Bushido (role-playing Game)
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''Bushido'' is a
Samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...
role-playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, or abbreviated as RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out ...
set in
Feudal Japan The first human inhabitants of the Japanese archipelago have been traced to the Paleolithic, around 38–39,000 years ago. The Jōmon period, named after its cord-marked pottery, was followed by the Yayoi period in the first millennium BC whe ...
, originally designed by Robert N. Charrette and Paul R. Hume and published originally by Tyr Games, then Phoenix Games, and subsequently by Fantasy Games Unlimited. The setting for the game is a land called Nippon, and characters adventure in this heroic, mythic, and fantastic analogue of
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
's past. It is thematically based on Chanbara movies, such as those made by
Akira Kurosawa was a Japanese filmmaker who List of works by Akira Kurosawa, directed 30 feature films in a career spanning six decades. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers in the History of film, history of cinema ...
, in which the heroes are modestly superhuman but not extraordinarily so.


Overview

The ''Bushido'' role-playing game was originally published in 1979 by Tyr Games (which quickly went out of business) but was more widely released in 1980 by Phoenix Games as a boxed set. This edition included a map of Nippon, a tri-fold screen, a
character sheet A character sheet is a record of a player character in a role-playing game, including whatever details, notes, game statistics, and background information a player would need during a play session. Character sheets can be found in use in both ...
, ''Book I, The Heroes of Nippon'', the Players Guidebook and ''Book II, The Land of Nippon'', the Gamesmaster's Guidebook. All illustrations in the original boxed set are copyright by Robert N. Charrette. The game is now sold as a single book in which the two original books are combined (otherwise unaltered). ''Bushido'' players define characters with a series of attributes, skills, professions, and levels. The professions are Bushi (fighters), Budoka (
martial art Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the pres ...
ists),
Yakuza , also known as , are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police and media (by request of the police) call them , while the yakuza call themselves . The English equivalent for the term ''yak ...
(gangsters),
Ninja A , or was a spy and infiltrator in pre-modern Japan. The functions of a ninja included siege and infiltration, ambush, reconnaissance, espionage, deception, and later bodyguarding.Kawakami, pp. 21–22 Antecedents may have existed as ear ...
, Shugenja (
Taoist Taoism or Daoism (, ) is a diverse philosophical and religious tradition indigenous to China, emphasizing harmony with the Tao ( zh, p=dào, w=tao4). With a range of meaning in Chinese philosophy, translations of Tao include 'way', 'road', ...
-style wizards) and Gakusho (priests, either
Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
or
Shinto , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...
). Character progression is implemented by both down-time training and level advancement. There are only six character levels. Social aspects are important in the game. Each character is randomly assigned at birth to a class in the strict feudal hierarchy of Nippon -
Samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...
, various
commoner A commoner, also known as the ''common man'', ''commoners'', the ''common people'' or the ''masses'', was in earlier use an ordinary person in a community or nation who did not have any significant social status, especially a member of neither ...
classes, and
Eta Eta ( ; uppercase , lowercase ; ''ē̂ta'' or ''ita'' ) is the seventh letter of the Greek alphabet, representing the close front unrounded vowel, . Originally denoting the voiceless glottal fricative, , in most dialects of Ancient Greek, it ...
. For level advancement,
honour Honour (Commonwealth English) or honor (American English; American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, see spelling differences) is a quality of a person that is of both social teaching and personal ethos, that manifests itself ...
able behaviour and loyal service to the character's social group (the local lord, the ninja clan, the temple, the gang, etc.) are as important as defeating enemies in battle. The ''Bushido'' system is dice-based, most important rolls being made with a twenty-sided ( d20) die. The gamemaster can use the various social obligations of the characters to create dilemmas which cannot necessarily be overcome by violence. Shugenja and Gakusho can use magic. At the discretion of the gamemaster, supernatural
monster A monster is a type of imaginary or fictional creature found in literature, folklore, mythology, fiction and religion. They are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive, with a strange or grotesque appearance that causes Anxiety, terror ...
s may feature in the game.


