The material in this playtest document is preliminary and not definitive.

The game and graphic designs may be different in the final product.
COWBOY BEBOP
THE ROLE-PLAYING GAME

The official tabletop role-playing game

of one of the most beloved anime of all time.

Play your own stories of bounty hunters in space, in this jazzy universe
blending Western, Film Noir and buddy cop movies:

Get rich quick but be ready to face retribution,

because that will be the real lesson!

All you need to play is a character sheet

called a Bounty Hunter Cluster
and some d6s of two different colors.

Cowboy Bebop, the Role-Playing Game

will be available in:

Look at my eyes, Faye.

One of them is a fake because I lost it in an accident.
Since then, I’ve been seeing the past in one eye
and the present in the other.
So, I thought I could only see patches of reality,
never the whole picture.

All images and concepts used within this book

from the anime series Cowboy Bebop are ©️ SUNRISE.
This product is licensed by SUNRISE, INC. to Don’t Panic Games.

This is a temporary playtest document, and it hasn’t been through

the appropriate approval process and has no commercial value.
From Don’t Panic Games team that brought you Cowboy Bebop:
Space Serenade, Naruto Ninja Arena, Attack on Titan: The Last Stand,
and Tokyo Ghoul: Bloody Masquerade

Partnered with Mana Project Studio, the creative studio

that designed Journey To Ragnarok, Historia, Nightfell,
Norse Grimoire, and Seven Sinners

With the collaboration of Fumble GDR,

award winning authors of Not The End Roleplaying Game

Will lead you to a pioneering experience, bringing the world

of Japanese Anime to a Tabletop Roleplaying Game!

An unique opportunity to experience the world of Cowboy Bebop,

meet your favorite character, and discover more about the universe!
WHAT WILL YOU EXPERIENCE...
THE WORLD
The Solar System of Cowboy Bebop is a mul- We can see glimpses of Mars, Venus, Jupiter’s
ticutlural frontier land, at the same time rem- moons and the many space stations, but we
iniscent of some Western movies and San will never have a complete view of what it
Francisco in the 70s, but it is also a Solar means to inhabit this Solar System in 2071.
System where bounty hunters move around
using the Gates, after an accident destroyed For this reason, storytellers have at their dis-
the Moon and forced humanity to almost posal a series of cues and tools, including
completely abandon the Earth’s surface. specially made clusters, to build and describe
their own places: questionable bars, glitzy
casinos, Red Dragon buildings, ISSP stations.

THE THEMES
Collecting Bounties is certainly a neces- In this game, therefore, a Bounty is both some-
sity for a Bounty Hunter, but Spike and the one to hunt down and an excuse to tell a story.
rest of the crew often give up collecting the In this the narrator is helped by a Cluster that,
millions of Woolong they are due. In fact, a together with the Session Cluster, allows him
Bounty always turns out to be much more to trace what the Characters have discovered,
than just a face on a poster: their tragic sto- what the media say about the Bounty and,
ries are revealed before the eyes of our pro- finally, what choice they will face.
tagonists, who then find themselves having to
make moral choices based on what they have
discovered.
FOUNDATIONS
MONEY IS NEVER ENOUGH,
BUT IT’S NEVER A PROBLEM
Cowboy Bebop’s Characters can’t afford to sit idle on their ship, but
despite always seeming to be broke, they never have a problem paying
Gate tolls, extending a bribe to an informant, or finding the right cos-
tume to go undercover at a party. What’s more, some of them happen
to give up easy money as a matter of principle.

THE PAST WILL COME BACK TO HAUNT YOU

Characters will get to explore Memories, important moments from their
past that they haven’t resolved yet and that they will have to face in the
course of the story. Facing a Memory and coming to terms with it will
make the Characters ready to bear the Consequences of their actions
and will reveal sides of them that until then had remained hidden.

DEATH IS ALWAYS DRAMATIC,

NEVER ACCIDENTAL
The death of Characters and sidekicks is never a random and gratu-
itous event, if the moment is not dramatic, there is no point in staging
the death of a Character. Although death is an event delegated to the
most dramatic moments, the Characters will not have an easy life and
will have to face the heavy Consequences of their actions. The best
way for a Character to exit History is to have definitively come to
terms with their past.
SAFETY TECHNIQUES
It is imperative that the players agree on the issues to address and those to avoid during a session.
Lines and Veils can help you with this. A Line is a delimiter: you cannot go beyond that point. For
example, if the group decides not to talk about torture, this topic should be avoided. This is a Line.

If, on the other hand, everyone feels comfortable acknowledging that torture exists in the
game world and that it might even be staged, then you can use a Veil: torture does exist, but if
it happens to be in a Scene, the details will not be described, and no one will be forced to play
the Scene. It is essential to point out to those playing with you if there is any subject you are
uncomfortable with or any topic you absolutely want to avoid. Talk about it! The most import-
ant thing is that everyone has fun.

Also, remember that Cowboy Bebop is a work with mature themes, but never morbid or photo-
graphic about violence and always focused on keeping the story well-paced, engaging, and enjoyable.

