Into the Void (Legend of the Five Rings)

Third Person or Second Person

  • Second Person

    Votes: 26 34.7%
  • Third Person

    Votes: 49 65.3%

  • Total voters
    75
Vote Tally : [L5R] Into the Void | Page 4 | Sufficient Velocity
##### NetTally 1.7.3

[X] Togashi
No. of Votes: 17

[X] Mirumoto
No. of Votes: 5

[X] Agasha
No. of Votes: 2

[X] Togashi Tattooed Order
No. of Votes: 8

[x] The Mirumoto Taoist Swordsman School
No. of Votes: 5
[X] The Mirumoto Bushi School
No. of Votes: 4

[x] Mirumoto Taoist School
No. of Votes: 2


[X] The Tamori Shugenja School
No. of Votes: 2

[X] The Mirumoto Taoist Swordsman
No. of Votes: 1

[X] The Hoshi Tsurui Zumi Order
No. of Votes: 1

[X] Togashi Ise Zumi
No. of Votes: 1

Total No. of Voters: 24
 
Since I won't be around for a week, I suggest getting the Bamboo Tattoo when the vote comes up. 5+Insight Rankx2 to your ATN is nothing to sneeze at.

For those who don't know, it basically makes us harder to hit and scales naturally as we increase in power.

Edit: I won't be present for the vote, so if Hello is feeling kind I hope he'll let this count as a vote for that.
 
Last edited:
Vote Tally : [L5R] Into the Void | Page 4 | Sufficient Velocity
##### NetTally 1.5.11

[X] Togashi
No. of Votes: 16

[x] The Mirumoto Taoist Swordsman School
No. of Votes: 8

[X] Togashi Tattooed Order
No. of Votes: 8

[X] Mirumoto
No. of Votes: 4

[X] The Mirumoto Bushi School
No. of Votes: 2

[x] Mirumoto Taoist School
No. of Votes: 2

[X] Family: Togashi
No. of Votes: 2

[X] Agasha
No. of Votes: 2

[X] The Tamori Shugenja School
No. of Votes: 2

[X] Togashi (+1 Void): Led by the Kami Togashi. A monastic order rather than a true family, the Togashi accept all who wish to join their ranks, provided they are able to embrace the order's teachings and endure its trials, which many are not.
No. of Votes: 1

[X] The Mirumoto Taoist Swordsman
No. of Votes: 1

[X] The Hoshi Tsurui Zumi Order
No. of Votes: 1

[X] Togashi Ise Zumi
No. of Votes: 1

Total No. of Voters: 25
 
So Togashi Taoist swordsman won? I guess we'll be taking the waste of a free trait that is void 4.
Well at least we can be king of Iajutsu duels.
You know . . . until we piss off someone with a higher insight rank.
 
So Togashi Taoist swordsman won? I guess we'll be taking the waste of a free trait that is void 4.
Well at least we can be king of Iajutsu duels.
You know . . . until we piss off someone with a higher insight rank.
...we're a Taoist Swordsman. There is literally no other school whose techniques are more dependent on spending Void points then ours. Void 4 isn't a waste, it's a necessity.
 
...we're a Taoist Swordsman. There is literally no other school whose techniques are more dependent on spending Void points then ours. Void 4 isn't a waste, it's a necessity.
Its not important until IR3 where we can spend two void points on a single damage throw. And its not essential until IR5.
Unless we're starting with what 80 xp or so? Then its a gimmick.
Strength would be more useful because we're going to be getting into grapples at IR2.
We even might be better off going for the Sakura family into high willpower so we can easily beat Touch of the Void tn. That way we get twice the effect from all our void points on damage.

Ask yourself. If we were not a Togashi, would you buy Void 4? If you wouldn't at character creation then its wasted until you would.
 
Behold a Phoenix Haiku to allow access to the Phoenix tattoo! I'm a poet, and I didn't even know it!
...
...
...
or did I?!

Fire fades to embers
the Phoenix passes from life
Its flames burn once more
 
Its not important until IR3 where we can spend two void points on a single damage throw. And its not essential until IR5.
Unless we're starting with what 80 xp or so? Then its a gimmick.
It's a "gimmick" that gives us amazing flexibility and quite frankly lets us pretend we have insanely high Reflexes. Given that our low ATN is going to be one of the main flaws of going Taoist Swordsman I think being able to add +10 to the TN to hit us is worthwhile.
Strength would be more useful because we're going to be getting into grapples at IR2.
Strength seems to be rather low priority given that if we go Large/No-Daichi we'll be rolling 7k3 from chargen for damage. Honestly I think going high Agility so we'd be able to hit and make full use of the free Knockdown Raise from IR2 would be better.
We even might be better off going for the Sakura family into high willpower so we can easily beat Touch of the Void tn. That way we get twice the effect from all our void points on damage.
While Touch of the Void is mechanically great you should really consider the RP implications. I mean I'm liable to add it to our build but I'm also going to add in Dark Fate.
Ask yourself. If we were not a Togashi, would you buy Void 4? If you wouldn't at character creation then its wasted until you would.
Yes? It saves us 18 XP in the long run and is dead useful. Hell given that we're a Togashi I'm tempted to buy Ocean as our first Tattoo, just for the hilarity of having Void 8 from char gen.
 
It's a "gimmick" that gives us amazing flexibility and quite frankly lets us pretend we have insanely high Reflexes. Given that our low ATN is going to be one of the main flaws of going Taoist Swordsman I think being able to add +10 to the TN to hit us is worthwhile.
It lets us add ten tn once. If we started with Agility 3 rather than Void 4 we could instead spend the 12 exp that we will have to use to buy Agility 3 to buy Reflexes 3 and have +1k1 on a some of skill rolls, +1k1 on imitative rolls and ALWAYS have +5 tn.
Purchasing Void because you want a higher ATN is just stupid.
Strength seems to be rather low priority given that if we go Large/No-Daichi we'll be rolling 7k3 from chargen for damage. Honestly I think going high Agility so we'd be able to hit and make full use of the free Knockdown Raise from IR2 would be better.
That was my point.
I meant that something like strength, which we would not seriously consider buying at character generation would begin to synergise with being a Taoist Swordsman earlier than Void.
While Touch of the Void is mechanically great you should really consider the RP implications. I mean I'm liable to add it to our build but I'm also going to add in Dark Fate.
That was not a serious suggestion. I was just pointing out that if you where determined to spend Void Points on damage dice arguabley purchasing Void is not the most efficient way to do it.
Yes? It saves us 18 XP in the long run and is dead useful. Hell given that we're a Togashi I'm tempted to buy Ocean as our first Tattoo, just for the hilarity of having Void 8 from char gen.
First of all your maths is wrong, it saves us 24XP because we don't have to buy Void 4 (4*6 =24) however we also have to buy Agility 3 so it costs us 12 exp (3*4=12). So theres an overall saving of 12 Exp not 18.
We've got WoG from the GM that this game will be Dark Souls hard. Is saving 12 xp in the long run a good idea if we might not survive until the IR where it becomes important? We effectively do not save exp until we would purchase this if we didn't start with.
I think, if I was building this character on my own off in a dark room somewhere Void 4 would be my purchase to get to IR3, however Agility 3 would be something that I would buy from character generation. This means this build would mean that my character effectively is missing 12 exp until IR3 when suddenly that reserves and I'm 12 exp ahead.
 
It lets us add ten tn once. If we started with Agility 3 rather than Void 4 we could instead spend the 12 exp that we will have to use to buy Agility 3 to buy Reflexes 3 and have +1k1 on a some of skill rolls, +1k1 on imitative rolls and ALWAYS have +5 tn.
Purchasing Void because you want a higher ATN is just stupid.
It's just one of the many uses Void has, besides our build is going to be mainly reliant on Reflexes anyway. So we're probably going to buy Reflexes 3 (and maybe Awareness 3 so we get the Ring benefit) as well. Also sufficiently high levels of Kenjutsu (we're going to want 3 at least for the Mastery benefit) help balance out having a low Agility score.
That was my point.
I meant that something like strength, which we would not seriously consider buying at character generation would begin to synergise with being a Taoist Swordsman earlier than Void.
Only if we go for a high Jiujitsu rank alongside Strength. Honestly I'm perfectly happy just going full swordsmanship and not splitting how we're spending our XP. Since we're going to need to get Earth 4, Air 5, Void 5 to get into our Advanced school anyway. Long term planning that that is.
That was not a serious suggestion. I was just pointing out that if you where determined to spend Void Points on damage dice arguabley purchasing Void is not the most efficient way to do it.
Being blunt? Thinking about how much damage we need to do isn't going to be a problem till we hit the high Insight Ranks, at which point Void is the most efficient way to take someone down.
First of all your maths is wrong, it saves us 24XP because we don't have to buy Void 4 (4*6 =24) however we also have to buy Agility 3 so it costs us 12 exp (3*4=12). So theres an overall saving of 12 Exp not 18.
I was talking about the total EXP saved from getting Void 3 and Void 4 at chargen over getting two abilities at 3. Which does save us 18 XP.
We've got WoG from the GM that this game will be Dark Souls hard. Is saving 12 xp in the long run a good idea if we might not survive until the IR where it becomes important? We effectively do not save exp until we would purchase this if we didn't start with.
So we spend our XP on Reflexes or Agility at chargen? Hello's already said we're going to be starting off with more then the standard 40 XP here. Also I'm totally serious about getting Dark Fate as a disadvantage. I mean what's the worst that could possibly happen?
 
I was talking about the total EXP saved from getting Void 3 and Void 4 at chargen over getting two abilities at 3. Which does save us 18 XP.
You're going to have to run through that maths with me. Because I'm not sure about your assumptions.
Its not like that we could vote to go Taoist and then vote to pick Reflexes instead of Void so theres no saving there, unless you're comparing to Mirumoto Bushi in which case we're arguing different things. There's the opportunity cost of not picking a different family so Void 4 only gives us 12 exp points over other families.
So we spend our XP on Reflexes or Agility at chargen? Hello's already said we're going to be starting off with more then the standard 40 XP here. Also I'm totally serious about getting Dark Fate as a disadvantage. I mean what's the worst that could possibly happen?
If we started with Agi 3 we could buy Awareness and reflexes up to three for 24 of those 40 exp points and then buy Agility or Reflexes 4 for the remaining 16. This would leave us with 10 points to get from disadvantages to spend on skills, advantages and tattoos. I think this is a well rounded character whos a strong bushi, rolls reasonably well on all Iajutusu phases (take that Kakita) and also reasonably socially competent.
Coming from Void 4 with your 40 points you can buy Agi and Reflexes 3 for 24 points, and then buy one of them to 4 for the remaining 16 or buy another trait for 12. Its impossible to do both because we're capped at 10 points of disadvantages and so this bushi will either be less socially competent or a less reliable bushi.
At the higher levels the latter build is slightly better, but at that point 12 exp is a much smaller margin and I think that the first build will reach that level far more reliably.
 
You're going to have to run through that maths with me. Because I'm not sure about your assumptions.
Its not like that we could vote to go Taoist and then vote to pick Reflexes instead of Void so theres no saving there, unless you're comparing to Mirumoto Bushi in which case we're arguing different things. There's the opportunity cost of not picking a different family so Void 4 only gives us 12 exp points over other families.
I was talking about compared to a bushi who got two stats at 3 thanks to family/school. Not a different Taoist Swordsman.
If we started with Agi 3 we could buy Awareness and reflexes up to three for 24 of those 40 exp points and then buy Agility or Reflexes 4 for the remaining 16. This would leave us with 10 points to get from disadvantages to spend on skills, advantages and tattoos. I think this is a well rounded character whos a strong bushi, rolls reasonably well on all Iajutusu phases (take that Kakita) and also reasonably socially competent.
Buying Awareness and Reflexes up is probably a good idea. We don't really need Agi 3 immediately if we start with Kenjutsu 3 or 4.
At the higher levels the latter build is slightly better, but at that point 12 exp is a much smaller margin and I think that the first build will reach that level far more reliably.
*Shrugs* I think the difference is pretty negligible at the start really. Given the time period it might come into play a bit in duels but I think that just ensuring that we hit first (Reflexes) and hit hard is good (Large+No-Daichi) enough.
 
I was talking about compared to a bushi who got two stats at 3 thanks to family/school. Not a different Taoist Swordsman.
By that logic the Taoist is 6 XP better than the Toku bushi... Its far more difficult to compare than that.
*Shrugs* I think the difference is pretty negligible at the start really. Given the time period it might come into play a bit in duels but I think that just ensuring that we hit first (Reflexes) and hit hard is good (Large+No-Daichi) enough.
If you think the difference is negligible and I think that the Void 4 build is clearly worse, how about we split the difference and say that Void 4 is slightly inferior?
 
0.4 Names, Skills & Other Important Things
I assume most everyone here knows L5R (Legend of the Five Rings) well enough to get character creation but I am going to be exhaustively tedious anyway. I apologize in advance, skip to the section labeled Box Sets if this starts getting too long. So first the general mechanics of characters:

Rings

There are 5 Rings which represent the whole of a Rokugani, Air, Earth, Fire, Water, and Void, and they each represent specific traits that a person may possess. They are used as a way to benchmark a person's character though obviously they gloss over a number of things. Rings start out at 2 and are the lowest of the two traits that make up that ring. Someone with Willpower 4 but Stamina 2 is only Earth 2. Each Ring has a mental trait and a physical trait except for Void which is different from the other 4.

Rings and their associated Traits are as follows:

Air:
Awareness
Reflexes
Earth:
Willpower
Stamina
Fire:
Intelligence
Agility
Water:
Perception
Strength
Void

Skills

Rokugan has a vast number of professions and abilities so skills are a way of broadly categorizing the abilities of an individual to perform a task. Good with a sword? High Kenjutsu. Bad at lying? Low Sincerity. And so on. Rank 1 in a skill represents a journeyman level of ability or represents some professional training. Rank 3 in a skill represents mastery of that skill, that is you are fluent in almost everything that required for that skill and are able to easily perform at a high level. Rank 5 in a skill represents a level of skill that would be fairly rare, most likely seen in instructors or known professionals of that skill. Rank 7 represents being near the top if not the top of the users of this skill in all of Rokugan. Rank 9+ represents a level of skill that is explicitly legendary, individuals who hold this level of skill likely dedicated their lives to reaching this level and are able to easily steamroll most others in this field.

Skills fall into 4 categories which are High, Bugei, Merchant, and Low. High skills are exclusively the province of the samurai caste. These are the Skills one would typically see in use at a daimyo's court, or even among the attendants of the Emperor's court. They reflect sophistication and nobility, and typically require considerable education in order to attain and practice. Bugei skills are the domain of the bushi. These are the Skills of a warrior, and while the samurai are not the only ones who practice them (since ashigaru and budoka learn some of these as well), they are unquestionably the masters of the craft. Merchant skills represent knowledge of certain practices that are not the domain of the samurai. While it is not inherently dishonorable to practice these Skills, it is somewhat questionable, and those who do so openly and regularly are looked upon with mild disdain by their more sophisticated kinsmen. Low skills represent deplorable crafts and practices that no honorable soul would even imagine taking up. Practicing any of these Skills will usually result in a loss of Honor for a samurai who does so, and if done in public, quite possibly Glory as well.

Emphases can be taken for certain skills. Individual Skills may cover a number of different activities, all of which fall under the auspices of the primary Skill. These different aspects are called Emphases, and can give a bonus to characters who choose to pay special attention to that aspect of the Skill.
The number of Emphases a character may possess for a Skill is determined by his rank in that Skill. A character may possess one Emphasis for a Skill at Rank 1, two Emphases at rank 3, three Emphases at rank 5, four at Rank 7, and a maximum of five Emphases at rank 9. It costs two Experience Points to purchase an Emphasis in a Skill. An Emphasis is indicated in parentheses after the name of the Skill to which it is attached. For example, a character with three ranks in the Kyujutsu Skill and an Emphasis for the yumi would note the Skill as follows: Kyujutsu (Yumi) 3.

When making a Skill Roll, if the character has an Emphasis that applies to the situation requiring the roll, he may immediately re-roll any dice that result in a 1. This may only be done once per roll. For example, if a character with Kenjutsu (Katana) 3 and Agility is making an attack with a katana, he rolls 5k2 for the attack and gets 1,1,4,6,8. Because he is using a katana and has the Katana Emphasis for Kenjutsu, he immediately re-rolls the two dice that resulted in a 1, getting a 1 and a 7. He would then presumably keep the 7 and the 8, for a total of 15. The die that rolled a 1 the second time would not be re-rolled.

