Mushi Melee

Mushi
Melee
A Giant Beetle
Battling TTRPG
Mushi Melee
A game about giant beetles and the trainers that support them.
Writing, Editing, Layout, Publishing - Richard Kelly
Artwork - Justin Addison, Matt Bohnhoff, Hector Rodriguez, @iamacar22, and

various public domain illustrations by Nicolaas Struyck, Joris Hoefnagel, J Stewart
Del, Jan Van Kessel, Oliver Goldsmith, Anselmus Boetius de Boodt, Morimoto Toko,
George Shaw, Charles Dessalines D'Orbigny, Kouno Bairei, and others via rawpixel.
Playtesting And Additional Design - Joshua Berkowitz-Geller, Zach Card, Ian

Hamilton, Liam Kelly, PJ Kelly, Adam Kraus, Jonas Wittmann, A Guy Called Krischa
Cultural Consulting - Takuma Okada (noroadhome.itch.io , @takumaokada)
Necessary Equipment - Pencils, paper, and some d6s.
Influences - Satoshi Tajiri's initial concept for Pokemon, Yakuza Kiwami: MesuKing,
Profit Motive, Attack Of The Friday Monsters.
Recommended Safety Mechanics - Whatever your group is most comfortable

with. If you don't have or typically use safety mechanics, X-Card by John
Stavropoulos (http://tinyurl.com/x-card-rpg) is this game's default.
Copyright 2022 - Richard V Kelly III
All contributing artists retain the rights to feature the art they contributed in
portfolios, post it on social media, or sell it as prints, t-shirts, or other merchandise.
ISBN PDF - 978-1-7364046-0-7
ISBN Print - 978-1-7364046-1-4
The text of this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-

NonCommercial 4.0 International License. You may create your own Mushi
Melee stories, scenarios, art, and all other forms of game material and distribute
them freely, provided your work includes this paragraph at the beginning, provided
it gives credit to the team that created and published Mushi Melee, provided it is a
non-commercial project, and provided any works that are made from your project
follow the same restrictions.
If you wish to publish your own commercial Mushi Melee material, contact Richard
Kelly @SprintingOwl or https://kumada1.itch.io/
1
Table Of Contents
Summer, 1990………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 6
Giant Beetles And You……………………………………………………………………………………………. 7
What Is A Mushi………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 8
So, This Is A Roleplaying Game?…………………………………………………………………………..9
New Trainers……………………………………………………………………………………………………………10
Getting Started………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 11
Building Your Town………………………………………………………………………………………………. 12
Creating Your Trainer…………………………………………………………………………………………… 13
Trainer Skills…………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 14
The Pluck Die…………………………………………………………………………………………………………15
Pushing Your Limits………………………………………………………………………………………… 16
Trainer Combat…………………………………………………………………………………………………16
Wounds…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 17
Connecting The Group……………………………………………………………………………………………18
Your First Mushi………………………………………………………………………………………………………19
Mushi Attributes…………………………………………………………………………………………………… 19
HP, Strength, Durability, Technique, And Speed……………………………………….19
Potential…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 20
Other Attribute Rules………………………………………………………………………………… 20
Controlling Your Mushi……………………………………………………………………………………. 21
Starter Mushi List…………………………………………………………………………………………………. 22
Habu (Rhinoceros Type)…………………………………………………………………………………. 22
Koichi (Kamemushi Type)………………………………………………………………………………. 22
Kumori (Hercules Type)…………………………………………………………………………………..22
Tetsu (Stag Type)…………………………………………………………………………………………….23
Tora (Atlas Type)……………………………………………………………………………………………..23
Mushi Special Abilities…………………………………………………………………………………………..24
Archive (Passive)……………………………………………………………………………………………. 24
Bristle (4 TP)…………………………………………………………………………………………………… 25
Catnap (Passive)………………………………………………………………………………………………25
Chaos Rampancy (Passive)……………………………………………………………………………. 25
Chitin Helmet (Passive)………………………………………………………………………………….. 25
Curative Dance (3 TP, Spammable)………………………………………………………………. 26
Dark Instinct (Passive)…………………………………………………………………………………… 26
Dread Tempo (10 TP)……………………………………………………………………………………… 26
Drill Breaker (10 TP)………………………………………………………………………………………. 26
Dynamic Tension (Passive)…………………………………………………………………………….. 27
2
Echo (8 TP)……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 27
Energy Drain (3 TP)………………………………………………………………………………………… 27
Entropic Lance (10 TP)…………………………………………………………………………………… 28
Fake Out (3 TP)………………………………………………………………………………………………. 28
Fencer (4 TP)…………………………………………………………………………………………………… 28
Hero's Reward (5 TP)……………………………………………………………………………………… 28
Hunker Down (2 TP)………………………………………………………………………………………. 29
Impact Shift (2 TP)…………………………………………………………………………………………. 29
Infinity Drop (8 TP)………………………………………………………………………………………….29
Inseparable (Passive)…………………………………………………………………………………….. 29
Mist (3 TP)………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 30
Null Horn (Passive)…………………………………………………………………………………………. 30
Oblivion Release (0 TP)……………………………………………………………………………………30
Piercing (3 TP)………………………………………………………………………………………………… 30
Rattatat (4 TP)………………………………………………………………………………………………… 31
Roller (4 TP)……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 31
Roulette (2 TP)……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 31
Rush! (6 TP)……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 32
Shield (3 TP)…………………………………………………………………………………………………… 32
Spirit Reservoirs (Passive)……………………………………………………………………………… 32
Turbo Sprint (7 TP)…………………………………………………………………………………………. 32
Unmatchable Pace (Passive)…………………………………………………………………………… 33
Bonding Multiple Mushi………………………………………………………………………………………… 34
Mushi Combat………………………………………………………………………………………………………….35
Gaining Technique Points…………………………………………………………………………………….. 35
Turns And Rounds………………………………………………………………………………………………… 35
First Phase: Special Ability Activations……………………………………………………………….. 35
Second Phase: Mushi Actions……………………………………………………………………………….36
Winning, Losing, And Surrendering……………………………………………………………………..37
Recovering After Battle……………………………………………………………………………………….. 37
Advanced Rules: Mushi Tournaments…………………………………………………………………. 37
Advanced Rules: Multi Mushi Combat…………………………………………………………………. 38
Advanced Rules: Switching Mushi………………………………………………………………………. 39
Advanced Rules: Jab, Fierce, Block, Counter……………………………………………………….40
Advanced Rules: Handling Winners And Losers…………………………………………………. 41
Help I'm New………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 42
Molting…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 43
Threats And Antagonists……………………………………………………………………………………… 44
Humans………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 44
Security (Common)………………………………………………………………………………………… 44
Soldier (Uncommon)………………………………………………………………………………………. 45
T1 Hercules Armor (Rare)………………………………………………………………………………. 45
Cybermushi…………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 46
0N1 (Common)………………………………………………………………………………………………..46
3
MUSASH11 (Uncommon)…………………………………………………………………………………46
M0M0TAR0 (Rare)…………………………………………………………………………………………… 47
Supernaturals………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 47
Setii (Common)………………………………………………………………………………………………. 47
Chupacabra (Uncommon)………………………………………………………………………………. 48
Skunk Ape (Rare)…………………………………………………………………………………………….48
Mokole (Legendary)………………………………………………………………………………………… 49
Wild Mushi………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 50
Common Mushi……………………………………………………………………………………………………..50
Hotaru (Hercules Type)…………………………………………………………………………………… 50
Kaze (Kamemushi Type)………………………………………………………………………………….51
Matsu (Stag Type)………………………………………………………………………………………….. 51
Uncommon Mushi………………………………………………………………………………………………….52
Hagane (Atlas Type)………………………………………………………………………………………..52
Itachi (Rhinoceros Type)………………………………………………………………………………… 53
Kouri (Kamemushi Type)………………………………………………………………………………… 53
Rare Mushi……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 54
Kazan (Goliath Type)………………………………………………………………………………………. 54
Tsuchigumo (Rhinoceros Type)………………………………………………………………………. 54
Yuki (Hercules Type)………………………………………………………………………………………. 55
Legendary Mushi………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 55
Genbu (Hercules Type)…………………………………………………………………………………… 55
Mukade (Stag Type)…………………………………………………………………………………………56
Yamajĳi (Goliath Type)…………………………………………………………………………………… 56
MMing Mushi Melee………………………………………………………………………………………………..57
For Veteran MMs……………………………………………………………………………………………… 57
For New MMs…………………………………………………………………………………………………… 58
Game Flow, Scenes, And Sessions……………………………………………………………………….59
Balancing Conflicts………………………………………………………………………………………………. 60
Managing Character Growth………………………………………………………………………………… 61
When To End………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 61
Homebrewing…………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 62
Creating Mushi……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 63
Creating Threats…………………………………………………………………………………………………… 64
Creating Special Abilities……………………………………………………………………………………… 64
Scenario: The Flea Circus……………………………………………………………………………………..65
Hook……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 65
Summary For The MM…………………………………………………………………………………………..65
Act 1: Siphonaptera Spectacular…………………………………………………………………………. 66
Act 2: The Running Of The Fleas………………………………………………………………………….68
Act 3: The Aftermath…………………………………………………………………………………………… 68
The Fleastiary………………………………………………………………………………………………………..69
Inu Nomi…………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 69
Koumori Nomi…………………………………………………………………………………………………. 69
4
Nezumi Nomi…………………………………………………………………………………………………… 70
Sample Character……………………………………………………………………………………………………71
Sample Town……………………………………………………………………………………………………………72
Bonus Chapter: Mushi Bangles…………………………………………………………………………… 74
Amethyst Bangle…………………………………………………………………………………………74
Chrysoberyl Bangle…………………………………………………………………………………….74
Emerald Bangle…………………………………………………………………………………………. 74
Turquoise Bangle………………………………………………………………………………………..75
Mushi Combat Quick Reference Chart………………………………………………………………. 76
Credits……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 78
Character Sheet……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 79
Town Sheet…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 81
Combat Worksheet………………………………………………………………………………………………… 82
5
Summer, 1990
It's been ten years since The Event, when a moth the size of a public park awoke in
the woodlands and rained soporific wing-scales down over the countryside. No one
was seriously injured, but the composure of humanity was rattled.
Not long after, other massive animals began to wake from dormancy. None were near
the scale of the moth incident, but there was a marine iguana that briefly halted
tourism in Tokyo Bay, and a giant salamander that caused a stir along a riverbank in
Seoul.
Again, no one was injured, but the lines that science had once drawn between What
Was Possible and What Was Not Possible were now heavily obscured by the footprints
of What Had Just Happened.
And it was around this time that the Mushi began to appear.
The first Mushi were spotted in the woods of Nagano prefecture. But soon there was
a sighting in another province, and then on another continent, and it quickly became
clear that they were a global phenomenon.
Despite initial concerns, the Mushi were not harmful. They looked fearsome, and they
could accidentally sideswipe a fence or mailbox to splinters with their sturdy horns,
but they ate vegetation and could become quite comfortable around human beings.
Some politicians proposed hunts and exterminations but, in the end, cooler heads
prevailed. The Mushi were left alone, to wander as they would---and occasionally
cabbage fields were planted to lure them away from public thoroughfares and parking
garages.
6
Giant Beetles And
You
A decade has passed since The Event, and you've grown up in its shadow. Maybe you
don't remember a world without the Mushi. Or maybe you were only a couple years
old, hiding with your parents in a stormcellar, when that moth flew overhead. Either
way, Mushi are everywhere now, and a whole subculture has evolved around them.
You see, while Mushi can sometimes be standoffish to humans, each of the giant
beetles is capable of forming a powerful bond of loyalty to a single person.
And like many of the kids and some of the adults in your town, you are lucky enough
to count one of these giant creatures as your friend.
Bonded Mushi often participate in work and play alongside their human companions.
They can haul heavy cargo with ease, and they can also climb and off-road easier
than a box truck could. Moreover, they can develop a grasp of basic games such as
soccer---becoming especially motivated if there's cabbage involved.
However, there's also a bit of a league. One where kids and adults bring their Mushi
to compete in wrestling tournaments. No one gets hurt, and the Mushi seem to enjoy
it in their placid, wordless way. Plus there's bragging rights and sometimes even
money on the table.
You've battled a few times, and lost more than you've won, but that's okay. That was
last summer, when you were still learning.
This summer, you're determined to take home the championship.
It's only been a week since school ended, but you just know that the next few months
are going to be the most important time of your life.
7
What Is A Mushi
A Mushi is a giant Hercules Beetle (or Stag Beetle, or Rhinoceros Beetle, or Goliath
Beetle, or Atlas Beetle,) roughly the size of a parked sedan.
Mushi first appeared in the world in 1980, ten years ago. Since then, they have been
found in most countries, in most regions. They are generally very docile towards
humans, and most humans are content to live and let live.
Mushi can have individual temperaments and personalities, but one thing that's
uniform across the species is their strong ability to bond with a single human. A Mushi
that has bonded with a human will not generally try to crowd their personal space or
drive off other humans (unless instructed to do this,) but it will usually be nearby and
sometimes bump reassuringly against the human when it thinks it is safe to do so.
Mushi eat decaying leaf matter, foraged fruits, and plants. Unlike normal Hercules
Beetles, Mushi are not just frugivores. They like vegetables too, and they often have
to be chased out of gardens or orchards. Cabbage is a particular favorite.
When content, Mushi make an odd rumbling sound, sort of like a box-fan having a
seizure. When scared or agitated, they make a pointed huff-huff-huff sound by
rubbing their body with their elytra (the modified, hardened wing-cases on their
back.)
Mushi are not capable of human speech, and they spend most of their time in total
silence, but they do seem to have an innate knack for understanding the intents of
humans. They only listen to the human they have bonded with, but even so they
appear to comprehend the desires of others.
Having a bonded Mushi is considered a little gauche by adults in cities, but in the
suburbs and countryside it is not unduly stigmatized.
And among children, having a Mushi is almost universally regarded as the coolest
thing ever.
Thus, a considerable number of children are Mushi trainers.
8
So, This Is A
Roleplaying Game?
Yep. Unless you're (un)lucky enough to live in a world where Mushi are real!
If you haven't played a tabletop roleplaying game before, it's a little like a computer
game or a novel---but every time the main character would make a decision, you
decide what they do instead.
Like a computer RPG, there's a part at the beginning of Mushi Melee where you pick
your stats and figure out just who your character is. But like a book, the action of
Mushi Melee unfolds through storytelling. Something will happen, you'll react to it,
and things will change based on your reaction, creating an endless flow of cause-and-
effect that creates the story.
Tabletop roleplaying games are usually pretty social, and you'll want about 1--4
other players to join in with you. You'll also want someone to serve as the Mushi
Master (MM)---the narrator that controls the game setting and any supporting
characters (and Mushi) that live in it.
Everyone will need some scrap paper and pencils and a space to play in that isn't too
noisy or distracting, and you'll also need some dice and this book.
To begin an entirely new game of Mushi Melee, you'll want to start with Building
Your Town.
After that, the players who are going to control trainers (the kids who serve as the
main characters of the story) will want to read New Trainers and all the sections it
links to.
The MM will probably want to read the whole book. If this is their first time MMing,
they'll also want to take a glance at the MMing Mushi Melee section.
Mushi Melee is meant to be friendly to first-time MMs, but as a backup: remember