BOUNTY HUNTERS
The first thing you need to do to play the game is to create your own Bounty Hunter, but in
this quickstart you’ll find pre-generated characters directly from the Bebop crew.

In the complete game, you’ll find a guided walkthrough that, followed step by step, will help
you familiarize yourself with some of the game’s concepts during creation.

Although you can create (or choose) your own Bounty Hunter, we suggest you follow the crew
creation path together, exchanging ideas and comparing notes with each other.

8
GLOSSARY
BOUNTY NAME
A criminal, or alleged criminal, who will be Your Name doesn’t necessarily have to be the
worth several Woolongs if handed over to one that can be found within the registry: it’s
the ISSP. A Bounty is both someone to hunt the name you choose to go by. Whether it’s a
down and an excuse to tell a story. sharp name like Spike Spiegel, a simple letter
like V. or a highly complex name like Edward
CHARACTER GROWTH Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky IV, your Name
The Bounty Hunter will be able to acquire says something about you, so choose it care-
new Traits in specifically constructed Sessions fully. In addition, your name can be used as a
to explore his past, revealing new aspects of Trait in a Test when putting your reputation
his personality or exposing secrets and abili- and fame on the line.
ties that he had not yet showed off.
MEMORIES
CONSEQUENCES Like your Origin, a Memory represents
Unexpected negative results in a Test. During something from your past that you still carry
a Test, when the Stakes are defined, the pos- with you. Unlike your Origin, however, it is
sible Consequences are also outlined, i.e., the something that is still unresolved and will
risk the Bounty Hunter is taking. come back to haunt you until you deal with
it. A Memory can be used as a Trait in a Test.
CREW SHIP
This spaceship doubles as a home, garage, ORIGIN
and headquarters for the Bounty Hunters. A special Trait that represents the place
The most famous is undoubtedly the Bebop, or time you come from. Everyone comes
but yours could become just as renowned from somewhere, and you are no excep-
and feared. Therefore, the choice of the name tion. However, Origin is not a purely geo-
should be made together, regardless of who graphical fact: it is your past, part of what
the ship belongs to, and we recommend a ref- has made you who you are today, for better
erence to a song or musical genre. or for worse. Therefore, your Origin can be
used as a Trait in a Test.
ENTERTAINMENT
What do you do to catch your breath between QUALITY
scenes? You get 4 Rhythm Points when you What differentiates a ship from all others. It
spend a scene relaxing, doing what you like, could relate to the ship’s performance, arma-
like Jet Black looking after his Bonsai trees ments, or other unique features such as secret
or Faye betting her newly earned Woolong. compartments, an ejectable cabin, or thermal
sensors. Can be brought into play as Traits.
GROOVE
Unique ways to spend Rhythm Points can RHYTHM
change with each Session. They are all the Points that represent your stress and adrena-
things you have learned to survive and earn line. They can be spent to activate the Groove,
enough to keep you from drifting in space. help other Bounty Hunters, or influence the
They can be used as Traits in a Test. result of a Test.

9
SEE YOU...
This Trait represents your end, your last con-
frontation with the past. It will be the last
Trait you mark on your Cluster when you
have concluded your story.

SESSION
An episode in which Bounty Hunters look
for a Bounty. A Session also has Rhythm
Points, which indicate how far along in the
resolution of the case the group is and how
heated the situation becomes.

SHIP
Every self-respecting Bounty Hunter has a
vessel with which to pursue their Bounties.
Your ship speaks of you as much as the rest of
your Cluster: the Swordfish II, built for speed
and with a plasma cannon speaks of Spike
as much as the Hammer Head, sturdy and
armed with a harpoon and mechanical arms
speaks of Jet Black. Its Name and Qualities
can be brought into play as Traits.

TEST
When doing something dangerous, under pres-
sure, or with an uncertain outcome, you’ll have to
roll the dice and hope for the desired result. Very
often, you will also run into some Consequences.

TRAIT
Traits are words that describe you, your
knowledge, skills, and general abilities. Traits
can be brought into play by explaining how
they are helpful during Tests. Each Trait put
into play in this way grants you one positive
die to roll during the Test.

TAB
Part of a Session indicating how close you are
to catching the Bounty. They also define how
many positive dice will be turned into negative
dice during a Test. At the change of Tabs, the
storyteller will always introduce a plot twist
that turns the tables. Tabs points are spent
whenever Bounty Hunters make a successful
Test, and more points might be spent when a
Test gets more Successes than necessary.

10
RULES
The story you will tell is fed by Tests: moments of play in which a
Bounty Hunter faces a risk that will generate new narrative opportu-
nities, positive effects, and interesting consequences.

These moments of play could resolve single actions or entire scenes,

depending on what you want to tell. Still, in any case, they are import-
ant moments of the narrative, quick to solve, and able to generate
opportunities for the player to advance the story and explore the
motives and choices of the characters.

Tests represent situations whose outcome is not a foregone conclu-

sion, and the risk to which the Bounty Hunter is exposed may be
more or less severe depending on the circumstances.