Because of the nature of the Roll & Keep system, Traits are often considered more important than Skills, since they contribute not only to the number of dice rolled, but also determine how many are kept. Skills have a number of benefits of their own, however, and the most potent of these are Mastery Abilities.
Mastery Abilities are additional benefits that characters gain from having higher ranks in a given Skill. Although most Skills have them, there are some that do not. Those Skills that have Mastery Abilities typically gain them at Ranks 3, 5, and 7, although there are some Skills that gain a single Mastery Ability at Rank 5. These benefits are listed in the individual Skill write-ups. Unless otherwise specified, Mastery Abilities only apply when the actual Skill in question is being used.

All Skills possess a single Mastery Ability at Rank 10, which is a Free Raise on all rolls made using that Skill.

All Skills are listed in the appropriate spoilered boxes at the bottom of the post.

Advantages and Disadvantages:

Advantages can be bought for XP equal to their cost, max of 20XP can be spent on Advantages. Disadvantages provide extra points when taking them, up to 15XP can be gained this way. You can take more than 15XP worth of disadvantages (from now on called disads) but you will not get points for them. I would recommend that you do not fill up on ads and disads unless you know what you are doing because not only do they make things more mechanically challenging for your character but they also show up in roleplay. Having the curse of Tengoku will cause monks to feel uncomfortable around you, the same as having the curse of Jigoku will make Shadowspawn want to murder you all the more. Being blessed by Benten means getting some possibly unwanted romantic attention which can make things very complicated and so on. I hope you are smart enough to figure out the rest.

Box Sets

As a reminder your starting character looks like this:

Air: 2
Awareness 2
Reflexes 2
Earth: 2
Willpower 2
Stamina 2
Fire: 2
Intelligence 2
Agility 2
Water: 2
Perception 2
Strength 2
Void: 4

Skills: Athletics, Defense, Iaijutsu, Kenjutsu, Lore: Theology, Meditation, any 1 Bugei or High Skill
Honor: 5.5
Outfit: Sturdy Clothing, Katana, Wakizashi, Tanto, Traveling Pack, 1 Koku
Special: All members of this school are considered to be Ascetic, but do not gain Experience Points for it. It does not count against their 10-point limit of Disadvantages.

First, choose a name:

[] Write in: (Something Japanese sounding unless you take Gaijin Name disad)

Now onto the important part of this section, the boxes. For the purposes of spending leftover XP or designing your own background packages, the following costs are involved. You have a budget of 80XP. Raising a trait costs (4x new rating)XP. Buying a skill costs (new rating)XP. Advantages and disadvantages have their own unique costs, though disadvantages give you XP. Raising Void costs (6x new rating)XP.

Bushi box 12XP
You have been trained in the arts of war as befits your station.
Raise Kenjutsu to 3
Raise Kyujutsu to 2
Raise Defense to 2
Raise Knives to 1
Raise Battle to 1

Courtier box 18XP
Despite the rarity of Dragon courtiers you have managed to receive training in how to comport yourself at court.
Raise Awareness to 3
Raise Courtier to 2
Raise Etiquette to 2
Raise Lore: Heraldy to 1
Raise Lore: Bushido to 1

Dueling Focus (Severe) 37XP
You have spent a shocking amount of time in the dojo learning how to produce a single perfect strike.
Raise Iaijutsu to 4
Gain a mastery ability allowing you to draw a sword as a free action
Raise Reflexes to 4

Dueling Focus (Regular) 17XP
You have spent some amount of time in the dojo learning how to acquit yourself with a sword.
Raise Iaijutsu to 3
Gain a mastery ability allowing you to draw a sword as a free action.
Raise Reflexes to 3

Theology Training 17XP
You are a spiritual sort, and have spent a lot of time with the tattooed monks and the Shugenja studying the secrets of the cosmos.
Raise Lore: Theology to 3
Raise Meditation to 3
Raise Lore: Shugenja to 1
Raise Lore: Spirits to 1
Raise Lore: Realms to 1
Raise Tea Ceremony to 1
Buy Sage (For anything which requires a Lore check in a Lore you do not have, act as if you have Rank 1 in that Lore)

These sets are not all encompassing. Write your own and put it to vote if you want. Remember you have 80XP, max 20XP for Advantages and only 15XP can be gained from Disadvantages. Your character cannot exceed IR1 out of character generation, nothing with an Insight Ranking of 150+. Skills and Traits are capped at 4. You can bank XP if you want to purchase something later.

Use [] Plan Username 1.0 format

And it should have the name you want at the top followed by the skills and traits you want to buy or raise followed by the ads and disads you want. Keep track of your XP and total it at the end. Want a tattoo? Write a related haiku.

Skills:

Acting (Awareness)
Sub-types: Social Skill, Acting is considered a Perform Skill for the purposes of effects that target Perform Skills
Emphases: Clan, Gender, Profession
Description: This is a measure of an individual's ability to convincingly pass himself off as someone else, whether assuming a role in a play or attempting to infiltrate the fortress of his lord's enemy. It also represents a character's knowledge of the primary theater styles in Rokugan: Kabuki, a flamboyant high-action style; and Noh, a more subdued, stylistic manner of play.
The TN to disguise yourself is 15. This assumes that you are taking on the role of a non-specific individual who shares the same Clan affiliation, gender, and profession (bushi, courtier, or shugenja). Each of these basic features that are changed increases the total TN of the Skill Roll by +5 (for example, a male Scorpion bushi attempting to impersonate a female Crane courtier would have a base TN of 30). Attempting to imitate a specific individual is significantly more difficult, and increases the TN by a total of +15 in addition to any other increases of Clan, gender, or profession. You may also Raise on your roll to make your disguise harder to see through. A character who is trying to see through your disguise must roll Investigation / Perception against a TN of 15, +5 for each Raise you made.
Master Abilities:

  • Rank 3: The TN to crease a disguise is reduced by 5.
  • Rank 5: The TN to create a disguise is reduced by 10 (total).
  • Rank 7: The TN to create a disguise is reduced by 15 (total).
Artisan (Awareness)
Sub-types: Macro-skill (includes Bonsai, Gardening, Ikebana (Flower arranging), Origami (paper folding), Painting, Poetry, Sculpture, and Tatooing, among others)
Emphases: Varies by sub-skill
Description: This is a catch-all that represents a character's talent in one of the many recognized noble arts of Rokugani society. In addition to being soldiers and priests, samurai are the epitome of culture, adn as such an occupation as an artisan is regarded by many Clans as a noble and honorable pursuit. Artisan Skill Rolls are used to create works of art, and generally have variable TNs as decided by the GM.
Mastery Abilities: None

Calligraphy (Intelligence)
Sub-types: Calligraphy is considered an Artisan Skill for purposes of effects that target Artisan Skills
Emphases: Cipher, High Rokugani
Description: Calligraphy is considered an art form by many, and is typically used not only among shugenja, who use advanced ciphers and scripts to protect their mystical secrets, but also by artisans and courtiers, who use it to impress others as part of their complex schemes to gain favor in court. Training in calligraphy is not necessary as part of literacy, as all samurai are literate, but it does allow one to show refinement and sophistication.
If you possess the Cipher Emphasis, you are assumed to know one cipher commonly used by your Clan. Ciphers can be very difficult to break, with varying TNs depending upon their commonality of use and means of creation. Typically, the TN to break a cipher is the result of the Calligraphy (Cipher) / Intelligence roll used to create it. The High Rokugani Emphasis is used to make use of the ancient, florid, and sophisticated style of language used in the Imperial Court.
Mastery Abilities:

  • Rank 5: The character gains a bonus of +10 when attempting to break a code or cipher.
Courtier (Awareness)
Sub-types: Social Skill
Emphases: Gossip, Manipulation, Rhetoric
Description: The essential skill of any Rokugani court, this is a measure of a character's ability to participate in the deadly political games that are so prevalent in the Empire's highest social echelons. Courtiers have their own style of warfare, and are able to maneuver one another into disadvantageous positions through their skill with words.
Essentially, Courtier is the "social offense" Skill. Socially-adept characters that are on the offensive against their opponents use Courtier, often with the Manipulation or Rhetoric Emphases, to outmaneuver their opponents, influence their views and opinions, steer conversations in a desired direction, win arguments, or deliver cunning put-downs. Courtier can also be used to obtain or spread rumors about someone, using the Gossip Emphasis. This can be more difficult depending upon the target's Glory, with a suggested TN of 10 plus the target's Glory x 5, minus your Glory x 5. GMs can have players Raise on the roll to conceal that they are the source of the gossip, and it should be noted that attempting to spread malicious rumors about someone with higher Status is generally unwise and can easily lead to a death sentence in Rokugan.
Mastery Abilities:

  • Rank 3: The character gains an additional +3 Insight above the total normally indicated by his Rings and Skill Ranks.
  • Rank 5: The character gains a bonus of +1k0 to the total of all Contested Rolls made using Courtier.
  • Rank 7: The character gains an additional +7 Insight above the total normally indicated by his Rings and Skill Ranks (in addition to the bonus from Rank 3).
Divination (Intelligence)
Sub-types: None
Emphases: Astrology, Kawaru
Description: Some individuals possess the ability to glimpse the strands of fate and destiny that make up the universe, and can gain some glimmer of insight into the future as a result. This sometimes involve studying the stars and their placement via astrology, but most often comes from the use of kawaru, small stones, sticks, and cones with variety of hexagram symbols engraved upon them. Kawaru are typically thrown into a bowl or other receptacle and then examined to determine the patterns.
You may attempt a divination once per day. The TN for this Skill Roll is 15, although depending upon the circumstances the GM may dictate a higher TN. If the roll is failed, a second roll may be attempted immediately if you expend a Void Point. (As usual, the TN for the second roll is increased by +10.) The results of divination attempts are notoriously vague, but should give some indistinct inkling of what is to come in the immediate future (i.e. "you see difficult times ahead," "an old enemy returns soon," "a shadow will fall over your father's house," etc).

Mastery Abilities:

  • Rank 5: A second Divination Skill Roll may be made without the cost of spending a Void Point. All other conditions for making the second Skill Roll still apply.
Etiquette (Awareness)
Sub-type: Social Skill
Emphases: Bureaucracy, Conversation, Courtesy
Description: In a rigid hierarchical society such as the Emerald Empire, knowledge of appropriate conduct is essential for all but the most jaded and uncourth bushi. In many ways a proper code of etiquette is a defense for samurai, who can use their knowledge of how one should behave in a court setting as a shield against the manipulation of others. It can also allow them to avoid embarrassing faux pas by ensuring that they know to whom any particular concern should be addressed in the vast and often confusing Imperial bureaucracy, as well as the lesser bureaucracies maintained by the Great Clans.
Etiquette is essentially the "social defense" Skill of honorable characters in Rokugan's courts. When someone tries to tempt, manipulate, or otherwise influence you (typically with skills like Courtier or Temptation), Etiquette is usually used in the ensuing Contested Roll, most often with the Courtesy Emphasis. Courtesy also allow you to offer an opinion without risking offense (at the TN chosen by the GM) or to remember important social mores that might otherwise be forgotten (TN of anywhere from 5 to 20, depending on obscurity). The Bureaucracy Emphasis is used when trying to maneuver through governmental channels appropriately, such as trying to arrange a meeting with someone of high Status (the Imperial bureaucracy is notoriously difficult to navigate). Conversation allows you to determine an appropriate, non-offensive topic for discussion (TN 15+).
Mastery Abilities:

  • Rank 3: The characters gain an additional +3 Insight above the total normally indicated by his Rings and Skill Ranks.
  • Rank 5: The character gains a bonus of +1k0 to the total of all Contested Rolls made using Etiquette.
  • Rank 7: The character gains an additional +7 Insight above the total normally indicated by his Rings and Skill Ranks (in addition to the bonus from Rank 3).
+Games (Various)
Sub-types: Macro-skill (includes: Fortunes & Winds (Awareness), Go (Intelligence), Kemari (Agility), Letters (Awareness), Sadane (Awareness), Shogi (Intelligence), etc.)
Emphases: Varies by sub-skill
Description: Games are an important diversion for the normally somber samurai caste of Rokugan. Although some clans generally prefer direct physical activities such as wrestling or other competitive pursuits, virtually everyone in the Empire plays a game of one form or another on a regular basis. Some popular games include: kemari, which involves one or more participants kicking a small ball to keep it off the ground; go, a strategic game that uses colored stones placed on a game board; letters, in which two or more individuals correspond with one another, using elaborately written letters as a sort of back-and-forth; shogi, a chess-like strategic game; and sadane, a game of trading impromptu criticisms on an agreed subject. Games Skill Rolls are typically Contested Rolls made between two individuals, each attempting to defeat the other at the game in question.
Mastery Abilities: None

Investigation (Perception)
Sub-type: None
Emphases: Interrogation, Notice, Search
Description: One of the most prestigious appointments a samurai can receive is that of magistrate, an official tasked with enforing the laws within his lord's domain. As magistrates, samurai must often determine what has taken place under mysterious circumstances, and search out who is to blame for violating the word of their daimyo. Those with a keen eye and a sharp mind are often promoted to higher positions, serving their family, clan, or even the Empire as a whole.
Investigation represents your ability to assess your surroundings and gather information based on physical clues. It can also represent an ability to gather information from others over a longer period of time, hours or even days, in order to piece together different bits of information into a cohesive picture. Unlike other Intelligence or Perception Skill Rolls, Investigation can be re-rolled if you fail the initial roll. The second rall may not be made for at least an hour, however, and suffers a +15 increase to TN.
Investigation is most frequently used to locate something (or someone) hidden or concealed. If this is a person in hiding, a Contested Roll will be used, pitting the character's Investigation (Notice or Search Emphasis according to the circumstances) against the target's Stealth. The Interrogation Emphasis can be used to try to figure out if someone is lying, typically in a Contested Roll against the target's Sincerity.
Mastery Abilities:

  • Rank 3: A second attempt to use the Search Emphasis may be made without an increase in the original TN.
  • Rank 5: The character gains a bonus of +5 to the total of any Contested Roll made using Investigation.
  • Rank 7: A third attempt to use the Search Emphasis may be made even if the second attempt fails.
Lore (Intelligence)
Sub-types: Macro-skills (including Anatomy*, Architecture, Bushido, Great Clan (choose one), Elements, Gaijin Culture (choose one), Ghosts, Heraldry, History, Maho*, Nature, Nonhuman Culture (choose one), Omens, Shadowlands*, Shugenja, Spirit Realms, Theology, Underworld*, War, and almost anything else)
[Sub-skills marked with a * are considered Low Skills]
Emphases: Varies by individual sub-skill
Description: Many among the samurai caste are called to pursue the role of the scholar in order to better serve their lord, or for their own purposes. Although this is most common among shugenja, it is not unusual for a courtier or a bushi to study some subject or another that catches their interest. History and heraldry are among the most common and useful, but literally any subject can be taken up. Lore Skill Rolls are made to determine if a character possesses certain information regarding the subject area (i.e., a bushi character might make a Lore: Shugenja Skill Roll to see if he could determine the purpose of a ritual being conducted).
Mastery Abilities: None

Medicine (Intelligence)
Sub-types: None
Emphases: Antidotes, Disease, Herbalism, Non-Humans, Wound Treatment
Description: War is the purpose of all samurai, and war often results in those who are wounded but not slain. A wounded samurai is a burden on his lord, unable to perform his duties and yet still requiring resources. Those who practice medicine have the sacred task of ensuring that a samurai recovers from his wounds and can rise again to serve once more.
Medicine can be used to treat many different injuries and ailments, including some spiritual ones. Specific diseases may be treated with the Disease Emphasis, although the TN for treatment will vary depending upon the disease in question. The same applies to poisons and the Antidote Emphasis. Non-human races may be treated using the Non-human Emphasis, but it must be purchased separately for each race (i.e. Nezumi Medicine, Naga Medicine, Zokujin Medicine, etc.) When you treat Wounds that an ally has suffered from damage, a successful Medicine (Wound Treatment) / Intelligence roll (TN 15) will remove one die (1k1) of Wounds from the victim. Each successful Raise on this roll allows an additional die to be rolled, but no more than one die is ever kept on such a roll. An injured individual may only benefit from a single Medicine Skill Roll per day, and each such roll made requires the use of a Medicine Kit, which allows for ten Medicine Skill Rolls before being consumed.
Mastery Abilities:

