Category Archives: Open D6

Mini Six: Stone Age Predators & Prey (Part 1)

Wherein your humble scribe presents a few beasties for stone age characters to hunt. Or be hunted by. Perhaps there will be more later.

Woolly Mammoth (Scale: +2D)
Big and hairy!
Might 6D Agility 1D+1 Wit 0D Charm 1D
Brawling 6D (Slam 3D, Trample 4D)
Dodge 4
Body Points: 38 Armor: 6

Woolly Rhinoceros (Scale: +2D)
Mean and hairy!
Might 5D Agility 1D+2 Wit 0D Charm 1D
Brawling 5D (Horn w/ Charge 3D, Trample 4D)
Dodge 5
Body Points: 35 Armor: 9

Sabertooth Tiger (Scale: 0D)
Long in the tooth
Might 4D Agility 4D+2 Wit 0D Charm 1D
Brawling 6D (Claws 2D, Bite 3D), Stealth 5D+2
Dodge 14, Block 18
Body Points: 32 Armor: 2

Giant Eagle (Scale: 0D)
Screeching death from above
Might 1D+2 Agility 3D+1 Wit 1D Charm 1D
Dodge 4D+1, Brawling 3D (Talons 2D+2, Bite 2D)
Dodge 13
Body Points:28 Armor: 0

Mini Six: More Stone Age Characters

Wherein your humble scribe presents a couple of additional Mini Six/Open D6 characters for the Stone Age setting he just posted stuff for recently. It’s not really a setting, to be honest. It’s just a theme.

Orgrahm The Flame Caller / BP 30 / Dodge 9 Block 10 Parry 9
A grizzled old shaman with power over flame.
Might 3D+1 Agility 2D+1 Wit 4D Charm 2D+1
Skills: Magic 2D, Spear 3D, Dodge 3D, History 4D+1, Diplomacy 2D+2
Perks: Sorcerer
Complications: Age
Gear & Armor: Spear (+2D), Hide Armor (2)
Strength Damage: 2D
Spells: Resist Fire, Conjure Fire Elemental, Heal, Bless

Laesha The Witch / BP 26 / Dodge 9 Block 6 Parry 9
A witch who might not always have the tribe’s best interests at heart.
Might 2D Agility 2D+2 Wit 4D Charm 3D+1
Skills: Magic 2D, Knife 3D, Dodge 3D, Stealth 3D, Seduction 3D+2, Persuasion 4D
Perks: Sorcerer
Complications: Demonic Pact
Gear & Armor: Knife (+1D)
Strength Damage: 1D
Spells: Shape Change, Curse, Divination, Illusion

Mini Six: Stone Age Heroes

Wherein your humble scribe presents a trio of Mini Six/Open D6 characters who would be right at home in a game of Sticks & Stones.

#180287099 / gettyimages.com

Grau The Tiger
He killed a tiger. Single-handedly. Bare-handedly.
Might 3D Agility 3D Wit 3D Charm 3D
Skills: Axe 4D, Dodge 4D, Stealth 4D, Throwing 3D+1, Tracking 3D+1, Brawling 4D+1, Courage 5D
Gear: Axe (+3D), Hatchet (+1D+1), Hide Armor (2)
Static: Dodge 12, Block 13, Parry 12
Strength Damage: 2D
Body Points: 29

Kree The Hawk
She shot a hawk out of the air with her bow. Blindfolded. At night.
Might 2D Agility 4D Wit 3D+2 Charm 2D+1
Skills: Spear 4D, Bow 5D, Dodge 5D, Survival 4D+2, Search 4D+2, Stealth 5D, Throwing 5D, Animal Training 4D+2
Gear: Spear (+2D), Bow (+2D+2), Hide Armor (2)
Static: Dodge 15, Block 6, Parry 15
Strength Damage: 1D
Body Points: 26

Boum The Mastodon
He’s big. And slow. And slooooow.
Might 6D Agility 1D+2 Wit 1D Charm 1D+1
Skills: Club 4D+1, Dodge 3D, Brawling 6D, Survival 3D, Tracking 2D
Gear: Big Club (+3D), Hide Armor (2)
Static: Dodge 9, Block 18, Parry 13
Strength Damage: 3D
Body Points: 38

Heists For Fantasy Thieves

Wherein your humble scribe, drawing on the “All The Dice” random generator concept (tip of the hat to Grim), presents a random table for your nerdly needs.

