[X] Your gift for artifice, by which you might forge all manner of terrible weapons and cursed artifacts. Or just a really nice kimono, depending.
[X] Your gift for deception, through which you can evade notice, fool the unwary and even conjure phantasms and other illusions. Why tell the truth when a lie will do?
[X] Your capability for sorcery, by which you might command the elemental kami (or other, darker forces) with a greater ease and skill than any mortal priest.
[X] A babe without family, dumped at the entrance to a monastery for your new family to find. You are, it seems, a monk.
Adhoc vote count started by Amberion on Jun 23, 2017 at 9:56 PM, finished with 76 posts and 57 votes.
[x] Your capability for sorcery, by which you might command the elemental kami (or other, darker forces) with a greater ease and skill than any mortal priest.
[x] Your gift for deception, through which you can evade notice, fool the unwary and even conjure phantasms and other illusions. Why tell the truth when a lie will do?
[X] Your prowess at close quarters combat, by which you might slaughter armies and harvest lives like grain. Sword or club or bare hand, it makes no difference to you, and you will inevitably encounter someone worth slaughtering.
[X] Your raw vitality, which allows you to survive blows that would slay any mortal and persist in the face of the most incredible harm. Not proof against a band of plucky heroes fighting for what they love, apparently.
[x] Your mastery over death, by which you might create or destroy undead and slay or preserve the living. That doing so spites Emma-O is just a bonus, really.
[x] A samurai, technically, but also a ronin born of outcasts and criminals. You spend your youth being reminded of all the ways in which you were justified in killing these people.
[X] Your dominion over beasts, by which you might command the creatures of the earth and take their forms for your own. The ability to turn into a dragon is applicable in a surprising number of situations.
[X] Your sheer physical strength, sufficient to punch through a castle wall and carry the main keep back home with you. Sometimes, the simplest solutions are the best.
[x] Your divine authority as a Kami, by which you might command the obedience of mortals and bind their wills to your own. You rather enjoyed pretending to be an Emperor…
Ah no, I was referring to the Tomb of Ryoshun that's west of Dragon Lands. It's the real reason the Minor Clan of the Badger was formed, which is also interesting because they were one of, if not the first, Minor Clans that had no direct lineage to a Great Clan. The Ki-Rin Remnant that became the Kitsune was made a Minor Clan in the year 90, and the Mantis weren't properly recognized for a long time after that, but in 110 the Badger were founded. Ostensibly, this was to guard the northern border of Rokugan, but in actuality (or in retcons) it was to provide a guard for the Tomb of Ryoshun, the only Kami that had been so long in Lord Moon's stomach that he arrived dead. I believe the Tomb was theoretically proof from anyone who wasn't a Kami until after Ryoshun returned and died again. Thus, Fu Leng should be able to get in there if he wants. Probably.
[X] A babe without family, dumped at the entrance to a monastery for your new family to find. You are, it seems, a monk.
[X] Your gift for deception, through which you can evade notice, fool the unwary and even conjure phantasms and other illusions. Why tell the truth when a lie will do?
[X] Your capability for sorcery, by which you might command the elemental kami (or other, darker forces) with a greater ease and skill than any mortal priest.
[X] Your prowess at close quarters combat, by which you might slaughter armies and harvest lives like grain. Sword or club or bare hand, it makes no difference to you, and you will inevitably encounter someone worth slaughtering.
It seems Fu Leng is now a monk specializing in Sorcery, deception and close quarters combat.
Inserted tally
Adhoc vote count started by Maugan Ra on Jun 24, 2017 at 3:41 AM, finished with 78 posts and 58 votes.
[x] Your capability for sorcery, by which you might command the elemental kami (or other, darker forces) with a greater ease and skill than any mortal priest.
[x] Your gift for deception, through which you can evade notice, fool the unwary and even conjure phantasms and other illusions. Why tell the truth when a lie will do?