You will need some 6-sided dice (d6) of two different colors to play.

SETTING
THE STAKES
When a Bounty Hunter wants to achieve something that presents
risks, the storyteller will ask the player to attempt a Test.

A Test might resolve a specific action, such as getting someone to talk

and reveal a secret, or have a broader effect, such as taking on a whole
group of henchmen.

All Tests always have an uncertain outcome (there is no point in

attempting a Test just to drive a car in regular Mars traffic) and some
kind of possible unexpected negative Consequence (there is no point
in attempting a Test that presents no risk and where the most that can
happen is that nothing happens).

In this phase, the player clarifies the Stakes (the result being sought),
and the storyteller lists the possible Consequences (the risk the
Bounty Hunter is taking).

11
DEFINING
CONSEQUENCES
Once the player has clarified the Stakes, the Storytellers should also keep an eye on which
storyteller defines what Consequences the Tab, i.e., which section of the Session, the
Test might have. The player may also sug- Bounty Hunters are in, making Consequences
gest interesting Consequences for the Test more and more incisive as the Session pro-
they are about to take, but it’s the storyteller gresses: getting a Consequence will not be
who decide what the Consequences will the same if you are just looking for clues on
ultimately be. a Bounty or if you are facing them during a
final confrontation.
Defining Consequences first is helpful to
allow the player to choose whether to spend Making Consequences explicit helps the
Rhythm Points to use Groove or to use storyteller to better describe the Scene, and
Memories to postpone the Consequences at allows the player to decide how to spend their
the end of the scene. Rhythm Points to limit the Consequences.

12
BUILDING
THE BOUNTY
HUNTER POOL
Once the stakes and consequences have been described, the player
creates a pool by adding a Positive Die (d6) for each Trait they bring
into play in a valuable way for the Test.

Each keyword written in a hex of the Cluster is, in effect, a Trait

potentially valid during a test (Name, Memories, Ship, etc...); it is up
to the player to justify its usefulness when they put it into play.

There is no limit to the number of Traits that can be brought into play
during a test by a Bounty Hunter.

THE DIFFICULTY
OF A TEST
Each Test has a Difficulty score, ranging from 1 to 4.

The storyteller never attempts a Test; it is always the players who react
to the dangers, although the storyteller may still have a Bounty do
some damage if the Bounty Hunters ignore them, forcing the Bounty
Hunters to attempt Tests to defend themselves.

The Difficulty corresponds to how many Successes you need to

achieve during a Test to get the Stakes.

DECIDING THE DIFFICULTY OF A TEST

When Bounty Hunters are not directly facing a Threat but are nev-
ertheless in dangerous situations or that may have unforeseen conse-
quences, the Tests will still have Difficulty.

The difficult scale start from, from 0 (remembering where you saw the
person in front of you) up to 4 (facing Mad Pierrot).

The Difficulty cannot go beyond 4.

13
 BUILDING THE
TEST POOL
Depending on which Tab the Bounty Hunter is in, some Positive
Dice will be turned into Negative Dice, so you will need six-sided dice
of two different colors to play.

Only one die will be transformed in the first Tab, two in the second,
three in the third, and four in the last one. If there are not enough
Positive dice to turn into Negative dice, the Bounty Hunter simply
rolls the Negative dice they have available at the time.

The pool will then be made up of a variable number of d6, although a

Bounty Hunter may not have enough Traits to overcome the Difficulty
of a Test. In that case, the player may decide to forgo the Test, or
they may choose to spend 6 Rhythm Points to achieve a Success with
Consequences anyway.

HELPING A
BOUNTY HUNTER
A Bounty Hunter may help another Bounty Hunter during a test by
spending Rhythm Points for each Positive Die they want to add.

Helping means doing something in the scene that can be a game-

changer: laying down cover fire, creating a distraction, saying a few
words of comfort... Sometimes even the smallest gesture can have a
significant impact.

When a Bounty Hunter is helped, the storyteller may keep 1 more

negative die than the player.

Several Bounty Hunters can help a companion during a test, adding

more dice.

14
SUCCESSES
AND FAILURES
Once the dice have been rolled, the player must decide how many dice to keep, knowing that
the storyteller may hold a number of dice equal to the number of negative dice they will keep.

• A Positive die that scores 4, 5, or 6 is a Success without Consequences.

• A Positive die that scores 1, 2, or 3 simply fails.
• A Negative die that scores 4, 5, or 6 is a Success with Consequences.
• A Negative die that scores 1, 2, or 3 may become a Consequence if the storyteller keeps it.

The storyteller can then choose how many Negative dice to keep to add Consequences to the
test, up to a maximum of the number of negative dice held by the player.

The player may then choose to keep fewer dice than they need to pass the Test if they want to
try and limit the Consequences that the storyteller can bring into play.

The player may also keep more Successes than are required to further improve the Stakes he
has achieved and advance the the Tab progression even more.

15
 AFTER
THE TEST
If the player does not have enough Successes, the storyteller may ask
the player if he wants to wager one of his Traits on a Gamble.