My latest obsession/idea is an old school urban crime mini-campaign, something along the lines of the old Gamelords Thieves’ Guild RPG.

My first thought was to use Labyrinth Lord/AEC and break down the thieving skills a bit to turn that subsystem into something that players could customize to reflect their own individual thief’s specialties (sort like AD&D 2e did – but I don’t have those books handy to ~~steal from~~ reference). But when I started doing the math I quickly realized I’d be better off using a different system (one that was already skill-based).

So in rode BRP and the fabulous Classic Fantasy monograph (to be used if I feel the need to retain a degree of D&D style). If I ever make this get off the ground (and given my current levels of gamer ADD and the general scheduling issues with the folks I play with, that’s a dubious proposition) I’m going to need an idea generator for some thiefly adventures & heists. Hence, the tables below. Please feel free to make use of these in any way you see fit. Sharing makes the world go ’round!

Let’s Roll

Grab yourself a d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20 and roll ’em. Check against the charts below and let your creativity fill things out as needed.

Location of item(s) to be liberated, 1d4

Temple or other religious/ceremonial building
Private residence (1d4: 1 lower class, 2 middle class, 3 upper class, 4 nobility)
Mercantile building (guildhall, apothecary, etc.)
Governmental building (military hq, prison, town hall, etc.)

Complications of the job, 1d6

No complications, job as described by the rest of the dice
Minor complications, roll for a second guardian for the item (now under double guard)
Major complications, roll for a second location (the item has been moved)
No complications, job as described by the rest of the dice
Serious complications, roll for two more guardians and a second location – the item(s) has been moved to a new location and is under a different kind of protection
It’s a setup! A double-cross! A trap! Everything proceeds normally, but something bad happens if the job is successful (not paid, guard alerted, the job is completely fake, etc.)

Method of payment for liberating the item(s), 1d8

No payment
Keep anything else you can take
Coin: ((2d4-1) X 10)% of item’s value
Coin: ((1d10+10) X 10)% of item’s value
A minor, limited-use magic item (potion of healing, etc.)
Information (a treasure map, the name of a spy, etc.)
Coins: (3d8 X 10) total gp value
Gems: (4d6 X 10) total gp value

Nature of the item(s) to be liberated, 1d10

Plain ol’ coin money
Magic item (weapon/armor/shield)
Religious relic
Gems or jewelry
Paperwork of significance
Object d’Art (statue/painting/etc.)
Symbolic item
Magic item (non-weapon)
Roll again twice using d8s
Roll again three times using d8s

Guardian of the item(s) to be liberated, 1d12

None
Locked chest/safe
Trapped & locked chest/safe
Magical wards
Generic human/demihuman guards
Tougher-than-generic human/demihuman guards
Natural animal(s)
Monster(s)
Undead
Demon/devil
Roll again twice using d10s
Roll again three times using d10s

Source of the job, 1d20

Professional connection (guild, crime family, etc.)
Freelance theft-for-hire (merchant, sailor, etc.)
Rumor/Innuendo/Legend
Personal Reasons (revenge, matter of honor, thrill seeking, etc.)
Religious connection (prelate with a problem, a favor for the god of thieves, etc.)
Professional connection (guild, crime family, etc.)
Freelance theft-for-hire (merchant, sailor, etc.)
Romantic connection (spouse, mistress, etc.)
Family connection (no-good brother-in-law, dying aunt, etc.)
Political connection (local political faction, foreign government, etc.)
Professional connection (guild, crime family, etc.)
Freelance theft-for-hire (merchant, sailor, etc.)
Rumor/Innuendo/Legend
Personal Reasons (revenge, matter of honor, thrill seeking, etc.)
Professional connection (guild, crime family, etc.)
Freelance theft-for-hire (merchant, sailor, etc.)
Military/Police connection (the corrupt sheriff, a questionable general, etc.)
Rumor/Innuendo/Legend
Professional connection (guild, crime family, etc.)
Freelance theft-for-hire (merchant, sailor, etc.)

