Editing Shinobido

[[Image:naruko.jpg|thumbnail]]
Long ago, there was a dying leader. He called his son and his star pupil to his side, and told them that when he was gone, one of them would be the next Daimyo. The two were put to a contest to determine the successor. For three days, the son of the dying leader and the star pupil fought, engaging in numerous tests of ability and combat. They were evenly matched until the third day the star pupil of the dying leader used a forbidden technique, taking the son of the Daimyo by surprise, and defeating him. 

The pupil became the Daimyo, and the last Daimyo's son was to be exiled to the land across the sea, to an empty land of rocky, infertile soil, and dangerous creatures. The son had his followers, though, and they became known as the Loyalists. They followed the Shadow Daimyo, who escaped his exile, and planned to destroy the Daimyo.

For five years, the land was marked by civil war, the Daimyo and the Shadow Daimyo battling each other whenever their forces encountered the other. Hundreds died. The Shadow Daimyo was eventually captured, and he and his Loyalists were all exiled to the land across the sea. The Shadow Daimyo himself was bound by seals to never set foot in the land again, or his blood would boil.

This is the origin of the Land of Shadow. Now, 30 years later, the Shadow Daimyo seeks to return to his home nation, and reclaim his rightful title. Having been pushed to the inhospitable north, he uses the very forbidden techniques that trap him there, allowing his Loyalists to become necromancers and Demonic sorcerors.

A cold war has broken out between the Land of Shadow and the Land of Light. A war fought not with swords and samurai, but with information, secrecy, and the shinobi. Too often, those ninja are nothing more than children, brought up in a time of shadow wars. Forced to kill, lie, steal, and exposed to dangers and fear, many of them snap, turning to the Dark Path that their enemies in Shadow use. The lure of power is strong, but perhaps their friends and allies can keep them from the path of darkness. Or be dragged down along with them.



'''Shinobido''' is a game about children in war.

Children doing things that adults should do is a staple of the Japanese genre known as ''Shounen''--a genre aimed at males from 13 and up that focuses on the adventures and coming of age stories of male characters. They're known for fight scenes, fanservice, and headstrong, hotblooded protagonists. 

Teenagers in shounen are often fighting in wars, or traveling the world with their magical pets, fighting other people with magical pets. Whether they're pulled into a computer world or a dream world, or they're in their own world, most shounen characters face things that should effect their mental state. Too often, this doesn't happen. A character who finds himself in the magical world he's dreamed about forgets that dragons exist and can kill him, and that he's constantly being attacked and nearly killed by a group of enemies.

This game is what would happen if they were effected by the horrible things that go on in their lives, and the horrible choices they might have to make. It doesn't do away with all the tropes of the genre, but it does try to deconstruct a few of them.


== THEME ==

The main theme of Shinobido is that of cost. Everything has a cost. Powers have the obvious cost of using Focus, but more than that, doing one thing costs you the ability to do another. Characters are expected to make hard decisions, and sometimes there is no right answer, just wrong ones. 

The biggest example of things having a cost is in the forbidden techniques. Darkness is a literal thing in the world of Shinobido. It's more than evil, it's selfishness and malevolence. It's callous disregard. Whenever players use forbidden techniques, they gain Dark Points, showing them how close to the edge they are.

In the beginning, these forbidden techniques have no cost. They're cheaper and easier to use. As Dark Points accumulate, the price becomes apparent. There's a mental cost, where the character becomes less stable. There's a physical cost, where seals and markings appear on the character's skin. And there's a social cost, where characters are ostracised for their willingness to use the darkness.

Things aren't so simple, though. Characters might NEED to use the darkness. Maybe to save themselves, or one of their allies. They might need to tap into that darkness to save an innocent. Things should never be so clear cut as good and bad.

Once a character has made that jump, though, things will get harder for them in the future. They won't be as able to avoid making more jumps like that in the future, and soon they've paved the road to their own Hell with good intentions.


== Mechanics ==
The core mechanic of the game involves rolling four six sided dice of two colours--referred to here as red dice and green dice. The red dice subtract from your total, while the green dice add to it. This is then added to the character's 'pips', the score of the Attribute. If the total of the roll comes out above 0, then the character succeeds on their action. A character's actions will most often be penalized by the circumstances, and improved by their Specialties and Edges.

There are six Attributes: Intellect, Wits, Strength, Agility, Tenacity, and Charisma.

Intellect, Strength, and Tenacity are all used for defending against Focus attacks, while Wit, Agility, and Charm are used to launch those Focus attacks. Wits, Agility, and Charm are also used to avoid attacks. In normal, non-Focus combat, Wits, Strength, Agility, and Tenacity all have the chance of being important--but remember, that's no reason to avoid taking pips of Intellect or Charm. They're both very important in keeping your shinobi alive as well.

Each attribute is rated in 'pips', representing the dots on a standard six sided die. The Attribute ratings go from -3 to 5 pips.

