Is not good enough. Want to be stronger? Faster? Smarter? You can, provided you are willing to pay the price... your humanity.
Cybernetics allow you to punch harder, shoot straighter, run faster, and even think better. And if that’s not enough, you can become a full-conversion cyborg, sacrificing mere meat for cutting-edge machine.
You might opt for a genetic upgrade, a reworking of your DNA with the intent of “fixing” all of nature’s mistakes. Or you might be a replicated human, vat-grown and computer-designed for a specific purpose.
Still not satisfied? You can take on the role of an esper, a living weapon with powerful psychokinetic abilities.
Kazei 5 presents an original near-future campaign setting designed for use with the HERO System 6th Edition ruleset. Recommended for experienced GMs and players looking for an anime-themed cyberpunk setting, this world book includes:
Created by the author of The Asian Bestiary (Volumes I & II) and Ninja Hero, Kazei 5 is a setting that’s been a decade in the making. Enter a world of cyborgs, cybernetics, genetic enhancement, and replicated humans, where the entire idea of what it means to be a normal human is in question.
Technology is making man obsolete. The choice is yours, upgrade or die.
As of February, 2010, Kazei 5 is available from BlackWyrm Games. The book is 320 pages, 216,000 words, and costs $39.95. You can order your copy from the BlackWyrm website. I have an 8-page sampler here: Kazei 5 Preview (a 2.1 MB PDF). And you can get the cover (in jpeg form) here: Kazei 5 Cover.
The young man was of average height, with long black hair that hung down into his eyes. Dressed in a plain black t-shirt and jeans, he looked rather unremarkable. Facing him, some distance away, was his opponent -- a tall woman, strikingly beautiful, with long flowing white hair that fell to her knees. Wearing a billowing gray cloak, she presented a most imposing image.
The man took a step forward and dropped his hands to his sides, clenching his fists as he did so. Abruptly, the woman's body stiffened and then relaxed as she assumed a similar stance.
For long moments, nothing seemed to happen. Gradually, small bits of debris -- rocks, cans, and paper -- began to lift into the air and swirl about the duo. Behind the woman, a car windshield shattered. A lamp post next to the young man suddenly bent in two with a groan. Mid-way between the two, the pavement fractured, with chunks of asphalt ripping free flying upwards into the sky....
This section contains characters you may find useful in your Kazei 5 games. Some are original creations, some are loose adaptations of published characters.
One of the more interesting things about my campaign (well, to me at least) is the sheer volume of e-mail created interactive fiction. Side stories, memos, adventure introductions, interludes and even full scale combats and adventures have been written via e-mail during the course of the game. I have selected a number of the more interesting stories and arraigned them into several story-lines or 'arcs' to try and provide an idea of what life in Kazei Five universe is like. It should be noted that unlike a traditional 'fanfic', these stories are usually meant to be short sequences of character development, not full blown novels.
The Kazei 5 PBEM campaign ran off and on for roughly five years (or more). The link leads to the campaign archives, which contain more characters, more stories, and a gallery of character and setting images.
Kazei Five and all related characters and material (unless otherwise noted) are copyright © 1996-2010 Michael Surbrook and BlackWyrm Games. Permission granted for private use only. It cannot be distributed for profit or included in any distribution media other than the Internet or private BBS systems. Kazei Five cannot be distributed on printed matter. You are allowed to print a few copies for personal use of your RPG gaming group only.
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