If the player succeeds, this is added to the Successes scored during the
Quest, but if the Negative Die has a Consequence, the Trait is lost
for the whole session and cannot be used as a D6 during other Tests.

If after a Dodge there are no more Successes to complete the Test, the
Trait can be rolled again until the Trait is lost or the player decides
to retire.

RECOVERING
RHYTHM POINTS
Each Bounty Hunter can regain 4 Rhythm Points when they play out
a Scene describing a moment of relaxation and how they give in to
their favorite habits.

Giving in to your habit doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve committed

a criminal act; it could simply mean escaping your duties for a few
hours by tending to a small bonsai garden or lounging on the ship’s
sofa after gorging on the least expensive lobster in the fridge, making
sure it hasn’t become an aggressively deadly organism.

Rhythm Points are also regained in full at the start of a new Session.

TABS AND
RYTHM POINTS
Each Session has its own Rhythm Points bar that indicates how
close Bounty Hunters are to solving their problems and catching the
Bounty, but that’s not all: a Session’s Rhythm Points are divided into
4 sections, called Tabs, which are called “3”, “2”, “1” and “Let’s Jam!”.

When the Session is in one of the first three Tabs, the number corre-
sponds to the number of points needed to help someone. In the “Let’s
Jam!” Tab it still costs 1 Rhythm Point to help, but you can also share
your Rhythm Points with the Bounty Hunter you are helping.

16
THE TEST SUMMARY
1. 2. 3.
SET THE STAKES SET THE COUNT YOUR
CONSEQUENCES TRAITS

What do you want? What could go wrong? Each Trait is a d6 in the Pool

5. 4.
EXCHANGE SET THE
POSITIVE DICE DIFFICULTY
FOR NEGATIVE
ONES How many Successes
do you need?
The more the Session goes on,
the more Dice become Negative.
GET HELP
Those helping spend Rhythm Points and adds 1 Positive die,
the Storyteller keeps 1 more die

ROLL ALL THE DICE,

CHOOSE WHAT TO KEEP
The Storyteller can keep the same number of dice.

4+ 4+
= Success without Consequences = Success with Consequences

3- 3-
= Nothing = Consequences

IF YOU DON’T HAVE ENOUGH SUCCESSES,

YOU CAN TAKE A GAMBLE
Put a trait into play, the Storyteller rolls 1d6.
If it succeeds, great! If it fails, the Trait is lost for the Session.

17
 BIG SHOT!
Each Bounty has a Big Shot! Groove: Punch and Judy will tell what the
criminal the players are following can do better than anyone else.

Whatever it is, the Bounty can do it perfectly cornering the Bounty

Hunters at the worst possible moment: a bomb that’s always ready to
explode, meaningful political connections that will force the Bounty
Hunters to loosen their grip, or an accident that has made some-
one immortal are all Grooves that will remain true until the Session
reaches the “Let’s Jam!” tab: after that, the Bounty can no longer rely
on their own Big Shot! Grooves to get them out of trouble, and the
Bounty Hunter can finally get rich, at least until the next Session.

NARRATIVE
AUTHORITY
The storyteller can:
• Stage new opponents and obstacles
• Ask the players for details about a location or event that the
storyteller has staged.
• Spend Consequences to complicate the Scene
• Require a Bounty Hunter to spend their Rhythm to obtain
something particular without attempting a Test
• Ask a Bounty Hunter to attempt a Test.

The player can:

• Decide how their Bounty Hunter acts.
• Decide which Traits to put into play
• Decide which Grooves to use
• Suggest details of places and characters staged by the storyteller
• Spend Rhythm Points to help others
• Spend Rythm Points to get Success with Consequences
• Suggest to the storyteller how to spend the Consequences
• Suggest interesting solutions to problems
• Gamble a Trait to get more Successes without Consequences

18
PLAYING
To play Cowboy Bebop, you simply need to be inspired by the style
of its episodes. So it is no coincidence that the episodes of the ani-
mated series are called Sessions. The term is inspired by Jazz culture
and describes when musicians come together to give a musical perfor-
mance without anything preordained, usually improvising on regular
chordal grids and themes.

Each Session tells an exciting story that emerges naturally from the
input of all the players. A good Session is short, rhythmic, and intense.
It has character and never dwells too much on a single element. Above
all, each Session is a choral work, in which each instrument finds its
space, sometimes claiming it and sometimes stepping aside.
As in an actual Jazz Session, listening to each other is essential.

In this section, you will find what you need to improvise interesting,
well-rhythmic episodes enriched by the imagination of whoever is
playing. In addition, you’ll find several tips and examples to help you
play a Bounty Hunter and facilitate the story in the style of the orig-
inal work.

IT’S ALL
ABOUT RHYTHM.
The Session’s Rhythm Points are divided into the four “3, 2, 1, Let’s
Jam!” Tabs will guide you in keeping the Session interesting, well-rhyth-
mised, and exploring each scene in-depth, never letting it go dull.

