Ninja Master
Ninja Master Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
Rules sheet, 5 ninja tokens, 1 sword, 1 shuriken, 5 player markers, 5 victory point (VP) markers, 5 scoring boards, 9 dice, foldable dojo for the dice.
(Note: ignore the letter markings on the dice — they are not used in the game.)
Setup
- Assemble the dojo and place it in the middle of the table. Across from each outer corner of the dojo, place one ninja token (regardless of the number of players).
- Each player takes a scoring board matching their player marker and a VP marker (place it on space "3" of the board).
- Shuffle all the player markers face down. Turn over 1 marker at random — its owner receives the sword and the shuriken, becomes the first player, and starts the game. Then place your player marker next to the scoring board.
Turn of Play
1. Roll the dice!
The holder of the shuriken rolls all the dice into the dojo, while the other players wait patiently, folding their hands like a ninja (see the "ninja pose" picture). If a die falls outside the dojo or lands on top of another die, or if a player grabs a token before the dice have stopped moving (see below), reroll all the dice.
2. Grab the pieces!
As soon as the dice stop moving, all players simultaneously grab the ninja tokens and the sword based on the roll's result. Each player may grab no more than 2 components, and only 1 component may be grabbed with one hand.
(If you touched a token, it counts as grabbed. It is not allowed to deliberately touch the dojo or the dice.)
Each die shows one of the following symbols: ninja (1, 2, or 3), sword, shuriken, and smoke. Keep grabbing tokens until the total number of ninja symbols shown has been called out (see further below).
Effects and Scoring
Capturing a Ninja
Doubles: Number of ninja symbols = VP
Each captured ninja earns you as many VP as the number of ninja symbols of its color that were rolled. But if exactly 1 smoke symbol of that same color was also rolled, you get a matching penalty instead. If 2 identical smoke symbols were rolled, there is no penalty.
Example: Orange 1 — Rolled 2 smoke symbols — no penalty. Blue 3 — Doubles effect. Rolled 1 smoke symbol. Penalty for pink ninja -3 VP. Green 0 — No ninja symbols rolled — no VP awarded. Purple 3 — Doubles effect. No penalty.
Smoke: 0 VP
If there are no ninja symbols among the rolled symbols, or only smoke, you get no VP (even if you captured a ninja token).
Capturing the Sword
Steal the sword: Half of the sword holder's VP
The sword can only be captured if more sword symbols were rolled than shuriken symbols.
By capturing the sword faster than its holder, you get half of their VP (rounding down), and they lose the same amount.
Example: 2 swords and 0 shurikens rolled — Success. 3 swords and 1 shuriken rolled — Success.
Defend the sword: 0 VP
The sword holder may capture the sword to defend it, but no VP is awarded for this.
Cut yourself on the sword: -3 VP
If fewer sword symbols were rolled than shuriken symbols, or the same number, and you captured the sword, you cut yourself and lose 3 VP.
Example: 2 swords and 2 shurikens rolled — Failure.
The Shuriken Holder
Shuriken: Number of shuriken symbols = VP
The shuriken holder automatically gets 1 VP for each shuriken symbol rolled.
(Note: the shuriken cannot be captured. In the next round it passes to a new holder.)
Example: The shuriken holder gets 2 VP for 2 shurikens rolled.
Call Out the Number of Ninjas
Quick count: +1 VP or -3 VP
If someone calls out the total number of ninja symbols rolled (of all colors), no one may capture any more tokens.
If a player calls out the correct number, they get 1 VP. If they are wrong, they lose 3 VP. The number may only be called out after someone has captured at least 1 token (not a die).
If several players call out the correct number at the same time, shuffle their player markers face down. Turn one of them over — its owner gets 1 VP.
Example: 10! — If several players simultaneously called out the correct number, shuffle their player markers face down. Turn one over — its owner gets 1 VP.
Score Points
Once tokens have been captured and the ninja count has been called out, tally your result. The player who stole the sword tallies their result first, taking half of the VP from the sword's previous holder. Then the remaining players tally their results. Move the VP marker to the corresponding space on the scoring board (the final result cannot be negative).
Example: You stole the sword when its holder had 13 VP, so you get 6 VP (13/2, rounding down).
If you stole the sword: Stole sword (6) + Pink (-3) + Called number (+1) → Move the VP marker 4 spaces forward.
If your sword was stolen: Lost sword (-6) + Orange (1) + Purple (3) → Move the VP marker 2 spaces back.
Pass the Sword and the Shuriken!
Once all results have been tallied, the player with the highest number of VP gets the sword and places it in front of them. In case of a tie, determine the new holder among the tied players by collecting their player markers and shuffling them face down. Turn over 1 marker at random and give the sword to its owner.
The shuriken passes to the next player in clockwise order; they roll the dice first. Then repeat steps 1 through 4.
End of the Game
As soon as any player reaches 20 VP, the game ends immediately. The player with the highest result becomes the Ninja Master! In case of a tie, the tied players play an additional round to determine the winner.