Well I mention in my earlier posts I was looking for resource materials for a Naruto pen & paper RPG and so I got off my mental rut and started a extensive search for such info.
After digging through several pages of online searches (mainly half-assed ideas and poorly written junk) I actually found a large source book on it. While it uses the 3.5 d20 system (Modern d20 I believe), it looks incredibly detailed and seems to have a strong following with regular updates.
I'm going to give this a good read and then give a review on it later, but those who are interested in what I found here is the link:
Naruto d20!
Hopefully this what I'm looking for. And if it is, I'll need to find the players next! :D
A Naruto d20 RPG sourcebook.
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Re: A Naruto d20 RPG sourcebook.
I took a gander through a copy of that, and I was a little disappointed by the mechanics. Trying to make it all work with the D20 framework was sort of ugly.
I know you aren't familiar with the Shadowrun system, but here is a conversion/campaign pack I wrote for it over a couple of afternoons. (For some reason, it won't allow me to add this as a attachment.)
NarutoRun – The unofficial Shadowrun 4th edition conversion
These rule modifications were formulated to allow one to use the Fourth Edition Shadowrun rules to simulate the world of the Naruto Anime and Manga. All copyrights are reserved by Fanpro and whoever licenses Naruto for gaming purposes. But if someone wants to offer me a job as a game developer, my email is cladran@mindspring.com. =)
Character Creation
Most PCs are humans (to varying degrees) built on 400 to 500 points. No metahuman variants are available in the Naruto world, though some of the Surge/changeling modifications can be utilized to create unique looks (like Kisame). Minor cosmetic variations (like Sakura’s pink hair or Kiba’s feral features) may be purchased for free. This is Anime, after all.
The typical Shinobi purchases the Mystic Adept Quality, so they may utilize ninjutsu and genjutsu (magic) as well as physical enhancements. There are some rare exceptions, like Rock Lee, who is purely a physical adept. Such limited shinobi compete by working hard to specialize in their taijutsu or weapon skills to compensate. Pure magicians are very rare as well, though you may find a few among the priesthood or traveling monks. Astral perception is very rarely purchased by shinobi who do not have a bloodline that gives them a discount for purchasing this ability.
Cyberware – mechanical body parts are almost completely unknown in Naruto’s world. (One member of Akatsuki could be argued to possess extensive modifications.) Any character wishing to have such modifications should have extensive plot explanations for their presence, as well as permission from the GM. NPCs will tend to react very negatively to such freakish accoutrements.
Bioware – this too is almost completely unknown. Orochimaru and Kabuto may have cooked up a few things, but they maintain close control over their “experimental subjects”. Again, this may be allowed for special cases with GM permission, but Hidden Sound has a really lousy retirement plan. Be warned.
Firearms – Aside from a few special weapons (like black-powder cannons and the odd musket), modern firearms are unknown in this land. Disregard most of the firearms rules and work on your Kunai Throwing skill specialization.
Matrix – If you haven’t guessed it yet, this doesn’t exist here either. I know Shikamaru would probably make a great hacker, since he never wants to get up from wherever he’s sitting, but software upgrades would just be “too troublesome”. This goes for technomancers and riggers as well.
Qualities – The following qualities are from the SR4 rulebook.
• Adept: Yes. See Rock Lee.
• Ambidextrous: Yes.
• Animal Empathy: Yes. See Kiba.
• Aptitude: Yes. See Rock Lee’s Taijutsu skill.
• Astral Chameleon: Rare.
• Blandness: Yes. Kabuto might have this.
• Codeslinger: No.
• Double Jointed: Yes. See Orochimaru. *shudder*
• Exceptional Attribute: Yes. Logic for Shikamaru.
• First Impression: Yes.
• Focused Concentration: Yes.
• Guts: Yes. See Naruto.
• High Pain Tolerance: Yes. See Kiba in the Sasuke Retrieval Arc.
• Home Ground: Yes. (Is this how Naruto evades the ANBU after a prank?)
• Human Looking: No. No point, really.
• Lucky: Yes.
• Magician: Rare. Priests or non-combatant Monks might possess this.
• Magic Resistance: Very rare. Only a non-shinobi may have this.
• Mentor Spirit: No.
• Murky Link: No. Ritual Sorcery performed at a distance is unheard of.
• Mystic Adept: Yes. (Of course!)
• Natural Hardening: No.
• Natural Immunity: Yes.
• Photographic Memory: Yes.
• Quick Healer: Yes.
• Resistance to Pathogens/Toxins: Yes.
• Spirit Affinity: No.
• Technomancer: No.
• Toughness: Yes.
• Will to Live: Yes.
• Addiction: Yes. (But may not be tolerated in some organizations.)
• Allergy: Yes.
• Astral Beacon: No.
• Bad Luck: Yes.
• Codeblock: No.
• Combat Paralysis: Yes. (Buy it off before your chuunin exam!)
• Elf Poser: No.
• Gremlins: No.
• Incompetent: Yes. (No technological/rare skills allowed here.)
• Infirm: Yes. (Poor Hayate!)
• Low Pain Tolerance: Yes.
• Ork Poser: No.
• Scorched: No.
• Sensitive Neural Structure: No.
• Sensitive System: No.
• Simsense Vertigo: No.
• SINner: No. (But starting the game as a Missing-Nin, with all that entails, should be worth 10 bp.)
• Spirit Bane: No.
• Uncouth: Yes.
• Uneducated: Yes.
• Weak Immune System: Yes.
Ninja Ranks
There are several widely recognized ranks for shinobi within the hidden villages:
Genin: The lowest rank. Starting characters who have just graduated from the Academy (or its local equivalent) before starting missions should have no stats (including Edge) higher than 4. (Barring purchase of the exceptional attribute quality, which allows one stat to exceed the normal maximum by one.) Active-duty Genin may increase their abilities to a maximum of six with experience.
