Bushido for Ninja HERO

[Toadmaster]

Years ago I had the FGU game Bushido, what I was wondering is how good was the material and what "type" of Ninja HERO setting would it most closely fit into. Its been years and while I remember playing a bit and having fun I really don't remember much about it and was wondering if it was worth locating as material for HERO, I think I saw it was still available someplace.

Thanks

[Chris Goodwin]

I don't have the current Ninja Hero, but I did play in a Fantasy Hero game based on Bushido back in the 80's. I think that Bushido is what's referred to as Sengoku-style.

[GradonSilverton]

Heroic Martial Arts Campaing....

I believe would be the best basis....

Haven't seen Bushido in many a year...

So I'm working off memory.

[Thag13]

I remember bushido as a fairly serious historical RPG. I do remember fantastic elements in it but it ws mostly played straight ans serious.

Ninja Hero is mostly over the top in my opinion. I think using UMA and Fred would do Bushido quite nicely. I am sure there are elements of NH that would help, but I dont think you have to have NH to run the game.

Just my 2 cents....

[Derek Hiemforth]

If you're looking for inspiration or more material, check out Sengoku by Gold Rush Games.

[Kevin Scrivner]

Last time I checked, Bushido was still available from a Fantasy Games Unlimited web site. They've got old copies stored in a warehouse somewhere.

I ran across a used copy of Bushido at my local game store. The game mechanics are horrible old-school algebra exercises to be ignored. However, the book captured the samurai mindset, social structure, and culture wonderfully. The whole character-improvement/experience points system was based on the accumulation of personal honor and status -- "face." A character could actually lose experience levels by messing up or otherwise experiencing an embarrassing situation. Although I hated the mechanics, they did a good job of hammering "Honor is everything" into the players' heads. Also, ninjas are depicted as the gangsters they actually were in Japanese society. They may have a fancy move here or there but they're considered lower than pond scum by society.

[Thag13]

Don't get me wrong, I really liked Ninja Hero, but I am not sure how much would be useful in a Historcial Japanese RPG thats all.

[Chris Goodwin]

Right on the ninjas thing. In our Bushido FH game, I wanted to play a ninja. I had rolled pretty crappy on my social standing (we rolled d% and looked on the social standing table for our FH game); I think I actually rolled an Eta, which is the untouchable caste. Actually fairly close to reality according to the GM, who was an aficionado of Japanese history. He didn't let me play it as a ninja from all of the ninja movies; he let me take a ninja package deal, but my clan had assigned me to protect this shugenja and my cover was as a budoka.

Now that I think about it, you'll probably want to use FH as the basis with lots of goodies from NH for flavor. And I think our game took place during the 1500s; this seems like as good a description as any: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2123.html

[Toadmaster]

Well I've bought all of the new HERO stuff except for the Champions specific stuff (although I did get Champions since I very occasionally like to do a super game and it has some stuff useful to other genres). Reading through Ninja Hero I remembered playing Bushido many, many moons ago but I really don't remember much about it. I have GURPS China and Japan but was just wondering if I should also track down Bushido. So rather than needing NH I was kinda hoping to find something to inspire me to play NH, its really not a genre I am into but was hoping to get in the mood for it. I know Surbrooks stuff has some Asian mythological critters, FH with a twist might be a good idea since I do like FH alot.

I think your right about it being available at FGU, that would make sense I keep forgetting they are still around, so many other from that time period are gone. I know the system you are talking about if it is similar to the one they used in Aftermath and Daredevils, makes HERO seem like Toon in comparison, but doesn't give the payoff for all the work like HERO does.

I guess I look around for FGU's site for a description and price, thanks for the responses.

[Alibear]

I had the same thought a few months ago. Bushido is an old, old game. If you can find an old one CHEAP get it, if only for the maps. FGU have reprinted it, literally word for word. Except without the maps. I bought it full price thinking that it might come in useful for my Ninja campaign. Doh.
The only saving grace is the mass-combat system which is easily converted to Hero.
At the beginning somewhere it describes what an RPG is, and according to FGU at the time it is about collecting experience points.

Save your hard earned dollars!

[AaronD]

I'll have to jump in here in defense of the game. It may appear complicated but, like hero, all the calculations take place during character creation and not during play. It has a stat called Zanshin which is similar to Hero's Speed. Its a combined skill/class system with percentage skills (divided by 5 and rolled with a d20). Each class has a list of class skills. The only factor is that they add their level (*5%) to their skill rolls.

The game is in desperate need of a rewrite. Many important rules and modifiers are buried deep in text with no summary table.

Its fun though. The Status and Group Status rules adds mucho samurai flavor.


Aaron

[wraith]

Bushido great game. There was a fantasy hero game called sengoku on the web, long before the gold rush fuzion game. You still might be able to find the site.