Mecha vs Kaiju

Setting

Mecha : Giant humanoid robots controlled by human pilots. Kaiju: Giant monsters spawned by atomic radiation. Mecha vs. Kaiju portrays the epic struggle of heroic mecha pilots in their towering war machines, defending the people of Japan against gigantic radioactive monsters.

The setting is based on two unique influences from Japanese pop culture. The kaiju detailed here are based on monsters such as the ape-like Gargantua, the noble insect Mothra, and the unstoppable Godzilla—all products of the legendary Toho film studio. Inspiration for the heroic Mecha Assault Force comes primarily from anime series like Mobile Suit Gundam, with a healthy dose of sentai (taskforce) teams (best known in the west as “Power Rangers”) thrown in.

The heroes in Mecha vs. Kaiju are members of an elite taskforce of pilots and specialists willing to do whatever it takes to defend their homeland. They train endlessly for the cataclysmic moment when giant robots, bristling with bleeding-edge technology, go toe-to-toe with the massive and destructive kaiju. But members of the Mecha Assault Force must be equally capable outside their war machines, as they confront a 50-year conspiracy to undermine their homeland from within.

A Mecha vs. Kaiju campaign features opportunities for every heroic role to shine. Adepts use psychic and spiritual power to augment their towering battle vehicles and confront inhuman foes. Experts use their peerless skills in a variety of ways, from maximizing the power of their mecha to running down the most cunning and dangerous human foe—the ninja! And of course, warriors use their combat prowess to fight diabolical enemy agents as well matching their mecha one-on-one against the awesome might of the kaiju.

Timeline of the Mecha Assault Force

The Mecha Assault Force, of M.A.F., is the first line of defense for the Japanese islands from attacks by the giant monsters that threaten it. For as long as the island nation has had a self-defense force, there has been a dedicated core of soldiers who pit themselves against the most devastating natural force on earth. What follows is a brief history of the M.A.F. and details on their current deployment of mecha.

M.A.F. history uses the same "era names" as other calendars in Japan, based on the life and reign of the current emperor. The first kaiju appeared during the reign of the Showa emperor Hirohito, and is thus called the Showa era, lasting from 1945 to 1983. The next great kaiju era was the Heisei, lasting from 1984 to 1999. Due to the radically different nature of kaiju attacks in recent years, a third "Millennium" era began in 2000.

Showa Era (1945-1983)

The creation of the Mecha Assault Force is directly tied to the closing events of WWII. Here is a brief timeline of the important mecha and kaiju related events of the modern era.

1945: The first kaiju, Kaibutsu, is created by a freak mutation of atomic radiation. The Japanese military believes it is a terror weapon of the United States. The Emperor orders the military to immediately surrender and beg the U.S. to stop "Its monster." The army lures Kaibutsu to the sacred city of Nagasaki, where a second atomic bomb destroys it.

1945-48: US and Japanese scientists study the remains of the kaiju, but are unable to discern its origins. Dr. Surakowa and Prof. Rampo Kyari are lead Japanese researchers on the project. The government denies the existence of the kaiju, maintaining the cover story that it was only the bomb that caused the Japanese surrender.

1948: Kaiju research notes and samples of genetic material are stolen by communist agents and sent to the newly formed North Korea.

1950: During the Korean conflict a new incarnation of the kaiju Kaibutsu is unleashed upon American Marines in the battle of the Chosin reservoir. Leads to the Finland Accord that limits kaiju to defensive weapons used only within a nation's own borders.

1950: The knowledge that kaiju truly exist has a chilling effect on the Japanese populous. Many turn to religion for solace, while others seek the protection of new military technology. Many begin calling for a military force that can protect the islands from these new threats.

1950: Prof. Rampo has a vision of the universe as a whole and spends weeks in hospital. He will spend years trying to put into words and the image he saw in that one moment.

1953: Dr. Surakowa, working on his own, discovers a chemical means of destroying the kaiju. Unfortunately it would have an equally devastating affect on mankind. As a man of peace who fears the introduction of new terror weapons, he keeps this chemical process a secret.

1954: Kaibutsu returns, this time attacking the nation of Japan and devastating Tokyo. Surakowa is persuaded to use his chemical weapon on the creature, but only after first destroying his research, and then killing himself after killing the kaiju.

The Japanese Self Defense Force is founded. Its first act is to created the Anti-Kaiju Force (A.K.F.), a group founded to develop technology and tactics to use against the great beasts.

The military turns to Prof. Rampo Kyari to head Research and Development for the AKF.

1957: Senshueki, a flying reptilian kaiju, appears as the first radical monstrous mutation. It is a product of rapid evolution produced in a matter of years rather than eons.