Chuunin: The intermediate rank. These shinobi have started to master their abilities. Through a combination of strengthening chakra coils and advanced training, they may increase their stats to a maximum of seven.
Special Jonin: These experienced shinobi have attained jonin-level ability in one area, and may be close in others. They may increase all of their stats to a maximum of eight, and two of them (associated with their specialty, barring Edge) to a maximum of nine.
Jonin: These master shinobi have an attribute cap (barring the exceptional attribute quality) of nine.
S-Class: Ninja’s like the Legendary Sannin should only enter the game as NPCs. Their attributes may well range above nine – no one really wants to see Jiraiya get serious.
Kage: The leaders of one of the hidden villages wield immense powers, even when age has dulled their edge. If you ever see stats for one of these titans, don’t be surprised if you see a twelve, especially for one or more of their mental attributes.
Advancing in Shinobi rank may or may not be accompanied by degrees of initiation. Some hidden villages restrict such information to all but a small circle of senior ninjas, while other actively encourage their younger students to increase their chakra through initiation.
Techniques!
As Mystic Adepts, Shinobi partition their chakra into two pools – some is kept for molding chakra to create jutsus (Active Chakra), and some is invested into their own bodies (Internal Chakra), altering them over time to allow them to do things ordinary citizens can’t imagine doing.
Some notes regarding the adept powers in SR4:
• Astral Perception: Rarely purchased by characters who do not have a dojutsu such as the Sharingan or Byakugan that enables them to perceive chakra or chakra manipulation.
• Attribute Boost: This is often seen used by characters who undergo some sort of body-altering transformation, such as with the Akimichi family techniques, Ororchimaru’s Curse Seal, or Naruto when he begins channeling large amounts of the Kyuubi chakra. Lee’s opening of the celestial gates is an extreme example.
• Combat Sense: Common seen among shinobi, especially Byakugan users who can use their perception to dodge incoming attacks. (If purchased with the geas “only usable why Byakugan is active, that counts as a geas worth a 25% reduction in cost.)
• Critical strike: Again, this is very common. Optionally, melee weapon specialists may purchase this for use with their (specified) favorite weapon.
• Enhanced Perception: Inuzuka family shinobi often purchase this.
• Great Leap: This is favored by the more acrobatic taijutsu specialists.
• Improved ability: This may not be used for chakra manipulation skills.
• Improved physical attribute: This will allow a character to exceed the attribute caps associated with their rank.
• Improved Reflexes: As expensive as this is, it’s the only way to take multiple actions per round, so it’s still pretty popular.
• Improved Sense: Kiba has improved scent, and Chouji most likely has Improved taste. Shinobi fighting the Sound swear by Sound Dampening.
• Killing Hands: A special version of this is usually purchased by Hyuuga’s for use with their Jyuuken attacks.
• Missile Parry: With the absence of guns, this is considerably more useful. Plus you look really cool doing it.
• Mystic Armor: Special techniques and training regimens can harden the skin until it is like flexible steel. With the absence of high-tech armor materials this is especially useful.
• Natural Immunity: Jinchuuriki automatically possess several levels of this to represent their super-charged immune systems.
• Pain resistance: Very useful for a shinobi.
• Rapid healing: With the scarcity of medic-nins these days, this can’t hurt either.
• Spell Resistance: You are unusually resistant to foreign chakra. The GM should limit how many levels a character may purchase, based on their rank.
• Voice control: A creepy, yet classic ninja ability. Very handy when used with a Henge.
Some new abilities:
Ninja Feet
Cost: .25
This ability lets a shinobi direct chakra through their feet. Though awkward, controlling the chakra flowing through your feet allows one to walk on surfaces that would normally be impossible. One can walk on walls, the under-sides of tree branches, or even the surface of a body of water as if it were a flat, stable surface. No rolls are needed unless the character engages in combat or complex acrobatics. Even then, a simple Agility (1) test will allow them to maintain their footing under most circumstances.
Bloodlines and other special packages
Uchiha – 75 build points
The wielders of the famed Sharingan. Characters with this package may purchase Astral Perception for ½ price, but usable only when the Sharingan is activated. The Dojutsu appears once they have purchased astral perception.
Each combat turn the Sharingan is active, the character must resist DV 3S, using their Willpower + Body.
One of the great advantages of the Sharingan is that the wielder can instantly learn any jutsu he or she observes while the bloodline is active. The wielder need only pay the karma cost and may begin using the technique immediately. Observing another’s Taijutsu style with the Sharingan grants the wielder a +1 dice advantage against that person, as they will have memorized all that person’s moves. This does require that the user have clear visibility of the target.
Secondly, an active Sharingan allows the user to add one half of his or her total chakra pool to dice rolls for detecting and breaking out of genjutsus.
Third, when holding action and observing someone attacking them with a ninjutsu technique, they may actually copy the technique as it is being performed, and have their attack land first.
Mangekyo Sharingan is a special ability available to Sharingan users that achieve S-class status. It allows the wielder to lock gazes with an opponent and place them in a subjective reality where they are tortured and killed innumerable times. The user makes a Willpower + Chakra (active) test against the target’s Willpower alone. Each success causes two boxes of mental damage to the target. The drain value for using this technique is twice the target’s willpower, and is resisted with the wielder’s willpower + body.
Hyuuga – 60 points (45 points for sealed branch family)
The Hyuuga clan possesses the Byakugan Dojutsu. Characters with this package may purchase Astral Perception for ½ price, but usable only when the Byakugan is activated. Each combat turn the Byakugan is active, the character must resist DV 2S, using their Willpower + Body.
While active, the Byakugan grants thermographic vision as well as vision magnification. They may also see through light cover (structure rating six or less). Any levels of Combat Sense, Enhanced Perception, and Missile Parry the character possesses will have their effects doubled while the Byakugan is active.
