.gif)
Robotech (role-playing game)
Encyclopedia
The Robotech Role-Playing Game, based on the Robotech and Robotech II: The Sentinels
series, was originally published by Palladium Books
from 1986 to 1998. A new series based on Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles
was released starting in 2008.
The Robotech RPG adventure books
Robotech II: The RPG
Books one through five covered the three segments of Robotech as aired. Book six and Lancer's Rockers took place after the series ended, and books seven, eight, and the rest of the adventure books took place during or shortly after the Macross segment.
The initial five volumes were written by Kevin Siembieda
with other Palladium regulars and freelance authors contributing to the later sourcebooks and adventure books. Illustrations consisted of line art taken from original Japanese source material in addition to new black-and-white line art done by Palladium artists such as Kevin Long
.
Palladium also published a separate RPG based on the Macross II anime, but this was entirely unrelated to the Robotech continuity.
by Jack McKinney
did. Several of the sourcebooks covered different parts of the world during or shortly after the Macross era, where there was the most room for expansion. However, the RPG diverged from the McKinney stories after the events covered in the Robotech series ended. Where McKinney followed Scott Bernard and the others in their search for Admiral Rick Hunter, leaving behind a peaceful planet earth, Palladium posited the Invid returning to earth a few months after they were driven away.
The books Return of the Masters and Lancer's Rockers were set during this second Invid invasion, and introduced concepts and events not suggested by the original material. Return of the Masters, set in Asia, features a system of gladiatorial mecha martial arts combat called Mecha Su-Dai. Lancer's Rockers concerns a network of travelling performers following in the footsteps of New Generation rock star Lancer/Yellow Dancer, carrying protoculture-powered musical instruments that double as powerful weapons (reminiscent of, but unrelated to, similar developments in the Macross sequel Macross 7
).
The Sentinels RPG also diverged in some respects from the story covered in the Sentinels novels and comic books, having been developed independently based on the same incomplete source material provided by Harmony Gold
. The two primary differences are the idea that the SDF-3 left with an entire fleet of REF ships accompanying them, and that the REF and the Sentinels joined in a protracted war against the Invid Regent. The game also suggested that members of the Sentinels' races would openly join the REF.
introduced several years earlier. Clearly patterned after Dungeons & Dragons
, the Palladium Fantasy RPG used a very similar rule system based around physical and mental statistics generated by rolling 3D6 (three six-sided dice), and the use of a D20 (20-sided die) in combat. Percentile dice (two ten-sided dice, one read as a tens column and the other as a ones column) are used for skill resolution. The Robotech RPG introduced the concept of mega-damage—"super" hit-points that are equivalent to 100 ordinary-person hit points—to simulate the toughness of the heavily armored mecha
. This concept would become widely used in Palladium's Rifts
game.
Critics of the game charged that the attempt to bolt giant robots onto a D&D-like system, rather than design a new system that would scale better, was a poor decision. The Palladium rules' complexity, as well as the overall toughness of the mecha as rendered in the books, meant that combat and skill checks could often be confusing, lengthy, BattleTech
-like affairs, interrupting the role-playing process and making the game poorly suited to simulating the rapid-fire combat action of the Robotech anime. The games also never saw revision into new editions (with the exception of one book, Return of the Masters); corrections or new rulings had to be covered in subsequent rule books or on-line FAQs, leading to further confusion. Another common criticism had to do with the percentage-based skill system, whereupon every skill in a character's repertoire improved by a set percentage with each level gained—even if it was a skill the character never actually used.
As with the McKinney books, the creators of the Robotech RPG originally lacked access to the complete source material that has since become available largely due to rediscovery and research. They were working to a deadline, from tapes of the show itself and translations of the limited original source material that was available (much of which was very imprecise on specific details). As a result of incomplete availability of material, compounded by animation and dubbing errors, many of the mecha depictions in the Robotech RPG are not accurate to what is seen in the television show—they are given the wrong weapons and equipment and in some cases confused for other mecha altogether. This is particularly true for the Southern Cross book, where the many humanoid robots, battloids, and suits of armor are often confused for one another. In one of the most notable examples, a 200-meter space destroyer
is incorrectly identified in 'Book One' as the one-man "Lancer I" space fighter.
project, as well as a general refocusing of the company on production of its flagship Rifts
line, caused Palladium to forgo renewing the Robotech license. The Robotech RPG line went out of print as of June 30, 2001.