that it's always fine to improvise. If the book doesn't seem to have the answer for
how to do something, make up your own rule. This is your game, and you're invited
to change as much of it as you need.
9
New Trainers
If this is your first time raising giant beetles, decide right now: are you okay with
not winning all of your fights?
If you are not okay with losing fights, tell your MM and they will give everyone
two free Veteranship Markers (see Potential and Molting.)
If you are okay with losing some fights, and if everyone else is too, start the
game normally.
As with any other competitive activity, it's extremely normal to lose some Mushi
battles---especially when you're learning.
Over time you'll grow more confident and pull off some clutch wins, but don't expect
relentless, unobstructed victory. Some matchups will be hard and sometimes you'll
make the wrong judgement calls. Situations like these are---both literally and
mechanically---chances to grow.
Getting defeated won't kill you. The worst that'll happen is you'll lose the match,
or have to flee, or get captured by the villain and wind up in their lair. None of these
things are a game over. They're simply a part of the continuing story.
10
Getting Started
To embark on your journey in the world of Mushi, read these chapters:
Building Your Town, Creating Your Trainer, Connecting The Group, and Your
First Mushi to make a character that's ready to play.
Mushi Special Abilities, Bonding Multiple Mushi, Mushi Combat, Trainer

Combat, and Molting for a complete understanding of the rules.
If that looks like a lot of work, ask your MM and they'll walk you through things
instead. There's nothing wrong with doing this---some people zone out at that much
reading, and your MM's purpose is to help you play the game.
If you're the MM, you'll want to read the whole book, and you'll want to read
MMing Mushi Melee especially. If you haven't MM'd a roleplaying game before,
don't sweat it. Most of your job is just presenting the players with situations, seeing
what they do, and then narrating what happens next. If you're really nervous, check
out some Actual Plays of games online, listen to how they're MM'd, and use that as a
jumping off point.
Once your characters are created and your group is assembled, you're ready to begin
play.
11
Building Your Town
So, where does Mushi Melee take place? You'll decide that among yourselves.
Starting with the player on your left, have each person create one region in the
area surrounding your town. Regions can be small or broad, and "there's an anti-
gravity lab on the edge of town" is just as good as "the vast, windswept desert of New
Vada." That said, if someone proposes a region that the rest of the group disagrees
with or that makes the game experience unpleasant for another player, everyone
should revise that region into something better.
Now, starting with the player to the right, each person should define one fact
about the town. These facts can be very specific ("the school cafeteria serves
milkshakes on Tuesdays") or very broad ("there's constant construction going on
everywhere") but they should all be important. If the cafeteria serves milkshakes on
Tuesdays, people either love them or they hate them or they think the school is
mismanaging municipal resources. Defined facts matter to the town---or at least to
the players. Don't define facts you don't care about.
Next, starting with the player on your left, each person should create one person
of interest who lives in or near the town. As with regions, these should be something
everyone wants to interact with. "Clown that lives in the sewers" is fine, but be
prepared to revise it if someone else would be bothered by it.
Finally, starting with the player to your right, each person should define one
rumor that has been circulating in town. It's ultimately up to the MM whether any of
these rumors are true, but they provide excellent fodder for scenario-design---and
mixing together portions of truth from several different rumors can make for a
compelling and suspenseful campaign (see MMing Mushi Melee for more.)
12
Creating Your
Trainer
To create your trainer, you'll first want to establish a few basics. What is their
name? Where do they live in town? Who are their parents? Are they rich or poor?
What kinds of hobbies and media do they like?
You'll also want to know what they think about their Mushi. Is it their friend?
Their guardian? Does it get into trouble? Are they always sticking up for it? Or vice
versa? Are they and the Mushi a bit like cats, both acting apathetic towards each
other but actually great friends? Get a sense of the Mushi's personality as well, since
you'll be playing it alongside your trainer.
Once you have these fundamentals straightened out, you'll want to know what your
trainer thinks of the other trainers.
G around in a circle and have every player introduce their trainer. Then have every
player give one positive impression and one negative impression of each other
trainer. These don't have to be strong positives ("I have a crush on him") or strong
negatives ("I hate her so much,") but they should establish things that each trainer
likes and dislikes about the other members of the group. "He's so stylish, but he can
be kind of stuck up sometimes" is a perfectly fine positive and negative impression
of another character.
When everyone has figured out how they see the rest of the cast, there's three more
steps to trainer creation.
The first is picking your Skills.
13
Trainer Skills
Trainer Skills are broad sets of abilities that are useful for navigating obstacles and
getting out of danger.
So if you're climbing a cliff wall, sneaking up on a Mushi, or hacking a computer,

chances are you're going to want to use a Skill.
If you have a Skill in something and you run into a situation where that Skill is
relevant---you automatically succeed.
That said, your success is still limited by the logic of the setting, and you can't use
Skills to do things that are completely impossible. You can't use Clambering to climb
to the moon, Wrestling to subdue an alert soldier who has you at gunpoint, or Acting
Innocent to tell a random stranger to give you all of their money.
With that in mind, select 3 Skills from the following list:
Acting Innocent, Caretaking, Clambering, Communicating With Mushi,

Remembering, Running, Sneaking, Teasing, Tinkering, Tolerating, Wrestling
Now, what happens if you run into a situation where a Skill is needed, where your
success in the story isn't guaranteed, and where the results matter---and you don't
have that Skill?
14
The Pluck Die
When you don't have a relevant skill but you need to succeed anyway, you'll
have to rely on a combination of can-do attitude and luck.
This is represented by your Pluck Die.
A Pluck Die is a single d6 that you roll in situations where the outcome matters, your
success isn't guaranteed, and you don't have a Skill that applies.
Using your Pluck Die is called making a Pluck Roll.
To make a Pluck Roll, roll your Pluck Die and if it comes up a 5+, you succeed just
as if you had the appropriate Skill.
If it doesn't come up a 5+, you don't succeed, and the MM explains how something
about the situation shifts, either raising the stakes or encouraging you to take a
different approach.
If you roll a 1 on your Pluck Die, regardless of any bonuses or penalties applied
to the roll, you suffer a Disaster Cascade and the MM makes things more interesting
for you and for another trainer or NPC. The other character that the Cascade affects
can be an enemy, so Disaster Cascades aren't necessarily all bad, but they are
definitely bad for you in the short term, and getting a series of them can slowly push
you into an untenable situation.
The MM can never take away control of your character with a Disaster
Cascade, but you can end up in trouble, chased, captured, bruised, in a Mushi Duel,
etc, and if things get bad enough you might want to ask another trainer to bail you
out.
15
Pushing Your Limits
In some cases, when a thing would be very difficult but not impossible, you may
combine your Pluck Die and a Skill to attempt an unlikely challenge.
This is called Pushing Your Limits.
To use a previous example, let's say an alert soldier has you at gunpoint.
You can't use Wrestling to simply take their gun away. They have you dead to rights,
and they're watching you for any sudden movements.However, what if they were less
alert?If your trainer friend creates a distraction nearby and the soldier's attention
slips away from you for a second, it's still very unlikely that you'll be able to subdue
them with Wrestling. But it's not completely impossible.
In situations like this, having the appropriate Skill allows you to make a Pluck
Die roll. If it succeeds, you get all the benefits for a normal success.
If you don't have an appropriate Skill, you cannot Push Your Limits.
So if you didn't have Wrestling in the above example? Even with the opening created
by your friend, you still wouldn't be able to take the gun away. No Pluck Die can make
up for your lack of the very specific knowledge needed to subdue an alert, capable
fighter.
Trainer Combat
In rare cases, trainers may try to compete with each other without using their Mushi.
This might take the form of a footrace, scuffle, or verbal duel.
When this happens, all involved trainers roll their Pluck Dice and add +1 to
their roll if they have a relevant Skill.
For example, Todd and Sam get into a rare physical altercation. Todd has Wrestling.
Sam doesn't. Todd rolls a d6+1 and Sam rolls a d6. Sam still manages to roll higher
and she gets Todd in a headlock.
In the case of a tie, neither trainer makes any progress and they both suffer a
Disaster Cascade.
If a Mushi or other major threat gets involved, trainers either have to run or call
their own Mushi---otherwise they lose combat automatically.
16
Wounds
This is the last part of trainer creation, and it's hopefully one that won't come up
during play.
Typically, most combat in Mushi Melee will be between Mushi. But rarely, trainers can
get involved in scraps. They can even get hurt.
When a trainer would be severely debilitated (such as by getting in a car accident,

catching a flu, being shamed in front of their whole school,) they suffer a Wound and
cross out one of their Skills.
These kinds of injuries can be the result of failed Pluck Rolls (rare,) or simply the
result of a trainer's own decisions.
Cross-outs last until the Wound that caused them heals. When the Wound is
removed, the Skill is recovered.
Trainers can remove one Wound at a time by resting somewhere peaceful

for a substantial period of time. For example, a night of playing video games in
their bedroom.
If the Wound the trainer received was physical, they also need to receive medical
attention during this rest.
Trainers cannot receive more Wounds than they have Skills.
If they would receive a Wound and cannot cross off a Skill to absorb it, they instead
collapse for 24 hours.
17
Connecting The
Group
Once everyone has a trainer, you'll want to figure out how the trainers know each
other.
Going around in a circle, have each player quickly introduce their trainer and say
where their trainer hangs out.
Then go around in a circle again and have each player point to a trainer they get
along with and point to a trainer they have friction with.
Unless your group really wants to lean in on the conflict, frictions should never be too
serious. "We're both rivals training for MushiCup '98" is great, but "they killed my
parents" might cause a bit too much inter-party tension.
Likewise, if your get-along-with-a-trainer is "I have a crush on them," ask that

trainer's player first.
When everyone's done, answer one final question as a group: why do we hang out
together?
18
Your First Mushi
Mushi come in many forms (also known as Molts,) and this chapter covers their basic
Attributes and lists some easy-to-befriend Starters.
Mushi Attributes
All Mushi have six Attributes: HP, Strength (STR,) Durability (DUR,) Technique
(TEC,) Speed (SPD,) and Potential (POT.)
HP, Strength, Durability, Technique, And Speed
A Mushi's HP measures its Hercules Points---basically, how much endurance it has.

