武

士
の
夢
Bushi no yume
FAST AND FURIOUS SKIRMISH ACTION IN
THE LAND OF THE SAMURAI AND NINJA
BY RICH JONES
© 2010 Surf Shack Productions
Bushi no yume
Character traits P3 Killed Revenge is Oishi – Revenge Raid P21
Kyu Grade Gory Death Victory Points – Who Won? P21
Bujutsu
Buki Armour & Hard Cover P12 Campaigns P22
Nouroku
Wound Check Table P12 Special Items P22-23
Clan Affairs P3
Koku amouts Special Weapon Rules P12-13 Tomozei (Retinues) P23
Bushi P23
Kihon (Basics) P4 Tasks P14 Ronin P24
How a game runs Kyu Grade Test Ninja P24
Kyu Grade Modifiers Yamabushi P24
A player’s turn P5 Forces of Evil P25
Activation & Actions Morale P14
How the game ends When to check Mythical Creatures P25
Morale Test
All about moving P6-7 Personalities and Morale Points System P27
Basic techniques Seppuka
Terrain Weapon Characteristics P27
Terrain types Nouroku P15 (Added detail to weapons)
Tobijutsu - Leaping around Character Traits and Abilities
Magic P29
Mounted Characters P8 Advanced Rules P16 Gakusho
Ki Shugenja
Group Activations P8 Karma Cards Mythical Beasts
Magic Casting P30
Dice Conventions P9 Advanced Rules P17 Spells P30
Night Time Action
How Charcters Fight P9 Hidden Characters QRS P31-33
Abunai – Ambush Spotting Test
Zanshin – Awareness KARMA CARDS P34-38
ON – Honour P17-18
Close Combat P10 Concept Combat Example P39
Closing Fire Comparing ON
Combat Total Forums and Contact P39
Buki – Weapon Modifiers Collecting & Losing ON P18
Combat Modifiers Korosu どうも有り難うございます
Datesugata My Thanks P39
Ranged Combat P11 Bujoku
Shooting into Combat Giri
Combat Total Hekomasu
Buki – Weapon Modifiers
Combat Modifiers How to Insult in Nihongo P18

Combat Result Table P11-12 Scenarios P19

Recoil Hairuna – Keep Out P19
Into Cover Kataki – Clan Feud P19
Floored Kami no Katana – Legendary Sword P19
Wound Check Kusa – Ninja in the Night P20


 Crouching in the shadows cast
against the wall by the statue, the
Kusa (who we would now call a
Ninja) waited, slowing down his
breathing. Treading along the
pebbled path the Ashigaru guard
was thinking more of what he
would have with his rice later on
than he was of possible intruders.
Suddenly the iron ring shot out,
the horse hair twine attaching
it to the kyoketsu-shoge, wrapped around the
guards throat, stifling his cry. Leaping out of the
shadows the Kusa pounced, the hooked blade of
the weapon silencing the guard for ever. Using the
aruki sabaki (walking methods) which had been
handed down as a kuden (oral transmission) from
his teacher, he silently crossed the sand garden.
Behind the shoji screen the Hatamoto had been
watching the cursed figure cross stepping over
towards his Lord’s sleeping room. Masking his
intent he waited until the Kusa passed by him and
then leapt out, landing behind the black figure,
drawing the razor sharp sword and cutting in
one motion. But the Kusa cart wheeled away, his
three companions crept up behind the Hatamoto,
four ashigaru guards rushed out into the garden,
alerted by the Hatamoto’s shouts … Bushi no Yume allows the player to enter this world of
With Bushi no Yume you can finish the story …
You are reading the introduction to a rulebook allowing
you create skirmish actions involving the Samurai and
Ninja of history and mythology, on the table-top.
Bushi no Yume is neither a wargame, nor a Role Playing
Game, but it is somewhere in-between. Read through the
rules, get some figures on the table and work through a
few combats, soon you’ll be dreaming of being a Samurai
warrior or maybe even a Ninja!
Yoroshiku ne
I grew up being fascinated, perhaps the word should
be ‘obsessed’, by Japanese Bujutsu (martial techniques).
Long before the Kung Fu craze hit England I was
hunting down books on self defence written by people
who had lived in Japan around the turn of the 1900’s.
These books showed jujutsu, judo and cane (instead of
traditional stick) techniques. By the age of 7, in 1969, I’d
already given my father a ‘dead leg’ he was never going
to completely recover from and was doing judo with a
guy who learnt it after being stationed in Japan after the
war. I was also soon to become friendly with a Chinese
boy, whose father basically wanted a big kick bag for

his 3 sons to learn his Gung Fu on. This lasted quite a
few years until the family moved back to Hong Kong.
However, the seeds were set for a 42 year (so far) journey
that has seen me spending time in different parts of the
world, doing every conceivable martial art I could lay my
hands on, and for the last 25’ish years a Japanese form
of traditional bujutsu which encompasses nine martial
traditions called the BUJINKAN.
Gaming wise a potentially unhealthy obsession with
Role Playing in my teenage years saw me either
screwing every game to an Oriental slant or playing
Bushido. Along side this became a ‘sub’ obsession with
the Japanese equivalent of Spaghetti Westerns – the
Chanbara movies (you can pick from about 3 western
spellings). Big characters, fast action and loads of extras
dying in spectacular ways. Pre digital special effects, the
Asian movie industry were using slightly unethical ways
to portray gore. The least offensive method involved
using animal intestines wrapped in gut, put around the
actors’ bodies and being sliced through by semi live
blades! In chanbara there was a real emphasis (although
like spag westerns it got somewhat blurred) on right
versus wrong as well as spectacularly brutal and quick
sword work. There was little of the theatrical leaps and
‘unrealistic’ fight scenes of Chinese entertainment (don’t
get me wrong I love these movies as well) the fights were
quick and bloody. If they lasted any length it is because
the hero is fighting lots of people, or the two characters
are waiting for an opening to strike.
chanbara and play the action out on the tabletop. As well
as pretending you are in a Kurosowa’s Yojimbo the rules
will allow players to play in a strictly historical setting
and also in a fantasy medieval Japan where mythical
creatures roam.
What you will need to enter
the world of the samurai
Apart from the rules, you will need a few things to play
Bushi no Yume. They are:
• Six-sided dice, also known as d6. It is best to have at
least six of these, and the more you have, the quicker
games will play. At least two in a different colour than
the rest will be useful.
• A set of measuring sticks appropriate to the size of the
miniatures you are using.
• Any combination of metal, plastic, or paper figures in a
consistent scale of your choice.
• Something to represent buildings and other terrain
features.
• A flat surface at least 3’x3’ (in 28mm) for smaller
games.
• 40-60 minutes to play a standard size game.
Measuring Sticks:
You will need to make a set of sticks for each player
Figure size 12-20mm 25-40mm
Short 2” 3”
Medium 3” 5”
Long 4” 7”
Once you have the above equipment you are ready to
play. Come and join the Bushi no Yume community at:
http://surfshackgames.proboards.com/index.cgi
SOKE SAYS: Throughout the rules you will find snippets of
‘kuden’ (oral transmissions) from Soke (Grandmaster). These
will always be set out like so!
Characters in Bushi no Yume
Most standard games will use 5-10 characters a side and
they all have the following characteristics:
Kyu Grade (K) – this is an overall indication of the
characters physical abilities, initiative, intelligence
training and morale. The lower the Kyu the better it is for
the character.
Bujutsu (Bu) – this is an overall indication of how well the
character can fight with various weapons. An average
trained character will have a Bujutsu value of 2.
Buki (B)– this is the primary weapon that the character is
using. All weapons have a Buki (B+) value which is added
to the character’s Bujutsu value.
Nouroku – a character may have abilities and special
powers which give them special rules to use in some
situations that will occur during the game. Some of these
rules will be detrimental to the character. Weapons and
equipment are also noted in the character’s Nouroku.
Larger games with 10-20 characters a side tend to
increase the playing time by about an hour. Some
players will play with even larger forces but a lot of the
characters will be ‘extras’.
Character Conventions
Characters can be based as the player sees fit, so long as
they are not on overtly large bases. In order for different
sized and shaped bases to be used the following
conventions are followed:
• A character can only be in base to base contact with
four other figures.
• A base width is determined by a standard size base. If
different sized bases are used in a force (or game) it may
be useful to have a base on a stick to use.
• A character has no facing as such, it is presumed they are
tracking and moving around within the space occupied
by the figure on a constant basis.
• It is presumed the character is in the most appropriate
stance for the terrain or task, the figure can be placed on

its front to show it is prone, on its back, head pointing
to the opponent to show they are floored. Wounded
figures can be laid on its back with their head pointing
towards their player. Some players like to use tokens or
alternative figures to show these states.
Clan Affairs
Most characters in Bushi no Yume will be members of a
Clan, family or gang. In a standard game a player will be
able to choose characters totalling up to 60 Koku. A larger
game will see 100-120 Koku being available to recruit a
Tomozei. Characters to use can be found in the Tomozei
(Retinue) section of rules on page 23. Once the players
have got a Tomozei together and chosen a scenario it’s
time to play …
Ikimasho - LeT us go
How a typical game begins
Set Up - On the first turn of the game the players roll a six
sided die (from now on known as a d6) to see who is to
be classed as the attacker. The player rolling the highest
number can choose. However, in an ongoing campaign
this might be predetermined. The defender then chooses
and places the terrain, again this might be determined,
or limited, by the scenario or by the campaign. The
attacker may then choose which table edge will be their
baseline and normally the opposite edge will belong to
the opponent.
In the above photo, the table is set, the Tomozei (retinues) are ready - let the game
begin!
Placing the forces – Defender’s forces are normally placed
first. Unless dictated otherwise this must be within a
Medium Length of their base edge. The attacking forces
are then placed within a Short Length of their base edge.
The table is normally a 2’x2’ table for 20mm figures and
under and a 3’x3’ table for 25mm plus figures. This size
table will be all that is required for a normal size game,
the morale rules are designed to have a base edge within
about three Medium Length moves of the table middle.
If bigger forces are used we normally increase the players
base edge and not the width of the table. Most of our 120
Koku point games are played on a 4’x3’ table.
Initiative and Karma card roll – Initiative determines Some factors may modify the Kyu level when testing:
who has the first turn and is only rolled for at the • Within influence range of a Leader and or Hata Jirushi/
beginning of the game. Both players roll 1d6 and add Nobori (banners) -1
any scenario modifiers. The highest total (or the attacker
in the case of a draw) has the initiative. The Initiative Roll The influence range will vary, Leaders have Long Length
also determines if anyone gets a Karma Card that turn. range, Sub Leaders and Banners have a Short Length
From the second turn onwards a Karma Card Roll is done range.
at the beginning of EVERY turn. Please note; this is not
an initiative roll. If the player does not have his TURN ended, they can
activate another character until either they pass the turn
A player’s game turn – The player who won the initiative to the opponent because they fail two dice OR they have
will begin the game. That player chooses one of their activated all the characters that they wish to.
characters to activate. Once activated the character is
able to perform a number of actions in the turn. The The second player then follows the same procedure,
actual number is determined by the player and how when their turn is over it is the END of turn 1 for both
well they roll during the ACTIVATION ROLL. The player players.
can choose to try for between one and three actions for
that character. They roll between one and three dice, any At the start of turn two Karma cards are rolled for but
of the dice which are EQUAL or ABOVE a players KYU remember there is no activation roll. Player 1 may then
GRADE gives the character an action activate any character they wish and attempt to roll
them some actions. It is important to note that this can
SOKE SAYS: It is obvious that the lower a character’s KYU be any character even if not every character activated in
GRADE the better they are. Throughout the game there may be the previous turn, there is no restriction.
modifiers to a character’s KYU GRADE roll which is shown as -1
etc, thus making them more likely to pass … This is important Characters may only activate once in a turn although in
to remember! some instances they may interrupt the opponents turn
(see ZANSHIN page 9).
Here is the CRUX of the activation sequence:
IF a player fails to gain an action on 2 or 3 of the dice Matte – When the game stops.
rolled his TURN is over and the opponent begins The game continues until one force is no longer
theirs. combative … This may happen because they have all
fled the battlefield, the scenario has a time limit and/or
This can be seen clearly on the chart below, in reality specific victory conditions or, in a few rare cases, they
though all a player has to remember is that if they do not have all been killed.
fail with two dice (either because they passed enough or
only rolled one die) their turn can continue. Actions
Once activated a character may receive a number of
Activation Results Table actions. The player can use these actions to make the
Dice Roll Actions character ‘perform’ on the table top. A character must
1 failure no action; player may activate another (unless in one very special Leader action exception)
character. perform all their actions before the player moves onto
1 success 1 action, then player may activate another character in their Tomozei (retinue). A character
another figure. can not receive 3 actions, use two of them and then come
1 success & 1 failure 1 action, then player may activate back for the third when other characters have moved.
another figure.
1 success & 2 failures 1 action, then play passes to the SOKE SAYS: For this reason it is very important to choice which
opponent. characters to activate carefully. One character may be able to
2 or 3 failures no actions, play passes to the opponent have a great effect on the actions of another if they activate
2 successes 2 actions, player may activate beforehand. This might range from a Leader moving into their
another character. effective influence range or an ashigaru ‘pinning’ an enemy
2 successes & 1 failure 2 actions, player may before a samurai rushes in for the kill.
activate another character.
3 successes 3 actions, after that the player may An action can be used by the character to do a number of
activate another character. activities on the table top. Some very common examples
are found in the chart below:
On a roll of 1,1,1 the character’s Kyu Grade worsens +1 Normal Length Move 1 action
On a roll of 6,6,6 the character receives 4 actions. Short Move through dense/hindering terrain 2 actions
Close Combat attack 1 action


Perform a powerful hand to hand attack (-1 on opponent’s
Bujutsu level) 2 actions
Achieving ZANSHIN 2 actions
Snap attack with a ranged weapon 1 action
Aimed Shot with a ranged weapon
(-1 on opponent’s Combat Total) 2 actions
Reload or swap a weapon during a turn 1 action
Disengage from hand to hand combat 1 action
(move one base width away)
Recover from floored (remain prone) 1 action
Standing from Prone 1 action
Casting a spell 1-3 actions
A normal character can only attack once in their
activation. However, this can be at any point in the
activation with the only caveat being, that unless a
character has a special ability saying otherwise, it ends a
movement action. Note, this does not stop them making
a movement action into Close Combat, striking, then if
they can making another movement action.
However, they can use actions to enhance their strike or
shot, think of this as targeting a weak spot or nerve point,
or aiming the ranged shot carefully. This takes one off
the opponent’s total which makes it easier to double.
Moving around
Characters move around
the table top using the
Length sticks. An average
human character who is
not encumbered in any
way uses the Medium
Length for their base
movement. This models
fairly cautious movement
within a dangerous
environment. Obviously
the more actions spent
moving will determine
the distance the character
moves during their
activation. A character can
move from one end of the
stick to the other (or any
where between) by using an available action. This is
done from the front of the base to the rear of the base.
Astute readers will realise that larger bases cover more
ground and this was intentional as it gives a large model
a slightly bigger movement. Slight variations in base
sizes amongst opponents will make little difference.
The major difference between movement in Bushi no
Yume and other games is that although not all the move
allowance has to be made, the movement MUST be in a
straight line along the stick. The only way to go around
an object or to turn a corner is to make multiple moves.
This nicely models the difficulty of negotiating objects
and corners while moving.

