I can’t believe that it has been 4 years since I first started working on and then published Magical Girls & Mecha. Many apologies to anyone who picked up what I now realize is an early beta copy of the game and was disappointed by the content of the game. I didn’t want to go so long without updating the game. I have been working on it in the background and am pleased to say there will be a significant update coming this year. This update will include some long-awaited changes and additions to how the game works and its systems.

One of the things that I’ve decided is to pull a lot of what I was working on for Magical Girls Mecha Rising and the “traditional” TTRPG that I was design within the Neo Cities Chronicles universe into Magical Girls & Mecha. Why? Because doing all that heavy lifting three times is stupid, in my humble opinion, and there are things that I learned in working on the designs of those games that can fit quite nicely into this game.

Below is an inconclusive list of the changes and updates I’ve already made and am planning to make between now (June 2024) and the end of the year (December 2024)

• Expounding on how the Game Narrator and the Moderation team work together
• Introduced the game concept of Key Keepers training and advancement
• Introduced the game concept of Key Keeper Skills, Actions, & Items
• Changed term from Game Master to Game Narrator because the vibes where just wrong before
• Added section about games Tone
• Changed page formatting to be A5 from standard US Letter
• Updated information about player count.
• Clarification about the minimum and maximum number of players in the roles of Key Keeper and moderators was included.
• Including hooks for various kinds of scenarios that can occur in Magical Girls & Mecha.
• Create a more structured outline of the time commitment of playing a game of Magical Girls & Mecha as opposed to the very open ended lossy goosey time frame currently given.
• Create concrete parameters for combat encounters.

I also am going to do a better job of posting devlogs to keep people abreast of the changes. So please look forward to it! Until then please check out this updated set of screenshots of the table of contents.

Table of Contents
Preface
The Game
Gameplay Overview
Setting
Tone
Themes
The Story
Safety Tools
Session 0
Lines and Veils
X, N, and O Cards
Script Change
Open Door
Bleed
Aftercare
Debriefing
Highlight Reel and Wrap Session
System Structure
Playing In An Adventure
Exploration
Investigation
Socialization
Combat
Now Playing
Basic Rules
Terms and What They Mean
Key Keepers & Their Mecha Companions
Rules for Relationships and Other Interpersonal Behaviors
Rules of Mischief & Mayhem
Mischief vs Mayhem
How To Perform an Investigation
Investigating As a Key Keeper
Investigative Reporting
Exploring in The-Door-To-Before
Socialization
As A Key Keeper
As A Member of the Press Pool
How to Combat the Once-From-Before
Organizing the Game
Setting Up Discord
Aurora, a Discord Bot
Features
Discord Text Channels
In-Game
Great Hall
Journal Entries
Letters Home
Magical Defense Agency
Independent Cooperative of Magical People
Neo Cities Chronicles
Session Room
Private Rooms
Out-of-Game
Character Logs
Community Forum
Character List
Resources
Planning & Hangout
Housekeeping
Patch-Notes
Code of Conduct
Help Desk
Discord Voice Channels
Help Desk
Mod Meetings
Planning & Hangout
Discord Roles
Player
Admin
Google Docs
Journals
Letters Home
Creating A Character
Key Keeper Skills, Actions, & Items
Key Keeper Skills
Creating Your Mecha
Mecha Skills
Mecha Actions
Running the Game
Time and How It Works
Mission Zero: On-Boarding
Establishing the World
Establishing the Team
For the Game Narrator
Joining A Game Midseries
Mission Zedd Point One: And We’re Off
Mission One: From-Before and Beyond
Mission Z Point Zedd: Plan the Parade
Mission Z Point One: The Return Home
Core Systems
Key Keepers and their Role
The Neo Cities Chronicles Press Pool
Members of the Magical Defense Agency
Members of the Independent Cooperative of Magical People
Combat Events
For the Players
Time Commitments
Playing As Your Character
Acting on a Mission or in an Event
Training and Advancing As Your Key Keeper
For the Moderators
Time Commitments
Managing Players
For the Game Narrator
Time Commitments
Creating and Running Missions & Events
World Building
Creating An NPC
Creating A Once-From-Before
Understanding the Monster Manual
Understanding the Event Manual
Rewarding Players
Working With Your Moderation Team
Crafting Events & Questlines
Magical Girls & Mecha Adventure Guide
Using the Adventure Guide
Investigation Hooks
Exploration Hooks
Socialization Hooks
Combat Hooks
So Your Key Keepers Have Completed an Adventure
Example of Game Play
References
Thank You & Acknowledgments
Gameplay Meta
Colophon
About the Designer
Around the Web