Reception

''Bushido'' received mixed reviews, with many critics praising the body of knowledge about Japanese culture, but questioning the number-heavy game design. In the June–July 1979 edition of ''
Different Worlds ''Different Worlds'' was an American role-playing games magazine published from 1979 to 1987. Scope ''Different Worlds'' published support articles, scenarios, and variants for various role-playing games including ''Dungeons & Dragons'', ''Rune ...
'' (Issue 3), Stephen L. Lortz found the rules "well written and logically ordered." He also liked the introduction of "On points", noting that it "placed ''Bushido'' outside of the 'kill and pillage' category of RPGs ..On encourages players to steer their characters into social and political, as well as combat situations, and does much to generate the authentic flavor of the game." He concluded, "I highly recommend ''Bushido'' to people who are interested in running a fantasy campaign based primarily on the Japanese mythos and to people who are interested in the art of RPG design." In the February 1980 edition of ''
Dragon A dragon is a Magic (supernatural), magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but European dragon, dragons in Western cultures since the Hi ...
'' (Issue 34), D. Okada was disappointed by "a horrendous amount of typographical errors in the rules... There are times when they do hamper understanding of what is supposed to be going on." Okada also noted a lack of detailed background on medieval Japan, and concluded with a guarded recommendation: "Despite these faults, the game is worth the price to the person interested in developing a more cosmopolitan outlook." In the July 1980 edition of ''
The Space Gamer ''The Space Gamer'' was a magazine dedicated to the subject of science fiction and fantasy board games and tabletop role-playing games. It quickly grew in importance and was an important and influential magazine in its subject matter from the la ...
'' (Issue No. 29), Forrest Johnson was unimpressed, saying, "Karate fans and samurai fans may dig this one. Serious students will just have to wait for something better." In the March 1981 edition of ''
Ares Ares (; , ''Árēs'' ) is the List of Greek deities, Greek god of war god, war and courage. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. The Greeks were ambivalent towards him. He embodies the physical valor necessary for ...
'' (Issue 7), Eric Goldberg found fault with the character generation system that determines certain aspects randomly, but then uses a point-buy system to allow a player to optimize the character. "There is a logical argument for both methods — even in conjunction — but one's purpose defeats the other." Goldberg liked the code of honor in the game, which he felt "distinguishes ''Bushido'' from most other role-playing games." But he felt that otherwise, ''Bushido'' was "unremarkable", and gave a half-hearted recommendation: "''Bushido'' is a nice enough meld of a surrealistic and ''D&D''-style flavor, and has a game system sturdy enough to support this impression." In the August 1982 edition of '' White Dwarf Magazine'' (Issue #32), Mike Polling rated ''Bushido'' 10 out of 10, saying that it was "maybe the best game I have ever seen... The game system is one of the most intelligent and carefully thought out I have ever seen." In Issue 15 of the French games magazine ''
Casus Belli A (; ) is an act or an event that either provokes or is used to justify a war. A ''casus belli'' involves direct offenses or threats against the nation declaring the war, whereas a ' involves offenses or threats against its ally—usually one bou ...
'', Martin Latallo thought the strong points of the game "lie in the atmosphere and the realism that emerge from this Japanese setting." Latallo liked the strong writing, noting that "none of the important rules are ambiguous or left to the discretion of the gamemaster." In the January–February 1985 edition of ''
Different Worlds ''Different Worlds'' was an American role-playing games magazine published from 1979 to 1987. Scope ''Different Worlds'' published support articles, scenarios, and variants for various role-playing games including ''Dungeons & Dragons'', ''Rune ...
'' (Issue #38), Scott Dillinger gave it an average rating of 3 stars out of 4, saying, "Professionalism is reflected in all aspects of ''Bushido'' and the research and design of this system combines to give players an opportunity to learn about, and to experience this fascinating culture and still have fun doing it. In this industry that's all one can ask for." In April 1985, ''Imagine'' dedicated Issue #25 to Japanese and "far east" role-playing. ''Bushido'' was praised by Mike Brunton for focusing on "non-adventuring skills", indicating how it was different than the current version of ''
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Several different editions of the '' Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy role-playing game have been produced since 1974. The current publisher of ''D&D'', Wizards of the Coast, produces new materials only for the most current edition of the ...