  • Rank 5: The amount of Wounds healed on a successful Medicine roll is increased by +1k0.
Meditation (Void)
Sub-types: None
Emphases: Fasting, Void Recovery
Description: A dutiful samurai is a spiritual soul. In order to fully embrace the code of Bushido, all samurai are expected to study the Tao of Shinsei and meditate upon its wisdom. In practice, of course, this is rarely the case among many martial families, but a surprising number of soldiers can often be found meditating in a shrine or temple to prepare themselves for war.
Meditation is the simplest means other than resting that you can recover spent Void Points. A Meditation (Void Recovery) / Void roll versus TN 20 allows you to recover one Void point with ahalf hour of uninterrupted meditation. The Fasting Emphasis allows you to make a Meditation / Stamina roll (TN 15 + 5 per day of fasting) to ignore the effects of going without food or water.
Mastery Abilities:

  • Rank 3: A successful Meditation Skill Roll restores up to 2 Void Points.
  • Rank 5: The TN for all Meditation (Fasting) Skill Rolls is reduced by 5.
  • Rank 7: A successful Meditation Skill Roll restores up to 3 Void Points.
Perform (Varies)
Sub-types: Macro-Skill (includes Biwa (Agility), Dance (Agility), Drums (Agility), Flute (Agility), Oratory (Awareness), Puppeteer (Agility), Samisen (Agility), Song (Awareness), Storytelling (Awareness), etc.), Social Skill
Emphases: Varies by sub-skill
Description: While not as numerous as other artisans, performers are still considered by many Clans to fulfill a vital aspect of maintaining Rokugan's culture. Musicians, orators, poets, and even acts are lauded in the highest circles of court because of the entertainment they provide. Many bushi have a different opinion on the value of a performer, but even they must admit that nothing rouses the spirits for war like a play wherein the actions of their ancestors are memorialized and the actions of their enemies demonized. Performers are not merely entertainment, but a form of living memory that all samurai enjoy, even if some of them do not always respect those who provide it. Perform Skill Rolls are made to complete a performance successfully. The TN for such a roll generally depends upon the mood of the audience and is determined by the GM.
Master Abilities: None

Sincerity (Awareness)
Sub-types: Social Skill
Emphases: Honesty, Deceit* [Emphases marked with a * are considered Low Skills]
Descriptions: Many in the Empire have a curious stance on the notion of lying; in many courts, it is not considered dishonorable to lie so long as the individual speaking genuinely appears to believe what he says is the truth. This is a skill that many have honed in order to defend themselves from the predation of more skilled opponents in court. Even bushi attending court as yojimbo often practice such things, to ensure that they are not viable targets of their charges' enemies. This can also be used to avoid offering insult.
Honest is used when you must speak the truth in a convincing manner, while Deceit is used when you must tell a lie and appear to tell the truth ("I assure you, magistrate, I was meditating in the shrine well after sunset last night"). Sincerity can also be employed to tell the truth in a very cautious manner to avoid giving insult (when a morbidly obese governor asks a samurai if he is not the greatest warrior in the Empire, the samurai cautiously respons with "All other warriors would surely vanish within your might shadow"). Rolls made with Sincerity can be opposed with Investigation by those who doubt the truth of the speaker's words.
Mastery Abilities:

  • Rank 5: The character gains a bonus of +5 to the total of all Contested Rolls made using Sincerity.
Spellcraft (Intelligence)
Sub-types: Use of the Importune Emphasis when interacting with kami spirits is considered use of a Social Skill
Emphases: Importune, Spell Research
Description: The path of the shugenja begins with the innate ability to speak to the kami, but it continues with a life of rigorous study and devotion to research. Although non-shugenja can take up this craft, the essential understanding of how the invocation of the kami works makes it primarily the domain of shugenja. This research also allows scholarly shugenja to create new prayers that others can use, and allows them to entreat certain types of kami to perform tasks for them.
The Spell Research Emphasis allows you to formulate new spells. This typically requires a Spellcraft (Spell Research) / Intelligence with a TN equal to 10 plus the new spell's Mastery Level x 10. This requires a number of weeks of uninterrupted study equal to the new spell's Mastery Level. New spells should be submitted to the GM for consultation and approval before they are used.
The Importune Emphasis is used in a manner of a Social Skill when using the Commune spell to converse with a spirit, and especially when trying to persuade that spirit to be helpful.
Mastery Abilities:

  • Rank 5: The character gains a +1k0 on Spell Casting Rolls.
Tea Ceremony (Void)
Sub-types: None
Emphasis: None
Description: The tea ceremony is an ancient and sacred tradition that was created in the Empire's earliest days, ostensibly by Lady Doji herself. It is a ritual that is handed down from parent to child, often with as much weight and attention as the passing down of a family blade from one to another. In a formal tea ceremony, the individual conducting the ritual formally sets the table, prepares the tea, and pours it for all participants, who then consume it in unison, all in complete silence. The ceremony has great spiritual significance, and helps clear the mind for those involved.
When conducting a tea ceremony, you must make a Tea Ceremony / Void roll (TN 15 + 5 for each participant after the second). The ceremony is intended for two people, but you may conduct it alone if desired, or up to five people total may be included. If the Skill Roll is successful, all participants regain a spent Void Point. The ceremony takes thirty minutes to complete successfully, and requires a quiet location to be conducted.
Master Abilities:

  • Rank 5: All participants regain 2 Void Points rather than 1.

Athletics (Strength)
Sub-type: None
Emphases: Climbing, Running, Swimming, Throwing
Description: The training that every bushi student receives includes vigorous physical conditioning. For some, this results in a lifelong enjoyment of athletics. Like many who pursue a martial lifestyle, some bushi spend their off duty hours engaging in competitions with one another, or simply pitting themselves against challenges designed to test the limits of their physical abilities.
Athletics covers many areas normally governed by Trait rolls. If you have a background in Athletics, however, you can perform these activities, principally climbing, running, and swimming, with considerably more ease than most. Athletics can also increase your capacity for movement, even when restricted by heavy armor and the like. The Throwing Emphasis allows you to throw items with greater accuracy, including certain weapons such as knives or even the wakizashi. Using Athletics to throw a weapon offensively is considered an attack roll.
Athletics Skill Rolls to climb, run, or swim use Strength, whereas the Throwing Emphasis requires Agility.
Mastery Abilities:

  • Rank 3: Moderate Terrain no longer impedes movement, and movement across Difficult Terrain reduces the character's Water Ring by 1 instead of 2.
  • Rank 5: The character no longer suffers movement penalties regardless of terrain.
  • Rank 7: The character may add 5 feet to the total of one Move Action per Round (this does not increase his maximum possible movement per round).
Battle (Perception)
Sub-type: None
Emphases: Mass Combat, Skirmish
Description: A samurai's calling is to war, whether on the battlefield with steel in hand, in the courts confounding the enemies of one's lord, or behind the lines, summoning the kami to punish the sins of one's enemies. The study of war is highly regarded among all divisions of the samurai caste, and many lengthy debates can be enjoyed both in court and in the temples over tactics, strategy, maneuvers, and the like.
Mastery Abilities:

  • Rank 5: The character adds his Battle Skill Rank to his Initiative Score during Skirmishes.
Defense (Reflexes)
Sub-types: None
Emphases: None
Description: A warrior who cannot defend himself is of little use, for he will serve his lord but once in battle before he falls and must be replaced. The Rokugani understanding of battle does not permit things such as parries and ripostes, but instead involves positioning one's blade and body so that the katana and armor deflect incoming blows.
Defense is an essential Skill necessary to adopt the Defense and Full Defense stances, both of which increases your Armor TN and make you more difficult to hit in a skirmish or a duel.
Mastery Abilities:

  • Rank 3: The character may retain the result of a previous Defense / Reflexes roll rather than make a new roll if the Full Defense Stance is being maintained in subsequent rounds.
  • Rank 5: The character's Armor TN is considered 3 higher in Defense and Full Defense Stances.
  • Rank 7: One Simple Action may be taken while in the Full Defense Stance (no attacks may be made).
Horsemanship (Agility)
Sub-types: None
Emphases: Gaijin Riding Horse, Rokugani Pony, Utaku Steed
Description: The ability to use a mount is essential to participation in cavalry units, and to swift travel through the Empire. It is a utilitarian skill, taught in most bushi schools in the Empire without having any real degree of prestige attached (save among the ranks of the Unicorn Clan, who consider an inability to ride roughly equivalent to a crippling physical disability). In general, all samurai can ride a horse at normal speed on level ground without the need for a Skill roll - the Skill only comes into play when riding a horse in difficult or stressful situations (bat terrain, thunderstorm, combat, etc.).
Individual types of horses react differently to various circumstances, and some can be much harder to control under stressful situations such as combat.
Mastery Abilities:

  • Rank 3: The character may utilize the Full Attack Stance when on horseback.
  • Rank 5: Mounting a horse is a Simple Action rather than a Complex Action, and dismounting is a Free Action rather than a Simple Action.
  • Rank 7: Mountain a horse is a Free Action rather than a Simple Action.
Hunting (Perception)
Sub-types: None
Emphases: Survival, Tracking, Trailblazing
Description: Hunting is a sport favored by warriors, even though game is rarely if ever consumed by members of the samurai caste. The types of game hunted in Rokugan can be quite dangerous, however, and as a result there is a great deal of survival knowledge associated with the sport of hunting. Hunting is never done with a samurai's daisho; it is typically performed either with bow and arrow or, in cases of particularly large game, spears.
The Survival Emphasis allows you to forage for sustenance and shelter in the wilderness, with a TN varying upon the severity of the conditions (the forest is simpler than the mountains, which are simpler than the desert, etc.). The Tracking Emphasis allows you to locate and follow the tracks of prey through rural environments, although repeated Skill Rolls are necessary for longer trails. Trailblazing allows you to forge a trail through the wilderness that others can follow, making better time and requiring less work in order to follow.
Mastery Abilities:

  • Rank 5: The character receives a bonus of +1k0 to the total of all Stealth Skill Rolls made in wilderness environments.
Iaijutsu (Reflexes)
Sub-types: None
Emphases: Assessment, Focus
Description: Iaijutsu is the form dueling system of Rokugan, an ancient and venerated tradition that even the most irreverent bushi would never imagine slandering . When two parties are in dispute, and the matter cannot be resolved in any other manner, a duel is often the result, and the form of a duel is almost always iaijutsu. The winner of the duel is proven correct, and the defeated party is proven to be wrong. There can be no contestation of a duel's outcome, barring dishonorable conduct on the part of the winner during the duel.
Mastery Abilities:**

  • Rank 3: Readying a katana is a Free Action rather than a Simple Action.
  • Rank 5: During an Iaijutsu Duel, the character gains one Free Raise on his Iaijutsu (Focus) / Void roll during the Focus Stage.
  • Rank 7: During the Assessment portion of an Iaijutsu Duel, the character gains a bonus of +2k2 to the total of all Focus Rolls if his Assessment roll exceeds his opponent's by 10 or more (instead of the normal +1k1).
Jiujutsu (Agility)
Sub-types: None
Emphases: Grappling, Improvised Weapons, Martial Arts
Description: The art of unarmed combat is something that all bushi appreciate, although not all pursue it in the dojo. Many rely upon the weapon-based techniques they learn from their sensei to defend them even without their weapons, and while this can be marginally effective, the actual study of unarmed combat is much more useful. Monks in particular devote a great amount of time to the art of hand-to-hand combat, believing they both one the body and unify it with the mind.
Jiujutsu can be used as a Weapon Skill, rolling Jiujutsu / Agility against an opponent's Armor TN to hit and rolling a number of dice equal to your Strength, keeping one for damage (so if you had Strength 3, you would roll 3k1 damage for an unarmed attack). Jiujutsu is also used for initiating and maintaining Grapples. The Improvised Weapons Emphasis allows you to use almost anything you can get your hands on to increase your capacity to inflict damage. The GM is the final arbiter of what damage a particular improvised weapon inflicts, but generally it should grant additional rolled or kept dice, but not both.
Mastery Abilities:

  • Rank 3: The damage of all unarmed attacks is increased by +1k0.
  • Rank 5: Use of Jiujutsu confers a Free Raise toward initiating a Grapple.
  • Rank 7: The damage of all unarmed attacks is increased by +0k1 (+1k1 total).
Weapons (Various)
Sub-types: Marco-Skill (Includes all the Weapons Skills listed below as well as any other weapon not covered by one of the pre-existing listed Skills, such as Weapon: Crossbow, used by some tribes of Yobanjin in the mountains north of Rokugan).
Emphases: Varies by sub-skill
Mastery Abilities: None

Chain Weapons (Agility)
Sub-types: Weapon Skill
Emphases: Kusarigama, Kyoketsu-shofi, Manrikikusari
Description: Chain weapons are considered unconventional by most traditional bushi, but they have become accepted as legitimate weapons because of the complexity and effectiveness of their use. Generally, chain weapons see a higher degree of use among the Mantis Clan, who favor exotic and unconventional weapons, but see only periodic use among other Great Clans, and typically then only by small groups of specialized warriors.
Mastery Abilities:

  • Rank 3: Chain weapons may be used it initiate a Grapple.
  • Rank 5: Characters wielding a chain weapon gain a bonus of +1k0 on Contested Rolls against opponents who are entangled or Grappled via their weapon.
  • Rank 7: Use of a Chain weapon confers one Free Raise toward use of the Disarm or Knockdown Maneuver.
Heavy Weapons (Agility)
Sub-types: Weapon Skill
Emphases: Dai Tsuchi, Masakari, Ono, Tetsubo
Description: Training in the use of heavy weapons, a skill known as tsubojutsu, is the hallmark of bushi in service to the Crab Clan. While the dojo of virutally all Great Clans address the use of heavy weapons during training, they are seldom seen in use in the ranks of any army other than the Crab. For the sons of Hida, however, the sheer power of these weapons is an essential component in their defense of the Great Wall, where the use of weapons such as the tetsubo and ono allow them to defeat formidable enemies that a katana would not be able to harm.
Mastery Abilities:

  • Rank 3: Opponents with a Reduction Rating have their rating reduced by 2 when attacked with a heavy weapon.
  • Rank 5: Use of a heavy weapon confers one Free Raise toward use of the Knockdown Maneuver.
  • Rank 7: Damage dice explode on a result of 9 and 10 when using heavy weapons.
Kenjutsu (Agility)
Sub-type: Weapon Skill
Emphases: Katana, Ninja-to, No-dachi, Parangu, Scimitar, Wakizashi
Description: Kenjutsu is the path of the sword, teh essential training in use of the katana and other blades that all bushi receive as part of their training. Almost without exception, the principle weapon training that all bushi recieve centers around the katana, the signature weapon of the samurai caste and the representation of a warrior's soul. All dojo offer weapon training in other areas for those interested in learning, but only the katana is considered mandatory, save perhaps for the bow in some areas.
Mastery Abilities:

  • Rank 3: The total of all damage rolls made with a sword is increased by 1k0.
  • Rank 5: A sword may be readied as a Free Action rather than a Simple Action.
  • Rank 7: Damage dice explode on a result of a 9 and 10 when using a sword.
Knives (Agility)
Sub-type: Weapon Skill
Emphases: Aiguchi, Jitte, Kama, Sai, Tanto
Description: The art of wielding a knife, or tantojutsu, is not typically considered a priority at most bushi dojo. The katana is the principle weapon of the samurai, of course, and even if one chooses to take up another weapon instead, there are many more effective, more lethal weapons than a simple knife. Yet despite this, virtually every bushi in the Empire is trained in the use of the knife, and carries on at all times. Bushi are imminently practical warriors, after all.
Mastery Abilities:

  • Rank 3: Off-hand penalties do not apply when using a knife.
  • Rank 5: Use of a sai or jitte confers one Free Raise toward use of the Disarm Maneuver.
  • Rank 7: Use of any knife confers a Free Raise towards use of the Extra Attack Maneuver.
Kyujutsu (Reflexes)
Sub-type: Weapon Skill
Emphases: Dai-kyu, Hank-kyu, Yumi
Description: The art of the bow is an accepted part of all bushi's training, save perhaps for a handful of esoteric warriors who have placed misguided principle above practicality. To all others, the value of the bow in striking at an enemy who is not within range is obvious. Indeed, the wya of the samurai has sometimes been called the Way of the Horse and Bow. The Rokugani form of archery does not rely upon aiming, however, rather, the practitioners are taught to assess their target, then draw and fire as a smooth, fluid motion, the bow held near the waist at all times. As the saying goes, the arrow knows the way. A character making a ranged attack who is firing at someone within melee range suffers a penalty of -10 to the total of his attack roll.
Mastery Abilities:

  • Rank 3: Stringing a bow for use is a Simple Action rather than a Complex Action.
  • Rank 5: The maximum range of any bow is increased by 50%.
  • Rank 7: When using any bow, the Strength of the bow is increased by 1.
Ninjutsu (Agility or Reflexes)
Sub-types: Weapon Skill, considered a Low Skill
Emphases: Blowgun, Shuriken, Tsubute
Description: A disgraceful practice, ninjutsu is the art of using specialized weapons created specifically for use by the deadly assassins and shadow warriors known as ninja. No honorable warrior would ever humiliate himself and his ancestors by demonstrating knowledge of such a shameful nature, and indeed many samurai, when confronted with the bizarre implements of the ninja, have difficulty fathoming their use altogether, other than as crude and relatively ineffective weapons.
Mastery Abilities:

  • Rank 3: The damage of all ninjutsu weapons is increased by +1k0.
  • Rank 5: Dice on damage rolls made for ninjutsu weapons explode normally (Ninjutsu weapon damage dice do not normally explode.)
  • Rank 7: The damage of all ninjutsu weapons is increased by +0k1 (+1k1 total).
Polearms (Agility)
Sub-type: Weapon Skills
Emphases: Bisento, Nagamaki, Naginata, Sasumata, Sodegarami
Description: Long-reaching weapons with considerable power and versatility, polearms are essentially a stopgap between heavy weapons and the traditional katana. They consist of bladed weapons mounted atop sturdy poles of wood or metal, granting a warrior skilled in their use the ability to keep his opponents at bay while taking a terrible toll on them at the same time. The practice of using polearms is sometimes referred to as umayarijutsu.
Mastery Abilities:

  • Rank 3: During the first round of a skirmish, a character wielding a polearm gains a bonus of +5 to his Initiative Score. This lasts for only the first round.
  • Rank 5: Damage rolls made with polearms against mounted or significantly larger opponents is increased by +1k0.
  • Rank 7: Polearms may be readied as a Free Action.
Spears (Agility)
Sub-type: Weapon Skill
Emphases: Mai Chong, Kumade, Lance, Nage-yari, Yari
Description: Yarijutsu, the art of the spear, is a longstanding tradition in many bushi families, most notably the Daidoji family of the Crane Clan. Unlike polearms, which are primarily slashing weapons, spears are typically designed for puncturing or thrusting, and can be an extremely effective weapon against cavalry.
Mastery Abilities:

  • Rank 3: During the first round of a skirmish, a character wieldign a spear may ignore 3 points of Reduction when making melee attacks against his opponent.
  • Rank 5: Ranged attacks made using a spear increase their maximum possible range by 5'.
  • Rank 7: Spears may be readied as a Free Action.
Staves (Agility)
Sub-type: Weapon Skill
Emphases: Bo, Jo, Machi-kanshisha, Sang Kauw, Tonfa
Description: Seldom seen among the ranks of most respectable bushi families, the practice of using staves (also known as bojutsu) is more common among monks and even some peasants, given that a walking stick cannot reasonably be assumed to be a weapon. Staves are excellent for delivering brute force to stun or incapacitate an opponent difficult and messy work without proper training. Also staves have tremendous trouble overcoming armor, which diffuses their impact very effectively. Armor bonuses to the Armor TN are doubled against attacks made with a staff.
Mastery Abilities:

  • Rank 3: Opponents' armor bonuses are no longer doubled against staff attacks.
  • Rank 5: Use of a staff confers one Free Raise toward use of the Knockdown Maneuver
  • Rank 7: Staves that are large may be readied as a Free Action instead of a Simple Action. Staves that are small gain a bonus to damage rolls equal to +1k0.
War Fan (Agility)
Sub-type: Weapon Skill
Emphases: None
Description: War fans, or tessen, are tools that serve a number of purposes, not the least of which is a weapon. They were originally created for the purposes of sending signals to different units on the battlefield, and were specifically made from metal because paper fans were so ill suited to the unpredictability of battlefield conditions. While they continue to serve such a purpose, as well as the various purposes of the traditional paper fan, some groups have made excellent use of these metal fans as weapons as well, particularly among the Lion Clan and a group of ronin called the Tessen, who make Toshi Ranbo their home.
Mastery Abilities:

  • Rank 3: Off-handed penalties do not apply when using a war fan.
  • Rank 5: When using a war fan, the wielder's Armor TN is increased by +1.
  • Rank 7: When using a war fan, the wielder's Armor TN is increased by +3.

Animal Handling (Awareness)
Sub-type: None
Emphases: By animal (Dogs, Horses, and Falcons are the most common)
Description: Animals play a vital role in a number of samurai endeavors, including recreation, transportation, or the actual waging of war. Horses and falcons are the animals most commonly trained by samurai, but a number of others exist: the Lion Clan uses trained warcats in battle, the Unicorn use war dogs, and many families use trained pigeons to carry correspondence.
The difficulty to domesticate and train an animal for use varies widely depending upon the animal in question.
Mastery Abilities:

  • Rank 3: Commonly domesticated animals such as dogs, horses, or falcons may be trained for use by others.
  • Rank 5: Trained animals still in possession of the trainer may be commanded to attack a target of his choosing. The animal will flee for its life if badly wounded regardless of commands issued.
  • Rank 7: Animals trained by the character may be issued commands non-verbally.
Commerce (Intelligence)
Sub-type: None
Emphases: Appraisal, Mathematics
Description: Occupations that involve money are distasteful to the samurai caste. They are not inherently dishonorable, of course, for it is absolutely necessary for a samurai to oversee such activities to ensure that his Clan and family are adequately provided for, but it is definitely considered something of a social stigma to deal in commerce. The actual day to day trading and conducting of business is typically left to merchant vassals, but it is not unheard of for samurai to have training in such matters. These individuals are typically referred to as "merchant patrons."
The Appraisal Emphasis allows you to quickly determine the approximate value of an object in any given market. The value will vary depending upon the quality of the object's construction, how exotic or unusual it is, and how practically it can be put to use. More exotic or rare objects are not only more expensive, but also are significantly more difficult to appraise properly. The Mathematics Emphasis is typically used to calculate things like taxes and tariffs, but can obviously be used in a number of non-business applications as well.
Mastery Ability:

  • Rank 5: The character may increase or decrease the price of an item he is buying or selling by a maximum of 20%.
Craft (Varies)
Sub-type: Macro-skill (includes Armorsmithing#, Blacksmithing, Bowyer#, Brewing, Carpentry, Cartography, Cobbling, Cooking, Farming, Fishing, Masonry, Mining, Poison*, Pottery, Shipbuilding, Tailoring, Weaponsmithing#, Weaving, etc.) [Note: sub-skills marked with a * are considered Low Skills; sub-skills marked with a # are considered High Skill]
Emphases: Varies by sub-skill
Description: If artisans are tasked with producing items that are considered abstract and beautiful by the people of the Empire, then craftsmen have the duty to create things of practical value. Blacksmiths, armorsmiths, cartwrights, carpenters, and shipwrights are all craftsmen. Fishermen and farmers are as well, although they do not produce an item but rather the food that is the lifeblood of the Empire. While crafting is not an honorable and noble a profession as being an artist, it is still highly valued and looked upon without stigma.
Mastery Abilities: None

Engineering (Intelligence)
Sub-types: Engineering is considered a Craft Skill for purposes of effects that target Craft Skills.
Emphases: Construction, Siege
Description: Far more complex than a simple crafting skill, engineering is a rare gift among the people of Rokugan, even the samurai who rule over it. It involves an understanding of how things are constructed and, as a result, how they can best be deconstructed. The siege engineers of the Kaiu family are the unquestioned masters of this, but there are others among other clans who have such gifts as well.
The Construction Emphasis specializes in making plans for others to follow, building things from a simple tower to an elaborate palace. The Siege Emphasis is the exact opposite of this, and tells you best how such things can be destroyed in battle.
Mastery Abilities:

  • Rank 5: The character gains a bonus of +5 to the total of any Engineering Skill Roll made as part of a Cooperative or Cumulative Skill Roll.
Sailing (Agility or Intelligence)
Sub-types: Sailing is considered a Craft Skill for purposes or effects that target Craft Skills
Emphases: Knot-work, Navigation
Description: Rokugan has a vast coastline, and there is a tremendous amount of activity on the sea during the majority of the year. Trade vessels and fishing vessels make their way across the shallow waters along the coast during spring, summer, and fall, and the hardier ships belonging to the Mantis Clan make the long voyage to and from the Islands of Silk and Spice even during the depths of winter.
The Navigation Emphasis can be used to determine your approximate location using the stars, and determine in what direction a specific destination lies (assuming you already know where the destination is and simply want to know where it is relative to you). Navigation can be used on land, but the TN is increased by +10 when doing so. The Knot-work Emphasis is used in working with ropes and cloths aboard a Rokugani sailing vessel.
Mastery Abilities:

  • Rank 5: The character gains a bonus of +5 to the total of any Sailing Skill Rolls made as part of a Cooperative or Cumulative Skill Roll.

Forgery (Agility)
Sub-types: Forgery is considered a Craft Skill for effects that target Craft Skills.
Emphases: By type of item being forged (Artwork, Documents, Personal Seals, etc.)
Description: Documentation is very important in Rokugan, from information on an individual's illustrious lineage to travel papers issued by magistrates, and even the official Imperial Decrees of the Emperor himself. Those with an eye for detail, a steady hand, and a distinct lack of honor can take advantage of this system by falsifying such papers, either for their own use or to sell to others.
When a forgery is created, the result of your Forgery / Agility Skill Roll should be noted. This is the TN for others to detect the forgery using an Investigation / Perception Skill Roll.
Mastery Abilities:

  • Rank 3: The character gains a bonus of +1k0 to his Forgery Skill Roll result for the purposes of establishing the TN of an Investigation / Perception Skill Roll to detect it.
  • Rank 5: The character gains a bonus of +1k0 on any roll to detect a forgery made by someone else.
  • Rank 7: The character gains a bonus of +0k1 (for a total of +1k1) to his Forgery Skill Roll result for the purposes of establishing the TN of an Investigation / Perception Skill Roll to detect it.
Intimidation (Willpower)
Sub-types: Social Skill
Emphases: Bullying, Control, Torture
Description: The manipulation of others through the use of threats, both stated and implied, is an oft-employed tool for those who have left their honor behind. Even bushi who are generally honorable but have a strong sense of pragmatism will occasionally abandon decorum and threaten those who refuse to cooperate. It is a shameful act, but one that many are willing to commit (and promptly forget) in order to ensure the successful completion of their duty.
The Bullying Emphasis is the simplest form of Intimidation, and involves the immediate, short-term threat of violence to get another to perform a specific act. Control, on the other hand, indicates a longer-term attempt to shape another's behavior to your will, and is often used by courtiers to manipulate lower-ranking, weaker-willed individuals. Torture, which is never a subject for polite conversation, is used by hinin working for magistrates in order to elicit confessions and information from criminals. No proper samurai will dirty his soul by torturing in person
Intimidation is usually a Contested Roll, resisted with Etiquette (Courtesy) / Willpower. The GM may require a different Skill or Trait to resist the Intimidation attempt if it seems more appropriate to the situation. Regardless, the resisting character's Honor Rank is added to the total of his roll.
Mastery Abilities:

  • Rank 5: The character gains a bonus of +5 to the total of any Contested Roll made using Intimidation.
Sleight of Hand (Agility)
Sub-types: None
Emphases: Conceal, Escape, Pick Pocket, Prestidigation
Description: The dexterous manipulation of small objects for the purpose of misdirection or concealment is not looked upon favorably by most honorable samurai. The code of Bushido flatly calls for sincerity in action, word, and thought, and such parlor tricks smack of deception and dishonesty, which no honorable samurai can abide.
The Conceal Emphasis allows you to hide small objects (something that can fit in your hand) on your person, requiring a Contested Roll using Sleight of Hand / Agility against Investigation / Perception to detect it. The Escape Emphasis allows you to slip free of bonds. The TN for this varies considerably, and can be TN 15 for simple ropes or as high as TN 25 or 30 for high-grade chains or bindings, or it can be a Contested Roll against the responsible party's Sailing (Knot-work). Pick Pockets is fairly self explanatory, requiring the same manner of Contested Roll as Conceal in order to avoid detection, and Prestidigitation allows you to use the Skill to entertain or distract people by performing tricks.
Mastery Abilities:

  • Rank 5: The character may use the Conceal Emphasis to conceal small weapons.
Stealth (Agility)
Sub-type: None
Emphases: Ambush, Shadowing, Sneaking, Spell Casting
Description: Although generally a dishonorable practice, stealth has its uses in such situations as hunting or while scouting during a military engagement. For most samurai, however, these are necessary evils, and under any other circumstances, no honorable souls will ever dare disgrace themselves by sneaking about in the shadows like common criminals, or failing to face their opponents like true samurai would.
While concealed via Stealth, you may take Move Actions. When taking a Move Action while using Stealth, you may only make Simple Move Actions, and these only you to move a number of feet equal to your Water Ring (although Mastery Abilities can increase this significantly). The Ambush Emphasis allows you to make a Stealth (Ambush) / Agility roll, contested by an opponent's Investigation (Notice) / Perception, to gain an advantage over them during the first round of combat if they are unaware of your presence. The Spell Casting Emphasis allows you to make a Contested Roll against an opponent's Investigation (Notice) / Perception when casting a spell. If you win, they are unable to determine where the spell originated from. You lose no Honor for using Stealth (Sneaking), although other Emphases do usually result in Honor loss as normal.
Mastery Abilities:

  • Rank 3: A character's Simple Move Actions while using Stealth allow him to move a distance equal to his Water x 5.
  • Rank 5: A character's Simple Move Actions while using Stealth allow him to move a distance equal to his Water x 10.
  • Rank 7: A character using Stealth may make Free Move Actions as normal.
Temptation (Awareness)
Sub-type: Social Skill
Emphases: Bribery, Seduction
Description: The art of offering another something that they desire in order to gain in turn something one desires is as old as civilization itself, and in truth very little has changed. The two greatest temptations for the most are financial gain and physical pleasure, and both are frequently bandied about in court settings to fulfill the agendas of the Clans.
Temptation is best used against opponents who possess certain kinds of Disadvantages, such as Lechery, Fascination, Greed, or perhaps a Dark Secret. The GM will usually require a Contested Roll using Temptation / Awareness (with the appropriate Emphasis) against the target's Etiquette (Courtesy) / Willpower. Much as with Intimidation, the GM can choose to let a PC roll against a flat TN when employing Temptation against a minor NPC.
Master Abilities:

  • Rank 5: The character gains a bonus of +5 to the total of any Contested Roll made using Temptation.

Advantages:


Absolute Direction [Mental] (1 Point)

You possess an almost supernatural sense of direction, and you always know what direction is north, no matter the circumstances. This ability does not function if you are more than one day's travel inside the Shadowlands.


Balance [Mental] (2 Points)

You possess an inherent calm and serenity that others have difficulty overcoming when attempting to antagonize or taunt you, and that strengthens you when your honor is tested. When adding your Honor Rank to the total of any roll made to resist Intimidation, Temptation, you add an additional +1k0 to the roll as well.


Clear Thinker [Mental] (3 Points)

You possess a sharp mind and keen powers of perception, making it very difficult for others to deceive you. Whenever you make a Contested Roll against someone who is attempting to confuse or manipulate you in any way, you gain a bonus of +1k0 to the total of your roll. Dragon characters may purchase this Advantage for 2 points.


Crafty [Mental] (3 Points)

You have a knack for instinctively knowing how to do things that most people prefer to avoid at all costs. Whenever you are in a situation where you would be forced to make an Unskilled Roll using a Low Skill, you are considered to have 1 rank in the Skill instead. Scorpion, Spider, and Ninja characters may purchase this Advantage for 2 points.


Daredevil [Mental] (3 Points)

You have a natural flair for athleticism and a complete lack of self-preservation when it comes to physical damage. Whenever you spend a Void Point to enhance an Athletics Skill Roll, you gain a bonus of +3k1 to the total of the roll instead of the normal +1k1. Mantis characters may purchase this Advantage for 2 points.