Active Byakugan also permits the character to use a special Taijutsu style called Jyuuken. This is purchased as an Exotic Melee Weapon skill (and thus is not included in the Close Combat group skill). Attacks are made using Jyuuken + Agility, but base damage is calculated as (Intuition + Total Chakra) / 2 Physical Damage. Jyuuken attacks are evaded as normal with reaction plus dodge or the applicable combat skill. (Note that the first time an unaware target is attacked by a Jyuuken user and attempts to block, the hand to hand combat dice will not be added. If the defender is not aware of the penetrating nature of Jyuuken strikes, they cannot effectively defend themselves.) If the attack hits, the defender resists damage with willpower, rather than body, and no armor bonuses apply. (Mystic Armor or jutsus that reinforce the whole body can help.)
Several Hyuuga’s have developed special jutsus over the years… including Hakkesho Kaiten (a Point Blank Area Effect Powerball spell. Type: P, Range: AE centered on Self, Duration: I, DV: (F/2) +1), and variations on the Hakke Rokujuyon Sho (
Jinchuuriki – 100 points (80 points for a bad seal)
The practice of sealing major demons, which are effectively immortal, into newborn children, in order to confine their essences and restrict their chakra, is a distasteful practice, but one even the noblest shinobi will turn to in extremis.
Being a host to a major youma like one of the Biju has its plusses and minuses. People aware of the character’s status will tend to shun them, or even seek to drive them away or harm them. A Jinchuuriki with a damaged or defective seal may suffer psychological maladies caused by the demonic influence reaching past the seal, so there may even be some justification to those fears.
Then there are the people who are all too happy to see the character. Like Akatsuki, or some of the more ruthless Hidden Villages that want to turn him or her into a weapon on their behalf. Some resist their blandishments and go on the run when discovered. The lucky ones actually get away… for a while, anyway.
The demon is usually aware that its fate is intertwined with its host, and thus will try to protect it. As such, the host will manifest some unusual power of a defensive nature to reflect this. Examples include:
• Regeneration, as per the Critter power. (Ex: Naruto)
• Concealment, affecting the Jinchuuriki only, at a force equal to Internal Chakra. (GM may have to rule on when this power is active.)
• Guard, as per the critter power, plus Hardened Armor at a rating equal to Internal Chakra. (Ex: Gaara)
• Mist Form, as per the critter power.
• Energy Aura, as per the critter power, rating equal to Active Chakra.
The player may select one of the above, or devise some variation on a critter power with GM approval.
The second advantage is access to the prisoner’s chakra, which is usually quite extensive. The extra chakra pushing through their coils since birth tends to expand them very rapidly. Jinchuuriki characters have their Total Chakra rating capped at twice its normal maximum, based on initiation.
This also means that the Jinchuuriki tend to have unreal stamina. A Jinchuuriki adds his Total Chakra to any tests to resist exhaustion or drain.
Finally, a truly angry Jinchuuriki may add dice equal to their active chakra to any intimidation tests, as their “killing intent” can be quite apparent to all around them.
‘Jutsus!
The Sr4 Magic Attribute is replaced with Chakra, which serves exactly the same purpose: It measures how strong one’s chakra is. The Chakra used for physical adept abilities we call Internal Chakra, while justsus are cast using Active Chakra.
The Skill Groups are as follows:
SR4 NarutoRun
Sorcery (Magic) Chakra Control (Chakra)
Counterspelling Countertechniques (Chakra)
Ritual Spellcasting Rituals and Sealing Techniques (Logic)
Spellcasting Ninjutsu (Chakra)
Genjutsu (Logic)
Medical Jutsu (Chakra)
Chakra Control is the group skill for molding chakra. For purposes of performing justsus, do not include the Chakra set aside for physical abilities, or Internal Chakra, when making jutsu tests.
Ninjutsu – governs the control of chakra to achieve physical effects. (Equivalent to combat, detection, and manipulation spells.)
Genjutsu – governs the control of chakra to create illusions. (Illusion spells.) With the scarcity of mechanical or electronic monitoring and recording devices, the improved (physical) versions are almost unknown. Detecting that you are under a genjutsu usually involves an opposed test between the caster’s logic + genjutsu skill versus the target’s perception skill. Breaking out once you are aware requires defeating the caster’s logic + genjutsu with your willpower + chakra.
Medical Jutsu – governs the precise control of chakra to manipulate the body. (Health spells.)
Rituals and Sealing techniques – covers the use of chakra-based techniques invoked using prolonged rituals, including sealing techniques and long-term bindings.
Countertechniques – using chakra manipulation and/or known techniques to negate an ongoing effect or to block an incoming technique. Players should be required to come up with some pretext for their defensive techniques. (A character who knows some Suiton (or water-based) jutsus could manipulate water to quench a Katon fireball before it hits him. A Doton user could raise a wall of mud to absorb the attack. And so on…)
Optional Rule: Blocking a technique requires the defender to suffer drain equal to one-half that of the attacker, round down. This is always stun damage, and can never cause physical harm, unless the stun damage tracker is exceeded. It is still a free action. Watch the fights if you don’t believe me. The defender almost always has time to try something.
Some sample techniques and their Sr4 Spell Equivalents:
Henge – Mask Spell
Rasengan – Shatter (at a REALLY HIGH force rating.)
Chidori – Either shatter, or Lightning touch (at high force) Type:P, Range: T, Damage: P, Duration: I, DV: (F/2)+1
Kawarimi no Jutsu - Type: P, Range: Self, (Active Chakra in Meters), Duration: I, DV: 2S. If one scores enough successes on their reaction dice alone to evade an attack, they may, at their option, perform this jutsu and swap places with a nearby object. On their next action, if they counterattack, they receive a +1 dice bonus for surprise when they attack from an unexpected direction.
