From c9c54a2de08cd571461813204f423ea1e7e91b45 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Zachary Vance Date: Tue, 9 Feb 2021 01:07:05 -0800 Subject: [PATCH] Supplies --- archive/ninjas.md | 45 +++++++++++++++++++++++++-------------------- 1 file changed, 25 insertions(+), 20 deletions(-) diff --git a/archive/ninjas.md b/archive/ninjas.md index 8ae4eee..f004cee 100644 --- a/archive/ninjas.md +++ b/archive/ninjas.md @@ -1,30 +1,32 @@ # Ninjas Ninjas Ninjas! Written: 2021-02-08 by Zachary Vance. Version [1](/archived/ninjas1.md) 2 -*Ninjas Ninjas Ninjas!* is a fast-paced storytelling game about how damn cool ninjas are, for 3 more or players (instructions are written for 3). It's designed to last 15-30 minutes--how long exactly is up to the players. New events and challenges happen rapidly, and which player is doing what shifts quickly. +*Ninjas Ninjas Ninjas!* is a fast-paced storytelling game about how damn cool ninjas are, for 3 players exactly. It's designed to last 15-30 minutes. Audience: *Ninjas Ninjas Ninjas!* is not for complete beginners to storytelling games. There is very little guidance from the rules about what story to tell or how. Each player controls a young journeyman ninja taking his/her/their final ninja exam. The three ninjas work together as a team to accomplish their goal. At all times one ninja is in **Front**. Front is the "player" who is actively deciding what to do, while the other ninjas throw problems at them and reward them with points. -Storytelling focuses on the ninjas being cool, and quick progress. Detailed description always illustrates just how COOL the ninja team and their moves are. It DOESN'T talk about the scenery, plot details, motives and emotions, or whether the enemies are also cool. +New events and challenges happen rapidly, and which player is doing what shifts quickly. Storytelling focuses on the ninjas being cool, and quick progress. Detailed description always illustrates just how COOL the ninja team and their moves are. It DOESN'T talk about the scenery, plot details, motives and emotions, or whether the enemies are also cool. -The goals of the game are to be super awesome, and throw as many **stars** as possible as quickly as possible. +The goals of the game are to be super awesome while accomplishing the mission, and throw as many **stars** as possible as quickly as possible. -**Supplies needed**: None, in the worst case. Ideally, each player tracks how many stars they have thrown--you tally in front of you on paper, or take a penny from a stack in the middle whenever you throw a star. If you wish, you can play with a timer. If your group has trouble keeping track mentally, you can also use nine nickels to track throwing stars. +**Supplies needed**: None are mandatory, but coins, paper, or a timer may help. +- I recommend using your fingers to track stars, but you can also pass around nickels to track throwing stars. +- If you want to grade your exam exactly (guessing is fine), each player tracks how many stars they have thrown. To keep track, tally in front of you on paper, or take a penny from a stack in the middle whenever you throw a star. +- If you wish, you can play with a timer. ## Suggested Progression I've designed the rules to introduce complexity gradually. Feel free to progress faster or not at all, but here are my suggestions. - In game 1, play with none of the optional rules, and without keeping track of **stars**. -- In game 2, add the Exam Score and start keeping track of stars. The goal of *Ninjas Ninjas Ninjas* is to throw as many stars as possible. +- In game 2, add keep track of Stars and add the Exam Score. The goal of *Ninjas Ninjas Ninjas* is to throw as many stars as possible. - In game 3, add Roles. Play 3 games total with Roles, so every player gets to try every Role. - In game 6, you are now playing the real game. Start ramping up the speed until you're doing things without thinking first. - In game 6, add a timer. The timer is explained under Setup and Exam. - In game 8, make up your own cool ninja hand signals to replace all the yelling you've been doing. - In game 10, add the Role Swapping rule, which makes things extra crazy. You need to have memorized the Roles already. -## Setup -### Option 1: Quickstart +## Setup (option 1, quickstart) One player shouts "Red!". One shouts "Blue!". One shouts "Green!". They immediately start playing. - The Place is feudal Japan. There are no fireballs, cell phones, guns, or foreigners. Ninjas are super-humanly stealthy, quick, and skilled. Generally the tone is realistic. @@ -33,7 +35,8 @@ One player shouts "Red!". One shouts "Blue!". One shouts "Green!". They immediat - **Blue** is tall and extra fast. He is a bow master who dispatches enemies before they see him. He makes decisions quickly and takes initiative under pressure. He wears a short, practical robe and is a good liar. - **Green** is a tactical genius, and physically strong. She talks slowly and favors a long katana. She wears padded armor and keeps her hair long. - (Game 6-10) If you want a timer, set it for 30 minutes. -### Option 2: Detailed setup + +### Setup (option 2: custom start) One player shouts "Front!" A second player shouts "Team!". The slowest player is Mission. - First, **Front** chooses the **Place**. Do ninjas have naruto powers or they realistic? Are there cell phones? Is your team good or bad? Where does the exam take place? - Second, decide the **Team**. Come up with three ninja characters, each different. Everyone else picks a ninja--whoever grabs it first gets it. The **Team** player gets the remaining ninja. Whoever grabbed the very first ninja is in **Front**. I recommend naming ninjas Red, Blue, and Green, and having each player be the same color game to game. @@ -47,25 +50,31 @@ One ninja is always **Front**. The are the current team leader and decide what t - Front should describe both what the team does, and what's happening in the world. - Ninjas are cool, skillful, deadly, quiet, efficient, they cheat constantly, and they have perfect teamwork. The point of the game is for the ninjas to show off being as awesome as possible. - Front should change often. Whenever Front thinks another ninja should take charge, they just yell "Red, Front!" and now the Red