''. In Issue 35 of ''Casus Belli'', Philippe Adolf reviewed the French translation of ''Bushido'' by Hexagonal, and complained "it is a shame that Hexagonal, which publishes ''Bushido'' in France, has remained too faithful to the English original, a somewhat outdated presentation, resulting in poor organization of the booklets. (It is absurd to wait until page 45 to explain character creation!)" Nonetheless Adolf concluded, "Despite these few details, ''Bushido'' remains the best game in its category, with a translation faithful to the original. Experienced players who have the 'way of the sword' in their blood will not be able to do without it!" In the pages of his 1987 book, '' Role-Playing Mastery'', ''Dungeons & Dragons'' co-creator E. Gary Gygax mentioned ''Bushido'' in his short list of notable RPGs. In the June 1988 edition of ''Dragon'' (Issue 134),
Jim Bambra Jim Bambra (born 1956)Jim Bambra: Director Summary
Company Check Ltd
is a Briti ...
compared the various role-playing game systems set in Japan, and found ''Bushido'' to be very complex. "It is a game for dedicated gamers who, in their pursuit of Oriental action, are willing to struggle with rule books that make advanced nuclear theory texts seem like light reading by comparison." Bambra found the biggest issue to be the badly organized rules. "A revamping and reordering of this material would go a long way to making the game more accessible. Compared to more recent games, the ''Bushido'' game is a work of enthusiasm, with little or no thought given to presentation or ease of use." Bambra also found the character generation system to be "difficult and involved", and the game's mechanics to "work fairly well but are convoluted in places." Bambra also pointed out that in the decade since ''Bushido'' had been published, only two adventure-supplements had been published, leaving all the work of creating an adventure to each
gamemaster A gamemaster (GM; also known as game master, game manager, game moderator, referee, storyteller, or master of ceremonies) is a person who acts as a facilitator, organizer, officiant regarding rules, arbitrator, and moderator for a multiplayer r ...
. Bambra concluded that newer games systems provided better ease of use. "If you’re looking for a stand-alone system, then check out the ''Bushido'' game. But if accessibility and ease of use are your primary requirements, stay well away. The two other supplements under review this month 'Runequest: Land of Ninja">'Runequest: Land of Ninja'' and ''Oriental Adventures''">Land of Ninja'' and ''Oriental Adventures">Land of Ninja">'Runequest: Land of Ninja'' and ''Oriental Adventures''are superior models of presentation, and they build upon tried and tested systems. The ''Bushido'' game is for those who like complication for complication's sake." In the June 1989 edition of ''Games International'' (Issue 6), Ian Marsh (writer), Ian Marsh was impressed by how much of the social, spiritual and cultural was highlighted, saying, "''Bushido'' developed the idea that a game should be more than a rules system by making culture a strong element in play." But Marsh noted that subsequently, "its attractions to mainstream roleplayers are limited." He also noted the lack of published adventures, commenting, "anyone who buys ''Bushido'' has to develop their own scenarios, making the game less appealing to referees who have little enough time to run games as it is." He concluded by giving this game an above average rating of 4 out of 5, saying, "It's a cult game, and nothing's going to change that ..which is a shame for ''Bushido'' genuinely presents a role-playing challenge." In Issue 29 of ''
Shadis ''Shadis'' is an independent gaming magazine that was published in 1990–1998 by Alderac Entertainment Group (AEG). It initially focused on role-playing games. Publication history Shadis was conceived and started by Jolly Blackburn as an inde ...
'', Rob Vaux considered this game to be "one of the most thoroughly researched role-playing games that I've ever encountered." Vaux did think that the game system was "number heavy and cumbersome, but the detail in explaining Japanese culture, ideology, philosophy and history is unparalleled in the industry." In his 1990 book ''
The Complete Guide to Role-Playing Games ''The Complete Guide to Role-Playing Games'' is a book written by Rick Swan and published by St. Martin's Press in 1990 that explains role-playing games and provides reviews of those that were on the market at the time. Contents ''The Complete G ...
'', game critic
Rick Swan Rick Swan is a game designer and author who worked for TSR. His work for TSR, mostly for ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'', appeared from 1989 to 1995. Swan also wrote '' The Complete Guide to Role-Playing Games'' (1990), published by St. Martin' ...
called it "one of the earliest and most successful fantasy RPGs with an Oriental setting, thoroughly grounded in medieval Japanese history." However, Swan warned "It's not an easy game to learn — the rules more closely resemble those of a military simulation than a conventional RPG — but experienced players with an interest in the era should find a lot to enjoy." Swan gave the game a rating of 3 out of 4. Steve Faragher did a retrospective review of ''Bushido'' for the May 1996 edition of ''Arcane'', stating that "Politics and action went hand in hand with ''Bushido'' and the game had an innately epic scale." In a 1996 reader poll in ''Arcane'' magazine, ''Bushido'' was ranked 17th of the 50 most popular roleplaying games of all time. Editor Paul Pettengale commented: In his 2023 book ''Monsters, Aliens, and Holes in the Ground'', RPG historian Stu Horvath noted, "In portraying these social responsibilities, ''Bushido'' becomes one of the earliest games whose mechanics attempt to both establish and enforce the game's theme ... And it works, despite some issues."