Kage Bunshin no Jutsu: Type:P, Range: Self (All clones appear within Force x Active Chakra meters), Duration: Until disrupted, DV: (Force /2) + 2 P, per clone created. This spell creates duplicates of the caster that can act independently. Each success on the Active Chakra + Ninjutsu test creates a single clone that has one box on its physical damage tracker. A single box of damage, mental or physical, is enough to disrupt the clone and make it disappear in a puff of smoke. Note that the force of the spell limits the maximum number of successes, and thus the number of clones. Also, since the caster must distribute some of his chakra to his kage bunshins, he must make a full drain test for each and every clone created. Knowledge of this jutsu was restricted after more than one overly ambitious shinobi killed themselves with chakra depletion (i.e. fatal drain) attempting this jutsu. Note that the clones may use any skills and abilities they wish, though any drain they fail to resist will cause them to disrupt as well.
Summoning
This skill is fairly rare among shinobi. Rather than raise spirits from the land around them, some Shinobi gain the opportunity to sign a contract with a particular species of animal. (Starting play with a contract is a quality worth 25 build points.) The summons will always come when called, provided the summoner maintains a good relationship with them. Use Spirit of Beasts stats for a Summoned creature, but the force is dependent on the number of successes rolled on a Summoning + Active Chakra test. If the summoner achieves 10 successes, they summoned the “boss” for that type of creature, and it will manifest in Great Form at force 20. Drain for a summon is equal to the force of the spirit in stun damage. That’s right, summoning Gamabunta is 20S drain. Use with care.
Equipment
Armor
Materials science hasn’t progressed as far in this world. As such, sophisticated layered armor designs are not present. Much of what is available is heavy, bulky, and restricts movement to a dangerous degree.
In the absence of guns, armor has a single protection value that applies to all damage types. (Note that some elemental attacks still halve armor values, unless the design and composition of the armor would be especially effective – like quilted, insulated armor against a cold-based attack.)
Most armor also has a minimum strength rating. Someone wearing a piece of armor who does not meet the minimum strength rating will be heavily encumbered, and their reaction will be effectively zero for evading attacks.
Protection Minimum Strength Price
Konohagakure Chuunin Vest 5 5 Special
Concealed Haramaki 2 3 Inexpensive
Suna Desert Armor 3 4 Cheap
Tea Country Samurai Kikou 6 6 Expensive
Snow Country Chakra Armor 7 6 Priceless
(The concealed Haramaki is what Kiba turned out to be wearing under his jacket during the Sasuke Retrieval Arc.)
Weapons
Working fine steel is an art that was never lost. As such, a shinobi with a yearn for weapons have many fine choices…
Reach Damage AP Price
Naginata 2 (S/2 +4) P -1 Expensive
Tiger Claws 0 (S/2+2) P 0 Moderate
Katana 1 (S/2+3) P -1 Expensive
Wakizashi 1 (S/2+2) P -1 Expensive
Ninja-To 0 (S/2+2) P -1 Expensive
Tanto 0 (S/2+1) P -1 Moderate
Kunai 0 (S/2+1) P 0 Inexpensive
Shuriken (S/2) P 0 Cheap
Bow (Strength Min +2) P 0 Moderate +
I know you aren't familiar with the Shadowrun system, but here is a conversion/campaign pack I wrote for it over a couple of afternoons. (For some reason, it won't allow me to add this as a attachment.)
NarutoRun – The unofficial Shadowrun 4th edition conversion
These rule modifications were formulated to allow one to use the Fourth Edition Shadowrun rules to simulate the world of the Naruto Anime and Manga. All copyrights are reserved by Fanpro and whoever licenses Naruto for gaming purposes. But if someone wants to offer me a job as a game developer, my email is cladran@mindspring.com. =)
Character Creation
Most PCs are humans (to varying degrees) built on 400 to 500 points. No metahuman variants are available in the Naruto world, though some of the Surge/changeling modifications can be utilized to create unique looks (like Kisame). Minor cosmetic variations (like Sakura’s pink hair or Kiba’s feral features) may be purchased for free. This is Anime, after all.
The typical Shinobi purchases the Mystic Adept Quality, so they may utilize ninjutsu and genjutsu (magic) as well as physical enhancements. There are some rare exceptions, like Rock Lee, who is purely a physical adept. Such limited shinobi compete by working hard to specialize in their taijutsu or weapon skills to compensate. Pure magicians are very rare as well, though you may find a few among the priesthood or traveling monks. Astral perception is very rarely purchased by shinobi who do not have a bloodline that gives them a discount for purchasing this ability.
Cyberware – mechanical body parts are almost completely unknown in Naruto’s world. (One member of Akatsuki could be argued to possess extensive modifications.) Any character wishing to have such modifications should have extensive plot explanations for their presence, as well as permission from the GM. NPCs will tend to react very negatively to such freakish accoutrements.
Bioware – this too is almost completely unknown. Orochimaru and Kabuto may have cooked up a few things, but they maintain close control over their “experimental subjects”. Again, this may be allowed for special cases with GM permission, but Hidden Sound has a really lousy retirement plan. Be warned.
Firearms – Aside from a few special weapons (like black-powder cannons and the odd musket), modern firearms are unknown in this land. Disregard most of the firearms rules and work on your Kunai Throwing skill specialization.
Matrix – If you haven’t guessed it yet, this doesn’t exist here either. I know Shikamaru would probably make a great hacker, since he never wants to get up from wherever he’s sitting, but software upgrades would just be “too troublesome”. This goes for technomancers and riggers as well.
Qualities – The following qualities are from the SR4 rulebook.
• Adept: Yes. See Rock Lee.
• Ambidextrous: Yes.
• Animal Empathy: Yes. See Kiba.
• Aptitude: Yes. See Rock Lee’s Taijutsu skill.
• Astral Chameleon: Rare.
• Blandness: Yes. Kabuto might have this.
• Codeslinger: No.
• Double Jointed: Yes. See Orochimaru. *shudder*
• Exceptional Attribute: Yes. Logic for Shikamaru.
• First Impression: Yes.
• Focused Concentration: Yes.
• Guts: Yes. See Naruto.
• High Pain Tolerance: Yes. See Kiba in the Sasuke Retrieval Arc.