Some Sample Heists

Your older brother offers to pay you a lot of money to break into the town armory and steal the enchanted Shield of the Sentinels. Of course, the armory is guarded by a pair of basilisks, but that’s not a problem for someone like you. You know he can afford what he’s offering; you just don’t know what he’s up to, which is planning on double-crossing you by turning you and the shield in for the reward to pay off his gambling debts.
Old Garril the Stonemason offers you a number of small diamonds he once found in a wall he was repairing to steal the sixteen large sapphires Korath the Bold recently donated to the Temple of Naali. These are locked in a chest stored within the high priest’s chambers.
You’ve heard a rumor that there’s a woman in Amberton who will pay a nice sum of money for a set of enchanted combs that are currently available in the shop of Forlburt the silversmith. The smith is a paranoid sort, who employs a small number of human guards and trained hounds to stand watch over his shop even as he locks all of his merchandise within a heavy (and trapped!) safe every evening.
Your guild or crime family needs you to break into the manor house of the Harbormaster and steal the ledgers for the last season’s shipping taxes. Your reward for pulling off this heist is the name and location of the man who killed your family when you were young. Everyone knows that the house is protected by magical wards. Not even your contact knows about the wraith that has been bound to guard the grounds.

What Fresh Pao Is This?

Well howdy there, anyone who still happens to have Strange Stones in their RSS readers! Yeah. I know. Long time, no blog. I just haven’t had anything I felt compelled to share. But I have been gaming some, at least:

The year-plus Call of Cthulhu campaign I was playing in just went on hiatus after, well, more than a year.
The Dungeon Crawl Classics game I started up with some friends has made it through three sessions and the fourth is going to happen, just a little delayed because of work schedules and new babies and such amongst the crew.
Another guy I know is talking about starting up a 1st edition AD&D campaign that I’m leaning towards playing in.
Oh, and I got to play in a session of Mythic Iceland (BRP) that was pretty cool.

And since it’s now October I find my mind turning to:

The Chill/Ghostbusters thing I always want to run around Halloween but never do (and probably won’t again this year)
The Thanksgiving game I’ve run the past few years with my oldest of gamer buddies (but probably won’t this year due to some logistical stuff)
The half-dozen or more games I want to run, kinda sorta (but probably never will, for assorted reasons ranging from lack of player interest to lack of time in anyone’s schedule and beyond)

But hey, I’m gaming at least semi-regularly and that’s a good thing.

In Other News
The Sword’s new album comes out in just two weeks. And the advance tracks I’ve heard have been tasty. So that’s exciting.

And speaking of music, I’ve been playing a lot of bass lately (I’ve been playing bass almost as long as I’ve been gaming), having taken up with an absurdist jazz punk art noise rock ensemble here in Austin. We’ve even, in spite of the expected limitations of the genre, had a couple of actual gigs and there are at least a couple of additional shows on the horizon. And some recording that should actually lead to some kind of released album of some sort. So that’s a thing or two.

What Now?
Well, I’m not going to shut the blog down or anything. There’s stuff here that people keep finding and enjoying (the mighty G-Man’s BoL adventures, if nothing else). And really, who knows when inspiration will strike and I’ll have to start posting like mad again or risk burning up from the inside? So there’s not really an answer to the question I’m afraid. I just decided I should poke my head in and say hello, yes, I’m fine, thank you, how are you? So I did.

Cheers,
tvp

p.s. I’ve been trying to read a lot more of the Appendix N classics lately, too. Poul Anderson’s The Broken Sword is on my table right now. Just beneath it in the stack you’ll find Clark Ashton Smith, the smattering of Lovecraft I’ve never read, Beowulf, the recent non-Conan REH compilations, Vance, Moorcock, and more. Yay, books!

Mini Six Character: Brother Gregorius Moghan O’Seachnasaigh

Wherein your humble scribe presents an NPC for Anglia – the 100 Years War/Dark Fairy Tale England setting that occupied his fancy for a while, and is threatening to again. This character was built using straight the Mini Six rules, but if this ever winds up going anywhere I’m quite sure I’ll be building out a system that’s slightly more involved than Mini Six (but less so than full-on Open D6) from the various parts I have on hand. But that’s a topic for another day.