Reviews

*''
Fantasy Gamer ''The Space Gamer'' was a magazine dedicated to the subject of science fiction and fantasy board games and tabletop role-playing games. It quickly grew in importance and was an important and influential magazine in its subject matter from the la ...
'' #6


Supplements published for ''Bushido''

* '' Valley of the Mists'' by Robert N. Charrette, published by Fantasy Games Unlimited in 1982. * ''Takishido's Debt'' by Steve Bell, published by Games of Liverpool in 1983. * ''A Tale of Honor Lost'' by Jeffrey A. O'Hare, published by Fantasy Games Unlimited in 2016. * ''Honor Bound'' by Stephen Dedman, published by Fantasy Games Unlimited in 2016. * ''The Path of Honor'' by Stephen Dedman, published by Fantasy Games Unlimited in 2019. * ''Ninja - Shadows Over Nippon'', never releasedFGU mirror site
/ref> * Adventures in
White Dwarf A white dwarf is a Compact star, stellar core remnant composed mostly of electron-degenerate matter. A white dwarf is very density, dense: in an Earth sized volume, it packs a mass that is comparable to the Sun. No nuclear fusion takes place i ...
#47 (
Kwaidan is a Japanese word consisting of two kanji: 怪 (''kai'') meaning "strange, mysterious, rare, or bewitching apparition" and 談 (''dan'') meaning "talk" or "recited narrative". Overall meaning and usage In its broadest sense, ''kaidan'' refer ...
by Oliver Johnson and Dave Morris) * Articles in White Dwarf #57 (Ninjas), #85 (Entertainers)


