I was only able to play a few sessions using the setting and by the time I was back to a place where playing was something that I had time to do and a group that was interested in playing this had faded from memory. I still have never been able to give the setting the attention I wish I had been able to. I hope to some day find a time to run an oriental based campaign.
I think that the oriental setting seems to support role playing much more than what the traditional western setting does. I attribute this to the nature of honor being important and there being a strong need to adhere to protocol and appearance. I like killing monsters and accumulating treasure as much as the next gamer but it is role and not roll playing after all.
Ninja Wars is a module I really enjoy the idea behind. It involves all the things that I think make up a good adventure. There is a good mixture of opportunities to both role play both combat problem solve. The module will also require the adventures to figure out a fairly involved plot line for a module.
The module is 96 pages long but it concludes in just over the first half of that. There are a fair number of plot hooks included though the module calls them mini-adventures I think they fall somewhere between both.
The module also includes a detailed section on the NPCs that the layers might encounter in the adventure. The module goes into more detail than a stat block and three or four sentences on then important ones. It provides enough information that the DM will ot have to wing many of the things that might normally have to when the players ask questions.
The module also includes something that you normally will not find in a module. It has a two page section on generating random encounters. These are not encounters specific to the adventure which makes it sort of different. The tables they provide though general could be used as a template for almost any setting. I am not going to say it is a great set of tables but it is passable.
The final section of the module is a series of I think five much more detailed adventures. These again fall somewhere in between what I would call a mini-adventure and something you would find in a module. Some of them are more detailed than others and some are better than others but it is still a nice inclusion.
In going over this module again I find myself wondering if this was not something that ended up being cobbled together from a number of different planned projects. The other option is that it was a start of a another setting. It may just be me though. I think this would be a great module for any DM to have and say buy it if you can find it.
Published: 1990
Pages: 96
From the back cover:
"Behold The Shining Temple of Bishamon!
Located above the city of Aru on the island nation of Wa, this shrine is the focus of a great pilgrimage. Every year, thousands of people travel here to celebrate the Ceremony of the Three Thousand Steps. For townsfolk and travelers alike, it is a time of great celebrations and revelry.
For Benju Matsutomo, Daimyo of Aru, it is a time of worry and concern. Something is wrong this year. A political rival has hired a clan of ninja to disrupt the pilgrimage and disgrace Matsutomo. But the daimyo has his own ninja, and just to be safe, he decides to hire a party of adventurers to make sure everything runs smoothly.
Of course, it doesn't...
Spell:
Faithful Guardian
Level: Fifth
Range: Touch
Duration: Permanent
Area of Effect: One Creature
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 6 Turns
Saving Throw: None
When this spell is cast the magic user is able to turn a currently friendly animal into much more. The animal will become an animal guardian of the casters tower, stronghold or base of operations.
The spell will grant the animal an increased intelligence raising it to that of an average human. The guardian will also have it's hit points increased by the an amount equal to the caster intelligence. The guardian is close to a familiar in what it does but is less and more at the same time. It is possible for the caster to have only one guardian at a time.
The guardian must stay at the caster's base of operations where the spell must be cast. It is possible for them to go other places but the effects of the spell will be canceled while they are away. If the guardian is away from the location for more than one day per point of intelligence the caster has the spell will be broken. The caster must wait a period of time equal to their level in months before the spell can be cast on a new guardian.
As long as the guardian is at the caster's base of operations then it will have other abilities besides the increased intelligence. While there is will not require food or water and will have it's aging process halted at the point where the spell was cast. It will also gain the ability to speak but only the caster will understand it. The guardian will also gain the ability to regenerate health at the rate on one hit point per round.
The caster will have some options available to them as well. They will immediately know if the guardians life is in danger or if they were to die. The caster will be able to contact the guardian up to three times per day and ask for an update. The update can be up to two rounds in duration. Finally once per day the caster can connect with the guardian and see what they see and hear for a period equal to their intelligence in rounds.
Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.
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