Countless messengers died to insure that word reached the Archbishop of Baile Átha Cliath that all was not right with the continental Church. Ever since the ascension of Pope Lucius IV – after the tragic (and suspicious) death of Pope Urban VI in 1378 – many questionable actions and decisions had come from the heart of Lucania. When the local Master of the Chandler’s Guild reported, in 1379, that orders from the continental Church’s representatives called for a drop of goat’s blood be added to each candle as it was being poured, the Archibishop began making his plans. And when news of the Gaulish invasion of Albion (at the urgings of Pope Lucius) arrived, that plan went into action. Stout-hearted monks from all corners of Hibernia were dispatched, in discreet numbers, to Albion and the continent. These pure souls were commanded to do what they could to uncover whatever dark secrets were driving this decidedly unchristian behavior and to assist those who resisted the disquieting papal decrees.

Brother Gregorius Moghan O’Seachnasaigh
Itinerant monk from an unnamed Hibernian monastery
Might 2D+2 Agility 2D+1 Wit 3D Charm 4D
Skills: Shillelagh 3D, Stealth 2D+2, Dodge 2D+2, History 3D+1, Language: Latin 3D+1, Magic 4D, Persuasion 4D+2, Diplomacy 4D+1, Streetwise 4D+1
Perks: Sorcerer
Complications: Personal Code (Servant of the Church)
Gear: Shillelagh 2D+1
Static: Dodge 8, Block 8, Parry 9
Strength Damage: 1D
Body Points: 27
Armor: Leather (2)
Spells: Bless, Heal

November Company D6 Notes

As promised (threatened?), here’s you chance to snag the I put together to run a Mini Six/Open D6 World War II game. They’re what you might call “barebones” if you’re feeling charitable. But if you know the system reasonably well they should make for a decent foundation for your own efforts towards such a game.

Download the November Company Notes (8761 downloads )

November Company, in my conception, is pretty much the A-Team combined with the actual early Army Rangers. The soldiers assigned to November Company are the type of guys who don’t make good soldiers, but who have skills and personalities that lend themselves to, shall we say, different uses in a theater of war.

Anyway, download ’em and do with them as you please. In addition to the very basics of character creation, you’ll find a small selection of US weapons of the period, a 1/2 page character sheet, and a sheet with vehicle information on the trusty “Rat Patrol” style jeep.

As always, I must admit that I am most decidedly not a WWII scholar – in fact, I’m little more than a tourist in the era. The material that comprises the period flavor of these notes is essentially what I was able to glean from Wikipedia, without any concern for accuracy beyond the bare minimum needs for maintaining a reasonable degree of Hollywood verisimilitude for a bunch of players who know even less about the period than I do.

That’s the long way of saying that if you see something that makes you draw your breath sharply through your teeth, blame a lifetime’s viewing of cheesy WWII representations, offer a gentle correction, and move on to something more important 🙂

(My Dreams Of) Gaming Plans For 2012 (Because You Care)

So the Thanksgiving game happened. It was a WWII commando raid using a Mini Six/D6 Adventure mashup and it was a blast. But I’m not here to talk about it. Not right now, anyway. I’m gunning to do that a little later on, when I’m ready to post the materials I put together for the game. Nope, instead I’m here to talk about what I’m hoping to run next.

First up, sometime during the Winter Solstice Holidays break, I’m hoping to pull off a BASH game for a friend, his 13 year old son, and maybe a few other folks. I’m currently thinking Golden Age/WWII supers kicking fascist ass in Europe. But the ideas are swirling and unformed at this point, so who knows what (if anything) will ultimately come to pass?

After that, I’m pondering a few possibilities:

Some kind of hard(-ish) SciFi using good ol’ Classic Traveller and some Stars Without Number action
Labyrinth Lord/AEC romps through either the Against The Giants series or maybe Castle Amber, The Lost City, or some other classic modules
A BRP– (or possibly BoL-) based, Mythic Russia-fueled, Russian fantasy game
A Mini Six (with add-ons from Open D6) or Mercenaries, Spies, And Private Eyes 80s-style espionage game
A Call of Cthulhu Dreamlands miniseries (probably not until the CoC game I’m playing in wraps up, though)
A BRP/Renaissance (or maybe Tunnels & Trolls or Honor + Intrigue) black powder fantasy adventure
Droids. Seriously. Either with the original rules (unlikely) or with something else (D6, maybe?)

just to name a few (in no particular order). All of this is subject to change (i.e., my whims and interests) and player buy-in, of course.