When one of the Tabs is over, the storyteller will insert a twist that
will push the plot towards a showdown or even catapult the Bounty
Hunters into a new situation to face. You should not look at the tabs
as rigid and independent phases. It’s simply that when a Tab ends,
the whole group knows that it’s time to shake things up. Depending
on what is happening, this could mean disrupting it by moving on to
something else or simply making it more interesting by inserting an
unexpected element.

You can also use the Tabs as a guideline to develop the Session’s plot;
in the first Tab, make sure you introduce the central theme and set it
as events unfold in the following two Tabs (possibly exploring differ-
ent situations). Finally, close in style during the “Let’s Jam!” Tab.

19
3…
In this Tab, bring out the theme and tone of the Session. In this phase, helping each other costs 3 Rhythm Points.
Quite often, Cowboy Bebop Sessions begin by showing Bounty Hunters can do this, but it is more natural for
a scene from the life of the Bounty Hunter. This could be them to act independently or use their Grooves to move
the end of a job that has just been completed, a slice of the Session along and move on to the subsequent phases.
everyday life, or one of the many quiet moments between
jobs in which the Bounty Hunters passes the time. EXAMPLE 1: HARD LUCK WOMAN
While Faye is away from Bebop, gambling away all the
If you’re playing a Bounty Hunter, you’re probably look- money from a bounty she recently collected from casinos
ing forward to the opportunity to get on the trail of a and horse races, a package addressed to her is delivered to
Bounty, or at least find something to help you out of your the ship, which, when opened by Spike and Jet, turns out
rut. If you’re facilitating, this is the stage to insert a stim- to contain a Betamax videotape.
ulus, narrate an off-screen scene or describe an episode
of Big Shot to put the Bounty Hunters in touch with EXAMPLE 2: BOOGIE WOOGIE FENG SHUI
something interesting to interact with and investigate. Jet receives a cryptic e-mail from an old acquaintance,
Remember to leave some clues, such as the last place the Pao-Fa, and visits him, only to find his grave. However,
Bounty was spotted, their trademark, or even a tip on the man does not appear to be dead, he has only disap-
what their next misdeed will be! peared under mysterious circumstances.

20
2…
In this Tab, you’re getting into the swing of things, you’ve In this phase, helping each other costs 2 Rhythm Points.
defined the field and opened the dances, and now it’s Collaborating and helping each other become more
time to beat the trails available to the Bounty Hunters. straightforward, but the personal initiative is still very
favorable.
In this Tab, the investigation begins to reveal the true
extent of the situation the players are experiencing. How EXAMPLE 1: HARD LUCK WOMAN
serious is the breakdown of the ship, how big is the debt Intrigued and not knowing what it is, as it is a long-lost
that one of the people involved in the story has to pay, technology in their century, Spike and Jet set out on the
who is really involved in the affair. trail of a player capable of displaying the images the vid-
eotape contains. To this end, they try to convince an old
Questions and dialogues can alternate with action phases, technology enthusiast to show them the content of the
in which it is not granted that the Bounty Hunters are tape, but they only manage to see part of it before he gets
all acting together. In this phase, essential information angry with them and kicks them out of his shop. One
and the first elements of the background are revealed, but thing is certain; a younger Faye appears in the video.
uncovered obstacles are often revealed too.
EXAMPLE 2: BOOGIE WOOGIE FENG SHUI
Jet decides to assist his friend’s daughter, Mei-Fa, a feng
shui expert searching for her parent, who she believes is
still alive. Following a series of clues left behind by the
man, the two set off on his trail.

21
1…
The Session is nearing its conclusion. Now things are get- In this Tab, help costs 1 Rhythm Point. As a result, the
ting serious, and the stakes are raised and clear. The Bounty Bounty Hunters are more likely to act in concert, together,
Hunters’ level of involvement is high, and they know that and help each other.
one way or another, the showdown is approaching.
EXAMPLE 1: HARD LUCK WOMAN
This Tab should guide the Bounty Hunters towards the Increasingly convinced they want to unravel the mystery
climax of the story, often revealing the motives of the of the video, Jet and Spike venture into the ruined head-
characters involved, or the pieces of the puzzle that are quarters of a company that used to make cassette play-
useful to really understand what is happening in the story. ers. They take big risks exploring the crumbling building,
This phase is also useful to increase the level of involve- saving each other’s skins more than once, and eventually
ment of the Bounty Hunters, who have gone deep enough manage to get one. Once on the Bebop, they discover
to want to settle the score once and for all. they have recovered a VHS player, which is incompatible
with the Betamax cassette.
If there are insurmountable obstacles or unresolved ele-
ments, they are addressed, overcome, or cease to be rele- EXAMPLE 2: BOOGIE WOOGIE FENG SHUI
vant, leading the Bounty Hunters to experience the final Jet and Mei-Fa are being stalked by gangsters affiliated
part of the Session. with a criminal organization that Pao had been a mem-
ber of in his youth and from which he had tried to run,
resulting in an attempt on his life.

