Swords of the Daimyo
Encyclopedia
Swords of the Daimyo is a 1986 adventure module
for the Oriental Adventures
rules of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy
role-playing game
.
This campaign and adventure pack provides an overview of the politics and climate of the lands of Kozakura, Kozakura is a land of opportunity where, by employing clever maneuvering and military muscle, anyone can rise to the heights of power. After a brief overview of Kozakura, the pack focuses on the province of Miayama, and its government, samurai families, temples and landholdings. The package also includes a list of names and maps of various residences commonly found in the province.
with Kelley Foote, and published by TSR in 1986, and included a thirty two page gazetteer called Province Book of Miyama and a thirty two page "Adventure Book", with a large color map and an outer folder. The module featured cover and interior art by Jeff Easley
. It was the first module made for use with Oriental Adventures
. The Province book describes the Eastern continent of Kara-Tur
, the province of Miyama, and the island of Kozakura. The module includes a historical timeline for Kozakura, as well as new monsters.
No. 80, and felt that the module provides more than enough material to run an Oriental Adventures campaign, and could easily be reworked for the Bushido
role-playing game. Shepherd compared the sea voyage adventure to Shōgun
, and suggested that GMs should borrow the crew mutiny system for sea adventures; Shepherd noted that several of the possible encounters in the adventure are too deadly for 6th-level characters. The reviewer felt that the other two adventures were fine, but that the link between them was nearly non-existent. Shepherd said the "real strength" of the module was the background material given in the Province Book of Miyama, forming a comprehensive grounding a GM can use as "a good starting point for any number of adventures, and the random encounters for filling in blank hexes are also well worked out and consistent with the overall feel". Although he felt that there were bad points, such as the maps not being up to standard, the small number of adventures, and the frustration caused by their slightly disjointed nature, Shepherd concluded that Swords of the Diamyo was "a good module package". The module won a Gamer's Choice award.
Jim Bambra reviewed Swords of the Daimyo for Dragon
magazine #134 (June 1988). Bambra likens Kozakura to a fantasy version of feudal Japan, stating that it closely resembles "the war-torn period of Japanese history between the Kamakura and Sengoku periods, when rival daimyos engaged in bloody struggles for power".
Adventure (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, an adventure or module is a pre-packaged book or box set that helps the Dungeon Master manage the plot or story of a game...
for the Oriental Adventures
Oriental Adventures
Oriental Adventures is the title shared by two hardback rulebooks published for different versions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game...
rules of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
.
Contents
Swords of the Daimyo contains three adventures. The first adventure is for 6th–10th level characters, and takes Western AD&D characters on a sea voyage to Kozakura (the Oriental Adventures version of Japan). The adventure includes a system for calculating the chances of a crew mutiny. When the PCs arrive in Kozakura, the module states that "it is likely that one or more will be permanently slain", with the intention of replacing said characters with new Eastern characters. The other two adventures in the module are designed for Oriental Adventures characters, and revolved around the nefarious activities of the sohei (militant clerics) of the Black Temple. One of these adventures involves the defense of a village against bandits, and the other is a mission to take out the organizer of the bandits. These two adventures form a linked package, although separated by time and a few character levels.This campaign and adventure pack provides an overview of the politics and climate of the lands of Kozakura, Kozakura is a land of opportunity where, by employing clever maneuvering and military muscle, anyone can rise to the heights of power. After a brief overview of Kozakura, the pack focuses on the province of Miayama, and its government, samurai families, temples and landholdings. The package also includes a list of names and maps of various residences commonly found in the province.
Publication history
OA1 Swords of the Daimyo was written by David "Zeb" CookDavid Cook (game designer)
David "Zeb" Cook is an American game designer best known for his work at TSR, Inc., where he was employed for over fifteen years.-Early life:...
with Kelley Foote, and published by TSR in 1986, and included a thirty two page gazetteer called Province Book of Miyama and a thirty two page "Adventure Book", with a large color map and an outer folder. The module featured cover and interior art by Jeff Easley
Jeff Easley
Jeff Easley is an oil painter who creates fantasy artwork in the tradition of Frank Frazetta.-Early life:...
. It was the first module made for use with Oriental Adventures
Oriental Adventures
Oriental Adventures is the title shared by two hardback rulebooks published for different versions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game...
. The Province book describes the Eastern continent of Kara-Tur
Kara-Tur
Kara-Tur is a fantasy world created by David Cook in the Oriental Adventures rulebook for the First Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game in 1986. Kara-Tur's cultures and peoples are fantasy analogues of medieval China, Korea, Japan, the Ryukyu Islands, Tibet, and other regions of...
, the province of Miyama, and the island of Kozakura. The module includes a historical timeline for Kozakura, as well as new monsters.
Reception
Ashley Shepherd reviewed Swords of the Daimyo for White DwarfWhite Dwarf (magazine)
White Dwarf is a magazine published by British games manufacturer Games Workshop. Initially covering a wide variety of fantasy and science-fiction role-playing and board games, particularly the role playing games Dungeons & Dragons, RuneQuest and Traveller...
No. 80, and felt that the module provides more than enough material to run an Oriental Adventures campaign, and could easily be reworked for the Bushido
Bushido (role-playing game)
Bushido is a Samurai role-playing game set in Feudal Japan, originally designed by Robert N. Charrette and Paul R. Hume and published originally by Tyr Games then Phoenix Games and subsequently by Fantasy Games Unlimited...
role-playing game. Shepherd compared the sea voyage adventure to Shōgun
Shogun (novel)
Shōgun is a 1975 novel by James Clavell. It is the first novel of the author's Asian Saga. A major bestseller, by 1990 the book had sold 15 million copies worldwide...
, and suggested that GMs should borrow the crew mutiny system for sea adventures; Shepherd noted that several of the possible encounters in the adventure are too deadly for 6th-level characters. The reviewer felt that the other two adventures were fine, but that the link between them was nearly non-existent. Shepherd said the "real strength" of the module was the background material given in the Province Book of Miyama, forming a comprehensive grounding a GM can use as "a good starting point for any number of adventures, and the random encounters for filling in blank hexes are also well worked out and consistent with the overall feel". Although he felt that there were bad points, such as the maps not being up to standard, the small number of adventures, and the frustration caused by their slightly disjointed nature, Shepherd concluded that Swords of the Diamyo was "a good module package". The module won a Gamer's Choice award.
Jim Bambra reviewed Swords of the Daimyo for Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
magazine #134 (June 1988). Bambra likens Kozakura to a fantasy version of feudal Japan, stating that it closely resembles "the war-torn period of Japanese history between the Kamakura and Sengoku periods, when rival daimyos engaged in bloody struggles for power".