C O N T E N T S

I nt r oduct i on .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
C har act er C r eat i on Basi cs .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
C hapt er 1: Races . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Human . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . 7
Hengeyokai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10
Kor obokur u . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . 11
N ezumi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . 13
S pi r i t
Fol k. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Vanar a .
.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . 15
O t her Races . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
C hapt er 2: C l asses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Bar bar i an . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Fi ght er . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Monk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Ranger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Rogue . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
S amur ai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
S haman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
S hugenj a
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
S ohei . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
27
S or cer er . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Wuj en.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
N PC C l asses . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Banned C l asses
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Mul t i cl ass C har act er s
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
C ast e and C l ass i n Rokugan
. . . . . . . . . 32
C hapt er
3:
Pr est i ge
C l asses . . . . . . . . . 33
Monk Pr est i ge C l asses .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Bat t l e
Mai den . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
34
Bear
War r i or . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
36
Bl ade
Dancer . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . .
37
E unuch War l ock.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Henshi nMyst i c . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. 39
I ai j ut su Mast er . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
41
Ki shi C har ger . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
42
N i nj a
S py . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
S hadow
S cout . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
44
S hapeshi f t er . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . 45
S hi nt ao Monk . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
S i ngh Rager . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
T at t ooed Monk
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Voi d Di sci pl e .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
WeaponMast er
( Kensei ) . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Wi t ch
Hunt er . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Yakuza
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . .
55
C hapt er 4: S ki l l s andFeat s . .
. . . . . . . . 57
C ast e andS ki l l s i n Rokugan
. . . . . . . . 57
S peci al t i es . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . S 7
N ewUses f or O l d S ki l l s
. . . . . . . . . . . . 58
N ewS ki l l : I ai j ut su Focus
. . . . . . . . . . . 58
S ki l l C ont est s . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Feat s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
S hugenj as
and Met amagi c Feat s . . . . . 60
Feat Descr i pt i ons
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
C hapt er
5 : Descr i pt i onand
E qui pment
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Al i gnment and
Honor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Vi t al S t at i st i cs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
E qui ppi ng a C har act er . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Ar mor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Advent ur i ng Gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
C l ass T ool s and S ki l l Ki t s . . . . . . . . . . . 77
C l ot hi ng . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Food, Dr i nk, and Lodgi ng. . . . . . . . . . . 77
Mount s and Rel at ed Gear .
. . . . . . . . . .
77
S peci al andS uper i or I t ems . . . . . . . . . . 78
C hapt er 6: C ombat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Mar t i al Ar t s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
E mpt yHandMast er y . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Mi ght y
Wor ks Mast er y
I
. . . . . . . . . 80
Mi ght y
Wor ks
Mast er yI I
. . . . . . . .
80
Foot and Fi st Mast er y
. . . . . . . . . . . . 80
T he
Gent l e WayMast er y . . . . . . . . . 81
Medi t at i on of War Mast er y
. . . . . . .
81
I ai j ut su Duel s
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
81
Psychi c Duel s
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.
. . . .
82
C hapt er
? : Magi c andspel l s . . . . . . . . 83
S hugenj as and S pel l cast i ng . . . . . . . . . 83
S pel l s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
S hamanS pel l s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
S hamanDomai ns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
S hugenj a S pel l s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
S hugenj a S chool S pel l s . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
S ohei S pel l s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Wu J en S pel l s .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
S pel l Descr i pt i ons
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
C hapt er 8 : Magi c I t ems . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Li mi t onMagi c I t ems Wor n .
. . . . . .
121
Magi c Ar mor . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
121
Magi c
Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Pot i ons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Ri ngs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
S cr ol l s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
T al i smans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Wands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Wondr ous I t ems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
C r eat i ng Magi c I t ems . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
C hapt er 9: Monst er s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
T ype Modi f i er s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Monst er Manual Monst er s . . . . . . . . . . 144
Baj ang . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Bakemono
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
146
Bi san . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Bog Hag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. 147
Buso, T i gbanua
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
T agamal i ng Buso . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
C ent i pede, S pi r i t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Least S pi r i t C ent i pede. . . . . . . . . . . 150
Lesser S pi r i t C ent i pede. . . . . . . . . . 150
Gr eat er S pi r i t C ent i pede . . . . . . . . 150
Doc C u' o' c . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Dokuf u . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Dr agon, Lung. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Yu Lung ( C ar p Dr agon) . . . . . . . . . 154
C hi ang Lung ( Ri ver Dr agon) . . . . 155
Li Lung ( E ar t h Dr agon) . . . . . . . . . 156
LungWang( S ea Dr agon) . . . . .
. . . 157
PanLung ( C oi l ed Dr agon)
. . . . . . .
158
S hen
Lung ( S pi r i t Dr agon)
. . . . . . 159
T ' i en Lung ( C el est i al Dr agon) . . . . 161
T un Mi Lung ( T yphoon
Dr agon) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
162
Gaki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
163
J i ki - ni ku- gaki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
S hi kki - gaki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
S hi nen- gaki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
J i ki - ket su- gaki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Ghost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16S
Hannya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Hebi - no- onna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Hengeyokai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Hoppi ngVampi r e. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Kappa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169'
Ki - r i n
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . .
170
Kor obokur u
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17I ( 1
Mamono. . . . . . . . . . . .
.
. . . . . . . . . . . .
172
N aga, S hi nomen
. . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Gr eensnake .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
174
C hamel eon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Asp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
C obr a. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
C onst r i ct or . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
N at . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
E i nsaung N at . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
HkumYengN at . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
LuN at . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
N at ur e S pi r i t
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
177
N ezumi . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
178
O ni
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
C ommonO ni . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Go- zu O ni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Me- zuO ni
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
O ni , S hadowl ands
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
181
Hai no N o O ni
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
181
Ashi N o O ni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
S anr u N o O ni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
KamuN oO ni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
S hi ki bu N o O ni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Ugul uN oO ni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
AkumaN o O ni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
KyosoN oO ni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Yat t oko N o O ni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Byoki N o O ni . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Geki do N o O ni
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
187
T subur uN oO ni
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
188
O ni kage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Pennaggol an
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. 189
Rokur o- kubi
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
S hi r oki nukat sukami . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
S pi r i t
Fol k
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
192
T ako . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
T asl oi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
T engu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
T oad, Gi ant .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
195
Gi ant T oad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Fi r e T oad. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Poi sonous T oad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
I ce T oad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
T suno. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Wang- l i ang. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Yet i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Yuki - on- na . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
C hapt er 10: C ampai gnDesi gn . . . . . 201
wor l d- Bui l di ng. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
What ' s i n a N ame? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
O pt i onal Rul es E xpansi ons . . . . . . 202
Put t i ngt he Pi eces T oget her . . . . . . 205
C osmol ogy: T he S pi r i t Wor l d . . . . 206
C hapt er 11 : T heE mpi r e of
Rokugan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Hi st or y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
T he C hi l dr en of t he S un
andMoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Hant ei , S hi nsei , and Fu Leng . . . . 208
AT housandYear s of Peace . . . . . . . 208
C l an War s . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . 208
T he War agai nst t he
S hadow. . . . . 208
S pi r i t War s . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . 209
T he C el est i al
O r der: Rokugani
C ul t ur e . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . 209
T he E mpi r e of Rokugan
. . . . . . . . . . . 211
I mper i al
Fami l i es . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
I mper i al Lands
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
C r ab C l an .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
T he Hi da
Def ender . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
C r ane C l an . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
T he Dai doj i
Bodyguar d. . . . . . . . . . 215
Dr agon
C l an . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
T he Mi r umot o N i t en Mast er . . . . 218
Li on
C l an . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
T he AkodoC hampi on . . . . . . . . . . 220
Phoeni x C l an . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
221
T he S hi ba Pr ot ect or . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
S cor pi on C l an . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
T he Bayushi Decei ver . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Uni cor n C l an. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
T he Mot o Avenger . . . .
