Are you one of the ever-growing number that have awoken to startling psychic powers? Has pyrokinesis gotten your personal life out of control? Looking to meet a community of people that understand your unique needs? Then Zener City welcomes you with open arms! For centuries we’ve prized ourselves as a multicultural hub of food, art, and fashion and we are proud to reveal our official Esper residence initiative.
Ever since psychics have started to awaken across the world, Espers have been making their way to our fair city for a fresh start and a sense of belonging. Here, you don’t need to keep your unique talents under wraps - find others with a shared vision and form a House.
City of Espers is an anime-inspired urban fantasy TTRPG about found families of psychics navigating their local community, their mysterious powers, and super-powered sport battles.
Inspired by graffiti culture, queer culture and a love of urban living at its best (and worst), City of Espers can be a vibrant story of youthful rebels tackling the Esper Battle Championship or a tense exploration of how far people can go to protect their own community from those that would do them harm.
Zener City is full of quirky characters... including the neighbourhood itself! As your House of psychics grows through victory and hardship, it'll even resonate with the city itself, creating Turf. As your connection to the community grows so will your Turf... but not all the Houses out there use their influence for positive reasons.
Using a deck of cards rather than dice, players can become a little psychic themselves as they predict what cards others might be holding and use their own hand to the fullest.
Built for both dramatic storytelling and speedy, tactical action scenes, construct your Esper from a whole host of custom gear, game-changing psychic abilities and character-defining directives.
CARD-BASED RESOLUTION SYSTEM
Forget dice! City of Espers runs on a standard 52-card Poker deck. Play cards from your hand of five to channel your Psychic Abilities, manifest mind-bending Mental Constructs, or just go toe-to-toe in the paint with a rival. Beat a Target Number and see sparks fly!
HOUSES: FIND YOUR FAMILY
Start your time in Zener City by joining one of ten pre-made Houses or get together with your friends and build your own. Name your House, choose its Vibe, decide on your House colours, and make your mark on Zener City by channelling your energy, helping your community, or throwing the best party Zener has ever seen.
TURF: SHAPE THE CITY
Zener is a city like no other. Here, the streets hum with psychic resonance and strange things happen where Espers gather in large numbers. This is Turf: the city brought to life by the shared passion, energy, and beliefs of the Espers who live there. From sentient radio stations to living neon lights, or alleys that protect the vulnerable and confuse the violent to a fecund and fertile urban guerrilla garden, your Turf is as unique and vibrant as you are. And it wants to help!
ESPER BATTLES: STREAMLINED TACTICAL ACTION & COMBAT
Esper Battles are all the rage in Zener City, with the House of Oracle pioneering the globally popular Esper Grand Battle Tournament at The Palace Stadium. But unsanctioned underground leagues thrive on the edges of Zener City and street fights between Houses over Turf, status, and ideology are increasingly common. Use our simple Grids to engage in streamlined Action Sequences and Combat Encounters without losing your head!
Jump straight into the action with the free
City of Espers Prerelease Guide!
An 84-page full colour PDF, the Prerelease Guide contains the City of Espers core rules, guides for character creation and House creation, lists of Psychic Abilities and Esper Gear, two of Zener City’s premiere Houses — House of Starfall and House of Fantabulosa — and two City Districts, PLUS pregen Espers, AND a prewritten scenario so you can dive in right away.
Just join our mailing list and get access to the Prerelease Guide!
