Text and Layout By Diego Barreto (CC BY 4.0). Based on 24XX, by Jason Tocci.

Original Art CC BY BEEPLE

RULES
PLAY: Players describe what their characters
do. The GM advises when an action is impossi‐
ble, requires extra steps, demands a cost, or
presents an risk. Players only roll to avoid risks.
ROLLING: Roll a d6 skill die — higher with a rele‐
vant skill, or d4 if hindered by injury or circum‐
stances. If helped by circumstances, roll an
extra d6; if helped by an ally, they roll their skill
die and share the risk. Take the highest die.
1–2 Disaster. Suffer the full risk. GM decides if
you succeed at all. If risking death, you die.
3–4 Setback. A lesser consequence or partial
success. If risking death, you’re maimed.
5+ Success. The higher the roll, the better.
If success can’t get you what you want (you
make the shot, but it’s bulletproof!), you’ll at
least get useful info or set up an advantage.
LOAD: Carry as much as makes sense, but more
than one bulky item may hinder you at times.
ADVANCEMENT: After mission, increase a skill
(none ➤d8 ➤d10 ➤d12) and gain d3 credit (₡).
DEFENSE: Say how one of your items or trait
breaks to turn a hit into a brief hindrance.
Broken gear is useless until repaired.
Broken trait is erratic or useless until long rest.
HARM: Injuries take time and/or medical atten‐
tion to heal. If killed, make a new character to be
introduced ASAP. Favor inclusion over realism.
RUNNING THE GAME: Lead the group in setting
lines not to cross in play. Fast-forward, pause, or
rewind/redo scenes for pacing and safety.
Present dilemmas and problems you don’t know
how to solve. Move the spotlight to give every‐
one time to shine. Test periodically for bad luck
— roll d6 to check for (1–2) trouble now or (3–4)
signs of trouble. Offer rulings to cover gaps in
rules; revise unsatisfying rulings as a group.
Names here are crude translation and simplification of the
Japanese weapons. This was done with the sole purpose of
speed up gameplay and not as disregard of the rich and
incredible Japanese history and culture
CHARACTERS
► Choose your character’s specialty.
ARTISAN: Skilled in Traps (d8) and Crafting(d8).
Take a Tool kit (not bulky).
ASSASSIN: Skilled in Climbing (d8), Stealth
(d8). Take climbing gear.
BODYGUARD: Skilled in Intimidation (d8) and
Protecting (d8). Take a special vest (break 2x)
COURTIER: Skilled in Reading People (d8),
Deception (d8). Take an disguise wardrobe.
MONK: Skilled in Medicine (d8) and Archery
(d8). Take an acupuncturist kit.
WARRIOR: Skilled in Melee Weapons (d8) and
Warfare (d8). Ignore bulky tag for 1 armor.
► Create 2 different Rings Techniques (as magi‐
cal as you want. How did you learn them?).
AIR: Invent a trait related to speed and move‐
ment (break it to pass through enemies
unharmed). Ex: kick air, dash
EARTH: Invent a defensive trait (can be ‘broken’
twice for defense). Ex: ki armor, stone skin
FIRE: Invent an offensive trait (break it to
increase die in an attack) Ex: fire fist, heatblade.
WATER: Invent a counter-attack trait (break it to
increase die in self-defense) Ex: quickdraw,
breaking grapple.
VOID: Invent a trait related to illusions (break to
mislead) Ex: after-images, hypnosis
► Choose Weapons (1 Bulky OR 2 Regular OR
1 Regular + 1 Small). Name your main weapon
(adjective+noun).These are blessed and can
harm spirits.
Small (break 2 to negate a hit): shuriken, needles,
poison, concealed knives, caltrop, claws, garrote.
Regular: katana, wakizashi (“short katana”),
chain-sickle, flail, sai, nunchaku, tonfa, bow.
Bulky: spear, glaive, staff, wooden warhammer,
war-oar, spiked club, odachi (“long katana”).
 GEAR
► Take ₡2 (₡ is equivalent to a handful of Yens).
DETAILS
► Invent, pick or roll for personal details.
Most items and upgrades cost ₡1 each. Ignore
FIRST NAME (1-10 female, 11-20 male)
micro transactions like a knife or a meal.
1 Aiko 6 Keiko 11 Akemi 16 Ken
ARMOR: Vest (torso, break once for defense), 2 Chiharu 7 Mayumi 12 Daisuke 17 Mamoru
battle armor (₡2, torso, shoulder and thighs, 3 Gin 8 Mei 13 Eiko 18 Takai
bulky, break up to 2×), full samurai armor (₡3, 4 Hideko 9 Tomiko 14 Fujita 19 Uta
bulky, break up to 3×). 5 Inoue 10 Yuri 15 Jiro 20 Yukio

TOOLS (helps when appropriate): Climbing gear, SURNAME

lantern (with oil and matches), loaded dice and 1 Abe 8 Matumoto 15 Suzuki
marked cards, big canteen of sake, sling, Bud‐ 2 Goto 9 Saito 16 Takahasi
dhist amulet and praying bowl, ceremonial 3 Hayashi 10 Nakamura 17 Tanaka
clothes, bandages and medical herbs. 4 Ito 11 Saito 18 Watanabe
5 Kato 12 Sasaki 19 Yamada
WEAPONS: 2 small, 1 regular (₡2), 1 bulky (₡3),
6 Kimura 13 Shiba 20 Yoshida
pistol or rifle or bomb (₡4). Add ₡4 for a
7 Kobayashi 14 Shimizu
blessed version of the weapon. A Priest can
bless a weapon in a temple for a price or favor. DEMEANOR
1 Anxious 8 Curious 15 Innocent

MAGIC SEALS 2 Appraising 9 Dramatic 16 Knowing

3 Blunt 10 Dry 17 Picky
4 Brooding 11 Dull 18 Reckless
► Seals containing magic can be bought at 5 Calming 12 Earnest 19 Terse
temples or underworld (₡4). One use only. 6 Casual 13 Formal 20 Weary
7 Cold 14 Gentle
By default, all affect one target/small area for a
short duration and activate the moment you ► Invent, pick or roll what you have lost to these
use. Carrying many of those can be unstable. warring era by a cursed blade.