. . . . . . . . . .
228
T he Mi nor C l ans
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
T he Mant i s Mer cenar y
. . . . . . . . . . 231
C hapt er 12 : T he
S hadowl ands . . . . . 233
Hi st or y
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Lands . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Magi c i n t he
S hadowl ands . . . . . . . 234
T he S hadowl ands
T ai nt . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Resi st i ng t he T ai nt
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Heal i ng
t heT ai nt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
S hadowl ands Monst er s
and
t he T ai nt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23S
Bl oodspeaker s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
235
Mahoandt he T ai nt
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
236
Pr est i ge C l asses andT empl at es . . . . . 236
Maho- buj i n . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
236
Maho- t sukai
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Maho- t sukai S pel l Li st
. . . . . . . . . . 239
Maho- t sukai
S pel l Descr i pt i ons . . 240
Akut sukai . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Akut enshi
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Appendi x 1 : S pel l I ndex. . . . . . . . . . . 244
Appendi x 2: Monst er I ndex . . . . . . . 248
Appendi x 3: Pr onunci at i on Gui de . 249
i ndex. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
C har act er S heet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Li st of S i debar s
Legendof t he Fi ve Ri ngs . . . . . . . . . . . .
5
Level Adj ust ment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Honor i n t he Game .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
I ai j ut su S t r i kes i n N or mal
C ombat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Rewar ds . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
206
T i mel i ne of Rokugan Hi st or y. . . . . . 210
Mul t i pl e Pr est i ge C l asses . . .
. . . . . . .
213
T he
Wi t ch Hunt er s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Dr agons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Bushi do. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
T he O r acl es . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Poi sons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
C har act er s and C l ans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Usi ng O t her Peopl e' s Bl ood . . . . . . . . 238
Li st of T abl es
T abl e 1- 1: Raci al Abi l i t y
Adj ust ment s . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . 7
T abl e 1- 2: Hengeyokai
Hybr i d For ms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
T abl e 1- 3: Hengeyokai
Ani mal For ms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
T abl e 2- 1: T he S amur ai
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
20
T abl e
2- 2: Ancest r al
Dai sho . . . . . . . . . 21
T abl e
2- 3
:
T he
S haman . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
T abl e 2- 4
: T he S hugenj a . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
T abl e 2- 5
: S hugenj a S pel l s Known. . . 26
T abl e 2- 6: T he
S ohei . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
T abl e 2- 7
: T he Wu J en. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
T abl e 3- 1: Mul t i pl e Unar med
At t acks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
T abl e 3- 2: T he Bat t l e Mai den. . . . . . . . 35
T abl e 3- 3: T he Bear War r i or . .
. . . . . . .
36
T abl e 3- 4: T he Bl ade Dancer . . . . . . . . 38
T abl e 3- 5: T he E unuch War l ock . . . .
.
39
T abl e 3- 6: T he Henshi n Myst i c . . . . . . 40
T abl e 3- 7: T he I ai j ut su Mast er . . . . . . . 41
T abl e 3- 8: T he Ki shi C har ger. . . . . . . . 42
T abl e 3- 9: T he N i nj a S py
. . . . . . . . . . . 43
T abl e
3- 10
: T he S hadowS cout
. . . . . . 45
T abl e 3- 11 : T he S hapeshi f t er . . . . .
. . .
46
T abl e
3- 12
: T he S hi nt ao
Monk . . . . . . 47
T abl e
3- 13:
T he S i ngh
Rager . . . . . . . . 49
T abl e 3- 14
: T he T at t ooed Monk
. . . . . 50
T abl e
3- 15:
T he
voi d Di sci pl e . . . . . . . 51
T abl e
3- 16
: T he
Weapon Mast er . . . . . 53
T abl e
3- 17:
T he Wi t ch
Hunt er . . . . . . 54
T abl e 3- 18 : T he Yakuza . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
T abl e 4- 1: Languages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
T abl e 4- 2: N ewFeat s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
T abl e 4- 3: Ancest or Feat s . . . . . . . . . . . 61
T abl e s- 1: C ommon S yl l abl es . . . . . . . 69
T abl e 5- 2: RandomS t ar t i ng Ages . . . . 69
T abl e s- 3
:
Agi ng E f f ect s . . . . . . . . . . . .
69
T abl e
5- 4
: RandomHei ght
andWei ght
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
70
T abl e
5- 5
: RandomS t ar t i ng Gol d. . . .
70
T abl e
5- 6
: Weapons f r om
t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
70
T abl e s- 7: N ewWeapons . . . . . . . . . . .
72
T abl e
5- 8
: Ar mor f r om
t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
T abl e s- 9: N ewAr mor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
T abl e 5- 10: S peci al and
S uper i or I t ems
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
T abl e
5- 11
: Gr enadel i ke Weapons . . . 78
T abl e 6- 1 : Mar t i al Ar t s Feat s
. . . . . . . .
78
T abl e 6- 2: Mar t i al Ar t s S t yl es
. . . . . . .
80
T abl e 8- 1 : RandomMagi c I t em
Gener at i on. . . . . . .
. . .
. . . . . . . . . . . 121
T abl e 8- 2: Ar mor and
shi el ds
. . . . . . 122
T abl e 8- 3
:
RandomAr mor T ype . . . . 122
T abl e 8- 4: RandomS hi el d T ype . . . . 122
T abl e 8- 5: Ar mor S peci al Abi l i t i es . . . 123
T abl e 8- 6: S hi el d andT essen
S peci al Abi l i t i es . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
T abl e 8- 7: S peci f i c Ar mor s
and S hi el ds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
T abl e 8- 8: Weapons
. . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . 124
T abl e 8- 9: WeaponT ype
Det er mi nat i on . .
. . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . 124
T abl e 8- 10: C ommon Mel ee
Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . 124
T abl e
8- 11
:
UncommonWeapons . . 125
T abl e 8- 12 : C ommon
Ranged
Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . 125
T abl e
8- 13: Mel ee Weapon
S peci al
Abi l i t i es
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
T abl e 8- 14: RangedWeapon
S peci al Abi l i t i es . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
T abl e 8- 15: S peci f i c Weapons . . . . . . 127
T abl e 8- 16: Pot i ons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
T abl e 8- 17: Ri ngs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
T abl e 8- 18: S cr ol l T ypes . . . . . . . . . . . 129
T abl e 8- 19: N umber of S pel l s
on a S cr ol l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
T abl e 8- 20: S cr ol l S pel l Level s . . . . . 129
T abl e 8- 21: Ar cane S pel l S cr ol l s . . . . 129
T abl e 8- 22: Di vi ne ( S hamanor
S ohei ) S pel l S cr ol l s
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
132
T abl e 8- 23: Di vi ne ( S hugenj a)
S pel l S cr ol l s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
133
T abl e 8- 24: T al i smans
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
T abl e 8- 25
:
Wands
. . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . 136
T abl e 8- 26 : Mi nor
Wondr ous I t ems . 137
T abl e 8- 27 : Medi umWondr ous
I t ems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . .
138
T abl e 8- 28 : Maj or Wondr ous I t ems . . 139
T abl e 10- 1 : C har act er C l ass
N ames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
T abl e 10- 2 : Weapon N ames . . . . . . . . 203
T abl e 10- 3: Monst er s as Races . . . . . . 203
T abl e 11- 1 : T he Hi da Def ender . . . . . 212
T abl e 11- 2: T he Dai doj i
Bodyguar d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
T abl e 11- 3: T he Mi r umot o
N i t en Mast er . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
T abl e 11- 4: T he Akodo C hampi on . . 221
T abl e 11- 5 : T he S hi ba Pr ot ect or . . . . 223
T abl e 11- 6: T he Bayushi Decei ver . . 226
T abl e 11- 7: Poi son . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
T abl e 11- 8: T he Mot o Avenger . . . . . 229
T abl e 11- 9: T he Mant i s Mer cenar y . 232
T abl e 12- 1 : T ai nt E f f ect s . . . . . . . . . . . 235
T abl e 12- 2: T he Maho- buj i n . . . . . . . 236
T abl e 12- 3: T he Maho- t sukai . . . . . . . 237
T abl e 12- 4: Maho- t sukai S pel l s
Known. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
I N T RO DUC T I O N
T he
myst er i ous and exot i c O r i ent , l and of spi ces and
war l or ds, has at l ast openedher gat es
t o t he West . "
S i xt een year s ago t hose wor ds st ar t ed t he
back cover t ext f or
anot her
book cal l ed O r i ent al Advent ur es . S i nce t hen, t he wor l d
has changed- we r ar el y r ef er
t o t he count r i es of Asi a as " t he
myst er i ous
O r i ent , " f or one t hi ng- and t he DUN GE O N S
&
DRAGO N S game has changed, not
l east wi t h t he ar r i val of t wonew
edi t i ons of t he r ul es, one i n 1989 andone i n August 2000. T S R,
I nc. publ i shed t he f i r st
O r i ent al Advent ur es j ust a f ewyear s af t er
J ames C l avel l ' s
novel S hogun ai r ed as aT Vmi ni ser i es . T he l egend
of t he samur ai shaped much of t he D&D
gai ner ' s concept of what
f ant asy
Asi a shoul d and coul d be, and games such as Bushi do
br ought t hat vi si on t o l i f e
al ongsi de or i ent al Advent ur es.
I n
t he meant i me, a col l ect i bl e car d game somehow
accom-
pl i shed what gener at i ons
of r ol epl ayi ng games based on t he
f ant asi es of Asi a never qui t e di d: cr eat e a l i vi ng
wor l d dr awn
f r omAsi an hi st or y
and l egend t hat di d not pr et end t o be
hi st or y, never cl ai med t o be accur at e,
and yet appeal ed t o a
l ar ger and mor e
vocal f an base t han t he or i gi nal O r i ent al
Advent ur es set t i ng of Kar a- T ur or
hi st or i cal J apan ever di d. I n
t ur n, t hi s
car d game- Legend of t he Fi ve
Ri ngs- i nspi r ed i t s
ownr ol epl ayi ng game and
opened i t s uni que vi si on of f ant asy
Asi a
t o a whol e newgener at i on of r ol epl ayer s
.
N owt hi ngs come f ul l ci r cl e
. Anewver si on of O r i ent al
Advent ur es- much mor e t han a si mpl e
updat i ngof t he or i gi nal
t o t he newr ul es
of DUN GE O N S &DRAGO N s - i s nowi n your
hands, i ncor por at i ng Rokugan, t he
wor l d of Legend of t he Fi ve
Ri ngs, as i t s f eat ur ed
campai gn set t i ng. Mer gi ng Rokuganwi t h
O r i ent al Advent ur es
was i n i t sel f a monument al t ask, and i t
became mor e so as I dr ew
mat er i al f r omt he C hi nese- i nspi r ed
Dr agon
Fi st game and my owni nt er est i n t he
cul t ur es of I ndi a
and S out heast Asi a. T he r esul t ,
as you have pr obabl y al r eady
not i ced
f r omf l i ppi ng t hr ough t he book or ski mmi ngt he t abl e
of cont ent s, i s a bi t l i ke di m
sum.
DUN GE O N S &DRAGO N S i s al l about
choi ces andopt i ons, and
i n t hese pages you
shoul d f i nd enough choi ces and opt i ons t o
make your head spi n. O ur " f eat ur ed" campai gn
set t i ng f or
advent ur e i n a
wor l d of f ant asy Asi a uses onl y a t i ny por t i on
of
t hose opt i ons . Kor obokur us
or wuj en don' t f i t i n a campai gn
t hat t r i es t o st ay
cl ose t o pr evi ous i ncar nat i ons of Rokugan.
N ei t her does t he hoppi ngvampi r e
or t he spi r i t cent i pede. But
you wi l l f i nd
t hose r aces, cl asses, and monst er s- and
much,
much mor e- i nt hi s vol ume
.
T he
goal of t hi s O r i ent al Advent ur es
i s t o pr ovi de you wi t h a
compr ehensi ve set
of opt i ons- char act er cl asses, r aces, and
LE GE N D O f T HE FI VE RI N GS
T he
f i ve r i ngs descr i bed by
Mi r umot o
Musashi - ai r , ear t h, f i r e, wat er , and
Voi d- ar e
t he f undament al el ement s
of shugenj a spel l cast -
i ng ( see t he shugenj a
cl ass i n C hapt er 2 and t he
Voi d di sci pl e
pr est i ge cl ass i n C hapt er 3) , but
t hey' r e al so t he
symbol of Rokugan, t he wor l d of t he Legend of
t he Fi ve Ri ngs games
and novel s and t he f eat ur ed campai gn
set t i ng of O r i ent al
Advent ur es . T hi s symbol appear s t hr oughout
t he book
t o i ndi cat e mat er i al - r aces, cl asses, pr est i ge cl asses,
pr est i ge cl asses, ski l l s and f eat s, weapons, ar mor , and ot her
gear , spel l s and magi c i t ems, monst er s and mor e monst er s-
t hat
you canuse t o pl ay DUN GE O N S &
DRAGO N s i n a campai gn
based on t he f ant asi es, myt hs, andl egends of Asi a. Youcanuse
t hemal l , and end up wi t h a chaot i c but pr obabl y qui t e ent er -
t ai ni ng j umbl e of a campai gn t hat i s not conf i ned t o a si ngl e
er a of
hi st or y
or r eal - wor l d cul t ur e. O r youcan sel ect
car ef ul l y
f r omt he opt i ons pr esent ed, ei t her usi ng our f eat ur ed set t i ng
of Rokuganor
cr af t i ng
a set t i ngof your own
.