Dark Paragon [Mental] (5 Points)

You have mastered one of the precepts of Shourido, the dark code that forms the antithesis of Bushido. Once per session, you may voluntarily sacrifice 5 points of Honor as a Free Action in order to affect a particular type of roll as indicated below, and gain a bonus of +5 to the total of that roll. If you do not have 5 points of Honor to spend in this manner, you may spend a Void Point instead. Spider Characters may purchase this Advantage for 4 Points. The type of roll that each precept of Shourido affects is:


  • Control: Re-roll any Social Skill Roll
  • Determination: Negate all TN/Wound penalties on one Skill or Spell Casting roll (no +5 bonus is applied to the roll)
  • Insight: Re-roll any roll that used the Awareness Trait
  • Knowledge: Re-roll any roll that used the Intelligence Trait
  • Perfection: Spending the Honor causes any one die of your choice on a Skill Roll to explode (no +5 bonus added)
  • Strength: Re-roll any damage Roll
  • Will: Spending the Honor negates 10 Wounds at the moment they are suffered
Forbidden Knowledge [Mental] (5 Points)

There is a subject about which you possess considerable knowledge and insight. The problem is that his subject is forbidden, and considered grossly socially inappropriate if not outright illegal. Anyone who discovers your expertise in this area might rightly wonder how you came upon it. The benefits of the Advantage vary depending upon the nature of the information, and players should discuss with their GM how this Advantage will work. The most common examples of Forbidden Knowledge include:


  • Gaijin Pepper: You possess firsthand knowledge of gunpowder, both how to create it and how to use it. You gain one rank in Craft: Explosives, and possess a small pouch of gaijin pepper that you may carry with you if you so choose.
  • Gozoku: You possess an intricate knowledge of the Gozoku onspiracy against the throne, either in its first or second incarnation, and may in fact be a member of that organization. You gain one rank in Lore: Gozoku and gain a bonus on +1k1 on Social Skill rolls with known members of the Gozoku.
  • Kolat: You are intimately familiar with the nature and operations of the blasphemous Kolat order, and may be a member of that organization. You gain one rank in Lore: Kolat and gain a bonus of +1k1 on Social Skill rolls with known members of the Kolat.
  • Lying Darkness: You are familiar with the entity known as the Lying Darkness, its methods, and its minions. You may have come into conflict with it in the past, and perhaps it hunts you still. You gain one rank of Lore: Lying Darkness, and you may observe an individual and make a Lore: Lying Darkness / Perception Roll (TN 30) to determine if he has been corrupted by the Lying Darkness.
  • Maho: You are familiar with the forbidden and blasphemous magic known as maho, and may in fact be a practicing maho-tsukai (black sorcerer) yourself. You gain 1 rank in Lore: Maho and, at the GM's discretion, you might begin play knowing a maho spell.
Heartless [Mental] (4 Points)

You have a heart of stone. Attempts to woo you or sway your heart - whether through love, courtesy, compassion, or mercy - fall on deaf ears. You gain a +1k0 bonus to rolls made to resist any Courtier, Sincerity, or Temptation roll made for the purpose of persuading you, seducing your, or otherwise changing your mind.


Higher Purpose [Mental] (3 Points)

There is some greater purpose to which you have devoted your life. This is not a simple matter, but some grand work that will take years or perhaps even the whole of your life to accomplish. Whatever this goal is, during any session in which you and the GM agree you have made demonstrable progress toward it, you gain one additional Experience Point.


Irreproachable [Mental] (2 Points)

You have a soul of virtue that is beyond reproach, and others find it difficult if not impossible to lead you into dishonorable behavior. When making a Contested Roll where the other party is using the Temptation Skill, you gain a bonus of +1k0 to your roll. Imperial characters may purchase this Advantage for 1 point.


Languages [Mental] (1 or 3 Points)

The Empire has only one language with two dialects. The world around Rokugan, however, has a wide variety of nations and cultures, each with their own language. For 1 point, you may learn one human language from any surrounding culture, including but not limited to: the Yobanjin dialect, Senpet, Yodotai, Mekham, Merenae, Rhuumal, Thrane, etc. A non-human language, such as the Nezumi or Naga languages, requires three points and confers only the ability to understand the language and a limited ability to express very basic concepts verbally.


Paragon [Mental] (7 Points)

You exemplify the code of Bushido, and have taken one particular tenet to heart and made it your way of life. In addition to the benefit listed below, any time you gain Honor for exhibiting the virtue for which you have the Paragon Advantage, you gain an additional +1 Honor. Lion characters may purchase this Advantage for 6 points.


  • Compassion - Any time you spend a Void Point to improve a roll made to directly help those lower than you in the Celestial Order, you gain +2k2 instead of +1k1.
  • Courage - You gain a bonus of +1k1 to the total of any roll made to resist Intimidation or to overcome Fear effects.
  • Courtesy - Any time you make an Etiquette roll to avoid an embarrassment or breach of honor, you add +2k0 to the roll.
  • Duty - You may spend a Void Point on any Skill Roll or Spell Casting Roll to negate all TN penalties for that roll, including Wound penalties.
  • Honesty - On a Sincerity (Honesty) roll, you add a bonus of +1k1. You may add this bonus even if you do not possess the Emphasis, but it would apply in the situation at hand.
  • Honor - You may add twice your Honor Rank to all rolls to resist Temptation or Intimidation rolls, instead of the normal bonus.
  • Sincerity - You may add a bonus of +2k0 to all Contested Rolls using Sincerity.
Precise Memory [Mental] (3 Points)

You have an incredible ability to recall exactly things you have seen or heard. In any situation where you need to remember something exactly the way it was, whether the wording of something you read or the details of a person's physical appearance, you add a bonus of +1k1 to your Intelligence Trait Roll.


**Read Lips [Mental] (4 Points)*8

Either through natural ability or incredible patience and practice, you have the ability to understand what others are saying even if you cannot hear them, simply by observing how their lips move. When you are in a situation where others are speaking and you cannot hear them, you can understand what they are saying by making a Perception Trait Roll against TN 15 + 5 for every twenty feet away from you the speakers are. Courtier characters may purchase this Advantage for 3 points.


Sage [Mental] (4 Points)

You have a love of learning, and have accumulated a staggering amount of information during hte course of your lifetime. Whenever you would be forced to make an Unskilled Roll when using a Lore Skill, you instead are considered to have 1 rank in that Skill. Phoenix and shugenja characters may purchase this Advantage for 3 points.


Shadowed Heart [Mental] (5 Points)

You have trained your mind to be nigh-inscrutable to those who surround you. Rolls made to discern your true intentions or motivations, including Social Skill rolls and Spell Casting Roll for any spells which might lay bare your thoughts, have their TN increased by +5.


Soul of Artistry [Mental] (4 Points)

Your soul soars with the spirit of creativity. Choose either Artisan Skills or Craft Skills when purchasing this Advantage. Any time that you would be required to make an Unskilled Roll using a Skill of the chosen type, you are considered to have 1 rank in that Skill. Crane and courtier characters may purchase this Advantage for 3 points.


Tactician [Mental] (4 Points)

You have a mind well suited to the ebb and flow of battle. When making a roll on the Mass Battle Table, you may increase or decrease your result by 5. Lion and bushi characters may purchase this Advantage for 3 points.


Virtuous [Mental] (3 Points)

You embrace virtue in your every thought and action. You possess one additional rank of Honor above your normal starting value (as determined by your School).


Wary [Mental] (3 Points)

You are constantly on alert, always looking out for the unexpected. When rolling Investigation (Notice) / Perception against Stealth (Ambush) / Agility to detect an ambush, you add +1k1 to your roll.


Way of the Land [Mental] (2 Points)

You are intimately familiar with a particular region, having traveled it extensively to the point that you know it as well as the interior of your own house. Select the lands of one family, a major city, or some other reasonably sized region. While you are within that region, it is not possible for you to get lost, and you know the location of any available resources to be found there. Unicorn characters may purchase this Advantage for 1 point.


Gaijin Gear [Material] (5 Points)

You possess a single piece of equipment that is gaijin in origin, constructed somewhere beyond the boundaries of the Emerald Empire. It may be a weapon from one of the many warrior cultures around Rokugan, such as the Senpet Empire, the overseas kingdoms of Merenae and Thrane, the barbarian Yobanjin tribes to the north, or even the distant Yodotai Empire far to the northwest. In this case simply establish a comparable weapon from Rokugan and use its mechanics, but the item will require its own unique Weapon Skill to utilize it. Non-weapon options include such bizarre objects as compasses, spyglasses, magnifying glasses, scissors, etc. Mantis and Unicorn characters may purchase this Advantage for 4 points.


Gentry [Material] (Variable)

In the manner of all samurai, you have been given a duty to oversee that which ultimately belongs to the Emperor. In your case, however you charge is significantly larger than most ever achieve. The number of points assigned to this Advantage determines the size of the holding you have been assigned to oversee. Multiple characters can combine points in this Advantage in order to jointly oversee a larger holding. Characters assigned to oversee a holding are responsible for defending it, administrating it, and ensuring that all taxes are paid to all responsible parties. This can be the basis for an entire campaign.


Holding (Cost)

  • Village (8 points)
  • Large Village (15 Points)
  • Unique Holding [Sake Works, Falconry, etc.] (18 points)
  • Town (20 points)
  • City (25 points)
  • Province (30 points)
Inheritance [Material] (5 Points)

When you received your gempukku ceremony, your family honored you with an heirloom of your ancestors. It is among your most precious possessions, and you would die before you allowed it to be harmed or brought dishonor to it. You possess one item in addition to the normal starting equipment provided by your School. Whenever you make a Skill Roll using this item, such as a Perform: Biwa roll with a biwa, a Games: Go roll with a go set, or a Kenjutsu roll with a katana, you gain a bonus of +1k1 to the roll. This bonus does not apply to any attack or damage rolls, only Skill Rolls made for non-combat purposes (rolls made outside of a skirmish).

Players and GMs may agree to allow a more powerful or unique item to be inherited for a higher Experience Point cost. Such special cases should be discussed carefully beforehand to ensure fairness and balance.


Sacred Weapon [Material] (Varies)

You possess a special weapon created by the master weaponsmiths of your Clan, and considered to be an icon of all who bear the mon of your Clan. The cost of each individual weapon is denoted by the number after its name.


Clan

Weapon

Mechanics

Crab

Kaiu Blade (6)

3k3 katana; unbreakable; -2 to target's Reduction

Crane

Kakita Blade (5)

4k2 katana; may reroll damage once per Iaijutsu duel

Dragon

Twi Sister Blades (3)

Daisho; +5 to Tn of all Disarm Maneuvers against you

Lion

Akodo Blade (6)

4k2 katana; Honor rank considered at +1 while carried

Mantis

Storm Kama (pair) (6)

2k2 kama; +1k0 to attack rolls when wielding both

Phoenix

Inquisitor's Strike (6)

3k2 wakizashi; considered jade against targets with Taint

Scorpion

Shosuro Blade (5)

4k2 katana; add +5 to TN to resist poisons applied to blade

Unicorn

Moto Scimitar (6)

3k3 Scimitar; +3 to Damage Rolls made while on horseback


Wealthy [Material] (1 Point/Rank)
Your branch of the family is particularly wealthy, and they have granted you additional resources in order to facilitate your fulfillment of your duty. For each point spent on this Advantage, you gain two additional koku, to be added to the amount in your School outfit. Crane, Unicorn, and Imperial characters may purchase this Advantage for 1 point less of its cost.


Bland [Physical] (2 Points)
You are extremely unremarkable in every regard, and others have a difficult time recognizing you unless you deliberately draw attention to your identity or affiliations. Whenever someone is making a Lore: Bushido / Awareness roll to determine your Honor Rank, or a Lore: Heraldry / Intelligence roll to determine your identity (based on your Glory Rank), you may voluntarily choose to increase the TN of that roll by 10.


Crab Hands [Physical] (3 Points)
You possess a natural affinity for weapons of all kinds, and can take up even an unfamiliar blade without difficulty in times of stress. Any time that you would be forced to make an Unskilled Roll when using a Weapon Skill, you are instead considered to have 1 rank in that Weapon Skill. Crab and bushi characters may purchase this Advantage for 2 points.


Dangerous Beauty [Physical] (3 Points)
You possess a certain quality that makes you all but irresistible to members of the opposite sex, and they succumb easily to your manipulations. You gain a bonus of +1k0 to the total of all Temptation Skill Rolls made with members of the opposite sex. Scorpion characters may purchase this Advantage for 2 points.


Hands of Stone [Physical] (6 Points)
Some have a natural talent for unarmed combat, and you are one such individual. The Damage Rolls for your unarmed attacks are increased by +0k1. Monk characters may purchase this Advantage for 5 points.


Large [Physical] (4 Points)
You are significantly larger than the average Rokugani, ranging in height from 6'0" to 6'3" in height. You fain a bonus of +1k0 to the total of all Damage Rolls for any large melee weapon. Crab characters may purchase this Advantage for 3 points.


Prodigy [Physical] (12 Points)
You are a marvel of the dojo, and your sensei believe that you will accomplish incredible things in your lifetime. Whenever you make a School Skill Roll, you gain a bonus of +1k0 to the roll.


Quick [Physical] (6 Points)
You can react quickly to others, seizing advantage where previously there had been none. If you did not act first during a Combat Round, during the Reactions Stage of combat you may add your Reflexes Trait to the total of your Initiative Score for all subsequent rounds of this skirmish. This may be done each Round that you did not act first. Ninja characters may purchase this Advantage for 5 points.


Quick Healer [Physical] (3 Points)
Your body mends incredibly quickly, allowing you to recover from even devastating wounds with amazing speed. For the purposes of recovering Wounds, your Stamina is considered to be two ranks higher.


Silent [Physical] (3 Points)
You have a natural talent for moving silently at all times. You add +1k0 to the total of all Stealth rolls. Ninja characters may purchase this Advantage for 2 points.


Strength of the Earth [Physical] (3 Points)
In your soul can be found the spirit of the mountains and the strength of stone. You can overcome injuries that would cripple other men. The TN penalties you suffer from Wound Ranks are reduced by 3. Bushi characters may purchase this Advantage for 2 points.


Voice [Physical] (3 Points)
You have a voice that others find pleasing in virtually every respect. You gain a bonus of +1k1 on any Perform Skill Roll that utilizes your voice, such as Perform: Singing or Perform: Oratory.


Allies [Social] (Variable Cost)
You have carefully nurtured social connections. Some of those in your web of connections would go to great lengths to protect you, while others have considerable resources. And some precious few are both. The total cost of this Advantage is determined by how many points you spend on your all's degree of influence and their devotion to you. Crane characters may purchase this Advantage for 1 point less than its normal cost.


Influence


  • 1 Pt. - Minor (no land or appointments)
  • 2 Pts. - Moderate (some land or political influence)
  • 4 Pts. - Major (vast lands or prestigious appointments)
Devotion


  • 1 Pt. - Your ally would go out of his way to help you, but not risk his honor
  • 2 Pts. - Your ally would risk his honor to help you, but would so secretly
  • 4 Pts. - Your ally would do anything to aid you, regardless of the cost
Blackmail [Social] (Variable)
You possess knowlege and proof of a dark secret held by another, and can use that secret to elicit their cooperation in a number of ways. The cost of the Advantage is equal to the Status Rank of the individual whom you are blackmailing. Using this Advantage too frequently or making grandiose demands on the person in question may result in deciding your death is worth the risk of exposing their secret, no matter what the consequences might be. Scorpion characters may purchase this Advantage for 1 point less than its normal cost.


Blissful Betrothal [Social] (3 Points)
Your marriage has been arranged and, much to your delight, you have come to truly love your intended spouse. The social connections you have established as part of your enthusiastic marriage preparations allow you to purchase the following Advantages for two points less each (to a minimum of 1 point): Gentry, Kharmetic Tie (with your betrothed only), Social Position, and Wealth.


Darling of the Court [Social] (2 Points)
During a recent court session, you did something that gained the notice of the host, resulting in an instant increase in your importance with all those in attendance. Select one court, such as the court of Kyuden Bayushi, the court of the Okura district in Toshi Ranbo, etc. When in attendance at this court, your Status is effectively one rank higher, but only while court is in session. Courtier characters may purchase this Advantage for 1 Point. You may take this Advantage multiple times for different courts, but only once for each particular court.


Different School [Social] (5 Points)
Your family sacrificed considerable resources and favors in order to sponsor your entrance into the School of another Clan. When creating your character, you may select a School of a different Clan to attend. You are still a member of your own Clan, however, creating a potential conflict between your loyalty to your sensei and your loyalty to your lord and family.