That’s Great And All, But What About Giving Us Some Sweet Gaming Content, Pao?

Yeah, I know. My content output has absolutely tanked of late (and, honestly, not-so-late). I’m struggling with that, really. Part of me wants to be cranking out stuff like I had been, but another part just isn’t inclined to spend the time on it. So it’s not quite burnout, per se. It’s more a case of conflicting interests and such. So to answer the question that I asked on no one in particular’s behalf, “Reply hazy. Try again later.”

Ghostbusters Character: Vincent Paoloni

Wherein your humble scribe presents an NPC for Ghostbusters. This cat could be a Ghostbuster. Or he could be a guy with a paranormal pest problem. It could go either (or both) way(s), really. Any similarities between this character and your humble scribe are purely coincidental, surely.

Vincent “Vinnie the Mouse” Paoloni
Traits / Talents
Brains 3 / Music Trivia 6
Muscle 2 / Drink Booze 5
Moves 3 / Make Music 6
Cool 4 / Bluff 7

Brownie Points: 20
Goal: Rock & Roll
Residence: Austin, Texas

Man, Ghostbusters (1st edition, since that all I’ve been able to look at) is a light, simple system. It’s nice to see where the D6 System got its start. I think GB might be a bit too light for any other than really light-hearted play. But then again, that’s what it was designed for, so no biggie.

Mini Six: Mini Bushi(D6)o

This is a quick tweaking of Mini Six to emulate the old Fantasy Games Unlimited RPG, Bushido. If you’re not familiar with Bushido, click that link in the previous sentence and grab a copy of the PDF. You’ll find it worth having if you want to do any “fantasy Japan” roleplaying.

Like many an old-school RPG, Bushido is class-based, and to a certain extend I’ve tried to preserve those distinctions a bit by way of Perks & Complications. But the strength of Mini Six (and other non-class-based games, old and new) is that it doesn’t pigeonhole you. So if you want to play a courtly Samurai who doesn’t fight well, or a Yakuza who dabbles in magic, or any other “non-standard” character type, go for it.

And now, without further ado, here’s the game info for Mini Bushi(D6)o.

Attributes

Mini Bushi(D6)o uses the standard four attributes found in Mini Six: Might, Agility, Wit, and Charm.

Skills

Mini Bushi(D6)o relies mostly on the skills presented in Mini Six, though quite a few have been shuffled around under the “parent” attributes and a few new ones have been added. For more info on those added skills (if you need such a thing) you would do well to grab a copy of the freely-available D6 Fantasy.

Might
Climbing, Lifting, Running, Stamina, Swimming, Toughness

Agility
Acrobatics, Axe, Bow, Club, Dodge, Lockpicking, Nunchaku, Pole Weapon, Riding, Sai, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Sword/Knife, Throwing, Unarmed Combat

Wit
Artist, Calligraphy, Cultural Scholar, Gambling, Healing, Magic, Military Scholar, Navigation, Reading/Writing, Search, Survival, Tracking, Traps

Charm
Animal Handling, Bluff, Command, Disguise, Etiquette, Intimidation, Persuasion, Streetwise, Tea Ceremony, Trading

Perks & Complications

Perks
Any of the non-racial & non-esoteric Perks in Mini Six should be fine in Mini Bushi(D6)o. The Sorcerer Perk is available, see the Magic section below for more information on taking this Perk.

A few additional perks designed for the genre are outlined below.

Daisho (2) – You have mastered the art of wielding the katana & the wakizashi simultaneously. Though you still suffer a multiple action penalty when making more than one attack in a round, you receive +2 to each attack so long as you attack at least once with your katana and once with your wakizashi. You receive no bonus when attacking with only one weapon, or when making multiple attacks with a single weapon.

I Am Ninja! (2) – You receive +1 to all stealth, climbing, and traps rolls.