. As of February 19, 2007, Siembieda stated that contract talks were still in progress between Palladium and Harmony Gold, with a new RPG, based on Shadow Chronicles, projected for release in 3Q 2007. However, contract negotiations lasted longer than anticipated, and it was September 6, 2007 before Palladium was able to announce the deal had been finalized. The Shadow Chronicles role-playing game was published in a "manga
-sized" form factor, rather than the 8.5 by 11 inch size of all its prior publications, a move that has engendered some controversy among Palladium fans, and prompted the announcement of a full-sized "deluxe" edition of the sourcebook. The "deluxe" hardback edition includes errata for errors in the first printing of the manga-sized RPG book. The book also includes combat rules and stats for use of large spacecraft/starships in game. However, they exclude newer Shadow Chronicles era spacecraft's technology and variants.
The Macross Saga sourcebook was released in late October 2008, and a sourcebook covering The Masters Saga was released in April 2009.
Robotech II: The Sentinels
Robotech II: The Sentinels was an attempt by Harmony Gold USA to continue the original 1985 Robotech television series. Only three episodes were ultimately animated before the project was canceled in 1986, and a feature-length film was released from footage taken from the completed episodes...
series, was originally published by Palladium Books
Palladium Books
Palladium Books is a publisher of role-playing games perhaps best known for its popular, expansive Rifts series . Palladium was founded April 1981 in Detroit, Michigan by current president and lead game designer Kevin Siembieda, and is presently based in Westland, Michigan...
from 1986 to 1998. A new series based on Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles
Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles
Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles is the 2006 animated sequel to the 1985 Robotech television series. It was released on DVD on February 6, 2007.- Plot :...
was released starting in 2008.
Titles
The Robotech RPG sourcebooks- Book One: Macross (November 1986)
- Book Two: Robotech Defense Force Manual (March 1987)
- Book Three: Zentraedi (March 1987)
- Book Four: Southern Cross (September 1987)
- Book Five: Invid Invasion (June 1988)
- Book Six: Return of the Masters (July 1989)
- Book Seven: New World Order (April 1995)
- Book Eight: Strike Force (July 1995)
The Robotech RPG adventure books
- Ghost Ship (February 1988)
- Robotech Defense Force Accelerated Training Program (March 1988)
- Lancer's Rockers (December 1989)
- Zentraedi Breakout (May 1994)
Robotech II: The RPG
- The Sentinels (September 1988)
- Robotech Expeditionary Force Field Guide (March 1989)
Books one through five covered the three segments of Robotech as aired. Book six and Lancer's Rockers took place after the series ended, and books seven, eight, and the rest of the adventure books took place during or shortly after the Macross segment.
The initial five volumes were written by Kevin Siembieda
Kevin Siembieda
Kevin Siembieda is an American artist, writer, designer, and publisher of role-playing games, and the co-founder and president of Palladium Books....
with other Palladium regulars and freelance authors contributing to the later sourcebooks and adventure books. Illustrations consisted of line art taken from original Japanese source material in addition to new black-and-white line art done by Palladium artists such as Kevin Long
Kevin Long (artist)
Kevin Long is a graphic artist best known for his airbrush paintings and black-and-white illustrations in the genres of science fiction and fantasy. He was the premiere artist at Palladium Books from 1986 until 1995 and served as one of the original contributors to the Rifts role-playing game series...
.
Palladium also published a separate RPG based on the Macross II anime, but this was entirely unrelated to the Robotech continuity.
