onmyodogame

[onmyodogame]

Abe no Seimei approaches the domain of a gigantic Ryūtō, (inspired by the Onmyodo game)

[onmyodogame]

Some pix of the Onmyodo Booth at this year's Philly Maker Faire!

[onmyodogame]

Where or how do I buy this?

Hello! The most direct way is to go to: http://cybergeckogames.com/Onmyodo/onmyodo.html

If you are in the United States, it is easy. If you are not, then contact me to ask about shipping.

[onmyodogame]

#SonGoku vs #JakotsuBaba, the climactic battle when the #MonkeyKing fought to save some innocent children from the monstrous snake hag #yokai! Not an actual legend, but a little drawing I did to represent the final scene in a recent game of Onmyodo. Monkey sacrificed himself to defeat the creature, thereby ending the game... http://cybergeckogames.com/Onmyodo/onmyodo.html

[onmyodogame]

Onmyodo Session 4: Part Two: The Ninja Master's Sacrifice

Now alone, our brave Itame ventures forth....

Without the Inyo Mastery that Abe no Seime provided, we only draw two Tani cards, Tatarimokke and Sagari...

We choose Sagari. (we note that this Tani contains both a Sakura and Boat feature). The first Locale Itame reaches is a three-tree Woods...

Itame passes through the Woods easily (using the microseason's benefit), and this triggers the meeting of a new Traveler: the legendary Ninja, Momochi Sandayu!

Sandayu carries a Katana and is very powerful, as well as being trainer for other Ninja....

Unfortunately, when they encounter the bizarre horsehead yokai Sagari, a decision must be made. If the Itame takes the damage, he will die. But, if Sandayu takes the damage, at least that death will result in a benefit.... So, Momochi Sandayu sacrifices himself in the combat and passes his Acuity of 3 to the Itame. (This gives the sushi chef an Acuity of 5!)

Alone again, the Itame enters the 2-building Village and has no issue traversing it. There, he also meets a wild Kabuki Dancer! The Onnagata joins the journey....

TO BE CONTINUED...

[onmyodogame]

Onmyodo Session 4: Part One: Meeting a Brave Sushi Chef

Preparing for new Onmyodo game adventure... Here is our basic setup:

Closeup: starting Training cards include Empathy, Grace, Piety and Resolve Rewards (no Acuity or Skill!) plus a special 'Revive a Dead Traveler' card...

Closeup: The Traveler Cards are split into two decks, one showing a small Village, and one showing triple Mountains....

Closeup: We begin in a great microseason! During Fuki no Hana Saku the Traveler(s) in our Group with highest Acuity will always be able to traverse a normal Locale!

Let's Go! Using our starting Traveler's (Abe no Seimei) special Inyo Mastery ability, we draw 3 Tani to choose from...

For a number of reasons, we choose to begin on the Southern River in the realm of Hitobashira. In fact, the very thing we encounter is the gruesome pillar-ghost himself! The yokai cannot hurt Abe, as its unusual attack only affects Travelers with Empathy of 3 or more. Abe easily sneaks past the horror.

Next, a small Village (one building, perched on top of a large Bridge!). Because of the season, Abe no Seimei easily passes this too, and since 'Small Village' is one of the conditions to meet a new Traveler, he reveals the new Traveler to be.....The Itame! This expert sushi chef comes carrying two Katana!

The two next reach a large Torii gate (three 'holes').. Because the Itame's Acuity is 2 (higher than Abe), the Itame will become the Traveler who benefits from this microseason's effect....so he passes through the gate without trouble. Abe, however, doesn't have the Acuity necessary to traverse it, (and with no Training Card Rewards to help him) so he cannot go farther. The poor Onmyoji leaves the brave sushi chef to travel on without him!

TO BE CONTINUED....

[onmyodogame]

OUT NOW!

