The Power and Chaos of AKIRA

The classic cyberpunk anime film AKIRA is a rich source of inspiration for a thrilling tabletop RPG campaign. Filled with psychic powers, futuristic motorcycles, gang violence and government conspiracies, AKIRA’s Neo-Tokyo setting comes to life at your gaming table.

Some starting points: 

•Ambition and desire driving characters to extremes. Include plot points where players must decide if reaching their goals is worth the cost.

• Start small, with players just discovering their powers or on the fringes of the government project, then scale up as Akira's awakening causes ripples.

•Relationships between characters shifting as they gain or lose abilities. Explore how powers impact friendships, loyalty and identity.

• Neo-Tokyo as a gritty urban sandbox. Players can explore the city, interact with factions, and encounter side plots that feed into the main campaign.

• Government conspiracies and cloak-and-dagger missions. Pave the way for reveals about the true purpose of the Akira project and those pulling the strings.

• Opportunities for characters to gain new abilities through experimentation, training or mutation. But balance that with consequences and drawbacks.

•Make Tetsuo the "big bad" players must eventually face, but only after he has decimated much of what they hold dear.

•Use the motorcycles as a symbol of freedom in a controlled society, and a mode of travel throughout the campaign. Add chases, races and confrontations on two wheels.

•A climax where psychic powers are unleashed on a massive scale, reshaping the city forever. Players must embrace their abilities fully to survive and triumph.

•An ending that leaves Neo-Tokyo forever changed, with new espers emerging who will determine its future. Players' characters become part of the new order, for good or ill.

Suggested RPG systems

Cyberpunk/futuristic systems like Cyberpunk 2020, Shadowrun or Eclipse Phase could work well mechanically. For a more freeform narrative experience, Powered by the Apocalypse games like Urban Shadows fit AKIRA’s gritty tone.

Example characters

Members of the Capsules motorcycle gang seeking revenge; espers experimented on by the government; scientists studying the Akira project; military officials trying to contain the chaos.

Possible plot hooks

• Players are members of the Capsules who witness Tetsuo's awakening of powers and must deal with the fallout as he gains strength.

• Players are espers with limited abilities who must escape government facilities as Akira's awakening causes instability in the city.

• Players are recruiters for the government's psychic division tasked with identifying and capturing new espers emerging in Neo-Tokyo's chaos.

• Players are scientists trying to understand Akira's abilities while fending off military forces who want to weaponize the research.

Use the film as inspiration, but build your own story within AKIRA's setting. Add new factions, powers, characters and themes to craft a storyline that engages your players.

The crumbling city of Neo-Tokyo, ominous government conspiracies, grudges between gangs and friends turning on one another as psychic powers awaken - AKIRA offers all the seeds for a truly epic tabletop RPG campaign of incredible destruction, personal growth and the constant struggle between order and chaos.

When the light from Tetsuo's power fills the arena, your players' stories will begin.

 

Factions & side plots

Here are some potential factions and side plots you could include in an AKIRA-inspired tabletop RPG campaign:

Factions

• The government's Psychic Division: Secretly controls and experiments on espers while covering up events to maintain order. Players may be recruited or targeted.

• The Capsules gang: Struggles to maintain turf against other gangs while some members awaken psychic powers. Players could start as low-level members and rise up.

• Rival biker gangs: Want to seize opportunity created by Neo-Tokyo's chaos to expand territory and illicit operations. May clash directly with players.

• The Neo Tokyo Resistance: A splinter group seeks to expose government secrets and stop experiments, willing to take extreme measures. Players could join or oppose.

• The Yakuza: Criminal underworld players that profit from the black market and illegal esp trades. May hire or side with players for jobs.

Side plots

• Investigating esper trafficking rings preying on homeless and runaways for government programs.

• Retrieving a stolen prototype vehicle or piece of technology from a rival gang.

• Going undercover at an exclusive club that caters to wealthy espers.

• Escaping from an esper prison breakout orchestrated by the Resistance.

• Participating in the criminal underworld's illegal racing circuit using boosted bikes.

• Preventing a senior government official from being assassinated by the Resistance.

• Tracking down a rogue esper who is causing chaos and random destruction across the city.

The key is to think about the thematic elements - psychic powers, government conspiracies, gang violence, freedom vs control - and build encounters that explore those ideas and put pressure on your player characters. 

 

Motorcycle mayhem 

Here are some options for handling motorcycle combat in an AKIRA-inspired tabletop RPG:

• Use chases and races as action set pieces - Players try to outmaneuver or escape pursuers through the crowded streets of Neo-Tokyo. Focus more on the narrative tension than detailed rules.

• Abstracted combat - When motorbikes clash, have players make skill checks and rolls to determine the broad outcomes rather than simulating every action. For example, players who succeed on attack rolls cause the target bike to swerve, slow down or crash.

• Use a vehicle combat system - Some RPGs have optional vehicle combat rules you can enforce. Things like Damage Tracks for bikes, defending versus attacks, ramming, etc. This adds more crunch but may suit some groups.

• Stunts and maneuvers - Players can attempt stunts or tricks on their bikes as special actions. Successes grant advantages and failures come with risks. Things like wheelies, jumps, sliding under obstacles and more.

• Resolve combat narratively - As a last resort, have players describe what their characters do in a combat situation, then the GM determines outcome based on the narrative force. Focus on cool visuals over mechanics.

• Digital aids - Use minis, maps and technology like video maps or roll20 to visually represent motorbike positions during combat. This can help ground descriptions and tactical decisions.

The key is finding a balance of mechanics and narrative that lend urgency, tension and visual impact to motorbike clashes while serving your campaign's themes and tone. Start loose, then introduce more or less abstraction based on what enhances your group's fun. Experiment and see what works best for you and your players within AKIRA's memorable Neo-Tokyo setting.