Nunchaku-te (2) – You have mastered the art of wielding two nunchaku simultaneously. Though you still suffer a multiple action penalty when making more than one attack in a round, you receive +2 to each attack so long as you are armed with two nunchaku. You receive no bonus when attacking with only one weapon, or when making multiple attacks with a single weapon.

I Am Yakuza! (2) – You receive +1 to all gambling, intimidation, and streetwise rolls.

Complications
Many of the Complications found in Mini Six will work just fine for Mini Bushi(D6)o characters, though it’s up to the GM to approve any selected Complications. Below are a few more to choose from that are specific to Mini Bushi(D6)o.

Note that outside of the Shugenja & Gakusho Codes, none of these are required for any function or ability. Though a Samurai or Ninja who fails to observe even the most basic tenets of his or her “class” will surely find him- or herself in deep trouble.

Samurai Code – Death before dishonor or defeat. Serve your Daimyo loyally and well. Take no unfair advantage.

Yakuza Code – Help yourself, but also help the people of the land. Your tattoos are a badge of honor. Accept no insult lightly.

Ninja Code – Silence, discretion, honor, loyalty. All must be adhered to. Reveal no secrets of the Ninja, no matter the personal cost.

Gakusho Code – You are bound to increase your own spiritual enlightenment and tend to the salvation and protection of your fellow men. Behave accordingly.

Budoka Code – Perfection in body, mind, and spirit are achieved through hard work and constant training. Follow the teachings of Buddha and defend the oppressed.

Shugenja Code – Study and knowledge are the most important thing. Earthly possessions are a drain upon your powers, shun them except where necessary.

Equipment

Weapons

Swords & Knives
Katana +2D+2 or +3D (1-handed or 2-handed)
Wakizashi +1D+2
No-dachi 3D+2
Ninja-to +2D+1
Tanto +1D

Pole Arms
Naginata +3D
Yari +2D

Axes
Kama +1D+2
Masakari +2D+1
Ono +3D+1

Bows & Thrown Weapons
Dai-kyu +2D+2 (10/100/250)
Han-kyu +1D+2 (10/100/250)
Shuriken +1D (5/10/15)

Club-like Weapons
Bo Stick +1D+1
Jo Staff +1D+2
Kiseru +1D+1
Tessen +1D+1 (+2 bonus to parry attempts)
Tetsubo +4D (-5 penalty to hit if used by someone with Might less than 4)
Tonfa +1D+1 (may use “Block” defense with no danger of being damaged)

Unusual Weapons
Nunchaku +1D+2
Sai +1D+1 (+5 bonus to disarm attempts)

Armor

Most folks in Mini Bushi(D6)o do not wear armor. And warrior types typically only wear it when directly headed into battle. Armor types found throughout Nippon include:

Quilted/Heavy Silks (+2)
Samurai Court Attire (+3)
Light Ashigaru Armor (+4)
Light Samurai Armor (+5)
Heavy Ashigaru Armor (+7)
Heavy Samurai Armor (+9)

Shields

Shields are not commonly used in Nippon. When they are, they increase the user’s static defense scores by +1 or +2, depending upon their size.

Magic

Mini Bushi(D6)o uses the Simple Magic System from Mini Six with the following notes:

In addition to taking the Sorcerer advantage, either the Shugenja Code or Gakusho Code complication must be taken.
Shugenja may only cast these spells: Animal Growth, Animate Dead, Beast Tongue, Charm, Clairvoyance, Conjure Elemental, Dark Vision, Death Spell, Dispel Magic, ESP, Fly, Growth, Hasten, Illusions, Invisibility, Lightning Bolt, Petrify, Shape Change, Slumber, Telekinesis, Teleport
Gakusho may only cast these spells: Bless, Control Weather, Curse, Dispel Magic, Divination, Earthquake, Heal, Light, Paralysis, Possession, Resist Elements, Resurrection, See Magic Aura, Still Mind

Special/Optional Rules

Body Points instead of Wound Levels
Traditional Open D6 Might Damage (i.e., 1/2 Might or Lifting, round up)
Attributes may be purchased up to 5D, but all pips/dice over 4 cost double
High rolls increase damage: For every full 3 points an attack roll succeeds by, add 1 to the damage of the attack.