A Mushi that has its current HP reduced to zero or below is out of combat and
exhausted. Mushi recover half their HP (round up) after 1 hour of rest.
A Mushi's Strength measures how powerful its horns are. In combat, a Mushi's
Standard Attack damage is equal to its Strength + 1d6.
A Mushi's Durability measures how hard its plates are. In combat, whenever a Mushi
takes damage from a Standard Attack, it reduces that damage by its Durability before
the damage can be applied to its HP.
A Mushi's Technique measures how good it its at performing tricks and complex
maneuvers. At the start of combat, each Mushi gains TP (or Technique Points) equal
to their Technique x 4. These points last until the end of the combat, and Mushi may
spend their TP to activate any Special Abilities they have.
A Mushi's Speed determines whether it acts first in combat. If there is ever a tie for
Speed, everyone involved rolls 1d6, rerolling ties, with the highest roller acting first.
19
Potential
A Mushi's Potential measures how easily it can learn and grow.
After each combat, nationally ranked footrace, daring escape, or other big
exciting event a Mushi is involved in, the Mushi rolls a d6 and compares the result
against its Potential.
A Mushi that rolls its Potential or lower discards any Frustration Points it has,
gains a Veteranship Marker, and may either increase its HP by +4, increase one of
its other Attributes by +1, increase one of its Special Abilities by a level---or it may
receive nothing now but gain a Special Ability of its choice instead of any other
benefit the next time it acquires a Veteranship Marker.
If a Mushi fails to roll its Potential or lower, it instead gains a Frustration

Point, which counts as +1 Potential on future rolls.
A Mushi cannot gain more Veteranship Markers than the number of times it's
Molted +3. Mushi that reach their maximum number of Veteranship Markers Molt at
the end of the Session and receive other major benefits instead (see Molting.)
Other Attribute Rules
No Attributes, other than HP and Speed, may be reduced below 0.
Also, a Mushi may not increase its Strength if its Strength is already 2 points
higher than its next highest Attribute.
20
Controlling Your Mushi
For trainers, controlling a bonded Mushi is usually so easy that it's automatic.
Usually.
Bonded Mushi are broadly under their trainers' control, and in general, you can
speak for your Mushi's actions.
You can narrate that it climbs up the side of a building, or jostles a parked car, or
dozes in the grass under the warm sun.
However, when something catches your Mushi's interest, the MM can also speak
for your Mushi's actions. This means the MM can narrate that your Mushi tries to
haul itself over the low stone wall of a nearby garden to get at the cabbages inside,
or that it starts chewing on clothing drying on a nearby line, or any other sort of
impulsive trouble that a large beetle might get into.
If you and the MM have very different ideas of what your Mushi should do,
use the Communicating With Mushi Skill, roll a Pluck Die, or even Push Your Limits
depending on the severity of the temptation. On a success, the Mushi behaves.
The only time the MM can't try to speak for your Mushi is when you're in combat or
another charged situation. When things are tense, you speak for your Mushi
100% of the time.
Your Mushi understands when it's time to pay attention, and it won't randomly go
chasing butterflies or trying to steal a tomato from a farmer's market when your life
is on the line.
21
Starter Mushi List
The following Mushi Molts are both common and easy for starting trainers to befriend.
Habu (Rhinoceros Type)

A long, low-slung Mushi with a lengthy, delicate head-horn, the Habu is low-
maintenance and lazy, and enjoys lying in shady spots.
HP: 14/14
Strength: 1
Durability: 3
Technique: 4
Speed: 1
Potential: 2
Special Abilities: Energy Drain
Koichi (Kamemushi Type)

A smaller Mushi with less pronounced horns, the Koichi is curious and tentative, and
is marked with vague green stripes on its sides.
HP: 14/14
Strength: 1
Durability: 1
Technique: 2
Speed: 1
Potential: 4
Special Abilities: Echo
Kumori (Hercules Type)

A skittish, blue-hued Mushi capable of emitting fog from its shell as a panic defense,
Kumoris sometimes startle themselves by moving too suddenly.
HP: 10/10
Strength: 1
Durability: 1
Technique: 3
Speed: 1
Potential: 3
Special Abilities: Mist 2
22
Tetsu (Stag Type)
A wide, large Mushi with striations on the sides of its shell that make the material
look like wrinkled iron, Tetsus are slow but extremely even-tempered.
HP: 10/10
Strength: 4
Durability: 3
Technique: 1
Speed: 1
Potential: 2
Special Abilities: Shield
Tora (Atlas Type)

A bold, sleek Mushi with a reddish umber color pattern along its sides, Toras are the
most aggressive of the starters, and sometimes pick fights with trees.
HP: 10/10
Strength: 1
Durability: 1
Technique: 2
Speed: 3
Potential: 3
Special Abilities: Rush!
23
Mushi Special
Abilities
All Mushi have at least one Special Ability.
Special Abilities are unique traits that generally activate during the first half of each
Round in Mushi Combat.
If the order that several Special Abilities activate in matters, the Mushi with the
highest Speed chooses whether to activate theirs first.
Each Ability has a Technique Point cost, which is listed in parentheses next to its
name. This cost must be paid each time it would be activated.
In general, each Special Ability can only be activated once per Round by a
given Mushi.
If a single Special Ability can be activated multiple times in the same Round by the
same Mushi, it will say Spammable next to its TP cost.
And if a Special Ability does not need to be activated and is simply always on, it will
say Passive instead of a TP cost.
Some Special Abilities can be Leveled to increase their power. When this is the case,
an Ability will say so at the bottom of its text. Abilities that can be leveled always start
at level 1, and Abilities that can't be leveled are also assumed to be level 1.
When activating a Special Ability that you've leveled, provided it isn't a Passive, you
may choose to use it at a lower level. There aren't usually very many advantages
to this, but it can sometimes be a way to conserve TP.
If a Mushi gains a new Special Ability through its Veteranship Markers (see
Potential) or by Molting a redundant Ability (see Molting,) it may select a new
Ability from this chapter or increase a levelable Ability it currently has.
Archive (Passive)
The Mushi's shell is graven with millions of small letters, all picked out in exacting
detail. A reassuring feeling emanates from it, and just standing next to the creature
makes you feel wiser.
The Mushi's trainer gains an additional Skill for as long as the Mushi is with them.
Decide when this Special Ability is acquired which Skill it grants.
24
Bristle (4 TP)
Static corroscates down the Mushi's flanks, snapping and tracing thin blue arcs
between its hairs.
The next time you strike a target with a Standard Attack, you also place 1 Shock
Token on them. For the rest of combat, every time they take a Mushi Action, they lose
1 HP per Shock token on them. If they wish, they may spend a Mushi Action
grounding themselves to discard all Shock Tokens.
Level 1: May repurchase to level up this ability. Each level allows an additional
activation per Round, to a maximum of 5 activations per Round at level 5.
Catnap (Passive)
Just a brief doze, and then everything will be right as rain.
2 minutes after combat, you automatically recover d6 HP.
Level 1: May repurchase to level up this ability. Each level adds an additional +d6
HP recovery, to a maximum of 4d6 at level 4.
Chaos Rampancy (Passive)

A strange glimmer in the Mushi's eyes betrays its willingness to fight, pursuing battle
without concern for strategy or victory.
Reduce your starting TP by -10 and your Technique by -1 until the end of the combat.
Each time you Inertia Switch, Gather Steam, Recover Stamina, Outfox, or Charge
Spirit for the first time this combat, increase your Standard Attack damage by +1 and
your Speed by +1 until the end of the combat.
Chitin Helmet (Passive)

The plating around this Mushi's head is especially dense, tiring foes who try to strike
it.
Reduce your starting TP by -8. After each time an opponent strikes you with a
Standard Attack, they lose -1 HP.
25
Curative Dance (3 TP, Spammable)
By waggling its abdomen, the Mushi regains its battle spirit.
Recover 1 HP, or cause a nearby Mushi to recover 1 HP.
Level 1: May repurchase to level up this ability. The 2nd level adds +1 HP to the third
use during the same Round. The 3rd level adds +2 HP to the sixth use during the
same Round. May not be purchased higher than level 3.
Dark Instinct (Passive)

A feverish light sparkles in the Mushi's eyes as it lifts its horn high in challenge.
Once per Round, as long as you have at least 3 max HP, you may suffer -2 HP and -2
max HP to take an additional Mushi Action.
Changes to your max HP from Dark Instinct are not removed until you Molt.
Dread Tempo (10 TP)

The Mushi begins drumming its forelimbs on the ground, creating a foreboding
atmosphere.
All Standard Attacks completely ignore Durability for the rest of the combat. You may
not make a Standard Attack this Round. You may only use this Special Ability once
per combat.
Drill Breaker (10 TP)

The Mushi's horn produces a distinct whine as it gives the momentary impression that
it's rotating in its socket.
You double your current Strength until the end of the Round. You may use this Special
Ability once per combat.
Level 1: May repurchase to level up this ability. Each level allows an additional use
per combat, to a maximum of 3 uses at level 3.
26
Dynamic Tension (Passive)
The Mushi adopts a high-energy fighting pose, with all of its limbs straining against
each other, as it prepares to act.
When you Inertia Switch, you increase the damage you deal on Standard Attacks by
an additional +1 and you reduce your Durability by -1 until the end of the combat.
Level 1: May repurchase once to level up this ability. At level 2, you increase the
damage you deal on Standard Attacks when you Inertia Switch by another +1, and
you take 2 damage bypassing Durability at the start of each combat.
Echo (8 TP)
An illusion lingers in the air next to the Mushi---convincing enough that your
opponent might strike the wrong foe.
The next time you would be reduced to 0 or fewer HP, you are instead reduced to d6
HP. This effect wears off at the start of your next Mushi Action. You may not use this
Special Ability more once per combat.
Level 1: May repurchase to level up this ability. Each level increases either the
number of times you may use this ability in the same combat by +1 or adds +d6 to
the number of HP you are reduced to (your choice,) to a maximum of 5 times and
3d6 HP at level 7.
Energy Drain (3 TP)

The Mushi's horn glows with a sinister red energy.
Your opponent loses 1 HP and you recover 1 HP.
Level 1: May repurchase to level up this ability. Each level improves either its HP loss
by +1 or its HP recovery by +1 (your choice,) and also increases its TP cost by 1, to
a maximum of 5 HP loss and 3 HP recovery for 9 TP at level 7.
27
Entropic Lance (10 TP)
A cold ray extrudes from the tip of the Mushi's horn and searches like a snake for a
target.
Pick a foe and an Attribute. Reduce that foe's Attribute by -d6 until the end of the
combat. You may only use this once per combat.
Level 1: May repurchase to level up this ability. Each level allows an additional use
per combat, to a maximum of 3 uses at level 3.
Fake Out (3 TP)

The Mushi begins moving unpredictably, anticipating an attack.
Your opponent may not Pull Something if they make a Standard Attack against you
this Round.
Fencer (4 TP)
The Mushi strikes a stylish pose, its horn low and at an angle.
Choose: increase your Standard Attack damage by +2, your Durability by +2, or your
Standard Attack damage by +1 and your Durability by +1. This effect lasts until the
end of the Round.
Hero's Reward (5 TP)

The Mushi stands proudly between its allies and peril.
When in combat against multiple foes, activating this Special Ability gives you a
Target token until the end of the Round.
When at least one character on a side has a Target token, their foes may only perform
Standard Attacks against characters with Target tokens.
When in combat against a single foe, this Ability changes to a Passive that increases
the damage of your Standard Attacks by +1 and reduces your starting TP by -3.
28
Hunker Down (2 TP)
This Mushi knows how to take it easy, catching an extra restful break in the middle
of a fight.
If you Recover Stamina this Round, you restore an extra +d6 HP but reduce your
Speed by -1 until the end of the fight.
Level 1: May repurchase to level up this ability. Each level adds an extra +d6 HP
recovered, +2 TP cost, and -1 Speed, to a max of +3d6 extra HP recovered for 6 TP
and -3 Speed at level 3.
Impact Shift (2 TP)

