Kensen
2009-01-26, 07:55 AM
This thread is intended for planning a tactical game based on Shichinin no samurai (Seven Samurai, 1954, directed by Akira Kurosawa). I'll add info little by little. Feel free to comment.
The Story
A gang of marauding bandits approaches a mountain village. The bandit chief recognizes they have ransacked this village before, and decides it is best that they spare it until the barley is harvested in several weeks. One of the villagers happens to overhear the discussion. When he returns home with the ominous news, the villagers are divided about whether to surrender their harvest or fight back against the bandits. In turmoil, they go to the village elder, who declares that they should fight, by hiring samurai to help defend the village. Some of the villagers are troubled by this suggestion, knowing that samurai are expensive to enlist and known to lust after young farm women, but realize they have no choice. Recognizing that the impoverished villagers have nothing to offer any prospective samurai except food, the village elder tells them to "find hungry samurai."
The men go into the city, but initially are unsuccessful, being turned away by every samurai they ask — sometimes very rudely — because they cannot offer any pay other than three meals a day. Just as all seems lost, they happen to witness an aging samurai (Kambei) execute a cunning and dramatic rescue of a young boy taken hostage by a thief. In awe, they ask him to help defend their village; to their great joy, he accepts. Kambei then recruits five more masterless samurai (ronin) from the city, one by one, each with distinctive skills and personality traits. Although Kambei had initially decided that seven samurai would be necessary, he leaves for the village with only five companions because time is running short. A clownish ersatz samurai named Kikuchiyo, whom Kambei had rejected for the mission, follows them to the village at a distance, ignoring their protestations and attempts to drive him away.
...
(An excerpt from the Wikipedia article: Seven Samurai)
Co-operative mode
Players: 7 + GM (may vary in different scenarios)
Team mode
Players: 7 (the samurai) + 2-3 (bandit leaders) + GM
The Samurai (original cast)
...
The Village
Adult men: 36? (30-40)
Children, women and old people: ~50?
Horses: 1 (Yohei's)
Weapons: Improvised bamboo spears, a few yari, yumi, swords, pieces of armor.
Houses: 20-30
The Bandits
Bandits: 43?
Horses: 43?
Weapons & armor: Three muskets, swords, yari, yumi... leaders have full samurai armor.
Weapons
Katana
Wakizashi
Tanto
Yumi
Yari
Naginata
No-dachi
Shuriken
... Jujutsu? Okinawan weapons? Kusarigama? Others?
Weapon skills
Kenjutsu - Wielding swords (katana, wakizashi and nito)
Kyujutsu - Wielding a bow (yumi).
Sojutsu - Wielding a spear (yari).
Naginatajutsu - Wielding a glaive (naginata).
...
Other skills
Leadership
Charisma
Stealth?
Horseback riding
...
Version
0.2: Weapon skills and other skills added
0.1: Thread started. Basic info added on play modes, weapons, the village.
The Story
A gang of marauding bandits approaches a mountain village. The bandit chief recognizes they have ransacked this village before, and decides it is best that they spare it until the barley is harvested in several weeks. One of the villagers happens to overhear the discussion. When he returns home with the ominous news, the villagers are divided about whether to surrender their harvest or fight back against the bandits. In turmoil, they go to the village elder, who declares that they should fight, by hiring samurai to help defend the village. Some of the villagers are troubled by this suggestion, knowing that samurai are expensive to enlist and known to lust after young farm women, but realize they have no choice. Recognizing that the impoverished villagers have nothing to offer any prospective samurai except food, the village elder tells them to "find hungry samurai."
The men go into the city, but initially are unsuccessful, being turned away by every samurai they ask — sometimes very rudely — because they cannot offer any pay other than three meals a day. Just as all seems lost, they happen to witness an aging samurai (Kambei) execute a cunning and dramatic rescue of a young boy taken hostage by a thief. In awe, they ask him to help defend their village; to their great joy, he accepts. Kambei then recruits five more masterless samurai (ronin) from the city, one by one, each with distinctive skills and personality traits. Although Kambei had initially decided that seven samurai would be necessary, he leaves for the village with only five companions because time is running short. A clownish ersatz samurai named Kikuchiyo, whom Kambei had rejected for the mission, follows them to the village at a distance, ignoring their protestations and attempts to drive him away.
...
(An excerpt from the Wikipedia article: Seven Samurai)
Co-operative mode
Players: 7 + GM (may vary in different scenarios)
Team mode
Players: 7 (the samurai) + 2-3 (bandit leaders) + GM
The Samurai (original cast)
...
The Village
Adult men: 36? (30-40)
Children, women and old people: ~50?
Horses: 1 (Yohei's)
Weapons: Improvised bamboo spears, a few yari, yumi, swords, pieces of armor.
Houses: 20-30
The Bandits
Bandits: 43?
Horses: 43?
Weapons & armor: Three muskets, swords, yari, yumi... leaders have full samurai armor.
Weapons
Katana
Wakizashi
Tanto
Yumi
Yari
Naginata
No-dachi
Shuriken
... Jujutsu? Okinawan weapons? Kusarigama? Others?
Weapon skills
Kenjutsu - Wielding swords (katana, wakizashi and nito)
Kyujutsu - Wielding a bow (yumi).
Sojutsu - Wielding a spear (yari).
Naginatajutsu - Wielding a glaive (naginata).
...
Other skills
Leadership
Charisma
Stealth?
Horseback riding
...
Version
0.2: Weapon skills and other skills added
0.1: Thread started. Basic info added on play modes, weapons, the village.