Motorcycle Samurai Game Needs Input
Lately I’ve been working on a new game which has the working title of Hagakure 66. It’s a “Motorcycle Samurai” game, with the following premise: “The war is over, and your side lost. Everything you knew and loved is gone, destroyed or taken away from you. All you have now are your bike, your sword, your pack, and The Highway.”
It’s a game about riding around with a pack of motorcycle swordsmen after “the war,” finding a master to provide purpose to the pack, dealing with intra-pack tensions and conflicts, maintaining a pseudo-mystical bond with The Highway, fighting in sweet motorcycle sword duels, and upholding obsolete standards of honor and lifestyle in a world forever changed by “The War.”
Its primary media inspirations are Samurai Champloo, Sons of Anarchy, The Seven Samurai, and Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai.
Most of the game’s conflicts will come from imbalances between the three core forces of the system, each a separate Code of Conduct: The Law of the Pack, the Way of the Sword, and the Code of the Highway. Each character must constantly deal with threats to all three of these codes, and determine how they affect his or her life in this changed world. All three both complement and comflict with each other equally.
The primary mechanical purpose of these three conflicting codes is to give the GM some buttons to push. Each “adventure” setup should start with the GM picking at least one (hopefully more) of the avenues for threat within each of the codes, and narratively assaulting them, so that the players all have to deal with conflicts of Code from all sides, and prioritize them individually.
The other night I sat down before bed and worked up a quick mind map of some of my ideas. Here’s what I’ve got so far. I’d like some feedback on ideas. If you have any suggestions for additions and such, please please please send them my way.
Take a look at that and give me your input.
2 Replies to “Motorcycle Samurai Game Needs Input”
The thing that popped into my head was for every ‘realm’, there should be some mechanical bonus for it. Like maybe some form of ‘reroll token’ for each (so someone with good Code of the Highway would get rerolls for related rolls, riding, directions, shortcuts, repair, etc.) or some psuedomystical ability every now and then (ride through/up walls, silent/fear making engines, etc.)