From Galileo Games:
It is the sixteenth century. All Japan is at war. Feudal warlords called “big names,” rising from the knight caste, have carved the nation into warring states. Chivalric virtue, Buddhist moderation, friendship, and loyalty fade and fall before the hunger for conquest and glory.
The grand prize? None other than Japan’s unification under a single master. And then? Perhaps all Asia is next. Thousand Arrows is the story of the Japanese Warring States Period’s leaders—knight-commanders, Buddhist teachers, spymasters, peasant revolutionaries, even the gods and spirits themselves—as they establish themselves and direct the course of history.
Thousand Arrows is a tabletop role-playing game, in which three to six players assume the personae of commanding figures in a fictional Japan parallel to our historical one. Another player, Tenchi, describes the world and supporting cast around them as the main characters’ players describe their struggles and successes. A set of rules informed by the roll of six-sided dice helps guide the storytelling conversation, keeping outcomes unpredictable. The story you tell will be worthy of historical narratives like the Tale of the Heike, period dramas like Kurosawa Akira’s films, or comic books like Path of the Assassin.
Thousand Arrows is designed specifically to help you engage with unfamiliar cultures and settings—not only in Warring States Japan, but also in other role-playing games. The game teaches you to portray Asian characters with respect and confidence, while at the same time introducing you to the setting with a gentle learning curve and a forgiving attitude. It also focuses on basic battlefield concepts easily accessible to civilians (like the author and editor!), rather than advanced strategy or tactics. Pay close attention, and the habits you’ll develop will strengthen your ability to take on characters or even design games far from your own experience.
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