"If we only defend, we lose the war."

I. Story (From the film)
A farming community is harried by rogue Ronin (no, it wasn't me!) and bandits who prey upon the rice farmers. The farmers get their assets together (a bag of rice) and set out to hire some Samurai to defend them when the harvest, and hence bandit band, arrives. They are rebuffed by the out of work Ronin. The delegation, as they leave town, witness a Samurai who, disguised as a priest, rousts and executes a thief/kidnapper. Kembai Shimada does this deed for no pay other than two rice cakes, because it is The Right Thing To Do.

II. Seven Samurai
Intended as a team. Solo Samurai must meet Item, Gem/Color, and Skill rules. Aura restrictions need to be reconsidered for a solo, but the primary aura must be maxed by end of NM or Level 60 at the latest.

(For Teams)
1. Standard Cooperative Team Play. No twinking at all. No trading outside the group: inside is sharing anyway.

2. Team Rules:
a. Gem Mules Not allowed. Each Samurai is responsible for being the sole collector of gems of his color. He then distributes his Kami to those who need his help, but he gets first dibs on the kami gems of his color. This is a Team Effort.

b. Rings and amulets will be either used/worn, or converted. Drop in town when unsure. Team agreement on what is 'conversion material' at the end of each session.

c. Runes. A single rune mule for the team is allowed, since kanji writings are rare and protected carefully.

d. Jewels. A team Jewel mule is required to allow for max crafting options in later difficulties, and to ensure the team gets the most bang for its bucks, so to speak. This operation is run on a shoestring.

e. Charms. Portable kami. Drop in town or put in inventory. Group decision as to what to do with runes on the ground, but any can be gambled away if no one wants them. Waste not, want not!

3. (Team) "Leveling" to be restricted to: training the merc and "catching up." That is it.

4. Objective. Once through full clear all three diffs, including the Cow level -- eat Kobi Beef at a bar-b-q party thrown by the Geishas of Act I after we take on the Hell Cows!! Paaarty!! Drink Sake!! Eat Sushi!! Eat Kobi Beef!!! Chug Sapporo Beer at Gheeds!!!

III. Team Variant Story and Themes
A. Seven Samurai band together to save a village from marauding bandits (to save Sanctuary from Marauding evil nasties) because they are honorable Samurai cough broke cough!! The leader, Kembai Shimada, scrapes the bottom of the barrel and puts together his team. (RBD team, of course, gets cream of Variant cough Scum cough Crop.) They end up enlisting the aid of the villagers to get the job done. They are paid in rice. The rice has a golden hue to its husk, or maybe it is barley? Soy beans? Anyway, all gold must be picked up, or harvested.

B. Funding the operation. (CH in 1.06) No selling 'weapons' for cash to NPCs other than Town Gambling Person. The farmers don't have any money. You can, however, recycle farm equipment to pay for repairs, or to get rare kami scrolls (TP) from grandma. (Akara) Qualifying farm implements include any:

Pitch Fork (Trident)
Knife/Dagger/Blade/Throwing Knife
Axe of any sort (no Poleaxes/Bardiches/Voulges)
Scythe (of either sort)
Rice Bowl (skull cap)
Hammers
Flails
The Gore Shovel (Unique Axe)

a. Picking up stuff and selling it to the Town Gambling NPC is how we acquire rice for more gambling: we get credit at the Gambling Hall, and then roll the bones for neat stuff to supplement dropped items.

You can trade old farm equipment for new at the _Town Blacksmith NPC_, and Samurai can only sell farm implements to the Blacksmith for repairs. Recycling used farm equipment is how poor farmers make do.

Items sold to Town Gambling NPC are converted into Uncle Toshiro's Converted Rice and placed in communal piles to be gambled. A valid use for rice is healing / raising farmboys and farmers' daughters hurt in the defense of the village.(Mercs)

Gamble to clean up the pile after each session. Gambling is required. Samurai are soldiers and gambling is in their nature.