If a character is PRONE they can crawl a Short Length. We
usually stand the figure to move it and then lay it down
prone again to avoid any difficulties.
If at any point in their movement action a character’s
base would contact that of an enemy they are deemed
to be in effective combat, even if no strikes take place, we
say the characters are ‘pinned’. In reality the characters
might not be in physical contact but are occupied with
each other, facing off, finding their combat distance etc.
SOKE SAYS: Some players like to play that a character must
stop if they come within a base width of an enemy character.
In this case they are not deemed to be in effective combat but it
models a character having to ‘jink’ or ‘sidestep’ an opponent.
Moving through friendly characters – a character can
move through the space occupied by a friendly figure so
long as the friendly character is not involved in combat or
in a cramped situation. Cramped situations will include
very narrow tunnels and passages, we suggest that these
areas on the table top are specified before play begins.
It is presumed that the friendly figure will turn to ‘make
room’. However, if movement does not allow the character
to completely clear the friendly base the character must
stop before the friendly character’s base. A character
may recoil through a friend so long as there is room,
this implies the figures must be theoretically on the
same size base.
Encumbered characters – Carrying a heavy or
awkward load will have an effect on the movement
rate of the character. In such cases the character
will use one lesser movement Length. For example
an encumbered character who usually moves a
Medium Length will move a Short Length while
encumbered unless they have the Strong ability.
Some objects can be carried using a group action to
negate the movement penalty. Characters moving
a Short Length as their base movement can only
use a maximum of one action for movement while
encumbered. Some heavy armour has an effect on
movement rates, the heavily armoured character
is only allowed to use one of their normal base
movement Lengths, any other movement is done using
a shorter Length.
Moving through terrain – There are six classes of terrain
in Bushi no Yume, Clear, Broken, Dense, Obstacles,
impassable and Hindering.
CLEAR – all characters can move easily over clear
terrain.
BROKEN TERRAIN – Examples would be patches of rocky
ground, marsh, crops, knee deep water, loose bamboo
groves and the inside of buildings. A character normally
moves a shorter Length when moving through Broken
Terrain. For example a character who would normally
move a Medium Length would move a Short Length
through Broken Terrain. A character who would normally
move a Short Length would need to spend two actions
to move a Short Length in broken terrain.
DENSE TERRAIN – Examples would be waist deep
water, very dense bamboo groves, rice paddies etc. All
characters need to spend two actions to move a Short
Length through Dense Terrain.
SOKE SAYS: Woods and Forests (including bamboo) can be
classified as Broken or Dense Terrain. We use a terrain coloured
template to delineate the edges of the area of terrain. In this
way any models on the template can be moved to enable easy
figure placement.
OBSTACLES – Examples range from linear types like
walls and hedges to blocking obstacles like boulders.
For linear types below head height a character moves
a shorter Length when moving over them, like Broken
Terrain. For higher obstacles the character will need to
climb or heroic leap over them.
HINDERING TERRAIN – Some terrain can be classed as
hindering terrain. It is any terrain that is aimed at either
slowing the character down or triggering an alarm
of some sort. Examples of such terrain would include
nightingale floorboards which squeaked and moved
when walked upon, twine crisscrossed across a corridor
to trip and slow down and even tetsubishi (caltrops)
which were strewn to hinder a pursuer. Two actions are
required to move one base width into the terrain. From
that point it costs the character two actions to move a
Short Length as the character has to use their utmost
concentration. If the hindering terrain also acts as an
alarm the actions must be accompanied by a Kyu Grade
check or the alarm will be raised.

Other terrain features:
Paper walls – shoji walls and doors are obviously not really
very good security, they may be ‘cut’ through using an
action or just barged through using a Short Length.
Doors, gates, steps and stairs – characters must always stop
at a closed door, even if it is not locked. Doors should be
classified as locked or ‘stuck’ before starting the game.
If this is not done, the players should presume that any
outdoor doors/gates are locked and any indoor ones are
open. Characters can break down doors and attempting
to do so costs one action. Breaking down the door is
treated as a task with the difficulty being appropriate to
the size and strength of the door. The Kyu Grade of the
character is modified as follows:
Character is strong -1
Using a ram -1
Each character helping -1
The door must be large enough.
Each opponent +1
They are holding it from the other side.
Stairs and steps are treated as broken terrain. In most
buildings count moving up or down levels, via steps/
stairs, as costing one action. If the building is derelict roll
1d6 when the character is using the steps/stairs. On a roll
of a 1 is it deemed they have collapsed and the character
will sustain falling damage.
Tobijutsu – leaping around.
A character may leap across a gap their normal movement
Length wide if they pass a Kyu Grade Test Roll on 1d6.
A die is rolled against the Character’s Kyu value. If the
roll is equal or exceeds the value the leap has spanned a
normal movement Length. If the roll is less than the value
then the leap is short and the distance covered is one
less Length. In other words a Medium Length moving
character will only manage a leap of a Short Length.
SOKE SAYS: Some players like to play that if a character
fails on ONE less than the target roll they are left
‘hanging’ by their finger tips, taking an action for the
character to ‘pull themselves’ up.
Apply the following modifiers to character’s Kyu
Grade for the test:
-1 if the character has ‘karumijutsu’ skill.
-1 if the character focuses themselves before the
‘leap’. This involves spending an action doing so.
-1 for every move action spent before the leap.
+1 if the character is wearing partial armour or
carrying excessive equipment.
+2 if the character is wearing full armour.
If the leap distance is not enough to clear the gap
the model will fall and take the normal falling
damage.
Hassles and Hinderances – not every take off or landing
spot is going to be secure. Moss covered stones, uneven
footing on the take-off or landing will all worsen the Kyu
Grade … apply a +1 to the Character’s Kyu Grade.
Vertical leaps – work out as above but the vertical leap
distance is a Short Length, if it fails the character will not
move position.
Leaping over linear objects up to ‘chest height’ is
automatic and uses a Short Length, higher walls and
hedges are tested for as a leap, moving to the other side
if successful. If the roll is failed the character will not
move over the object.
Falling Damage – When a character falls, either as a
result of a recoil off an object or a failed leap or climb test,
they must make a Kyu Grade Test roll on 1d6 if the fall is
a Short Length in height, 2d6 if it is a Medium Length
and 3d6 if it is a Long Length or more. Any fail leaves the
character ‘floored’
and is a wound roll.
Remember some
skills will modify
the Kyu Grade.
Mounted Characters Characters mounting or
dismounting a horse requires one action unless they
have the born rider, Karumijutsu or the Ukemi skill in
which case they may mount or dismount at the end
of a movement action so long as they are not fully
armoured.
An unencumbered ridden horse moves a long distance
on firm surfaces. If the surface is ‘hard’, for example a road,
or ‘soft’, for example rain soaked ground or moorland,
the horse only moves a medium distance but may make
one long move per activation. Firm terrain is the default
terrain for a game.
Crossing a linear obstacle by ‘jumping’ decreases the
movement Length by one category. This jump may be
up to the height of the back of the horse model. Jumping
from this single height to approximately twice the horse
back height is a difficult task with the Kyu Grade being
taken as that of the rider. The consequence of failing will
be the horse refusing the jump, stopping at the obstacle
and the rider having to take a Kyu Grade check to avoid
falling off.
Jumping over ‘gaps’ is treated as a ‘leap’ and it is the Kyu
Grade of the rider that is tested against. Failure sees the
horse refusing to jump and the rider having to make a
Kyu Grade Test Roll on 1d6 to avoid being dismounted

(place the character ‘prone’ next to the horse).
When used to charge into Close Combat with foot
characters the horse gives the attacker B+2 on the initial
contact. After the initial contact the horse does not add
any extra value to the combat score; any advantages are
deemed to be outweighed by the horse being a target.
If a mounted character is forced to ‘recoil’ they must roll
1d6. On a roll of a 1 the horse rears and throws the rider
who is placed prone next to the horse.
If a mounted character is wounded but not from
combat, randomly determine if it is the horse or rider
that is wounded. If it is the horse it is removed from play,
deemed too injured to carry on or to have bolted, the
rider is laid prone and suffers a B+2 attack immediately.
Firing at or fighting a horse and rider is done as normal.
However, the following hit resolution outcomes are
used:
If the horse and rider is ‘trebled’ the rider is deemed to be
killed in action and falls off the horse.
If the horse and rider is ‘doubled’ the horse is deemed to
be out of action and either rears or falls to the ground.
The rider finds themselves prone on the ground and
immediately takes a B+2 attack.
If the horse and rider are beaten the horse is deemed
to have shied away, the horse moves a short and the
rider must make a Kyu Grade Test (at +1) to choose the
direction of the movement. If they fail the horse will
move a short stick in a random direction. This may well
result in a collision.
Group Activations
A Shuryou (Leader) can use one of their actions to give
a ‘Group Activation’ order. In Bushi no Yume a group can
consist of up to five characters. At least one member
of the Group must be within the Shuryou’s Command
Range. If any of the Group are Kyu Grade 5 or 6 the group
members must be in base to base contact with at least
one of the other Group Members. For other Kyu Grades a
group may be formed by characters being within a Short
Length of another group member.
Once the Group Order has been given the Group activates
as if they are one character. The Kyu Grade of the Group
is taken to be the worst Kyu Grade of any member of
the group. The Group members receive the amount of
actions shown by the activation roll and the characters
 Dice in Bushi no Yume
The only dice used in Bushi no Yume is the good
old common six sided die, numbered 1-6, this will
be called a d6 throughout the rules. The reason for
this is that it is easy for players to get hold of and
the spread of results are not too extreme.
At some points in the game players may be asked
to roll a 3 sided die, in the rules it is written as d3. If
a d3 is called for the player must roll a d6 reading
1&2 as 1, 3&4 as 2 and 5&6 as 3.
Activation rolls involve using three d6 (written as
3d6) and if the player rolls:
1,1,1 – the Kyu Grade of the character being rolled
for is worsened by one for the rest of the game
(this means you +1 to the Kyu Grade). If rolling for
a group the player may choose one character to
apply this to.
6,6,6 – the character has a burst of energy and
inspiration and may do 4 actions instead of the
normal 3. If rolling for a group the player may
choose one character to apply this to.
OPTIONAL RULE
Dai Roku – comes into play when rolling for
combat. If the player rolls a ‘6’ during combat then
it will explode. The player may roll another d6 and
adds the number shown to the existing result, if
this roll also happens to be a ‘6’ yet another die
may be thrown. However the spirit of the die is,
as all the samurai know; a fickle character and if
at any point a ‘1’ is rolled on a Dai Roku die then
NOTHING is added to the characters Combat Total
at all, including the initial ‘6’.
Naming conventions in Bushi no Yume
Japanese names will maintain their original ‘family
name’ first format.
Player – the person in charge of the force playing
the game.
Tomozei – the collection of characters that the
player ‘controls’.
Character – the table-top representation of a
‘person’ in the force.
Figure – whatever is used to represent the
character, usually a metal or plastic ‘figure’.
Personality – a special character with skills and
attributes that are limited when making the
‘tomozei’ (retinue).
are activated one by one. If two fails are rolled then it is
the end of the player’s turn, just as normal. If the turn is
not passed to the opponent in this way AND the Leader
has any actions left the player may return to the Leader
and continue with their move. This is the only exception
to the rule.
Rally/Regroup – this is a special group action. It takes
a Shuryou one action to give the order and then any
characters who have not yet activated that turn AND
are within the Leader’s Command Range can act as a
group. However ALL actions gained must be used to
move towards base to base contact with the Leader or
designated rally point (banner etc).
Group actions without a Leader – sometimes two more
characters will need to act together as a group without
being in Command Range of a Leader. Examples of such
times include where two characters are carrying a heavy
load, or where characters are acting to break down a
door. This is permitted for ease of game play.
Flashing Katana
How the characters fight
Combat in Bushi no
Yume happens in
two ways; Ranged
Combat, where
a character fires,
throws or blows
a projectile at the
target and Close
Combat where the
characters are both
hacking at each
other with their hand
weapons. Magic in
the mythical world
of Nippon is covered
later.
Abunai !
Danger lurks around every corner and bush! A character
can launch an ambush using either Ranged or Close
Combat, if they start their turn in concealing cover which
blocks line of sight to them, or they are ‘hidden’. The
ambushing character will get +1 to their combat total.
So long as the attack happens during their activation it
can be combined with other combat actions. They can
however only make one move action before the attack.
Zanshin
Zanshin is a heightened state of awareness where the
warrior is waiting for an opening to attack. In Bushi no
Yume it is only characters who are in Zanshin who are
allowed to interrupt the opponents turn. It takes two
actions to achieve Zanshin and is only open to those
characters of a higher Kyu Grade (1,2,3 or 4) who are not
in combat. A character in Zanshin can react to movement
in their Line of Sight with one action. If this is a combat
action they do so at -1 to their Bujutsu value. If they
choose to act with a movement action this movement
uses a Short Length. This movement can be into Contact
or can be used to move into cover etc. Note that with