=== Attributes ===
Each Attribute begins at 0, and players are given a number of pips to place in their Attributes as they choose. ''At character creation only'' players may take up to -3 in an Attribute to gain up to 3 bonus pips. 
[[Image:Shinobido Sheet.jpg|thumbnail|right|The character sheet]]

==== Intellect ====
''Hirame stared at the scroll, trying to understand it's secrets. The whorls and loops of the characters were foreign. After a minute, she was about to give up, when finally it snapped. Turning the scroll sideways, she shouted “aha! I've figured out the code." Now it was time to get this information back to the village and stop the spy.''


Intellect measures a character's mental power. Characters' brilliance can allow them to translate languages, decode secret messages, remember obscure facts, and even know the best tactic to use on the enemy. Characters with high Intellect are likely to be well versed in war, politics, and lore. A character with negative pips in Intellect is likely stupid, forgetful, or uneducated. A character with 1 pip in Intellect is likely average, occasionally forgetful, and not exceptionally intelligent. Characters with three pips are well educated, remember most of their knowledge of the Academy, and are versed in lore. A character with five pips of Intellect likely has a vast knowledge of lore, and not only remembers things from the Academy, they've studied on their own since they left. With five pips, a character is likely to know esoteric and possibly forbidden knowledge as well as most people remember their name.

When used in Focus attacks, Intellect is a character's mental defenses, showing how well they know and understand the world and their place in it. It shows how solid and stable a character's mind is. When a mental Focus attack is aimed at the character, they roll their Intellect and subtract the attack's damage bonus.

''Characters would roll Intellect when: Remembering a fact, decoding a message, studying lore, avoiding mental domination''

==== Wits ====
''“Hrm,” thought Kinosuke, “that's pretty good, but how about this one? What can the weakest lark carry that the strongest man might not?” He gave an internal smile as the Oni furrowed his brow and rubbed his chin. This was all too easy.''

When a character is just too tricky, the attribute at hand is Wits. It measures that trickiness, showing off how well a character can use their mental ability. Wit allows characters to prove themselves the better riddler, and shows them when they're being deceived. Wit is how well a character can think on their feet. Characters with a high Wits are likely to be clever, tricky, and unpredictable. A character with negative pips in Wits is likely bumbling, tripping over their words at every occasion. Characters with one pip are likely to not be exceptionally witty, but still avoid eating crow too often. A character with three pips is someone who is very witty, always able to come up with new puzzles to solve. A character with five pips in Wits can outwit the Gods themselves.

When used in a Focus attack, Wits measures how well the character can get through their opponent's defenses, and twist their mind. Wits also serves as those defenses, allowing a character to detect and avoid falling prey to someone else's power. Wit serves as the attack and defense roll for mental based Focus abilities.

''Characters would roll Wits when: coming up with a riddle, solving a puzzle, spotting an ambush, manipulating someone's mind; Wits might also contribute to a character's Defense''

==== Strength ====
''The three of them chased after the target. He fled through a threshold, and pressed a button on a console, and a heavy wooden door dropped from the ceiling. Arudio stepped forward, cracking his knuckles and rolling his head along his broad shoulders. He slipped his fingers beneath the door, and with one powerful motion, lifted it up above his head. Grunting, he rested the door on his shoulders, “Go, I've got this.”''

Strength measures a character's physical power, including how well a character can withstand damage, or dish out a punch. Characters with good Strength scores are capable of standing their ground, even when hit with what should be a deadly assault. A character with negative pips in Strength has a glass jaw, taking damage from every attack, and spending more missions flat on their back. A character with one pip likely can take a few punches from the average ninja, but isn't built for fighting. With three pips, a character can continue a battle long enough to tire out his opponent, and keep himself from being harmed too much. A character with five pips of Strength could withstand a punch from an oni, and get right back up to knock it on it's ass.

When hit with a Focus attack, Strength represents how well a character can avoid the damage, standing their ground. The character's physical prowess is used to avoid being adversely effected by the ability. Most Focus attacks target the character's Strength or Tenacity by default.

''Characters would roll Strength when: holding up a weight, taking damage, climbing a mountain; Strength might also be a character's Toughness''

==== Agility ====
''Katsumaru practically soared through the treetops, barely landing on the branches. As he leaped from one to the other, not a single leaf fell. He was one with the wind. From the left of him, something rustled in the foliage. All he had to do was twitch just right and the shurikin needle harmlessly missed him, burying itself halfway into a tree trunk.''

Sometimes, you just have to be somewhere other than you are. Agility is the attribute that governs a character's ability to move and control their own body. Characters with high agility can sidestep lethal attacks, and worm their way through an enemy's defenses. Characters with negative pips in Agility stumble, tripping over themselves and are often slow. With one pip, a character isn't graceful, but can at least keep on their feet, and usually they can keep up. Characters with three pips are graceful, and can dance their way from an enemy attack, or right through their defense. With five pips, the shinobi dodges attacks with the grace of a ballet and can turn combat into an artform.

In Focus combat, Agility measures both how well a character can avoid and deliver their attacks. The characters Agility determines how well they can cause their blow to land, and how well they can stop their opponent's from landing.

