RULES OF PLAY and PLAYERS GUIDEBOOK Designers: Bob Charrette Paul Hume U.S. COPYRIGHT NOTICE Copyright © 1981 by Robert N. Charrette and Paul R. Hume. All rights to this book are reserved. No part of the book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. Box, cover art and all illustrations are copyright © 1981 by Robert N. Charrette. For information regarding this game contact Fantasy Games Unlimited, Inc.; P.O. Box 182; Roslyn, N.Y. 11576 The designers will attempt to answer any questions regarding the game. Please type the question allowing space for the answer on the same sheet and enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Send the letter in care of Fantasy Games Unlimited. 1010.0 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1020.0 REQUIRED MATERIALS To play BUSHIDO, you will need: 1020.0 Required Materials 1 — paper and pencils 1030.0 The Dice 1 — a six-sided die (extras are helpful) 1040.0 Character Structure 1 — a twenty-sided die (extras are helpful) 1041.0 Attributes 2 (these are available at hobby/game stores or directly from 1042.0 Saving Throws 2 Fantasy Games Unlimited). 1043.0 Abilities 3 — character representations (cardboard chits will do, 1044.0 Capabilities 5 but miniature figures are most desirable) 1050.0 Skills 7 — A measuring tape or flexible ruler (the graded section on the 1051.0 Base Chance of Success 7 chart sheets will serve, but a separate one is more useful) 1052.0 Study and Training 8 1053.0 Bugei (combat techniques) 9 1030.0 THE DICE 1054.0 Fine Arts 14 Many different ranges of numbers are used for determining 1055.0 Practical Arts 17 probabilities in this Game. The die rolls used are always expressed 1056.0 Ninja Skills 19 as "xDy." The "x" stands for the number of dice thrown. The "y" 1057.0 Magical and Mystical Skills 20 stands for the type of die used (i.e., the number of sides on each die). 1058.0 Languages and Literacy 21 "3D6" means that you should roll three 6-sided dice, and total their 1060.0 Other Statistics 21 scores to get your result. "xDy+z" means that the number "z" should 1061.0 Ki 21 be added to the result of "xDy" to get the final total. 1062.0 Status 22 The rules sometimes call for odd "types" of dice, such as D3, D10, 1063.0 Level 25 D100, or D1000. All of these can be generated with 6-sided and 20- 1064.0 On 27 sided dice as follows: 1070.0 Professions 30 D3: Roll a D6. Divide the number rolled in half, rounding 1071.0 The Bushi 30 fractions up. This gives a result from 1 to 3. 1072.0 The Budoka 31 D6: Roll a D6, an everyday cubical die. 1073.0 The Shugenja 31 1074.0 The Gakusho 34 D10: Roll a D20. Read a "0" result as "10." 1075.0 The Yakuza 35 D20: Roll a D20. To get a result from 1-20, you will need to 1076.0 The Ninja 36 distinguish between the lower range (1-10) and the upper 1080.0 Creating a Character 39 (11-20). One way is to color one set of faces of the die (0-9) 1081.0 Birth Table 39 differently from the other so that, for instance, a "red 3" would 1082.0 Professional Summary Table 40 be read as a "3" and a "black 3" would be read as a "13." 1083.0 Inheritance 41 Another way is to roll a "control die" (D6) with the D20. A 1090.0 Concerning Nippon 41 result of 1-3 on the control die puts the D20 roll in the lower 1091.0 Structure of Nippon's Society 43 range; a result of 4-6 puts it in the upper range. 1092.0 Customs in Nippon 44 1093.0 Religious Beliefs 47 D100: Roll two D20, getting two numbers from 0-9. Multiply 1094.0 Women in Nippon 48 the roll of one D20 by 10, and add it to the roll of the second 1095.0 Damage, Healing, and Death 49 D20 to get your result. Read a result of "00" as "100." D20s of 1100.0 Equipment 52 different colors are very helpful for this. The D100 is a very 1101.0 Money 53 important type of roll. With D100 ("percentage") rolls, you can 1102.0 Goods, Services and Equipment 53 easily determine probabilities that may not be specified in the 1103.0 Cothing and Armor 55 rules. If you believe that there is a 75% chance of something 1104.0 Weaponry 56 happening, roll D100. A result of "75" or less means that the 1110.0 Time Scales 59 thing happens. A higher result means that it should not. 1111.0 Strategic Time Scale 59 D1000: Roll three D20, getting three numbers from 0-9. 1112.0 Tactical Time Scale 60 Multiply the first by 100 and the second by 10, and add them to 1113.0 The Calendar and Clock 60 the third to get your result. Read a result of "000" as "1000." 