Rurouni Kenshin

The Year is roughly 1870 Japan, the end of the Edo dynasty and the beginnings of the Meiji (peoples) government.

Rurouni Kenshin is an anime series which is set in this time, it follows the life of a ex-assassin now ronin. The story tells of Himura Battousai, better known as Kenshin or Hitokiri Battousai, as he meets a woman known as Kamiya Kauro a young swords mistress whose school is being troubled by a former student wanting revenge for injuries sustained in battle with the former head of the school. Kenshin steps in and saves the day. He ends up staying at the dojo meeting up with others a Gangster called Sano and a young brat called Yashiko. The story develops as Kenshin repeatadly encounters figures form his past, the series of event leads to a massive battle with a guy called Shi-shi-o Makoto. A rather evil person with the classic plot to take over the world (or at least Japan). Kenshin is asked to stop this mad fellow and travels to Kyoto to fight him.

This is a fairly inadequate description of the Rurouni Kenshin saga which spans 91 episodes a 4 part OVA a Movie and a Manga series which never made it to TV. The story is involving and fantasic, the fights are something to watch and the series will leave you asking for more. My suggestion is to go out and watch it to fully appreciate it.

In tribute to this Anime series I desided to create a game set just before the change in government, during a time when people were still legally allowed to carry a sword and your right to do so was through skill with the blade, it was a violent era wih political factions vying for power. The characters belong to one of these factions trying to seize power for the new order.

The game is played using the Feng Shui! cinematic action game produced by Atlas games, this format allows for a wide variety of styles of characters as well as being an easily modified game with simple rules. Apart from watching the various Anime videos as a reference the main change to this game was the introduction of several new Schticks, firstly I recomend the use of the Weapon fu schticks published at the Fortress of Shadows, secondly I also allow most fu powers to be used with a sword unless completely inappropriate.

The following links lead to various page that explain the style and series in greater detail as well as outlining new fu paths derived from sword techniques seen in the show it self.

Campaign Setting.

Weapon / Fu paths

Characters and Archetypes.