IV. Equipment. NO SHIELDS!!!
A. Weapons:
Primary: Two handed swords. (Option: Pole Arms in Hell Difficulty)
Secondary: Per each character description Weapon II Slot.

All two-handed swords are allowable. If you find a staff in Act I before you find, or gamble for, a 2-h sword then use it until you find a 2-h sword in order to stay in practice.

B. Armor
Cloth, leather, or hard leather armor (and exceptionals/Elites of such). Exception: Kikuchiyo (The Star, Toshiro Mifune) can get into Studded leather. (Optional decision for teams so inclined: all are allowed up to Studded Leather.)

C. Belts
Sashes only, referred to as Obis. Kikuchiyo, can use light and leather belts. (Optional decision for teams so inclined:) Up to Leather Belts (Three Slotters) if team so chooses.

D. Boots and Gloves
Leather. No metal.

E. Helms
Skull caps best approximate the little conical rice hats and are allowed. (Mercs are allowed any helm since no one can see them, and anyway, they looted them from Samurai who they rolled ages ago, per the film.) Circlets are allowed when found.

F. Rings, Amulets, and Charms

Per the character Signet Gem (see below) at least one ring must have as an affix the primary attribute of the Samurai's signet gem. Any rare ring used must have a signet gem related affix.

Example: The Kid, emerald, requires poison resistance, dexterity, or reduction in poison duration, or an Emerald Crafted Ring. For Heihachi, skull, life or mana steal OR regen, and so on.

Charms. Unlimited. (Gotchyer kami right here.)

V. Samurai Signet Gems/Colors
Each Samurai has a signet gem and color:

Kembai Shimada - Diamond/White

Katzushiro - Emerald/Green

Kyuzo - Amethyst/Purple

Kikuchiyo - Ruby/Red (Toshiro Mifune)

Gorobei - Topaz/Gold

Heihachi - Skull/Black

Shichiroji - Sapphire/Blue

Each gem houses a kami, a beneficial spirit. The more of this gem a Samurai has on, the greater his spiritual power. He must wear gear, runewords excepted, colored appropriately. If an item comes naturally in his color, like red for ruby, then he may wear it. Each Samurai acts as the mule/storage for his color of gem in team play. All who wish to access that kami must go to him to get it.

By NM Diff, end of Act I, he must make his own armor by either imbuing or crafting an item that takes on/uses the appropriate gem and/or hue.

Jewels: No item may be socketed with a Jewel until after the signet gem is placed into the first socket. Geisha / Peasant Farm Boy, being crestless, may be jeweled without restriction, though Samurai must share their crest with their apprentice. No less than one item on the merc needs to have the Samurai's signet gem / color in it by the time the samurai hits the desert in Act II. That requirement never increases.

VI. Skill Guidlines
All Samurai must have at least two points in Zeal.(Excepting Kikuchio and The Kid: one each as prereq, no Zeal used)

All Samurai must have at least one point in Cleansing, Meditation and Sanctuary

All Samurai must have at least one point in Vengeance
Charge is encouraged, not required (Note: The Kid, Katsushiro, MUST max charge.)
Katsushiro/The_Kid must put one point in Vigor per difficulty level, as he does so much running around for Kembai Shimada.

Primary auras are to be maxed at the earliest opportunity. Defensive auras must have a point put in at earliest convenience, and at least one more added per diff level.

Neither Kikuchiyo nor Katsushiro (The Kid) can use Zeal in combat since neither of them is a Real Samurai!! Either may use Sacrifice, Vengeance or Charge. Kikuchiyo's preferred attack is Sacrifice.

