Sword of the Samurai (gamebook)

Infobox Fighting Fantasy book 2covers


caption1=The original cover of "Sword of the Samurai" illustrated by Peter Andrew Jones


caption2=The Wizard cover of "Sword of the Samurai" illustrated by Mel Grant
location=Khul, Titan
references=400
authors=Mark Smith &
Jamie Thomson
illustrator=Alan Langford
coverillustrator=Peter Andrew Jones
year=1986
number=20
ISBN=ISBN 0-14-032087-3
wcoverillustrator=Mel Grant
wyear=2006
wnumber=25
wISBN=ISBN 1-84046-732-0

"Sword of the Samurai" is a single-player roleplaying gamebook written by Mark Smith and Jamie Thomson, illustrated by Alan Langford and originally published in 1986 by Puffin Books. It was later republished by Wizard Books in 2006. It forms part of Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone's Fighting Fantasy series. It is the 20th in the series in the original Puffin series (ISBN 0-14-032087-3) and 25th in the modern Wizard series (ISBN 1-84046-732-0).

tory

The reader of this book assumes the role of a young samurai, whose mission it is to recover a legendary Dai-Katana, the "Singing Death", for the Shogun. The sword must be wrested from the grasp of Ikiru, the Master of Shadows, who keeps it hidden within the Pit of Demons. While travelling to the mountains, where Ikiru's palace is located, the player has to deal with rogue retainers and various monsters, but also gather allies to help him gain entrance to the Pit of Demons.

etting

The book is set in a southeast part of the continent of Khul. It is the second Fighting Fantasy book to be set in Khul, with "Scorpion Swamp" being the first. It features a land similar to medieval Japan, and the book features numerous monsters from Japanese folklore.

However, the book contains an error relating to this - the flying human heads are called Rokurokubi in the book, when they should actually be called Nukekubi. The name for the land of Hachiman is taken from the Shinto religion's god of war.

Rules

This book featured an "Honour" score that could have an effect on events in the book. It was also the first book to feature a list of special skills from which the player may choose and which affect game-play considerably. While it was preceded by "Appointment with F.E.A.R." with the choice of particular talents, these are replications of "normal" skills, not super-powers.

ee also

*Fighting Fantasy
*List of Fighting Fantasy gamebooks

References

* cite web
title=Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks on gamebooks.org
url=http://www.gamebooks.org/show_series.php?id=11
* cite web
title=Sword of the Samurai on gamebooks.org
url=http://www.gamebooks.org/show_item.php?id=36
* cite web
title=Crypt of the Sorcerer on the Internet Archive record of the old fightingfantasy.com site
url=http://web.archive.org/web/20051127132124/www.fightingfantasy.com/ffb20.htmOfficial sites:
* cite web
title=Sword of the Samurai on the official Fighting Fantasy website
url=http://www.fightingfantasygamebooks.com/ff25.htm
* cite web
title=Sword of the Samurai on the Wizard Books website
url=http://www.iconbooks.co.uk/wizard/wbook.cfm?isbn=1-84046-732-0