• Home Ground: Yes. (Is this how Naruto evades the ANBU after a prank?)
• Human Looking: No. No point, really.
• Lucky: Yes.
• Magician: Rare. Priests or non-combatant Monks might possess this.
• Magic Resistance: Very rare. Only a non-shinobi may have this.
• Mentor Spirit: No.
• Murky Link: No. Ritual Sorcery performed at a distance is unheard of.
• Mystic Adept: Yes. (Of course!)
• Natural Hardening: No.
• Natural Immunity: Yes.
• Photographic Memory: Yes.
• Quick Healer: Yes.
• Resistance to Pathogens/Toxins: Yes.
• Spirit Affinity: No.
• Technomancer: No.
• Toughness: Yes.
• Will to Live: Yes.
• Addiction: Yes. (But may not be tolerated in some organizations.)
• Allergy: Yes.
• Astral Beacon: No.
• Bad Luck: Yes.
• Codeblock: No.
• Combat Paralysis: Yes. (Buy it off before your chuunin exam!)
• Elf Poser: No.
• Gremlins: No.
• Incompetent: Yes. (No technological/rare skills allowed here.)
• Infirm: Yes. (Poor Hayate!)
• Low Pain Tolerance: Yes.
• Ork Poser: No.
• Scorched: No.
• Sensitive Neural Structure: No.
• Sensitive System: No.
• Simsense Vertigo: No.
• SINner: No. (But starting the game as a Missing-Nin, with all that entails, should be worth 10 bp.)
• Spirit Bane: No.
• Uncouth: Yes.
• Uneducated: Yes.
• Weak Immune System: Yes.
Ninja Ranks
There are several widely recognized ranks for shinobi within the hidden villages:
Genin: The lowest rank. Starting characters who have just graduated from the Academy (or its local equivalent) before starting missions should have no stats (including Edge) higher than 4. (Barring purchase of the exceptional attribute quality, which allows one stat to exceed the normal maximum by one.) Active-duty Genin may increase their abilities to a maximum of six with experience.
Chuunin: The intermediate rank. These shinobi have started to master their abilities. Through a combination of strengthening chakra coils and advanced training, they may increase their stats to a maximum of seven.
Special Jonin: These experienced shinobi have attained jonin-level ability in one area, and may be close in others. They may increase all of their stats to a maximum of eight, and two of them (associated with their specialty, barring Edge) to a maximum of nine.
Jonin: These master shinobi have an attribute cap (barring the exceptional attribute quality) of nine.
S-Class: Ninja’s like the Legendary Sannin should only enter the game as NPCs. Their attributes may well range above nine – no one really wants to see Jiraiya get serious.
Kage: The leaders of one of the hidden villages wield immense powers, even when age has dulled their edge. If you ever see stats for one of these titans, don’t be surprised if you see a twelve, especially for one or more of their mental attributes.
Advancing in Shinobi rank may or may not be accompanied by degrees of initiation. Some hidden villages restrict such information to all but a small circle of senior ninjas, while other actively encourage their younger students to increase their chakra through initiation.
Techniques!
As Mystic Adepts, Shinobi partition their chakra into two pools – some is kept for molding chakra to create jutsus (Active Chakra), and some is invested into their own bodies (Internal Chakra), altering them over time to allow them to do things ordinary citizens can’t imagine doing.
Some notes regarding the adept powers in SR4:
• Astral Perception: Rarely purchased by characters who do not have a dojutsu such as the Sharingan or Byakugan that enables them to perceive chakra or chakra manipulation.
• Attribute Boost: This is often seen used by characters who undergo some sort of body-altering transformation, such as with the Akimichi family techniques, Ororchimaru’s Curse Seal, or Naruto when he begins channeling large amounts of the Kyuubi chakra. Lee’s opening of the celestial gates is an extreme example.
• Combat Sense: Common seen among shinobi, especially Byakugan users who can use their perception to dodge incoming attacks. (If purchased with the geas “only usable why Byakugan is active, that counts as a geas worth a 25% reduction in cost.)
• Critical strike: Again, this is very common. Optionally, melee weapon specialists may purchase this for use with their (specified) favorite weapon.
• Enhanced Perception: Inuzuka family shinobi often purchase this.
• Great Leap: This is favored by the more acrobatic taijutsu specialists.
• Improved ability: This may not be used for chakra manipulation skills.
• Improved physical attribute: This will allow a character to exceed the attribute caps associated with their rank.
• Improved Reflexes: As expensive as this is, it’s the only way to take multiple actions per round, so it’s still pretty popular.
• Improved Sense: Kiba has improved scent, and Chouji most likely has Improved taste. Shinobi fighting the Sound swear by Sound Dampening.
• Killing Hands: A special version of this is usually purchased by Hyuuga’s for use with their Jyuuken attacks.
• Missile Parry: With the absence of guns, this is considerably more useful. Plus you look really cool doing it.
• Mystic Armor: Special techniques and training regimens can harden the skin until it is like flexible steel. With the absence of high-tech armor materials this is especially useful.
• Natural Immunity: Jinchuuriki automatically possess several levels of this to represent their super-charged immune systems.
• Pain resistance: Very useful for a shinobi.
• Rapid healing: With the scarcity of medic-nins these days, this can’t hurt either.
• Spell Resistance: You are unusually resistant to foreign chakra. The GM should limit how many levels a character may purchase, based on their rank.
• Voice control: A creepy, yet classic ninja ability. Very handy when used with a Henge.
Some new abilities:
Ninja Feet
Cost: .25
This ability lets a shinobi direct chakra through their feet. Though awkward, controlling the chakra flowing through your feet allows one to walk on surfaces that would normally be impossible. One can walk on walls, the under-sides of tree branches, or even the surface of a body of water as if it were a flat, stable surface. No rolls are needed unless the character engages in combat or complex acrobatics. Even then, a simple Agility (1) test will allow them to maintain their footing under most circumstances.