Fame [Social] (3 Points)
As a result of your actions, there are many in the Empire who know your name. You gain +1 Glory Rank.


Heart of Vengeance [Social] (5 Points)
One Clan has earned your eternal, undying hatred, and nothing will ever quench your rage. Select one Clan or other faction (such as the Brotherhood of Shinsei or one of the Imperial families) when purchasing this Advantage. You gain a bonus of +1k1 to the total of any Contested Roll made against a member of that Clan/faction. Spider characters may purchase this Advantage for 4 points.


Hero of the People [Social] (2 Points)
Although your reputation among your fellow samurai may not be any better than that of the next individual, your actions have garnered the adoration of the common folk. When meeting citizens of Rokugan who are not members of the samurai caste, the TN for them to recognize you, as determined by your Glory Rank, is lowered by 10.


Imperial Scribe [Social] (4 Points)


  • Requirements; Status 2+, Calligraphy 4+
You have been trained as a scribe in the Imperial City, which is both a recognition of your considerable skill at calligraphy and means of ensuring that you remain among the most respected calligraphers hereafter. You gain a bonus of +1k0 on all Social skill Rolls made against shugenja and artisans, who have a great appreciation for your skill and position. Additionally, you gain a Free Raise on Calligraphy Skill Rolls.


Imperial Spouse [Social] (5 Points)
Through a careful exchange of favors and resources, your family arranged for you to be married to a minor member of an Imperial family. Your spouse was not of high enough station to warrant you taking an Imperial name, but there are benefits all the same. You gain +0.5 Status Ranks, and gain a bonus of +1k1 to the total of all Social Skill rolls made with members of the Imperial families.


Leadership [Social] (6 Points)
You have an innate knack for leading and inspiring others in battle. Once per Round during the Reactions stage, you may add your School Rank plus 1k1 to the Initiative Score of one ally in a skirmish. This bonus lasts until the Reactions stage of the following round. An individual may only benefit from one use of this Advantage per Round. Lion characters may purchase this Advantage for 5 points.


Multiple Schools [Social] (10 Points)
You have been given an incredible opportunity to study at multiple dojo, each associated with a different major School. This is a rare opportunity indeed, as being released from one's oaths to one sensei in order to study with another requires extraordinary circumstances. This Advantage may only be purchased during play, and once it is taken, the character stops progression in his current School. Upon reaching the next Insight Rank, he begins learning Techniques from the new School beginning at Rank 1. Before learning any Techniques from a given School, you must possess at least one rank in all School Skills taught there. Under no circumstances can a character ever take ranks in both a Bushi School and a Shugenja School; the two are simply incompatible in every respect.


Perceived Honor [Social] (3 Points/Rank)
Others find it difficult to perceive your true nature, a fact that benefits you in concealing your sometimes questionable actions. For each rank you possess in this Advantage, your Honor is considered one full rank higher for the purpose of all attempts to discern it. Anyone attempting to roll Lore: Bushido / Awareness to determine your Honor Rank will determine the false rank instead of the actual Honor.


Sancrosanct [Social] (4 Points)
Because of some great service you or perhaps your parents performed on behalf of the Emperor, the Son of Heaven has placed you under his protection. You may not purchase this Advantage unless you possess an Honor Rank of 6.0 or higher. So long as your Honor does not drop below 6.0, no one of Honor Rank 5 or higher may attack you unless you attack them first; their rigid code of honor simply will not allow them to blatantly go against the Emperor's wishes. Willingly entered duels ignore the effects of this Advantage. Imperial characters may purchase this Advantage for 3 points.


Sensation [Social] (3 Points)
You are capable of enrapturing the crowd, no matter the circumstances. Whenever you would be required to make a Skill Roll using a Perform Skill you do not possess, you are considered to have 1 rank in that skill.


Social Position [Social] (6 Points)
You have received an illustrious social appointment, whether through your own accomplishments or purely because of political reasons. You gain +1 Status Rank.


Blood of Osano-Wo [Spiritual] (4 Points)
You are descended from a bloodline of Hida Osano-Wo, the Fortune of Fire and Thunder, and his resilience lives on in you. You are immune to any penalties or damage from natural weather conditions, such as winter cold, summer heat, etc. If you suffer damage from a spell that employs natural forces (such as a mighty storm created by Hurricane, or a lightning bolt summoned by Fury of Osano-Wo), reduce the amount of damage you suffer by 1k1. Crab and Mantis characters may purchase this Advantage for 3 points.


Chosen by the Oracles [Spiritual] (6 Points)
For reasons beyond your understanding, you have caught the notice of one of the Oracles, humans suffused with the divine power of the Elemental Dragons. You must select one Ring when you take this Advantage. You gain a bonus of +1k1 to the total of all Ring Rolls using that Ring.


Elemental Blessing [Spiritual] (4 Points)
You are much beloved by the kami of a particular element, although you know not why that might be. As a result, the cost of increasing the Traits associated with one particular Ring, chosen when this Advantage is purchased, is decreased by 1. For example, if you choose Earth when you purchase this Advantage, the cost of increasing Stamina and Willpower is reduced by 1 Experience Point every time you increase them. Void may not be chosen for this Advantage. Phoenix characters may purchase this Advantage for 3 points.


Enlightened [Spiritual] (6 Points)
Your spiritual journey toward complete harmony with the universe as a whole has begun to reach its destination. In addition to whatever storyline effects your GM may choose to bestow on you, you also find it easier to enhance your connection to the Void. When you are using Experience Points to increase your Void Ring, the total cost is decreased by 2 points each time. Dragon and monk characters may purchase this Advantage for 5 points.


Friendly Kami [Spiritual] (5 Points)
A particular kami has befriended you, and stays in your vicinity at all times. Choose one element when this Advantage is purchased. You gain a bonus of +1k1 to the total of all Spell Casting Rolls made to cast Sense, Commune, or Summon with regard to that Element only. Only shugenja may purchase this Advantage. You may not select this Advantage for an Element in which you are Deficient.


Friend of the Brotherhood [Spiritual] (5 Points)
You have studied among your allies at the Brotherhood of Shinsei, and as a result you understand your place in the universe slightly better than most. You may purchase Kiho as though you are a monk of the Brotherhood of Shinsei, instead of paying a higher cost. You must still meet all other normal restrictions on learning Kiho. Only characters from Monk or Shugenja Schools (and not Monk characters from Brotherhood of Shinsei) may purchase this Advantage. Dragon characters may purchase this Advantage for 4 points.


Friend of the Elements [Spiritual] (4 Points)
The spirits of a certain Element swirl about you at all times, lending their aid when possible even though you are likely unaware of their presence. Choose a Ring when this Advantage is purchased. Whenever you make a Trait Roll with either Trait associated with that Ring, you gain a Free Raise. Shugenja characters may purchase this Advantage for 3 points.


Great Destiny [Spiritual] (5 Points)
The kharmic cycle has some great purpose in store for you, and the Celestial Order will conspire to keep you alive, no matter what, until your destiny can be fulfilled. Once per session, when you suffer Wounds that would kill you, you are reduced to a single Wound remaining instead. This will only happen once per session, as there are limits to the extent that the heavens will intervene in mortal affairs.


Great Potential [Varies] (5 Points)
Within you lies the potential to excel at one particular endeavor, perhaps more so than any other living soul in the Empire. Select any one Skill when you purchase this Advantage. When you make Raises on a Skill Roll using that Skill, your Raises are limited to your rank in that Skill instead of your Void Ring. If your Void Ring is higher, however, you may use that as a measure for your Raises if you so choose.


Inari's Blessing [Spiritual] (3 Points)
The Fortune of Rice is a lesser Fortune, but nevertheless is among the most revered entities throughout the whole of Rokugan, particularly by the common people of the Empire. When fasting or deprived of food, you do not suffer from the normal inability to regain Void Points, although other penalties apply as normal.


Inner Gift [Spiritual] (7 Points)
You possess a mysterious gift that even shugenja cannot fully understand. Monks describe individuals such as yourself as existing in an unique state of harmony with the universe, but then they say that sort of thign a lot. Your gift may be a manifestation of the kami, perhaps an indicator of spirit ancestry, or any of a number of different theories. The exact nature of an Inner Gift should be discussed with the GM before taking this Advantage. Examples of Inner Gifts include the following:


Ishiken-Do [Spiritual] (8 Points)
You have that rarest of gifts, the ability to commune with the Void itself. This gift is similiar in many respects to the ability to speak to the kami, save that there are no naturally occurring kami of the Void; the Void itself is a living thing, both everything and nothing at all once. You may cast Void spells. Only shugenja may take this Advantage, and without this Advantage a character cannot cast Void spells. Phoenix characters may purchase this Advantage for 6 points.


Kharmic Tie [Spiritual] (1-5 Points)
Your destiny is not yours alone, but is bonded to that of another in some fundamental way. You may have been close to this other person during a previous life, or perhaps your destiny in this life will yet be entwined in theirs in some essential manner. Select one person when purchasing this Advantage. For each point spent on this Advantage, once per session you gain a bonus of +1k1 to the total of all attack rolls made when fighting for or protecting the person to whom you are bonded.


Luck [Spiritual] (3/6/9 Points)
Fortune favors the mortal man. A number of times per session equal to your rank in this Advantage, you may choose to immediately re-roll any one roll you make, keeping the higher of the two results.


Magic Resistance [Spiritual] (2/4/6 Points)
For reasons beyond your understanding, the kami are reluctant to involve themselves with you in any way. For each rank you possess in this Advantage, all elemental spells targeting you have the TN of the Spell Casting Roll made to enact it increased by +3. Maho, gaijin, and non-human forms of magic are not affected by this Advantage.


Seven Fortunes' Blessing [Spiritual] (4 Points)
One of the Seven Fortunes, the most powerful of all the Fortunes, have taken notice of you and showered you with his or her blessings. These can be powerful bonuses, but sometimes come with expectations. The Fortunes are both fickle and wrathful, after all. The Clans listed after each blessing may purchase that Advantage for 1 point less than its normal cost.


  • Benten's Blessing (Crane): The Fortunate of Romantic Love has showered you with her blessings. Whenever you are attempting to persuade someone, regardless of the circumstances, you gain a bonus of +0k1 to the total of the Social Skill Roll in question. This bonus only applies to persuasion, not coercion.
  • Bishamon's Blessing (5 Points) (Crab, Lion): The Fortune of Strength has taken notice of your might, and has favored you with his blessings. Whenever you declare and make three successful Raises on an attack roll for the purposes of the Increased Damage Maneuver, you gain one additional Raise. Free Raises do not count toward activating this effect. You also gain a bonus of +1k0 to the total of any Strength Trait Rolls.
  • Daikoku's Blessing (Mantis): The Fortune of Wealth has favored you with his patronage, and you excel in matters pertaining to wealth and mercantile pursuits. You gain a bonus of +1k1 to the toal of all Commerce Skill Rolls.
  • Ebisu's Blessing (Unicorn): You have captured the attention, if only briefly, of the Fortune of Honest Work, and his favor is clear to those who serve him best. You gain a bonus of +1k1 to the total of all Social Skill Rolls made with citizens of Rokugan who are not members of the samurai caste.
  • Fukurokujin's Blessing (Dragon, Phoenix): The Fortune of Wisdom favors you above all others, and you reap the benefits of his patronage. Select one Lore Skill when you purchase this Advantage. Whenever you make a Skill Roll using that Skill, you gain a bonus of +1k1 to the total of that roll.
  • Hotei's Blessing: The Fortune of Contentment finds you a pleasing tribute to his works, and favors you with his sense of serenity and his jovial nature. Whenever an effect of any sort, either a spell, Advantage, Technique, or other effect, would cause you to lose Void Points, the instigator of the effect must first defeat you in a Contested Void Roll. If the effect already calls for a Contested Roll of some kind, your roll is instead increased by +10.
  • Jurojin's Blessing (Scorpion): The Fortune of Longevity favors you, and as a result you can expect a long and healthy life. Whenever you are rolling to resist the effects of a disease or poison, you gain a bonus of +2k0 to the total of the roll.
Touch of the Spirit Realms [Spiritual] (5 Points)
Somehow, a fragment of the essence of a spirit realm is present in your soul, and suffuses everything you do. Shugenja characters may purchase this Advantage for 4 points.


  • Chikushudo: You gain a bonus of +1k1 on all Animal Handling rolls.
  • Gaki-do: When you resolve an attack that kills an opponent, you immediately regain 5 Wounds.
  • Jigoku: You may add your Taint Rank to any attack roll and any Skill Roll or Trait roll that uses a Physical Trait. If you are Lost, you add twice your Taint Rank rather than your normal bonus. You may not take this Advantage unless you possess the Shadowlands Taint.
  • Maigo no Musha: When you are awarded Glory in an amount greater than 3 points, you receive one additional point.
  • Meido: You gain a bonus of +2k0 to Contested Rolls versus attempts to manipulate you in social interactions, such as use of the Courtier Skill.
  • Sakkaku: You gain a bonus of +1k1 on Sincerity (Deceit) rolls.
  • Tengoku: You gain a bonus of +2k0 on Earth Ring Rolls made to resist the Shadowlands Taint.
  • Toshigoku: When making a Move Action to get into range to attack an opponent, the distance of your move is increased by 5 feet. (This costs 8 instead of 5.)
  • Yomi: Select one School Skill. You gain a bonus of +1k0 on all Skill Rolls made using that Skill. (This costs 7 points instead of 5.)
  • Yume-do: You can recover all expended Void Points with only four hours of rest, rather than the normal full night of eight hours of rest.
Void Versatility [Spiritual] (4 Points)
You have a great capacity for drawing upon the strength of the Void as it exists within other elements. Select any one non-Void Ring. You may expend spell slots associated with that Ring to use Void spells in addition to their normal use. Only shugenja with an Affinity for Void spells may purchase this Advantage.


Disadvantages:


Ascetic [Mental] (2 Points)
You have no taste for or interest in material things, and this minimalist attitude has impacted how others view you. Your School Outfit includes only weapons, armor, clothing, necessary tools of the trade for your profession (such as scroll satchel for shugenja), and nothing else. Any time you would be awarded Glory as a result of your actions, you receive only half the normal amount. Coupled with the normal restriction for Monks in gaining Glory, ascetic monk characters would only gain one quarter the normal amount of Glory. This Disadvantage is worth 3 points to Dragon or Monk characters.


Brash [Mental] (3 Points)
You have a notoriously short temper and are likely to answer anything you perceive as a threat with steel. If you are threatened or insulted, you must make a Willpower Trait roll (adding your Honor Rank to the total) at a TN of 25, or you will attack immediately. This Disadvantage is worth 4 points to Lion characters.


Can't Lie [Mental] (2 Points)
You are psychologically incapable of telling a lie, perhaps because it has been so thoroughly drilled into your nature by your honorable family. Not only can you not tell a lie, but if someone in your presence tells a lie and you know that it is untrue, you must succeed at a Willpower Trait Roll (TN 20) or immediately correct them. This can cause untold difficulty in court settings and can lead to complete disgrace if you are not careful.


Compulsion [Mental] (2-4 Points)
There is some activity in which you are hopelessly compelled to partake. It is a ritual that is so ingrained in your behavior that it requires a feat of will to forsake it, even in dire circumstances. This may be something illicit and addictive, such as sake or gambling, or it may be as innocuous as visiting every major temple you pass. This basic Disadvantage requires a Willpower Trait Roll of 15 to overcome. The TN of the roll increases by 5 for every additional point gained by the Disadvantage, to a maximum of TN 25 (4 points).


Consumed [Mental] (Varies)
You have walked the path of Shourido, and it has consumed you utterly. One of the tenets has become your existence, and you live only to enact it. These Disadvantages are worth one additional point to Spider characters.