Per haps you
want
t o cont i nue pl ayi ng i n t he Kar a- T ur of t he ol d or i ent al
Advent ur es ( and numer ous FO RGO T T E N RE ALMS pr oduct s) , or i n
Dr agon Fi st ' s empi r e of T i anguo, i nspi r ed by C hi nese wuxi a
movi es. O r you maysi mpl y want t o addnewopt i ons t o
a st an-
dar d D&Dcampai gn.
Youcan do al l t hat .
O r you may si mpl y want t o add newopt i ons t o a st andar d
D&Dcampai gn. Maybe your f i ght er i s r eady f or a pr est i ge
cl ass, andt he ki shi char ger
may be j ust what you had
i n mi nd
.
O r you want t o pl ay a hal f - or c wi zar d wi t h a t wi st , and t he wu
j en cl ass i s j ust t he t wi st you need. Does your monk want
some mor e unar medf i ght i ng opt i ons? Looki ngf or some cl as-
si c monst er s, l i ke t asl oi , yet i , andi ce t oads? E ver yt hi ng i n t hi s
book i s
compl et el y compat i bl e wi t h t he cor e r ul es of D&D-
t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook, DUN GE O N MAS T E R' s Gui de, and Monst er
manual - so t her e' s not hi ng st oppi ng you f r ompi cki ng and
choosi ng newopt i ons f or your campai gn f r omt he opt i ons
compi l ed her e.
I f you want t o pl ay i n Rokugan, we' ve hel ped you out
t hr oughout t he book by hi ghl i ght i ngt he opt i ons t hat ar e avai l -
abl e i n t hat set t i ng. I f youwant t o use Kar a- T ur or T i anguo, you
shoul dn' t have t o l ook t oo har d t o f i nd t he opt i ons you need.
( J ust r emember t hat
t he ol d shukenj a i s what we nowcal l t he
shaman; t he shugenj a i s a newcl ass f r omRokugan! ) I f youwant
t o make your owncampai gn, we' ve pr esent ed some advi ce on
wor l d- bui l di ng i n C hapt er 10. I f you j ust want t o have ni nj a
spi es i n your r egul ar D&Dgame, you don' t need advi ce, you
j ust need r ul es- go ahead and di ve on i n!
Myst er y, shmyst er y. Fant asy Asi a i s no mor e or l ess exot i c
and myst er i ous t han any
ot her f ant asy. But
i f
your t ast es
i n
f ant asy r un t o honor abl e samur ai , t at t ooed monks, shadowy
ni nj a, shapeshi f t i ng ani mal s, spi r i t - t al ker shamans, swor d-
swi ngi ng wi zar ds who can r un
up t r ees, ser pent i ne dr agons,
hoppi ngvampi r es, bl ood sor cer er s, and i ai j ut su duel s . . . wel l ,
youshoul d f i nd enough i n her e t o f i l l you up.
For manyyear s t o come, we hope.
J ames Wyat t
monst er s- t hat you shoul d use i f you want t o pl ay DUN GE O N S &
DRaGO N S i n t he wor l d of Rokugan. Look f or t hi s symbol t o gui de
your choi ces about what opt i ons t o use i n your game i f you ar e
usi ng Rokugan as your campai gn set t i ng. You need not f eel
bound by our decr ees of what i s and i s not al l owabl e i n Rokugan,
however : Li ke any ot her campai gn set t i ng, Rokugan i s your s
once you adopt i t f or your game- i f you want t o al l ow
kor obokur u wu j en al ongsi de Dr agon cl an t at t ooed monks i n
your Rokugan, don' t l et us hol d you back.
C HARAC T E R
C RE AT I O N
BAS I C S
Fol l owt hese st eps t o cr eat e a
begi nni ng, 1st - l evel char act er f or
O r i ent al
Advent ur es.
0.
C HE C K WI T HYO UR
DUN GE O N
MAS T E R
E ven mor e t han
usual , i t i s i mpor t ant t o f i nd out whi ch of t he
many opt i ons pr esent ed i n t hi s book ar e a par t of your DM' s
wor l d
.
Fi nd
out i f you' l l be pl ayi ng i n t he wor l dof Rokugan or
i n a di f f er ent set t i ng, and what cl asses, r aces, and pr est i ge
cl asses your
DMwi l l al l ow
1. ABI LI T Y
S C O RE S
Rol l your char act er ' s si x abi l i t y scor es . Det er mi ne
each one by
r ol l i ng
f our si x- si deddi ce, i gnor i ng t he l owest di e, andt ot al i ng
t he ot her t hr ee. Recor dyour si x
r esul t s on scr at ch paper.
2. C HO O S E C LAS S
AN D
RAC E
T he cl asses i n O r i ent al Advent ur es ar e bar bar i an, f i ght er , monk,
r anger , r ogue, samur ai ,
shaman, shugenj a, sohei , sor cer er , and
wu j en. S ome of t hese cl asses ar e i dent i cal t o t hose
descr i bed
i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook, but
be sur e t o checkC hapt er 2 : C l asses
f or changes t o t he st andar d cl asses
as wel l as descr i pt i ons of
t he new
cl asses ( samur ai , shaman, shugenj a, sohei , and wu
j en) . Al so, l ook at C hapt er
3 :
Pr est i ge
C l asses, si nce you mi ght
want t o consi der pr est i ge cl ass r equi r ement s as youmake some
of your i ni t i al
char act er choi ces.
T he r aces i n O r i ent al Advent ur es
ar e human, hengeyokai ,
kor obokur u
nezumi ,
spi r i t f ol k, and vanar a. E xcept f or humans,
none of t hese r aces ar e descr i bed i n t he
Pl ayer ' s Handbook. S ee
C hapt er 1 :
Races f or det ai l s.
Rokugan does not have any hengeyokai ,
kor obokur us, spi r i t
f ol k, or vanar as . You
cannot pl ay t he wu j en, sohei ,
or shaman
cl ass . I f
you pl ay a human, you al so need t o
choose a cl an of or i gi n : C r ab,
C r ane, Dr agon,
Li on, Phoeni x,
S cor pi on, Uni cor n, or hei mi n ( l ower cl ass,
not af f i l i at ed wi t h t he cl ans) .
