Lights down. Empty melon-soda cans litter the table. The Game Master—the “Sensei”—sets the scene.
"Dōtonbori side street. 1:47 a.m. You two Oni siblings have been staking out this konbini for hours. Inside is the young Shōki demon hunter who supposedly slaughtered your Clan. Scarred cheek, dumb baby-face, the kind of guy who looks like he apologizes to vending machines. Tonight, perhaps, you get your revenge."
Aiko’s player leans over her character sheet, vibrating with lethal energy. "I’m not waiting. I drop my disguise and slide up to him at the ecchi rack. Rolling Allure. Stat 34: three D12s." The dice clatter. "A 5. A 7—plus my 4 bonus is a success. And... Nat 12! SUBARASHII!" She snatches an exploding die. "Three successes! I press my chest against his arm, look up through my lashes, and purr: 'Ara ara~ that scar looks painful... want me to kiss it better while you keep looking?'"
Sensei grins. "With three successes, he is completely caught off guard. He freezes. You can feel his Shōki blood flare, but you’re too close, too dangerous. He drops his manga, mutters something about looking for a lost cat, and bolts for the door."
Ken’s player sighs like a tired manga protagonist, shaking his dice. "I’m on the roof. I ready my Hellfire. If she screws this up, I’m blasting the whole store."
"Too late," Taro's player interrupts, snapping his fingers. He plays the Karakasa, the hopping umbrella yōkai hidden by the door. "As the kid grabs me, I spring open with a metallic shing! 'Took you long enough, boss. Permission to cause problems?'"
From the shadows, the Bakeneko player chimes in, doing a perfect Osaka street-cat drawl: "Oi, dummy. I made friends with the umbrella while you got felt up by a sexy demon."
Aiko’s player glares across the table, fully in character. "You have yōkai backup?! That’s cheating! I charge him."
Initiative explodes. But before the dice even hit the table, Sensei slams his hand down. Dead silence.
"The konbini windows shatter outward," Sensei whispers, his voice dropping the temperature in the room. "The neon dies. The puddles freeze over. A colossal, rotting shadow peels itself off the alley wall—an ancient, terrifying Yūrei, dripping with the exact same necrotic energy that destroyed your Clan."
The players freeze.
Sensei looks right at Aiko and Ken. "The Shōki kid pushes past you, Aiko, drawing a glowing, jagged blade. He isn't looking at you. He's staring at the horror in the alley. 'I didn't kill your Clan,' he spits out, wiping blood from his cheek. 'That thing did. I've been tracking it for weeks. Now, are we gonna fight each other, or are we gonna kill it?'"
Aiko’s player slowly sits back, her psycho smile turning genuine. "Fine. Truce. But I’m keeping the umbrella."
Ken’s player cracks his knuckles and scoops up his D12s. "Let's burn this ghost to ash…"
What you just read is a gameplay example for Yōkai!, a narrative tabletop RPG of Japanese folklore set in modern Japan, where, for once, you play the monster.
Yōkai are strange, dangerous, hilarious, tragic supernatural beings crashing into neon streets, old grudges, human fear, sacred places, and amazingly stupid plans. It is folklore with anime energy.
If that scene made you want to grab a d12 and yell “SUBARASHII!”, or call your Game Master “Sensei,” the Yōkai! VIP pre-launch is open. For the symbolic price of $1, you can download the Quickstart Guide immediately, reserve your pledge for the upcoming crowdfunding campaign, and unlock VIP campaign benefits when the gates open.
Download the Yōkai! Quickstart Guide
Join the VIP pre-launch for $1, get the Quickstart Guide immediately, and reserve your place for the upcoming crowdfunding campaign.
The ghost is waiting.
The umbrella is already causing problems.
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