The all new Ninjitsu mini-expansion for Onmyodo! New legendary Ninja Travelers to join your journey!! Special Ninja Scrolls that can grant your group amazing abilities! New Tani and more! All in a secret black ninja bag! Get your copy today!!!

[onmyodogame]

A rather short adventure in today's session of Onmyodo: The Card Game.... But first, here's the starting setup (with Abe no Seimei as the starting Traveler)

Note that the date is Jan 15, in the microseason of Sake no uo Muragaru (Pheasants start to call) where 1 Ninja Traveler will leave the party each day! Luckily, I'm not starting with any Ninja, so no problem there....

Also note that the two Traveler decks show a small Village and a Medium Torii Gate as possible encounter locations....

Finally, I have my 10 Training Cards set out, with some Grace, Piety, Resolve and Skill Rewards plus 3 'Special Rewards'! I realise I have no Acuity or Empathy cards here, so Torii Gates and Villages will be an extra challenge...

To start, Abe enters the realm of Itsuki, a truly dreadful ghost yokai...and passes straight through the monster as its special attack cannot affect him. (Abe has no Traits worth 0)...

Going through the small Torii Gate is no problem, but the Triple Waterfall requires Abe to use one of his Training Card with the Grace Reward...

After exiting the Tani, he moves to the next day, and enters the realm of Bakekujura, the skeletal whale yokai! Because this has created 2 patterns of adjacent Waterfall locales, Abe earns 2 Bows!

He next encounters a 2-tier Waterfall. Sadly he used the Grace Card so now lacks the 1 extra point of Grace to pass here. Tragically, Abe no Seimei ends his short-lived adventure at the base of the falls.

Better luck next time!

[onmyodogame]

Abe no Seimei and the Yumiya Dancer

Interesting session of Onmyodo today. Abe no Seimei ran into a sneaky Onji no Kitsune which cursed him, limiting his Explore options. Soon after, he met a noble (Prince Ishitsukuri) who was basically obsessed with wealth and could not even survive another day of the journey! In the mountains, Abe next met a Annui Huntress, who traveled with him, avoiding yokai of all types, until they encountered and defeated the boulder-like spirit Yonaki Ishi. After traveling down a 3-tiered waterfall, they met a beautiful Yumiya Dancer!

However, the dreadful Hiderigami wiped out most of the group, leaving only the Dancer to carry on. She arrived in the realm of a Tatsu, and sadly died by a lonely tree.

Final Score: 7/2/1/0

[onmyodogame]

Onmyodo at Philly Otaku Con

Really nice time running demos of Onmyodo at last month's Philly Otaku Con, a truly awesome convention right on the Philadelphia waterfront!

[onmyodogame]

Session Report: The Tricky Fisherman in the Onmyodo Game

Gaining the Fisherman in your traveling party is always a blessing, right? After all, every Traveler now receives a +1 bonus to all of their Traits when in a Tani w/ a Lake!

But perhaps more impressive is the Fisherman's unusual Fail Effect. Whenever this effect triggers (from a Yokai Attack or inability to traverse a Locale), the only result is that all future Sea Monster Yokai will have a +1 Attack.

In theory, this means that the Fisherman can traverse any Locale, no matter how difficult, with the only effect being a possible problem in the future.

Having said that, when that super-powered Sea Monster does appear, there's a good chance it's Attack bonus is so high that it spells instant doom for the group!

In this recent session, the Fisherman failed a total of 14 times during his travels. By the time the Travelers were met by the great Umi Bozu (which now had +14 added to its normal Attack of 4), there was no way to survive!!

[onmyodogame]

The Komuso Traveler in the Onmyodo Card Game

One of many unique Travelers that you can meet in the Onmyodo Game, the Komuso are famous Buddhist monks with musical ability! Adorned with their iconic head baskets and playing shakuhachi flutes, the Komuso maintained hidden identities and performed musical Zen Buddhist rituals of meditation.

This 'Monk of Nothingness' is a quite versatile and useful member of any traveling group in the game, with high value in most Traits.