VII. The Seven Samurai Team:
1. Kambei Shimada: Leader (Team Name: Kembai)
He is the old Samurai whose honor leads him to do the good deed. Superb strategist, leader of great wisdom and moral strength. (Charis, where are you? )

Gem/Color: Diamond/White
Primary Aura: Concentration
Defensive aura: Salvation (Team: Only he may use this aura)
Weapon Slot II: Bow

2. Kikuchiyo: (Toshiro Mifune) (Team Name: Toshiro, or Kikuchiyo)
Not actually a Samurai, a farmer whose village was troubled by roving ronin. He has taken up a sword to try his hand at being a big shot.

Gem/Color: Ruby/Red (He's a rube from off the farm)
Primary Aura: Fanatacism
Defensive aura: Resist Fire
Weapon Slot II: Spear

Special Toshiro note. Film star: Fanaticism and Sacrifice Must Be Maxed.

3. Shichiroji: (Team Name: Shichiroji)
An old comrade in arms of Kembai Shimada, and his right hand man. Survivor, cool under pressure.

Gem/Color: Sapphire/Blue
Primary Aura: Defiance (I got your back!!)
Defensive aura: Resist Cold
Weapon Slot II: Spear

4. Katsushiro: "The Kid" (team name Katsushiro / The_Kid)
Not a Samurai; a wealthy young Samurai wannabe. Hero worship of Samurai his motivation. A greenhorn with the most honorable of intentions. (So of course, he ends up bedding a farmer's daughter.)

Gem/Color: Emerald/Green (He's a Greenhorn!!)
Primary Aura: Conviction
Defensive aura: Resist Fire (Must put points in Vigor, see above)
Weapon Slot II: Bow

5. Heihachi: (Team name: Heihachi)
A veteran Samurai who knows the limits of his courage. A funny guy, found chopping wood by Gorobei. A hale fellow well met, and great barracks companion.

Gem/Color : Skulls/Black
Primary Aura: Might or Sanctuary
Defensive aura: Resist Cold (chopping fire wood)
Weapon Slot II: Axe (should be used frequently)
(Skulls: he was first to die in the film. Sanctuary can be prime aura if a Might merc is chosen in act II.)

6. Kyuzo: (Team Name: Kyuzo)
Master bladesman, a purist in pursuit of perfect swordplay. Kyuzo is a quietly heroic and humble professional: the most deadly of the Seven. Dry, laconic, deadly. (Early in movie, he has a mock sword fight with wooden swords.)

Gem/Color: Amethysts/Purple
Primary Aura: Holy Freeze
Defensive aura: Resist Lightning (he's that fast!)
Weapon Slot II: Staff

7. Gorobei: (Team Name: Gorobei)
Solid combat leader and charismatic fellow. One of the first Samurai to accept Kembai's offer. In the movie, he leads the defense at the north gate of the village. Gorobei is a guy you can count on through thick and thin.

Gem/Color: Topaz/Gold
Primary Aura: Holy Shock
Defensive aura: Resist Lightning
Weapon Slot II: Spear

VIII. Optional Samurai Team Replacements for non Paladin Characters.
1. Amazon Option (Team Name: GoroBabe)
(Dedicated to Celtic Hound. Gorobei can be replaced by GoroBabe, the Amazon with "Holy Shock Aura") Swords should have Lightning Damage on them. Her back up weapon is an Amazon-only spear or pike, which she can use with any lightning based spear skill, preferably Charged or Lightning Srike! Fend in Hell diff? Sure, why not, Amazon Zeal. See below.

No Valk Allowed! No Bow Skills Allowed!

Gem/Color: Topaz/Gold
Aura: Inner Sight
Defensive Aura: Slow Missile
Weapon II: Spear, Amazon class unique.

2. Assassin: (Team Name: HaiKarate)
A pure Melee Assassin. Two-handed sword with 2-H axe back up, she substitutes for Heihachi.

Gem/Color: Skulls/Black
Aura: Cloak of Shadows, Fade, Burst of Speed
Backup Weapon: Axe

No Claws.
No Mind Blast
Psychic Hammer must wait until Hell diff, and then only to use defensively.
Blade traps are allowed, to simulate throwing shirokans, but . . . NO Blade Shield!