Adventure Seeds

Azu-Mamaro, the Bakemono-kunshu ruler of a small kingdom in the rugged mountains to the north, seeks honorable humans to deliver his tribute to the Emperor. Other Bakemono-kunshu are dubious of Azu-Mamaro’s attempts to curry favor with the human ruler and are likely to send their own forces to interfere.
War is coming to Okibu Province! The forces of the Nakayama Clan are gathering near the borders and Daimyo Nakayama Yosuke has his eyes on the throne of Watanabe Castle. Lady Watanabe Euiko has requested that you take the daisho of retired samurai Murakami Shoichi, once the master strategist of Lord Watanabe’s army, to his hermitage deep within the high forest and convince him to return and lead the Watanabe forces as they seek to defend their Daimyo’s lands against the depredations of the Nakayama barbarians.
A group of unsavory bandits – led by a fearless ronin called Red Stone of the East – has been disrupting vital trade between Nagato Province and the rest of the island. The local Yakuza are have requested your help in handling this menace. For the benefit of the people, of course.

Example Characters

Here are a handful of common “heroic level” NPCs. Trimming some Attribute Dice or Skill Dice from these would yield more common opponents.

A Serious Samurai
Might 4D Agility 3D+1 Wit 2D+2 Charm 2D
Skills: Lifting 5D, Dodge 4D, Military Scholar 3D, Sword 4D+1, Kyu 4D, Tea Ceremony 2D+1 (6)
Perks: Daisho
Complications: Samurai Code
Strength Damage: 3D
Static: Dodge 12, Block 12, Parry 13
Body Points: 36
Equipment: Katana (+2D+2/+3D), Wakizashi (+1D+2), Light Samurai Armor (5)

A Drunken Ronin
Might 4D Agility 3D+1 Wit 2D+1 Charm 2D+1
Skills: Lifting 5D, Toughness 5D, Dodge 4D+1, Sword 5D, Gambling 3D, Survival 3D, Streetwise 2D+2, Intimidation 2D+2
Perks: Favors
Complications: Unlucky In Money
Strength Damage: 3D
Static: Dodge 13, Block 12, Parry 15
Body Points: 40
Equipment: No-Dachi (+3D+2), Heavy Silks (2)

A Cowardly Ashigaru
Might 3D Agility 3D+2 Wit 2D+2 Charm 2D+2
Skills: Lifting 4D, Dodge 5D+2, Pole Arms 5D, Military Scholar 3D, Gambling 3D, Healing 3D, Survival 3D+1, Tracking 3D, Trading 3D, Charm 3D
Perks: None
Complications: Cowardly
Strength Damage: 3D
Static: Dodge 17, Block 9, Parry 15
Body Points: 32
Equipment: Yari (+2D), Light Ashigaru Armor (4)

A Noble Budoka
Might 3D Agility 4D Wit 2D+2 Charm 2D+1
Skills: Toughness 3D+1, Unarmed Combat 5D+2, Nunchaku 5D, Dodge 5D, Cultural Scholar 3D, Healing 3D, Command 2D+2
Perks: Nunchaku-te
Complications: Budoka Code
Strength Damage: 2D
Static: Dodge 15, Block 17, Parry 15
Body Points: 33
Equipment: Nunchaku X2 (+1D+2)

A Mysterious Shugenja
Might 2D Agility 3D+1 Wit 4D Charm 2D+2
Skills: Magic 6D, Cultural Scholar 4D+1, Read/Write 4D+1, Dodge 3D+2
Perks: Sorcerer, Recall
Complications: Shugenja Code
Strength Damage: 1D
Static: Dodge 11, Block 6, Parry 6
Body Points: 28
Equipment: Jo Staff (+1D+2)
Spells: Animate Dead, Conjure Elemental, Illusions, Telekinesis

A Benevolent Gakusho
Might 2D+2 Agility 2D+1 Wit 3D+2 Charm 3D+1
Skills: Club 4D+1, Magic 4D+2, Cultural Scholar 4D+2, Healing 4D+2, Charm 3D+2, Etiquette 3D+2, Persuasion 3D+2
Perks: Sorcerer
Complications: Gakusho Code
Strength Damage: 2D
Static: Dodge 7, Block 8, Parry 13 (15 w/ Tessen)
Body Points 30
Equipment: Tessen (+1D+1), Heavy Silks (2)
Spells: Bless, Dispel Magic