1958: Yowai appears, born from a weaker strain of kaiju meant to emulate the great Kaibutsu, but failing miserably. They are produced as "foot soldiers" that can be bred as quickly as they die.

1959: Kameyuu, a colossal sea turtle, terrorizes sea lanes. This marks the first attack by the Underwater Shogunate of Mu, a campaign which will last for nearly 20 years.

1960: Prof. Rampo discovers Zeta particles, a sub-atomic element that interacts with Gravitons. By stimulating Zeta particles, he produces areas of intense gravity, which can be projected as weapons of devastating power with little to no dangerous by-products. He calls his weapons GAZERs (Gravity Amplification by Zeta Emission Recovery). Gazer technology requires vast amounts of power, so cannons must be trucked into a position and hooked into a city's power grid directly.

1961: Senshuga first sighted over Korean air space, and identified as the first insect kaiju. It is later learned that N.K. scientists worked for months to find a breed of moth amongst the thousands of varieties that would respond to kaiju mutation.

1962: Yamazaru, one of the great gargantua kaiju, appears in northern Japan. Tank mounted Gazer weapons harass and chase it across the big island of Honshu. They are too slow to deliver the killing blow before the creature's regenerative powers return it to health. That same year Navy destroyers drive Kameyuu out of the Sea of Japan. Prof. Rampo suggests a faster, more maneuverable weapons platform: a humanoid robot that could function like a walking battleship. He calls his design a "mecha."

1963: Ti-Lung, resembling a Chinese Dragon, attacks shipping in international waters. Though originally believed to be another Mu kaiju, Ti-lung is eventually tracked back to North Korea, a creation honoring their northern neighbor China. A formal protest is lodged and North Korean is ordered to operate the creature only within their territorial waters. It disappears after sinking the U.S. Naval vessel Pueblo.

1964: "Metaru Jaianto," the first remote-controlled humanoid robot, is fielded. Designed as a special support weapon capable of following kaiju into regions inaccessible to Gazer tanks, Metaru captures the imagination of the country. It is seen as a way of fighting the kaiju on their own level, and becomes a beloved symbol of the technological prowess of the country. Iseijin appears, called the "Space Monster" by some due to its alien nature, and denied by the North Korean government as their creation.

Kadouguera, a terrifying robot, repeatedly menaces cities in Japan, but is consistently defeated by Metaru. The only clue to the robot's origin is the emblem of the Imperial Chrysanthemum, formerly reserved only for battleships of the Imperial Japanese Navy.

1965: Sanshuseki, a flying, 2 headed "iseijin" kaiju, appears as the most powerful creature yet recorded. Rappagon, a burrowning kaiju with a fiery horn, appears around the mountains of Fuji.

"Metaru Fever" grips the country, as the robot becomes a pop-culture phenomenon. With new kaiju appearing Metaru is used as a front-line weapon, and military planners begin to see the potential of battlefield robots. Prof. Rampo sees the limitations of radio-controlled robots, however, and begins designing a piloted mecha. The A.K.F. creates a new arm: the Mecha Assault Force. Mysterious shipping accidents are rumored to be caused by a giant submarine.

1967: The first manned mecha is fielded, the "Senkanbuku" (battleship warrior). Because Gazer weapons still require vast amounts of power, the diesel-powered Senkanbuku is armed with 16-inch naval guns. A five-man crew operates the vehicle. Over the next 8 years advances in computer technology allow all non-combat tasks on board mecha to be handled through either on-board or remote computers, reducing the crew requirement to a single pilot or a pilot and navigator.

1969: A rash of new kaiju attack across the world, sparking rumors that the source of many of these creatures must be some place outside North Korea. Ebitenshu, a giant crustacean kaiju, patrols Korea's shores after the mysterious disappearance of Ti-lung. Kamakira, a monstrous Praying Mantis, proves impossible to control, and it begins a slow flight around the world. Spiga, a Giant Spider, is reported in the mountains of Japan. Ijimekko, another weak, fast produced kaiju, begins to appear in conflicts outside Asia. Randomizu appears, the so-called Tramphibian Monster, an apparent relation to Sanshuseki.

Classified documents reveal the existence of the Underwater Shogunate of Mu, a hidden nation waging a secret war against the surface world. Sightings of the giant submarine Paragon are confirmed, under the command of Admiral Kimagura, formerly of the Imperial Navy.

1971: Hedokoku, a kaiju similar to the original Iseijin, attacks the United States.

1972: Gaishukun, an apparent mix of kaiju and mechanical parts, becomes the first recorded bionic monster.

1973: Megaro, a borrowing bipedal beetle kaiju, ravages the Japanese countryside.