only one action most characters will only be able to move
into contact and ‘pin’ an opponent. Zanshin is removed
when it is used OR at the end of the opponents turn.
Close Combat
In order to fight in hand to hand combat the character’s
figure must be in base to base combat with opponent’s
figure. This does not mean that in reality they are within
touching distance, they would actually be at the correct
maai (combat distance) for the weapon they are using.
However on the table-top the figures are shown as
touching to avoid any ambiguity.
SOKE SAYS: it may surprise some gamers that there is no
charge bonus for the attacker. This is because in my experience
it is normally not an advantage to ‘charge in’ to an experienced
fighter. Any impetus advantage is quickly negated by the
opponent being able to manoeuvre in the action which a
small skirmish game is modelling.
Here they come - Closing to contact with an opponent
who has a ranged weapon can be difficult. If the
opponent has a ranged weapon, and the attacker starts
further away than a Short Length they may choose to try
and get a shot out as the attacker closes. They roll a 3d6
Kyu Grade Test Roll when the attacker is a Short Length
away, Shuryou bonus may not be added:
3 Successes – character gets a shot at the attacker. This is
worked out normally but with a -1 to the firer. If this does
not stop the attacker the defender fights using his best
weapon.
2 Successes - character gets a shot at the attacker. This is
worked out normally but with a -2 to the firer. If this does
not stop the attacker the character fights using his best
weapon.
1 Success – the character decides against trying and
readies their weapon. Fight close combat as normal.
0 Successes – the character fails miserably to get a shot
out and is caught trying to change weapons. They count
as being ‘fazed’.
Ishizuka Shihan and his ashigaru retainers find themselves to be the first
line of defence against the Oni and his Gaki .
10
Close Combat mechanics:
Both characters are deemed to be exchanging blows
during the combat phase and either character can
wound or kill each other. Both characters work out their
COMBAT VALUE and add the roll of a d6 to determine their
COMBAT TOTAL. This is then compared to the opponent’s
to determine the result. The Base Combat Value of most
human characters is a Bu2 or Bu3.
A weapon adds to the total by its Buki Value which is
primarily based on how much damage the weapon has
the possibility of doing on an unarmoured opponent
with an average successful strike:
Blunt impact weapons +1
Examples: tessen, yawara, jutte, improvised impact
weapons, kusuri-fundo (manrikigasuri), Unarmed
combat skill, jo, hanbo, rokushakubo, nyuibo
Short bladed weapons +1
Examples: tanto, aiguchi, shoto (wakizashi), kama,
shoge,
Longer bladed weapons +2
Examples: katana, dai katana, no-dachi, tachi, ninjato,
yari, naginata, ono
The COMBAT TOTAL is:
Characters Base Bujutsu Value (Bux) + the weapon’s Buki
(B+x) + Combat Modifiers + the roll of 1d6
Combat Modifiers
Higher ground or defending obstacle +1
(On contact only)
Better weapon modifier if applicable +1
Mounted vs non mounted (on contact) +2
Attacking floored/immobile opponent +2
(any non kill hit is a wound)
Attacking from prone -1
Ambushing +1
Powerful blow (on opponents Bu) -1
Fighting multiple opponents (per figure) -1
Fazed * -1
*Fazed is removed at the end
of the combat phase.
Once both Combat Totals
have been worked out they
are compared on the, Combat
Results Chart, if wearing
armour add to losing roll
before comparing.
Ranged Combat Mechanics
Ranged combat works in
a similar way. Shooting or
throwing a projectile is done using an ‘attack action’. This
can be ‘aimed’ by the use of another action.
Target Restrictions - The target must be within the
maximum range of the weapon. Also the firer must have
line of sight and a line of fire to the target. In simple
terms they must be able to draw a line from the firer to
the target (centre to centre) which does not pass through
and solid objects or friendly figures. Some players use a
piece of string to check this while other players use a pen
laser pointer. The only exception to the friendly figure
rule is when the firer is in base to base contact with the
friendly figure. In this case it is presumed that in reality
one of the characters would be crouching. To otherwise
fire between two friendly figures there must be a gap of
at least two base widths between them. The firer must
attack the closest target (although they can ignore one
in cover over a target in
the open) unless they
pass a Kyu Grade Test
Roll on 1d6. If they pass
they are able to pick a
target of their choice.
Shooting into combat
A character may not fire
out of Close Combat
unless their opponent
is at least ‘floored’. If a
character chooses to fire
into close combat the
target is randomised.
This is done before
rolling the combat dice.
The firer and target both
roll to find their Combat
Total as below:
Characters Base Bujutsu
Value (Bux) + the weapon’s Buki (B+x) for the FIRER only
+ Combat Modifiers for the FIRER ONLY+ the roll of 1d6
A ranged weapon adds to the total by its Buki Value
which is primarily based on how much damage the
weapon has the possibility of doing on an unarmoured
opponent with an average successful strike:
Thrown blades, weights, fukiya and pistols
Short range +0
Shuriken/Shaken (models a number thrown rapidly)
Short range but can move and fire +1
Muskets and Hankyu
Medium Range +1
Rifles (post 1830s) and Dai Kyu
Long Range +2
Ranged fire modifiers:
Target is in effective range to (2x range band) 0
Target is 2-3x range away -1
Target is 3-4x range away -2
Target 4x to max range away -4
11
Firing and moving in same action (limited) -1
Firing from Zanshin -1
Firing at ‘Hidden’ target -5
Target obscured -1
Target prone (no modifier within Short) -1
Target is floored - non Kill hit is a wound. +2
Shooting from ambush position +1
Target is Mounted, Big or Huge +1
Anyone taking an Aimed shot -1
Applied to the opponent’s combat value
Using unfamiliar weapon -1
Firing at a character with the ukemi skill -1
Once both Combat Totals have been worked out they
are compared on the, Combat Results
Chart, if wearing armour add to losing
roll before comparing.
COMBAT RESULTS TABLE
Draw:
Ranged combat misses
Melee combat move attacker/s back
a base width and the figures are
disengaged.
Win but not double or more the
opponent:
Ranged combat, target seeks cover.
Melee combat, opponent recoils back
a base width, winner/s may follow up,
back into contact unless otherwise
engaged in close combat.
If won on a 6 the opponent is ‘floored’
Win and double or more the
opponent:
Wounded - Loser ‘floored’ and must
make a wound check at the start of the
owning player’s turn. Until the check they count as being
‘floored’.
Win and triple or more the opponent:
Opponent is killed outright.
Triple opponent’s score on a roll of a ‘6’ Opponent has been
killed in a particularly gruesome fashion. Attacker gains 2
ON points and opponents within a long length have to take
a morale check.
If a figure can’t recoil the state of the figure becomes
worse. So a character will become floored, a floored
character will be wounded etc
NB. Any civilian or character classed as ‘eta’ or an ‘extra’ is
killed automatically on any winning roll.
Recoil – the loser reels back under the onslaught from
the attacker, place the figure a base width away in the
direction the main attack came from. If this is not possible
the state of the character becomes one worse.
Seek cover – the character has a sudden longing to get
behind cover. Move the Character up to a Short Length
into cover. This is an automatic movement, is ‘free’ and
happens immediately. If there is no cover available the
Character is moved a Short Length directly away from
the firer.
Floored – the loser is knocked to the ground and must
recover during their next activation. This recovery takes
one action and leaves the character prone. Thus to
recover and stand takes two actions. Floored Characters
are more prone to being injured when attacked, the
attacker receives a +2 to their Combat Total.
Wound check – the character must roll on the Wound
Table at the beginning of the players next turn. They may
need to make multiple tests of course.
Killed – the character is killed outright.
Gory Death – the character has been killed in a
particularly gruesome fashion and any friendly character
within a long can see or hear the event. They must make
a Morale Test immediately.
Armour and hard cover – armour and hard cover in
Bushi no Yume does not make the character harder to
hit, but does makes them harder to harm. There are two
classes of armour:
FULL ARMOUR O-Yorei and Do-maru, with Kabuto (helmet)
and Men (face plate) – this is what most people think of
when they imagine samurai armour. Much more flexible
than European plate it was designed for mounted
warriors but did enable the wearer to fight on foot
for a limited amount of time. However, the idea that it
was light and easy to move around in is somewhat of a
fallacy. While providing a good amount of protection it
did stifle manoeuvrability. Within the confines of a game
it is deemed the character will not become fatigued.
However, the character can only make one Medium
Length move a turn, any other movement actions
use a Short Length. The armour will however add two
(+2) to any LOSING combat roll. This is added after it is
determined that the character has lost and can not help
12
them ‘win’ the combat.
PARTIAL ARMOUR O-Yorei/Do-maru or Kusari/Tatami-do
(Chain), Ashigaru type – all lighter types of armour. Easy
to move around in and not overly heavy it lends a decent
amount of protection. The armour will make it harder to
do some tasks but does not hinder normal movement.
The armour will add one (+1) to any LOSING combat roll.
This is added after it is determined that the character has
lost and can not help them ‘win’ the combat.
Donning Armour – Donning partial armour takes one
action, full armour takes two actions to don. These must
be in one activation phase not spread over activations.
Hard cover is treated as Full Armour. However, remember
it will also give a -1 to the Attacker’s/Firer’s Combat Total
for the target being obscured.
WOUND CHECK TABLE
Use the following mechanic if the Combat Result table
indicated that the character must make a wound check.
At the beginning of the player’s next turn they roll 3d6,
trying to pass as many ‘die’ as possible depending on
what weapon caused the wound:
• Test against a 4 if the weapon was any impact
or ranged weapon.
•Test against a 5 if the weapon was any cutting
or piercing weapon.
•Test against a 6 if the character is already
wounded or is poisoned and their Kyu level has
reached ‘7’.
3 successes – Flesh wound, back in action, the
character stands and can be activated
this turn.
2 successes – Bad wound, can only move short and is
on -2 to Combat. The character stands and
can NOT be activated this turn.
1 success – Serious wound, is out of action and needs
to be carried.
0 success – Mortal wound, the character is dead.
SPECIAL WEAPON RULES
Better weapon modifier:
Some weapons have an inherent advantage over other
weapons and will receive a +1 to the Combat Total.
Below is an example better weapon hierarchy from best
to worse, most other weapons will be able to ‘best fit’
into the list:
1) Katana, No-dachi, Naginata*, Tachi, Dai-katana
2) Ninjato, Yari*, Ono
3) Rokushaku Bo*, Shoge, Kama, Nyuibo
4) Hanbo, kusuri fundo or similar, Taijutsu
5) Tanto or similar
6) Improvised weapons
7) Unarmed