An Honest Yakuza
Might 2D+1 Agility 2D+2 Wit 3D+1 Charm 3D+2
Skills: Club 3D+2, Gambling 4D+1, Streetwise 4D+2, Dodge3D, Lockpicking 3D, Bluff 4D+1, Persuade 4D+1
Perks: I Am Yakuza!
Complications: Yakuza Code
Strength Damage: 1D
Static: Dodge 9, Block 7, Parry 11
Body: Points 29
Equipment: Kiseru (+1D+1)

A Nearly Invisible Ninja
Might 2D+2 Agility 4D Wit 2D+2 Charm 2D+2
Skills: Climbing 3D, Acrobatics 4D+1, Stealth 5D+2, Sword 4D+2, Throwing 4D+1, Dodge 5D, Traps 3D, Disguise 3D
Perks: I Am Ninja!
Complications: Nina Code
Strength Damage: 1D
Static: Dodge 15, Block 8, Parry 14
Body Points: 30
Equipment: Ninja-to (+2D+1), 6 Shuriken (+1D)

Bestiary

Here are write-ups for a few classic supernatural foes from Japanese legend. Consult Bushido for more examples. Or check out the video game Okami for some very interesting enemy ideas.

Kappa (Scale 0)
Cucumber-loving & malicious!
Might 4D Agility 1D+1 (4D in water) Wit 2D Charm 1D+1
Skills: Unarmed Combat 5D+1, Swimming 7D, Toughness 5D, Traps 2D+1
Perks: Shell Armor (6)
Static: Dodge 4(12), Block 16, Parry 12
Body Points 40, Armor 6

Bakemono-sho (Scale 0)
Goblin Ashugaru
Might 2D+2 Agility 2D+1 Wit 1D+2 Charm 1D+1
Skills: Sword 3D, Dodge 3D, Bow 2D+2, Stealth 3D
Perks: None
Static: Dodge 9, Block 6, Parry 9
Equipment: Wakizashi (+1D+2), Han-kyu (+1D+2)
Body Points 30, Armor 4

Dai-bakemono (Scale 0D)
Goblin Samurai
Might 4D Agility 2D+2 Wit 2D+2 Charm 2D+1
Skills: Sword 3D+2, Cultural Scholar 3D+2, Dodge 3D+2, Military Scholar 3D+2
Perks: None
Static: Dodge 11, Block 11, Parry 11
Equipment: No-dachi (+3D+2) or Tetsubo (+4D)
Body Points 36, Armor 5

Bakemono-kunshu (Scale 0D)
Goblin Daimyo
Might 4D+1 Agility 3D Wit 3D+1 Charm 3D
Skills: Sword 5D, Cultural Scholar 4D+1, Military Scholar 4D+1, Magic 4D+1
Perks: Sorcerer, Daisho
Static: Dodge 9, Block 13, Parry 15
Equipment: Katana (+2D+2/+3D), Wakizashi +1D+2
Body Points 37, Armor 9
Spells: Fly, Illusions

O-Bakemono (Scale +2D)
Big dumb ogres
Might 6D Agility 2D Wit 1D Charm 1D
Skills: Toughness 8D, Club 3D, Survival 1D+2, Tracking 1D+1, Animal Handling 1D+2, Intimidation 3D
Perks: None
Static: Dodge 6, Block 18, Parry 9
Equipment: Really Big Club (+4D)
Body Points 52, Armor 2

Tengu (Scale 0D)
Crow Spirits
Might 4D+1 Agility 4D+2 Wit 4D+2 Charm 4D+1
Skills: Sword 5D+1, Dodge 5D+2, Magic 6D+2
Perks: Sorcerer, Flying
Static: Dodge 17, Block 13, Parry 16
Equipment: Fine Katana (+3D)
Body Points 37, Armor 4
Spells: Charm, Control Weather, Illusion, Invisibility, Shape Change, Teleport