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 tattoo's. 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.
Yeah.....It's a nice build from a gameplay perspective, but from a story perspective? I would drop it like a hot coal. I have no interest in a MC who is that fucked up from the get go.
I also just straight up have no interest in a Courtier focus and would much rather play as a wondering monk, but I lack the L5R know how in order to make a decent story character, so I'll leave that to someone else.
Just to clarify, did you take Courtier 1 as our final school skill?
Honestly starting at 80 xp removes a lot of my complaints about Void 4. I feel that we'd be better of going further into being a duelist, given that we have Void 4 we ought to be crushing the focus round and Awareness 3 means that we should be doing well at least on the awareness. Additionally Reflexes 3 and Bamboo tattoo starts us off at 31 ATN, which is nothing to be sneezed at.
My biggest complaint is that I'd never buy enlightened madness with out asking the GM how he's likely to use it when we fail our rolls. If we just spend the next eight hours meditating thats one thing. If we start walking around naked and insulting Matsus is another entirely.
E: Just read Cursed by the Realm Toshigoku. No that doesn't seem to fit the monky taoist archtype.
Yeah.....It's a nice build from a gameplay perspective, but from a story perspective? I would drop it like a hot coal. I have no interest in a MC who is that fucked up from the get go.
Dai isn't...that fucked up! He's a perfectly well adjusted human being who manages to get through day to day life just fine. It's just that whenever he draws upon the inner strength (Void) that all of humanity shares he tends to preform admirably then sit around blinking at the pretty colors for a few seconds. Also the last time he tried to meditate he had to be restrained by his sensei after he started to scratch at the walls.
Still he's honestly a completely playable character, we'll have to level up our Willpower to a minimum of 6 if we want to reliably pass our checks but that's a long term goal.
My biggest complaint is that I'd never buy enlightened madness with out asking the GM how he's likely to use it when we fail our rolls. If we just spend the next eight hours meditating thats one thing. If we start walking around naked and insulting Matsus is another entirely.
I figure it would probably be situation dependent but that is a good question to ask. @Hello how would our character react on average to failing an Enlightened Madness roll?
I'd be more then willing to replace it with something else if you have any suggestions. I just thought it fit with the theme of "Accidentally the Kami Blood."
I will broadly allow you to pick how Enlightened Madness turns out in your light description of the character. However there are two things to remember, one which level of madness did you pick 4 or 6, and whether it makes sense for your character to do something like that. Someone who picks the 6 version, but has their character do nothing but stare at a ceiling is probably aiming too low. The other is that it has to be an actual mad behavior, you can't have your character do something helpful to you OOC that only seems mad IC. In this case, scratching at the walls sounds like a reasonable thing for 4 points I guess, so long as that is the lower threshold of behavior.
Failing your willpower roll by a little will result in very little madness, failing it by a lot will result in significantly more madness.
Let me think on it, and I will get back to you in the morning. But I largely want you guys to decide how the madness comes out, so long as it doesn't feel like you are trying to cheat the system.
I will broadly allow you to pick how Enlightened Madness turns out in your light description of the character. However there are two things to remember, one which level of madness did you pick 4 or 6, and whether it makes sense for your character to do something like that. Someone who picks the 6 version, but has their character do nothing but stare at a ceiling is probably aiming too low. The other is that it has to be an actual mad behavior, you can't have your character do something helpful to you OOC that only seems mad IC. In this case, scratching at the walls sounds like a reasonable thing for 4 points I guess, so long as that is the lower threshold of behavior.
Failing your willpower roll by a little will result in very little madness, failing it by a lot will result in significantly more madness.
Yipee. I wasn't sure if there was a quality requirement.
As for a plan currently working on a competitor plan. It's probably not to be taken too seriously however it will basically be some guy who joined the order to avoid starving and is an absolutely terrible monk. Compulsive gambler, temptation (would you like another game?) and greedy, and so on. I'll ask GM permission to take greedy as typically it can't be taken with Asethic, however in this case I'll justify it by saying that his lifestyle is forced on him by the monks and not his own choice. Also what would be the appropriate cost for taking the abbot as an ally to justify the abbot not stepping in?