Bloodlines and other special packages
Uchiha – 75 build points
The wielders of the famed Sharingan. Characters with this package may purchase Astral Perception for ½ price, but usable only when the Sharingan is activated. The Dojutsu appears once they have purchased astral perception.
Each combat turn the Sharingan is active, the character must resist DV 3S, using their Willpower + Body.
One of the great advantages of the Sharingan is that the wielder can instantly learn any jutsu he or she observes while the bloodline is active. The wielder need only pay the karma cost and may begin using the technique immediately. Observing another’s Taijutsu style with the Sharingan grants the wielder a +1 dice advantage against that person, as they will have memorized all that person’s moves. This does require that the user have clear visibility of the target.
Secondly, an active Sharingan allows the user to add one half of his or her total chakra pool to dice rolls for detecting and breaking out of genjutsus.
Third, when holding action and observing someone attacking them with a ninjutsu technique, they may actually copy the technique as it is being performed, and have their attack land first.
Mangekyo Sharingan is a special ability available to Sharingan users that achieve S-class status. It allows the wielder to lock gazes with an opponent and place them in a subjective reality where they are tortured and killed innumerable times. The user makes a Willpower + Chakra (active) test against the target’s Willpower alone. Each success causes two boxes of mental damage to the target. The drain value for using this technique is twice the target’s willpower, and is resisted with the wielder’s willpower + body.
Hyuuga – 60 points (45 points for sealed branch family)
The Hyuuga clan possesses the Byakugan Dojutsu. Characters with this package may purchase Astral Perception for ½ price, but usable only when the Byakugan is activated. Each combat turn the Byakugan is active, the character must resist DV 2S, using their Willpower + Body.
While active, the Byakugan grants thermographic vision as well as vision magnification. They may also see through light cover (structure rating six or less). Any levels of Combat Sense, Enhanced Perception, and Missile Parry the character possesses will have their effects doubled while the Byakugan is active.
Active Byakugan also permits the character to use a special Taijutsu style called Jyuuken. This is purchased as an Exotic Melee Weapon skill (and thus is not included in the Close Combat group skill). Attacks are made using Jyuuken + Agility, but base damage is calculated as (Intuition + Total Chakra) / 2 Physical Damage. Jyuuken attacks are evaded as normal with reaction plus dodge or the applicable combat skill. (Note that the first time an unaware target is attacked by a Jyuuken user and attempts to block, the hand to hand combat dice will not be added. If the defender is not aware of the penetrating nature of Jyuuken strikes, they cannot effectively defend themselves.) If the attack hits, the defender resists damage with willpower, rather than body, and no armor bonuses apply. (Mystic Armor or jutsus that reinforce the whole body can help.)
Several Hyuuga’s have developed special jutsus over the years… including Hakkesho Kaiten (a Point Blank Area Effect Powerball spell. Type: P, Range: AE centered on Self, Duration: I, DV: (F/2) +1), and variations on the Hakke Rokujuyon Sho (
Jinchuuriki – 100 points (80 points for a bad seal)
The practice of sealing major demons, which are effectively immortal, into newborn children, in order to confine their essences and restrict their chakra, is a distasteful practice, but one even the noblest shinobi will turn to in extremis.
Being a host to a major youma like one of the Biju has its plusses and minuses. People aware of the character’s status will tend to shun them, or even seek to drive them away or harm them. A Jinchuuriki with a damaged or defective seal may suffer psychological maladies caused by the demonic influence reaching past the seal, so there may even be some justification to those fears.
Then there are the people who are all too happy to see the character. Like Akatsuki, or some of the more ruthless Hidden Villages that want to turn him or her into a weapon on their behalf. Some resist their blandishments and go on the run when discovered. The lucky ones actually get away… for a while, anyway.
The demon is usually aware that its fate is intertwined with its host, and thus will try to protect it. As such, the host will manifest some unusual power of a defensive nature to reflect this. Examples include:
• Regeneration, as per the Critter power. (Ex: Naruto)
• Concealment, affecting the Jinchuuriki only, at a force equal to Internal Chakra. (GM may have to rule on when this power is active.)
• Guard, as per the critter power, plus Hardened Armor at a rating equal to Internal Chakra. (Ex: Gaara)
• Mist Form, as per the critter power.
• Energy Aura, as per the critter power, rating equal to Active Chakra.
The player may select one of the above, or devise some variation on a critter power with GM approval.
The second advantage is access to the prisoner’s chakra, which is usually quite extensive. The extra chakra pushing through their coils since birth tends to expand them very rapidly. Jinchuuriki characters have their Total Chakra rating capped at twice its normal maximum, based on initiation.
This also means that the Jinchuuriki tend to have unreal stamina. A Jinchuuriki adds his Total Chakra to any tests to resist exhaustion or drain.
Finally, a truly angry Jinchuuriki may add dice equal to their active chakra to any intimidation tests, as their “killing intent” can be quite apparent to all around them.
‘Jutsus!
The Sr4 Magic Attribute is replaced with Chakra, which serves exactly the same purpose: It measures how strong one’s chakra is. The Chakra used for physical adept abilities we call Internal Chakra, while justsus are cast using Active Chakra.
The Skill Groups are as follows:
SR4 NarutoRun
Sorcery (Magic) Chakra Control (Chakra)
Counterspelling Countertechniques (Chakra)
Ritual Spellcasting Rituals and Sealing Techniques (Logic)
Spellcasting Ninjutsu (Chakra)
Genjutsu (Logic)
Medical Jutsu (Chakra)
Chakra Control is the group skill for molding chakra. For purposes of performing justsus, do not include the Chakra set aside for physical abilities, or Internal Chakra, when making jutsu tests.
Ninjutsu – governs the control of chakra to achieve physical effects. (Equivalent to combat, detection, and manipulation spells.)