His soothing presence alone grants an Empathy bonus to all of the other group members! If defeated, the Komuso dies, but not before passing his Grace points to the remaining group.

GAME TIP:

During the microseason of Kinsenka Saku, December 2nd through 6th, Musical Travelers such as the Komuso cannot be Attacked!

[onmyodogame]

Locales and How To Traverse Them: How to Play Onmyodo the Card Game

On each Tani card, you will notice the Rivers winding through various Locales (often as many as 5 in a single Tani).

There are 6 basic Locale types: Mountains, Woods, Shrines, Villages, Torii Gates and Waterfalls.

Note that a Locale is rated in difficulty between 1 and 3 indicated by the number of 'items' in that Locale. For example, a Shrine showing 3 statues has a difficulty of 3.

Each Locale type corresponds to a specific Traveler Trait, and each Traveler in your Group must have sufficient amount of the required Trait to successfully traverse that Locale.

Traversing Mountains requires Resolve

Traversing Woods requires Skill

Traversing Shrines requires Piety

Traversing Villages requires Empathy

Traversing Torii requires Acuity

Traversing Waterfalls requires Grace

Note that, generally, Travelers are responsible for their own individual successes and don't 'share' or 'combine' their Trait values.

When a Traveler cannot meet the requirement, they cannot Traverse the Locale and will FAIL. (Fail results vary depending on the Traveler)

To aid in meeting Trait requirements, Rewards may be used if available, from Journey History or Training Cards.

GAME TIPS:

The difficulty level of a Torii Gate is indicated by the number of 'holes' above the gate.

The difficulty level of a Waterfall is indicated by the number of 'tiers' of the Waterfall.

[onmyodogame]

Yokai Parade: Wicked Deviant Amanojaku

These ancient oni predate Buddhism in Japan, and may have evolved from Shinto kami beliefs. Evil spirits of pure wickedness, they cause humans to act upon their worst desires.

In the Onmyodo game, the Amanojaku is a mid-level yokai, requiring only one Katana and Beads to defeat.

The Tani in which this oni can be found is a fairly easy one to traverse.

GAME TIP:

Note the small rabbit next to the Village! This Animal is a special Tani Feature that could be used towards the goal is attaining a Ring Item!

From Yokai.com:

The most well-known tale about amanojaku is the story of Uriko hime. In this story, a childless elderly couple discovered a baby girl inside of a melon. They took her home and raised her as their own, and named her Uriko hime. She grew into a beautiful young woman, and one day a request for her hand in marriage arrived. Delighted, her parents went off to town to purchase her dowry and prepare for her wedding. Before leaving, they warned her not to open the door for anybody, no matter what!

Shortly afterwards, Uriko hime heard a knock at the door. “Uriko hime, please let me in!” She refused to open the door. The voice replied, “If you won’t open the door, then at least open the window a crack…”

Reluctantly, Uriko hime opened the window just a crack. As soon as she had done so, a long, clawed finger slipped into the crack and smashed the window open. It was an amanojaku! The amanojaku leaped at Uriko hime, tearing at her clothes. The young woman fought for her life, biting and kicking at the demon, but she was not strong enough. The amanojaku snapped her neck, and she died.

The amanojaku didn’t stop there, however. It flayed Uriko hime’s skin and wore it like a suit, hiding itself in her clothes and disguising itself as the young girl. When the girl’s parents came home, they were fooled into thinking their daughter was still alive.

Finally the wedding day arrived. The elderly couple brought the amanojaku-in-disguise to its husband-to-be. However, a crow in a nearby tree called out, warning the couple that their daughter was not what she seemed. They grabbed the bride tight and held her down. They washed her body until the flayed skin sloughed off, and the amanojaku was revealed.

The amanojaku ran for its life, but the elderly couple chased after it. More and more people joined them, until a whole host of villagers chased the demon through the village. Finally, the townspeople caught up to the amanojaku and hit it with sticks, stones, and tools. They beat the demon into a bloody mess, and it died.