Long reach weapons:
These are marked with a * in the Better Weapon Modifier
hierarchy. Two handed weapons between 6’-9’, such as
the rokushaku bo (6 foot staff ), naginata (halberd type
weapon) and yari (thrusting spear) are classed as ‘Long
Reach Weapons’ . These weapons get an optional +2
in combat as skilled practitioners can utilise the maai
(combat distance) of the weapon. Imagine the character
in a one to one combat twirling or fake thrusting the
weapon to keep the opponent back. When fighting
multiple opponents they could be swirling the weapon
around themselves.
However, if they use this +2 modifier and they win the
combat on anything but a triple, the opponent and
anyone contributing to the fight is only moved back
a base width as if they are recoiling. If they triple the
opponent/s they are all are floored! Using maai to this
effect is a skill and only characters with a Bujutsu of +3
or more can utilise the weapon reach in this way.
Long Reach Weapons always count as a ‘better weapon’
over any other non ‘Long Reach’ weapon in a combat until
they are beaten. From this point the other weapon will
count as the better weapon. This models the difficulty of
‘getting’ inside a Long Reach weapon and the fact that
once a character is ‘inside’ the Long Reach weapon is
often at a disadvantage.
Kusuri - Chain/rope and weight weapons - Often hidden
but they have a short range, treat as a ranged weapon.
However, if the weapon wielder has the ‘kusuri-jutsu’
ability it can be used to disarm.
Ranged Weapons – If a ranged weapon rolls a ‘1’ during
the Combat Roll they must immediately roll 1d6, on
another roll of a ‘1’ the character has no more ammo for
the rest of the game.
Weapon abilities
Entangle – if an entangle weapon doubles the opponent
the opponent is not wounded but is entangled and fights
at -3 to combat until disengaged or they win a round of
combat. If a triple is achieved the opponent fights at a
-4 to combat until disengaged or they win a round of
combat.
13
Poison – if a character is hit with a poisoned weapon
they must pass a Kyu Grade Test Roll or their Kyu Grade
is increased by one (+1). This makes them a worse Kyu
Grade remember. If their Kyu Value reaches 7 they are
wounded and this is tested for on a ‘6’.
Reload – some weapons need to be reloaded, this is
automatically done at the end of a players turn. It can
be done within a turn by spending an action doing so.
This will only be useful for characters with the Menkyo
Kaidan ability.
Slow Reload – some weapons are very slow to reload and
have to spend an action to reload before being fired
again, they are not automatically reloaded at the end of
a player’s turn.
Move and Shoot – some weapons, like the shaken/shuriken,
can be thrown/shot in the same action that the character
moved. However this has a -1 modifier to the Combat
Roll.
Stealthy – some weapons are basically silent and require
little movement, they may be used and still maintain a
characters ‘hidden’ status.
Fires, explosions and smoke
Fire was a terrifying thing in a land where buildings used
a lot of wood and paper in their construction. Setting
an object on fire is an easy task (increase difficulty in
bad weather). Once it is burning the fire will be a circle
a Short Length in diameter. It will double in size every
turn. To put one section of fire out is a difficult task for
a character, having water or fire fighting equipment
makes it an easy task. Characters caught in fire will take
a B+3 attack in every turn they are in the fire (including
the opponent’s turn).
Gunpowder explosions cause a B+3 attack, the area of
effect depends on what caused the explosion and ranges
in game terms from a base width in diameter to a Short
Length.
Smoke causes a cloud of obscuring terrain a Short Length
in diameter per section of fire which is burning for two
turns or more. Either remove at the end of the second
turn or as an option roll a d6. On a 1-3 it stays around and
on a 4-6 it disperses.
Tasks
A ‘task’ is a catch all phrase for activities that fall outside of
a character’s normal ‘actions’. These tasks may take many
forms. In fact anything not covered by the normal rules
can be played out as a task. Examples can be as diverse as
moving stealthily past a guard; avoiding the down grade
to the movement Length for objects; solving puzzles/
riddles; challenging another character to a game of ‘GO’
or even a Haiku competition.
Character’s attempt to achieve an unopposed task by
the use of a ‘TASK ROLL’. Basically this is a roll against
a character’s modified Kyu Grade with 3d6. On three
successes the task is considered to be completed, on two
successes the task is completed but may not be done
perfectly. This will rarely matter in game terms, however,
use it to determine the quality of the ‘job’ when forging
papers, painting a picture to give a Daimyo etc. It can
be used as a comparative assessment for a similar task
undertaken by another character.
On only one success the task is not yet completed. It will
be deemed the task is complete at the beginning of the
character’s next activation.
On zero successes the task is not completed (the
character has failed) and the character will be at +1 to
their Kyu Grade if they attempt the task again.
Task Modifiers to Kyu Grade
Task is deemed to be ‘easy’ - This is a task which one would
normally expect the character to be able to do in one
action easily. The Kyu Grade is not modified at all.
Task is deemed to be ‘moderate’ - This is a task which one would
normally expect the character to be able to achieve with
some work in one action. The Kyu Grade is modified by
+1. An example of such a task would be the trying to
solve a riddle or repairing some damaged equipment.
Task is deemed to be ‘difficult’ - This is a task that one would
normally expect the character to have a lot of trouble
achieving in one action. The Kyu Grade is modified by
+2.
‘You have to be joking’ - This is a task that is near impossible
to achieve full stop. The task will only be successful by
rolling a triple 6.
Morale
When to make a break for it
Individual characters are required to take a Morale Test
at various points during the game:
• Immediately when the tomozei have lost 50% or more
of their original KOKU total by losing characters who are
either dead or seriously wounded.
• Immediately when a Leader is killed.
• When they are within a Long Length of a Gory Death,
they do not have to be within line of sight to be effected.
The blood curdling sound may be enough!
• When instructed to do so by a Karma Card.
•Any non personality character every time another
character is killed. or leaves the table, after reaching the
50% trigger point.
• When they are the only character left on the table from
their Tomozei. The test must be made every turn.
A Morale Test is a 3d6 test taken against the character’s
modified Kyu Grade. A roll must equal or exceed the
modified Kyu Grade to count as a success. For each
failure the character must move a normal move towards
14
the nearest table edge. This is done at the normal
movement rate ignoring Broken Terrain or linear object
movement penalties. These movement actions can’t
leave the character nearer to any enemy at the end of
movement actions than they were at the beginning. If
this is not possible the character will ‘surrender’.
If the character is ‘floored’ when they have to move due
to morale they must use the first action to stand. If they
fail to move out of a short length of any enemy they
must ‘surrender’.
If the character is forced to leave close combat due to a
morale check any characters they are fighting will get a
free attack on the fleeing character. It does not take an
action to disengage however.
Personalities and Morale
Personalities automatically have the Tetsujin ability and
they are not very likely to run away. However, any fails
on the test sees their Kyu Grade made worse by one per
fail. If their Kyu Grade reaches 6 then the character will
commit seppuka (ritual suicide).
If this happens the character immediately declares their
intention. Any personality from either side who is within
a Medium Length may be moved next to the figure to
act as a ‘Second’. The character committing Seppuka
must make a Kyu Grade Test on 3d6.
0 successes – The character completely botches the
attempt. The Tomozei lose double the ON than normal.
The Second rolls a d6 and on a 6 they receive 3 ON for
making a final cut which restores some dignity to the
situation.
1 success – If the Second passes a 1d6 Kyu Grade Test the
Tomozei will not lose any ON. If there is no Second the
Tomozei will lose the normal amount of ON +1.
2 successes – The character shows great ‘Ki’ and the
Tomozei will not lose any ON. Of course the Koku loss
will count towards the Tomozei’s 50% point test.
3 successes – The character could not have performed
better, the Second gains 1 On and the characters tomozei
gain 4 ON. Of course the Koku loss will count towards the
Tomozei’s 50% point test.
Nouroku
Special character traits/abilities
Nouroku add personality to the characters and creatures
in the game. They add detail to the basic rules and should
be listed on the player’s Tomozei list. Some Nouroku can
give increased benefits if the character gets more skilled.
Advantageous abilities add to the character’s Koku value,
whilst disadvantageous traits decrease the value.
Nouroku marked with * can only be used by Personality
Characters.
The Koku value is shown in the Tomozei section.
Shuryou * (Leader) – the character is the leader of the
Tomozei and has a Command Distance of a Long Length.
They are capable of giving a ‘Group Order’ and enhance
a character’s Kyu Grade (-1) if the character is activated
within the Command Distance and Line of Sight of the
Leader. This also effects various Kyu Grade tests such as
Morale.
Hanchou * – the character is the Leaders ‘right hand man’
and has a Command Distance of a Short Length. Within
this Command Distance a character will act as one better
Kyu Grade during activation and Morale.
Gunshin * – the character is a Hero. They automatically
pass one die roll on a 6 for activation, task and morale
purposes. In addition to this they may cause a reroll of
any one set of dice for their force or the opponents per
game.
Amatsu Tatara Goshinjutsu * – the character has a
knowledge of traditional medicine and can increase
the likelihood of an injured character recovering when
making their wound roll. If the character is next to the
character who is making the wound roll the character
will test against a 3. Neither character must be in combat
or within a base width of an enemy character.
Ansatsusha * – the character is highly trained in
assassination techniques. Any hit inflicted by the
character will cause a wound and doubling the opponent
means they will test on the wound table against a ‘6’.
Baka yaro! – the character is somewhat dim witted and
is not able to follow directions or pay attention for any
period of time. Dim witted characters suffer a +1 on their
Kyu Grade for activation.
Binshou – the character is very agile and their Kyu Grade
is at -1 for tasks that require agility. In addition to this,
any ranged projectile attack on the character is at -1.
Dokuyaku – the creature or weapon is poisonous. Every
time a poison attack hits on a roll of a ‘6’ the target’s Kyu
Grade is increased by one. If it ever exceeds 6 the target
tests on the wound table against a ‘6’.
Hicho – the character can attack as they use a flying
15
movement action past an opponent. They must use an
action to perform the attack but so long as they win the
combat they may continue their move action. They do
not suffer a ‘disengage’ attack.
Hitabashiri – the character is very swift, they may make
one Long Length movement action per activation.
Iai jutsu – the character is skilled at drawing and cutting
with their weapon while they are moving. The character
can strike with their weapon at the end of a movement
action. However, this attack is at -1 to the Combat Total.
Ikari – the character has a hatred for particular creatures
or family enemies. One such object of their hatred must
be specified and in combat against the target of their
hatred they receive a +1 to the Combat Total.
Juukan – the character is adept at striking while moving
past an opponent. They may strike at any point of their
movement action. So long as the character does not lose
the combat the character may continue moving.
Karumijutsu – used mainly in a ‘mythical’ setting this
ability allows the character to leap a Short Length in any
direction (including upwards). If the landing point is a
small area (less than 2 base widths) they must roll 3d6
Kyu check:
3 successes – fine
2 successes – deviate randomly left or right one base
width (might mean fall)
1 pass – same but two base width
0 pass – fails leap in some comical fashion, they miss the
landing spot.
Kuji-Kiri – the character is skilled at the esoteric hand
weaving movements and ‘air cuttings’. Although often
associated with the ninja it was in fact used by a number
of ‘samurai’ ryuha. The character can use the ‘Tenjiru’
spell, even if they are not a magic using character.
Kusuri Jutsu – the character is skilled at using chain
weapons to disarm their opponents. If they win the
combat roll by rolling a 6 they can choose to ignore the
result and disarm the opponent instead. This makes
them drop the weapon that they are using.
Kyoushinsha – the character is a fanatic. They always
conduct Morale Tests at -1 to the Kyu Grade and their
first strike in a Close Combat phase is at Bujutsu +1.
Mahoutsuka * – the character is a magic user.
Menkyo Kaidan * – the character has attained the highest
ability in their particular ryuha (martial arts school). They
may make more than one attack per activation, using an
action to make each attack.
Mukon no Jutsu – the character is stealthy and is very
skilled at using the environment to their advantage.
As long as the character stays within a base width of
concealing terrain they count as being ‘hidden’. Moving
between objects and keeping the hidden status is
possible. It is a normal Task Roll.
Muto-dori * – the character is skilled at unarmed
defences against bladed weapons. The bladed weapon
is not counted as a superior weapon. On a winning roll of
a 5 or 6 the character has disarmed their opponent.
Nibui – the creature or character is very slow to move and
may only make one movement action an activation.
Ni-to Jutsu – the character is skilled at fighting with two
weapons, often a long and a short sword. This offsets
the fighting multiple opponents penalties. However, no
superior weapon modifier may be claimed.
Oki – the character is very large (Dai-oni for example).
They receive an additional +1 in close combat against
characters who are not themselves classed as ‘Oki’. Any
ranged attack on an Oki character receives a +1 to the
Combat Total.
Omake - beware of being an extra in a chanbara movie,
you will only be their for the main characters to cut
through! Omake are removed from play on ANY combat
roll loss.
Rikishi – the character is very strong and will have
an advantage when performing tasks which involve
strength.
Sakki – the character can sense danger and can not
be surprised or ambushed. All ‘fighting’ personality
characters and all Gunshin have this ability as standard.
Shigamitsuku – the character/creature can ‘walk’ on
walls, ceilings, trees etc. They will never fall unless
wounded badly. If the terrain would allow, they always
count as attacking from a higher elevation.
Suijin – the creature is equally at home on land or in
water and may cross any water type terrain with no
movement or combat penalty.
Taijutsu/jujutsu – the character is skilled in unarmed
combat. They can choose to put the opponent on the
floor, prone, instead of making them recoil.
Tenjiru – the character is a master at distracting their
opponent. They can use the ‘Tenjiru’ spell, even if they
are not a magic using character.
Tetsujin – the character has nerves of steel. They treat
Morale tests at one better Kyu Grade.
Ukemi – the character is adept at rolling out of danger.
Their Kyu Grade is two better (-2) for any rolls involving
climbing and avoiding falling damage. In addition they
can use Ukemi to roll out of the way of a strike. The
character deciding to use ukemi receives a +2 on their
Combat Total but can not harm the attacker even in
Close Combat. Instead any winning roll lets the character
move a short length in a chosen direction. This models a
number of defensive moves ranging from ‘tobi’ (leaping).
nagare (flowing roll) and even the more fantastical
acrobatic moves like cartwheels and somersaults. This
ability can be used against ranged attacks that are not
ambush attacks.
Yadome-jutsu – the character has been trained in an
okuden (oral transmission) which has enabled them to
be able to cut ranged weapons from the air. If a ranged
attack hits the character rolls 1d6. On the roll of a 5+ the
missile has been cut from the air.
Yamabushi – the character is a ‘mountain man’ and does
not suffer any terrain penalties for difficult ground.
Yuuki – the character is fearless, they are immune to the
effects of gory deaths and test for morale at -1 to their
Kyu Grade.
16
Advanced rules
The previous pages contain all the information needed
to play games in the land of the Samurai and Ninja.
The following section will outline some advanced and
some optional rules which may enhance your gaming
experience.
Ki
Ki is an oriental concept of Universal Force and as
an optional rule players can use the concept of Ki in
their games. Every personality has a point of Ki at the
beginning of the game that they can use at any point in
the game. It enables them to add or subtract one from
any of their dice rolls once per point of KI. This can not be
used to cause a 6 and thus a gory death. However it can
be used to bolster a combat roll of a 5 to a 6 for special
weapon purposes. An example would be to make a 5 a
6 in order to disarm an opponent when using a Fumata-
Yari.
Every time a personality rolls a ‘natural’ 6 in a combat roll
they receive an additional point of Ki.
Karma Cards
Karma cards add an amount of uncertainty to the game.
Cards can be found at the back of the rule booklet and are
made to print out, cut out, fold and place inside a normal
collectable card ‘protector’. Karma cards are picked up
and read by a player on one of three occasions:
1/ Where a scenario says one or both Tomozei must be
dealt a card at the beginning of the game.
2/ When a certain point in a scenario is reached, this will
be outlined in the scenario description.
3/ At the beginning of each ‘turn’ both players rolls 1d6. If
one side’s roll is double or more the other side’s roll, the
winning player picks a Karma Card.
The card will stipulate if it needs to be played straight
away or if it can be kept to play at some other point. If
it can be kept the card will stipulate at what point in the
turn the player can reveal the card. Some of the cards
will not be used unless the game is being played in the
‘mythical’ or ‘cinematic’ settings. Player’s are advised to
take out any cards which do not fit in with their choice of
setting or even specific scenario.
Night time action
Visibility and hidden characters
Normal visibility is unlimited and only blocked by objects.
However, some actions will take place at night. If this is
the case the visibility will depend on the cloud cover on
the night. Normally this is set by the scenario but may be
rolled for as below:
Roll a D6
1 – Stormy cloud cover and mist. Base visibility is only a
Short Length.
2 – Heavy cloud cover and high wind. Base visibility is
a Medium Length and normal sounds will only carry x2
Long Length.
3 – Normal cloud cover. Base visibility is a Long Length.
4 – Patchy cloud cover. Base visibility is 2x a Medium
Length.
5 – Clear sky but little moon light. Base visibility is 2x
a Medium Length unless spotter rolls a 5+ on a d6, in
which case it is 2x a Long Length.
6 – Clear sky and full moon. Base Visibility is 3x a Long
Length.
The Base Visibility is determined to be the length that
a character can see in the open. Visibility into covered/
shaded areas is a Medium Length at the most. The area
around a ‘light source’ is normal visibility up to a Long
Length for larger fires and lanterns and a Short Length
for a hand held light source. Base visibility for characters
inside this area begins at the edge of the lit area.
Spotting hidden characters
Characters may be classed as hidden if they are placed in
obscuring terrain at the beginning of the game OR they
have the stealth skill and are next to any piece of terrain.
A character outside of Base Visibility is also treated as
if they are hidden if they have no light source. Stealthy
characters outside of Base Visibility can not be spotted.
Spotting hidden characters is a Task, when within a
Medium Length (or Base Visibility if this is the lesser)
of the hidden character the task may be attempted …
3d6 are rolled against the characters Kyu Grade with
the following modifiers. (remember the higher the Kyu
Grade the worse):
• Hidden character is completely enclosed by an object
(ie they are inside an object) or behind an object that
completely blocks the line of sight. This models the
hidden character being hard to sense but giving
themselves away in some way or other. +3
• Spotting character is occupied +2, either in combat or
within a Short Length of combat.
• The area where the hidden character is has lots of
shadow areas (in a night time scenario) +1
• The spotting character has been ‘told’ where the hidden
character is by someone who has already spotted them
-2
• The spotting character has the ‘sakki’ ability -3
17
• Spotting character is within a Short Length of the
hidden character -2
Spotting Task Results
3 successes – hidden character is spotted.
2 successes – spotting character is sure something is
‘there’ … they may warn other characters and make an
immediate reroll on -1 to their Kyu Grade.
1 Success – the spotting character is suspicious and they
roll again.
0 Success – the hidden character is not spotted.
Sound and shouting warnings
A character can communicate to anyone within a long. A
vague command or warning does not cost an action and
can be done at the same time as any other non-combat
action. A warning shout will travel 3x Long but costs an
action. Warning bells, drums or conch shells etc can be
heard all over a normal sized table. All these warnings
take an action to sound.
ON
Honour and prestige (or when to slash your stomach)
ON is a difficult concept to translate. It encompasses both
‘honour’ in a western chivalry sort of way, the eastern
notion of Kao (face) and also ‘reputation’. If you are seen
to be acting in a less than honourable fashion then
your Tomozei will lose ‘face’ and their reputation will be
tarnished. When a Tomozei’s ON is high enough they will
either gain the favour of the Shogunate or Emperor and
be sent on quests or will gain enough support from the
‘Daimyo’ (local feudal Lords) that they may themselves
vie to be Shogun.
Characters in Bushi no Yume live by their reputation. In
game terms the characters collect and lose ON. The ON
system is an optional extra to the game play, it can work
to ‘force’ players to make their characters act in a suitable
way, other players see this as a guideline to help them to
make choices during the game.
ON reflects the characters reputation, honour and
prestige. Obviously, samurai characters need to be
seen to be honourable and courageous. Yakuza bosses
could go either way and Ninja need to live up to their
reputation. However, it will be obvious that all these get
somewhat blurred.
Each character has an ON value which when added
together gives the Tomozei ON Total (TOT). This total can
be affected during the game so a running total needs
to be kept. Normally either deaths of Tomozei members
or the actions of the personality figures will be the main
sources of change to the Tomozei On Total.
During the game it is the DIFFERENCE between the
two Tomozei’s TOT which is important. As soon as the
difference has an effect the players must play it out:
DIFFERENCE IN FOT ACTION
1-5 Mutual respect/loathing – no effect
6-9 Non personalities must make Kyu Grade check
on 1d6 to have the courage to close to combat with
personalities from the other force.
10-14 When 10 points of difference is reached the non
personalities must make a 3d6 Morale check. On 3 fails
they SWAP sides.
15-19 Yojimbo questions Leader’s ability – if samurai
they will commit seppuka, others will challenge leader
to duel.
20+ Leader must commit seppuka.
Initial, collecting and losing ON
The initial ON of a Tomozei is equal to the number of
personality characters and one for each Gunshin.
There are various ways to collect and lose ON, some
of which are outlined below. However, remember that
it is rather subjective and the rules can’t hope to cover
all eventualities. I suggest you award or subtract On at
other times, worked out between players (after all this is
a fun, friendly game) or by a third party.
Collecting ON
On can be collected in the following ways:
Korosu - killing characters of a better standing or
Kyu Grade. When a character kills or seriously
wounds a personality or a character with a
higher Kyu Grade their side receives the ON
value of the victim. The victim’s side does not
suffer any ON subtraction.
Datesugata - Flashy Combat, a force’s ON will
be enhanced by a flashy bit of weapon work
as they are dispatching their opponent. This
may be a flurry of unnecessary weapon twirls,
or even taking on an opponent with a hastily
made Boken (wooden sword). In order to do this
flashy weapon work the character must take a
minus (-x) on their Combat Roll. This must be declared
before any rolls take place and can only be attempted
on a fighting opponent in a 1:1 combat situation OR an
opponent that the character has floored by themselves.
If the character manages to kill or seriously wound their
opponent their Tomozei receives the amount of ON that
they deducted from their Combat Roll.
Bujoku – insulting an opposing personality successfully
will always increase the Tomozei’s ON. Whenever a
personality moves to within a Long Length of another
personality they may hurl insults at each other. This
takes an action to initiate and the opposing personality
must not be in Close Combat. It is then deemed that the
opponents make guttural insulting comments to each
other. Obviously it is better to see the players standing
there insulting each other and the gathered crowd
deciding on who has won. However, in reality 1d6 is
rolled by each character, the winner of the roll adds the
difference to their TOT. A character may only engage
in an insult match with another individual character
once during the game. They may however engage in a
18
slanging match with another personality.
If a character wins a slanging match with a personality
with a Kyu Grade level equal or better to themselves,
they may also challenge the opponent to a fight to he
death. If the opposing personality declines the challenge
the challenging character’s Tomozei immediately gain 2
ON. If the challenge is accepted the two characters are
moved into base to base contact and they immediately
fight a round of close combat. They must continue to
fight until one character can not fight on. If any other
character joins the fight their Tomozei immediately loses
2 ON.
Giri – honour is very important in the world of Bushi no
Yume and doing an honourable task will increase the
Tomozei’s standing. A scenario may present opportunities
to gain ON points in this way.
Hekomasu – personalities may humiliate their opposing
personalities and gain ON. If a personality can
incapacitate an opponent and then humiliate them, a
favourite method was to urinate on their back, they gain
1d6 +2 ON.
Sometimes on the coasts warriors from the Asian mainland will land to
pillage the towns ... our heroes must see them off!
HOW TO INSULT IN NIHONGO!
For those players wanting to use the ‘insult’ phase as
an opportunity to yell abuse at your opponent I have
included the following phrases:
Nanka yo – do you want something? Use with a stare.
Baka yaro – you stupid xxxx
Usotsuki – LIAR !
Oshaberi – big mouth
Kochi koi yo – come here!
Damare yo – shut up
Kono kuso tare – you really don’t want to know this one
Kono imo – peasant
Gaki – short arse
Yowa mushi – weedy insect
Konjoo nashi – you have no testicles
Buta – pig
Okama – of dubious sexual orientation
Namenna yo – don’t mess with me
Hayaku kiena – go away (or words to that effect)
Kutabare – as above
Bukkoroshite yaru – I’m gonna kick your ass.
Nani teme – who do you think you are?
Shita ni! – bow down
Nanda yo – What do you want!
Sonna koto icha dame dayo - you really shouldn’t say
things like that!
Jaa yaroo – Let’s start.
Moo owatta – finished already?
SCENARIOS
HAIRUNA - Keep Out
Lord Ishizuka galloped ahead of his Tomozei, following
his favoured hawk’s flight in the air, smiling as he saw
it dive down upon its prey. Such beauty combined with
such violence …
As he reached the crest of the hill his eyes were drawn
down to the River Noda that twisted its way across the
grassy plain. The river formed the border between the
fiefs of the Ishizuka and Someya families, a border which
had always been the subject of much ‘discussion’. If either
family managed to amalgamate the river into their lands
they could control the irrigation of the surrounding rice
paddies.
Ishizuka Sama had cause for concern, Someya Sama was
there with a small retinue searching for a decent crossing
place which had a valley beyond where he was hoping he
could cross his army and make a camp when, in a couple
of months, he crossed during the ‘campaign season’.
Ishizuka Sama gathered his retinue behind him. He had
to stop his rival from crossing and travelling up the valley.
He himself had already started amassing his troops at
the head of the valley, ready for action in a few weeks.
Catching Someya off guard by attacking a month before
the campaign season was the plan, he couldn’t let it be
discovered. They galloped down the hillside to drive the
enemy away from the crossing.
Two travelling Tomozei from rival clans meet on the
border of their lands. They are sure the other clan is up
to no good. They meet at a ford in the river separating
their lands. The aim is to chase the other clan off.
One BVP point is awarded per 1 KOKU of the enemy killed,
1 BVP for each 2 KOKU of the enemy seriously wounded
or chased off (left table).
The table must be set up with a distinguishable ‘border’
running across it at the half way mark. This is most easily
done by setting it up as a fordable area of a river. Try
not to make the only crossing place to narrow as it will
squash the action too much!
Each side sets up within a Long Length of their respective
table edges.
19
KATAKI - Clan Hatred
Noda-shi was a fair sized postal town, Lord Ishizuka
was prepared to let his men have a few hours gracing
the bars of the town while he had a relaxing time at the
Onsen letting the hot water soothe his aching, and if he
was forced to admit it, aging body.
Nagato san looked across the packed dirt street …
“Dame desu neh!”
There with a group about to enter a Soba restaurant was
Tanemura. The hatred between the families stretched
back decades … today that wrong would be put right.
A member of each Tomozei involved in this scenario have
a very long lived family feud. Two randomly determined
figures have a blood feud… honour determines that the
meeting should result in BLOOD!
The encounter could take place in any type of table
setup, the chance meeting may well happen as the two
tomozei travel through a town or across the country side.
This is an encounter scenario with a twist.
One BVP point is awarded per 1 KOKU of the enemy
killed, 1 BVP for each 2 KOKU of the enemy seriously
wounded or chased off (left table). If one figure involved
in the Blood Feud manages to kill the other figure they
earn an extra 5 BVP.
Each side sets up within a Medium Length of their
respective table edges.
KAMI NO KATANA
Ishizuka Sama listened with intent to the story his vassal
was telling him. An earthquake had hit the area three days
ago. Nothing unusual there in the land which seemed to
be to any foreigner, in perpetual motion. However, this
earthquake had apparently, if the gabbling ashigaru
in front of him was right, revealed the legendary lost
katana of Takezo Kensei. However, as the ashigaru who
had seen the katana was rushing back to inform his Lord
he had spied Lord Nakamura rushing to the area; had he
also heard the news?
A sword which is reputed to have ‘Godly’ qualities lies
suspended in its saya (scabbard). Legend has it that a
hero thrusted the sword through a Dai Oni, returning it to
the saya he entwined his fingers and chanted a kuji, the
sword was held in a magical aura … only a true follower
of Bushido is reputed to be able to draw the sword. If
playing in a non fantasy setting the katana could be
hidden, being ‘lost’ after the legendary encounter.
Two rival Shuryou are convinced that they are the one
that deserves the sword … the sword to be found on the
centre line of the table. The two rival bands will ‘come
onto’ the table, activating as normal but their first move
is onto the table. If only part of the Tomozei make it onto
the table the others are placed on the table but touching
the base edge.
When adjacent to the sword the Shuryou may try
and draw the sword out of the saya (or find it in the
undergrowth). It takes 3 actions to conjure up the power
and attempt to draw (or find) the sword … the drawing
is treated as a combat between the Shuryou (6 – Kyu
Grade) and the sword (total C value of 3). If the sword
is doubled it is drawn out of the saya (or they find the
katana).
One BVP point is awarded per 1 KOKU of the enemy killed,
1 BVP for each 2 KOKU of the enemy seriously wounded
or chased off (left table).
Drawing/Finding the Katana is worth 5 BVP and getting
it off the table is worth another 5BVP.
The sword itself is B+3, with a further +1 against ‘mythical’
creatures (disregard in a historical setting – treat the
sword as a very fine quality blade which bestows B+3).
KUSA ! - Ninja in the Night
Noguchi Jonin pulled himself effortlessly onto the top of
the wall, his shuko (hand claws) helping him by digging
into the wooden brace under the grey tiles. Lying flat to
make his silhouette blend in his eyes darted around the
grounds. Having seen that the grounds contained only
a handful of ashigaru guards, none of which seemed to
be particularly alert he gave the hand signal. Dropping
soundlessly to the floor he was followed by his Chunin
and six genin.
They spread out quickly, two would cause a distraction
by setting fire to one of the out buildings while the rest
descended on the tea house in which Lord Ishizuka and
Lord Noguchi were playing …
In the cut throat world of Bushi no Yume there is no
quicker way to gain a bit of power and land than
eliminating your neighbour. However, it is sometimes
not the wisest idea to wade in and try and do it yourself.
In these cases a Daimyo can try and contact someone
who can deliver the goods without leaving any blame on
their tatami – the local Ninja! It is possible that Samurai
20
Clans had their own ‘special forces’ who would deflect
blame for their actions onto the Ninja Clans by following
their mode of operation. The black and white world of
honour often pales into grey over dishonourable deeds
done by a particular branch of a Daimyo’s army, it is
sometimes easier to pretend to be ninja than find them!
Either way it is fun to play. If the players want to have
a large group of ninja attacking their family complex
then we often play ‘same side’ and base the ninja on the
‘hollywood’ stats found in the character section. Split the
large group into 2 forces and the player rolls the dice for
the group attacking their ‘partner’s’ characters. Follow the
premise that the ninja will always try and move towards
and fight through to their target (the player’s Shuryou).
A Daimyo is visiting a family friend for a game of GO.
Planning on staying for only one night the ninja must
act quickly …
The scenario takes place at night but as the Ninja had no
choice about picking the date, use the night time chart
to determine Base Visibility. The scenery should be based
on a samurai villa with 3 buildings within the walled
complex. The defending side receives 5 base ashigaru to
place any where they like as stationary guards and the
ninja force has 3 ninja trainees. There are 8 fire lanterns
that can be placed anywhere and cast their light a Short
Length in every direction.
The Leader is placed in secret in one of the buildings. He
is allowed to have a Hatimoto/Yojimbo on guard inside
the building with him. All the rest of the force must be
placed in secret in any of the other buildings. We use
off board pieces of paper with the groups, writing the
building number on the underside of the paper.
Everyone except the bodyguard is deemed to be asleep.
Once the alarm is raised they need 2 actions to be ‘roused’
and grab a weapon. It cost 2 actions to get on enough
armour to count as partial armour.
A character can raise the alarm once a ninja is spotted as
per the rules on Sounds & Warnings.
The Ninja must start outside of the complex wall.
1 BVP point is awarded per 3 KOKU of the enemy killed,
1 BVP for each 3 KOKU of the enemy seriously wounded
or chased off (left table). An extra 5 KOKU is awarded for
killing or protecting the Leader.
REVENGE IS OISHI
Bushi would be honour bound to right a wrong against
their clan, even if it took years.
A group of Bushi have spent 7 years planning, plotting
and getting into position to avenge their clan.
The Daimyo who slighted the other clan is visiting a
friend for a game of GO. Planning on staying for only one
night the avengers must act quickly …
The scenario takes place at night but as the avengers
had no choice about picking the time use the night time
chart to determine Base Visibility. The scenery should
be based on a samurai villa with 3 buildings within the
walled complex. There are 8 fire lanterns that can be
placed anywhere and cast their light a Short Length in
every direction.
The Leader is placed in secret in one of the buildings. He
is allowed to have a Hatimoto/Yojimbo on guard inside
the building with him. All the rest of the force must be
placed in secret in any of the other buildings. We use
off board pieces of paper with the groups, writing the
building number on the underside of the paper.
Everyone except the bodyguard is deemed to be asleep.
Once the alarm is raised they need 2 actions to be ‘roused’
and grab a weapon. It cost 3 actions to get on enough
armour to count as partial armour.
A character can raise the alarm once an avenger is
spotted as per the rules on Sounds & Warnings.
The avengers must start outside of the complex walls.
21
1 BVP point is awarded per 3 KOKU of the enemy killed,
1 BVP for each 6 KOKU of the enemy seriously wounded
or chased off (left table). An extra 5 BVP is awarded for
killing or protecting the Leader.
Who won the battle - Victory Points
Base Victory Points will be calculated after the scenario
has concluded. The Tomozei who has the highest ON
total can add the differential between the two Tomozeis’
totals. Once the BVP has been determined the players
secretly decide how to convert them into Total Victory
Points (TVP).
One option open to the player is to ‘bank’ the BVP by
multiplying them by three (x3). An example would be
a player who has earned 8BVP can bank them and get
24TVP.
Another option is that the player can ‘gamble’ the BVP, by
doing so it is possible to turn a seemingly close defeat
into a narrow victory. A BVP can be traded for 1d6, all the
d6 are then rolled and the total of all the dice ‘pips’ give
the number of TVP.
The players may of course do a combination of both the
above. We tend to just jot down how many points are
being banked and how many are to be gambled.
Once the TVP has been calculated the differential is
compared, using the chart below:
Win by 0-6 points
Indecisive result, any success gained by the victor was
tempered by the casualties or lack of ON gained. In a
campaign setting it is deemed that neither side gained
any Ten,Chi, Jin (TCJ) points.
Win by 7-12 points
Marginal victory gained, but the cost was still quite high.
In a campaign setting two TCJ points were gained by the
victor.
Win by 12-21 points
A successful encounter, a good show of force was given
which had an instant effect on the local population who
are rallying towards the victorious leader. In a campaign
setting four TCJ points are gained by the victor.
Win by 21 points or more
The encounter could hardly have gone any better. The
enemy will think twice before taking on the victor again!
In a campaign setting eight TCJ points are gained by the
victor.
After the game
If the game is part of a campaign it will be important to
find out what happens to a wounded character. Lightly
wounded characters must roll a d6, on anything but a
1 they are available for the next game. On a 1 they will
miss the next two games. A seriously wounded character,
who was not left on the table if the opposing side won,
rolls a d6:
6 – character available for the next game.
2-5 – character misses next two games.
1 – character dies of the wounds.
Before the next game a player’s Tomozei can be bolstered
back up to the Tomozei’s starting Koku Value, this means
they can replace any characters who have been killed.
All Tomozei building restrictions must be adhered to of
course.
Campaigns
A campaign can be as simple as a club deciding to play
a mini-campaign over the course of an evening. They
would endeavour to play 3 games and the players would
keep a track of their TCJ points. At the end of the evening
the player with the highest total would be declared
Shogun and obviously it is every one else who buy the
rounds! However, it is also simple to set up an ongoing
campaign where the players are wrestling for control of
an area or areas which have been left in a vacuum by the
sudden demise (those damn ninja) of the local Daimyo.
The differential between TCJ points is used to determine
who has gained more control of the area. The players
may of course get as detailed as they want. Many players
use maps split into areas and use the TCJ points to
determine how many of the areas a player controls. We
tend to split the area into 10 and imagine that all the
Tomozei involved in the campaign ‘filled’ the vaccum.
With two players this would be 5 territories each. For
each two point differential in TCJ points a player wrestles
control of an area off the opponent. However, all this can
be done on paper with the differential being used to
determine when a player has gained control of the area.
A more detailed campaign system and board game is
planned by Surf Shack Games in the close future.
Once a player achieves a differential of seven or more
TCJ points they are entitled to choose the terrain the
next encounter takes place on.
Once a player achieves a differential of 20 or more points
the area being fought over is deemed to be entirely in
the player’s control. The next mini-campaign will begin
with the player already having 2 TCJ points.
Special Items in campaigns
Players may opt to use the following ‘special’ items in
a campaign setting. They cost the shown amount of
TCJ points. These points are then removed from the
Tomozei’s total. Some of the items are classed as ‘unique’.
These items are only available once in a campaign (unless
the character dies, at which point they become available
again) and it is first come first served. The winner of the
last encounter gets to ‘acquire’ items first.
Yoroi no Kanasuke:
Armour used by a Hero of Legend. As well as giving the
normal protection it can also ignore the first floored
result in combat.
UNIQUE
5 TJC points
22
Kami no Katana:
The sword was forged using water from a local shrine. The
kami (spirit) cursed the sword. The sword loves killing and
bestows the user with great strength. It gives the user an
additional B+1 to their Combat Total. However, on a roll
of a 1 in the Combat Roll the cursed sword turns on the
wielder and does a ‘free hack’ on them at Buki +3.
UNIQUE 5 TCJ Points
Hicho Yoroi:
Armour that was made by ‘tengu’. Has the benefit of
samurai armour but without any of the negative effects
on movement. 5 TCJ Points
O- inori:
A lucky charm from a shinto shrine. Worn on headgear
it enables the wearer to reroll any one die once during a
game. 3 TCJ Points
Yamabushi’s potion:
Special potion made on the slopes of Mt. Fuji. It will
restore a character’s Kyu Grade to the level it was at the
beginning of the game if it has fallen due to poison. Also
it can be used when a character has to make a wound roll
and enables them to test on a ‘2’. One use item. It costs
one action to drink the potion. 5 TCJ Points
Tengu mask:
The wearer can not be affected by spells or kuji kiri.
5 TCJ points
Yoroi kudaki (armour breaking katana):
This fine sword was forged by a master swordsmith using
materials gathered from a volcano. It ignores armour.
UNIQUE
10 TCJ points
Me no Kami:
The eyes of the gods. This amulet enables to wearer to
have line of sight anyway on the battlefield. They may
shoot arrows and throw objects over obstacles blocking
normal line of sight. Targets right behind cover still get
cover benefit.
5 TCJ points
Sake no Bushi:
Drinking this sake before the battle bestows added fury
to the drinker. Once a game they may reroll any one
Combat roll. At the start of each scenario roll a die. On a
roll of a 1 the sake is finished.
7 TCJ points
Hamaya:
Evil destroying arrows made by a shinto priest - lethal to
all evil creatures. Once a 1 is rolled the character is out of
arrows.
10 TCJ points
Omikuji:
A written horoscope kept close to the skin. One use,
protection from surprise attacks and ambush.
8 TCJ points
Renshu – Improving your characters
Improving budo skills is all down to ‘training’ and your
tomozei do plenty of ‘on the job training’, honing their
skills in every encounter. Every character on the winning
side will receive a DAN point if they survived the
encounter without being seriously wounded. Characters
on the losing side will only get two DAN points to
distribute to whichever character they want.
A character can trade in three of their DAN points to
increase their BUKI skill by one or to enhance their KYU
GRADE (meaning they get -1 to their Grade). A tomozei
can trade in combined DAN points for the tomozei
advances noted below, each advance costs a combined
10 Dan points.
Gambatte (Keep going) – once per game the tomozei
may reroll any set of activation dice and count the Kyu
Grade of the Leader as one better for that activation
only.
Dai Konjo (courageous) – once per game the tomozei
may reroll any set of morale dice, counting the Leader as
one better Kyu Grade for that roll only.
In/Yo (universal balance) – once per game the tomozei
can negate the use of one special ability/trait.
Kamimatte (divine intervention) once per game a
tomozei can negate the effect of any one spell.
23
TOMOZEI (RETINUE) BUILDING
A basic game of Bushi no Yume entails both players
picking 60 Koku worth of characters for their Tomozei
from the lists below. Up to 45 Koku of these may be
made up of personality characters. However, only one
of these may be a Gunshin. These can be listed on the
Tomozei Makimono, which may be reproduced for game
use. Players can of course make custom characters using
the Koku system which can be found at the end of the
Tomozei section. In the core rules there are five main
types of ‘classes’ that your Tomozei can be built around,
there will be additional classes and these will appear on
the forum from time to time as we playtest them.
Bushi
The Bushi characters are representative of the samurai
class of Nihon. All bushi characters must have the
Nouroku ‘Yuuki’. The Tomozei should consist of:
A Daimyo (Shuryou/Leader) - they may be mounted.
Aspiring to rise to the top, taking over land and maybe
possibly even being made Shogun by the Emperor.
Youjinbou (Yojimbo) – a Hatamoto personal bodyguard.
They will give their life to protect their Lord. Well trained
and extremely skilled in all forms of combat. In Yume no
Bushi they will often be a ‘Gunshin’.
A number of Hatamoto (literally ‘at the base of the flag’,
the favoured retainers). Both the Youjinbou and the
Hatamoto may be mounted.
A number of Ashigaru – the Ashigaru were not strictly
‘samurai’ they were the retainers that the Hatamoto
bought to the Daimyo’s service. They are commonly
armed with a kyu (bow) or yari (thrusting spear).
If playing in a fantasy setting the Tomozei may well have
a Gakusho or Shugenja with them.
Daimyo – 12 Koku
Kyu Grade 2+ Bu3
Kyu and Daisho or Naginata
Nouroku - Shuryou, Yukki
Add +1 Koku for partial, +2 Koku for full armour
Add +1 Koku for mounted
Youjinbou – 19 Koku
Kyu Grade 2+ Bu3
Kyu and Daisho or Naginata
Nouroku - Gunshin, Yukki, Juukan, Iai-jutsu, Sakki,
Menkyo Kaiden
Add +1 Koku for partial, +2 Koku for full armour
Add +1 koku for mounted
Hatamoto – Hanchou – 9 Koku
Kyu Grade 3+ Bu3
Daisho or Naginata
Nouroku – Yukki, Hanchou
Add +1 Koku for partial, +2 Koku for full armour
Add +1 Koku for mounted
Hatamoto – 7 Koku Daisho and Kyu or Yari
Kyu Grade 3+ Bu3
Kyu and Daisho Yamabushi
Nouroku - Yukki Warrior monks who live an austere life in the mountains
Add +1 Koku for partial, +2 Koku for full armour who fight when their way of life is threatened. The
Add +1 Koku for mounted Tomozei will consist of:
A Shuryou – who is a fantasy setting will be a
Hatamoto – 7 Koku Mahoutsukai
Kyu Grade 3+ Bu3 A number of fanatic followers, one of whom will be a
Daisho or Naginata Gunshin.
Nouroku – Yukki All of the Tomozei may be mounted.
Add +1 Koku for partial, +2 Koku for full armour
Add +1 Koku for mounted Gunshin Follower – 14 Koku
Kyu Grade 3 Bu 3
Ashigaru – 5 Koku Piercing/cutting weapon or Impact weapon
Kyu Grade 4+ Bu2 Kyoushinsha, Gunshin, Menkyo Kaiden, Juukan
Shoto and Kyu or Yari
Follower – 7 Koku
Rounin (Ronin) – master-less samurai Kyu Grade 3 Bu 3
Rounin roam the towns and villages of Nihon. They are Piercing/cutting weapon or Impact weapon
Samurai (or sometimes wanna be Samurai) who have Kyoushinsha
lost their Lord and are looking to be a new retainer for a
Daimyo. To do this they will have to impress. Alternatively Follower – 7 Koku
they could have taken a less honourable path and Kyu Grade 3 Bu 3
basically become bandits. Rounin are also the source of Piercing/cutting weapon or Impact weapon
many types of ‘Robin Hood’ stories. Kyoushinsha
The Tomozei will typically consist of:
A Shuryou (Leader) who may be as ruthless or as Follower – 5 Koku
honourable as the player desires. Kyu Grade 4 Bu 2
A dedicated follower/bodyguard who will probably be Piercing/cutting weapon or Impact weapon
a Gunshin. Kyoushinsha
A Hanchou (right hand man).
A number of followers. Ninja
One can argue until the cows some home over the actual
Shuryou – 12 Koku role and accuracy of the ninja. Thought by many to
Kyu Grade 2+ Bu3 probably be the equivalent of today’s Special Operating
Kyu and Daisho or Naginata Forces, as in an elite arm of the normal army. The fact
Nouroku - Shuryou, Yukki that they were often working outside the philosophy of
Add +1 Koku for partial, +2 Koku for full armour ‘Bushido’ meant the Daimyo would invent stories of them
Add +1 Koku for mounted being hired assassins. Of course the player may view the
Ninja in a more cinematic or fantastical manner. They
Youjinbou – 19 Koku often use chainmail shirts under their clothing which
Kyu Grade 2+ Bu3 counts as partial armour.
Kyu and Daisho or Naginata Jounin/Shuryou (in pop culture known as a Kage) –
Nouroku - Gunshin, Yukki, Juukan, Iai-jutsu, Sakki, 19Koku
Menkyo Kaiden Kyu Grade 2 Bu3
Add +1 Koku for partial, +2 Koku for full armour Piercing weapon, Shaken/Shuriken
Add +1 koku for mounted +1 Koku for kusuri (chain) weapon
Karumijutsu, Kuji-kiri, Shuryou, Ukemi, Mukon no Jutsu,
Follower – Hanchou – 9 Koku Taijutsu
Kyu Grade 3+ Bu3
Daisho or Naginata Chunin (Youjimbo) – 23 Koku
Nouroku – Yukki, Hanchou Kyu Grade 3 Bu3
Add +1 Koku for partial, +2 Koku for full armour Piercing weapon, Shaken/Shuriken
Add +1 Koku for mounted +1 Koku for kusuri (chain) weapon
Karumijutsu, Kuji-kiri, Ukemi, Mukon no Jutsu, Gunshin,
Follower – 6 Koku Menkyo Kaiden, Taijutsu
Kyu Grade 4+ Bu2