Genjutsu – governs the control of chakra to create illusions. (Illusion spells.) With the scarcity of mechanical or electronic monitoring and recording devices, the improved (physical) versions are almost unknown. Detecting that you are under a genjutsu usually involves an opposed test between the caster’s logic + genjutsu skill versus the target’s perception skill. Breaking out once you are aware requires defeating the caster’s logic + genjutsu with your willpower + chakra.
Medical Jutsu – governs the precise control of chakra to manipulate the body. (Health spells.)
Rituals and Sealing techniques – covers the use of chakra-based techniques invoked using prolonged rituals, including sealing techniques and long-term bindings.
Countertechniques – using chakra manipulation and/or known techniques to negate an ongoing effect or to block an incoming technique. Players should be required to come up with some pretext for their defensive techniques. (A character who knows some Suiton (or water-based) jutsus could manipulate water to quench a Katon fireball before it hits him. A Doton user could raise a wall of mud to absorb the attack. And so on…)
Optional Rule: Blocking a technique requires the defender to suffer drain equal to one-half that of the attacker, round down. This is always stun damage, and can never cause physical harm, unless the stun damage tracker is exceeded. It is still a free action. Watch the fights if you don’t believe me. The defender almost always has time to try something.
Some sample techniques and their Sr4 Spell Equivalents:
Henge – Mask Spell
Rasengan – Shatter (at a REALLY HIGH force rating.)
Chidori – Either shatter, or Lightning touch (at high force) Type:P, Range: T, Damage: P, Duration: I, DV: (F/2)+1
Kawarimi no Jutsu - Type: P, Range: Self, (Active Chakra in Meters), Duration: I, DV: 2S. If one scores enough successes on their reaction dice alone to evade an attack, they may, at their option, perform this jutsu and swap places with a nearby object. On their next action, if they counterattack, they receive a +1 dice bonus for surprise when they attack from an unexpected direction.
Kage Bunshin no Jutsu: Type:P, Range: Self (All clones appear within Force x Active Chakra meters), Duration: Until disrupted, DV: (Force /2) + 2 P, per clone created. This spell creates duplicates of the caster that can act independently. Each success on the Active Chakra + Ninjutsu test creates a single clone that has one box on its physical damage tracker. A single box of damage, mental or physical, is enough to disrupt the clone and make it disappear in a puff of smoke. Note that the force of the spell limits the maximum number of successes, and thus the number of clones. Also, since the caster must distribute some of his chakra to his kage bunshins, he must make a full drain test for each and every clone created. Knowledge of this jutsu was restricted after more than one overly ambitious shinobi killed themselves with chakra depletion (i.e. fatal drain) attempting this jutsu. Note that the clones may use any skills and abilities they wish, though any drain they fail to resist will cause them to disrupt as well.
Summoning
This skill is fairly rare among shinobi. Rather than raise spirits from the land around them, some Shinobi gain the opportunity to sign a contract with a particular species of animal. (Starting play with a contract is a quality worth 25 build points.) The summons will always come when called, provided the summoner maintains a good relationship with them. Use Spirit of Beasts stats for a Summoned creature, but the force is dependent on the number of successes rolled on a Summoning + Active Chakra test. If the summoner achieves 10 successes, they summoned the “boss” for that type of creature, and it will manifest in Great Form at force 20. Drain for a summon is equal to the force of the spirit in stun damage. That’s right, summoning Gamabunta is 20S drain. Use with care.
Equipment
Armor
Materials science hasn’t progressed as far in this world. As such, sophisticated layered armor designs are not present. Much of what is available is heavy, bulky, and restricts movement to a dangerous degree.
In the absence of guns, armor has a single protection value that applies to all damage types. (Note that some elemental attacks still halve armor values, unless the design and composition of the armor would be especially effective – like quilted, insulated armor against a cold-based attack.)
Most armor also has a minimum strength rating. Someone wearing a piece of armor who does not meet the minimum strength rating will be heavily encumbered, and their reaction will be effectively zero for evading attacks.
Protection Minimum Strength Price
Konohagakure Chuunin Vest 5 5 Special
Concealed Haramaki 2 3 Inexpensive
Suna Desert Armor 3 4 Cheap
Tea Country Samurai Kikou 6 6 Expensive
Snow Country Chakra Armor 7 6 Priceless
(The concealed Haramaki is what Kiba turned out to be wearing under his jacket during the Sasuke Retrieval Arc.)
Weapons
Working fine steel is an art that was never lost. As such, a shinobi with a yearn for weapons have many fine choices…
Reach Damage AP Price
Naginata 2 (S/2 +4) P -1 Expensive
Tiger Claws 0 (S/2+2) P 0 Moderate
Katana 1 (S/2+3) P -1 Expensive
Wakizashi 1 (S/2+2) P -1 Expensive
Ninja-To 0 (S/2+2) P -1 Expensive
Tanto 0 (S/2+1) P -1 Moderate
Kunai 0 (S/2+1) P 0 Inexpensive
Shuriken (S/2) P 0 Cheap
Bow (Strength Min +2) P 0 Moderate +
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Viridian
Viridian
- viridian
- Site Admin
- Posts: 1587
- Joined: January 20th, 2011, 2:07 am
Re: A Naruto d20 RPG sourcebook.
Wow thanks for the great source info you posted.
I am familiar with the 1st/2nd Shadowrun system, though not the 4th Ed. version. I will keep this handy if I do end up using/playing Shadowrun in the near future. Now that menas I need to get the books now...
Curses, there goes my spending cash for this month.... :? :D
I am familiar with the 1st/2nd Shadowrun system, though not the 4th Ed. version. I will keep this handy if I do end up using/playing Shadowrun in the near future. Now that menas I need to get the books now...
Curses, there goes my spending cash for this month.... :? :D
- Soulfuzion
- Posts: 24
- Joined: January 20th, 2011, 5:14 pm
Re: A Naruto d20 RPG sourcebook.