ninja is in Front. The old Front throws a **star** to the new front. It's coolest if Front puts another ninja in charge when that ninja would be able to handle the situation or next step of the plan better. -- Front can and should introduce new obstacles, although the other two players will as well. Front is encouraged to introduce simple obstacles like walls, moats, and individual peons especially. -- If the Front tells you to grab a bucket of water, you run to the well without hesitation--a ninja team trusts each other completely. When members of the team other than the Front do something, they answer "Yes, Front!" or describe it very quickly without detail: "Green runs to the well and tosses Red a bucket". Keeping responses short keeps the attention on Front. +- Front can and should introduce minor new obstacles, such as walls, moats, and individual peons. +- If Front tells you to grab a bucket of water, your ninja runs to the well without hesitation--a ninja team trusts each other completely. When members of the team other than the Front do something, they answer "Yes, Front!" or describe it very quickly without detail: "Green runs to the well and tosses Red a bucket". Keeping responses short keeps the attention on Front. - Front describes what the team does, but they don't explain why. Other players should make an effort to understand Front's plan so they can continue it. Ignoring the previous Front's plan would be lame, and ninjas aren't lame. - If there's a long lull, another ninja can jump in and describe what's happening in the world, but not what the team does. - (Games 1-2 only) If team has accomplished the main mission, Front shouts "PASS!!". The ninjas have passed their final exam and won the game. The game is over. -## Stars (game 1 only) +## Stars and Exam Score (game 1 only) - Don't keep track of how many stars you have. - Sometimes you will throw a star. You always throw a star **to Front**. You never throw a star as Front. +- Your exam is pass/fail only. When you accomplish your mission, you pass the exam. -## Stars (game 2-10) +## Stars and Exam Score (game 2-10) +Stars - Each player starts with three **ninja stars**. Track of how many ninja stars by counting on your fingers. If that doesn't work for your group and players lose track, pass around nine nickles instead. - Sometimes you will throw a star. You always throw a star **to Front**. You never throw a star as Front. - When you throw a star, you lose a star, and **Front** adds a star. - Your goal is to throw stars as quickly as possible. - If you run out of stars, you whisper "Ninja Down. Taking **Front**". You are now **Front**. The other two players each shout "Helping Up Ninja" and immediately throw you a star. You should have two stars now. +Exam Score +- At the end of the game, **your score is the number of stars you threw**. My recommended method is to guess. If you want to keep track, make a tally mark whenever you throw a star. This is your individual score. The team score is the sum of the individual scores. +- (Game 6+, optional) The ninjas **fail the final exam** if the timer runs out and they haven't won (I suggest 5 to 30 minutes as a good limit). They also lose one point from their team score for each minute that passed before they sucessfully passed their exam. + ## Problem Stars (game 1-2 only) -The other two players throw problems at **Front**. They throw a problem to introduces a boss, spot or trigger a trap, have a special event or twist happen, or have the goals shift on the team. When one of the other players introduces a problem, they shout "Problem" and explain the problem, throwing a **star** to **Front**. +The other two players throw problems at **Front**. They throw a **problem star** to introduces a boss, spot or trigger a trap, have a special event or twist happen, or have the goals shift on the team. When one of the other players introduces a problem, they shout "Problem" and explain the problem, throwing a **star** to **Front**. **Front** only introduces smaller problems, and doesn't throw **problem star**s to do it. @@ -94,7 +103,7 @@ The other two players throw **point stars** at **Front**. They throw a point whe **Front** never throws **point stars**. -## Point Stars (game 3-10) +## Point Stars (game 3+) The other two players throw **point stars** at **Front**. They throw a point when the team does something cool and ninja-y, like being extra stealthy, cheating, or completing a goal perfectly. When one of the other players rewards the team, they shout "Point" without explanation, and throw a **star** to **Front**. **Front** never throws **point stars**. @@ -110,11 +119,7 @@ Here's when each role throws a **point star**: - The team does something skillfully or in a clever way - The team cheats or sets a trap -## Exam Score (game 2-10) -- At the end of the game, **your score is the number of stars you threw**. My recommended method is to guess. If you want to keep track, make a tally mark whenever you throw a star. This is your individual score. The team score is the sum of the individual scores. -- (Game 6+, optional) The ninjas **fail the final exam** if the timer runs out and they haven't won (I suggest 5 to 30 minutes as a good limit). They also lose one point from their team score for each minute that passed before they sucessfully passed their exam. - -## Roles (game 3-10) +## Roles (game 3+) **Front** is the team leader. During setup, they assign each player a unique starting **Role**--**Goal**, **Enemy**, or **Cheat**. Players can no longer arbitrarily throw problem and point stars. Instead, they throw stars based only on their Role. At first start slow, and review a **Role** every time you get it. Use the cheat sheet below. Explain to Front why you're throwing them a point star. After a couple games, players should memorize the Roles, and just yell "Point!". @@ -127,7 +132,7 @@ If team has accomplished the main mission, **Goal** shouts "PASS!!". The ninjas | Enemy | People, Event | Cool, Obstacle | | Cheat | Surprise | Skill/Clever, Cheat/Trap | -## Role Swapping (game 10) +## Role Swapping (game 10+) - When you run out of stars and swap with Front, you also permanently swap **Roles** with that player for the rest of the game. ## More Players -- 2.47.3