The Mushi pours its weight onto its hind legs, getting ready for a powerful lunge.
If you Standard Attack, Pull Something, and choose Fierce without getting Countered
this Round, increase your Strength by +2 until the end of the combat.
Infinity Drop (8 TP)

Lifting their foe up, the Mushi slams them back down with force.
You immediately take half your max HP as damage from a Standard Attack (round
up.) Gain 3 Timer Tokens. At the start of each Round, lose a Timer Token. When you
reach 0 Timer Tokens, if you Standard Attack that Round, you double your attack
damage.
You may only Infinity Drop once per fight.
Inseparable (Passive)
The Mushi has bonded so closely to its trainer that the two have achieved perfect
synchronicity.
During combat, reduce your starting TP by -6. Outside of combat, you succeed Pluck
Rolls on a 4+.
This Ability provides no benefit to trainers who are currently bonded to more than
one Mushi.
29
Mist (3 TP)
Steam gushes out from the Mushi, concealing its presence.
The next time a Standard Attack is made against you this Round, roll a d6. On a 6+,
you do not take that damage.
Level 1: May repurchase to level up this ability. Each level increases its success
chance by 1 and its TP cost by +1, to a maximum of negating attacks on a 4+ for 7
TP at level 3.
Null Horn (Passive)

A dull anti-light bleeds from the Mushi's carapace, promising calamity.
Your Standard Attacks deal -1 damage, but your opponent loses 1 TP each time they
are hit with one.
Level 1: May repurchase to level up this ability. Each level increases the TP loss by
+1, and every odd-numbered level also increases the damage reduction by -1, to a
maximum of 5 TP loss and -3 damage at level 5.
Oblivion Release (0 TP)

Darkness swallows the Mushi for a moment, then washes out across the area in a
tidal wave of chilling energy.
Reduce your current TP to 0. For every 2 TP lost this way, add +1 damage to your
next Standard Attack. That attack cannot reduce your opponent below 1 HP, and they
may immediately make a Recover Stamina afterwards without spending a Mushi
Action.
Piercing (3 TP)
The Mushi's horn gleams with a wicked light.
Your next Standard Attack ignores half of your opponent's Durability (rounding in
your favor.)
Level 1: May repurchase to level up this ability. Each extra level adds +1 TP cost and
+1 damage to your attack, to a maximum of +6 damage for 8 TP at level 6.
30
Rattatat (4 TP)
The Mushi crouches low, rasps its forelimbs together, and pounces.
The first Standard Attack you would make this Round is replaced with d6+1 Standard
Attacks that deal 1 damage each. Standard Attacks made using this Special Ability
do not add your Strength to their damage, cannot deal more than 1 damage, cannot
Pull Something, and cannot benefit from the effects of other Special Abilities (such
as Bristle's added Shock tokens.)
Level 1: May repurchase to level up this ability. Each level adds +2 Standard Attacks
and +1 TP cost, to a maximum of d6+7 attacks for 7 TP at level 4.
Roller (4 TP)
The Mushi curls into a ball and spins rapidly in place, making a sound like an engine
revving.
Lose 2 HP and make an immediate, free Gather Steam. This Gather Steam does not
cost a Mushi Action.
activation per Round and increases the HP loss for that activation by +2. So Roller
costs 2 HP for the first activation, 4 HP for the second activation, and 6 HP for the
third activation (for a total of 12 HP and 12 TP to make 3 free Gather Steams.) This
Special Ability may not be improved beyond level 3.
Roulette (2 TP)
This Mushi is strangely adept at recovering from falls, and simply twists out of pins.
Until the start of the next Round, you may reroll a single one of your dice once.
Level 1: May repurchase to level up this ability. Each level adds an additional reroll
and increases the cost by +2 TP, to a maximum of 5 rerolls during the Round for 10
TP at level 5. You may use this ability to reroll the same die multiple times.
31
Rush! (6 TP)
Without hesitation, the Mushi dashes into danger.
Make a free, immediate Standard Attack on an enemy. This attack does not cost a
Mushi Action.
activation per Round at the same cost. May not be improved beyond level 3.
Shield (3 TP)
A faint blue orb surrounds the Mushi, repelling harm. Scientists are still trying to
figure out how the creatures do this.
Increase your Durability by +2 against the next Standard Attack made against you.
Level 1: May repurchase to level up this ability. Each level increases the Durability
improvement by +1 and the TP cost by +1, to a maximum of +10 Durability for 11
TP at level 9.
Spirit Reservoirs (Passive)

A powerful aura radiates off of the Mushi, announcing their inner strength.
The first time you hit 0 TP in each battle, you immediately Charge Spirit without
spending a Mushi Action.
Level 1: May repurchase to level up this ability. Each extra level allows this Ability to
activate an additional time in the same battle, to a maximum of 3 times at level 3.
Turbo Sprint (7 TP)

The Mushi taps its legs rapidly on the ground, building up tempo.
You gain +20 Speed until the end of the Round.
32
Unmatchable Pace (Passive)
The Mushi completely disregards its own limits, battling until it collapses.
At the end of every round, lose 1 HP. Any Standard Attack you make during an even-
numbered Round deals +3 damage.
33
Bonding Multiple
Mushi
Mushi bonds, like human friendships, require an interpersonal connection. They also
usually require gifts of cabbage, patience, and a lot of time spent together.
Once a bond is established, it can be very strong, but Mushi are still able to unbond
trainers who neglect them.
Under normal circumstances, trainers may not bond more than one Mushi. Mushi
are uneasy around each other and often have extraordinary trouble forming bonds
with a human who has already bonded to a Mushi. Similarly, a Mushi that is bonded
to a human feels its own bond become complicated if the human re-bonds, and it
usually grows more distant.
However, if the MM wishes to allow multiple Mushi per trainer, use these rules:
A single trainer may bond no more than three Mushi at a time. Furthermore,
if a trainer has two Mushi bonded, they reduce all of their Mushis' Potentials by
-1. If they have three Mushi bonded, they reduce all of their Mushis' Potentials by
-2. This can even reduce Potentials below 1, in which case at least one Frustration
Point will be required to grow the Mushi.
Furthermore, only one Mushi per trainer can roll Potential after an exciting
event. So, the trainer will have to prioritize who to grow. On top of this, it's generally
considered unsporting to fight with more than one Mushi deployed at the same time,
and Mushi often become confused and grapple with each other if deployed in tandem.
With these restrictions in mind, new Mushi can either be acquired from the Starter
Mushi List or by befriending them in the wild. Befriending is not a simple process,
and it either involves taking on a significant risk on the Mushi's behalf, or by spending
a lot of time tending to them.
The MM is the final arbiter for when a Mushi has been bonded, but they are
encouraged to be lenient.
34
Mushi Combat
When a Mushi fights something non-dangerous, such as a parked car, it simply wins.
If the thing the Mushi's attacking is able to run away, it does. Otherwise, there's a
flipped over car and a Mushi ambling proudly down the street.
On the other hand, when a Mushi squares off against a creature of similar stature and
threat, it's time for Mushi Combat.
(If at any point you just want the quick version of all of this, skip to Help I'm New
at the end of the chapter.)
Gaining Technique Points

At the start of Mushi Combat, all participants gain TP equal to 4 x their
Technique.
Turns And Rounds

From there, Mushi Combat is broken up into Rounds, each of which is a ten-second
interval of time that lasts until every participant has acted. After every participant
has acted, the current Round ends and a new Round begins.
In Mushi Combat, there are two phases to each Round: Special Ability Activations
and Mushi Actions.
First Phase: Special Ability

Activations
Mushi may activate one or more of their Special Abilities in this phase. The
Mushi with the most Speed chooses whether to act first (rolling a d6 to settle ties.)
35
Second Phase: Mushi Actions
Mushi may perform one of six actions in this phase. The Mushi with the most
Speed chooses whether to act first (rolling a d6 to settle ties.)
The following Mushi Actions are always available to combatants:
● Standard Attack. When a combatant performs a Standard Attack, they roll

1d6, add their Strength, and then deal that amount of damage to their
opponent. Their opponent reduces the damage by their Durability, and then
loses HP equal to the damage that remains. Characters who are hit by a
Standard Attack always lose at least 1 HP---no amount of Durability can
completely cancel out the strain of defending against an attack. If a character's
HP is reduced to zero or below, they are out of the battle.
● Gather Steam. When a combatant Gathers Steam, they raise their Durability
by +2 against the next Standard Attack that would target them, the next
Standard Attack they perform deals +1d6 damage, and they reduce their
Speed by -1 for the rest of the fight. As long as a combatant has either the +2
Durability or +d6 damage bonus from this Mushi Action, subsequent Gather
Steams do not give them +2 Durability.
● Inertia Switch. When a combatant Inertia Switches, they gain +2 Speed, +1

Technique, and deal +1 damage with Standard Attacks for the rest of the fight.
● Outfox. When a combatant Outfoxes, they reduce their Technique or Speed

by -4 and reduce an opponent's Durability by -2 for the rest of the fight.
Characters may not use Outfox when they have fewer than 4 Technique or 4
Speed.
● Recover Stamina. When a combatant Recovers Stamina, they recover

Technique+Durability+2d6 HP immediately, then reduce their Technique by -2,
reduce their current TP by half (round down, to a minimum of 0,) and suffer
+2 damage from all Standard Attacks for the rest of the fight.
● Charge Spirit. When a combatant Charges Spirit, they gain TP equal to their
Technique x3, then reduce their Durability and Technique by -1 until the end
of the fight. TP gained from Charge Spirit can take a Mushi over its normal
starting TP.
The effects of all Mushi Actions stack, so if a Mushi Inertia Switches three times,
they gain +6 Speed, +3 Technique, and +3 damage with Standard Attacks for the
rest of the fight.
36
Winning, Losing, And
Surrendering
The winner of a Mushi Combat is whichever side still has a combatant standing at
the end.
However, any side may surrender at any time, if they think their cause is lost.
Characters may also flee by succeeding a Pluck roll. If they try to flee and fail,
they are defeated instead.
Recovering After Battle

All Mushi that are damaged in combat will eventually recover fully---but this
typically takes 2 hours, and back-to-back fights can wear down even a stalwart
Mushi.
Mushi that are at 0 HP or fewer automatically lose any combat they enter.
Advanced Rules: Mushi