Storyline
The original Robotech RPG by and large followed the TV series storyline, attempting in its own way to fill in gaps just as the novelizationsRobotech (novels)
In 1987, the Robotech animated series was adapted into novel form by authors James Luceno and the late Brian Daley and published by Ballantine Books. Having previously collaborated on the animated series Galaxy Rangers, the pair's Robotech novels were released under the unified pseudonym of "Jack...
by Jack McKinney
Jack McKinney (writer)
Jack McKinney was a pseudonym used by American authors James Luceno and Brian Daley before the latter's death.As well as adapting Robotech into novel form, they were also responsible for the Sentinels series which continued to expand the Robotech Universe...
did. Several of the sourcebooks covered different parts of the world during or shortly after the Macross era, where there was the most room for expansion. However, the RPG diverged from the McKinney stories after the events covered in the Robotech series ended. Where McKinney followed Scott Bernard and the others in their search for Admiral Rick Hunter, leaving behind a peaceful planet earth, Palladium posited the Invid returning to earth a few months after they were driven away.
The books Return of the Masters and Lancer's Rockers were set during this second Invid invasion, and introduced concepts and events not suggested by the original material. Return of the Masters, set in Asia, features a system of gladiatorial mecha martial arts combat called Mecha Su-Dai. Lancer's Rockers concerns a network of travelling performers following in the footsteps of New Generation rock star Lancer/Yellow Dancer, carrying protoculture-powered musical instruments that double as powerful weapons (reminiscent of, but unrelated to, similar developments in the Macross sequel Macross 7
Macross 7
is an anime television series. It is a sequel to the show The Super Dimension Fortress Macross that takes place many years after the events of the first series following a cast of mostly new characters. The show ran from October 16, 1994 to September 24, 1995 at 11:00 AM, and 49 episodes were aired...
).
The Sentinels RPG also diverged in some respects from the story covered in the Sentinels novels and comic books, having been developed independently based on the same incomplete source material provided by Harmony Gold
Harmony Gold USA
Harmony Gold is a television production and distribution company established in 1983. It is best known as the “creator” and main distributor of the anime series Robotech. It also partially dubbed the Dragon Ball series in the late 1980s....
. The two primary differences are the idea that the SDF-3 left with an entire fleet of REF ships accompanying them, and that the REF and the Sentinels joined in a protracted war against the Invid Regent. The game also suggested that members of the Sentinels' races would openly join the REF.
Game system
The Robotech RPG used a modified version of the rule system used in the Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing GamePalladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game
The Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game is a game produced by Palladium Books. It is set in a unique world, called the Palladium World , with the primary setting being some 10,000 years after a great war between the elves and their dwarven allies...
introduced several years earlier. Clearly patterned after Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
, the Palladium Fantasy RPG used a very similar rule system based around physical and mental statistics generated by rolling 3D6 (three six-sided dice), and the use of a D20 (20-sided die) in combat. Percentile dice (two ten-sided dice, one read as a tens column and the other as a ones column) are used for skill resolution. The Robotech RPG introduced the concept of mega-damage—"super" hit-points that are equivalent to 100 ordinary-person hit points—to simulate the toughness of the heavily armored mecha
Mecha
A mech , is a science fiction term for a large walking bipedal tank or robot, including ones on treads and animal shapes.-Characteristics:...
. This concept would become widely used in Palladium's Rifts
Rifts (role-playing game)
Rifts is a multi-genre role-playing game created by Kevin Siembieda in 1990 and published continuously by Palladium Books since then. Rifts takes place in a post-apocalyptic future, deriving elements from cyberpunk, science fiction, fantasy, horror, western, mythology and many other genres.Rifts...
game.
Critics of the game charged that the attempt to bolt giant robots onto a D&D-like system, rather than design a new system that would scale better, was a poor decision. The Palladium rules' complexity, as well as the overall toughness of the mecha as rendered in the books, meant that combat and skill checks could often be confusing, lengthy, BattleTech
BattleTech
BattleTech is a wargaming and science fiction franchise launched by FASA Corporation in 1984, acquired by WizKids in 2000, and owned since 2003 by Topps. The series began with FASA's debut of the board game BattleTech by Jordan Weisman and L...