Your cl an gi ves youa f r ee cl ass
ski l l and
det er mi nes your f avor ed cl ass . I t wi l l al so det er -
mi ne your pr est i ge cl ass opt i ons
. Apr est i ge cl ass i s an
i mpor t ant
goal f or many char act er s i n Rokugan- par t i cu-
l ar l y samur ai . Look
over t he pr est i ge cl asses i n C hapt er 3:
Pr est i ge C l asses andC hapt er 11 : T he E mpi r e of Rokugan. I f
you t hi nk a
pr est i ge cl ass i s i n your char act er ' s f ut ur e, make
sur e t o choose your r ace and cl an, st ar t i ng cl ass, f eat s, and
ski l l s appr opr i at el y.
3. AS S I GN AN D ADJ US T
ABI LI T Y S C O RE S
N owt hat you knowyour char act er ' s
cl ass and r ace, assi gn
t he scor es you r ol l ed i n S t ep 1 t o your char act er ' s si x abi l i -
t i es : S t r engt h,
Dext er i t y, C onst i t ut i on, I nt el l i gence,
Wi sdom, and C har i sma. Adj ust t hese abi l i t y scor es up and
down accor di ng
t o
hi s
or her r ace, as i ndi cat ed on T abl e 1- 1 :
Raci al Abi l i t y Adj ust ment s . For each
abi l i t y, r ecor d t he
char act er ' s
modi f i er .
4 . RE VI E W T HE S T ART I N G PAC KAGE S
T he Pl ayer ' s Handbook i ncl udes st ar t i ng packages f or t he st an-
dar d cl asses . T her e ar e no st ar t i ng packages f or t he cl asses
speci f i c t o O r i ent al Advent ur es . You shoul d choose f eat s, ski l l s,
and equi pment based on your own desi r es and possi bl y t he
r equi r ement s of t he pr est i ge cl ass you event ual l y want t o adopt .
5 . RE C O RD RAC I ALAN D
C LAS S FE AT URE S
Your char act er ' s r ace and cl ass gr ant hi mor her cer t ai n
f eat ur es .
Amongot her t hi ngs, you' l l want t o make a not e of a hengeyokai
char act er ' s abi l i t i es i n human, ani mal , and
hybr i d f or m, a
shugenj a' s f avor ed el ement and school , and a wuj en' s t aboos .
6. S E LE C T S KI LLS
O r i ent al Advent ur es i nt r oduces onl y one newski l l - I ai j ut su
Focus- but C hapt er 4:
S ki l l s
and Feat s
descr i bes avai l abl e
speci al t i es f or C r af t , Knowl edge, Pr of essi on, and Per f or mski l l s,
as
wel l as di scussi ng t he r el at i onshi p bet ween a char act er ' s
soci al st at us andt he ski l l s t hat char act er l ear ns and uses .
7. S E LE C T
A
FE AT
O r i ent al Advent ur es char act er s have a number of newf eat s t o
choose f r om, descr i bed i n C hapt er 4: S ki l l s and Feat s .
I n Rokugan, human char act er s f r omone of
t he
seven cl ans must spend t hei r bonus f eat on an
" ancest or f eat . " T hese ar e speci al f eat s
t hat i ndi cat e
a kar mi c r esonance bet ween t he char act er and
one of hi s or her ancest or s, mani f est ed i n a
par t i cul ar abi l i t y or apt i t ude t he char act er
possesses.
8. RE VI E WDE S C RI PT I O N
Look over C hapt er
5 :
Descr i pt i on and E qui pment . I t i ncl udes
hei ght , wei ght , and age gui del i nes f or t he newchar act er r aces,
as wel l as i nf or mat i on about r el i gi on, al i gnment , andhonor i n
O r i ent al Advent ur es .
9. S E LE C T
E QUI PME N T
C har act er s
i n
O r i ent al Advent ur es
don' t
go
t r ompi ng i nt o
dungeons wi el di ng l ongswor ds and wear i ng hal f - pl at e ar mor.
S el ect appr opr i at e weapons,
ar mor ,
and
ot her equi pment f r om
t he l i st s i n C hapt er
5 :
Descr i pt i on and E qui pment .
10.
RE C O RD
C O MBAT AN D
S KI LL
N UMBE RS
Basedonyour r ace, cl ass, abi l i t y modi f i er s, f eat , and
equi pment ,
f i gur e out your savi ng t hr ows, Ar mor C l ass, hi t poi nt s, i ni t i at i ve
modi f i er , mel ee at t ack bonus, r anged at t ack
bonus, weapon
st at i st i cs, and t ot al ski l l bonuses.
11. DE T AI LS GALO RE
I nvent or choose a name f or your char act er ( make sur e i t f i t s
t he cul t ur al backgr ound of
your DM' s campai gn! ) , det er mi ne
hi s or her sex, choose an al i gnment ( and t hi nk about whet her
your char act er i s honor abl e or
di shonor abl e) , deci de howol d
he or she i s and what he or she l ooks l i ke, and so on. C hapt er
5 : Descr i pt i on andE qui pment suppl ement s t he
mat er i al i n t he
Pl ayer ' s Handbook onal l t hese t opi cs .
T he
" common
r aces" descr i bed i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook-
dwar ves, el ves, and so on- ar e not necessar i l y common or
even knowni n an
O r i ent al Advent ur es campai gn. T hel ands
of O r i ent al Advent ur es have t hei r owncommonr aces, i n addi -
t i on t ohumans: hengeyokai , kor obokur u, nezumi , spi r i t f ol k,
and vanar a. As descr i bedi n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook, a char act er ' s
r ace
i s an i mpor t ant
f act or i n det er mi ni ngabi l i t y scor e adj ust -
ment s, f avor ed cl ass, st ar t i ng l anguages, and speci al char ac-
t er i st i cs,
as wel l as mor e i nt angi bl e qual i t i es such as per sonal -
i t y t r ai t s, possi bl e mot i vat i ons f or
advent ur i ng, and l i kel y
names .
T abl e 1- 1 : Raci al Abi l i t y Adj ust ment s shows t he abi l -
i t y scor e adj ust ment s
and f avor ed cl ass f or each of t he f i ve
commonr aces of O r i ent al Advent ur es.
HUMAN
Humans ar e t he domi nant r ace i n O r i ent al
Advent ur es, as t hey ar e i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook.
I n t he f eat ur ed campai gn set t i ng of Rokugan,
t hey r ul e t he mi ght y E mer al dE mpi r e, t hough ,
t hey ar e t he youngest
r ace of t hat young
wor l d. T he humans of Rokugangr oupt hemsel ves
i nt o seven
maj or cl ans, each t r aci ngi t s ancest r y t o one of t he hami ( gr eat
spi r i t s) who f el l t o ear t h, cast out by t hei r f at her
t he moon.
T he member s
of
t hese cl ans shar e a di vi ne bl oodl i ne and a
st r ong sense of her i t age and i dent i t y. C er t ai n
t r ai t s and
t endenci es, f r omphysi cal char act er i st i cs t o par t i cul ar
apt i t udes and soci al r ol es, def i ne each cl an
.