[onmyodogame]

Lanterns and How To Get Them in the Onmyodo Card Game

One of the six Basic Items that can be acquired in the Onmyodo Solo Card Game, Lanterns can be very helpful in defeating yokai!

As with the other Basic Items, these can be gained when your Journey contains two of a certain Locale Type adjacent to one another across two adjoining Tani Cards. (this is known as a Basic Item Pattern)

When you explore and attach a new Tani to your evolving Journey, remember to check if you have formed a new adjacency! Also, if Tani in your Journey History ever become Lost (flipped to the Spirit World side) , the Journey will condense, possible destroying Patterns and forming new ones!

A Katana is immediately earned when two Villages (of any size) are adjacent in this way. See the illustration above!

GAME TIPS:

To defeat the awful Suzuri no Tamashii you will need to have special enchanted type of Lantern! You will need to possess a regular Lantern first, and then gain the Heavenly Blessing of Enchantment.

Some Tani have Lanterns as their actual Rewards! (to be used in a pinch, because these Lanterns are for one-time use only) - Tani w/ a Reward of one Lantern: Nue - Tani w/ a Reward of two Lanterns: Akkamoromui

Both the Farmer and Aristocrat carry their own Lanterns!

[onmyodogame]

Seasons in Onmyodo: Toji (Winter Solstice)

Starting on December 22nd, the Japanese season of Toji takes us into the winter solstice. Beginning with the microseason Natsukarekusa shozu, where the self-heal begins to sprout, your travelers may dismiss a Curse if they sacrifice any one of their Carried Items.

From then, we move on to Sawashika no tsuno otsuru, the time when deer shed their antlers. During this time, any katana used are immediately lost! (hopefully, you have extra to spare!)

Finally, we end with the microseason of Tachibana hajimete Kibamu, where the wheat begins to sprout. During this special time, your group may gain 2 new Training Cards whenever they pass through a Torii Gate!

GAME TIP:

As January draws near, work on accumulating more Acuity Rewards, so that it will easier to pass through those Torii Gates!

[onmyodogame]

Anatomy of a Tani Card in the Onmyodo Game

Each region in the Onymodo Card Game is known as a Tani. Creating a procession of these cards is the way in which you illustrate your legendary journey. 1. Each Tani is inhabited by a specific Yokai, and the region is named thusly.

2. The items needed or other special conditions that must be met to defeat the Yokai (if the groups runs into it) are shown under the Yokai's name.

TIP: in the early stages of the game, it might be best to avoid Yokai!!

3 - 4. Each Tani shows the connection for the Northern (upper) and Southern (lower) river.

5. The power and manner of the Yokai's Attack is shown in red. This is often a number of X's to indicate Attack Power. Note that some Yokai attack with Curses.

6. Yokai come in many different categories. Oni, Kitsune, Sea Monsters, etc. This can be useful information that impact various aspects of gameplay.

TIP: especially when using Godai Magic, where Yokai can be summoned to battle other Yokai of the same category!

7. The Yokai itself is illustrated with a red halo. The halo indicates where the Yokai's influence extends across the rivers. If your group enters the area of influence, they encounter the Yokai!

8. The series of 4 icons under the map can be used to trigger special game effects. From left to right:

Magic (Shinto, Inyo, Godai or Tomoe) Drama (Friendship, Rivalry, Honesty or Secrecy) Heavenly Blessings (Training, Enchantment, Devotion or Enlightenment) Weather Kami (Raijin, Fujin, Kura Okami, Konohanasakya-hime) 9. Rewards are either Traits of a certain value, or a Special Reward. These are used when they are spent from your Journey History or from your available Training Cards.

10. In the event that the Tani's Yokai is defeated, a number of Ofuda will be Earned! Note that, generally, these Ofuda must be carried by one of your Travelers.

There are over 100 unique Tani in the Onmyodo card game. Maybe your favourite Yokai is among them!