Tournaments
Mushi Tournaments are structured serieses of one-on-one combats. Some are
single-elimination. Others involve tracked win/loss ratios in order to build a final four.
Most are extremely informal, designed by kids and amateur enthusiasts, with an eye
towards fun for the trainers and Mushi alike.
However, there are exceptions.
In areas with low regulation, Mushi are sometimes used for gambling. The ethics here
are debatable, but underground Mushi fights usually pull in enough money that
organized crime can prop itself up off of the cut.
Also, in rare cases, particularly skilled trainers can make a living by going on the road
and fighting in circuits across the country---however this is not usually an option that
is accessible to children, as they are a) minors, and b) the equipment needed to move
a bonded Mushi along public roads without causing traffic delays is fairly expensive
and difficult to afford on an allowance.
37
Advanced Rules: Multi Mushi
Combat
There's no courtesy in a streetfight.
Not every Mushi Combat is going to be one-on-one---but in situations where

there's multiple opponents, or multiple allies backing you up, most of the rules
are the same.
The biggest change for Multi Mushi Combat is that Special Ability activations and
Mushi Actions now happen in a strict order according to Speed. Player
characters may choose to 'delay' themselves to act later in the order, if they wish.
If multiple allied characters share the same Speed, they can decide between
each other who goes first.
If a player character and a non-player character share the same Speed, the
player character acts first.
The side that wins is whichever has at least one combatant left standing.
38
Advanced Rules: Switching
Mushi
Commanding a single Mushi is hard enough. A trainer that fields multiple Mushi at
the same time runs the risk of having them brawl with each other, leaving them
completely vulnerable to their opponents.
To avoid this, trainers only field a single Mushi at a time.
If they have multiple Mushi, they keep the others on standby.
During combat, any trainer may switch their active Mushi instead of
activating its Abilities during the Special Ability Activation Phase. If a Mushi
is switched out this way, the Mushi that switches in may not act during the Mushi
Actions Phase.
Mushi that are switched out retain all effects such as Attribute changes, HP and
TP changes, Shock tokens, and bonuses or penalties to Standard Attack damage that
they received while active. If they are later switched back in, those effects remain.
If a Mushi is defeated but their trainer has more, the trainer may immediately
swap a new Mushi into the defeated Mushi's place. Mushi that are swapped in this
way may act during their next Special Ability Activation and Mushi Action Phases.
Apart from when a Mushi is defeated, switching Mushi usually puts you at a
disadvantage, but it can sometimes be used to wriggle out of a particularly bad
matchup.
39
Advanced Rules: Jab, Fierce,
Block, Counter
When a combatant makes a Standard Attack, up to their Technique number of
times per combat, they may try to gain an extra advantage over their opponent by
announcing that they are Pulling Something.
When a combatant Pulls Something, they secretly choose Jab (hand sign: rock) or
Fierce (hand sign: scissors). Their opponent also secretly chooses Block (hand sign:
paper) or Counter (hand sign: finger gun.) After both sides have made their choices,
they rock-paper-scissors-gun and reveal the results.
If the attacker chose Jab and the defender chose Block, the attack deals
damage as normal.
If the attacker chose Fierce and the defender chose Block, add +d6 damage
to the attack.
If the attacker chose Jab and the defender chose Counter, add +1 damage to
the attack.
If the attacker chose Fierce and the defender chose Counter, the attack is
canceled entirely and the defender hits the attacker with a free Standard Attack.
40
Advanced Rules: Handling
Winners And Losers
When one side loses Mushi Combat, they are not killed, injured, or anything like
that. Instead, they are unable to directly contest the objectives of the side
that won for the rest of the Scene (see Game Flow, Scenes, And Sessions.)
This means that if a Mushi trainer is defeated by a group of soldiers, that trainer can't
re-attack the soldiers and hope to succeed. They can however, attempt to run away-
--unless they are already being restrained, in which case they can't attempt to
contest the restraint either until the Scene ends.
A victor can squeeze a lot out of a victory (capturing their opponent, demanding
answers from them, temporarily taking away their Mushi) if they're so inclined, but
there are also limits. If a winning party tries to really unfairly stomp down on
the losing party, or if everyone at your table objects to what's happening, the
defeated combatants recover to full HP, the current Scene ends, and a new
Scene immediately begins.
At the end of the day, it's always rare for the losing side to actually get hurt unless
(with the permission of your group) you're running a very dark game. Winners should
generally use the sudden narrative freedom that comes from winning combat to
advance the plot, not to further hurt their defeated foe---and both the MM and the
players are invited to remind the group of this paragraph if it ever becomes an issue
in your game.
Also, compared to other systems, the losers of a combat in Mushi Melee tend to have
a lot of freedom for what they do next, so the MM should lean into this with NPCs.
Friendly trainers will usually complain loudly when they're defeated. Genuine
enemies will usually run away. NPCs with plot-relevant information will cough it up,
giving the trainers a hint on where to go next.
41
Help I'm New
If none of the words in this chapter make any sense to you, don't worry. Your MM will
help explain things, and there's some tips here for you as well.
First: Mushi combat is a clash between titans. It starts slow, then increases in
intensity until suddenly it resolves in one final climactic clash.
There can be a lot to track during combat, with Attributes increasing and decreasing
every Round. It is recommended that you use scrap paper, tokens, a cellphone
notetaking app, or dice to keep track of temporary Attribute changes.
Otherwise, you'll erase a hole in your character sheet by the end of your second fight.
Second: the most common thing for a Mushi to do in combat is perform a

Standard Attack, which always hits and always deals at least 1 damage. If you're
not sure what to do, Standard Attack.
Third: using Inertia Switch or Gather Steam boosts your Attributes. In Inertia
Switch's case, the boost is smaller but it lasts until the end of the match.
Furthermore, it increases your Speed, which lets you dictate the flow of combat.
Fourth: if you outspeed your opponent, you can force them to deploy their
Special Abilities first, and you can take Mushi Actions before they can. This
means that you're always a step ahead of them---at least until they Inertia Switch to
catch up.
Fifth: Charge Spirit and Recover Stamina can help you out of a jam, but they
also slowly turn the tide of combat against you. If you don't have any TP to power
your Special Abilities, or if you're teetering on the verge of a knockout, you should
use them. But don't spam them frivolously.
Sixth: some Mushi have lots of Durability, and this turns them into walls.
Remember that the Durability buff from Gather Steam goes away after a Mushi gets
hit, so sometimes you'll need to hit them twice back to back to deal good damage.
Failing that, you can Gather a lot of Steam and swing big. Or you can Inertia Switch
a few times and burn your Technique or Speed to Outfox them.
Seventh: don't give up. Every time you fight, even when you lose, you'll roll
Potential and have a chance to gain a Veteranship Marker. As long as you persist,
you'll become stronger, and you can Molt into a better form or grow your Attributes
in a particular way and win the next time.
Lastly: if you need the rules all in one quick digestible format, see the Mushi
Combat Quick Reference Chart.
42
Molting
After each exciting event, a Mushi rolls its Potential, and if it gets its Potential or
lower, it gains a Veteranship Marker and improves its Attributes or Abilities.
However, when a Mushi gets its third Veteranship Marker, something else
happens. It gains the ability to change into a new Molt at the end of the session.
And when a Mushi changes into a new Molt, it switches its statline entirely.
A Mushi may Molt into any other Mushi within its category (from Starter to
Starter, or Common to Common, etc,) or it may Molt one category up (from a
Starter Mushi to a Common Mushi, from a Common to an Uncommon, from an
Uncommon to a Rare, or from a Rare to a Legendary.)
And again, Molting removes all current Veteranship Markers and completely
replaces the Mushi's statline with that of the new Molt---although there is one
exception.
A Mushi may carry over one Special Ability from its previous Molt for each
time it has Molted. So a Mushi that Molts once may carry over 1 Special Ability. If
it then Molts again, it may carry over 2 Special Abilities.
If a Mushi carries over a Special Ability with levels, every 2 levels counts as a
separate ability for the purposes of carrying it over. So a Mushi with Mist 3 that Molts
for the first time can only carry over Mist 2. A Mushi with Mist 4 that Molts for the
second time can choose to carry over the entire Mist 4---instead of anything else
else.
If a Mushi carries over a Special Ability into a new Molt that already has it,
the Mushi may choose to either increase the new Molt's Special Ability by the number
of levels in the carried over Special Ability, or it may gain a new Special Ability of its
choice instead of the matching Special Abilities.. So a Mushi that carries over Drill
Breaker 1 into a Molt with Drill Breaker 1 gets Drill Breaker 2. If it carried over Drill
Breaker 2 instead, it would end up with Drill Breaker 3. Or it could completely skip
out on Drill Breaker entirely, and learn Catnap instead.
Each time a Mushi Molts, it sheds all of its current Veteranship Markers, and it
requires an additional Veteranship Marker to Molt again. So Molting once requires 3
Markers, but Molting for a second time requires 4 Markers (7 Markers total.)
Mushi may not have more Veteranship Markers than are required to change
Molts. This means a Mushi that has Molted four times can have up to 7 Veteranship
Markers at the same time before it needs to Molt, whereas a Mushi that has never
Molted may only have up to 3.
43
Threats And
Antagonists
The following Threats are possible foes that the trainers may come across in a
scenario.
Not everything listed in this section is automatically hostile, and not every Scenario
needs high-stakes conflict. It's perfectly reasonable to meet friendly Soldiers or
Security---or even harmless 0N1. However, if you need to face one in combat, these
are the stats you'll use.
Threats are different mechanically from regular Mushi in that they do not have
Potential, but they can have their own Unique Traits. Unique Traits are like Special
Abilities, but they cannot be acquired by Mushi, and they usually swing combat
substantially in the Threat's favor.
Humans
While much less formidable than Mushi on a one-for-one basis, humans swarm, call
allies, and make it extremely difficult to avoid getting stuck in an unwinnable fight.
Security (Common)
Goons in suits.
HP: 2/2
Strength: 1
Durability: 1
Technique: 4
Speed: 4
Special Abilities: Rush!
Unique Traits: Backup! (after a fight with Security, more Security will show up in 5
minutes unless the trainers leave the area)
44
Soldier (Uncommon)
Armed and disciplined professionals.
HP: 2/2
Strength: 1
Durability: 1
Technique: 5
Speed: 4
Special Abilities: Piercing, Rush! 3
Unique Traits: Backup! (after a fight with Soldiers, more Soldiers will show up in 5
minutes unless the trainers leave the area)
T1 Hercules Armor (Rare)

A highly-trained operator in a government prototype powered armor suit.
HP: 14/14
Strength: 3
Durability: 4
Technique: 3
Speed: 3
Special Abilities: Piercing, Rush! 2
Unique Traits: Bail Out (When defeated,
a Soldier ejects from the back of the
ruined suit. The Soldier may choose to enter
combat or flee.)
45
Cybermushi
Cybernetically modified laboratory projects, Cybermushi have none of their original
species' misgivings about getting too close to each other. Dozens can be pheromone-
slaved to a single operator, and they care about little beyond feeding on regulation
pellets and obeying their operator's commands.
0N1 (Common)
The horn and crest of this Mushi have been plated with steel. Wires run down its
flanks.
HP: 10/10
Strength: 1
Durability: 2
Technique: 3
Speed: 1
Special Abilities: Shield 2
Unique Traits: Dead Impact (The first time each combat the 0N1 would take
damage from a Standard Attack, it instead takes no damage.)
MUSASH11 (Uncommon)
This Mushi's armor has been plated with gold, producing designs that look like
circuitry. Its wing-casings have also been welded shut, and electricity arcs and snaps
between its head-horn and pronotal horn.
HP: 14/14
Strength: 1
Durability: 1
Technique: 6
Speed: 1
Special Abilities: Bristle, Fencer, Mist
Unique Traits: N/A
46
M0M0TAR0 (Rare)
The M0M0TAR0 is a hulking, half-metal Mushi with bulky cybernetic control boxes
visible at the articulations of each of its joints. And yet, the thing that draws your
attention away from the creature itself is the large surface-to-surface missile battery
mounted on its back.
HP: 22/22
Strength: 2
Durability: 3
Technique: 4
Speed: 1
Special Abilities: Shield, Chaos Rampancy (Passive), Chitin Helmet (Passive)
Unique Traits: Valkyrie Rain (The M0M0TAR0 opens each fight with a missile
barrage, dealing 6 damage to all enemies. This occurs before Special Abilities can
activate, but damage from this Unique Trait is reduced by Durability.)
Supernaturals
Not all things in this world are fully explainable by science. Skeptics can, and do, scoff
at stories of non-human civilizations and monsters---but the Event wasn't all that
long ago, and since then it's been much harder to declare anything completely
impossible.
Setii (Common)
No taller than a human child, these gray, bulbous-headed hominids are found
sometimes in the remote regions of the world. They are quick to scatter from danger,
but they have used strange, green-fire-throwing weapons on the few occasions
where one was cornered. They seem especially interested in Mushi.
HP: 14/14
Strength: 3
Durability: 1
Technique: 1
Speed: 2
Special Abilities: Dark Instinct (Passive)
Unique Traits: Bug Out (When a group of Setii lose a fight, d6 of them simply
teleport away.)
47
Chupacabra (Uncommon)
Fast-moving, pack-hunting predators, Chupacabra prey primarily on livestock.
However, some groups have been allegedly sighted living off of pigeons and mice in
cities.
They are irritable and dangerous, even when alone, and sometimes consider Mushi
plausible prey.
HP: 14/14
Strength: 2
Durability: 1
Technique: 4
Speed: 2
Special Abilities: Echo, Fake Out
Unique Traits: Pack Hunting (Chupacabra deal +1 damage on Standard Attacks as
long as there is at least one other Chupacabra in the fight.)
Skunk Ape (Rare)