I made this build because it's completely different to the other quests that are going on currently and anyone who played In the Thunders Echo knows how good Int 4 Sage is.
Eh got to go soon and I got distracted.
Allow me to present the swordiest build I could come up with.
18 XP to courtier package, 37 to duelling severe and 28 to get Agility 4. This leaves me three points over, I feel like getting contrary because we're pretty good at duelling, Kenjutsu and Iajutusu so may as well provoke them. Cursed by the Realm Yomi is simply free points as I don't intend to buy any such advantages. This leaves us with 4 points to spend on Tattoos that we STILL HAVE NOT BEEN TOLD HOW MUCH they cost. I didn't buy 10 points worth of disadvantages because they generally cost more points than advantages and traits can give. We've already got a pretty powerful guy, we don't need 3 extra xp.
Well I um went and did a whole character inspired somewhat by Chambara films and the the theme of revenge. If you just wanted packaged @Hello, let me know.
[x] Dragon's Vengeance
Osamu, never intended to become a swordsman for all his skill at it. Never intended to be anything but a simple monk. One of the first orphans left at the High House of Light, Osamu found himself raised as one of the followers of Togashi seeking the answer to the Riddle of the Tao. Togashi Kentaro, one of the first people inducted into the Order of Togashi and tattooed with the blood of a kami, raised Osamu as his own, and taught him everything that could be needed to be a proper monk of the order.
It was on the night that Osamu received his first tattoo, that Kentaro was found murdered.
Togashi Kentaro had once just been Kenichiro, a wandering warrior who had fought and killed across the North of Rokugan, creating a fierce rivalry with another swordswoman named Michiko. When Kentaro retired from the life of a warrior, Michiko hadn't accepted it, but unable to challenge a Samurai as not one, had turned her attention to finding and joining the most capable warriors in all of Rokugan.
Now Matsu Rin, she had returned and challenged Kentaro to a battle, one that Kentaro refused, having no sword and not having trained in any bushi arts for years. Rin attacked anyways leaving the monk in a pool of his own blood, and walking away unsatisfied.
Osamu torn by grief was refused entry into the Togashi Order being told that he had to find peace.
Peace that he could only find by finding and killing Matsu Rin to avenge his Master, his father.
Taking Kentaro's daisho as his own, Osamu wandered into the mountains, there finding Mirumoto Junko, Junko a student of Mirumoto seeking to find her path of the sword, agreed to teach Osamu after hearing his story. From her Osamu learned to become not a monk of the Togashi Order, but one of the first bushi of the Taoist Swordsman sect who merged the ideals of the Togashi with the ferocity of the Mirumoto. Osamu found that while he picked up the use of the blade easily, that the biggest change was how he seemed to draw on the Earth within him to make him more able to endure great blows from his new sensei.
After five years of training, Junko declared she had no more to teach, that it was time for him to go and fulfil his destiny but that as payment for her training that Osamu must repay an old debt of hers to a man who now went by the name of Doji Tetsou
Bidding his sensei fare well, Osamu prepares to leave the mountains of the Dragon to find Matsu Rin, and kill her.
Honour: 5.5
Glory: 0
Insight: 147
Insight Rank: 1
Trait Spread
Ring
Mental Trait
Physical Trait
Air 2
Awareness 2
Reflexes 3
Earth 3
Willpower 3
Stamina 3
Fire 2
Intelligence 2
Agility 3
Water 2
Perception 2
Strength 3
Void 4
NA
NA
Taoist Swordsmen lacking armor rely more than most on their Earth, because they will get hit. Hence the spending for Earth 3
Since they lack armor it also behoves us to grab Reflexes 3, not only is going faster in a fight in our interests, it does make us somewhat harder to hit. The difference between 15 and 20 isn't much, but with our excess void, we can afford to pop one to give us TN 30, or go with the bamboo tattoo later.
Following that, agility 3 is basically something every bushi wants starting out if they can get it, we can get it being able to hit reliably, is crucial and usually begins happening about k3 in a weapon skill.
Strength is a bit of an odd choice, but ties into the Taoist Rank 2 ability to call knock downs for one raise, we should be knocking people down as much as possible we need strength to do this.
