Note: updated for Big Eyes Small Mouth 2nd. edition!
When I first approached the idea of adapting the MGCverse (in which Lovely Freesia is set) for role-playing games, my choices were pretty much limited to GURPS and Champions (I didn't have a copy of Villains and Vigilantes on hand). Since going through the Champions rules usually gave me a headache, I decided on GURPS. By the time I managed to hash out stats for the Exquisite Soldiers, Arisa, Yumi, Ayako, and Nobuo, the Sailor Moon RPG and Sourcebook by Guardians of Order was released. While the rules weren't perfect (a notable lack of a skills system being one of the flaws), they were much more workable for my purposes than GURPS was since I tend to favor simpler game systems. The less rules, the less opportunities for rules lawyers to abuse the system and the less of a headache for all involved.
Even though I've had the SM RPG for quite a while now, I've only been able to experiment with adapting the ESLF characters for the game once in a while. Eventually, the Dominion RPG came out, which added the much-needed skills system as well as a version of the mecha creation rules presented in the Big Robots, Cool Starships supplement to the Tri- stat system. After that came the Tenchi Muyo RPG, which presented a version of the rules that comes close to the then upcoming 2nd. edition of Big Eyes Small Mouth (BESM). Character creation was certainly streamlined by pooling stat points and attribute points together into character points rather than keeping the artificial separation between the two.
Now the 2nd. edition of BESM is out, and that brought a wider selection of
attributes and defects as well as a more universal set of skills. It also different suggestions for skills costs depending on campaign, and it came to a decision between the "Occult Horror" and "Teenage Romance" genres. I opted
for "Teenage Romance", even though the story involves some elements of "Occult Horror" as well. For those who don't have BESM 2nd. edition, a list of skill costs can be found here.
The character point level for major characters, especially members of the MGC like the Exquisite Soldiers, should be set at around fifty points total or so, with twenty points being a good guideline for stats. That's assuming that you have your hands on the Tenchi Muyo RPG or BESM 2nd. edition. If you're relying solely on the Sailor Moon RPG, where stat points and attribute points remain separate, then the appropriate levels would be eighteen stat points and thirty attribute points.
The reason why the character points are notably high is that the MGC package deals on attributes and senshi powers will eat up a lot of those points. We'll go into details about the package deals later, but it would be a good time to note that the package for team leaders costs twenty-three points while the package for regular members costs nineteen points. Those are pretty sizable chunks out of a character's available points.
When assigning stat points to a character in the MGC, assign them as
if they were a normal character. The reason being is that the MGC
packages add an additional Body point (Fortified Body) to the character
as part of the process of becoming a magical girl. This is the only
stat-modification holdover from older Tri-Stat systems like the Sailor
Moon RPG.
Even though BESM 2nd. edition brought in a wider range of attributes, skills and defects, there was need for some additions. Also, one custom attribute from an earlier incarnation of this page, Accelerated Healing, is replaced by Regeneration in BESM 2nd. edition. For more details, click here.
To use a package, first the player creates the character as if they're a regular person, with the stats, attributes, and defects that are pertinent to that character. Then the package (or packages) is applied to the character, assuming the character has the necessary character points to afford the package. The attributes, powers, and defects are then automatically applied to that character. It's actually rather simple and cuts down on the time and effort necessary to create a character from scratch.
Users of the MGC Team Member and Leader templates should note that there is a pool of power points left over (fourteen points for team members, twenty-two for team leaders). This pool is to be used for the characters individual powers, as created in the Sailor Senshi Attack rules in the Sailor Moon RPG. They should be enough points for two or three decent powers, with team leaders getting enough for some rather strong powers. Any points left over should be reserved for power upgrades or new powers as the magical girl gains experience.
MGC Team Member and Leader Packages (19/23 character points)
Myanaran Package (2 character points)
Humanoid Boomer Package (10 character
points)
Miyakawa Mika (Exquisite Soldier Lovely Freesia)
Toriyama Akiko (Exquisite Soldier Crimson Rose)
Mura Natsumi (Exquisite Soldier Golden Poppy)
Ferris (Exquisite Soldier Pretty Daisy)
Takara Akira (Exquisite Soldier Wild Orchid)
Penko
Chelsea
Mendo Arisa (Lady Crystania)
Tanaka Yumi
Sadamoto Nobuo (Korso)
Hayashibara Ayako
Lucille
Lord Kardon
Lady Matris
Mako
Kato
Ilana