Strange, solitary hominids known to roam marshes and woodlands, Skunk Apes are
tall, territorial, and ferociously strong.
Allegedly there is a black market trade in their hides, so their aggression may be
helping to keep them alive.
HP: 18/18
Strength: 4
Durability: 4
Technique: 3
Speed: 2
Special Abilities: Impact Shift, Catnap (Passive)
Unique Traits: Mighty Toss (Once per fight, the Skunk Ape may declare that it is
warming up an attack. On the next Round after the declaration, if the Skunk Ape
performs a Standard Attack, it deals double damage after all modifiers have been
applied.)
48
Mokole (Legendary)
A giant, flightless bird known for feeding on what would otherwise be the apex
predators of its ecosystem. In some cases, that means hippos. In others, great cats
or bears. While it seems to avoid the noise and pollution of cities, there have been
Mokole sightings everywhere else in the world---from the Congo River Basin to the
Arctic Circle.
In recent years, Mokole seem to have adopted Mushi as their preferred prey.
HP: 26/26
Strength: 3
Durability: 2
Technique: 4
Speed: 5
Special Abilities: Dread Tempo, Drill Breaker, Dynamic Tension (Passive)
Unique Traits: Triumphant Caaaw! (When an opponent is defeated, the Mokole
increases its Standard Attack damage by +d6 until the end of the combat.)
49
Wild Mushi
The following types of Mushi can be found in the wild.
Wild Mushi are not automatically dangerous, but they can sometimes be inclined to
rumble if they think another Mushi is trying to claim their cabbages and/or territory.
Wild Mushi are also the most common source of Mushi for trainers, and trained
versions of wild Mushi often get deployed in trainer vs trainer fights.
Common Mushi
Common Mushi are slightly stronger than Starter Mushi, having honed their
grappling skills on trees, fenceposts, and unguarded cabbage patches.
Hotaru (Hercules Type)

A bright orange and black Mushi with a glowing abdomen, Hotaru Mushi are fickle and
picky. Novice trainers sometimes think the Mushi is tolerant, as it will ignore
provocations up to a point, but an inch past that point it becomes sulky and
destructive. It is not at all uncommon for Hotaru Mushi to unbond their trainers.
HP: 18/18
Strength: 1
Durability: 2
Technique: 2
Speed: 3
Potential: 2
Special Abilities: Dynamic Tension (Passive), Hunker Down (Passive)
50
Kaze (Kamemushi Type)
With relatively light frames, Kaze are novel among Mushi for their ability to fly. This
flight usually doesn't get more than a few meters above ground level, and it sounds
like a helicopter having an aneurysm, but the Kaze seem extremely proud of it and
strut with their horns held high for several minutes after landing.
HP: 14/14
Strength: 1
Durability: 1
Technique: 4
Speed: 1
Potential: 3
Special Abilities: Rattatat, Turbo Sprint
Matsu (Stag Type)

Originally named after their tendency to peel the bark from pine trees in order to feed
on the sweet cambium inside, Matsu have an oddly skittish disposition and tend to
run into the woods when first spotted, making a rapid staccato clicking sound as they
flee. Over time, some Matsu
can be coaxed into relaxing
around humans, but they
are still quick to startle and
instinctively make for the
treeline when they decide a
lawnmower, automatic door,
or television commercial is
dangerous.
HP: 22/22
Strength: 1
Durability: 2
Technique: 2
Speed: 2
Potential: 2
Special Abilities: Roulette,
Chitin Helmet (Passive)
51
Uncommon Mushi
Uncommon Mushi are genuine menaces when they take it into their heads to go
foraging. Traffic can be blocked, fences uprooted, and gardens ruined all because an
Uncommon Mushi strayed out of the woods in search of fresh produce.
Uncommon Mushi are also sometimes as docile as kittens, but---like kittens---there

is no telling when they will suddenly animate and ramble off in search of trouble.
Hagane (Atlas Type)

Hagane Mushi supplement their vegetable diets by grazing on the dirt. From it, they
take in trace minerals which are sequestered in their shells, resulting in harder,
denser chitin that looks almost like steel.
Perhaps because of their near indestructibility, Hagane Mushi do not seem to

understand that there are consequences of sparring, and will pick fights with both
telephone poles, traffic signs, and other Mushi. These fights can be declined by
crouching low and curling up into a ball, but manmade infrastructure has yet to
perfect this technique.
HP: 18/18
Strength: 2
Durability: 6
Technique: 3
Speed: 1
Potential: 2
Special Abilities: Impact Shift, Roller
52
Itachi (Rhinoceros Type)
Named after the ferocity and independence of the mustela itatsi weasel, Itachi Mushi
are long, low, and fast, scrabbling across the ground like a six-legged limousine in
order to challenge intruders in their territory.
Itachi are extremely prone to threat displays, and will wave their horns and posture
dramatically for several minutes, giving humans plenty of time to flee. Any Mushi that
remain, the Itachi will go after with precision and force.
Itachi feed on fruit and vegetables, the same as other Mushi, but it isn't enough to
give them good meals to keep them healthy. In fact, they have an instinctive need
to spar, and they grow sluggish and morose when they've gone too long without a
good fight.
HP: 14/14
Strength: 3
Durability: 1
Technique: 4
Speed: 5
Potential: 2
Special Abilities: Oblivion Release, Spirit Reservoir (Passive)
Kouri (Kamemushi Type)

With brilliant pale blue shells and white forelegs, these Mushi blend in easily with
arctic environments.
Other Mushi tend to slow down as the temperature drops, but Kouri shake
themselves off and put an extra spring in their step.
They are sometimes spotted during blizzards, happily rolling giant snowballs across
fields.
HP: 18/18
Strength: 2
Durability: 4
Technique: 4
Speed: 2
Potential: 2
Special Abilities: Entropic Lance, Chaos Rampancy (Passive)
53
Rare Mushi
Rare Mushi are visually impressive creatures, forsaking natural camouflage for
bright designs on their shells and horns.
They are in no danger of predation---and could go toe-to-toe with a tank if either the
military or the bugs were inclined for that fight.
Kazan (Goliath Type)

Denoted by their bright red horns, black shells, and massive size, Kazan are large
enough to casually grab helicopters out of the air if they wished to.
Their incredible mass has led to a few concerted efforts to train them for construction
and rescue work, but they are both lazy and extreme contrarians, making the process
largely frustrating and fruitless.
HP: 22/22
Strength: 3
Durability: 5
Technique: 3
Speed: 1
Potential: 2
Special Abilities: Infinity Drop, Shield, Catnap (Passive), Spirit Reservoirs (Passive)
Tsuchigumo (Rhinoceros Type)

Tsuchigumo Mushi are an oddity among their kind, in that they are some of the only
Mushi to attempt to prey on other Mushi.
To be clear, they don't actually eat other beetles. But they do stalk and pounce and
otherwise simulate an attack.
Their spotted black and white shell and tiny proto-jaws makes this behavior all the
more visually distinct and alarming.
HP: 18/18
Strength: 3
Durability: 2
Technique: 5
Speed: 5
Potential: 2
Special Abilities: Bristle, Fake Out, Fencer
54
Yuki (Hercules Type)
Cold-climate giants first sighted in Wakkanai, Yuki Mushi are pale, befurred titans
that spend most of their time quietly contemplating their surroundings. Although
they are slow to rouse, they are quite fierce when disturbed, flying into a frenzy of
motion until their internal temperature spikes too high and they collapse from
temporary heat exhaustion.
HP: 34/34
Strength: 1
Durability: 5
Technique: 1
Speed: 4
Potential: 2
Special Abilities: Rattatat, Catnap (Passive), Dark Instinct (Passive)
Legendary Mushi
Legendary Mushi are truly special creatures. Few remain in the wild, and they have
little patience for humans attempting to bond them, but this doesn't stop the wealthy
and successful from hunting and abducting them in hopes of forcing a valuable
connection.
Genbu (Hercules Type)

A towering beast with a shell as dark as iron, Genbu Mushi are often maligned in news
stories. It is true that in their adolescence they are extremely destructive, but as they
age they grow more tolerant. Elder Genbu Mushi are all but immune to provocation,
and fight only on their terms.
HP: 34/34
Strength: 2
Durability: 4
Technique: 6
Speed: 1
Potential: 3
Special Abilities: Hero's Reward, Impact Shift, Hunker Down (Passive), Inseparable
(Passive)
55
Mukade (Stag Type)
Slightly less scary than their namesake, Mukade Mushi have long yellow, black, and
red bodies and wide jaws instead of horns. They are still frugivores and detritivores,
but they can demolish a cabbage with a kind of frantic thrashing that nature
documentaries would be reluctant to show.
Mukade love high perches, and they will roost in the boughs of old growth trees,
dropping down to spar with other Mushi that pass.
HP: 22/22
Strength: 8
Durability: 2
Technique: 4
Speed: 6
Potential: 3
Special Abilities: Fake Out, Rush!
Yamajĳi (Goliath Type)

Mountain-dwelling recluses, Yamajĳi Mushi favor high, misty places where they can
recede into the background before humans notice them.
It is unknown why they are so shy, as they are certainly big enough to run other
Mushi off of their slopes, but they seem to prefer solitude over combat most of the
time.
HP: 26/26
Strength: 5
Durability: 2
Technique: 6
Speed: 2
Potential: 2
Special Abilities: Dread Tempo, Drill Breaker, Mist 3, Archive (Passive)
56
MMing Mushi Melee
MMing Mushi Melee is as easy as GMing any other system, but not everyone has a
ton of experience or comfort with GMing, so I've broken the intro to this chapter up
into two sections.
Read whichever best fits you, then read the rest.
For Veteran MMs

For veteran MMs, MMing Mushi Melee is not all that different from MMing most
mainstream roleplaying games. You present the players with a situation they're
inclined to care about, you show them the challenges in caring about that situation,
and then you let them pick their own path through those challenges and come out
the other side.
Each player controls at least two characters (see Controlling Your Mushi,) but Skill
rolls (see The Pluck Die) are less common than straight up successes, and this
tends to push gameplay forward. Also, when the trainers get stuck, they can call on
their Mushi. Against physical obstacles, or in situations where they have the right
Skills, you usually don't even have to break out the dice. Expect to cruise through
minor roadblocks and get right to the meat of a scenario.
57
For New MMs
For new MMs, ignore those first two paragraphs. There's a bunch of jargon in there
and it distracts from what's important: Mushi Melee is a game you play cooperatively
with your friends. It's not scary or difficult, and you can take as much time and do as
much preparation as you need.
Here are the basics to MMing: Work with your friends to tell a story. Give them
obstacles to overcome. Turn your town's rumors into plotlines, or come up with your
own.
If your group gets stuck, or isn't sure what to do next, raise the stakes. Have
another trainer challenge them, or have them learn about an underground Mushi
tournament with a cool cash prize, or have one of them spot something spooky on
the edge of town. The trainers will tend to get into a lot of trouble on their own, so
don't be afraid to follow up on that. Bring back characters they've encountered
before, and show them the consequences of their past actions.
If you're ever not sure of a rule, or someone asks to do something that doesn't seem
to be covered by the book, you can always fall back on the original rule of
Mushi Mastering: make something up. If the trainers go somewhere you weren't
expecting, or insist on talking to a character you didn't care about, you can add
details to that place or person to make them more interesting.
And if you get stuck, you can always ask the players questions. "What are you
looking for in the store?" "What do you think you saw in the mine?" "How does your
Mushi behave when it sees cabbages?" All of these are jumping off points for more
storytelling---and importantly, they also give you a break for a second.
If you're not sure if you want to play a single adventure or a big campaign, the intro
Scenario: The Flea Circus is a great place to start. You can run it out of the box
without having to think up your own plotlines or characters, and you can use it as a
jumping-off point for a bigger story.
58
Game Flow, Scenes, And
Sessions
There are two basic units of time in Mushi Melee.
Scenes are situations where one or more trainers are present and interacting with
each other, with the environment, or with NPCs. A Scene lasts as long as is
dramatically appropriate, and ends whenever the MM 'cuts' to a different part of the
action. For example, one Scene might be two player-controlled trainers talking
outside of a bunker, and then when they decide that they're going to explore it, the
MM cuts to them inside of the bunker and a new Scene begins. A Scene can also be
a combat with a bunch of Setii that occurs inside the bunker.
Sessions are a series of Scenes focusing on one plot thread. A Session is usually as
long as everyone has time to play, but a group could also play several Sessions in one
big gaming marathon weekend. Generally speaking, a Scene covers a single
important plot point, and a Session covers a whole adventure.
For a slower-paced game, instead of having Mushi roll Potential after each exciting
event, you may wish to have them only roll at the end of each Session. This is
optional, so please check with your group before you decide on this. Some players
like fast progression. Some prefer a slower game.
59
Balancing Conflicts
Not every fight needs to be perfectly balanced and scaled exactly to the party's level,
but you should aim to mostly give the trainers fair fights to keep things interesting.
In general, Mushi of equal rarity are an even match for each other.
One Mushi of two rarity levels higher is an even match for two Mushi two
rarity levels below it (i.e. an Uncommon vs 2 Starters.)
As Mushi grow and gain Veteranship Markers, this changes, and a Mushi with three
or more Markers can often go toe-to-toe with Mushi one rarity level above them.
At the same time, Mushi who haven't healed back to full HP, or that are outnumbered,
can be easily threatened by weaker foes.
In general, don't be afraid to throw fights at the players that are harder or
easier than they can handle.
And don't be afraid to give the players things they can do instead of combat,
either. You can easily do things like have a combat where players can spend their
Mushi Actions on fighting---or on bracing the overflowing dam that's about to burst
and spill water into town---and it adds difficulty without changing the numbers of the
fight.
Character advancement also doesn't depend on the players winning fights---it