-like affairs, interrupting the role-playing process and making the game poorly suited to simulating the rapid-fire combat action of the Robotech anime. The games also never saw revision into new editions (with the exception of one book, Return of the Masters); corrections or new rulings had to be covered in subsequent rule books or on-line FAQs, leading to further confusion. Another common criticism had to do with the percentage-based skill system, whereupon every skill in a character's repertoire improved by a set percentage with each level gained—even if it was a skill the character never actually used.
As with the McKinney books, the creators of the Robotech RPG originally lacked access to the complete source material that has since become available largely due to rediscovery and research. They were working to a deadline, from tapes of the show itself and translations of the limited original source material that was available (much of which was very imprecise on specific details). As a result of incomplete availability of material, compounded by animation and dubbing errors, many of the mecha depictions in the Robotech RPG are not accurate to what is seen in the television show—they are given the wrong weapons and equipment and in some cases confused for other mecha altogether. This is particularly true for the Southern Cross book, where the many humanoid robots, battloids, and suits of armor are often confused for one another. In one of the most notable examples, a 200-meter space destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
is incorrectly identified in 'Book One' as the one-man "Lancer I" space fighter.
Cancellation
Contractual issues in the wake of Harmony Gold's aborted Robotech 3000Robotech 3000
Robotech 3000 was Harmony Gold's attempt to reboot the Robotech franchise before the turn of the millennium. After the relative success of Voltron: The Third Dimension and Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles, a new Robotech sequel was proposed that would use 3D CG visuals, with producer Jason...
project, as well as a general refocusing of the company on production of its flagship Rifts
Rifts (role-playing game)
Rifts is a multi-genre role-playing game created by Kevin Siembieda in 1990 and published continuously by Palladium Books since then. Rifts takes place in a post-apocalyptic future, deriving elements from cyberpunk, science fiction, fantasy, horror, western, mythology and many other genres.Rifts...
line, caused Palladium to forgo renewing the Robotech license. The Robotech RPG line went out of print as of June 30, 2001.
The Shadow Chronicles (2008–present)
On August 26, 2006, a post on the company forums stated Palladium's intent to reacquire the license due to the new sequel, Robotech: The Shadow ChroniclesRobotech: The Shadow Chronicles
Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles is the 2006 animated sequel to the 1985 Robotech television series. It was released on DVD on February 6, 2007.- Plot :...
. As of February 19, 2007, Siembieda stated that contract talks were still in progress between Palladium and Harmony Gold, with a new RPG, based on Shadow Chronicles, projected for release in 3Q 2007. However, contract negotiations lasted longer than anticipated, and it was September 6, 2007 before Palladium was able to announce the deal had been finalized. The Shadow Chronicles role-playing game was published in a "manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
-sized" form factor, rather than the 8.5 by 11 inch size of all its prior publications, a move that has engendered some controversy among Palladium fans, and prompted the announcement of a full-sized "deluxe" edition of the sourcebook. The "deluxe" hardback edition includes errata for errors in the first printing of the manga-sized RPG book. The book also includes combat rules and stats for use of large spacecraft/starships in game. However, they exclude newer Shadow Chronicles era spacecraft's technology and variants.
The Macross Saga sourcebook was released in late October 2008, and a sourcebook covering The Masters Saga was released in April 2009.
External links
- Forums of Megaverse - Official forum for Megaverse of Palladium Books (including Robotech & Macross II sub-forums).
- Robotech: The Role-Playing Game - Extensive fan-created role-playing game based heavily on Palladium's Robotech RPG.
- Robotech Bibliography - Listings of RPG books in and out of print.
- Robotech Research - Extensive Robotech role-playing game site.
- The Original Palladium FAQ - by Stan Bundy
- Robotech RPG Review - Macross Saga Revised edition VS Original