1114.0 Detailed Time Scale 60 1115.0 Detailed Turn Options for Action 61 1040.0 CHARACTER STRUCTURE 1116.0 Detailed Movement 62 1117.0 Combat 63 In a sense, any character in a role playing game is just a col lection 1118.0 Falls 66 of numeric values which determine the probability of some game- 1119.0 Fire 66 action succeeding or measure the effectiveness of various options 1120.0 Tasks 67 (fighting, moving, using Skills, etc.). 1121.0 Task Value 67 However, the raw numbers should be treated as guidelines to the 1122.0 Task Turn 67 Player in how he portrays his character(s). High figures in a given 1123.0 Task Points 67 area define the fields in which the character acts with confidence. In 1124.0 Enhancements to Task Points 67 lower scores, his weakness or blind spots are revealed. Appendix 1: Spells 68 There are five major areas in which a Player-Character in A. Spell Reference Tables 68 BUSHIDO must keep track of his scores carefully. They are: B. Spell Descriptions 68 ATTRIBUTES: Common Spells 68 Direct measurements of physical and mental characteristics such Hi-do: School of Fire 70 as strength, intelligence, reaction time, etc. Miza-do: School of Water 71 SAVING THROWS: Hayashi-do: School of Wood 72 Scores used in die rolls to allow extraordinary or heroic use of an Kanedo: School of Metal 74 Attribute, or the use of the Attribute to directly affect the world Tsuchi-do: School of Soil 75 around the character in a significant way. C. Sacred Text Powers 76 ABILITIES: Appendix 2: Ninja Gimmick 77 Scores derived from the Attributes to govern such activities as A. Making Gimmicks 77 movement, carrying capacity, healing, learning, etc. B. Description of Gimmicks 77 CAPABILITIES: C. Chemical Compounds and Drugs 79 Certain activities (climbing difficult surfaces, swimming, etc.) D. Ninja Garb 79 which any character can do, but which are not automatically successful. SKILLS: Learned Skills, trained responses in combat, knowledge, creative arts, or practical crafts. 1 1041.0 ATTRIBUTES It is advisable to hold off on finalizing Attribute allocations until all These qualities measure the character's physical and mental subsequent values in Abilities, Capabilities, and Skills have been potential. There are six Attributes in all: 4 Physical Attributes and 2 worked out, to insure that the final results are what you want. Once Mental ones. the Player-Character begins play, of course, all decisions are final. The Physical Attributes are: 1041.2 PERMANENT VS. CURRENT ATTRIBUTES STRENGTH (STR) Throughout the following rules we will often refer to "Permanent" Strength measures the raw physical power of the character, his or "Current" Attribute scores. ability to lift and carry weight, the force of his blows in combat, etc. Permanent Attributes are the scores normally held by the Character, the results of initial point allocation, plus modifiers, plus DEFTNESS (DFT) any subsequent improvement in the Attribute he has earned. In other Deftness measures manual dexterity and reaction time, the relative words, the permanent score is what the Character has when at full speed with which the character can react to events. It is central in the value in the Attribute at that point in his game "life." initial expertise with most weapon systems. Current Attributes will generally equal the permanent Attributes. SPEED(SPD) They represent the effective value of the Attributes based on current Speed measures the agility and raw swiftness of a character's conditions affecting the Character. Examples of things that can actions. The number of things he can do in a limited time falls under change Attributes temporarily are: this Attribute, as does his physical movement rate. — Poisons or Diseases. These lower certain Attributes HEALTH (HLH) — Encumbrance. Heavy loads can lower Deftness and Speed. Health governs resistance to wounds, sickness, fatigue, etc. It — Magic. Spells can raise or lower Attributes. measures the toughness of the character's constitution and the Because so many of the other Character scores are derived from speed at which he recovers from wounds and illness. the current Attribute scores, as opposed to permanent scores, it is The Mental Attributes are: vital that a clear record of both be kept during play. WIT (WT) 1041.3 THE CLASSIC MAN Wit measures the character's ability to learn and perceive, his With 60 points to divide among 6 Attributes, the human average is overall problem solving ability, etc.