[X] Your prowess at close quarters combat, by which you might slaughter armies and harvest lives like grain. Sword or club or bare hand, it makes no difference to you, and you will inevitably encounter someone worth slaughtering.
[X] Your raw vitality, which allows you to survive blows that would slay any mortal and persist in the face of the most incredible harm. Not proof against a band of plucky heroes fighting for what they love, apparently.
[x] Your mastery over death, by which you might create or destroy undead and slay or preserve the living. That doing so spites Emma-O is just a bonus, really.
[x] A samurai, technically, but also a ronin born of outcasts and criminals. You spend your youth being reminded of all the ways in which you were justified in killing these people.
[X] Your dominion over beasts, by which you might command the creatures of the earth and take their forms for your own. The ability to turn into a dragon is applicable in a surprising number of situations.
[X] Your sheer physical strength, sufficient to punch through a castle wall and carry the main keep back home with you. Sometimes, the simplest solutions are the best.
[x] Your capability for sorcery, by which you might command the elemental kami (or other, darker forces) with a greater ease and skill than any mortal priest.
[x] A samurai, technically, but also a ronin born of outcasts and criminals. You spend your youth being reminded of all the ways in which you were justified in killing these people.
[x] Your divine authority as a Kami, by which you might command the obedience of mortals and bind their wills to your own. You rather enjoyed pretending to be an Emperor…
OK, I've updated the first page with the basic mechanics of the quest. I'll see about getting the second half of character generation done at the airport.
A monk. He reincarnated you as a monk. Clearly your assessment of Emma-O's character is wildly inaccurate in some fashion, for before today you would have scoffed at the notion that he might be able to conceive of such a vindictively ironic punishment.
You're actually rather impressed.
You know little of Rokugan, the empire that your siblings forged after they fell from Heaven (gently, and conveniently all in the same place, while you plunged down several hundred miles away and hit the ground hard enough to punch right through into Jigoku). Oh you spent years working to destroy the place, and can recall its basic geography and defensive fortifications with ease, but the people? The culture? Those things are far more opaque. You have a few shreds of information that you tore from the mind of your unwitting host, the last Hantei Emperor, over the course of your possession, but so much is missing even now. The process was inexact, after all, and even if you had managed to obtain a full grasp of the Hantei's knowledge… well, he was a child, and one raised from birth in the lap of luxury. There is much that he did not know, and which you must now find a way to learn.
For example, the discovery of an unattended babe on the steps of the local monastery is apparently not an uncommon one. The monk who finds you is old, with wrinkled skin and a weary demeanor, but rather than being shocked or infuriated she seems… resigned. Still reeling from the physical changes that you have undergone your impressions of what follows are scattered and fragmentary, but you are brought inside and tended to in short order. A younger monk is found to serve as a wet-nurse, clothing of the appropriate size is rapidly procured and you soon find yourself deposited in a small cot at the end of what you think might be a dormitory of some kind.
Favorable commentary is exchanged on how quiet and compliant you are, but in truth that has more to do with shock than anything else. You are a baby. The experience is deeply unsettling and more than a little bizarre, different in far too many ways to count from your original childhood in the heavens, but you are Fu Leng. You have endured pain and loss, disgrace and imprisonment; a period of humiliation is nothing in comparison.
Your attempts to curse Emma-O to an eternity of suffering and torment are apparently more adorable than horrifying, so you desist in short order.
-/-
It takes you a year to master your weak and undeveloped muscles enough to form actual words rather than a random assortment of gurgling sounds, and the delay is one of the most excruciatingly frustrating things you have ever encountered.
You are not foolish enough to reveal a full grasp of the language immediately, and thankfully the monks here are willing to chalk up your unnatural rate of progress to uncertain age and the blessings of the kami. Both are factors, of course, but it amuses you to hear them witter on about it in the background. Indeed, it seems the locals here are quite fond of talking, and while your position could certainly be more dignified you cannot deny that it serves as an excellent chance to learn about the world in which you now reside. Children, after all, are meant to be taught. Better still, it appears that once you reach what these people regard as the 'proper age' you will actually receive a formal education in the world around you. For now, though, the little tidbits of information that you manage to pick up from idle conversation will have to do.
