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Ninjas are cool, as are tabletop roleplaying video games; due to this fact, tabletop RPGs with ninjas in them have to be further cool! However what’s a ninja, precisely, and what makes them such a staple of popular culture? The next RPG programs, every with their very own stylized tackle Ninjas someplace on the spectrum between Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, attempt to reply this query.
Ask most individuals born within the twentieth century what a ninja is, and so they’ll usually consider a stealthy murderer darkish garments and a hooded cowl, wielding unique weapons resembling throwing stars, sickles, and Sai daggers. Ask individuals who grew up in the course of the 2000s or 2010s, and so they could cite the Ninja Gaiden collection or the Lego Ninjago franchises, media about warriors who wield magical “Ninjutsu” strategies and unique martial arts. Ask a historian about Ninjas, and so they may point out the “Shinobi” mercenary underclass that emerged in twelfth century Japan, who employed themselves out as spies and assassins to warlords, wielded weapons impressed by agricultural instruments, and would often disguise themselves as menial servants to shut in on their targets.
Most of the roleplaying video games listed under had been written by individuals who did their analysis about precise historic ninjas, then determined to wholeheartedly embrace the stylized, pop-culture conception of ninjas, “Shadow Clones” and all. A few of these ninja RPGs happen in historic fantasy settings much like the occasions precise ninjas existed in (as with Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice’s setting and NPCs), whereas others have ninjas leaping throughout the rooftops of recent day metropolises; every, regardless, are about roleplaying ninjas in fashionable, stealthy methods.
The 2nd version of The Ninja Campaign, accessible on Drivethru RPG.com and set in a fantasy model of medieval Japan, are about heroic ninjas from the Lotus Coalition, combating a struggle of resistance in opposition to the militant forces of the Izou Empire. Gamers create characters aligned with one of many ten clans of the Lotus Coalition, every specializing in sure abilities and embodying totally different archetypes of ninja. The wandering adventures PCs go on in The Ninja Campaign draw heavy inspiration from the Ninja Scroll anime, together with extra trendy works such because the Naruto franchise.
Legend of the 5 Rings began out as a collective card recreation franchise with a wealthy meta-plot, then expanded into tabletop roleplaying. The most recent version of the Legend of the 5 Rings Roleplaying Recreation can be utilized to inform tales about noble samurai and magic-users heading off the darkish entities of the Shadowlands, or political plots with scheming courtiers and genius generals. If gamers select to create characters who hail from the mask-wearing, ninja-patronizing Scorpion Clan, they will additionally immerse themselves in tales of stealth, infiltration, lies, and assassination – dishonorable deeds dedicated for the larger good of Rokugan.
Shinonbigami, an RPG translated from Japanese after a profitable Kickstarter, is about in modern-day Japan and is centered round a shadow struggle between the members of rival ninja clans – who even have day jobs, households, schoolwork, and different on a regular basis issues. The gameplay cycle of a Shinobigami session is damaged into 4 elements. Within the first three “Cycles,” every ninja participant character takes a flip within the narrative highlight to pursue their secret targets, study the secrets and techniques of different characters, and develop their relationships. The ultimate half, a “Climax Section,” is a free-for-all battle between gamers and teams of gamers the place secrets and techniques are revealed, relationships are pushed to the breaking level, and spectacular ninja arts are employed.
Ninja Burger is a low-prep RPG about ninjas. Who work within the fast-food trade. Set in a world that is a madcap mix of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Adventures of Dr. McNinja, and the “Deliverator” scene from the cyberpunk novel Snow Crash, the aim of gamers in a Ninja Burger session is to make use of the stylized ninja abilities of their PCs to ship meals to prospects (undetected) inside half-hour or much less. It doesn’t matter what. Obstacles standing within the path of Ninja Burger PCs can vary from mutant sewer dwellers and hostile ninjas to rival quick meals franchises resembling Pirate Pizza, making this a tabletop RPG with ninjas that may present as a lot amusement as journey.
Sources: Drivethru RPG, Kickstarter
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