9 Introduction

Seppuku: Fury of the Samurai is a solitaire role playing game,

centering around the final moments of a samurai who is about
to ritually end his life, and the events that led him there. 五 四 三 二 一
To play this game, you will need one player (that’s you), this
foldout, a pencil, five six-sided dice (these will represent your
fury; I use red dice but any color is fine), and a quiet place.
This game also assumes you are familiar with samurai drama
movies, such as:
s Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai (Takashi Miike, 2011)
s Ichi (Fumihiko Sori, 2008)
s Kagemusha (Akira Kurosawa, 1980)
s Thirteen Assassins (Takashi Miike, 2010)
s Yojimbo (Akira Kurosawa, 1961)
If you have never watched any of these, consider doing so before
you play Seppuku.

9 How to Play
The game is divided into five acts, each corresponding to a line
on your death poem. You will fill one line at the end of each act,
starting on your right and moving towards your left.
The lines themselves are numbered from one (一) to five (五).
Depending on your choices within each act, you might gain a
fury die. When this happens, take a six-sided die and place it in
front of yourself. You may have up to five fury dice.

9 Names s o f
Here is a list of Japanese names to help you during the game. a f u
m r
Female Male Neutral t
u y
Akemi Daichi Haru h
r
Ayako Goro Hibiki e
Chiyo Hayate Kohaku a
Emi Hideki Makoto i
Honoka Ichiro Michi
Izumi Kiyoshi Minato
Kaori Masaru Rin
Kiku Nori Shiori
Megumi Ryo Tsubasa
Ran Shiro Yasu
Riko Takeshi Yoshi
Suzume Takuya Yuki
 三 五
You are kneeling, your legs folded underneath your thighs, Act III : Shadow Act V : Cut
white robes open to reveal your torso. You tightly grip your knife
A man came to your city. He is a powerful, influential man, who How long has it been from the previous Act? Days, months, or
with both hands, veins pulsing with tension.
deceived your Lord and has his magistrates under his thumb. even years...? It doesn’t matter anymore.
Inches away is your kaishakunin, your second in the ritual, is
What is the name of this man? Burn this name in your mind, in Today you are here, before your Lord and his magistrates, to take
ready to cut your head off as soon as you plunge the blade into
searing letters. This man is the shadow. your own life and restore your honor.
your abdomen. His face is hidden by the blinding sunlight.
This man is ambitious, arrogant and vengeful. What has he You sense your kaishakunin moving at your side, his face now
In this extreme moment, you find yourself reliving the events
done? Which atrocities did he commit? made visible by the rays of the sun.
that led you to commit seppuku.
You can barely tolerate this man’s presence. What do you do? If you have two or less fury dice, he is a skilled warrior, and you
一 s You hinder him subtly, stirring up your fellow samurai and can trust him. If you chose a man as your loved one during Act
magistrates against him. Write in your poem: II, that man is your kaishakunin (unless you lost him over the
Act I : War The frog is croaking in the darkness course of Act IV).
In the past, you took part in a cruel and merciless battle, as your Then, gain one fury die. Write in your poem: And Spring follows Winter.
Lord commanded. The clash of blades, the screams of men tak- You die a honorable death, with the touched but silent approval
s You seek a direct confrontation, showing how outraged you
en from thir farms and fields, who will never see their families of your Lord.
are by his actions. Write in your poem:
and loved ones again.
The nauseating, metallic stench of blood fills your nostrils, and The sparrow wages war against the wind If instead you have three or more fury dice, your kaishakunin
will never entirely leave them. Then, gain one fury die. is the shadow, the man you loathe the most. Were you aware of
s Acknowledging your position, you respect his authority and this? Are you here to exact revenge on him?
The situation proved desperate, but your actions led your com-
rades to victory. What happened? And what did you do? hide your feelings. Write in your poem: How do you deal with the situation?
The reed bows before the storm s You accept your fate, plunging the blade in your belly.
s You faced the enemy with bravery and warrior spirit, defeat-
ing them on the field. Write in your poem: Write in your poem: And Spring follows Winter.
The blade is sheated, now. 四 You die a honorable death, with the touched but silent ap-
Act IV : Death proval of your Lord. With time, your sacrifice will inspire
s You devised a cunning stratagem and defeated the enemy
those who oppose the shadow.
through deception. Write in your poem: They are here for you. Your Lord has sent his guards to capture
The fan is closed, now. s Suddenly, you vengefully lash against the shadow!
you. The shadow’s hand is clearly behind this.
Write in your poem: And Winter fast approaches.
At the end of this act, you gain one fury die. If you have two or more fury dice, this happens because you made
Gain one fury die, then roll all your fury dice.
a terrible mistake. What was this mistake?
二 If you roll a 4 on any one die, or if you can add together two
If instead you have one fury die, the guards knock at your door
or more dice into a total value of 4, you triumph against the
Act II : Love with false accusations. But it’s too late to do anything about it.
shadow and end his wretched life. Your Lord, voice wracked
You are in a quiet place, away from the fury of war and the in- Write in your poem: But Summer grows weary with sorrow, orders your execution. Your last memory of this
trigues of aristocracy. Now that you think of it, perhaps this was How do you deal with the situation? life will be the sharp pain of an arrow piercing your heart.
the only time in your life in which you were truly safe. s You surrender to authority. Immediately proceed to Act V. If you cannot obtain a 4 (on one die or adding dice together),
You are not alone: with you is the person you love. What do you s You raise your sword against the guards. Gain one fury die, the shadow manages to best you. He pierces your heart, and
two talk about? What do you do, together? Who is this person? then roll all your fury dice: kicks you to the ground: you die an agonizing death, writh-
s The woman you love, your wife. Write the name of your wife
ing and squirming like a worm, before everyone’s horrified
If you roll a 4 on any one die, or if you can add together two
in your poem. gaze. You are forever dishonored.
or more dice into a total value of 4, you slaughter the captors
s The woman you love, who is not your wife. Write the name of and manage an escape. However, you lose someone or some-
this woman in your poem, then gain one fury die. thing you held dear. Who or what is this?
s The man you love. Write the name of this man in your poem, Deep inside, you know you won’t be able to run for long.
then gain one fury die. If you cannot obtain a 4 (on one die or adding dice together), Illustrations, Layout & Writing: Emanuele Galletto
the guards tire you out and capture you. More Contents: DriveThruRPG / Rooster Games