C l andesi gnat i ons, however , mean l i t t l e t o t he masses of
peasant s and out cast s, l ower - cl ass humans whose onl y
l oyal t y t o t he cl ans i s i n t he f or mof t he t axes t hey pay t o
t he l or ds whor ul e and pr ot ect t hem. Ahei mi n ( peasant )
f ar mer may l i ve i n Li on l ands, send t i t hes of f ood t o Li on
cast l es, and r el y on t he Li on ar my f or pr ot ect i on, but he i s
not a Li on- he i s hei mi n. C r i mi nal s, act or s, gei sha ;
gambl er s, t he et a, and ot her s whose
pr of essi ons
make
t hemuncl ean ar e known as hi ni n ( out cast s) . Li ke t he
hei mi ns, hi ni ns
ar e
not member s of t he gr eat cl ans,
t hough t hey or t hei r ancest or s mi ght have been at one
t i me. Roni ns ( samur ai wi t h no
f ami l y
and
no cl an) ,
t hough t hey ar e t echni cal l y member s of t he nobl e cast e,
al so l i e out si de t he cl an st r uct ur e.
I f you want t o pl ay a nobl e sar r i ur ai or spel l cast i ng
shugenj a, you shoul d pl ay a human f r omt he nobl e
cast e
of
t he gr eat cl ans . I f you' r e i nt er est ed i n a di f f er ent char act er
t ype- an out l and bar bar i an, a t r ai ned peasant sol di er , a
monk, a r ogue, or a
sor cer er - t hen a
l ower - cast e
char act er
wi l l wor k as wel l . I f you pl ay a humanf r omt he gr eat cl ans,
most opt i ons ar e open t o
you. i f youpl ay a l ower - cast e human,
t he cul t ur e of Rokugan l i mi t s your opt i ons somewhat .
I f you ar e not pl ayi ng i n t he f eat ur ed
campai gn
set t i ng of Rokugan, check wi t h your Dungeon
T ABLE 1- 1 : RAC I AL ABI LI T Y ADJ US T ME N T S
Race Abi l i t y Adj ust ment s Favor ed C l ass
Human N one Any ( speci f i ed by cl an)
Hengeyokai - 2 Wi s Wu J en
N ezumi +2 C on, - 2 C ha
Rogue
Kor obokur u +2 C on, - 2 I nt
Bar bar i an
S pi r i t Fol k N one
Any
Vanar a +2 I nt , +2 Wi s, - 2 S t r S haman
Mast er . S oci al cl ass and st at us
may be l ess i mpor t ant i n your
campai gn t han
t hey ar e i n a Rokugan- based one, and
humans
may or may not be di vi ded
i nt o cl ans .
Per sonal i t y: Humans i n Rokugan shar e
per sonal i t y char ac-
t er i st i cs wi t h ot her s
of t hei r cl ans, as det ai l ed bel ow.
Member s of t he C r ab cl an t end
t o be cr ude and vi ol ent ,
t hough t hey ar e
st r ongl y dedi cat ed t o t hei r cl an' s swor n
dut y:
pr ot ect i ng t he empi r e f r omt he
S hadowl ands . T hey bel i eve i n
dut y over
honor and ar e al ways r eady f or a f i ght
.
T he C r ane cl an i s
made up of di pl omat s and cour t i er s.
Gr acef ul , el egant ,
and nobl e, t hey ar e mast er s of
i ai j ut su ( t he
speeddr aw) and duel s of honor.
Myst er i ous
and r ecl usi ve, t he schol ar s
and war r i or s of t he
Dr agon cl an ar e devot ed
t o expl or i ng t he secr et s of t he
uni ver se .
Al l t end t o speak i n eni gmat i c
r i ddl es, t hough
member s of t he
myst er i ous or der of t at t ooed monks
( see
C hapt er 3: Pr est i ge C l asses) ar e
especi al l y knownf or t hi s .
Li ons ar e t he
nobl e war r i or s of Rokugan. T hey
ar e war l i ke
and aggr essi ve but devot ed t o t he
honor of t he samur ai .
T he gr eat est
shugenj as of Rokugan bel ong t o t he
Phoeni x
cl an. T hey have a deep
l ove of magi c and knowl edge.
T he
member s of t he S cor pi on cl an ar e t he
mani pul at or s of
Rokugan, mast er s of
secr et s and l i es . N ever seen wi t hout t hei r
masks,
t hey r esembl e t hei r
namesakes- unassumi ng but
ar med wi t h
a deadl y st i ng.
Uni cor ns ar e t he out si der s
of Rokugan. Most of t hemar e
bar bar i c
r i der s wi t h aggr essi ve di sposi t i ons . Mount ed combat
i s t hei r speci al t y, and t hei r r i di ng
ski l l s ar e secondt o none.
I n
Rokugan, humans wi t hout cl an af f i l i at i on var y wi del y i n
per sonal i t y, t hough i n gener al
t hey t end t o be r ude and uncout h
by t he
st andar ds of t he nobl e cast e. Bushi do ( a code
of honor ,
l oyal t y, and obedi ence) , wi t h
i t s di ct at es of honor , means not h-
i ngt o
t hese peopl e . Hei mi ns andhi ni ns usual l y r emai nhumbl e
andunassumi ng i n t he
pr esence of t hei r bet t er s, but r oni ns
somet i mes publ i cl y f l aunt soci al convent i ons
.
I n ot her
campai gn set t i ngs, humans shar e t he same t r ai t s
descr i bed i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook: T hey t end
t o be adapt abl e,
f l exi bl e, and ambi t i ous when compar ed t o t he ot her r aces of
O r i ent al Advent ur es . Wi t hout
such st r ong t i es t o t he spi r i t r eal m
as ot her r aces have, humans make t hei r ownway i n a myst er i -
ous wor l d and
adapt t o t hei r envi r onment i n di ver se ways. I n
O r i ent al Advent ur es, t hey shar e cer t ai n cul t ur al t r ai t s- per haps
der i ved f r omr eal wor l d
J apanese, C hi nese, Kor ean, I ndi an, or
S out heast Asi an cul t ur es . T hese i ncl ude a t endency t owar d
di sci pl i ne
andor der , a r espect f or honor , andanappr eci at i on of
t he cycl es of t he nat ur al and
spi r i t ual wor l ds .
Physi cal Descr i pt i on: Physi cal char act er i st i cs, l i ke per son-
al i t y t r ai t s, var y dependi ng
on cl an af f i l i at i on f or humans i n
Rokugan.
Member s of t he
C r ab cl an ar e l ar ge and power f ul , muscul ar
and cr ude. T hey t end t o be heavi l y scar r ed and l i ght l y bat hed.
T heyhave bl ack hai r and eyes, andt hei r f eat ur es
ar e squar e .
C r anes t end t o be t al l and sl ender , wi t h sof t f eat ur es.
