User:Bill/Shinobi

Introduction

Shinobi is a Wild Talents variant based on the Naruto and Naruto Shippūden anime series by Masashi Kishimoto. No challenge to anyone's copyright is intended and any similarities to anyone else's work is probably completely intentional. My most profound apologies to anyone that I fail to credit at any point.

Why Wild Talents

Lots of different rule sets could be used to run a game based on Naruto and quite a few are already out there. I'm going with ORE out of personal preference and because I firmly believe that at its core Naruto is a super hero story. That requires a set of rules flexible enough to support a wide variety of powers without significant work on the part of the players or referee. Wild Talents' flexible power design system is especially well suited to this task and should permit players to create any thematically appropriate character that they desire to.

Changes from Wild Talents

Chakra

Shinobi power their jutsu with Chakra, a trait derived from a character's spiritual and physical training/prowess. Each shinobi possesses a base Chakra pool equal to 5x his or her (Body+Cool). This trait effectively replaces willpower and Base Will may be spent in the standard fashion to gain additional Chakra. Unlike willpower, Chakra recovers at a rate of one per round inside of combat and will normally recover completely after a short rest. Activating any jutsu requires Chakra to be bid.

Spending Chakra

Chakra is the defining resource of the source material. Shinobi with larger amounts of it are simply able to do more than those with less. To reflect this Chakra may be spent, at a rate of two for one, to buy hard dice for any single round. For uncontested actions this will result in an automatic success with a minimum width of one.

Setting

Shinobi is set in a unique world that blends elements of feudal Japan with modern technology, magic, and supernatural powers. The stories take place in the five great nations and the smaller countries that border them. These nations are ruled by diamyos and defended by superhuman ninjas trained in hidden villages. In essence, these stories are about super heroes that battle super villains in defense of their countries and comrades.

Player Characters

The players will take on the roles of genin ninjas, recent graduates from ninja academy, placed in their first team. These characters will be engaging in low (E and D) level missions under the leadership of a jonin level captain. Per the source material, genin must complete at least eight missions before they can be recommended by their team captain for the chunin exams.