Anima: Beyond Fantasy features a powerful game engine that allows for incredible flexibility and options for character design and exciting storytelling. The system is robust, detailed, and surprisingly simple, requiring nothing more than the Anima basic rulebook, pencils, paper, and a pair of ten-sided dice to play.

Primary Characteristics in Anima form the basis of any character. Primary Characteristics include Strength, Dexterity, Agility, Constitution, Intelligence, Power, Willpower, and Perception. These characteristics, once generated by one of four optional methods, form the basis for each character and the decisions that will form him or her. As the character is fleshed out, he will acquire a class such as Paladin, Acrobatic Warrior, or Tao, as well as various skills and abilities ranging from the mundane to the supernatural.

The core mechanic of the Anima system revolves around two ten-sided die, rolled together to generate a result between 00-99 (or percentile rolling, sometimes written as d100). One die will be the tens result with the other serving as the ones result. The number generated by these dice is added to the inherent bonus of the trait being checked. When compared with a target number for the task in question, this system can determine not only success or failure but degrees of success or failure with a single roll.

For example, if Celia, an Acrobatic Warrior, is attempting an acrobatic stunt, she would roll the dice and add her Acrobatics ability bonus of +50 (based on her Agility score, her Acrobatic Warrior class bonus, and the development points she has chosen to invest in her Acrobatics ability at character creation). Depending on the difficulty of the maneuver, the Game Master may set the target number for success at 40 (for an easy task), 120 (for a difficult task), or even higher!

Anima also features dynamic and flexible systems for psionic abilities, magic, summoning, weapon styles, and a detailed martial arts system that lets you customize your fighting style!