Heavy Vertical License

You've studied for this. You've trained for this. Your HEAVY VERTICAL LICENSE is within reach. But it's finals week, and the simulator demands you bring your A-game. HEAVY VERTICAL LICENSE is a journaling game where players use cards and dice to survive a week of grueling tests to gain their commercial mech license. In a world inspired by Patlabor, where the fantasy of giant robots meets the mundanity of budgets and bureaucracy, HEAVY VERTICAL LICENSE counts the Pemberton AEU-4 (designed originally for Asa Donald's Rust Never Sleeps ) as just another vehicle. A Vertical License grants you the freedom to operate bipedal+ vehicles in urban, suburban and rural environments. A Vertical License ensures a high level of training, safety awareness and understanding of legal responsibilities from each and every holder. --- SETUP You will need 5 x D6 DICE 1 x PLAYING CARDS (DISCARD ALL BUT ACES, 1s, 2s, 3s, 4s) RULES & REFERENCE SHEET CALICO FATIGUE TRACKER/EXAM SCHEDULE/RESULT TRACKER SHEET NB: Feel free to use either the Text Rules (simplified, monochrome) or the Diagetic Rules (3D, colour) during your playthrough - they are the same game. If you are using the Diagetic Rules , you will also need paper and a pen to note whether you pass an exam as it does not feature a useable visual tracker. If you are using the Text Rules , you can use a small item to record your progress on the Exam Result Tracker table. Roll the five dice, and place them on the Calico Fatigue Tracker ; four on the blue/black set of squares and one on the Focus square. The player decides how strong or weak their traits are, depending on how the dice are placed. NB: The Focus D6 can be used any time to... adjust the vertical position of a Trait D6 in the event of failing to match one or both of the exam card checks, make up the shortfall for one or both of the exam cards The Focus D6 is the only die whose face is manually adjusted to account for the expended points. The Trait D6s only move vertically on the tracker, unless stipulated by a re-roll. Their number otherwise remains static and only affected by the +1, -1, -2, -3 fatigue modifiers. Shuffle all aces, 2s, 3s and 4s, place the stack face down. ORDER OF PLAY Draw 2 cards Check the suits and their number against the corresponding suits and Trait D6 numbers. If the both Trait D6s are equal to or exceed the drawn cards, it is a Pass . If one or both of the Trait D6s do not at least equal the drawn cards, it is a Fail . In the event of a Pass , the player gains 1 point on the Exam Tracker. In the event of a Fail , the player can either a) use Focus points to make up the shortfall (if enough points are available) and receive a Pass , or b) move the two active Trait D6s down one square on their respective columns. NB: Trait D6s may not move above +1 or below -3, and any instruction to do so should be disregarded. Triangulate the exam cards on the Exam Schedule to see what the fatigue cost or outcome is. Even if the exam has been failed, the player must follow the instructions or adjust the Trait D6s as listed at the bottom of each field. You can also refer to the Rules & Reference sheet to see what type of exam was undertaken. Discard the exam cards. Do this another two times to complete a day. At the end of the day, re-roll the Focus D6. Leave the Trait D6s where they are unless you want to expend Focus in preparation for the next day. Complete the above a further four times (3 x exam = 1 day) to hopefully gain your HEAVY VERTICAL LICENSE . --- DESIGNER'S NOTE This is my first ever real game design, so I'm aware it might be a little rigid, broken, untested or worse, devoid of fun! I sadly missed the TTRPG boat growing up, ogling from afar at the verdant creativity the medium continues to enjoy. So, while I can't dedicate much time to fixing any shortfalls any time soon, if you find something you'd like to partly or wholly adapt, go for it! I'd like to thank comrades Asa Donald and Aaron Lim for setting up the Mini-Mecha Game Jam , and if you'd like to get in touch for collaboration or commissions, get in touch!