22
LET’S JAM!
The Session is nearing its conclusion. The story is reach- In this Tab, helping each other costs 1 Rhythm Point, but
ing its climax and the stakes are as high as they can be. they can share the cost with the Hunter they are helping,
The Bounty Hunters’ level of involvement is at an all- if they want to spend more than 1 Point; moreover, all
time high because, during the Session, they’ve found their Consequences of the tests are serious. What is written
motives for wanting to close the books. in the Big Shot! space of the Bounty stops being true.
The “Let’s jam!” Tab is the true revolution and resolution
In this last Tab, the tension reaches its top, the motives of phase of the Session.
the main characters in the story are revealed, revealing to
the Bounty Hunters the human face behind the Bounty EXAMPLE 1: HARD LUCK WOMAN
or the case they are investigating. When they have almost given up hope, another package
arrives at the Bebop, containing a Betamax player. After
The Bounty Hunters may be faced with a moral choice, struggling to connect the player to a terminal, Jet, and
realizing that things were not as simple as they seemed. In Spike play the tape. Faye, in the background, watches a
other cases, adrenaline-fuelled action will lead the Session film she made as a girl with her classmates. Alone that
to its outcome. At the end of this Tab, describe the Bounty night, she watches the film, trying to remember some-
Hunter’s return to normalcy and, if you wish, how they thing, but none of the images on the video are familiar.
have internalized the experiences they have just had.
EXAMPLE 2: BOOGIE WOOGIE FENG SHUI
The whole thing turns out to be a set-up orchestrated
by Pao himself to force his daughter and Jet to help him
blow himself up with a dangerous, highly explosive energy
source that he has accidentally come into possession of.

23
 THE ELEMENTS
OF A GOOD
SESSION
Rhythm: A good Session is short, rhythmic, and intense. It has char-
acter and never dwells too much on a single situation. The story-
teller should never be afraid to insert twists and turns between Tabs,
whether the Bounty Hunters are calm and safe or in the middle of
the action.

Harmony: Each Session is a choral work, with each instrument find-

ing its own space, sometimes claiming it, and sometimes stepping
aside. As in an actual Jazz Session, listening to each other is essential.

Identity: At the beginning of the Session, agree on a good title to

serve as an everyday basis for telling the story. You don’t need to
already know all the details of what that will mean; you will find out
as you go along.

A story to tell: Whether it’s the past of a Bounty Hunter or the story
of a bounty, finding out the background of a seemingly simple story is
essential to play an exciting Session.

A Moral Choice: Everyone has reasons for doing what they do; truly
evil villains are few; often, Bounties have their reasons for doing what
they did and beliefs that drive them. The Bounty Hunters will have to
choose what to do when they discover them.

24
INTERPRETING TIPS
The Bounty Hunters are the protagonists of the story, but they are also
the eyes through which the stories of the Bounties are told. Without
them, no one would discover the stories behind the ISSP posters! The
storyteller’s job is to help keep the pace of each Session crisp, but the
actual content is all up to you!

WHEN PLAYING A BOUNTY HUNTER:

• Never say no to a Bounty.
A few Woolongs always come in handy. Even if it’s a lucky time,
you have to strike while the iron is hot.

• Learn your real lessons.

Whether you’re a servant of justice or a profiteer, you have
a personality and know what you think is right or wrong.

• Take the initiative and be willing to take risks.

Bounties do not catch themselves and will not go easy you.

• Offer solutions.
A Bounty Hunter always has an ace up their sleeve: a friend,
a resource. If you come up with a way to deal with a situation
or solve a problem during a Session, do it!

• Be ready to face your past.

Something pushed you into this uncomfortable and reckless life.
Know that it will come back to haunt you.

• Use Grooves and help other Bounty Hunters.

Your Grooves are a great way to liven up the Session
and create breakthrough moments; keep an eye on them.

25
NARRATING TIPS
Good news, Narrating in Cowboy Bebop is easy! You heard right; it is easy. You simply need a
good impulse to get the story going and then you just have to make sure o keep the pace. The
Bounty Hunters constantly give you ideas by taking the initiative and making Tests, and the
Tab structure suggests when to spice things up.

WHEN NARRATING:
• Improvise or, if you prepare, be flexible.
Rhythm Points will guide you to keep the Session interesting.

• Give the Bounty Hunters a Bounty to hunt.

Remember that a Bounty is a person; they have their character
and reasons for doing what they do.

• Help the Bounty Hunters keep a good pace.

Bounty Hunters may rightly get carried away with the game’s flow. This is where you
come in: be ready to provide stimulation, sow clues and ask questions.

• Insert a twist.
NEVER be afraid to insert a twist when the Bounty Hunters’ collective achievements
complete a Tab.

• Don’t be afraid to go hard.

Consequences are meant to add an element of action
and sometimes drama to Sessions.

• It’s often a game-changer.

The ensuing investigations and action may reveal that things aren’t what they first
seemed.