  • Control (4 points): You are determined to control and dominate others, no matter what the cost, and can never admit that you are wrong or might have made a mistake. You suffer a -1k1 penalty on all Etiquette and Sincerity rolls.
  • Determination (6 points): You believe you can do anything on your own, without the need for any outside help or agency, or even any inner strength. You cannot spend Void Points to enhance die-rolls. (You can still spend Void Points for other purposes and enhancements.)
  • Insight (4 points): You seek profound insight in even the most trivial things, to the exclusion of normal activity. Choose one of your School Skills. Any time you use this Skill, you must make a Willpower Trait Roll at TN 20 or become lost in reverie as you seek a deeper understanding of this skill. (You can be snapped out of this reverie by pain, loud noise, shaking, etc.)
  • Knowledge (4 points): You are obsessed with gaining more knowledge and understanding of all things, no matter what the cost. Any time you encounter some topic, area of research, or new idea, no matter how trivial, scandalous, or blasphemous it might be, you must make a Willpower Trait Roll at TN 25 or decide to study it.
  • Perfection (5 points): You must do everything perfectly even when there is no need to do so in order to succeed. Any time you make a Skill or Spell Casting roll, you must call one extra Raise for no effect, or the roll automatically fail. This Disadvantage is worth 6 points to Crane characters.
  • Strength (5 points): Raw physical power is the only way to defeat your foes. Finesse and negotiation are for fools. You must call one extra Raise (for no effect) in order to use the Called Shot, Feint, or Disarm Maneuvers in combat, and you suffer a -1k0 penalty to any Etiquette roll.
  • Will (4 points): You must get your way, and others must give way to your wishes. You have no respect for the opinions or desires of others. You suffer a -1k1 penalty to all Courtier and Temptation Skill Rolls, as your refusal to compromise or respect others makes you socially intolerable.
Contrary [Mental] (3 Points)
Your strong will and rigid view of the world insists not only that you develop an opinion on everything, but that you must share it at every opportunity. During any debate or dispute, or even casual discussion, you feel compelled to weigh in and attempt to persuade others to see the matter from your point of view. In any tense situation, you must succeed at a Willpower Trait Roll to avoid taking action, whether to resolve a conflict physically or simply to interject into an argument. The TN for this roll can vary widely, and should be determined by the TM (typically somewhere between 5 and 25). This Disadvantage is worth 4 points to Imperial and courtier characters.


Disbeliever [Mental] (3 Points)
You have experienced a dramatic revelation that has shattered your faith in Rokugani theology. Perhaps you believe that the Fortunes have no interest in mankind, or perhaps you have come to believe that the Tao of Shinsei holds nothing but empty promises. If your disbelief were made public knowledge, you would be shunned by all properly pious individuals everywhere, and any membership yo possess in temples or monastic orders would be instantly revoked. Your lack of piety makes you uncomfortable around shugenja and monks, and any Social Skill Rolls made with them have their TN increased by +5.


Doubt [Mental] (4 Points)
Something has happened to cause you to question your training, so much so that it interferes with your ability to perform properly. Select one of your School Skills. Every time you use this Skill, you must declare one Raise that confers no benefit.


Driven [Mental] (2 Points)
You are possessed by some goal, and will sacrifice almost anything to accomplish it, even your honor. Family, friends, material possessions, and even Bushido mean nothing compared to the potential completion of this goal, whatever it may be.


Fascination [Mental] (1 Point)
You are completely fascinated by some subject, and will go to great lengths to learn more about it or to experience it in new ways. Typical subjects of a samurai's fascination include music, horses, poetry, and history. This fascination badly impedes your judgement, and you will take even dishonorable actions to learn more, which could end in absolute disgrace if your actions are discovered.


Failure of Bushido [Mental] (Varies)
Try though you might adhere to the code of bushido, one tenet in particular is imply foreign to you, and you have no concept of how to exemplify it through your actions. This Disadvantage is worth 1 additional point to ninja characters.


  • Compassion (3 points): You must spend a Void Point before you are able to act on behalf of someone of lower Status or social caste.
  • Courage (4 points): When facing an opponent of higher Glory or Status, or when facing a Shadowlands opponent, the TN of all rolls to make is increased by +5.
  • Courtesy (4 points): Any time you make a Social Skill Roll to apologize or avoid giving offense, you must call a Raise for no effect, or the roll will automatically fail.
  • Duty (6 Points): You cannot spend Void Points to negate Wounds.
  • Honesty (3 points): You cannot spend Void Points on any Sincerity Skill Roll to which the Honesty emphasis could apply (whether or not you have the empasis).
  • Honor (3 points): You cannot add your Honor Rank to any roll to resist Intimidation or Temptation.
  • Sincerity (4 points): Any time you are rolling the Sincerity Skill to convince someone of what you are saying, you must call an extra Raise for no effect, or the roll automatically fails.
Frail Mind [Mental] (3 Points)
You have difficulty concentrating, even when focusing your attention on an opponent. Whenever you make a Contested Roll using Willpower, your opponent gains a bonus of +2k0.


Greedy [Mental] (3 Points)

Material wealth is more important to you than anything else, even though samurai are not meant to be sullied by commercial interests. Opponents attempting to use Temptation (Bribery) rolls against you gain a bonus of +1k1 to the total of the roll. This Disadvantage is worth 4 points to Mantis characters.


Gullible [Mental] (4 Points)
Your trust is given easily and you place tremendous faith in those whom you trust, unfortunately making it very simple for others to take advantage of your naive nature. Opponents attempting to use Sincerity (Deceit) against you gain a bonus of +1k1 to the total of their rolls.


Idealistic [Mental] (2 Points)
You adhere closely to the code of Bushido, perhaps too closely, and you have a hopelessly naive view of the world and hos things work. You have impossible standards that not even the most heroic individual could hope to meet, much less you. Whenever you lose Honor, the loss is increased by 1 point. This Disadvantage is worth 3 points to Lion characters.


Insensitive [Mental] (2 Points)
Your primary interest is in yourself and things that you care about. The plight of others simply does not interest you, and you find it difficult to pretend otherwise. With the exception of those who contribute directly to your well being, such as your lord, you must spend a Void Point to place yourself at risk for the welfare of any other person unless there is an immediate benefit for you personally. This Disadvantage is worth 3 points to Scorpion characters.


Jealousy [Mental] (3 Points)
You are obsessed with outperforming another individual in order to prove that you deserve all the things he has, things you perceive as superior to your own. Choose one other PC or a major NPC in your campaign. You are obsessed with overcoming them at all costs, and will go to any lengths to do so. Once you have bested the target of your jealousy, your nature will cause you to become jealous of someone else.


Lost Love [Mental] (3 Points)
You shared a bond of true love with someone once, and have since lost it. This need not be romantic love, as familial or brotherly love lost is equally tragic. You tend to suffer bouts of melancholy when reminded of your lost love. When you are reminded of your loss, all your TNs are increased by 5 until you spend a Void Point to regain your focus. This disruption of your concentration cannot happen more than twice per day, and at least one hour must pass between instances.


Obtuse [Mental] (3 Points)
The point of many fine things simply escapes you. Poetry, art, music… it all seems meaningless to you. The Experience Point cost for increasing any High Skill other than Investigation or Medicine is doubled. This Disadvantage is worth 4 points to Crab and bushi characters.


Overconfident [Mental] (3 Points)
You possess a grossly inflated view of your own prowess, and are often incapable of recognizing when a situation is beyond your ability to handle. When outnumbered or facing a clearly superior enemy (whether in court or in battle) you must succeed at a Perception Trait Roll (TN 20) in order to recognize the situation for what it is and leave instead of engaging. This Disadvantage is worth 4 points to Lion and Mantis characters.


Phobia [Mental] (1 - 3 Points)
You possess an irrational fear that you cannot overcome, no matter how much you struggle to convince yourself that there is no reason behind it. When confronted with the subject of your phobia, all of your TNs are increased by +5 for every point you possess in this Disadvantage.


Soft-Hearted [Mental] (2 Points)
Human life is precious to you, so much so that you have difficulty executing the basic duty of the samurai caste: to kill. When faced with the opportunity to kill another human being, you must succeed at a Willpower Trait Roll (TN 20), or you are unable to do so. If you do kill another, the TNs of all your rolls are increased by +10 for one day as you are wracked with guilt. The penalty is not cumulative with multiple deaths. This Disadvantage could potentially also apply to killing nonhuman creatures or even Shadowlands monsters, although the Experience Point value should be increased in such cases. This Disadvantage is worth 3 points to Phoenix characters.


True Love [Mental] (3 Points)
True love in Rokugan can be a wonderful experience, but more often than not it is a disaster, for it is rare for samurai to be allowed to marry for love. Whenever you are in a position where you must choose between love and duty, you must spend a Void Point before you can choose your duty over your lover.


Bad Eyesight [Physical] (3 Points)
Your eyesight is exceptionally poor, whether as a result of some medical condition or even from a missing eye. You suffer a penalty of -1k1 to all ranged attack rolls and to any Perception-based rolls.


Bad Health [Physical] (4 Points)
You suffer from a chronic medical condition that constantly renders you weak and susceptible to both illness and injury. Your Earth Ring is considered one rank lower for the purposes of determining Wound Ranks and for resisting diseases.


Blind [Physical] (6 Points)
You possess no natural eyesight whatsoever save for a slight ability to determine light and dark. You suffer a penalty of -3k3 to all ranged attack rolls and -1k1 to melee attack rolls. Your base Armor TN is equal to your Reflexes Trait plus 5 (armor adds bonuses as normal). Your Water Ring is considered two ranks lower for the purposes of determining how far you may move as part of a Move Action. Any attempt at a Simple Move Action requires an Athletics / Agility Roll (TN 20) or you are knocked Prone. You may not make Perception rolls unless the GM judges that you can use senses other than sight for the roll.


Disturbing Countenance [Physical] (3 Points)
Something about your appearance causes others to respond to you with concern and caution. You are not necessarily unattractive, merely disturbing in some way. The TN of all your Social Skill Rolls is increased by +5. This Disadvantage is worth 4 points to Spider characters.


Epilepsy [Physical] (4 Points)
You possess a rare and poorly understood condition that causes you to experience seizures from time to time, consisting of a trance-like state, rigid muscle spasms, and frothing at the mouth. These are brought on by high stress or flashing lights, such as fireworks displays. Under such circumstances, you must succeed at a Willpower Trait Roll at TN 15 to avoid the seizure. If you fail, you experience a seizure and may roll a second Willpower Trait Roll (TN 10) for each minute to end it. This Disadvantage is worth 5 points to Crane characters.


Lame [Physical] (4 Points)
One of your legs is withered or perhaps even near-useless, either due to a birth defect, a crippling injury, or a ravaging disease. Your Water Ring is considered 1 for the purposes of determining Move Actions, and any Agility Trait Rolls or Agility-based Skill Rolls that require any sort of activity in your lower limbs suffer a penalty of +10 to the TN.


Low Pain Threshhold [Physical] (4 Points)
Your ability to focus in the face of pain is less than that of others. The TN penalties you suffer due to Wound Ranks are increased by +5 each rank.


Missing Limb [Physical] (6 Points)
One of your limbs is missing, either through catastrophic injury or due to an unfortunate defect of your birth. You suffer a penalty of +10 to all TNs involving the use of the limb missing. For example, wielding a two-handed weapon with only one arm would have a +10 to all TNs, but an Athletics (Running) Skill Roll would not.


Permanent Wound [Physical] (4 Points)
Some wounds will not heal, no matter how often they are treated or by what means. You first Wound Rank is always considered full. This Disadvantage is worth 5 points to bushi characters.


Small [Physical] (3 Points)
You are noticeably smaller than average for a denizen of the Emerald Empire. As a result, your Water Ring is considered one rank lower for determining the distance of your Move Actions, and you suffer a penalty of -1k0 on the Damage Rolls of all melee attacks. You may not take the Large Advantage.


Weakness [Physical] (6 Points)
You have a significant weakness of some sort, either physical or mental, that is difficult to overcome under ideal circumstances. Select one Trait. That Trait is treated as if were one rank lower for purposes of all rolls and Trait-based mechanical effects.


Antisocial [Social] (2/4 Points)
You find the presence of others uncomfortable, so much so that is immediately obvious to those around you. Your preference for solitude causes you to behave in a manner that might best be described as rude. If you take the 2 point version of this Disadvantage, you suffer a penalty of -1k0 to all Social Skill Rolls. For 4 points, the penalty is -1k1. This Disadvantage is worth 1 additional point to Crab characters.


Bitter Betrothal [Social] (2 Points)
You have been promised to another, or perhaps are already married, and neither of you are at all pleased with the situation. Your spouse despises you, but he or she at least has the decorum to manage your estate properly… for the most part. Your mutual dislike, however, can result in tremendous difficulty with even simple domestic or bureaucratic tasks. This Disadvantage is worth 3 points to Imperial characters.


Blackmailed [Social] (Variable)
Someone out there knows of some dark secret of yours, or some horrible indiscretion you committed in a moment of weakness. What's worse, they intend to make you pay for it. The cost of this Disadvantage is equal to your Status Rank. The person blackmailing you will contact you periodically and require certain things of you. You must weigh these actions against the potential disgrace if your secret is discovered, and act accordingly.


Black Sheep [Social] (3 Points)
For whatever reason, your family is completely disgusted with you and your actions. You have not been cast out and made ronin, but you are no longer welcome in your own household. You may only maintain proper relations with any member of your family via the Allies Advantage, and if you attend one of your own family's Schools, you may not advance in School Rank without going to great lengths to find a willing teacher.


Cast Out [Social] (1/3 Points)
You, or perhaps your entire line, were at some point denounced by an order of monks, an act that can bring shame to even the least pious samurai. One point in this Disadvantage indicates the disapproval of a single temple, while three points represents a major sect within the Brotherhood of Shinsei. Monks of this sect treat you as if your Glory Rank were in fact Infamy.


Dark Secret [Social] (4 Points)
You possess some horrific secret that could lead not only to your ruination, but perhaps others in your family as well. It may be something terrible you have learned about your family that you alone know (if a venerated ancestor was secretly a dishonorable buffoon), or something you personally have done (you may be a member of the Kolat or Gozoku). If your secret is exposed, you may be required to commit seppuku or possibly even be executed. This Disadvantage is worth 5 points to ninja characters.


Dependent [Social] (Varies)
Someone who is largely incapable of defending himself or herself requires you to look after them. This may be an elderly relative, a naive spouse, or a small child. The point value of this Disadvantage varies depending upon how helpless the individual is and how frequently they appear in the campaign. A small child completely dependent upon you for everything might cost 5 or 6 points, while a spouse who is independent but whom you must consider before all major decisions might be worth 2 or 3.


Dishonored [Social] (5 Points)
You have been dishonored so spectacularly that your name has been removed from your family's records, and most within the family act as if you were dead. However, the Clan has granted you the opportunity to was away your dishonor if you perish in battle. This custom, which started with the Lion Clan, is known as the Deathseeker tradition. You possess Status Rank 1 and may not gain Status so long as you possess this Disadvantage.


Forced Retirement [Social] (4 Points)
You have been forced into early retirement by entering a monastery, perhaps due to political reasons or because of some public disgrace. You may not advance any further in your School. When you gain a new Insight Rank, you must instead begin taking ranks of an unaligned Monk School. You need not purchase the Multiple Schools Advantage for this. This Disadvantage is worth 5 points to monk characters.


Gaijin Name [Social] (1 Point)
Either due to your lineage or your parents' fascination with another culture, you possess a name that is clearly not of Rokugani origin. Although there is no honor loss for such a thing, others regard you questionably as a result. Your individual dice may only explode once on a Social Skill Roll (that is, each die has a maximum possible result of 20). This Disadvantage is worth 2 points to Unicorn characters.


Hostage [Social] (3 Points)
In the resolution of a dispute between Clans, it is not uncommon for hostages to be exchanged as "guests" of one another's Clan's for a specified amount of time. This ensures that the treaty in question is not broken. Although you are treated respectfully and as a guest in the lands of another Clan, you are not permitted to leave without escort and, should war break out between your Clan and your hosts, your life will be forfeit.


Infamous [Social] (2 Points)
You are well known among some circles, but not in the manner you might wish. Rather than being known for your valor and your courage, you are known for being ruthless, cruel, and dangerous. This reputation may not be deserved, but it is widespread enough that it no longer matters if it is true. Your starting Glory Rank is replaced with an Infamy Rank, which serves in exactly the same capacity, save for the reaction of those who recognize you.


Lechery [Social] (2 Points)
Physical pleasure is a weakness of yours, and you spend considerable time pursuing it. When an opponent makes a Temptation (Seduction) roll against you, he gains a bonus of +1k1 to the total of his roll.


Obligation [Social] *3/6 Points)
There is someone to whom you are indebted or for whom you must fulfill some significant duty. The nature of this debt can vary considerably, but when it comes due, nothing else matters. You must honor it, even if leads to your ruination. The first level of this Disadvantage is relatively minor matter that nevertheless demands your full attention. The second level presents a major, significant obligation that could potentially damage your family's standing if you do not devote considerable time and resources to fulfilling it.