Many- par t i cul ar l y
member s of t he Doj i f ami l y- have whi t e
hai r , and t hei r eyes ar e usual l ybl ue or l i ght gr ay. T hey exude an
ai r of nobi l i t y and conf i dence.
T he Dr agons pr act i ce mar t i al ar t s t o keep t hei r bodi es as wel l
as t hei r
spi r i t s honed. Physi cal l y, t hey r unt he gamut f r oml ean
and wi r y t o l ar ge and muscul ar .
Li ons
ar e t r ai ned sol di er s and l ook t he par t : wel l - devel oped
muscl es and a war r i or ' s poi se. T hey have wi de f aci al f eat ur es,
wi t h hai r t hat r anges f r ombl ack t owar d br own or r eddi sh and
br own t o hazel eyes .
Member s of t he Phoeni x cl an ar e t al l wi t h f i ne f eat ur es anda
r egal bear i ng. T hey shar e a cer t ai n avi an
gr ace,
wi t h l ongnecks,
angul ar f eat ur es, and pi er ci ng st ar es .
S cor pi ons ar e t ough and wi r y, and
t hey
usual l y
wear smug
expr essi ons behi nd t hei r masks. T hei r ski n t ones ar e mor e ol i ve
t han t hose
of
ot her
Rokugan nat i ves
.
S cor pi ons of t en wear
t hei r hai r l ong andl oose.
+1 r aci al bonus on at t ack r ol l s agai nst gobl i noi ds ( gobl i ns,
hobgobl i ns,
bugbear s, bakemono, and gobl i n r at s) : Kor o-
bokur us ar e t r ai ned i n t he speci al combat t echni ques t hat
al l owt hem
t o
f i ght t hei r
commonenemi es mor e ef f ect i vel y
.
+4 dodge bonus agai nst gi ant s : T hi s bonus r epr esent s speci al
t r ai ni ng
t hat kor obokur us under go, dur i ng whi cht hey l ear n
t r i cks t hat pr evi ous gener at i ons devel oped i n t hei r bat t l es
wi t h ogr es . N ot e t hat anyt i me a char act er l oses hi s posi t i ve
Dext er i t y bonus t o Ar mor C l ass, such as when he' s caught
f l at - f oot ed, he l oses hi s dodge bonus, t oo.
+2 r aci al bonus onWi l der ness Lor e checks : Kor obokur us ar e
f ami l i ar wi t h t he wi l d l ands i n whi cht hey dwel l .
Aut omat i c Languages : C ommon and Dwar ven. Bonus Lan-
guages : Gi ant , Gobl i n, Hengeyokai , and S yl van.
Favor ed C l ass : Bar bar i an. Amul t i cl ass kor obokur u' s bar -
bar i an cl ass does not count when det er mi ni ng whet her he
suf f er s an XP penal t y f or mul t i cl assi ng. Kor obokur us ar e
nat ur al l y wi l d and f i er ce i n bat t l e .
T he nezumi , or " r at l i ngs"
as t hey ar e of t en
cal l ed by humans, ar e a r ace of bi pedal r at l i ke
humanoi ds. I n
Rokugan, t hey ar e an anci ent
r ace nat i ve t o t he S hadowl ands . Bef or e t he f al l
of t he sevenkami , t he r at l i ngs of Rokuganl i ved
i n gr and ci t i es i n a mi ght y empi r e. O n an apocal ypt i c day
nezumi
l egenddubs " T he T er r i bl e DayWhen Ai r Became Fi r e
and HeavenFel l Fr omI t s Per ch t o C r ush O ur Gl or i ous Home
Beneat h
I t s Bl ackened C or pse, " t he empi r e of t he r at l i ngs was
dest r oyed
and t he S hadowl ands was bor n. I n t he af t er mat h
of t hat event , t he r at l i ngs have become har dy and wi l y
scavenger s, eki ng out a meager exi st ence i n t he mi dst of
Rokugan' s gr eat est hor r or s
.
Per sonal i t y: N ezumi ar e wi l d, f i er ce, andpr i mi t i ve. T hey ar e
sur vi val i st s i n a gr i mt er r ai n,
andt hei r out l ook i s col or edby t he
har sh r eal i t i es of t hei r exi st ence: bar r en l and, hazar dous nat ur al
f eat ur es, and
deadl y pr edat or s, f r omogr es and gobl i ns t o t er r i -
bl e oni . For al l t he evi l t hat sur r ounds t hem, t he nezumi have
somehowescaped t he
S hadowl ands T ai nt , r emai ni ng uncor -
r upt ed by t hei r sur r oundi ngs .
Physi cal
Descr i pt i on: N ezumi l ook l i ke not hi ng so much
as humanoi d r at s . T hey st and upr i ght , r oughl y
as t al l as a
human
( aver agi ng about 5 1/ 2 f eet t al l and
155
pounds) . T hey
have l ong snout s, pi nk ear s,
and pr onounced i nci sor s, l i ke or di -
nar y r odent s . T hei r bodi es ar e cover ed wi t h r ough f ur , r angi ng
i n shade f r om
whi t e t hr ough gr ay and br own t o bl ack, some-
t i mes sol i d and somet i mes pat t er ned. Fur pat t er ns t end t o r un
i n r at l i ng f ami l i es
.
T he nezumi have f i ve- f i nger ed hands, opposabl e t humbs,
and shar p cl aws . T hei r l ong t ai l s ar e most l y hai r l ess and have
t he same pi nk col or at i on
as t hei r ear s andpal ms . T hei r l egs ar e
bent l i ke t hose of r at s and have onl y t hr ee t oes.
Li ke humanbar bar i ans, nezumi
of t enwear ear r i ngs i n t hei r
pi er ced ear s, neckl aces made of bone or t eet h, and si mi l ar or na-
ment at i on
t hat humans usual l yconsi der savage.
Rel at i ons : I n Rokugan, t he nezumi ar e st aunch al l i es of t he
C r ab who def end t he E mpi r e f r omt he S hadowl ands . T hey
of t enwor k cl osel y
wi t h t he scout s of t he Hi r uma
f ami l y.
O t her
humans of Rokugan, however , vi ewt he r at l i ngs i n a l ess posi -
t i ve l i ght . S uper st i t i ous f ol k bel i eve
t hey
car r y
t he evi l of
t he
S hadowl ands wi t h t hem, andt hei r di sr egar df or t he cul t ur e and
N E ZUMI
cust oms of Rokugan l ower s t hemi n human
est i mat i on. T hei r
scavengi ng
habi t s- somet i mes ext endi ng as f ar as gr ave-
r obbi ng- deepl y of f end t he Rokugani
sense of pr opr i et y.
I n ot her campai gn set t i ngs, nezumi ar e of t en conf used
wi t h
r at hengeyokai or gobl i n r at s ( evi l
l ycant hr opes) and suspect ed
of
bei ngj ust as evi l as t hose r aces .
Al i gnment : Lacki ng a sense of
pr oper t y, home, or commu-
ni t y,
nezumi t end st r ongl y t owar d chaot i c al i gnment s .