26
PREGENERATED CHARACTERS,
SHIPS AND BOUNTY
With playtest objective, in this quickstart document we provide you with pregenerated characters,
but in Cowboy Bebop - Roleplaying Game you will be able to create your own characters,
and living their original adventures at breakneck speed!
 Lightning
reflexes PORTRAIT

Spend 3 Rhythm Points to reach

Never waste
a place, object, or creature on
the Scene before anyone else
food
has time to react.

GROOVE GROOVE

Jeet Kune Do

Spike Spiegel

NAME

Julia

MEMORY MEMORY

Red Dragon

ORIGIN

Dangerous
maneuvers

SEE YOU...

Plasma RHYTHM POINTS

cannon

Swordfish II

SHIP

Racing
ship
I FIND MY RHYTHM WHEN...

Smoking a cigarette alone.

 Hound PORTRAIT

When someone you are fol-

lowing has fled, spend 3 Rhythm
Points. You notice a detail that
puts you on his trail without
having to face any Test.

GROOVE GROOVE

Patient

Relentless Jet Black Patch up

NAME

Black Dog

MEMORY MEMORY

Ganymede
Walther P99
ISSP

ORIGIN

SEE YOU...

Tow RHYTHM POINTS

hook

Hammer
Head

SHIP

Sturdy

I FIND MY RHYTHM WHEN...

Tending to my bonsai.
 PORTRAIT Léger de main
Plan B When you are outnumbered, you
lower the Difficulty of the Tests
by 1, but the minimum is
always 1.

GROOVE GROOVE

Seductive No half measures

Faye Gambling
Valentine

NAME
Whitney
Haggis’s
swindle
MEMORY MEMORY

Cryogenic
stasis

ORIGIN

SEE YOU...

Remote RHYTHM POINTS

control

Red Tail

SHIP

Mechanical
arms
I FIND MY RHYTHM WHEN...

Spending money I don’t have.

 I’ll take
the wheel PORTRAIT

Spend 3 Rhythm Points, take remote

control of any vehicle on Scene at
this time. You will still have to
perform Tests to pilot it.

GROOVE GROOVE

Free spirit

Edward Wong
Hau Pepelu
Tivruski IV
NAME

Ed Radical

MEMORY MEMORY

Earth High I.Q.

Orphanage

ORIGIN

Curiosity killed
the cat, but didn’t
killed Ed.

SEE YOU...

RHYTHM POINTS

SHIP

I FIND MY RHYTHM WHEN...

Eating something new.

 Smell the
danger
PORTRAIT Spend 2 Rhythm Points,
ask the storyteller “What’s
dangerous here that others don’t
notice?”; they must answer hon-
estly. If you try to render the
danger harmless, perform
the Test as if someone
had Helped you.
GROOVE GROOVE

Hacker Checkmate

Ein Underdog

NAME

Bio-computer

MEMORY MEMORY

Lab

ORIGIN

Talk with
other animals

SEE YOU...

RHYTHM POINTS

SHIP

I FIND MY RHYTHM WHEN...

Playing Shogi.
Refrigerated Bebop Living
storage spaces

NAME

Spacious Gravity
hangar generator

QUALITY QUALITY

Workshop

NOTES
SESSION: CHERRY BOMB

Theodore
“Teddy Bear”
Thompson
BOUNTY
Teddy is Teddy managed
trying to hit a to blow up part
government of the station
building

There are
two of them

BIG SHOT!
Teddy always has
a hidden explosive
charge where you
can’t find it.

SEE YOU...

TABS TRACKER

3 2 1
LET’S
JAM!
In Cowboy Bebop TTRPG, you will collabo- ATTACK
rate to create the story and its elements. Like Suggested Tab: 3
in an actual Jam session, your ideas will all
shape by working together; the starting note The player leading the Session introduces a
is the title you will choose; remember, it must typical everyday moment on Bebop, asking
be evocative! the players playing the characters how they
spend a relaxing moment; this is an oppor-
If you need ideas, remember that the titles of tunity to become familiar with the characters’
Cowboy Bebop episodes are often those of traits and create arrangements between them.
famous musical pieces. In this case, we sug-
gest the title “Cherry Bomb.” Each player can describe what their Bounty
Hunter is doing and give free rein to the
In this Session, we will feature some of the character’s interpretation!
themes from one of the most dynamic epi-
sodes of the series. We will take our cue from Once this scene is over, it’s the perfect time to
episode number 22: “Cowboy Funk.” bring into play one of Cowboy Bebop’s cen-
tral themes: “Money is never enough, but it’s
To create a fast-paced and dynamic Session never a problem.”
we will focus on the antagonist: the bomber
Theodore “Teddy Bear” Thompson, taking Whoever leads the Session will inform other
some narrative liberties to adapt the events players that there is no more food on the
to our play. Bebop, the ship is running out of fuel, or it
needs a spare part.
Bear in mind that when you create your
Sessions starring your unreleased characters, The best way to make some dough is to rely
you can always take cues from the characters on Big Shoot; Punch and Judy will intro-
you’ve seen in the series and narrative twists duce the most exciting bounty of the week:
to create new adventures. 500,000 Woolong hangs over the head of
the phantom bomber “Teddy Bear”, wanted
for blowing up half of an orbital station and
other buildings of political interest. The pro-
gram provides some initial information about
the criminal, so the narrator will have to
remember to give the Bounty Hunters, per-
haps deciding with them, some clues to start.