depends on them participating in fights, footraces, escapes, or other exciting events.
So, a non-combat competition can be as interesting as a battle.
That said, if a battle does break out, don't throw the trainers into deliberate
"meant to lose" fights. It is absolutely fine if they lose sometimes. No competitor
wins 100% of their bouts, and sometimes losses push people to come back stronger,
but don't rig the odds against the party unless they think that would be dramatic and
agree to it.
At the same time, don't make every fight a grueling trial. It's absolutely okay for
them to win cleanly, and often this will show how far they've come.
60
Managing Character Growth
Mushi have a chance to grow after every conflict they're in.
This means that in a game with a lot of major conflicts, you'll see lots of Mushi
growth, a steady increase in power, and tons of Molting.
Not all Mushi will gain Veteranship Markers and Molt at the same speed. In fact, low
Potential Mushi will tend to progress more slowly in exchange for being stronger in
the moment. If this uneven progression bothers your group, you can simply say
that all Mushi gain Veteranship Markers at the end of each Session. However,
warn the players before you do this, and give high Potential Mushi some extra
Attribute points to keep them competitive.
When To End
You should wrap up a Session of Mushi Melee when it feels finished.
Even if every mystery isn't resolved, if you've hit a good emotional beat and the
players feel satisfied, that's where you end.
Anything else is fodder for future Sessions.
Don't sell past the close. Leave some mystery in the world for new trainers to
explore.
61
Homebrewing
Mushi Melee is not meant to be a static game.
Homebrew. Houserule. Hack it. Create your own threats and Skills and Mushi.
Modify the game to your satisfaction.
62
Creating Mushi
To create your own Mushi, pick a rarity and allocate its Attribute points and Special
Abilities according to the chart below.
Starter Mushi are built from 10 HP, 1 STR, 1 DUR, 1 TEC, 1 SPD, 3 POT, with an
additional 3 points distributed anywhere, and 1 Special Ability.
Common Mushi are built from 10 HP, 1 STR, 1 DUR, 1 TEC, 1 SPD, 3 POT, with an
Uncommon Mushi are built from 10 HP, 1 STR, 1 DUR, 1 TEC, 1 SPD, 3 POT, with
an additional 10 points distributed anywhere, and 1 Special Ability.
Rare Mushi are built from 10 HP, 1 STR, 1 DUR, 1 TEC, 1 SPD, 3 POT, with an
Legendary Mushi are built from 10 HP, 1 STR, 1 DUR, 1 TEC, 1 SPD, 3 POT, with an
Raising Strength, Durability, Technique, or Speed increases it by +1.
Raising HP increases it by +4.
Raising Potential costs 2 Attribute points to increase it by +1.
Optionally, you can lower a Mushi to Potential 2 in order to gain an extra +2 Attribute
points, and or to Potential 1 for a total of +4 Attribute points, but this Mushi will grow
very slowly.
Giving a Mushi an extra Special Ability costs 2 Attribute points. Increasing one of its
existing Special Abilities by a level costs 1 Attribute point.
And in all of these cases, a Mushi's Strength can never be more than 2 points
higher than its next highest Attribute.
Finally, try to come up with a unique look and name for your new Mushi---base it off
of a real world beetle if you'd like to.
And don't worry too much about sticking to the naming convention. You can call your
new Molt Lightning, or Verdigris, or Waffle, or whatever you think sounds good.
63
Creating Threats
To create a Threat, build it the same way that you would a Mushi.
Their Unique Traits cost 2 Attribute Points, just like a Mushi's Special Ability.
If needed, you can lower their HP by 4 for +1 Attribute point, and you can do this up
to twice, but 2 HP makes for a very fragile character, so expect them to get one-shot
if they don't have clever ways of reducing or avoiding damage.
Creating Special Abilities

Unfortunately, there is no simple formula for creating Special Abilities.
Special Abilities cover so many potential situations that the best advice I can give is
"always playtest them before you set them loose during a game."
However, I can give some advice on how to scale their TP costs.
2-3 TP: This Ability is either spammable or provides a very small benefit, such as +1
damage to an attack this Round.
4 TP: This Ability provides a noticeable benefit, such as +2 damage to an attack this
Round, +1 to an Attribute until the end of combat, +2 to an Attribute this Round, a
bonus when Pulling Something and meeting a certain outcome, or a chance to obtain
a powerful effect (such as dodging an attack.)
6-10 TP: This Ability noticeably shifts the combat's momentum in your favor. In
exchange for costing more TP than a 1 Technique fighter can muster, it allows you to
either capitalize on an opponent's weakness or else leverage all of your advantages
for a decisive finish. It is usually only activateable once per combat.
Passive: This Ability is always on, and it provides equal advantages and drawbacks.
It's usually exploitable by both you and your opponent, and can be anything from
bonuses to certain Mushi Actions to increasing the total damage you deal and take.
If, after designing an Ability, you find you've made it too strong, remember that you
don't have to delete it and start again. Just add more costs to it. Maybe it lowers one
of your Attributes, or you lose HP when you use it, or it takes time to charge up, or
it has a 3-in-6 chance of failure. You rarely have to completely redo an Ability, just
keep it from being a spammable "I win" button.
64
Scenario: The Flea
Circus
Hook
"Come see the traveling Mr. Puce and his amazing animals!"
The banner hangs across the center of the town common. On either side of it, little
statuettes of insects twirl, powered by mechanisms recessed somewhere deep in
their pedestals.
The summer months are a long and welcome break from schoolwork, but even
better, they give you time to check out weird stuff like this.
Mr. Puce's circus doesn't star Mushi. Their advertising would have been very clear
otherwise.
So then, what kinds of creatures has he domesticated?
Summary For The MM

Morrie Puce, a traveling showman, has come to town with an unusual circus.
His acts all star Nomi; giant fleas.
The fleas are mostly well trained, but energetic, and they soon escape.
The trainers will have to work to recapture them, tire them out, and otherwise
minimize the damage that a cadre of escaping mega-fleas can do to the surrounding
region.
65
Act 1: Siphonaptera
Spectacular
It's evening when the circus gates open.
Curious townsfolk stream in, to be greeted with small rides, food stands, a paltry
smattering of carnival games, and a massive bigtop.
Dramatic music plays from under the tent as lights blink on and off and a few
halfhearted fireworks explode in the sky.
The trainers have arrived at Mr. Puce's traveling circus as a group.
The circus is situated wherever there's room for it---whether that's on the common
of the trainers' town, or in the fields nearby, or just outside of the particle physics
lab. The circus staff have gotten the necessary permits, and the townsfolk are
sufficiently excited that there isn't any logistical bickering.
The majority of the circus is surrounded by a tall gate (Mushi can barge through it
easily, but a trainer would need to use Clambering or a Pluck Roll.)
It features only a few rides, games, and food stalls. There's enough, but it's not
particularly impressive. Everything is vaguely insect-themed, but not in a creepy way.
The bigtop, on the other hand, is genuinely eye-catching. It's a massive pavilion of
red and white cloth bedecked in lights. It has enough vertical clearance that any
aerial stunts done inside will need extra layers of safety netting, and it's wide enough
to fit a herd of elephants with ease.
There is a drab tent behind it, with no obvious lights or banners on the outside. 2
Security (see Threats And Antagonists) stand out front. Although they aren't
armed, they do look intimidating and carry radios (Sneaking bypasses them without
a Pluck Roll.)
If the trainers investigate the bigtop, then Mr Puce is inside, at the center of a
ring surrounded by several layers deep of seating. Mr Puce is a tall, thin man in his
late twenties with a somewhat nervous, energetic, and kind bearing. He announces
that he is here to show the townsfolk the wonderful progress that has been made in
domesticating Nomi: Mushi-sized fleas. Then he gives a signal and calls several Nomi
out onto the stage with him. Without a whip, just a wand, he puts them through their
paces and has them stack on top of each other, then do high jumps, then do tandem
jumps, and then he completely loses control of them and the Nomi escape, nearly
bringing down the bigtop in the process. A number of Nomi equal to 2 x the
number of trainers (see [The Fleastiary]) bound across the circus grounds and
out into the night.
If the trainers investigate the drab tent, assuming they can make it past the
Security, inside they find a wild collage of resources dedicated to Mr. Puce's process
of domesticating Nomi. There are photos of the giant fleas, anatomical diagrams of
66
their armor and mouthparts, and one very worrying tub of thick red liquid (it's tomato
juice.) At this point, the trainers hear screams of panic as a number of Nomi equal
to 2 x the number of trainers (see The Fleastiary) escape from the bigtop and
bound across the circus grounds and out into the night.
If the trainers do something else or simply wait until the show is at its
midpoint, a number of Nomi equal to 2 x the number of trainers bound out of
the bigtop (see The Fleastiary,) cross the circus grounds, and hop the outlying
fence to vanish into the night. Mr. Puce charges out after them, calling for them to
come back, then throws down his hat and stamps on it in frustration.
The only thing that can possibly rein in the loosed Nomi are bonded Mushi.
If the trainers don't automatically move to get involved, some of the nearby adults
(or Mr. Puce himself, if they didn't go into the drab tent,) will ask them to help.
67
Act 2: The Running Of The Fleas
Once free, the Nomi have one goal: get into as much trouble as possible.
How things proceed will depend on what the trainers' town looks like, but in general:
small groups of Nomi will split off and head to every relevant area, then find
something disruptive to do there.
The Nomi aren't violent. They might accidentally damage property, but they're not
bloodthirsty and will not try to harm humans.
They are, however, tomatothirsty, and they will do their best to break into
convenience stores, gardens, and restaurants for a taste of the delicious
botanical fruit.
After the trainers' second encounter with the Nomi, Mr. Puce will show up with a
cartload of cabbages and give all of the Mushi a free HP refill.
The cabbage cart will remain available until all the Nomi have been subdued.
If the trainers refuse to help, eventually 12 Soldiers will be called in (see

Threats And Antagonists) to pacify the remaining Nomi. They will be much less
gentle, and may be as much of a danger to the town as the fleas.
Act 3: The Aftermath

When all is said and done and the Nomi have been recaptured, Mr. Puce will be
embarrassed and remorseful.
For anyone who helped with recapturing the Nomi, he will offer whatever is within his
limited resources as a reward. This might mean a whole basket of caramel apples, or
a truckload of popcorn, or a burlap sack of cabbages.
It might also mean some introductions in the Mushi tournament circuit.
When the Mushi first emerged, Mr. Puce was one of their original researchers, naming
and documenting several common Molts. He eventually fell out of that field when he
discovered Nomi and became quite taken with their gleeful hopping, but he still has
some influence among the higher ups.
For any trainers who take him up on his word, he'll promise to send them a formal
invite to a regional pre-qualifier as soon as he's able.
Depending on how much damage was caused during the night, law enforcement may
now lead him away.
68
The Fleastiary
The following Nomi are unique to this adventure, however they all share the same
three traits:
● They are herbivorous and love tomatoes.

