onmyodogame

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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

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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!

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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!!

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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!

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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!

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Seasons in Onmyodo: Shosetsu

On November 22nd, the Japanese season of Shosetsu begins. As with all of these seasons, Shosetsu is further divided into 3 microseasons, each with its own distinct theme and effect on the game! Niji Kakurete Miezu

The beautiful warm weather is gone for good as the rainbows take cover. This is a scary time for those without faith, as any Travelers in the group with Piety of 1 or less will leave the group at the rate of one per day!

TIP: If you see this season coming, try to attract new Travelers and/or boost your Piety values!!!

Kitakaze Konoha o Harau

The chill wind arrives and the leaves begin to cascade. Any Travelers with Skill of 3 or higher can take advantage of the sudden gusts and function as Spears or Bows! TIP: this would be a good time to defeat certain Yokai!!!

Tachibana Hajimete Kibamu

With the arrival of December, the tachibana leaves turn yellow. It is time to get safe passage for weary Travelers. As such, there is no cost to traverse Torii Gates during this time

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The Geisha in the Onmyodo Adventure Card Game

When the elegant and graceful Geisha joins your traveling group, she boosts the value of any Rewards you may utilize from Tani cards (either from your Journey History or from Training Cards).

This benefit can be hard to maintain, as the Geisha has limited abilities when traversing certain Locales and may easily be left behind. She has no Resolve to pass through Mountains and no Skill to pass through Woods.

Of course, with her Reward-boosting nature, she can help your group (including herself) cross difficult Locales. Holding on to the Geisha can be quite a challenge!

She also compensates with a much-higher-than-normal Empathy rating. so the Geisha should have no troubles in Villages! Should the Geisha fail from a Yokai Attack or inability to traverse a Locale, you will lose ALL Tani in your history that contain Sakura!

GAME TIP: With the Geisha among your group, try to always have a Tani card in your history containing Sakura, so that the card may be Lost if she fails. Otherwise, when she fails she will die!

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THE ONMYODO JOURNEY BEGINS!

Here is my Onmyodo display setup at the recent Artist and Artisans Market at Cherry St Pier in Philadelphia. A very fun event! Reaction was quite positive!!

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ONMYODO CARD GAME DEBUTS

The actual 'official' debut of the Onmyodo game will be this Friday at the Artist and Artisans Market in Philadelphia. (Event link attached) I'll have a limited number of copies for sale, as well as copies of some other of my 'boutique' games. https://www.facebook.com/events/730483991567175/798620951420145/

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Seasons in Onmyodo: Kanro: Sneaking Away, Diplomatic Immunity and When the Kami Come Back!

Starting with October 8th, the traditional Japanese Season of Kanro begins. Like all of the seasons, Kanro is further divided into three microseasons, each with a different effect on gameplay.

Kogan Kitaru

With the wild geese returning, summer has officially been left behind and the cold starts. This is a time for sneaking away for some intimate warmth. As such, any of the Travelers in your adventuring group who share Secrets (a form of Drama) leave the group for the duration of Kogan Kitaru. Note: this might even end the game if there are no Travelers left on the Journey!

Kiku no Hana Hiraku

A symbol of nobility, the beautiful Chrysanthemums bloom. During this time, the Nobles in your Group cannot be Attacked! (I call it a form of diplomatic immunity)

Kirigirisu to no Ari

The sound of the nearby crickets create a rhythm that keeps everyone happy and productive. Remembering the pleasure in simple things. This is when any previously Enlightened Travelers (who are now Kami) descend from Heaven and rejoin their old comrades temporarily.

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The Secret Cherry Blossoms in Onmyodo!

One of the many 'secret' features often found throughout the Tani Cards in the game Onmyodo are Sakura. These are cherry blossoms normally shown as a cluster of three flowers.

Sakura will help you gain the Special Shamisen Item!

Like the other Special Tani Features in the game, having 3 of them visible in your Journey History (even if they are not adjacent) will allow your group to immediately gain the related Special Item! The main benefit of carrying a Shamisen is your ability to weaken any Sea Monster or Giant Yokai. The soothing music will reduce these beasts' Attack Power by 2 Xs.

GAME TIPS:

1. The Shamisen is the only requirement for defeating a Biwa Bokuboku! (a tsukumogami based on the biwa instrument!) 2. During the microseason Sakura Hajimete Saku (March 21st through March 25th) all Tani with Sakura on them, have their Rewards doubled!!!

#shamisen #cherry blossoms #microseason #sakura #solo games#yokai#onmyoji#board games#biwa#newcardgames#onmyodo#mysticism#japaneseghosts#adventuregames#boardgameblogs#abenoseimei

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Sometimes, you just have to draw a Kappa...

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Customizable Rulebook for the Onmyodo Card Game

One of the features of the Onmyodo game is an innovative rulebook with 'rules cards' that can be rearranged, or even removed to be used as reference cards while playing. TIP: The book is bound by a chain which allows the option to add a charm!

The book is 13 2-sided pages and covers everything from game setup, to rules of play and lots of game options, such as Quests and Advanced Rules. Of course, being customizable, this means it's easy to add new pages for any expanded content that might get released! I designed this style of book partly because I wanted the pages to always lay flat! The nature of the game's rules also lends itself to possible re-ordering them to suit preference.