Unfortunately this leaves us relatively lacking in mental traits, but with the notable exception of Awareness (Which we can buy up ASAP) we don't need them quite yet. In turn they also set up for relatively quick levelling afterwards as bringing our rings to 3 gives us +10 to the Insight Rank and we only really need to do that twice in addition to picking up some skills to hit rank 3.
*Is a school skill (Explanation for why that number)
*Lore Theology 1 (Fun skill didn't suit the build will want to buy this up if we want to play up the mystic aspect)
*Defense 1 (Pretty much worthless outside of niche situatiosn)
*Investigation 3 (This is how we notice stuff, if we can't buy up perception, at least we can be well trained in finding things)
*Athletics 1 (Useful skill and a priority if we intend to be physical, but we lacked xp points)
*Kenjutsu 3 (This lets you hit with the sword, need I say more?. Not we have an emphasis in katana use)
*Iaijutsu 3 (Readying your katana as free action is really nice, also makes a fairly bullshit duellist)
*Meditation 3 (Meditation restores your void, editted for gm compliance)
Etiquette 2 (Being able to convince people that you're not a jack ass is important. *Editted by gm request*)
Perform Flute: 1 (I ended up with an extra point and just needed to spend it)
Masteries
Investigation 3: May reroll failed search checks at the same level
Kenjutsu 3: +1k0 to sword damage rolls. (For those keeping track that means we roll 8k2 on a katana and 8k3 with a nodachi)
Iaijutsu 3: Readies a Katana as a free action.
Meditation 3: When meditating regain 2 void points.
Note: + means that it adds that number to the TN of any roll.
Advantages:
Tattoo (I am budgeting four points for this if it cost less...well we have extra)
Strength of the Earth:
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
[Explanation= As someone with no armor, we will get hit, being able to ignore essentially 20 wounds of damage before we're meaningfully effected is worth it's weight in gold, and at 2 xp it's pretty cheap]
Disadvantages:
Lost Love (Togashi Kentaro)
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.
[Osamu loved his dad, that's why he's taken his murder so hard. While this is a bit of a gimmie in our ability to shrug it off via void points. Overall, I feel like exploring paternal love is an interesting one not often seen in l5r quests. As a motivating driver it suits]
Driven (Kill Matsu Rin)
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.
[This is the crux of Omasu's initial motivation and why he left the Dragon lands in the first place. He might not succeed, we might decide that Papa Kentaro wouldn't want us to waste our life on revenge, but it is pretty much essential to have it]
Obligation: (Mirumoto Junko)
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.
[What did you think Junko was just training Osamu for kicks? No he owes her one, and she's using it to get him to repay yet another favour to Doji Tetsuo...]
Bad Fortune: 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.
[Unknown enemy ties yet again into the theme of revenge for Osamu. He's the unknown enemy of Matsu Rin...but what will be his kharma for that?]
Ascetic
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
[I don't actually want this, but you get it for free as a Taoist Sworsman so here it is]
Techniques Rank 1: Aligned With the Elements
Students of the Taoist Swordsman school spend their days in the rugged mountains of the Dragon lands, enduring the harsh elements with little clothing and no armor, learning the ways of the sword in complete selflessness. When wielding a sword and wearing no armor, you gain Reduction equal to your School Rank +2. Additionally, you add +1k0 to your damage with any sword.
Rank 2: Fist and Blade
The Taoist Swordsmen train alongside the Togashi tattooed men, studying their unconventional methods of combat and learning to apply those methods to swordsmanship. When fighting with a sword, you may perform the Knockdown maneuver for 1 less Raise, and if you control a Grapple while holding a sword you may inflict damage with the sword instead of unarmed damage.
Overall XP Spend
Base Total 80
Traits -60
Skills -24
Disadvantages +10
Advantages -6
Reminder= 0
Reasoning: Let us be conservative here. For those of you unaware of the system: In Legend of the Five Rings Disadvantages are -actual- disadvantages. They should never be used as "free point-mooching" under a GM who made a note. To fill up on 15 points of disadvantages is a sure-fire way to cripple ourselves to an early grave/retirement/dishonor/sepukku/uselesness in some kind and fashion.