It seems that the children of Hantei are all dead, a fact which gives you some considerable pleasure. In their wake, rule over this land has passed to the man called Toturi, the former prince (or possibly daimyo, if you're understanding the terminology correctly) who stood against you on what they are already calling the Second Day of Thunder. From what you can gather Toturi's claim largely rests on being the one responsible for delivering the killing blow to your prior incarnation, a fact which you will simply have to take on faith; Kachiko stabbed out your eyes shortly before that point, after all, so you can't really say you witnessed it personally.
The rest of your slayers appear to have largely dispersed back to their various families and individual territories, though details are somewhat scarce – there are limits to what people are likely to discuss in front of an orphan babe, after all. It seems you will just have to bide your time until this program of education begins before you can learn anything more, a fact which bothers you rather less than you initially supposed that it might. You have plenty of other tasks to occupy your attention for the foreseeable future, after all.
Learning to walk, for example.
-/-
Character Creation: Part Two
As I mentioned previously, I'm basically stealing the Godbound system for this Quest, on account of how it was basically built to represent deific figures and their impact on the world around them. In the first chapter you picked your Words, the basic components of your power. Now comes the time to select your gifts, choosing six points worth from the list below.
Gifts are divided into Greater and Lesser categories, with greater gifts being worth two points and lesser gifts only one. Most are exclusive to the word that they fall under, but there are also a number of universal gifts that can be found under any given word. Universal gifts are always considered lesser gifts for the purposes of purchasing them.
Remember, you can always duplicate the effects of a gift with a miracle by committing a point of effort until the end of the day (or an additional point, if the gift already requires that kind of expenditure). These are, therefore, all tools currently in your possession; selecting one as a gift allows you to use it much more efficiently.
Article:
Please select six points worth of gifts from the following lists. Lesser gifts cost one point, greater gifts cost two. Plan format is mandatory.
[ ] Write in (Plan Format)
Deception
The arts of Deception are those of stealth, illusion, and lies. A masterful trickster is skilled at detecting impositions as well as uttering them, and their miracles may have to do with revealing deceit as well as impressing it on the minds of others. Gifts of stealth and concealment usually apply as long as the hero is avoiding attention and acting discreetly. Violence, loud noises, and directly exposing themselves to guards or other vigilant sorts risks the loss of concealment.
Lesser Gifts
Deceiver's Unblinking Eye (Constant) - You can always tell when someone's trying to lie to you or deceive you. You can see through mortal illusions and disguises. This gift does not affect other Godbound with the Deception Word.
A Familiar Face - Commit Effort to blend in with a populace or group. Assuming they're not actively vigilant for intruders, no one will bother you unless you wish otherwise, and you will intuitively know how to act, speak, and conduct business so as to avoid drawing attention. This blending works even with entities that look nothing like humans.
Liar's Flawless Grace (Constant) - Your lies can never be detected as such by magic or other special abilities, including those of the Deception Word. Lesser foes will always believe them unless they are completely implausible, emotionally intolerable, or would oblige them to self-harm.
Perfect Masquerade - Commit Effort to instantly appear as any humanoid you have seen. Only worthy foes or those with significant personal knowledge of the individual have any chance to overcome the deception unless you do something egregiously out of character. You instinctively mimic voice, clothing, mannerisms, and expected habits of behaviour.
Shadow Play - Commit Effort. You can create perfect illusions in sound, smell, and seeming, though they are intangible to the touch. The illusion appears anywhere within sight, can be up to 30 feet in diameter, and can be made to move and seem lifelike without further attention so long as Effort remains committed to them. Invisibility is not an illusion.
