :)

[ext_1196940]

Sounds really interesting! In my more speculative moments, I consider writing a Supers RPG using some of the principles I used for EPOCH to better meld character to system, and stuff like you describe in relationships seems like an interesting approach to help structure a supers story which promotes rich character development. Very interested to hear if you give it a try.

[grandexperiment]

I am finding the Encroachment mechanic to be very interesting. Effectively, it is a measure of corruption. When you use powers, you gain Encroachment. Also, for every scene you are in you gain Encroachment. The game seems built around the GM compelling players to want to be in scenes.

As Encroachment grows, the PC gains more power and access to better powers. It's like having a growing tension-o-meter built into the game. If Encroachment is over 100% when the game ends then the PC falls to monsterhood, but there is an opportunity to burn Loises just before the end to prevent that, allowing the player to author their own fallout.

Finally, a player is awarded XP based on how close they get Encroachment to 100% without going over it. Overall, I think the mechanic will encourage players to take on complication and adversity in a pretty slick fashion.