24
Chunin – 17 Koku +1 Koku for cutting weapon
Kyu Grade 3 Bu3 Oki, Yuuki, Shuryou
Piercing weapon, Shaken/Shuriken The Ushi-Oni can make a Long Length move if the move
+1 Koku for kusuri (chain) weapon ends in close combat and the first attack is at Bu5. Always
Karumijutsu, Kuji-kiri, Ukemi, Mukon no Jutsu, Taijutsu counts as having partial armour.
+3 Koku to make the Ushi-oni a Gunshin
Genin – 8 Koku
Kyu Grade 4 Bu2 Oni (ogre/demon) -
Piercing weapon, Shaken/Shuriken Kyu Grade 4+ Bu4
+1 Koku for kusuri (chain) weapon Impact or cutting weapon
Ukemi, Mukon no Jutsu Yuuki
Always counts as having partial armour.
Add any of the following skills for the shown Koku
value: Dai Bakemono – Orc – 6 Koku
Amatsu Tatara Goshinjutsu * +2 Hanchou
Ansatsusha * +3 Kyu Grade 4+ Bu3
Shigamitsuka +2 Cutting/Piercing weapon
Taijutsu +1 Partial armour is the norm +1 Koku
Muto-dori +1
Dai Bakemono – Orc – 5 Koku
MOVIE NINJA – for those of you wanting a horde of Kyu Grade 4+ Bu3
cannon fodder for your heroes to plough through! Cutting/Piercing weapon
NINJA – 4 koku Partial armour is the norm +1 Koku
Kyu Grade 4 BU2
Ukemi, Omake Dai Bakemono – Orc – 5 Koku
Piercing Weapon, Shaken/Shuriken Kyu Grade 4+ Bu3
Kyu (ranged weapon)
Partial armour is the norm. +1 Koku

