For Use with Any Game System

For use with any game system

Copyright 1983 & 2002 by Palladium Books Inc. & Kevin Siembieda. All rights reserved, worldwide under the UniversalSample Copyright Convention. file No part of this book may be scanned, OCRed or reproduced, whole or in part, in any way for electronic publication or distribution on the web/internet or for any other medium or publication withoutthe expressed, written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotes and snippets of artwork for use in reviews. Palladium Books®, Rifts®, The Rifter®, Megaverse®, After the Bomb®, RECON®, The Mechanoids®, and The Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game® are all Registered Trademarks owned and licensed by Palladium Books Inc. Weapons & Assassins and other names and titles are also trademarks of Palladium Books Inc. Weapons & Assassins is published by Palladium Books Inc., 12455 Universal Drive, Taylor, MI 48180. Printed in the USA. Palladium Books® Presents: weAPONS AND ASSASS1NS For use with any game system

Written & Compiled by: Erick Wujcik

Editor: Paula Leasure Illustrator: Michael Kucharski Cover Painting: Scott Johnson Back Cover & Maps: Michael Kucharski

Contents Introduction' ...... 2 The Ninj a ' 19 Guilds and Societies of Assassins· . . 3 Ninja Winter Techniques . 20 The Order of Assassins ...... · 4 Map of Ninja Japan' · 21 History of the Order of Assassins' · 4 Ninja Training· · 22 Map of the Middle East· . 6 The Ninja Costume' · 23 Alamut Stronghold ...... 6 Ninja Equipment & Supplies . · 24 Arab & Indian Daggers' . 7 Ninja Swords · 25 Mission of Assassination . 8 N aginata & Other Spears . . .. 26 Costumes of the Assassins 9 Kusari-Gama · 26 The Thugs' ...... 10 Shurikens & Tetsubishi . · 27 Ceremonial Pickaxe' . . . 10 Ninja Bow & Arrow' 28 The Temple at Kali-Ghat . II Claws, Shikomi-Zue & Blowpipe' 29 Thug Background· . . . 12 Picks & Climbing Tools .. 30 A TypicalSample Thug Killing· l3 Ninja Climbing & Waterfile Techniques' 32 Thug Techniques' 14 Feudal Japanese Castles' 34 Rumal· ..... 15 Samurai Warriors' 36 River Thugs' . . . 16 Poisons · 37 Thug Costumes . . 17 Ninja Poisons . · 40 Map ofThugee India' . 18 Dictionary of Assassin Terms' · 41 Bibliography · 46 Chronology . · 47 1 Introduction to Weapons & Assassins

History tells of innumerable Knowing tha t such change can be easily assassinations from the earliest records at and quickly wrought in modern times it is no the dawn of history right through to today's wo nder that we often hypothesize newspaper headlines. No era has been conspira cies and plotters who are spared the work of madmen and fanatics as de libe r atly attempting to influence events they continue to attempt to change the path to suit s ome dia bolocal plan. It is easy for of history with singular acts. It is t errorists and f anatics to get and use altogether too easy to track down effic ient killing weapons in the modern biographies of the slain ones. Information world. The historical assassin needed far on the slayers is usually sparse. more effort and training to perform murder.

Over and over again history records that Assassination has a direct and immediate the captured asssassin was immediately put effect. It is a simple and economical action to death, executed, tortured, or simply co mp ared to the difficult task of escaped. Those assassins of our own age constructive political or social action. In seem to fall mostly into the two catagories or der t o disable a political body, it is of madmen (who get some warped s impler to remove the head than to destroy satisfaction out of killing a public figure) or the entire body. To kill an idea by conspirators (terrorists or fanatics who are eliminating its foremost opponent - the cold far from professional in their pursuit of the logic is apallingly easy to understand. victim) . Governments often accuse each other of Samplethe se tactics although file successful agencies are known as executioners rather than History feels the influence of these ass a ssins. individuals. For just one example, what might the world have become had not the Before gunpowd e r made assa s sination a father of Alexander the Great, Phillip II of possible career for any lunatic there were Macedon been assassinated? If there had many Obstacles to efficient killing. This been no Locusta (the poisoner) might the book describes the ancient methods and the Roman Empire have flourished under a good secret arts of murder perfected by leader like Brittanicus? professionals.

2 Guilds and Societies of Assassins

"The man who kills for a price regards indiscriminate killing as foolish and unprofitable. He is as likely to kill anyone without getting paid for it as a banker is to lend money at no interest." -B.J. Hurwood, Society and the I\ssassin When speaking of organizations dedicated to the fine art of skillful murder there are really only three proper historical examples, The Order of Assassins, The Ninja, and The Thugs of India. In each case these groups were dedicated to training members in the precise techniques for quickly and silently dispatching their chosen victims. Although no other historical examples are well-documented there may be a simple reason for thisl success! We can easily imagine an efficient and ded i cated secret group of Assassins living in Byzantium, Renaissance Italy, or sixteenth century Europe. No doubt there would be a sufficient demand for their services, but how would we know about the existance of any truly successful group. Consider that any such group would have to rely on complete secrecy in order to prevent their extermination by the lawful authorities. To take another point of view, it would be equally profitable to work for the established government, as innumerable government agencies have done (and, no doubt, continue to do). The Western European hired assassins that history has described are usually amateur killers and known criminals. The assassination of Thomas Becke t by a drunken mob of King Henry the Second's Barons was a typical medieval killing. Getting a few strongarm swordmen together and ambushing the victim was usually the height of technique. So assume that other "Guilds" of Assassins existed and you'll find no real disagreement from the historical record. You'll simply find that the re is no confirmation and that any details concerning them must be left to your imagination. Perhaps the methods of the groups rtescribed in this book will inspire tha t imaginative effort.