As a world-wide energy crisis looms, Prof. Rampo perfects fuel-cell technology that makes Gazer weapons portable. The first gazer-armed mecha is designed. Named after the Shinto god of fire, Kagutsuchi is created partly as a prestige project showcasing Japan's vast technological innovations.

1974: Oumanou, a gargantuan kaiju appears in Okinawa. Bearing a striking resemblance to a foo-dog temple guardian, reports state that it drives off an attack by the mighty Kaibutsu without doing harm to the populace.

1975: Okkanaisaurus, a Muan kaiju, appears in Japan's eastern waters, the last new kaiju to be seen during the Showa era.

1976: Kagutsuchi makes its first public appearance on the 20th anniversary of Japan's first victory over the kaiju. The mecha's chest-mounted gazer cannon functions flawlessly, and it's design harkens back to the samurai armor of ancient Japan. It fights a definitive battle against Tenteisaurus, destroying the Kaiju and breaking the Mu campaign against the surface world.

1977-1979: Kaiju attacks dwindle.

1980: The first year without a single kaiju attack.

1981: No kaiju are seen on the Korean Demilitarized Zone. Military analysts suspect that the genetic stock of the original kaiju cells may be spent, making the breeding of new kaiju impossible.

1982: The M.A.F. is put on indefinite stand-down. A.K.F. funding is slashed 60%. Prof. Rampo designs a simple, modular mecha design that can be reconfigured based on mission requirement. Mecha are given the official name designate "Jin" (man), with Rampo's first design called the "Tetsujin" (Iron Man).

1983: The M.A.F. base outside Tokyo is mothballed. Staff is reassigned.

Heisei Era (1984 - 1999)

1984: The original kaiju, Kaibutsu, returns to lay waste to Tokyo. The A.K.F. is woefully understaffed and ill-equipped to deal with this sudden attack. Prof. Rampo creates an ultrasonic device to lure the kaiju into the Mt. Mihara volcano on Oshima island. The body is never recovered and Kaibutsu returns frequently over the next decades.

1985: The A.K.F. and the M.A.F. undergo a radical boost in funding and personnel. The first generation Tetsujin mecha are produced, just in time to stop a massive incursion that earns the name "Kaiju Summer." For the first time the M.A.F. fields multiple mecha at once, a strategy it will utilize to great success over the next 20 years.

1986: Both America and Russia pressure North Korea to tighten its control of kaiju. The United Nations orders North Korea to pay Japan reparations for the damage done in the kaiju attacks of 1985.

1989: Saibutsu, the colossal mutant plant, is the first new kaiju to be seen in almost 15 years. Scientists suspect it is naturally occurring, and that kaiju are now mutating naturally.

1992: Roc-u, a large, fast growing black bird, begins its migration around the world.

1992: Smaller creatures begin to appear in conjunction with kaiju attacks. To combat this smaller threat the M.A.F. fields a power-armor unit to protect civilians and police urban areas during kaiju attacks.

1994: A rash of violent behavior and suicides is linked to a youth gang called "Ogre." No organizing force can be identified, and the group is written off as petty malcontents.

1996: After the Aum Shinrikyo cult attacks, the government takes a second look at "Ogre." More and more violent acts are traced to the group, and a pattern of belief emerges that convinces those in power that Ogre is a dangerous cult.

1997: Kaibutsu returns and devastates an entire Tetsujin group. Prof. Rampo begins designing the massive "Yamajin" (mountain man) mecha.

Millennium Era (2000+)

2000: Another serious outbreak of kaiju attacks occurs. This time ground units see individuals engaged in any number of suspicious activities during attacks. These are difficult to prove as the individuals disappear almost immediately. Kagerou brings a new threat to Japan in the form of swarms of smaller insects bound to follow the kaiju.

2001: Suspicious activity escalates to terrorist actions as M.A.F. power-armor squads encounter soldiers disguised in ninja shokuzu uniforms planting explosives during kaiju battles. Later in the year the "ninjas" succeed in crippling a mecha unit during a key battle. These attacks will frustrate M.A.F. forces for years to come.

2002: Tattoos found on dead ninja insurgents suggest a connection with the Ogre cult. No conclusive link is made, and there is much resistance to investigations due to the group's powerful connections with various zaibatsu corporations and government officials.

200X: Japanese intelligence uncovers convincing proof that North Korea is planning a massive kaiju assault on both South Korea and Japan. Afraid of tipping off their foes, M.A.F. Task Force Ichi-ban covertly enters North Korea in hopes of stopping the threat before it starts. They are never heard from again.

Desperate for mecha pilots, the M.A.F. draws a new pool of candidates from the A.K.F., the Self-Defense Force, and even talented civilians.