Bakemono sho – goblin – 3 Koku

Kyu Grade 4+ Bu2
Either cutting or piercing weapon or Kyu
(ranged weapon)
May have Partial Armour +1 Koku
If acting as a group of 3-5 characters their
Bujutsu will increase to Bu3. However, they
tend to squabble and fight so their Kyu Grade
for activation purposes drops to 5+

Forces of Evil
In a fantasy setting another tomozei can be formed from
the forces of demons and evil Daimyo.
The tomozei is harder to define than most of the other
classes but one possible example would be:
Ushi Oni - Shuryou
Oni – Youjimbo
One of the Oni will be the Gunshin
An assortment of Dai-Bakemono (Japanese Orcs)
An assortment of Bakemono sho (Japanese Goblins)
They can of course have an assortment of mythical beasts
attached to them.
Ushi- Oni - 13 Koku
Kyu Grade 2+ Bu4
Impact weapon – often a tetsubo
MYTHICAL CREATURES
Unless a specific weapon is stated the Bu value of the
creature includes any attack weapons it may have.
Medium Length move unless otherwise stated:
Mukade (giant centipede) – 3 Koku
Kyu Grade 5+ Bu3
Oki
The Mukade has a Long Length move.
Raiju (thunder beasts) like huge red badgers. – 3 Koku
O portrayed dressed with different weapons.
Kyu 4+ Bu3
Shishi (foo lion) noble defenders of temples – 7 Koku
Kyu3+ Bu4
Yuuki
The Shishi can make 2 attacks per action (at -1Bu for the
second attack).

25
Tako (giant octopus) – 8 Koku always move one medium. However, this has to be
Kyu 4+ Bu4 towards the nearest human form.
Dokuyaku
The Tako can make 2 attacks per action (at -1Bu for the Oni (ogre/demon) – 7 Koku
second attack) Kyu 4+ Bu4
Weapon
Ushi- Oni - 10 Koku Yuuki
Kyu Grade 2+ Bu4 Always counts as having partial armour.
Impact weapon – often a tetsubo
+1 Koku for cutting weapon Tengu – crow demons – 7 Koku
Oki, Yuuki Kyu 4+ Bu2
The Ushi-Oni Sword B+1
can make a Long Hicho, Juukan
Length move if Often found in flocks with a Leader
the move ends in who is Kyu3+
close combat and
the first attack is Gaki – zombie - 3 Koku
at Bu5. Always Kyu 5+ Bu3
counts as having Short Length move, Poison
partial armour. The Gaki will always move a
movement length towards the
Gotoku Neko – nearest human even if they get no
were cat – 5 Koku actions when activated.
Kyu Grade 4+
Bu4 Yurei – ghost – 5 Koku
Basically a Were- Kyu 4+ C2
wolf. The may always disengage from
The Gotoku Neko combat with no penalty. For three
does not suffer actions the Yurei may reappear
from the multiple anywhere on the table
opponent penalty.
It can appear as Tatsu - dragon – 13 Koku
a normal cat like Kyu 3+ Bu5
human and takes Big
2 actions to shape The Tatsu can spend one action to
shift. take flight. It is then deemed to be
airborne until it lands, while it is
Buruburu (gas airborne it can only be hit by ranged
witch) – 8 Koku weapons, It must land to make a
Kyu Grade 3+ Bu3 Close Combat attack. The Tatsu can
Dokuyaku make two attacks per action but the
The Buruburu causes terror in Kyu 5+ characters, they second is at Bu-1. Tatsu did not have a flame attack.
must pass a 1d6 Kyu Grade Test to move while in Line of
Sight of the Buruburu. They have no move as such but Building a Tomozei
can disappear and reappear within a Long Length of All characters in Bushi no Yume cost the player a certain
their current location per action spent. This means they amount to recruit and retain. This is measured in KOKU,
do not have any movement penalties at all. which in feudal times was an amount of rice (approx one
cubic metre) which was supposed to be the amount that
Kappa – water devils – 7 Koku would feed a person for one year. Effectively a KOKU was
Kyu Grade 4+ Bu3 used as a type of currency.
Magic User, Suijin
The kappa can use any spell but it takes them 2 actions A normal starting Tomozei will consist of characters
to cast a spell. with a total KOKU of 60 or less. Only 45 Koku can be
spent on characters which are classed as personalities.
Mu-shin – void less evil human like 3 Koku A personality is any character with any personality trait/
Kyu Grade 5+ Bu2 ability. These are marked on the list in the trait/ability
The Mu-shin is between a zombie and a ghost. Even if section with an asterix.
they do not get any actions when activated they may

