The Inside Scoop on Gaming

Although RPGs based on movies are an everyday occurence, an RPG based a\on a GREAT movie is rare. And Ghost Dog is a great movie -- the bext gangster film of the new millenium so far. The story of an assassin who lives by the samurai code in an age where loyalty is a dangerous anachronism, Ghost Dog is a tale of blood-soaked vengeance in the Samurai tradtion that happens to be set among the mafiosi of the Eastern Seasboard.

Not normally the sort of stuff one would normally associate with Guardians or Order, reigning kings of the anime roleplaying game. But they did an excellent job creating a game about the very unpretty world of the mobster, the contract killer, and those caught in the middle. Uniquely, this is meant to be a one-on-one game, with the player playing a lone PC againsty the entire world as set up by the GM. Sounds paranoid? You, like Ghost Dog himself, have reason to be.

The rules section described the basics of the Tri-Stat System and how it is applied to this genre. Some of the attribute names are changed (you are now owned by "the Mob" instead of a megacorp) and nothing superhuman is available, but the system is intact. Basically you have three stats which you nmust roll under on 2d6 to do things, with skills helping you make your rolls. It's a very direct system.

The meat of the book is listings of characters from the movie (an exhaustive listing that ranges from Ghost dog himself and his mafia enemies to an ice-cream vendor and a little girl he shares books with), followed bya harrowing description of life in the Mafia today. The media might enjoy portraying mafiosa types as romantic figures, but the reality is different and far crueler. There is nothing noble or dashing about these people, who are as likely to engage in swindles and brutal extorition as to bumop each other off over matters of honor. Honor, it seems, is always less important than business to everyone except that lone PC walking his own road.

The "lone PC" concept takes some getting used to, but is the only way to adequately portray this genre. After all, the power of director Jim Jarmuch's vision comes from the tragedy of Ghost Dog's impossible conflict of honor and revenge. I do not suggest becoming too attached tyo your character's well-being or happiness, as he is quite likely to die or be betrayed when it is dramatically appropriate. Fortunatwely Tri-stat is a highly dramagtic system and your PC will be difficult to kill. But he;s not immortal....

Overall, Ghost Dog is a very classy game. The artwork is all B&W stills from the movie, which conveys the gritty urban feel of Ghost Dog's grim, bloody world. You should definitely see the movie before buying the game, however. But seeing Ghost Dog is its own reward even if you only use the game as a supplement to your police or FBI campaigns. A gamer shouldn't need an excuse to see a great film.

Michael Hopcroft

Ghost Dog RPG and resource Book
Item type: RPG Product Name: Ghost Dog RPG and resource Book Author: David L. Pulver and others Company/Publisher: Guardians of Order Line: Tri-Stat System SKU: Cost: Page count: ISBN: Genres: Ratings: Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 4 (Meaty) Review type: Capsule Review Genre tags:	Although RPGs based on movies are an everyday occurence, an RPG based a\on a GREAT movie is rare. And Ghost Dog is a great movie -- the bext gangster film of the new millenium so far. The story of an assassin who lives by the samurai code in an age where loyalty is a dangerous anachronism, Ghost Dog is a tale of blood-soaked vengeance in the Samurai tradtion that happens to be set among the mafiosi of the Eastern Seasboard. Not normally the sort of stuff one would normally associate with Guardians or Order, reigning kings of the anime roleplaying game. But they did an excellent job creating a game about the very unpretty world of the mobster, the contract killer, and those caught in the middle. Uniquely, this is meant to be a one-on-one game, with the player playing a lone PC againsty the entire world as set up by the GM. Sounds paranoid? You, like Ghost Dog himself, have reason to be. The rules section described the basics of the Tri-Stat System and how it is applied to this genre. Some of the attribute names are changed (you are now owned by "the Mob" instead of a megacorp) and nothing superhuman is available, but the system is intact. Basically you have three stats which you nmust roll under on 2d6 to do things, with skills helping you make your rolls. It's a very direct system. The meat of the book is listings of characters from the movie (an exhaustive listing that ranges from Ghost dog himself and his mafia enemies to an ice-cream vendor and a little girl he shares books with), followed bya harrowing description of life in the Mafia today. The media might enjoy portraying mafiosa types as romantic figures, but the reality is different and far crueler. There is nothing noble or dashing about these people, who are as likely to engage in swindles and brutal extorition as to bumop each other off over matters of honor. Honor, it seems, is always less important than business to everyone except that lone PC walking his own road. The "lone PC" concept takes some getting used to, but is the only way to adequately portray this genre. After all, the power of director Jim Jarmuch's vision comes from the tragedy of Ghost Dog's impossible conflict of honor and revenge. I do not suggest becoming too attached tyo your character's well-being or happiness, as he is quite likely to die or be betrayed when it is dramatically appropriate. Fortunatwely Tri-stat is a highly dramagtic system and your PC will be difficult to kill. But he;s not immortal.... Overall, Ghost Dog is a very classy game. The artwork is all B&W stills from the movie, which conveys the gritty urban feel of Ghost Dog's grim, bloody world. You should definitely see the movie before buying the game, however. But seeing Ghost Dog is its own reward even if you only use the game as a supplement to your police or FBI campaigns. A gamer shouldn't need an excuse to see a great film. Michael Hopcroft

Ghost Dog RPG and resource Book