Roll/pick one as starter. 1 Best friend 11 Honor

1 Alarm 11 Good Luck 2 Boredom 12 Hope
2 Bad Luck 12 Heat 3 Brothers in Arms 13 Lands
3 Barrier 13 Invisibility 4 Brothers in Crime 14 Money
4 Binding 14 Key 5 Caution 15 Peace
5 Bless 15 Memory 6 Childhood 16 Siblings
6 Clone 16 Mind 7 Children 17 Title
7 Coil 17 Silence 8 Family 18 Village
8 Darkness 18 Sleep 9 Future 19 Wife/Husband
9 Fear 19 Time 10 Glory 20 Will of living
10 Fog 20 Voice
► Roll on the cursed blade table and write down
Upgrade: Add 2 ₡ for each improvement letter the names. If either matches the blade of the
you would like in a seal. The same can be mission you can say it’s the one who wounded
bought multiple times for increased benefit. you. If you do, your actions against that blade
have help until it’s broken. If you broke it, scene
Bigger area - Longer duration - Remote use
out what you feel.
EX: Invisibility L has a longer duration
 THE CURSED BLADES MUST BE COLLECTED:
The MURAMASA blades were publicly banned
some time ago, said to be cursed. Still, many
years later, rumors moved the current ruler to
take precautions and offer a secret reward
You are a former samurai who lost more than
blood to a cursed blade. There are 20 left and
you still haven't had your vengeance. Beware,
every meaningful blade has a Name and the
one of a MURAMASA will fight to survive.

► Locations with a lead on a blade ► Secret twists

1 Abandoned coal mine, said to be haunted 1 Another cursed blade involved
2 Arsonists attacks at the slums of the city 2 Local lord want to accompany the party
3 Buddhist temple, strange attacks overnight 3 Another party wants to use the blade
4 Coast city, children found slayed at home 4 Spirits are angered by the blade
5 European mansion, wealth sword collector 5 Problem is spreading fast, time limit
6 Feudal castle, tip says the ruler has it 6 Another cursed blade is needed to break it
7 Foreign army transporting secret cargo 7 Another team is investigating, they're terrible
8 Forest, tribesmen attacking nearby villages 8 Someone is benefiting by the issue
9 Geisha houses, women disappearing 9 There's an ambush waiting. It's a trap!
10 Swamp, formerly site of a huge massacre 10 Local ruler don't want the party involved
11 Little agricultural town, festival tonight 11 An ally is actually a villain
12 Mountains, bandits sudden gathering 12 Someone presumed dead is in the opposition
13 Peasant uprising organized by old ronin 13 The blade is not where it’s supposed to be
14 Small island, avoided by fishermen 14 Make sure a noble family is unharmed
15 Surrounding of lake, mass drowning 15 Assassins sent to silence the story
16 Theater, tour coincide with trail of bodies 16 Journey there is hard to say the least
17 Urban outskirts, sudden gang dispute 17 A character past causes trouble
18 Wandering ronin, fights with blade sheathed 18 It's actually all ghosts reliving their story.
19 War cemetery, soldier buried with the sword 19 Illusions tries to deceive you all is okay
20 Whole noble family disappeared 20 Curse is broken but not the blade (Keep it?)
► Cursed Blades: [Type] 1d20, Name 2d20 ► Cursed Blade Ability or Avatar
1 Pair of 1 Blinding 1 Abyss 1 1st Name part is the weapon, 2nd is the body
daggers 2 Broken 2 Air 2 Animal spirit with blade at its core
2 Chain sickle 3 Cold 3 Bird 3 Armored samurai, master with the blade
3 Spear 4 Crimson 4 Bones 4 Army of small soldiers related to the name
4 Glaive 5 Darkest 5 Dawn 5 Blade change its form to a magical one
5 Short Katana 6 Evil 6 Devil 6 Blade levitates and acts on its own
6 Short Katana 7 Hailing 7 Dragon 7 Blade's ability is highly abstract
7 Long Katana 8 Thousand 8 Earth 8 Blades hides itself into a Name related place
8 Long Katana 9 Pale 9 Fire 9 Demon offering very attracting deals
9+ Katana 10 Piercing 10 Grass 10 Dominate every non-blessed weapon
11 Red 11 Hand 11 Each name part is a separate hostile spirit
►Every time a
12 Screaming 12 Heaven 12 Ethereal location with problem to be solved
cursed blade is 13 Seducing 13 Mirror 13 Ghosts of the blade's victims
broken, cross 14 Severing 14 Moon 14 Important person of PC past is the wielder
its name parts. 15 Silencing 15 Night 15 Master of the 5 Rings is the wielder
If they are 16 Silver 16 Rain 16 Recreate great battle which the blade was in
rolled again, 17 Slaying 17 Snake 17 Recreate moment that blade wounded PC life
pick or roll 18 True 18 Tiger 18 Spirit possess closest NPC person to wield it
again. 19 Twin 19 War 19 Spirit possess closest PC person to wield it
20 Wretched 20 Water 20 Titanic embodiment of Name