Sword of the Samurai (Fighting Fantasy)
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2008-05-25T22:21:20Z
EvilRedEye
1485064
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{{Infobox Fighting Fantasy book 2covers|
|image1=<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Sword of the samurai.jpg|150px]] -->
|caption1=The original cover of ''Sword of the Samurai'' illustrated by Peter Andrew Jones
|image2=[[Image:Ff25wizard.jpg|150px]]
|caption2=The Wizard cover of ''Sword of the Samurai'' illustrated by Mel Grant
|location=Khul, Titan
|references=400
|authors=[[Mark Smith (author)|Mark Smith]] &<br>[[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 (author)|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 (UK)|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).
==Story==
{{Quotation|''The land of Hachiman is in grave danger. The Shogun's control is slipping. Bandits roam the land freely and barbarian invaders have begun to raid across the borders. All this because the Dai-Katana, the great sword, Singing Death, has been stolen from the Shogun. YOU are the Shogun's champion, a young Samurai. Your mission is to recover this wondrous sword from Ikiru, the Master of Shadows, who holds it hidden deep in the Pit of Demons.''}}
The reader of this book assumes the role of a young [[samurai]], whose mission it is to recover a legendary [[Daikatana (sword)|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.
===Setting===
The book is set in a southeast part of the continent of [[Titan_(world)#Khul|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 [[Hachiman|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.
==See also==
*[[Fighting Fantasy]]
*[[List of Fighting Fantasy gamebooks]]
==References==
<div class="references-small">
* {{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.htm}}
Official 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}}
</div>
[[Category:1986 books|Sword of the Samurai]]
[[Category:Fighting Fantasy|Sword of the Samurai]]
[[Category:Books by Mark Smith]]
[[Category:Books by Jamie Thomson]]