Double Cross

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Double Cross
RPG published by Fujimi Shobo/Ver. Blue Amusement
Authors	Shunsaku Yano, F.E.A.R.
First Publication	2001, 2013 (English ver.)
Essential Books	Double Cross Core Rulebook Double Cross Advanced Rulebook

Double Cross is a Japanese superhero RPG about biological monsters. It is made of random tables and weeaboo. Unlike the other Japanese RPG fa/tg/uys are familar with, the mechanics and fluff largely survive being taken out of Japan even if the books offer zero support for it. Because Japan is a horrible place where fun is considered a sign of laziness, the game is designed from the outset for one-shots over prolonged campaigns, to the point that the players are the ones who gain experience instead of the characters. PCs are random shonen protagonists infected with the Renegade Virus, which gives you superpowers but also drives you crazy and can turn you into a mindless monster if you use them too much. Oh, and approximately 80% of the world's population carries the virus; you're just one of the lucky ones who got to be a Prototype character because of it. It's currently in its third edition, which is also the only edition to have been translated into English so far.

The dice pool system Double Cross uses for checks is a little goofy; you roll a number of d10s equal to your stat, take only the highest result you rolled and then add your skill rating to get your final result. This makes a high rating in whatever skill you're trying to use much more reliable than a high stat, because even with a maxed stat there's still a significant chance of getting fucked by the dice. Rolls of 10 explode, counting as a roll of 10 plus the result from rolling the number of dice that came up 10, which can recurse infinitely until you stop rolling 10s.

Syndromes

Renegade powers are grouped into Syndromes; you can pick one to three of them at character creation. If you only choose one, you are considered "Pure" and can access bonus powers from the Syndrome you chose.

• Angel Halo: You control light, like a non-sucky version of Jubilee. This is where invisibility goes, along with laser eyes and for some reason illusion powers that manipulate senses that aren't sight.
• Balor: You control gravity. It's exactly as potentially broken as it sounds; you go from fucking with acceleration and momentum to making time and space your bitch.
• Black Dog: You control your own bioelectricity. Shoot lightning at a fool already. This also lets you do super hacking bullshit and make cyberware that actually works, so if you want to be a cyberpunk this is where you go.
• Bram Stoker: Use of this Syndrome comes with a sweet red trenchcoat and the acting talents of Crispin Freeman. Stab a bitch with your own fucking blood or sic your half-sentient Red Servants on them while you give a dramatic speech about just how fucked your enemies are.
• Chimera: A fleshwarper is you. You want wings? Grow some wings! You want scything claws? Go nuts! This is also where the super-strength powers go.
• Exile: This Syndrome is also about fleshwarping yourself, but it's a lot more subtle about it. This is where things like turning your bones into rubber to crawl into impossibly tight spaces or making your nails as sharp as Wolverine's claws go.
• Hanuman: GOTTA GO FAST! Everything to do with speed and sonic vibrations is in here. An all-Hanuman build is basically the Flash.
• Morpheus: This is where you go to make the law of conservation of mass your bitch. You can create objects from nothing or do things like make any car you drive Formula 1 material. Anything you make is composed of this weird sandy shit, so no 15,000,000 Gold a Day shenanigans for you. And if you want to do that, you're arguably playing Double Cross wrong.
• Neumann: A genius is you. Most of the stuff you can do is support; super mentalism, seeing the weak points in that Renegade Being's carapace, stuff like that.
• Orcus: With this Syndrome you mark out a patch of land as your Domain, and then you can do all kinds of old-school fantasy realm magic with your Domain. Make the animals in your Domain do your bidding, sense the presence of your enemies, bend space and distance to turn your Domain into Escher's wet dream, shit like that. Watch out for Rangers.
• Salamandra: This is where you go to make the laws of thermodynamics your bitch. Burninate dudes, freezinate dudes, burninate and freezinate dudes at the same time. Also deals with emotional control for some reason, so have fun with spontaneously inducing BURNING JUSTICE in your allies.
• Solaris: You make all the drugs. Expel super pheromones to calm down an angry mob, give people amnesia drugs so they forget why they were fighting you in the first place. Also turn the aforementioned angry mob into your drugged-up, brainwashed zombie slaves. Slaanesh approves!