Veiled Step - Commit Effort. Lesser foes have no chance to detect you so long as you stay out of their immediate presence and don't draw attention. Worthy foes could potentially pierce the magical stealth, but only when you are nearby.
Greater Gifts
Conviction of Error - Commit Effort. All chosen targets present become convinced that one of their beliefs of your choice is actually a terrible lie that has been imposed upon them, whether it is the existence of a god or the fidelity of their spouse. They may reconsider this conviction of error once Effort is reclaimed, but will do so only under great pressure of emotions or obvious facts. Worthy foes can potentially see through the deception, but are as susceptible to proof as any other.
Impenetrable Deceit - You state something you believe to be false and Commit Effort. Everyone who hears you speak at that moment will believe it, though worthy foes might simply believe that you believe it. A saving throw is also granted if presented with proof to the contrary or the lie is emotionally intolerable to them. This belief will persist even after the effort is reclaimed unless clear evidence contradicts it or the lie is too painful to believe.
Walking Ghost - Commit Effort. You cannot be detected by lesser foes unless you attack them or otherwise draw blatant attention, even if you are standing right in front of the NPC. Worthy foes have a chance to notice you if you go into their presence or they're actively searching for hidden foes. Attacks and loud actions always draw attention. Buying this gift refunds Veiled Step, if already had.
Sorcery
Sorcery is an unusual Word, one representing a bond with the fundamental laws of creation and the deep, subtle secrets of its operation. Sorcery has no native miracles and cannot be used by itself to create effects or mimic its gifts. Instead, mastery of its gifts allows a Godbound to wield the flexible and potent powers of theurgy.
Godbound affiliated with the Sorcery Word brush aside the incantations of lesser mages. As an Instant ability, the PC can Commit Effort for the scene to instantly negate any low magic spell being cast in their presence or banish or destroy any low magic construct or summoned entity. This counter does not function against theurgy or arcane powers that are merely similar to low magic spells.
Article:
A note on terminology
For the purposes of this quest, I am breaking up the normal abilities of a shugenja into a multitude of distinct paths and disciplines, each of which is taught by a school. My hope is that this will make each school unique and interesting to encounter, rather than just making shugenja classic d&d wizards with an oriental coat of paint slapped over the top.
When the following gifts talk about 'low magic', that's what they mean. The Soshi Illusionists might be a low magic path, for example, as would the Agasha Alchemists; mastering their path grants you access to everything that a veteran member of their school would be able to do, from conducting rituals on religious holidays to speeding the healing of a wound. The Kiho abilities of a monk also count as low magic paths, and are likewise divided up according to ones teachings and sensei.
'Theurgy' can be taken to refer to the really impressive spells that a shugenja might be able to invoke. Invocations of the Gate are the sort of things that a member of an advanced school could likely muster, Invocations of the Way are the province of Elemental Masters and their ilk, and as for Invocations of the Throne... well, that's when you start treading in the same sort of realm as Iuchiban and his Rain of Blood.
As the Dark Lord of the Shadowlands, Fu Leng begins with an 'archmage' ranking in the low path of Maho. This is a powerful and versatile path, but it relies utterly on blood sacrifice and the use of the Shadowlands Taint.
Lesser Gifts
Adept of the Gate (Constant) - You have been initiated into the Gate, the humblest level of theurgy, albeit still one beyond all but the mightiest mortal wizards. You may choose four invocations of the Gate to master as part of this learning and may learn more as you find them.
The Excellent Pause – When you cast a theurgy invocation or low magic spell, you may Commit Effort just before it is triggered. The spell is then suspended and may be released as an action at any time thereafter, with the Committed Effort returning at the end of that scene. You may suspend more than one spell if you're willing to Commit the Effort to each, but only one spell can be released at once.
Greater Pavis of Rule - Commit Effort for the scene. For the duration, you are immune to all low magic spells and significantly more resistant to theurgy.
