This article originally appeared in Pyramid #30
Usagi Yojimbo RPG
Published by Gold Rush Games
Written by Greg Stolze
Fuzion rules by David Ackerman, Ray Greer, Bruce Harlick, George MacDonald, Steve Peterson, Mike Pondsmith and Benjamin Wright
$16.00
Samurai rabbits, ninja cats and panda daimyo; these are the types of characters who inhabit the world of the Usagi Yojimbo Roleplaying Game. The game is based on the adventures of the wandering rabbit yojimbo (bodyguard) Usagi, as told in the Usagi Yojimbo comic book by artist Stan Sakai (who provided the cover and all of the interior art for the RPG).
Usagi lives in a world very much like 17th-century Japan, with the exception of the fact that there are no humans; all of the people are anthropomorphic animals like bears, cats, dogs, foxes, pigs and, of course, rabbits. No martial arts turtles, but you could easily add them, if desired. There are normal animals as well, but nobody seems to have any trouble telling the difference between people and animals.
The stories in Usagi's world are about samurai and ninja and the ties of honor and duty so common in the Japan of that era. Although the characters appear cartoonish, many of the stories are quite serious, and the violence in the comic book is sometimes graphic. Players of the RPG can mix-and-match seriousness and humor in their games as desired; the game definitely supports both. A brief overview of the world of 17th-century Japan, its customs and roles is provided. Game Masters who are not followers of the Usagi comic . . .
This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.
Article publication date: May 1, 1998
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