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3 T17& bRl>&R of A.SSASSINS' History of the Order of Assassins

After the death of Mohammed, the Bu Tahir Arrani disgui sed himself as a Prophet of Islam, confusion over a proper Sufi holy man a nd approached the litter of successor led to the religion's separation the Vizi r Nizam al-Mulk. On the pretext of into SUNNI and SHIITE factions. The present ing a petition Bu drew a knife and do minant Sunni faction believed that the killed the Vizir . He was slain in turn after leadership or l MAN should fall to a he tripped on the tent ropes while qualified leader elected by the faithful . The attempting to escape. Shiites believed that succession should fall Hassan est ablished the title of Fidais to the family of Muhammed (specifically to who were to be trained in the use of the Ali, the husband of Mohammed ' s daughter dagger, in disgnises, in languages and in Fatima) . court e t iquette . These devotees were taught After Mohammed's death in 6)2 the total obedience to the Mas t er and were told succession became more and more a matter that ordinary religious beliefs were for the of cont ention between the mainstream masses and that only the Iman had true Sunnit es and the minority Shiites. Finally, in eternal knowledge. The Master 765 Musa al-Kazim was recognized by t he demonstrated hie power to the Sultan ' S majority of Shiites as the seventh Iman or emissaries by nodding to a young Fidai who legi timate successor to Mohammed . immediately drew a knife and slit his own Howe ver, Musa had an older ·brot her, Ismail , throat . This was followed by another Fi dai who had been disinherited by thei r father . jumping to his death from a parapet on The Shiite extremests clung to the belief command. In response to the ambassador ' s that Ismail and his descendents were the demand s he explained that another 60 , 000 only true Imans that followed . These men would obey him with the same ISMA I LIS became a strong secret sect and ent husiasm. later established the Fatimid Empire. Hassan was just as ruthless in his In 1094 the Fatimid Khalif , Mustansir, personal dedication to his Order . He died leaving behind three sons . Although the repelled invasions of Alamut by trickery , eldest , Nizar, was not successful in seizing assassination , bribery, and out-and-out power he was the inspiration for the Nizari lies. He banished all women f r om the Ismaili sect which came to be known as the fortress in 1108 (including his wife and Order of Assassins. daughters) . All three of his sons were HASSAN-I SABBAH became the leader of executed, two for disobediance and the third the I smaili movement in Persia and Iraq and for having a drink from a wineskin . creat ed a well- organi zed underground of The largest threat ever faced by Hassan many followers. In 1090 he had hims elf was t he Seljuks led by Sultan Muhammad smuggled into the formidabl e cast le of Tapar . His death led to a brief pause in ALAMU T. The former owner eventually hostilities and the removal of a seige at realized that his fortress was completely Alamu t. As his successor , Sanjar, was infiltrated and was allowed to leave (with a proceeding to resume the assault he was draft for ) , 000 Dinars in payment). Hassan delayed . One morning he awoke to find a spent the next thirty- five years in Alamut dagger planted in his pillow and a note from directing the Order of Assassins . Hassan offering peace. Sanjar found i t Having no organized army and no great convenient to agree. wealth , Hassan was unable to fight an Hassan appointed Buzurg Umid to be his effective war. Assassination had a long successor before his death in 1124 . Umid history in Islam and Hassan had no shortage broke with the will of Hassan by appointing of fanat ics willing to die for his cause. In his own son and creating a dynasty that 1092 the first assassination was completed lasted until 1256 . Each of the seven and it set the pattern for all the subsequent members of the dynasty differed greatly in acts . philosophy and their capacity to rule . It was probably t he inconsist ency of their various reigns that prevented a vast expansi on of their f a ith . Sample file

4 Marco Polo described a training ground for the Assassins as a copy of Paradise taken from the Koran. Prior to being given an assignment the Fidai would be drugged . He would then awaken in 'Paradise' surrounded by beautiful women and gardens. After describing his 'dream' he would be told that it was a foretaste of what would happen to him after he committed an assassination. Ma ny commentators have also described the Pidai as being high on hashish during thier assaul ts. Neither of these stories is as co nvincing as the real religious fanaticism exhibited by the Assassins . Although Assassins would go to great lengths to hide themselves prior to committing their murders they were always very open about the crime itself . The Order seems to have used assassinations as a tool of terrorism as much as a way of eliminating troublesome persons. It is ironic that the Assassins were eventually felled by rotten leadership. Khurshah who had ascended to the Iman in 1255, decided to submit to the threat of the Mongols. Travelling with the mongol leaders he ordered the surrender of over a hundred Assassin fortresses . In 1256 Alamut was surrendered . Although it was recaptured by the remaining Assassins in 1275 it held out for only another year . Assassins continued in name and occasionally in deed for centuries but were broken as a major power in the world.

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