Perfection of Understanding (Constant) - You are a remarkably swift student of magic. You can learn any low magic path within a month, taking one week per level of initiation of your teacher, without requiring a Fact committed to it. You can learn theurgy spells at a vastly accelerated rate as well; one day for an invocation of any degree. You automatically understand any low magic or theurgy used against you or in your presence, knowing its function, limits, and degree of power. You can also recognize the author of a magical working if you've seen other examples of their work.
The Subtle Eye of Knowing - With a moment's concentration, you can discern any low magic or theurgy active in the area, identifying its general function. Other forms of magic present are noted, but only a vague sense of danger or weal is imparted. This gaze immediately identifies any theurges or low magic practitioners in sight.
The Will that Burns - When struck while maintaining concentration, such as while casting a theurgy invocation, you may Commit Effort for the scene to maintain your concentration, prevent the loss of the spell, and inflict an immensely painful and potentially fatal feedback effect on your aggressor.
Greater Gifts
Adept of the Throne (Constant) - You have been initiated into the Throne, the deepest degree of theurgy's secrets. You must be an adept of the Way to master this. You master two invocations of the Throne as part of this learning and may learn more as you find them.
Adept of the Way (Constant) - You have been initiated into the Way, the second tier of theurgic mysteries. You must already be an adept of the Gate to master this. You master three invocations of the Way as part of this learning and may learn more as you find them.
Ruler of the Lesser Paths (Constant) - Commit Effort. After an hour's meditation, you may select one low magic tradition which you have spent at least a day in study with a practitioner of any level of mastery. Until the Effort is reclaimed, you may cast spells as an archmage of that path. While this gift is in effect, you are entirely immune to that path's spells if you so desire.
Sword
The Word of the Sword is that of melee combat, of direct struggle between the Godbound and their foes. Miracles of the Sword involve unerring strokes, tremendous blows, or marvellous escapes from harm in battle. While potent, these miracles do not work at range.
Heroes with the Sword Word treat all their weapon or unarmed attacks as magical, cannot be disarmed, and can summon any melee weapon they've ever used immediately to hand as an Instant action.
Lesser Gifts
Contempt of Distance (Constant) - Your movement action can take you to any point in movement range, provided the path is unobstructed and there's a target to hit at the end of the move. A hero could thus dash straight to a rooftop or balcony without navigating the physical route there. Foes too far away to reach in one round can be pursued over multiple rounds, but they must be attacked once reached. This pursuit can even extend into the air, supporting the hero until they defeat their enemy or choose to disengage, whereupon they land safely at a point below.
Nine Iron Walls - Commit Effort for the scene. You have an invincible defence against all physical attacks for the next ten seconds. This defence does not apply to environmental hazards, spells, or other non-attack forms of harm.
Steel Without End (Constant) - All your melee weapon attacks are treated as magic weapons and do at least as much damage as a no-dachi or tetsubo, including unarmed attacks..
Thirsting Razor - Commit Effort. You always hit lesser foes with your melee attacks, irrespective of obstacles or armour. This this benefit applies only to actual melee weapon or unarmed attacks, and not to other effects that involve hitting a foe to inflict a hostile effect.
Through A Red Forest - Commit Effort. While the Effort is committed, when fighting multiple lesser foes or a Mob of them, you may choose to take damage as if from a successful hit from one of them of the GM's choice. You then gain an invincible defence against weapon or unarmed attacks from the rest of these lesser foes for the next ten seconds.
Unerring Blade - Commit Effort to the scene's end. Your next melee attack is guaranteed to hit and inflict the maximum possible amount of damage. This strike can penetrate any protection short of an invincible defence against the weapon being used.
Greater Gifts
Cutting the Crimson Road - Commit Effort. Against lesser foes, a successful melee attack will always inflict enough damage to incapacitate or kill your target. Alternately, you can choose to simply have your attacks apply equally to all foes within ten feet of your target point.