Other East Asian-themed role-playing games

* '' Land of the Rising Sun'': a heavily modified version of Chivalry & Sorcery written by
Lee Gold Lee Gold is a member of California science fiction fandom and a writer and editor in the role-playing game and filk music communities. Role-playing games Gold became prominent after 1975 as the editor of ''Alarums and Excursions'', a monthly ...
and published in 1980 by Fantasy Games Unlimited * ''
Oriental Adventures ''Oriental Adventures'' (abbreviated OA) is the title shared by two hardback rulebooks published for different Editions of Dungeons & Dragons, versions of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy roleplaying game. Each version of ''Oriental ...
'': a supplement for the ''
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Several different editions of the '' Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy role-playing game have been produced since 1974. The current publisher of ''D&D'', Wizards of the Coast, produces new materials only for the most current edition of the ...
'' role-playing game, written by
Gary Gygax Ernest Gary Gygax ( ; July 27, 1938 – March 4, 2008) was an American game designer and author best known for co-creating the pioneering tabletop role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') with Dave Arneson. In the 1960s, Gygax creat ...
, David "Zeb" Cook, and François Marcela-Froideval and published in 1985 by
Gary Gygax Ernest Gary Gygax ( ; July 27, 1938 – March 4, 2008) was an American game designer and author best known for co-creating the pioneering tabletop role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') with Dave Arneson. In the 1960s, Gygax creat ...
's
TSR, Inc. TSR, Inc. was an American game publishing company, best known as the original publisher of '' Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D''). Its earliest incarnation, Tactical Studies Rules, was founded in October 1973 by Gary Gygax and Don Kaye. Gygax had bee ...
* '' Land of Ninja'': published simultaneously in 1987 in the USA by
Avalon Hill Avalon Hill Games Inc. is a game company that publishes wargames and strategic board games. It has also published miniature wargaming rules, role-playing games and sports simulations. It is a subsidiary of Hasbro, and operates under the compan ...
and in the UK by
Games Workshop Games Workshop Group (often abbreviated as GW) is a British manufacturer of miniature wargames, based in Nottingham, England. Its best-known products are ''Warhammer (game), Warhammer'' and ''Warhammer 40,000''. Founded in 1975 by John Peake ...
(but each edition having its own cover art) ''Land of Ninja'' was a supplement for the third edition of ''
RuneQuest ''RuneQuest'' (commonly abbreviated as RQ) is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game originally designed by Steve Perrin, Ray Turney, Steve Henderson (game designer), Steve Henderson, and Warren James, and set in Greg Stafford (game designer), Gre ...
'', but set in a both mythological and historical Japan. * '' GURPS Japan: Roleplaying in the World of the Shogunate'': written by
Lee Gold Lee Gold is a member of California science fiction fandom and a writer and editor in the role-playing game and filk music communities. Role-playing games Gold became prominent after 1975 as the editor of ''Alarums and Excursions'', a monthly ...
and Hunter Johnson and published by
Steve Jackson Games Steve Jackson Games (SJGames) is a game company, founded in 1980 by Steve Jackson, that creates and publishes role-playing, board, and card games, and (until 2019) the gaming magazine ''Pyramid''. History Founded in 1980, six years after the cr ...
in 1988. An expanded 2nd edition was published in 1999. * ''
Legend of the Five Rings Legend of the Five Rings (often abbreviated ''L5R'') is a fictional setting created by John Zinser, Dave Seay, Ryan Dancey, Dave Williams, DJ Trindle, Matt Wilson (artist), Matt Wilson and John Wick (role-playing game designer), John Wick and ...
'': a role-playing game and accompanying
collectible card game A collectible card game (CCG), also called a trading card game (TCG) among other names, is a type of card game that mixes strategy game, strategic deck building elements with features of trading cards. The genre was introduced with ''Magic: The G ...
, produced in 1995 by Alderac Entertainment Group. * ''
Usagi Yojimbo Roleplaying Game ''Usagi Yojimbo Roleplaying Game'' is a licensed tabletop role-playing game written by Greg Stolze and published by Gold Rush Games in 1997. Setting It is based on the acclaimed comic book ''Usagi Yojimbo'', created by Stan Sakai. Set in a f ...
'': an anthropomorphic animal samurai role-playing game written by Greg Stolze and published in 1997 by Gold Rush Games. Based on the
Usagi Yojimbo is a comic book series created by Stan Sakai. It is set primarily at the beginning of the Edo period of Japanese history and features anthropomorphic animals replacing humans. The main character is a rabbit '' rōnin'', Miyamoto Usagi, whom ...
comic book series by
Stan Sakai is a Japanese Americans, Japanese-born American cartoonist and comic book creator. He is best known as the creator of the comic series ''Usagi Yojimbo''. Early life Sakai was born Masahiko Sakai (坂井雅彦) in Kyoto, Japan, to Akio and Ter ...
. * '' Sengoku'': produced in 1999 by Gold Rush Games. * ''Shinobi: Shadows of Nihon'': a supplement to Sengoku written by Darren-Joe Ashmore and Mark T. Arsenault and published by Gold Rush Games in 2001. * ''
Oriental Adventures ''Oriental Adventures'' (abbreviated OA) is the title shared by two hardback rulebooks published for different Editions of Dungeons & Dragons, versions of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy roleplaying game. Each version of ''Oriental ...
'' (third edition): produced in 2001 by
Wizards of the Coast Wizards of the Coast LLC (WotC or Wizards) is an American game Publishing, publisher, most of which are based on fantasy and List of science fiction themes, science-fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail game stores. In 1999, toy ...
. * '' Usagi Yojimbo Role-Playing Game'': an anthropomorphic animal samurai role-playing game written by
Jason Holmgren Jason Holmgren is an American cartoonist, art director, and role-playing game designer. Career Holmgren first started as a cartoonist for ''Shadis'' Magazine, where his strip, ''Joe Genero: Adventures of the Average Man'', debuted in 1990. The co ...
and Pieter van Hiel and published in 2005 by Sanguine Productions. A 2nd edition of this game was published in 2019. Based on the
Usagi Yojimbo is a comic book series created by Stan Sakai. It is set primarily at the beginning of the Edo period of Japanese history and features anthropomorphic animals replacing humans. The main character is a rabbit '' rōnin'', Miyamoto Usagi, whom ...
comic book series by
Stan Sakai is a Japanese Americans, Japanese-born American cartoonist and comic book creator. He is best known as the creator of the comic series ''Usagi Yojimbo''. Early life Sakai was born Masahiko Sakai (坂井雅彦) in Kyoto, Japan, to Akio and Ter ...
. * '' Ruins and Ronin'': Produced in 2009 by Mike Davison and Sword +1 Productions, a Medieval/Fantasy-themed role-playing game set in a Japanese cultural setting. 2nd Edition produced in 2015 by Hydra Collective. * ''Chanbara'': produced in 2018 by Dennis Laffey and Hidden Treasure Books.


References

{{Reflist


External links


The current Fantasy Games Unlimited website
Historical role-playing games Role-playing games introduced in 1979 Fantasy Games Unlimited games Martial arts role-playing games Fantasy role-playing games