Rumormonger [Social] (4 Points)
You cannot resist the temptation to spread rumors and gossip, no matter how ridiculous or outlandish they might seem. When presented with an opportunity to spread rumors, to resist doing so you must succeed at a Willpower Trait Roll with a TN equal to 5 x the Glory Rank of the highest-Glory individual involved in the rumor. This Disadvantage is worth 5 points to courtier characters.


Social Disadvantage [Social] (3 Points)
You have slipped from your position within the Celestial Order, and your place in society reflects that. You begin with Status Rank 0.


Sworn Enemy [Social] (3 Points)
You have earned an enemy, one who will stop at nothing to see you defeated or even killed. The basic version of this Disadvantage assumes that your enemy is of equal Insight Rank. For each Insight Rank above yours your enemy possesses, increase the value of this Disadvantage by 1. For 2 additional points, the enemy becomes your kharmic nemesis, and you may not spend Void Points when opposing him or her in any situation.


Bad Fortune [Spiritual] (3 Points)
Kharma is a powerful force, and sometimes it is a destructive one as well. There is something unpleasant in store for you, and you may have no idea what it is until it is far too late. Bad fortunes take an almost infinite variety of forms, all worth the same number of points, and players and GMs should discuss the form of a Bad Fortune during character creation. Some of the more common versions include:


  • Secret Love: Somewhere, someone is madly in love with you, and will go to any lengths to sabotage your romantic interests, even politically arranged marriages, in order to ensure taht you remain available, for them.
  • Disfigurement: You have a birthmark of some sort that appears on a visible portion of your body. Others regard it as a clear mark of bad fortune (which in Rokugan, it is), and give you a very wide berth.
  • Evil Eye: One of your eyes is discolored. People avoid looking you in the eyes at all costs, and some believe your very presence invites evil spirits.
  • Allergy: You are allergic to a common substance, something you come into contact with regularly, such as silk, cotton, or sushi. Its presence breaks you out in a very uncomfortable rash, which in turn makes others react poorly to your presence.
  • Lingering Misfortune: At some point in your future, you will fail an extremely important dice roll in a spectacularly disastrous fashion. The GM will decide when this happens, and no mechanical effect will allow you to overcome it or to circumvent it.
  • Unknown Enemy: Someone somewhere in another Clan hates you, and wishes to see you dead. You have no idea who they are or why they hate you, but you will very soon.
  • Moto Curse: You possess a spiritual weakness that makes you extremely susceptible to the Shadowlands Taint. You suffer a penalty of -1k0 to any roll made to resist acquiring the Taint. Only members of the Unicorn Clan may take this Disadvantage, and they receive 4 points for it.
  • Yogo Curse: You are cursed to betray the one you love the most, just as the first Yogo was cursed by Fu Leng himself. Normally only members of the Scorpion Clan may take this Disadvantage, and they receive 4 points for it. (GMs may allow other characters of the Yogo bloodline to take the curse as well, if they wish.)
Cursed by the Realm [Spiritual] (4 Points)
The influence of the spirit realms can be felt throughout the mortal realm of Ningen-do, and for whatever reason, the essence of one realm in particular has marked you as a foe of all that emanates from that realm. This Disadvantage is worth 5 points to shugenja characters.


  • Chikushudo: You suffer a penalty of -1k1 to all Animal Handling rolls.
  • Gaki-do: The hungry dead crave your life essence above all others. All gaki and other hungry dead will attack you before any other available target, no matter the cost.
  • Jigoku: The Realm of Evil thirsts for your soul. Any roll you make to resist the Shadowlands Taint suffers a penalty of -1k1.
  • Maigo no Musha: Your existence thwarts destiny in some manner. Any roll you make against a spirit of any kind suffers a penalty of -1k1.
  • Meido: The ennui of the Realm of Waiting fills your soul. When unoccupied by physical activity or social interaction, you tend to lapse into a trance=like state that causes you to suffer a penalty of -1k0 to all Perception-based rolls.
  • Sakkaku: Trickster spirits plague you, and at least once a month you are the victim of some elaborate cruel prank by some malicious spirit.
  • Tengoku: The Celestial Heavens reject you as unclean. While within a temple devoted to the Heavens (any Fortune, the Kami, the Elemental Dragons, or the Sun or Moon), the TNs of all your rolls is increased by +10.
  • Toshigoku: At the sight of a wounded opponent, you are overcome with bloodlust and must succeed at a Willpower Trait Roll (TN 15) or immediately attack the wounded party.
  • Yomi: You may not possess any Advantage or abilities that specifically reference ancestral links (Inheritance, for example).
  • Yume-do: You are plagued with horrific nightmares, making sleep difficult. You require 10 hours of sleep to regain Void Points, rather than the normal 8.
Dark Fate [Spiritual] (3 Points)
There is a destiny of tremendous significance in store for you, and sadly it is not an illustrious one. Before your death, you will usher tremendous darkness into the world in some way. Perhaps you will allow family secrets to fall into the hands of the enemy, or perhaps you will allow the Great Kaiu Wall to fall to the Shadowlands. Destiny protects those for whom it has great plans, even if they do not desire it. Once per session, when you suffer Wounds that would kill you, you are instead reduced to one Wound.


Elemental Imbalance [Spiritual] (2 Points/Rank)
The kami of one element favor you, but so much so that their voices sometimes overpower your will and cause your invocations to achieve results other than what you intended. Only shugenja may take this Disadvantage. Choose an element in which you do not possess a Deficiency. Whenever you cast a spell of this element, you must make a Willpower Trait Roll at TN 15 + 5 per rank of this Disadvantage. If you fail the roll, something disastrous happens. The spell may fail outright, it may target someone altogether different from who you intended, or other effects as determined by the GM.


Enlightened Madness [Spiritual] (4/6 Points)
The touch of divine insight has twisted your mind and soul, driving you to strange and violent acts. Choose either a Ring or a Skill. If you are of the tattooed orders you may also choose one of your tattoos. Any time you use the Skill/tattoo or make a Ring roll or Spell Casting Roll using the Ring, you must roll Willpower or be temporarily consumed by madness, passing into the control of the GM for the next eight hours.
The TN of the Willpower roll is 20 for the 4-point version of this Disadvantage, 30 for the 6-point version.



Haunted [Spiritual] (3 Points)
One of your ancestors has chosen to bestow personal attention on you, constantly offering you advice and making demands. Perhaps the ancestor merely wishes you to live up to the ideals of your Clan and family, or perhaps he has some unfinished task or duty which he wishes you to complete. You must show all due deference and respect to your ancestor, and do your best to live up to his (or her) expectations. If you fail to do so, your ancestor's disapproval will bring bad fortune upon you: so long as your ancestor remains angry, once per session one of your die rolls (chosen by the GM) will suffer a -1k1 penalty.


Lord Moon's Curse [Spiritual] (3/5/7 Points)
The madness of Lord Moon, Onnotangu, lingers in your soul, driving you to fits of madness despite your increased understanding of the universe. You gain an additional Void Point at sunset on any night of the full moon. If you do not use this Void Point, it is lost with the sunrise. However, when the full moon rises, you must make a Willpower Trait Roll against a TN 15 + 5 for each level in the Disadvantage after the first. If you fail the roll, you lose control of your character for the evening. You awaken the next morning with no idea of what atrocious acts you might have committed…


Momoku [Spiritual] (8 Points)
There is a fundamental spiritual imbalance present in your soul that no one can explain or rectify, but it has a dramatic impact on your place within the universe, and harmony is a state virtually unknown to you. You possess Void Points, but may not spend them on anything except School Techniques which specifically require Void Points. The basic uses of Void Points are unavailable to you.


Seven Fortunes' Curse [Spiritual] (3 Points)
One of the Seven Fortunes has found your behavior unacceptable, and visited his or her wrath upon you. This curse manifests itself in a very real way, and few are ever able to placate beings as powerful and as fickle as the Seven Fortunes.


  • Benten's Curse: The Fortune of Romantic Love has forsaken you utterly, and others find your company unpleasant as a result. The TN of any Etiquette roll you make is increased by +10.
  • Bishamon's Curse: The Fortune of Strength finds you offensive to his divine essence, and has denied you his domain. Your Strength is considered one rank lower for determining the Damage Roll of any weapon you wield.
  • Daikoku's Curse: The Fortune of Wealth finds you unpleasant, and as a result all your mercantile interests come to very little. You suffer a penalty of -1k1 to all Commerce rolls, and the koku of your School's starting outfit is reduced by 1.
  • Ebisu's Curse: The Fortune of Honest Work finds you a distrustful soul, and others can instinctively sense the aura of mistrust surrounding you. You suffer a penalty of -1k1 on all Social Skill rolls amde with non-samurai citizens of Rokugan.
  • Fukurokujin's Curse: The Fortune of Wisdom has denied you his blessings, and you find yourself none the wiser for it. When making a Lore Skill Roll, your TN is increased by +5.
  • Hotei's Curse (6 points): The Fortune of Happiness has denied you his blessings, and you are poorer for it. Any Technique or Advantage that requires you to spend a Void Point to activate instead requires two Void Points.
  • Jurojin's Curse: The Fortune of Longevity has turned his back on you. You suffer a penalty of -2k0 to resist all poisons and diseases.
Shadowlands Taint [Spiritual] (4 Points)
You have felt the touch of darkness, and it has not left you unscathed. You possess the Shadowlands Taint, a condition that makes you hopelessly spiritually lost in the eyes of virtually the entire Empire, and which essentially is incurable. You have 0.5 ranks of Shadowlands Taint. It is up to you whether you are actually aware of your Taint, since it is not detectable at this level.


Touch of the Void [Spiritual] (3 Points)
You have been touched by the essence of the Void, and it has forever damaged your mind. Whenever you draw upon the Void, the effect is powerful, but can overwhelm you. When you spend a Void Point to augment a roll, you gain a bonus of +2k1 instead of +1k1. Every time you spend a Void Point, however, you must succeed at a Willpower Trait Roll (TN 30) or be Dazed for one Round. This disadvantage is worth 4 points to Phoenix characters.


Unlucky [Spiritual] (2 Points per Rank)
Fortune favors the mortal man… just not in your case. A number of times per session equal to your rank in this Disadvantage, the GM may force you to immediately re-roll one roll, keeping the second roll in all cases.


Wrath of the Kami [Spiritual] (3 Points)
The spirits of a particular element have a vehement dislike of you, and when invoked to smite you, they gleefully and enthusiastically comply. This may be the result of a shugenja's curse, an offense you offered to the Fortunes, or a variety of other spiritual causes. Select one element when you purchase this Disadvantage. Spells of this element cast against you confer one Free Raise on the Spell Casting Roll. This Disadvantage is worth 4 points to shugenja characters.
 
Hm, so there's a lot to be said her about a lot of things, but since we've chosen a Togashi who's trained as a Taoist Swordsman so far, we should probably go for a combat statted build. I've no idea what Advantages and Disadvantages I want to take, but it's late where I am, so I will try to come up with something tomorrow or vote for something that comes up in the interim.
 
I am going to leave this vote open until my hand stops hurting. I apologize for how late it all came out, but it just kept getting bigger and bigger because I didn't want to leave anyone confused. Sadly it is now so large that I worry everyone will be confused. So let me separate out the Tattoo vote from this vote.

Also, when writing up a plan it is a cool idea to put together an idea of what kind of character you are thinking of playing, buying Benten's blessing means your character is well received romantically. Does your character enjoy the attention? Buy Lechery and present your character as the next Ikoma. Buying Sage means your character is well read. Any favorite genres? Does your character care about knowledge for the sake of knowledge or is there a purpose to their studies? So on and so forth. Obviously you don't need a full backstory, and I don't actually want one, but I do expect a little bit of something. Later updates will allow you to fill in your character through dialogue options with other people, with things like what is their favorite color, have they had any previous romantic attachments, but for now just give a basic idea of who you want to be playing.
 
You have a budget of 80XP.
Is 80 correct?
In that case, things we want to get
Buy Awareness 3,
Buy Reflexes 3 and 4
Buy Agility 3 and 4
Large advantage for extra damage?
Tatoos, either Bamboo, Ki-rin or Ocean seems to be the way to go.
And it should have the name you want at the top followed by the skills and traits you want to buy or raise followed by the ads and disads you want. Keep track of your XP and total it at the end. Want a tattoo? Write a related haiku.
How much will tattoos cost?

Magic animal.
Comes after the greatest sages.
Really giraffe.

Wishy-washy waves
On the tide they bring nice fish
For lovely sushi.

Soul of the Forest
Bamboo bends unbreakingly
Feeds darling pandas.


Wow such Haiku. Very Weeeabo.
Fun fact. Syllablecount dot com didn't have unbreakingly in its dictionary prior to me.
I wonder why.
Or pandas or Kawaii slightly more surprisingly.
 
Also, when writing up a plan it is a cool idea to put together an idea of what kind of character you are thinking of playing, buying Benten's blessing means your character is well received romantically. Does your character enjoy the attention? Buy Lechery and present your character as the next Ikoma.

Just get a no-dachi and we can be a wandering sexy pervert swordsman with a really big sword!
 
Just get a no-dachi and we can be a wandering sexy pervert swordsman with a really big sword!
Did someone say No-Dachis!
[X] Plan Da Boyz 1.0
Starting Rings
Fire 2
Earth 2
Water 2
Air 2
Void 4
School Skill Chosen (Courier)
Advantages: Large (4 Points), Prodigy (12 Points), Togashi Tattoos (4 Points) 20 Points
Disadvantages: Cursed By the Realm (Toshigoku) (4 Points), Enlightened Madness (Meditation) (4 Points), Idealistic (2 Points), Touch of the Void (3 Point), Driven (Follow Togashi's orders) (2 Points), Fascination (Kenjutsu) (1 Point) 15 Points.
75 XP remaining
Willpower 4 (28 XP) 47 XP
Agility 3 (12 XP) 35 XP
Reflexes 3 (12 XP) 21 XP
Awareness 3 (12 XP) 9 XP
Kenjutsu 3 4 XP
Courtier 2 2 XP
Sincerity 1 1 XP
Etiquette 1 0 XP
Additional Skills: Defense 1, Lore (Theology) 1, Iaijutsu 1, Athletics 1, Meditation 1 Kenjusu Emphasis (No-Dachi)

Final Rings
Air 3
Earth 2 (Willpower 4)
Fire 2 (Agility 3)
Water 2
Void 4
Insight 144

Having been brought into the Togashi order at a young age and unknowing of whatever mortal parents he might have the boy named Dai has never known a world before the kami descended. Indeed he can scarcely remember a world before the war against Fu-Leng, his sensei and elders at the monastery all being veterans of the great conflict which ravaged the land. One of many young hopefuls sent from the monastery to train beneath Mirumoto Hojatsu Dai's natural talent for the art of the blade was quickly revealed and honed. While he never had the honor of training beneath Hojatsu himself due to how divergent the Taoist style was from niten Dai nonetheless managed to grow by leaps and bounds by the time he finished his Gempukku. From there Dai was quietly approached by one who he had never dreamed of speaking directly with and asked to play a part in his plans.

Sometimes the best laid plans of gods and men go awry. Sometimes the efforts of Togashi himself fall through and the blood of a kami freely given twists and damages its recipient rather than enhances them to the peak of mortal prowess. Nonetheless the great Dragon takes care of his own, even should they prove to be faulty tools for his plans. This is a fact for which Togashi Dai is forever grateful for, and to repay his master's generosity he will turn his life into a jade monument to lay before Togashi's altar.

tldr; A fanatically devoted follower of Togashi, likely of heimin stock who was taken in by the Togashi order. After his natural talent with stabbing people with the pointy end of a sword was discovered (Prodigy) he was sent to train under the Taoists rather then following the traditional path of learning to breath fire and bunch boulders into rubble. He managed to complete his training and pass his gempukku and was approached by Togashi as a guinea-pig for his tattoos. Sadly this is where things fell through for our hero as Togashi botched his roll/was experimenting with how much blood he could put in the tattoos/was trying out a new tattoo which backfired, leaving Dai un-scarred physically but drastically altered spiritually.

We hit at 7k3, deal 8k3 damage and aren't completely terrible at social-fu. Willpower is also buffed so we at least have a chance of passing the Willpower rolls that our disadvantages give us. Anyone have any critique on it?

Fun Fact: I originally included Dark Fate in this build because I figured we'd need it to survive.
 
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