The Path Through War - Commit Effort. So long as you don't make an attack roll or cast a hostile effect, you have an invincible defense against all weapon or unarmed attacks. Attacks made against lesser foes are still permissible, provided they are not enhanced by a gift. This defence is not applicable to environmental, spell, or magical effect damage. Once this gift is dropped or ended, it cannot be re-activated during that same scene.
Shattering Hand - Commit Effort. Your melee attacks always inflict the maximum possible amount of damage, generally permitting an automatic kill against anything less than the mightiest of heroes. You can destroy barriers as thick as five feet of stonework in front of you with a single blow, without the need to slow down. Magical substances may resist this power.
Universal
These gifts may be purchased for any Word, and always count as Lesser Gifts for the purposes of costing.
Divine Wrath - Commit Effort to the end of the scene. You smite a chosen foe within sight with the energies of the Word, striking them with the equivalent of a sword blow. You are always immune to the wrath of your own bound Words, as are other entities that wield similar powers.
Corona of Fury - Commit Effort to the end of the scene. You hurl a torrent of your Word's energy at a group of foes, affecting all within a 30-foot radius of a target point within sight of you. Each victim takes damage equivalent to being struck with a sword (identical to Divine Wrath at character creation, scales slower thereafter). The fury can selectively spare allies within the area, but the victims then get a chance to likewise avoid harm. You are always immune to the furies of your own bound Words, as are other entities that wield similar powers. Corona of Fury cannot be used two rounds in a row.
Effort of the Word (Constant) - Your maximum Effort increases by one point. This gift can be taken once for each Word you've bonded, but each purchase after the first costs two gift points instead of one.
Influence of the Word (Constant) - Your maximum Influence increases by two points. This gift can be taken once for each Word you have bonded.
Excellence of the Word (Constant) - Choose one attribute and increase it to the maximum human potential. This excellence is usually coloured by the Word that grants it; Fire that grants Dexterity might cause sparks to be left behind swift motion, while Earth that grants Wisdom might lend a ponderous and steady tint to your thoughts. This gift may only be taken once, regardless of how many Words your hero has bound.
Perfection of Understanding (Constant) - You are a remarkably swift student of magic. You can learn any low magic path within a month, taking one week per level of initiation of your teacher, without requiring a Fact committed to it. You can learn theurgy spells at a vastly accelerated rate as well; one day for an invocation of any degree. You automatically understand any low magic or theurgy used against you or in your presence, knowing its function, limits, and degree of power. You can also recognize the author of a magical working if you've seen other examples of their work.
How's this?
[] Plan Shadows, Spells, and Swords Oh My!
Deceiver's Unblinking Eye(Constant) - You can always tell when someone's trying to lie to you or deceive you. You can see through mortal illusions and disguises. This gift does not affect other Godbound with the Deception Word. Shadow Play - Commit Effort. You can create perfect illusions in sound, smell, and seeming, though they are intangible to the touch. The illusion appears anywhere within sight, can be up to 30 feet in diameter, and can be made to move and seem lifelike without further attention so long as Effort remains committed to them. Invisibility is not an illusion. Perfection of Understanding (Constant) - You are a remarkably swift student of magic. You can learn any low magic path within a month, taking one week per level of initiation of your teacher, without requiring a Fact committed to it. You can learn theurgy spells at a vastly accelerated rate as well; one day for an invocation of any degree. You automatically understand any low magic or theurgy used against you or in your presence, knowing its function, limits, and degree of power. You can also recognize the author of a magical working if you've seen other examples of their work. Contempt of Distance (Constant) - Your movement action can take you to any point in movement range, provided the path is unobstructed and there's a target to hit at the end of the move. A hero could thus dash straight to a rooftop or balcony without navigating the physical route there. Foes too far away to reach in one round can be pursued over multiple rounds, but they must be attacked once reached. This pursuit can even extend into the air, supporting the hero until they defeat their enemy or choose to disengage, whereupon they land safely at a point below. Shattering Hand - Commit Effort. Your melee attacks always inflict the maximum possible amount of damage, generally permitting an automatic kill against anything less than the mightiest of heroes. You can destroy barriers as thick as five feet of stonework in front of you with a single blow, without the need to slow down. Magical substances may resist this power.