Here are some possible clues:

• Reveal the last place where Teddy
Bear struck
• There are witnesses to his last attack
who might have information about
the bomber
• The name of a particular club the
criminal used to frequent

35
INVESTIGATION FOLLOW THE TRACK
Suggested Tab: 2
The time has come to track down Teddy Bear. Where is
he hiding? What will his next target be? Once you have gathered enough information about
Teddy’s plans, you discover that the government is about
Based on the clues provided, it is up to the players to to inaugurate a new building on Io, a moon of Jupiter;
track down the criminal and work out his motive. this is the perfect target for the criminal!

It is now up to the Bounty Hunters to decide how to Players must find a way to attend the inauguration of
conduct their investigations; they will be helped in this the building in order to intercept Teddy. How? It’s up to
task by their traits. them to decide how to go about it and come up with a
cunning plan or a crazy stratagem.
Players choose how to make their characters act in order
to obtain information; based on this, they will have to It is clear that the situation is getting more eventful, watch
face some tests. out for unforeseen events that will complicate the hunt!

EXAMPLE EXAMPLE
Ed wants to gain information from the shady patrons Once the problem of getting into the party is solved, Ein
of Teddy’s favorite dive bar, obviously in pure Ed style, uses his “Smell the Danger” Groove; the narrator tells them
so the player playing them describes how the character that something suspicious is happening in the kitchens.
wreaks havoc in the bar through a series of shenanigans
that will allow them to obtain information even against The Cowboys catch up with Teddy as he is setting charges
the will of those present. In terms of rules, the player can to blow up the building; he intends to take out one person
bring into play the traits ‘Curiosity killed the cat, but didn’t in particular: the mayor of Jupiter.
kill Ed’, ‘Free Spirit’ and ‘High I.Q.’ to win the stakes. The
dice roll for the test follows the rules on page 17. Once the bomber is nabbed, with no little difficulty,
the group discovers that it is not the real bomber but
CONSEQUENCES his unabashed copycat, none other than an accomplice.
If the test results in success with consequences, these Could this be a diversion? Where is the real one?
may complicate the scene. For example, Ed obtains the
information but is forced to flee the premises while her All that remains is to find out before disaster strikes,
patrons chase after them furiously. use all your skills and remember to help each other in
rehearsals! Unity is strength!
CONSEQUENCES
If the test results in a failure with consequences, the action
is unsuccessful, and the situation becomes complicated. ENCOUNTER
For example, Ed is thrown out of the club, and a friend Suggested Tab: 1
of Ted’s warns him that Bounty Hunters are on his trail,
so it will be more difficult to track him down. The time has come to come together and act in synchrony
to stop Teddy at all costs. It will be easier to do this as a
If successful, players may find that: group, also thanks to the fact that it now costs only one
• The bombs were high-powered micro-charges, rhythm point to help each other in the trials.
and no one was injured.
• The chemical compound behind the bombs Teddy will try hard not to be sabotaged; the Session will
is produced in a factory recently shut down become extraordinarily dynamic and dangerous; gun-
by the Jupiter government. shots, crazy chases, chaos, and explosions await you!
• An inauguration is about to take place and will be
attended by many important people

36
EXAMPLE SHOWDOWN
Confronting Teddy won’t be easy; his Singularity gives him Suggested Tab: Let’s Jam!
the ability to have an explosive always ready; the narrator
describes how the bomber holds the Mayor of Jupiter hos- The Bounty Hunters finally manage to corner the bomber.
tage with a portable detonator in his hand; it’s a standoff. It’s time to take full advantage of the “Let’s Jam!” Tab; you
have to reveal the backstory of the bounty. Together the
Managing to disarm Teddy involves a series of difficult whole group will narrate the actual motive of the antagonist.
trials; remember to help each other In one of the trials,
as Spike shoots Teddy’s hand to remove the detonator, EXAMPLE
Jet immobilizes him with the Hammerhead’s mechan- Teddy reveals that his brother, desperate because of the
ical arm. Spike brings into play the traits “Dangerous imminent closure of the factory, died trying to avert its
Maneuvers” and “Lightning reflexes” Jet helps him by add- bankruptcy. So who is the real villain? The bomber or
ing a positive dice with the hammerhead trait “Tow hook.” those who play with the lives of ordinary people for mere
commercial interests?
During the confrontation with the bomber, what moves
Teddy is revealed: the mayor of Jupiter has shut down It will be up to the Bounty Hunters to decide what to do
his chemical components factory, the Thompson Brothers once the bitter truth is revealed: let Teddy go free, and
Chemicals, ruining his career. give him a second chance, or hand him over to the law
and collect the bounty.

You have completed your first Session; many more await!

SEE YOU SPACE COWBOY...

37
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