Well, here's a link to the books: http://astore.amazon.com/viridiandreams ... F8&node=16
They closed a lot of loopholes in 3rd edition, and 4th got pretty much all the rest. They also introduced wireless technology, so deckers (now hackers) can actually interact with the rest of the team now, and all those player side conversations around the table are now justified in the rules (instead of being examples of metagaming). The magic system is still full of win, but initiative enhancers aren't quite as godly as they used to be. (You get your extra actions after everyone has had a turn.) Oh, and they fixed the bioware/cyberware stacking questions.
We're actually running a VoIP game twice a week or so, with rotating GMs. Check out the Seattle Overdrive forum for in- and out-of-play posts. You can get a taste, or at least kibbutz a little if you download Skype and Maptools. (Which are free.)
They closed a lot of loopholes in 3rd edition, and 4th got pretty much all the rest. They also introduced wireless technology, so deckers (now hackers) can actually interact with the rest of the team now, and all those player side conversations around the table are now justified in the rules (instead of being examples of metagaming). The magic system is still full of win, but initiative enhancers aren't quite as godly as they used to be. (You get your extra actions after everyone has had a turn.) Oh, and they fixed the bioware/cyberware stacking questions.
We're actually running a VoIP game twice a week or so, with rotating GMs. Check out the Seattle Overdrive forum for in- and out-of-play posts. You can get a taste, or at least kibbutz a little if you download Skype and Maptools. (Which are free.)
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Viridian
Viridian
- viridian
- Site Admin
- Posts: 1587
- Joined: January 20th, 2011, 2:07 am
Re: A Naruto d20 RPG sourcebook.
All this talk of shadowrun is slowly beginning to interest me. But the cost!
Spoiler: show
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Darkandus - Posts: 3003
- Joined: January 20th, 2011, 5:14 pm
Re: A Naruto d20 RPG sourcebook.
All you really need to get started with Shadowrun is the quickstart guide which is free. It's pretty stripped down but it gives all the basic rules and concepts.
http://www.shadowrun4.com/wordpress/200 ... available/
http://www.shadowrun4.com/wordpress/200 ... available/
[Bored Moderator - Mod posts shall be in this color]
- forbin
- Posts: 132
- Joined: January 20th, 2011, 5:14 pm
Re: A Naruto d20 RPG sourcebook.
What is maptools exactly and where is the link for the software?
- Soulfuzion
- Posts: 24
- Joined: January 20th, 2011, 5:14 pm
Re: A Naruto d20 RPG sourcebook.
Maptools is a combination dice roller and map/miniature emulator that we use for doing some parts of our online gaming. Mostly for the dice roller so we can all see what each of us is doing. There are several versions available but we currently use the last stable release version 1.2b32.What is maptools exactly and where is the link for the software?
http://rptools.net/doku.php
[Bored Moderator - Mod posts shall be in this color]
- forbin
- Posts: 132
- Joined: January 20th, 2011, 5:14 pm
Re: A Naruto d20 RPG sourcebook.
Thanks for the link, I downloaded it and Skype. Now to buy the books. I'm thinking of getting the PDFs so I can get reading quickly. ;)
- Soulfuzion
- Posts: 24
- Joined: January 20th, 2011, 5:14 pm
Re: A Naruto d20 RPG sourcebook.
I've actually been trying to create a suitable Naruto table-top for some time, but all the current systems in use don't really work well mechanics wise, so I started looking into older systems.
It was during this that I discovered the Tri-stat system.
It's a fairly simple system that only requires 2d10 to play. It's a simple matter of replacing 'attributes' with 'jutsu'.
It was during this that I discovered the Tri-stat system.
It's a fairly simple system that only requires 2d10 to play. It's a simple matter of replacing 'attributes' with 'jutsu'.
- kyuubigan
- Posts: 41
- Joined: January 20th, 2011, 5:14 pm
Re: A Naruto d20 RPG sourcebook.
Tri-stat sounds so familiar. Is it used for Big Eyes, Small Mouth (non-d20 version)?
"BTW, Phht your ability to think of a plot bunny about any situation impresses me, amuses me and horrifies me. All at the same time. Good for you!" - doc.exe
Play Billy vs Snakeman.
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Naruto RP: Higure Yuuhi (Sp Jonin, age 20, Konoha)
RP Atlas - Naruto RP wiki
Play Billy vs Snakeman.
--
Naruto RP: Higure Yuuhi (Sp Jonin, age 20, Konoha)
RP Atlas - Naruto RP wiki
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Phht - Posts: 3624
- Joined: January 20th, 2011, 5:14 pm
- Location: Southeast US
Re: A Naruto d20 RPG sourcebook.
Tri-Stat did start out as Big Eyes, Small Mouth RPG which started out as the Sailor Moon Roleplaying game.
However, the two D10 is Silver Age Sentinels.(Pre-Crisis DC style superhero roleplaying)
Tri-Stat Dx is a sourcebook that can use any die type in pairs. It covers D4 to D20
I have no idea about how the D30 or D100 games would be like
Tri-Stat can handle a lot of anime settings, since it started out as an anime rpg and had the system yanked out.
It's better than MAGIUS, which probably does have the Naruto liscence. I know both Tri-Sta and Magius have done Slayers. MAGIUS has also done Evangelion and quite a few others. Only one problem with it---it's in Japanese.
However, the two D10 is Silver Age Sentinels.(Pre-Crisis DC style superhero roleplaying)
Tri-Stat Dx is a sourcebook that can use any die type in pairs. It covers D4 to D20
I have no idea about how the D30 or D100 games would be like
Tri-Stat can handle a lot of anime settings, since it started out as an anime rpg and had the system yanked out.
It's better than MAGIUS, which probably does have the Naruto liscence. I know both Tri-Sta and Magius have done Slayers. MAGIUS has also done Evangelion and quite a few others. Only one problem with it---it's in Japanese.
- Tom Mathews
- Posts: 134
- Joined: January 20th, 2011, 5:14 pm
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