So i propose this more "heroic" build. The fortunes definitly look upon this little guy, changing fate in his favour (luck and unlucky, not to mention great destiny). We are good at fighting without being an invincible swordsage yet. We also are insight rank 1, which we were told to be, but so close that only a few experience points spent on skills/traits will allow us to get above it and hit rank 2.
We are also so-so at social niceties. Not enough to be outstanding, but enough to not dishonor ourselves by just existing.
Wrote a whole backstory but then figured broad strokes was probably the better way to go with this. Kojirou is a wandering swordsman who goes from court to court. Usually forced into wandering to escape his lecherous ways, he has the ability to live off the land but usually finds his way back into high society chasing the flowers of Rokugan. Welcomed into most courts (a tattooed Dragon swordsman with some measure of courtly grace) for his rarity if nothing else, his dueling skills have some far been able to let him survive his lecherous nature (so far). A falling out with a fellow trainee at his Dojo still haunts him (Love Lost and Sworn Enemy in 1 person).
Open to any changes you guys suggest! Tried my best not an expert at this, wanted more skills but picked less to keep the insight down. Didn't have a huge reason for Cursed by Gaki-do except I liked the idea of a wanderer with hungry dead after him. Didn't have Prodigy at first but it seemed popular so I put it in.
Edit: Switched Etiquette 3 to 2 and raised Investigation to 3. Didn't realized till now the Etiquette Mastery would give me the insight to raise me to IR2.
Advantages: 18 exp
Paragon (Compassion): 7
Seven Fortune's Blessing (Ebisu): 4
Hero of the People: 2 (EDIT2: Some backstory concerns about this, and needed the exp.)
Absolute Direction: 1
Togashi Tattoo (Ocean): 4 (EDIT3: Tattoos count towards advantage cap)
Disadvantages: 3 exp
Sworn Enemy (Matsu Hiro)
Skills: 17 exp
Iaijutsu 3: 5
Kenjutsu 3: 5 Meditation 2: 2 (EDIT: being able to find trouble is more important for right now.)
Courtier 1: 1 Etiquette 2: 3 (EDIT2: Needed some Exp, so Etiquette 1: 1 instead.)
Sincerity 1: 1
Lore: Bushido 1: 1
Lore: Heraldry 1: 1 (EDIT3: Had a free point of exp due to advantage cap.)
Hunting 1: 1
Investigation 1 : 1
Basically, since we have Void 4 I wanted an ability that keys off of Void. Paragon of Compassion has the lovely ability of giving us +2k2 on any Void points that we spend on assisting those lower in the social order than us. Combine that with Ebisu's Blessing for +1k1 on speaking to all people lower in the order than us, and we have the perfect build for a wandering swordsman that travels humbly and without the trappings of other nobles, wandering the lands of Rokugan in search of enlightenment and in defense of the common people. Hero of the People and Absolute Direction are 'flavor' additions to that concept that will only make him better at what he does. Instead of Hero of the People and Absolute Direction, we get a fancy Tattoo. So, we can't get too mad.
Given that we're a primary swordsman I wanted at least Agility and Kenjutsu 3, and with Awareness, Reflexes, and Iaijutsu 3 we're a very credible threat in a duel.
Couple of thunks: first I want meditation 3 asap, its a nice thing in any character but it fits in well here and second I kind of wanted to design a character myself but alas waited to Hello post until I was asleep.
Thousands of small legs,
Increasingly quicker speed,
Winter's recovery,
I'd like to ttake a moment and thank everyone who read that abysmal attempt at poetry. Special mention goes to Hello who managed to guess which animal I was referring to.
@whydoyoubother, it is just to keep you from rerolling my forced rerolls I think and thus gaming the disad. I could make something like "Touched by the Fortune of Luck" if you want, which would be unlucky + lucky except I can't force a reroll of your rolls and vis versa. I would make it 3 points.
@Nix's Warden, tattoos will cost 4, and you have to take it as a Togashi. It counts towards your advantages cap.
@storybookknight, missing the tattoo buy. You don't have to pick it right now, but you do need it listed.
we have the perfect build for a wandering swordsman that travels humbly and without the trappings of other nobles, wandering the lands of Rokugan in search of enlightenment and in defense of the common people.