26
A character’s base value is determined by their Kyu Grade
and Buki value. As a guide, an average Ashigaru retainer
who has been trained in the weapon they are carrying
(often a thrusting spear called a yari) has the base value
of:
Kyu Grade 4 Bujutsu 2
Choose the base value from the charts below, some of
the more extreme values will only be used by mythical
creatures:
Kyu5 Bu2= 1
Kyu4 Bu2= 2
Kyu3 Bu2= 3
Kyu2 Bu2= 4
Kyu5 Bu3= 2
Kyu4 Bu3= 3
Kyu3 Bu3= 4
Kyu2 Bu3= 5
Kyu5 Bu4= 3
Kyu4 Bu4= 4
Kyu3 Bu4= 5
Kyu2 Bu4= 6
Kyu5 Bu5= 4
Kyu4 Bu5= 5
Kyu3 Bu5= 6
Kyu2 Bu5= 7
To this base value the characters equipment is added.
All characters are deemed to have some form of tanto
(knife).
C+ value of weapon C+
Cut or pierce weapon +1
Range weapon +1
Weapon has special ability +1
Partial Armour +1
Full Armour +2
Mounted +1
To this value is added any ability/skill values the character
has, those marked with an * are ones that distinguish the
character as a personality.
Shuryou * 3
Hanchou * 2
Amatsu Tatara Goshinjutsu * 2
Mahoutsuka 3
Ansatsusha * 3
Menkyo Kaidan * 3
Juukan* 2
Gunshin * 3
Binshou 1
Suijin 1
Oki 1
Shigamitsuku 2
27
Baka yaro! -1
Tenjiru 1
Yuuki 1
Ikari 1
Hicho 2
Iai jutsu 1
Kuji-Kiri. 2
Kusuri Jutsu 1
Omake -2
Ni-to Jutsu 2
Dokuyaku 2
Nibui -1
Sakki 1
Mukon no Jutsu 2
Taijutsu/jujutsu 1
Tetsujin 1
Yadome-jutsu 1
Yamabushi 1
Muto-dori 1
Karumijutsu 2
Hitabashiri 1
Ukemi 2
Kyoushinsha 2
WEAPON CHARACTERISTICS
The following descriptions add more detail to the
weapons found in the core section of the rules.
Aiguchi – a thrusting knife, primarily used to dispatch
floored opponents by thrusting under the armour.
B+0 except when being used against a floored opponent
when it counts as B+2
Bo (rokushakubo) – a six foot staff. Due to the way it is
used characters of Bujutsu 2 or more can forgo the Long
Reach advantage and instead make 2 attacks an action
at B+0 instead of the normal B+1.
Long Reach B+1
Fukiya – a blow pipe is not very powerful per se. However
it allows the character to remain hidden if the character
passes a 1d6 Kyu Grade Test. The Fukiya is well known as
a way to deliver poison to the target.
Short Length range, maximum of three Short Lengths.
B+0
Fumata-yari – a thrusting spear which has a barbed hook
which is used to disarm an opponent. On a winning
combat roll of a 6 the character can decide to forgo any
other combat result and disarm the opponent.
Jutte – an iron baton approximately 18” long with a blade
catching tine. It allows a skilled character of Bujutsu level
3 or more to disarm a sword wielding opponent on a
combat result of a 6.
B+1
Jo/Hanbo – hardwood baton between 3’-4’ long. If used
by a character with ju-jutsu ability they benefit from the
B+1 but can still choose to make an opponent prone
rather than wounding than making them recoil.
Kama – a short handled sickle. It can be combined with
a weighted chain which then gives it the kusuri weapon
ability.
B+1
Katana – the famous Samurai sword. The blade has a
length of approximately 24”-30” with a handle off around
12”. Primarily a two handed weapon it may be used one
handed. Not as effective as a Tachi against armour. In the
hands of a character with Bujutsu 3 and better the katana
can be used as a ‘move and strike’ weapon. The character
can move and strike as one action although this is at a -1
to the Combat Total.
Will normally be worn as a Daisho – the set of Katana and
28
Shoto signifying samurai rank.
Kiseru – an interesting weapon due to the fact it is an
almost 3’ long tobacco pipe. They were pointed and even
had the equivalent of a hand guard to make them even
more ‘short sword’ like. Essentially a weapon for people
who were not allowed to carry a sword. While it is a blunt
weapon it is not classed as an inferior weapon to a short
sword.
B+1
Kusuri-Fundo – a weighted chain also known as a
manrikigusari. It can be used to disarm if the character
has the Kusuri-Jutsu ability.
B+1
Kyoketsu-shoge – A double edged knife with a curving
hook with a hair rope ending in a metal ring. It can be
used to disarm if the character has the kusuri-jutsu
ability. It can also be used as a Short Length ranged
weapon with a two Short Length maximum range.
B+1
Metsubishi – this can be hurled a Short Length out of
a saya (sword scabbard) or from the hand (it was often
kept in hollowed out eggs). Acts like a Short Length
ranged weapon with a maximum of two Short Lengths
and a B+3. If it is successful it acts like a Tenjiru spell.
Musket/Teppo – the musket had not been in Japan
long when it was cloned (Teppo). Very slow loading the
players will need to mark when it has been fired and is
unloaded. It takes 2 actions to reload and these have to
be in the same activation, there is no automatic reload
like for most weapons.
Medium Length Range
B+1
Nagamaki – a short handled naginata, it’s battlefield
use was to chop horses legs off. It does not get the
Long Reach Weapon ability but counts as B+3 against
mounted targets.
B+2
Naginata – a Japanese polearm it consists of a curving
blade on the end of an approximately 6’ shaft.
B+2
Ono – a very large poleaxe. It’s weight means it is
extremely effective at knocking down armour clad
fighters. It ‘floors’ an opponent on a winning roll of 5 or
6.
B+2
Rifle – available in Japan in the early 1800’s in small
numbers, they were quickly cloned but despised by the
‘true’ Samurai. Some were slow reload (meaning it takes
an action to load during the turn) but later models are
‘repeaters’. However they can only be fired a maximum
of twice per turn even with characters who are able to
make more than one attack.
Long Length Range
B+2
Shuriken/Shaken – throwing darts and‘stars’, shaken is the
star shaped throwing weapon that we all love so much
from Ninja movies. In reality they were a short ranged
throwing weapon used by all fighting classes. They have
a B+2 value due to the fact that it is supposed more than
one is being hurled in one attack. . The character can
move and hurl as one action although this is at a -1 to
the Ranged Combat Total.
Sodegarami – A polearm made with a many barbed
head which was used to entangle opponents. It allows
the user to lay the opponent prone on any result that
would see the opponent usually recoil.
B+1 Long Reach Weapon
Tachi – the Tachi was a long sword, longer than the
katana, that had a far more pronounced curve in the
blade. This was used mainly to thrust and then push up
under armour. Because of this it reduces the effectiveness
of partial or full armour by -1.
B+2
Tanto – this is the Japanese dagger, it may also be thrown
as a B+1 Short Length ranged weapon.
B+1
Films in the Chanbara genre, such as Yojimbo, are excellent inspiration for
games of Bushi no Yume.
Tetsubishi – caltrops, they can be spread as a hurl action.
The caltrops form a Short Length diameter patch of
difficult ground centred on a target point up to a Short
29
Length away. The character rolls a Kyu Grade Test on 2d6,
on only 1 success the opponent may move the target
point one Short Length, this has to be away from the
character spreading the tesubishi.
Tetsubo – a thick iron plated staff. Studded at the end that
is thicker. It is used to flatten the opponent while using it
as a ‘shield’ against blade attacks. It gives the wielder the
same protection as partial armour. If the wielder is Bu 3
or more they can use any hit to make an opponent prone
instead of recoiling.
B+2 Impact
Wakizashi/Shoto – the short sword which has a blade
of approximately 18”-24”. It is the second sword which
makes up the Dai-sho and is the main sword found in the
possession of non Samurai.
B+1
Yari – a straight bladed spear of about 7’ with a 1’ blade. It
is a Long Reach Weapon in the hands of any wielder.
B+2
Yari-nage – this is a throwing spear. It can be used as a
short thrusting spear. It has a Short Length range with a
three Short Length maximum range.
B+1
Magic in Bushi no Yume
The following rules are for players who want to set their
games in the mythical environment of medieval Japan.
Traditional stories, and their modern ‘manga’ and ‘anime’
versions are a great source of ideas for this period.
There are three classes of Mahoutsukai (magic users) in
Bushi no Yume:
Gakusho - these are the mainly Shinto or Buddhist
priests, will also include visiting ‘mystics’ to the shores of
Nihon however. They can only use the spells marked (G)
on the spell list.
Shugneja – basically what the west would call a wizard.
They are a student of occult practices revolving around
the teachings of Chinese Taoists. The magic revolves
around the properties of the Five Elements of nature.
Personalities – some characters and types of characters
(ninja for example) may be limited magic users.
Mythical beasts – some of the mythological animals will
have some magical abilities.
Magic is treated as a form of attack and takes one action
to ‘cast’. However, the more actions that are used to focus
the ‘spell’ the more power it potentially has. Just like any
other attack casting uses the Bujutsu value of the magic
user. However, the Bujutsu value of the magic using
character is doubled. For example if the character is a
lowly Bujutsu 1 usually they will be Bu 2 when casting.
A Bu 2 character will be Bu 4 when casting. Every action
spent on focussing the spell will add one (+1) to the BASE
Bujutsu value before it is doubled. Thus a Bu 2 character
using an action to focus will cast a spell with a value of
Bujutsu 6 (2+1=3 then 3x2=6).
Apply the Magic Modifiers to this value, spells will have
a ‘range’ just like ranged fire. The Target of the spell
always uses a base value of 2 unless they have some
special magic resistance which may increase this value.
Add the roll of 1d6 to each value and compare on the
Casting Result table. This will tell the player if the spell
was successful and how powerful it was.
Ranged fire modifiers:
Target is in effective range to (2x range band) 0
Target is 2-3x range away -1
Target is 3-4x range away -2
Target 4x to max range away -4
Target obscured -1
Target prone (no modifier within Short) -1
Target is floored +2
Casting at a character with the ukemi etc skill -1
Once both Casting Totals have been worked out they are
compared on the;
Casting Results Chart, if wearing armour add to losing
roll then compare:
Draw: Spell was cast but had little effect. The recipient
of the spell must roll a Kyu Grade Test on 1d6, if they fail
they recoil a base width away from the caster.
Win but not double or more the opponent:
•Caster – the spell was successfully cast.
•Recipient – the spell was cast but had no effect.
Win and double or more the opponent:
•Caster – spell was successfully cast with an enhanced
effect on recipient. B+1 on any effect the spell has the
potential to do.
•Recipient - spell was successfully cast but the recipient
was seen to ‘shrug’ the effect off. Recipient’s Tomozei
gain 1 ON.
Win and triple or more the opponent:
•Caster – spell was spectacularly cast with an enhanced
effect on recipient. B+2 on any effect the spell has the
potential to do,
•Recipient – the Caster suffered a ‘backlash’ from the
failed attack and takes a B+3 attack.
Spells only affecting the Caster or their Tomozei are
worked out in the same way against a ‘target’ C of +2.
Ignore any negative effects from the roll for the Caster. It
either works or does not work.
30
Spells in Bushi no Yume
KIAI – not really a spell as such. A Kiai is a psychological
attack on an opponent prior to a strike. If successful the
target is Fazed unless they roll 3 successes on a 3d Quality
check. A character may move and Kiai OR Kiai and strike,
both these options suffer a -1..
All personalities can use Kiai – Range - Short Length
Hi no Tama –a ball of fire erupts towards the target.
Causes a B+3 hit on the target and any character within
a base width of the target. Any character within a base
width of the path of the fireball suffers a B+2 attack.
Range - Long Length
Tenjiru/Saminjutsu (G) – basically a hypnotic attack, the
target is fixed in place in place unless they roll 3 passes
on a 3d6 Kyu Grade Test. It takes two actions to shake of
the effects.
Range - Short Length
Energy Blast – the target is hit by a mental ball of energy.
The target takes a B+2 hit and is pushed back 2 base
widths. Caster must have an unobstructed line of sight
to the recipient..
Range - Medium Length
Energy Push (G) – the target is pushed back a medium
stick, unless they make 2+ passes on a 3d6 Kyu Grade
Test, and is made prone.
Range - Medium Length
Illusion – the target and anyone within a short of them
sees an illusion which causes panic. They must make a
morale check on 2d6 immediately.
Range - Long Length
Protection spell (G) - the target receives +2 on any losing
combat roll for the players activation phase.
Healing spell (G) – the target recovers from being
wounded to just being ‘prone’. The target must not be in
combat at the time of healing.
At any time if a magic user rolls a ‘1’ on the attack die the
energy has been deflected back to them … they become
‘fazed’.
 Bushi no yume qrs
Activation Results Table Here they come - Closing to contact with an opponent
Dice Roll Actions who has a ranged weapon can be difficult. If the
1 failure no action; player may activate another opponent has a ranged weapon, and the attacker starts
character. further away than a Short Length they may choose to try
1 success 1 action, then player may activate and get a shot out as the attacker closes. They roll 3d6
another figure. Kyu Grade Test Roll when the attacker is a Short Length
1 success & 1 failure 1 action, then player may activate away, Shuryou bonus may not be added:
another figure. 3 Successes – character gets a shot at the attacker. This is
1 success & 2 failures 1 action, then play passes to the worked out normally but with a -1 to the firer. If this does
opponent. not stop the attacker the character fights using his best
2 or 3 failures no actions, play passes to the weapon.
opponent 2 Successes - character gets a shot at the attacker. This is
2 successes 2 actions, player may activate worked out normally but with a -3 to the firer. If this does
another character. not stop the attacker the character fights using his best
2 successes & 1 failure 2 actions, player may weapon.
activate another character. 1 Success – the character decides against trying and
3 successes 3 actions, after that the player may readies their weapon. Fight close combat as normal.
activate another character. 0 Successes – the character fails miserably to get a shot
On a roll of 1,1,1 the character’s Kyu Grade worsens +1 out and is caught trying to change weapons. They count
On a roll of 6,6,6 the character receives 4 actions. as being ‘fazed’.

Action Cost Close Combat

Normal Length Move 1 action
Short Move through dense/hindering terrain 2 actions
Close Combat attack 1 action
Perform a powerful hand to hand attack
( -1 on opponent’s total) 2 actions
Achieving ZANSHIN 2 actions
Snap attack with a ranged weapon 1 action
Aimed Shot with a ranged weapon
(-1 on opponent’s total) 2 actions
Reload or swap a weapon during a turn 1 action
Disengage from hand to hand combat 1 action
(move one base width away)
Recover from floored (remain prone) 1 action
Standing from Prone 1 action
Casting a spell 1-3 actions
Blunt impact weapons +1
Examples: tessen, yawara, jutte, improvised impact
weapons, kusuri-fundo (manrikigasuri), Unarmed
combat skill, jo, hanbo, rokushakubo, nyuibo
Short bladed weapons +1
Examples: tanto, aiguchi, shoto (wakizashi), kama,
shoge,
Longer bladed weapons +2
Examples: katana, dai katana, no-dachi, tachi, ninjato,
yari, naginata, ono
The COMBAT TOTAL is:
Characters Base Bujutsu Value (Bux) + the weapon’s Buki
(B+x) + Combat Modifiers + the roll of a D6
Combat Modifiers
Higher ground or defending obstacle +1
(On contact only)
Better weapon modifier if applicable +1
Mounted vs non mounted (on contact) +2
Attacking floored/immobile opponent +2
(any non kill hit is a wound)
Attacking from prone +1
Ambushing +1
Powerful blow (on opponents Bu) -1
Fighting multiple opponents (per) -1
Fazed * -1

31
 Bushi no yume qrs
Ranged Combat Wound Check
The firer and target both roll to find their Combat Total as Use the following mechanic if the Combat Result table
below: indicated that the character must make a wound check.
Characters Base Buki Value (Bx) + the weapon’s Buki (B+x) At the beginning of the player’s next turn they roll 3d6,
for the FIRER only + Combat Modifiers for the FIRER trying to pass as many ‘die’ as possible depending on
ONLY+ the roll of a D6 what weapon caused the wound:
Thrown blades, weights, fukiya and pistols • Test against a 4 if the weapon was any impact
Short range +0 or ranged weapon.
Shuriken/Shaken (models a number thrown rapidly) •Test against a 5 if the weapon was any cutting
Short range but can move and fire +1 or piercing weapon.
Muskets and Hankyu •Test against a 6 if the character is already
Medium Range +1 wounded or is poisoned and their Kyu level has
Rifles (post 1830s) and Dai Kyu reached ‘7’.
Long Range +2
3 successes – Flesh wound, back in action, the
Ranged fire modifiers: character stands and can be activated
Target is in effective range to (2x range band) 0 this turn.
Target is 2-3x range away -1 2 successes – Bad wound, can only move short and is
Target is 3-4x range away -2 on -2 to Combat. The character stands and
Target 4x to max range away -4 can NOT be activated this turn.
Firing and moving in same action (limited) -1 1 success – Serious wound, is out of action and needs
Firing from Zanshin -1 to be carried.
Firing at ‘Hidden’ target -5 0 success – Mortal wound, the character is dead.
Target obscured -1
Target prone (no modifier within Short) -1 Seppuka
Target is floored - non Kill hit is a wound. +2 must make a Kyu Grade Test on 3d6.
Shooting from ambush position +1 0 successes – The character completely botches the
Target is Mounted, Big or Huge +1 attempt. The tomozei lose double the ON than normal.
Anyone taking an Aimed shot -1 The Second rolls a d6 and on a 6 they receive 3 ON for
Applied to the opponent’s combat value making a final cut which restores some dignity to the
Using unfamiliar weapon -1 situation.
Firing at a character with the ukemi -1 1 success – If the Second passes a 1d6 Kyu Grade Test the
tomozei will not lose any ON. If there is no Second the
Compare on the, Combat Results Chart, if wearing armour tomozei will lose the normal amount of ON +1.
add to losing roll before comparing. 2 successes – The character shows great ‘Ki’ and the
tomozei will not lose any ON. Of course the Koku loss
COMBAT RESULTS TABLE will count towards the tomozei’s 50% point test.
Draw: 3 successes – The character could not have performed
Ranged combat misses better, the Second gains 1 On and the characters tomozei
Melee combat move attacker/s back a base width and gain 4 ON. Of course the Koku loss will count towards the
the figures are disengaged. tomozei’s 50% point test.
Win but not double or more the opponent:
Ranged combat, target seeks cover.
Melee combat, opponent recoils back a base width,
winner/s may follow up, back into contact unless
otherwise engaged in close combat.
If won on a 6 the opponent is ‘floored’
Win and double or more the opponent:
Wounded - Loser ‘floored’ and must make a wound check
at the start of the owning player’s turn. Until the check
they count as being ‘floored’.
Win and triple or more the opponent:
Opponent is killed outright.
On a ‘6’ Gory DeathWOUND CHECK TABLE