How's this?
[] Plan Shadows, Spells, and Swords Oh My!
Deceiver's Unblinking Eye -
(Constant) - You can always tell when someone's trying to lie to you or deceive you. You can see through mortal illusions and disguises. This gift does not affect other Godbound with the Deception Word. Shadow Play - Commit Effort. You can create perfect illusions in sound, smell, and seeming, though they are intangible to the touch. The illusion appears anywhere within sight, can be up to 30 feet in diameter, and can be made to move and seem lifelike without further attention so long as Effort remains committed to them. Invisibility is not an illusion. Perfection of Understanding (Constant) - You are a remarkably swift student of magic. You can learn any low magic path within a month, taking one week per level of initiation of your teacher, without requiring a Fact committed to it. You can learn theurgy spells at a vastly accelerated rate as well; one day for an invocation of any degree. You automatically understand any low magic or theurgy used against you or in your presence, knowing its function, limits, and degree of power. You can also recognize the author of a magical working if you've seen other examples of their work. Contempt of Distance (Constant) - Your movement action can take you to any point in movement range, provided the path is unobstructed and there's a target to hit at the end of the move. A hero could thus dash straight to a rooftop or balcony without navigating the physical route there. Foes too far away to reach in one round can be pursued over multiple rounds, but they must be attacked once reached. This pursuit can even extend into the air, supporting the hero until they defeat their enemy or choose to disengage, whereupon they land safely at a point below. Shattering Hand - Commit Effort. Your melee attacks always inflict the maximum possible amount of damage, generally permitting an automatic kill against anything less than the mightiest of heroes. You can destroy barriers as thick as five feet of stonework in front of you with a single blow, without the need to slow down. Magical substances may resist this power.
How's this?
[] Plan Shadows, Spells, and Swords Oh My!
Deceiver's Unblinking Eye(Constant) - You can always tell when someone's trying to lie to you or deceive you. You can see through mortal illusions and disguises. This gift does not affect other Godbound with the Deception Word. Shadow Play - Commit Effort. You can create perfect illusions in sound, smell, and seeming, though they are intangible to the touch. The illusion appears anywhere within sight, can be up to 30 feet in diameter, and can be made to move and seem lifelike without further attention so long as Effort remains committed to them. Invisibility is not an illusion. Perfection of Understanding (Constant) - You are a remarkably swift student of magic. You can learn any low magic path within a month, taking one week per level of initiation of your teacher, without requiring a Fact committed to it. You can learn theurgy spells at a vastly accelerated rate as well; one day for an invocation of any degree. You automatically understand any low magic or theurgy used against you or in your presence, knowing its function, limits, and degree of power. You can also recognize the author of a magical working if you've seen other examples of their work. Contempt of Distance (Constant) - Your movement action can take you to any point in movement range, provided the path is unobstructed and there's a target to hit at the end of the move. A hero could thus dash straight to a rooftop or balcony without navigating the physical route there. Foes too far away to reach in one round can be pursued over multiple rounds, but they must be attacked once reached. This pursuit can even extend into the air, supporting the hero until they defeat their enemy or choose to disengage, whereupon they land safely at a point below. Shattering Hand - Commit Effort. Your melee attacks always inflict the maximum possible amount of damage, generally permitting an automatic kill against anything less than the mightiest of heroes. You can destroy barriers as thick as five feet of stonework in front of you with a single blow, without the need to slow down. Magical substances may resist this power.
Just to be clear, all Kiho are being counted as a variant form of Magic right? So if Monk Fu Leng wants to wander Rokugan and become the greatest master of Kiho ever to live, that's valid?