● They are very high energy and mischievous.
● They aren't interested in attacking humans, but they also have no concept of
property law.
The MM can include any combination of the following Nomi types in this
adventure, but there should not be more Nomi than 2 x the number of trainers.
Inu Nomi
Hefty, slower-moving Nomi, Inu Nomi have been considered by some farmers for
draft work---only to be rejected again for their tendency to get into the crops.
HP: 14/14
Strength: 2
Durability: 2
Technique: 1
Speed: 1
Special Abilities: Impact Shift
Unique: N/A
Koumori Nomi
Sedan-sized Nomi known for their remarkable jumping height, Koumori Nomi at the
top of their highest bounds look briefly like they're flying.
HP: 14/14
Strength: 2
Durability: 1
Technique: 1
Speed: 2
Special Abilities: N/A
Unique: Bail! (As long as it has at least 1 Technique, escapes combat at the end of
the third Round and then permanently loses 1 Technique.)
69
Nezumi Nomi
Fast, "runner" Nomi, Nezumi Nomi are only about as large as a motorcycle, but they
make up for that by scuttling at high speeds.
HP: 10/10
Strength: 1
Durability: 1
Technique: 2
Speed: 3
Special Abilities: Rattatat
Unique: N/A
70
Sample Character
Name: Satoshi
Quick Description: Plucky ten-year-old in a dried-up town. Lives with mother, who
is a doctor at the town clinic. Spends all possible time with Rover, who is just as
competitive as Satoshi.
I Hang Out At: The old, dry duck pond.
Skills: Communicating With Mushi, Running, Caretaking
I Get Along With Wild Mushi Because I Know How To Move And Pitch My Voice
So They Don't Startle
I Have Friction With Other Children Because I Am Competitive And Prone To

Bragging
Mushi #1: Rover (Tora Molt, Atlas Type)
HP: 10/10
TP: 8/8
Strength: 1
Durability: 1
Technique: 2
Speed: 3
Potential: 3
Special Abilities: Rush! (6 TP. Make a free, immediate Standard Attack on an

enemy. This attack does not cost a Mushi Action.)
71
Sample Town
Town Name: New Vada
Regions:
● Vast desert dunes
● Old, dry duck pond
● The one convenience store for miles
● Young Stars Mushi Dueling Academy
● Decommissioned army bunker
Facts:
● The town economy used to revolve around the army, but they left ten years
ago.
● Water is expensive, and a lot of families have condensers or rain capture
devices in their homes.
● The local school only goes up to the middle grades---everyone older takes a
30 minute bus to nearby Volt City High.
● Local Mushi are common, but docile. Sometimes they dig for salt in the desert
dunes.
● There are still ducks in the duck pond, and they seem to have adapted to sand-
bathing.
Persons Of Interest:
● MushiMelee!, an old capsule machine, sits unattended by the New Vada bus
station. Its contents are dusty, but the plastic Mushi figures inside are prized
by children.
● Mayor Yoshimoto is hardworking and persistent despite the town's relative
poverty. She always has a revitalization plan in mind, although they don't tend
to go smoothly.
● The Dark Saber, an especially large Tetsu Mushi, has a legendary status among
local children. Supposedly, it lives out in the desert and fights ghosts.
● Ryuunosuke, a former army chef, lives in a trailer out past the edge of town.
He's kind but cagey about why he left military service and he stays out of the
town center when strangers are around.
● The Light In The Dunes is a mysterious presence that some people report
encountering if they stay too long in the desert. It does not appear harmful---
and some stories claim it guides lost townsfolk home---but reports are unclear
what it looks like, and if it has a physical body at all.
Rumors:
● Sometimes the adults talk about when the military left. No one quotes the
exact reason for their withdrawal, but the consensus is that it was sudden and
unexpected.
● Older kids tell ghost stories about a giant worm that sleeps under the desert.
According to them, should it ever wake, the town will be demolished. These
kids call it the "Shy Hulled," although the origins of this name are unclear.
72
● Hayashida, a local craftsman, insists there are aliens in the desert. As proof,
she offers her new range of alien badges, alien pinwheels, and alien tote bags.
It wouldn't be profitable to sell all this merchandise in a town that didn't have
aliens, right?
● Souseki, a stray cat, seems to act like a weathervane for powerful Mushi. He's
always spotted right before a bunch of them congregate in an area.
● The old bunker is sealed off for a reason, but on some nights strange sounds
echo from it. More than one person has speculated that there might be a
human---or a Mushi---living inside.
73
Bonus Chapter:
Mushi Bangles
As a reward for certain tournaments or civic services, Mushi trainers can sometimes
receive Bangles.
Bangles are small, decorative charms that Mushi are proud to wear. In fact, they're
so proud to wear Bangles that doing so inspires them to unlock temporary new
capabilities.
A Mushi may only use one Bangle during a given day (they get extremely fussy
if you try to replace a Bangle before they're done wearing it,) and Mushi receive no
benefits from Bangles that were obtained through skullduggery (a stolen
Bangle gives them nothing to be proud of.)
The MM is the sole arbiter of when Bangles are available, and may make up their own
or offer other Bangles from the following list:
Amethyst Bangle
A dark purple semiprecious stone bound into a hemp cord.
The Mushi's trainer gains the Skill Rapid Burrowing as long as they are riding atop
the Mushi.
Chrysoberyl Bangle
A translucent green mineral secured to a thick copper band.
The Mushi's trainer gains the Skill Mushiback Flight as long as they are riding atop
the Mushi.
Emerald Bangle
A bright green precious gem secured to a circle of platinum wire.
The Mushi's trainer gains the Skill Rampant Deforestation as long as they are riding
atop the Mushi.
74
Turquoise Bangle
A lovely semiprecious gem set into a thin gold anklet.
The Mushi's trainer gains the Skill Swimming And Diving as long as they are riding
atop the Mushi.
75
Mushi Combat
Quick Reference
Chart
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When combat starts, both combatants gain Technique x 4 TP.
Each Round has a Special Abilities Activation phase and a Mushi Actions phase. After
all combatants have acted in both phases, a new Round starts.
Highest Speed means you go first. Dice off for it if you tie.
Combat ends when all foes are reduced to 0 HP or below.
To flee, make a Pluck Roll, and lose combat if it fails.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Standard Attack: Deal d6+Strength damage, reduced by foe's Durability.
Gather Steam: +d6 damage (until next attack) and -1 Speed (until end of combat.)
+2 Durability (until attacked) if not currently buffed by this move.
Inertia Switch: +2 Speed, +1 Technique, +1 damage (until end of combat.)
Outfox: -4 Speed or Technique and -2 opponent's Durability (until end of combat.)
Recover Stamina: Recover Technique+Durability+2d6 HP immediately. Lose half TP

(round down,) -2 Technique, and suffer +2 damage from all attacks (until end of
combat.)
Charge Spirit: Gain Technique x3 TP. -1 Durability, -1 Technique (until end of

combat.)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you have multiple Mushi, only one of them is active at a time. To change your active
Mushi, you must Switch Mushi.
Switching Mushi: You automatically switch out your active Mushi when it is
defeated. To switch it before then, declare the switch at the start of your Special
Ability Activations Phase, do not activate any Special Abilities, switch out the Mushi,
and then take no actions during the following Mushi Action Phase.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
76
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When Standard Attacking, you may elect to Pull Something up to Technique times per
combat.
Pulling Something: When Standard Attacking, secretly choose Jab or Fierce.

Opponent secretly chooses Block or Counter. Deal +1 damage if you Jab vs Counter
or +d6 damage if you Fierce vs Block. Cancel the attack and get hit with a Standard
Attack from your opponent if you Fierce vs Counter.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After combat, attempt to gain a Veteranship Marker.
Gaining Veteranship Markers: Roll Potential or under. On a success, discard all

Frustration Points and increase an Attribute, level a Special Ability, or save up for a
new Special Ability. On a failure, gain a Frustration Point. At 3 + the number of times
you've Molted Veteranship Markers, Molt.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
77
Credits
Matt Bohnhoff is an artist and game designer who loves heartwarming stories
where everyone involved has an equal voice. Also bugs. He really loves bugs because
they don't get self-conscious when photographed. His art is scattered across the
internet but most of his games can be found at https://
wastelandofenchantment.itch.io.
Hector Rodriguez is a Chilean artist whose work can be found at https://

haclif.artstation/com and @Haclif on Twitter.
Justin is a longtime fan of comics, which led him to exploring illustration after high
school. He spends his time raising his energetic son, reading comic books, and
drawing when he can. Find more of his work on Twitter (@jba1987), Instagram
(@jbaillustration), or his website (jbaillustration.com). Special thanks to Mel, Ben,
and CVS (not the drugstore).
Richard Kelly is a writer and designer who enjoys odd settings, mechanical
tightness, and animal main characters. TTRPGs about fishing, foxes, and 1920s
procedural horror can be found here: https://kumada1.itch.io/
78
Character Sheet
Name:_____________________________________________________________
Quick Description:__________________________________________________
I Hang Out At:______________________________________________________
Skills:_____________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
I Get Along With_________________Because___________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
I Have Friction With_________________Because________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
79
Mushi #1:__________________________________________________________
HP: ___/___
TP: ___/___
Strength: ___
Durability: ___
Technique: ___
Speed: ___
Potential: ___
Special Abilities:____________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Mushi #2:__________________________________________________________
HP: ___/___
TP: ___/___
Strength: ___
Durability: ___
Technique: ___
Speed: ___
Potential: ___
__________________________________________________________________
Mushi #3:__________________________________________________________
HP: ___/___
TP: ___/___
Strength: ___
Durability: ___
Technique: ___
Speed: ___
Potential: ___
__________________________________________________________________
80
Town Sheet
Town Name:_______________________________________________________
Regions:___________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Facts:_____________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Persons Of Interest:________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Rumors:___________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
81
Combat Worksheet
Current HP: Current TP:
Strength Bonuses: Strength Penalties:
Durability Bonuses: Durability Penalties:
Technique Bonuses: Technique Penalties:
Speed Bonuses: Speed Penalties:
82

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Mushi

Artwork - Justin Addison, Matt Bohnhoff, Hector Rodriguez, @iamacar22, and

Playtesting And Additional Design - Joshua Berkowitz-Geller, Zach Card, Ian

Cultural Consulting - Takuma Okada (noroadhome.itch.io , @takumaokada)

Necessary Equipment - Pencils, paper, and some d6s.

Recommended Safety Mechanics - Whatever your group is most comfortable

Copyright 2022 - Richard V Kelly III

ISBN PDF - 978-1-7364046-0-7

ISBN Print - 978-1-7364046-1-4

The text of this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-

This summer, you're determined to take home the championship.

Thus, a considerable number of children are Mushi trainers.

Mushi Melee is meant to be friendly to first-time MMs, but as a backup: remember

Mushi Special Abilities, Bonding Multiple Mushi, Mushi Combat, Trainer

The first is picking your Skills.

So if you're climbing a cliff wall, sneaking up on a Mushi, or hacking a computer,

With that in mind, select 3 Skills from the following list:

Acting Innocent, Caretaking, Clambering, Communicating With Mushi,

This is represented by your Pluck Die.

Using your Pluck Die is called making a Pluck Roll.

This is called Pushing Your Limits.

When a trainer would be severely debilitated (such as by getting in a car accident,

Trainers can remove one Wound at a time by resting somewhere peaceful

Trainers cannot receive more Wounds than they have Skills.

Likewise, if your get-along-with-a-trainer is "I have a crush on them," ask that

HP, Strength, Durability, Technique, And Speed

A Mushi's HP measures its Hercules Points---basically, how much endurance it has.

A Mushi's Potential measures how easily it can learn and grow.

If a Mushi fails to roll its Potential or lower, it instead gains a Frustration

Other Attribute Rules

No Attributes, other than HP and Speed, may be reduced below 0.

Habu (Rhinoceros Type)

Koichi (Kamemushi Type)

Kumori (Hercules Type)

Tora (Atlas Type)

2 minutes after combat, you automatically recover d6 HP.

Chaos Rampancy (Passive)

Chitin Helmet (Passive)

Recover 1 HP, or cause a nearby Mushi to recover 1 HP.

Dark Instinct (Passive)

Dread Tempo (10 TP)

Drill Breaker (10 TP)

Energy Drain (3 TP)

Your opponent loses 1 HP and you recover 1 HP.

Fake Out (3 TP)

Hero's Reward (5 TP)

Impact Shift (2 TP)

Infinity Drop (8 TP)

You may only Infinity Drop once per fight.

Null Horn (Passive)

Oblivion Release (0 TP)

Spirit Reservoirs (Passive)

Turbo Sprint (7 TP)

You gain +20 Speed until the end of the Round.

Gaining Technique Points

Turns And Rounds

First Phase: Special Ability

The following Mushi Actions are always available to combatants:

● Standard Attack. When a combatant performs a Standard Attack, they roll

I Get Along With_Because___________

I Have Friction With_Because________