32
 Bushi no yume qrs
Shuryou * (Leader) – the character is the leader of the tomozei and
has a Command Distance of a Long Length. They are capable of
giving a ‘Group Order’ and enhance a characters Kyu Grade (-1) if
the character is activated within the Command Distance and Line of
Sight of the Leader. This also effects various Kyu Grade tests such as
Morale.
Hanchou * – the character is the Leaders ‘right hand man’ and has a
Command Distance of a Short Length. Within this Command Distance
a character will act as one better Kyu Grade during activation and
Morale.
Gunshin * – the character is a Hero. They automatically pass one die
roll on a 6 for activation, task and morale purposes. In addition to this
they may cause a reroll of any one set of dice for their force or the
opponents per game.
Amatsu Tatara Goshinjutsu – the character has a knowledge of
traditional medicine and can increase the likelihood of an injured
character recovering when making their wound roll. If the character
is next to the character who is making the wound roll the character
will test against a 3. Neither character must be in combat or within a
base width of an enemy character.
Ansatsusha * – the character is highly trained in assassination
techniques. Any hit inflicted by the character will cause a wound
and doubling the opponent means they will test on the wound table
against a ‘6’.
Baka yaro! – the character is somewhat dim witted and is not able to
follow directions or pay attention for any period of time. Dim witted
characters suffer a +1 on their Kyu Grade for activation.
Binshou – the character is very agile and their Kyu Grade is at -1 for
tasks that require agility. In addition to this, any ranged projectile
attack on the character is at -1.
Dokuyaku – the creature or weapon is poisonous. Every time a poison
attack hits on a roll of a ‘6’ the target’s Kyu Grade is increased by one. If
it ever exceeds 6 the target tests on the wound table against a ‘6’.
Hicho – the character can attack as they use a flying movement action
past an opponent. They must use an action to perform the attack but
so long as they win the combat they may continue their move action.
They do not suffer a ‘disengage’ attack.
Hitabashiri – the character is very swift, they may make one Long
Length movement action per activation.
Iai jutsu – the character is skilled at drawing and cutting with their
weapon while they are moving. The character can strike with their
weapon at the end of a movement action. However, this attack is at
-1 to the Combat Total.
Ikari – the character has a hatred for particular creatures or family
enemies. One such object of their hatred must be specified and in
combat against the target of their hatred they receive a +1 to the
Combat Total.
Juukan – the character is adept at striking while moving past an
opponent. They may strike at any point of their movement action.
So long as the character does not lose the combat the character may
continue moving.
Karumijutsu – used mainly in a ‘mythical’ setting this ability allows
the character to leap a short distance in any direction (including
upwards). If the landing point is a small area (less than 2 base widths)
they must roll 3d6 Kyu check:
3 successes – fine
2 successes – deviate randomly left or right one base width (might
mean fall)
1 pass – same but two base width
0 pass – fails leap in some comical fashion, they miss the landing
spot.
Kuji-Kiri – the character is skilled at the esoteric hand weaving
movements and ‘air cuttings’. Although often associated with the ninja
it was in fact used by a number of ‘samurai’ ryuha. The character can
use the ‘Tenjiru’ spell, even if they are not a magic using character.
Kusuri Jutsu – the character is skilled at using chain weapons to
disarm their opponents. If they win the combat roll by rolling a 6 they
33
can choose to ignore the result and disarm the opponent instead.
This makes them drop the weapon that they are using.
Kyoushinsha – the character is a fanatic. They always conduct Morale
Tests at -1 to the Kyu Grade and their first strike in a Close Combat
phase is at Bujutsu +1.
Mahoutsuka * – the character is a magic user.
Menkyo Kaidan * – the character has attained the highest ability in
their particular ryuha (martial arts school). They may make more than
one attack per activation, using an action to make each attack.
Mukon no Jutsu – the character is stealthy and is very skilled at using
the environment to their advantage. As long as the character stays
within a base width of concealing terrain they count as being ‘hidden’.
Moving between objects and keeping the hidden status is possible. It
is a normal Task Roll.
Muto-dori – the character is skilled at unarmed defences against
bladed weapons. The bladed weapon is not counted as a superior
weapon. On a winning roll of a 5 or 6 the character has disarmed their
opponent.
Nibui – the creature or character is very slow to move and may only
make one movement action an activation.
Ni-to Jutsu – the character is skilled at fighting with two weapons,
often a long and a short sword. This offsets the fighting multiple
opponents penalties. However, no superior weapon modifier may be
claimed.
Oki – the character is very large (Dai-oni for example). They receive
an additional +1 in close combat against characters who are not
themselves classed as ‘Oki’. Any ranged attack on an Oki character
receives a +1 to the Combat Total.
Omake - beware of being an extra in a chanbara movie, you will only
be their for the main characters to cut through! Omake are removed
from play on ANY combat roll loss.
Rikishi – the character is very strong and will have an advantage
when performing tasks which involve strength.
Sakki – the character can sense danger and can not be surprised or
ambushed. All Samurai personality characters and all Gunshin have
this ability as standard.
Shigamitsuku – the character/creature can ‘walk’ on walls, ceilings,
trees etc. They will never fall unless wounded badly and if the terrain
would allow, they always count as attacking from a higher elevation.
Suijin – the creature is equally at home on land or in water and may
cross any water type terrain with no movement or combat penalty.
Taijutsu/jujutsu – the character is skilled in unarmed combat. They
can choose to put the opponent on the floor, prone, instead of
making them recoil.
Tenjiru – the character is a master at distracting their opponent.
They can use the ‘Tenjiru’ spell, even if they are not a magic using
character.
Tetsujin – the character has nerves of steel. They treat Morale tests at
one better Kyu Grade.
Ukemi – the character is adept at rolling out of danger. Their Kyu
Grade is two better (-2) for any rolls involving climbing and avoiding
falling damage. In addition they can use Ukemi to roll out of the way
of a strike. The character deciding to use ukemi receives a +2 on their
Combat Total but can not harm the attacker even in Close Combat.
Instead any winning roll lets the character move a short length in a
chosen direction. This models a number of defensive moves ranging
from ‘tobi’(leaping). nagare (flowing roll) and even the more fantastical
acrobatic moves like cartwheels and somersaults. This ability can be
used against ranged attacks that are not ambush attacks.
Yadome-jutsu – the character has been trained in an okuden (oral
transmission) which has enabled them to be able to cut ranged
weapons from the air. If a ranged attack hits the character rolls a d6.
On the roll of a 5+ the missile has been cut from the air.
Yamabushi – the character is a ‘mountain man’ and does not suffer
any terrain penalties for difficult ground.
Yuuki – the character is fearless, they are immune to the effects of
gory deaths and test for morale at -1 to their Kyu Grade.
 武 Kyusho waza – precision strike
士 +2 to combat roll.
karma の
Play before rolling the Combat
Roll.
夢
武
Kyusho waza – precision strike
士
karma
+2 to combat roll.
Play before rolling the Combat
の Roll.
夢
武
Kyusho waza – precision strike
士
karma
+2 to combat roll.
Play before rolling the Combat
の Roll.
夢
武
Kyusho waza – precision strike
士
karma
+2 to combat roll.
Play before rolling the Combat
の Roll.
夢
武 Kudaki waza – breaking blow. If
the combat roll is won by double
士 or more the attacker can choose to
karma の
‘break’ the opponents weapon. This
leaves the opponent ‘fazed’ for the
turn.
夢 Play after results are known.

34
 武 Kudaki waza – breaking blow. If
the combat roll is won by double
士 or more the attacker can choose to
karma の
‘break’ the opponents weapon. This
leaves the opponent ‘fazed’ for the
turn.
夢 Play after results are known.

武 Mystic Apparition – a mystic/ghostly

士 spirit seemingly appears and the

karma の
target of the card is fazed for the
turn.

夢 Play immediately.

武 Hyaku Hyakyu – a character may

士 make one extra medium movement

karma の
during their activation.

Play during activation.

夢
武 Hyaku Hyakyu – a character may
士 make one extra medium movement

karma の
during their activation.

Play during activation.

夢
武 Yadome Jutsu – the character is adept
士 at cutting arrows out the air. Play

karma
when a character is targeted by ranged

の weapons.
The firer is at -3 to the fire roll.

夢
Play before rolling Combat Roll.

35
 武 Yadome Jutsu – the character is adept
士 at cutting arrows out the air. Play

karma の
when a character is targeted by ranged
weapons.
The firer is at -3 to the fire roll.

夢
Play before rolling Combat Roll.

武 Kami Kaze – Divine Wind – a divine

士 wind blows against the enemy for

karma
the turn. The enemy can not indulge

の in ranged fire at all this turn. Any

movement is reduced by a Length.

夢
武 Kami Kaze – Divine Wind – a divine
士 wind blows against the enemy for

karma
the turn. The enemy can not indulge

の in ranged fire at all this turn. Any

movement is reduced by a Length.

夢
武 Saru mo ki kara ochiru. – Even monkeys

士 fall from trees – a character trips up during

karma
movement. The character that the card is
played on must stop their movement when
の the card is played. They are placed prone
but may carry on if they have any actions
夢 left.

武 Meishin – in a land ruled by superstition

士 a character hesitates when they think they

karma
have seen a ‘sign’ the character loses
one action … play after the opponents
の activation roll.

夢
36
 武 Rain – torrential rain hits the area.
士 Until the end of the game any ranged

karma の
fire is a -2. After 3 turns all movement
is reduced by a Length.

夢
武 Me no Kami – eyes of the gods
士 – apparently protected by the gods
karma の
the figure can ignore any wounding
hit.
Play when hit with a wounding roll.
夢
武 Me no Kami – eyes of the gods
士 – apparently protected by the gods

karma の
the figure can ignore any wounding
hit.
Play when hit with a wounding roll.
夢
武 Me no Kami – eyes of the gods
士 – apparently protected by the gods

karma の
the figure can ignore any wounding
hit.
Play when hit with a wounding roll.
夢
武 Me no Kami – eyes of the gods
士 – apparently protected by the gods

karma の
the figure can ignore any wounding
hit.
Play when hit with a wounding roll.
夢
37
 武 Zanshin – a character may make
士 an additional action. This must be

karma の
played while the character is in their
activation phase.

夢
武 Zanshin – a character may make
士 an additional action. This must be

karma の
played while the character is in their
activation phase.

夢
武 Zanshin – a character may make
士 an additional action. This must be

karma の
played while the character is in their
activation phase.

夢
武
士
karma の
夢
武
士
karma の
夢
38
A scene from a ‘Keep Out’ scenario game. The Nagato and Ishizuka Clan have met at the bridge and an altercation
starts. Kurosawa San (blue facings) and Ogechi San (red facings) square off against each other on the right hand side
of the bridge. Both are Bushi and both have a Kyu Grade of 3 and a Bujutsu level of 3. Their initial round of combat
had resulted in a draw and they had pushed each other back. Kurosawa had then activated and got 3 actions. Rushing
back into the combat (he would have lost ON otherwise) he spent one action to move in and decides to attack with
a powerful strike, spending an additional 2 actions on doing so. Both rolling a die we see Kurosawa rolling 5 and
Ogechi rolling 3. They are both using Katana so there is no better weapon modifier but Ogechi’s Bu is reduced by
1 for the powerful strike ... this gives a CT of 3 (Bu) +2 (katana) + 5 (die) = 10 for Kurosawa and 2 +2 +3 = 7 for
Ogechi. Ogechi has been hit but his full armour allows him to add two to a LOSING CT so when comparing it on the
table the CTs are 10 v. 9. Kurosawa has won by one and therefore pushes Ogechi back a base width. Kurosawa San
decides to follow up and next combat round will use his Ki. Combat between two equally matched, fully armoured
characters relies on a getting ‘lucky’. This could be from the use of a Karma Card, a good roll versus a bad roll or
winning on a ‘6’ which would have meant Ogechi San had been ‘floored’.

どうも有り難うございます
Bushi no Yume would not have been possible without the patience, help and
support of many people. The following deserve a special mention:
• Juni, my wife, Khally & Keshia, my daughters - can’t think of any other people who would put up
with my obsession with the Bujinkan, surfing/skating and playing games!
• Hatsumi Soke - the Grandmaster of the Bujinkan - this is all his fault !
• Agis Neugebauer (www.adpublishing.de) for the photos of his lovely painted miniatures, all his
apart from the one on this page - also check out his brilliant rules for WWII and Mechs!
• Khally Saarman-Jones for the wonderful photos of Japan.
• Duncan Stewart - for being the best student I could wish for ... now he is teaching me!
• Andrea Sfiligoi - the man behind Ganesha Games, these rules owe a lot to my Flying Lead set
of rules published by Ganesha and without Andrea’s Songs of Blades & Heroes (that Flying Lead
was based on) this set would have been very different. For fantasy action set outside of Japan
check out the superb stable of SOBH rules at http://www.ganeshagames.net
• Shaun McTague for putting up with my continual playtesting and gaming ADHD.

39
Bushi no Yume
Welcome to the land of the samurai and
ninja. Contained within this makimono
武
士
(scroll) is all the ancient teachings and
waza (techniques) of the legendary
warriors of old, enabling you to perform
like them. Follow the path of the Bushi
(samurai), the Ronin, the Oni (devils) or
even the Kusa (ninja).
Well OK not quite. But what you will find within
の
夢
the covers of this fast play set of skirmish rules
is everything you need to play out the historical,
theatrical and even the fantastical action of fact and
fictional Japan. Build your Tomozei (retinue) from a
wide range of characters, all with different abilities
and weapon skills. Fight for your honour, Giri
(duty), money or just for the pure ‘fun of it’. Sample
scenarios lead onto the simple advancement and
campaign ideas. You may see your Tomozei fighting
for control of the neighboring fief or even seeking
to become the next SHOGUN.

Optional weapon detail, Ki Points and Karma Cards

add even more fun to your games.

The game can be played using any figures from your

collection in any scale. A standard game in 28mm uses a 3’-4’
square table and is over in about 50 minutes.

神出鬼没 shin shutsu ki botsu