Skills allowed:

Burst of Speed.
Tiger Strike.
Dragon Flight.
Phoenix Strike. (Keeps elemental theme with non claw weapon)
Cloak of Shadows. (The film was in black and white!)
Fade.
Venom.
Shadow Warrior allowed.

IX. Mercenaries
Primary merc choice is Act II mercs. Armed only with pitchforks (Trident class) or Scythes (Scythes or War Scythe). No pikes, no spetums, no brandistocks, no spears, no poleaxes, no bardiches, no voulges: these are farmers.

Exception: Katzuschiro has as his merc a farmer's daughter, who he falls in love with, of course.

Option: Team can choose all Geisha's / Rogue mercs, rather than farm boys. Barbarians may not be hired: only Samurai use swords. Ju-Ju kami masters of Act III are verboten.

X. ITEM RESTRICTIONS
Uniques restricted to the following:

Lenymo and String of Ears
(Gold Wrap // Razortail // SnowClash Only if: team decides to go beyond sashes.)

Note: Nosefeartu, Nightsmoke, and Gloom Coil will not be worn by self respecting Samurai. They are Ninja Garb.

a. Armor
Greyform, Spirit Shroud, Blinkbat, Skin of Viper Magi,
Centurion
(Toshiro only =>) Twitchthroe, Iron Pelt, Gladiator's Bane

b. Boots
Hotspur//Gorefoot//Inferno Stride//Waterwalk

c. Gloves
Hand of Broc // Bloodfist // Venomgrip // Gravepalm

d. Skull Caps
Tarn Helm // Rock Stopper

e. Rings
All uniques permitted, unless ring has "+%gold from Monsters" affixes. These guys are broke and the harvest has been bad lately.

f. Amulets
Rising Sun preferred. No amulet can be used with "+%gold from Monsters" affixes.

g. Weapons
All 2-H Unique Swords (Or Polearms in Hell Diff) OK

Backup Weapons: Per char description. No Forks, as Japanese Samurai use chopsticks!

h. Sets or partial sets allowed:
Angelic Ring and Amulet
Arcanna's Sign and Head
Artic Fur, and Binding (If team goes beyond sash)
Cathans Seal and Sigil
Civerb's Icon
Death's Sash and Hand
Hsaru's Iron Stay (If team goes beyond sash)
Iratha's Collar and Iratha's Chord (For Toshiro)
Tancred's Boots and Weird
Vidala's Bow, Ambush, Snare
Bul Kathos Sacred Charge
Cow King's Leather (Toshiro) and Hooves
The Disciple Set
Spiritual Custodian, Credendum, Laying of Hands, Rite of Passage Telling of Beads. Only The Kid May Wear these. (Early in the Movie, The Kid asks The Leader if he can be his disciple.)
Hwannin's Justice and Hwanins' Blessing
Mavina's True Site and Tenet
Naj's Circlet
Wilhelm's Pride and Magnus' skin
Sander's Taboo and Sander's Rip Rap
Sazabi's Ghost Liberator (D1 splint Mail looked Japanese in design, and as this one is so special, from Sazabi, the legendary Samurai) ==This would be the Lone Exception to the Leather and Cloth rule: A Samurai had found the one true Samurai's Armor to wear as he rids the world of Demons==
Tal Rasha's Adjudication and Fire Spun Cloth Trang Ghoul's Girth

i. Runewords:
The team may allow one rune word per player: looks like Kanji. The team may also elect to allow no rune words restriction as to number per player.

Samurai Runewords Allowed

Fury (Toshiro Only)
Honor (Kembai Shimada)
LionHeart (Any)
Lore (Any)
Radiance (Any)
Silence (Any)
Smoke (Any)
Stealth(Kyuzo should wear this)
Steel (Any)
Strength (Any)

More Samurai Quotables:

"The lost fish looks the biggest."
"A real Samurai would never be that drunk."

Posted January 27 2003
Revised May 14 2003