Deceiver's Unblinking Eye(Constant) - You can always tell when someone's trying to lie to you or deceive you. You can see through mortal illusions and disguises. This gift does not affect other Godbound with the Deception Word. Liar's Flawless Grace (Constant) - Your lies can never be detected as such by magic or other special abilities, including those of the Deception Word. Lesser foes will always believe them unless they are completely implausible, emotionally intolerable, or would oblige them to self-harm.
Adept of the Gate (Constant) - You have been initiated into the Gate, the humblest level of theurgy, albeit still one beyond all but the mightiest mortal wizards. You may choose four invocations of the Gate to master as part of this learning and may learn more as you find them. Perfection of Understanding (Constant) - You are a remarkably swift student of magic. You can learn any low magic path within a month, taking one week per level of initiation of your teacher, without requiring a Fact committed to it. You can learn theurgy spells at a vastly accelerated rate as well; one day for an invocation of any degree. You automatically understand any low magic or theurgy used against you or in your presence, knowing its function, limits, and degree of power. You can also recognize the author of a magical working if you've seen other examples of their work.
Contempt of Distance (Constant) - Your movement action can take you to any point in movement range, provided the path is unobstructed and there's a target to hit at the end of the move. A hero could thus dash straight to a rooftop or balcony without navigating the physical route there. Foes too far away to reach in one round can be pursued over multiple rounds, but they must be attacked once reached. This pursuit can even extend into the air, supporting the hero until they defeat their enemy or choose to disengage, whereupon they land safely at a point below. Steel Without End (Constant) - All your melee weapon attacks are treated as magic weapons and do at least as much damage as a no-dachi or tetsubo, including unarmed attacks..
Similar to PsyFarrow's plan, but I think having access to Theurgy and the ability to learn it at all is more valuable than being better at learning low magic, especially when we can already counter all low magic, and I think being able to lie to people and automatically have them believe it is more valuable in Rokugan than sneaking.
EDIT: On second thought, Gate and Perfection of understanding together give the biggest advantage for Theurgy, with both the ability to use and learn it and an increase in speed, enough that I'm willing to drop Shattering Hand for it's lesser equivalent. Feels a bit odd to not have any Greater, but I think it works out the best.
[X] Plan Constantly Graceful
-[X] Liar's Flawless Grace (Constant)
-[X] Deceiver's Unblinking Eye (Constant)
-[X] Perfection of Understanding (Constant)
-[X] The Subtle Eye of Knowing
-[X] Steel Without End (Constant)
-[X] Contempt of Distance (Constant)
Liar's Flawless Grace will help us hide our past. Deceiver's Unblinking Eye will help us learn and detect liar's.
Perfection of Understanding increases speed of learning, making the Sorcery path actually comparably useful on a permanent basis. The Subtle Eye of Knowing will help us detect worthwhile magic and/or enemies.
Steel Without End, Contempt of Distance, and Through a Red Forest are the most useful Sword skills, imo. I prefer the first two before doing the latter, mostly because leaping through the air to punch someone with a magic fist sounds nice.
All of these are Constants or otherwise consume no effort. We can spend Effort to perform miracles should more complicated tasks be desired.
[X] Plan Kool-Aid Monk
-[X] Deceiver's Unblinking Eye
-[X] A Familiar Face
-[X] Perfection of Understanding
-[X] The Subtle Eye of Knowing
-[X] Shattering Hand
Being able to see when people lie to you is incredibly valuable for an investigator. I mean we are one, from a certain point of view.
A Familiar face allows us to sneak around without and disappear in a crowd.
Perfection of Understanding and the Eye allow us to pose as sorcerous prodigy, which is, in my opinion, agood cover for our abilities, a key to a lot of doors and makes us a valuable to have around.
The Shattering Hand is there in case we need to murder somebody messily and to open closed doors.
Just to be clear, all Kiho are being counted as a variant form of Magic right? So if Monk Fu Leng wants to wander Rokugan and become the greatest master of Kiho ever to live, that's valid?