''Characters would roll Agility when: jumping across a chasm, throwing a shuriken, attacking; Agility might also contribute to a character's defense''

==== Tenacity ====
''“I'll never give in!” Luliko shouted, moments before the man put a hand to her chest. A surge of electricity tore it's way through her body, boiling blood and making her legs twitch. Her lungs tightened and refused to let in any air. In a moment, it was all over. “Well?” the man asked. Luliko's chest heaved, and she muttered something. Her torturer leaned in close. She spit in his face, and gathered up her will, “Go to Hell, you bastard!”''

Tenacity represents the ability to persevere and push on, despite injury, fatigue, or the looming shadow of death. Characters with high Tenacity are capable of ignoring injuries and shrugging off wounds. With negative pips in Tenacity, a character likely complains about their situation, unable to take it. With one pip in Tenacity, a character can deal as well as a normal person, but will still find things quickly piling up around them. With three pips, a character can avoid most pain, and push on when need be. With five pips, a character can forget he's taken a hole to the chest, and stave off sleep for weeks.

In Focus combat, Tenacity measures how well a character can resist social or spiritual attacks. The character's will is too strong to break, or brittle and fragile.

''Characters would roll Tenacity when: resisting torture, ignoring fatigue, using a Heroic Surge; Tenacity also might contribute to a character's Toughness''

==== Charisma ====
''“Could you please help me?” the young girl asked. She was cute, with that look like a childhood sweetheart from youth. The older man smiled, “Of course,” he offered. Maybe he would get lucky tonight, “What is it you need help with?” She fidgeted, “Well, it's embarrassing,” she whimpered, looking around left and right, and motioning for him to follow her. As the man followed her around the corner, he couldn't believe his luck. As he felt the blade push through his chest, he had just enough time to mutter “Fuck...”''

Charisma is how well a character regards themselves socially, and how well they can manipulate others into doing what they want. A character with high Charisma is crafty, and can easily convince someone to do things for them. A character with negative Charisma is ugly, unattractive, and always says the wrong things. A character with one pip in Charisma is not ugly or hideous, but nor are they exceptionally charming. Characters with three pips are attractive, and can convince others with moderate effort. A character with five pips of Charisma could lead an empire to their deaths, and convince them it was their idea.

In Focus combat, Charisma measures both how well a character can land a spiritual attack, and how well they can sidestep one. Charisma allows a character to convince others of their own shortcomings, but their self esteem allows them to survive and avoid having their flaws attacked.

''Characters would roll Charisma when: Lying, attempting to get information, making first impressions''

=== Derived Stats ===
Those six stats aren't the only ones that are important. Characters also need to know how well they can keep from being damaged (Toughness), how well they can avoid being hit (Defense), and how much damage they can take (Health).

==== Toughness ====
Whenever a character is damaged, they roll Toughness to determine whether or not they take a wound. This roll is penalized by the damage rating of the attack--usually the attacker's Strength.

''Toughness is the lesser of Strength and Tenacity''

==== Defense ====
Characters that are attacked by physical attacks can dodge them, avoiding the damage altogether. This is a character's Defense, which is subtracted from the attack roll of the character targeting them.

''Defense is the lesser of Wits or Agility. Characters are either capable of twisting their bodies to avoid the blow, or they can see the damage coming in advanced and get out of the way.''

==== Health ====
While Toughness keeps characters from taking wounds, Health measures how many they can take until they drop. It's not added or subtracted from any rolls, but something to keep track of how many times a character has failed Toughness rolls.

''Health is the greater of Strength or Tenacity +3. Characters can never have the same Health or Toughness Attribute''

When a character takes 4 or more blows to their Health, they start to take a penalty to their actions--including Toughness--equal to their total wounds -3.
A character with 4 wounds would take a penalty of -1, while a character with 6 wounds would take a penalty of -2

=== Actions ===
Characters attempting an action:
# Declare the action
# The Narrator applies any relevant penalties
# Roll the red and green dice
## Green dice add their pips, while red dice subtract them.
# Add the Character's Attribute rating, and any relevant Specialties or Edges.
# If the total comes out greater than 0, then the action succeeds.

=== Combat ===
Combat is much the same as any other action.
# Declare your attack
# The target's Defense--or defense stat in the case of Focus abilities--is a penalty to your action
# Roll the red and green dice.
## Describe your action! It might even be worth bonus points to the attack, as well as granting Focus or Merit Points!
# Add the character's Agility score to the result, as well as any relevant Specialties or Edges.
# If the total comes out greater than 0, your attack succeeds.
It's then the defender's turn, to find out if they take damage or not.
# The attacker's Strength is treated as a penalty
## If the attack is Focus based, then the penalty is based on how much Focus is used to purchase the damage
# The defender rolls the red and green dice
# The defender adds their Toughness, and any relevant Specialties or Edges to the roll.
# If the defender succeeds, they don't take damage. If they fail, they take a number of wounds equal to 1 + 1 for every 3 points that they failed.