[OT] Sengoku

[Andrew D. Gable]

Was looking through this in one of (three!) FLGS's the other day - is this an update and revision of the old RPG Bushido? It sorta looked it.

I trust you guys' (and girls') judgment - does anyone know if this is any good?

 

[Henrix]

It seems very good. I do not own it, but have seriously considered it. (I am waiting for their Chinese supplement )
If you want a game (or RPG sourcebook) for historica/semi-historical japan, this is it.
It did get some good reviews at RPG.net, here and here

They wanted the game to be the successor to Bushido, but apperantly somebody owns the licence to that game, and actually reprinted it, in a very small print run, a couple of years ago, so they could not use the name.

The rules are new, something called Fuzion, which I understand is sort of like the Hero System.

You could always check out sengoku.com

 

[Jackcarter]

is this an update and revision of the old RPG Bushido? It sorta looked it.

No, it's not. Sengoku is based on the Fuzion system. You can check the core mechanics by downloading it off the web, as it's a free system. Just search under Fuzion and you should find it. I myself dislike the fuzion and won't touch it with a 10' pole, but it does have its adherents. However, it's a system that desperately needs updating; when it came out, it was a good system, one of the better ones in its day, but now it's hopelesslessly outdated. At least, that's the impression I've gotten from reading Sengoku.

As far as Sengoku goes, it's a good reference book on the sengoku period of Japan, being a comprehensive guide to social, economic, political, and military histoy. Still, at the price it's being charged, I'd think it would be a better investment to either get a public library card and rent the Cambridge History of Japan's volume on the period, or buy Tumbull's book on the same period.

That is, if you are interested in the period in more than game mechanical way. If you are looking for a game on the period, try the free fuzion rules and see if you like it. If you do like it, it's economical to buy Sengoku; otherwise, don't bother and just buy a real history book.

P.S. What is "FLGS?" Is that a gaming store?

 

[Andrew D. Gable]

FLGS = Friendly Local Gaming Store.

The three we have are really comic book shops that have quite a bit of RPG material as well.

 

[Black Omega]

FLGS = Friendly Local Gaming Store.

As opposed to the HLGS or Hostile Local Gaming Store that I get to deal with at times.

I do like Sengoku though. It's a good sourcebook for the period even if you are not into the Fuzion rules. Classes and leveless with alot in common with Cyberpunk's Interlock system.

 

[Zhure]

Sengoku is far and away the most historically accurate feudal Japanese sourcebook for an RPG that I've ever seen. It's based on Fuzion (sort of Hero System-lite) but easily ports to any other system.

Greg

 

[Ron]

Sengoku is a great game. It appear to be very accurate in represent the Feudal Japan from the Sengoku period. Also, it contains a great commented bibliography and list of Shambara movies. Fuzion rules are ok, but I do recommend anyone to take it from the internet prior to reading Sengoku. Although the text is clear written, organization is not one of its highest points. I also sugest anyone to review the huge list of stats and cut a few to simplify the game a little bit.

I also sugest to give a look in the Usagi Yojimbo RPG. Published by the same Sengoku people, Usagi Yojimbo uses a simpler version of the rules called Instant Fuzion. Although this game is based in the Stan Sakai's series of cartoon featuring anthropomorphic animals as Feudal Japan samurais, it is still a very good game by itself.

 

[Black Omega]

I also sugest to give a look in the Usagi Yojimbo RPG. Published by the same Sengoku people, Usagi Yojimbo uses a simpler version of the rules called Instant Fuzion. Although this game is based in the Stan Sakai's series of cartoon featuring anthropomorphic animals as Feudal Japan samurais, it is still a very good game by itself.

Fun game, from the period when Fuzion was doing the open license thing. Other games like the BubbleGum Crisis game also came out on fuzion during the period. I didn't realize Usagi Yojimbo was Fuzion lite, though. That's amusing in a way. Fuzion began life as a project called Instant Hero, a sort of Hero System Lite. Then Hero Games hooked up with the company that did Cyberpunk 2020 (Interlock Rules) and instant hero turned into Fuzion, a crossing of the two systems.