I n
Rokugan, t hey ar e r ar el y evi l , bei ng swor n
enemi es of t he
S hadowl ands and i t s cr eat ur es
. I n ot her campai gn set t i ngs,
many nezumi ar e evi l - whet her by nat ur e or
si mpl y because
t hey ar e so of t en
suspect edof evi l .
N ezumi Lands : N ezumi ar e nomadi c, wander i ng
i n packs or
t r i bes al ong a mor e or l ess
f i xed mi gr at or y cycl e. I n Rokugan,
t hey gener al l y conf i ne t hemsel ves t o t he S hadowl ands,
t hough
t hey somet i mes vent ur e
i nt o S cor pi on and Uni cor n l ands t o
scr ounge f or f ood or equi pment .
Rel i gi on: N ezumi do not vener at e ancest or s
or spi r i t s .
Rat her , t hey bel i eve t hat an
i ndi vi dual ' s hi shapes t he uni ver se,
maki ng each i ndi vi dual l i f e- as wel l as t he col l ect i ve
l i f e of a
pack or t he ent i r e r ace- i nher ent l yval uabl e.
Language: T he nat i ve nezumi l anguage i s a chi t t er i ng
combi nat i on of bar ks, squeaks, and
cl i cks, bear i ng a st r ong
r esembl ance t o t he noi ses of common r odent s . I t has i t s own
scr i pt , but i t i s r ar el y used except t o l eave
war ni ngs or di r ec-
t i ons f or ot her packs . N ezumi usual l y
l ear nt o speak Rokugani
or C ommon, t hough t hey punct uat e i t wi t h cl i cks andsqueaks
anda pecul i ar st ut t er i ng r epet i t i on
.
N ames : Anezumi name consi st s of t hr ee t o f i ve syl l abl es,
separ at ed by an apost r ophe ( whi ch
r epr esent s a pause i n some
di al ect s, a cl i cki ng sound i n ot her s) , andendi ngwi t h t he
name
of t he i ndi vi dual ' s cl an, such as
chek, t ch, t ck, t ek, t uk, or uk.
S omet i mes
t he syl l abl e oh- i s addedt o t he begi nni ng of a name
t o desi gnat e an i ndi vi dual of gr eat age and wi sdom.
( O h-
chi ' chek i s a r espect edel der of
t he chek, or T eacher s, t r i be. ) T o
showt hat a nezumi has gai ned gr eat honor i n hi s t r i be, t he
syl l abl e t i - i s addedbef or e t he name of t he t r i be. ( Ri k' t i k' t i chek
has di st i ngui shed hi msel f i n t he T eacher s t r i be. ) O nl y occa-
si onal l y do r at l i ngs adopt ni cknames, such as
" Longsnout . "
N i cknames ar e most common among r at l i ngs who wor k
cl osel y wi t h humans, si nce humans of t en
have t r oubl e
pr onounci ngr at l i ng names.
N ames : At ' t ok' t uk, C het ' r op' t i k, C hi t ' i ' t chi k' kan, Mack' uk,
Mat ' i r t ' chuk, Mat ' t ck, O h- chi ' chek,
Ri k' t i k' t i chek, Ropp' t ch' t ch,
Ruant ek, T ' t ep' mok, T chi ck' chuk, T i r ' chi k' t ep, andZ' or r ' t ek.
Advent ur er s : T he st ep f r omt he nezumi ' s scavengi ng
l i f est yl e t o t he l i f e of an advent ur er
i s not a l ar ge one, and
nezumi advent ur er s ar e usual l y mot i vat edby t he si mpl e
desi r e+'
t o make t he most of t hei r shor t l i ves t hat t hey can.
N E ZUMI RAC I AL T RAI T S
" +2 C onst i t ut i on, - 2 C har i sma. N ezumi ar e hal e and har dy
but r at her cr ude by humanst andar ds
.
Medi um- si ze:
As Medi um- si ze cr eat ur es, nezumi have no
speci al bonuses or penal t i es due t o si ze .
N ezumi base speed i s 40 f eet .
Low- l i ght Vi si on: N ezumi can see t wi ce as f ar as
a humani n
st ar l i ght ,
moonl i ght , t or chl i ght , and si mi l ar condi t i ons of
poor i l l umi nat i on. T hey r et ai n t he
abi l i t y t o di st i ngui sh col or
and det ai l
under t hese condi t i ons .
+2 r aci al bonus on Hi de and Move S i l ent l y checks
. N ezumi
ar e nat ur al l y st eal t hy
.
+2 r aci al bonus on savi ng t hr ows agai nst poi son and
di sease: N ezumi ar e
r esi st ant t o i l l ness and t oxi ns .
I mmune t o t he S hadowl ands
T ai nt : N ezumi can never ac-
qui r e a T ai nt
scor e, and suf f er no i l l ef f ect s
f r omexposur e
t o t he S hadowl ands . E f f ect s
such as t he cl oud of T ai nt spel l
or t he
speci al at t acks of S hadowl ands
cr eat ur es can st i l l
har mt hem, however.
Ar at l i ng' s
shar p cl aws and t eet h deal
1d4 poi nt s of nor mal
damage wi t h a successf ul
unar med st r i ke. Ar at l i ngcan
make
onl y one
unar med at t ack per r ound, usi ng
ei t her cl awor a
bi t e at t ack.
Keen S cent
: N ezumi have a
bet t er sense of smel l t han
humans do, and ar e
of t en mor e abl e t o di st i ngui sh
humans
f r omeach ot her by scent t han
by si ght . As a f eat , a nezumi
wi t h a
Wi sdomof 11 or hi gher can t ake S cent. T hi s
f eat l et s
a
nezumi det ect appr oachi ng
enemi es, sni f f out hi ddenf oes,
and t r ack by
sense of smel l .
A
nezumi wi t h t he S cent
f eat can det ect opponent s by
sense of
smel l as a f r ee act i on, gener al l y wi t hi n
30 f eet . I f t he
opponent i s upwi nd, t he
r ange i s 60 f eet . I f i t i s downwi nd,
t he r ange
i s 1s f eet . T he nezumi can
det ect st r ong scent s,
such
as smoke or r ot t i ng
gar bage, at t wi ce t hese r anges . T he
nezumi
candet ect over power i ng
scent s, such as skunkmusk
or t r ogl odyt e st ench, at
t hr ee t i mes t hese r anges .
T he nezumi
det ect s anot her cr eat ur e' s
pr esence but not
i t s
speci f i c l ocat i on. N ot i ng
t he di r ect i on of t he scent
i s a
move- equi val ent
act i on. I f
he moves wi t hi n s f eet of t he
scent ' s sour ce, t he
nezumi canpi npoi nt t hat
sour ce.
A
nezumi wi t h t he S cent
f eat can f ol l owt r acks by smel l ,
maki ng a Wi sdom
checkt o f i nd or f ol l owa t r ack
. T he t ypi cal
DC
f or a f r esh t r ai l i s
10
. T he
DC i ncr eases or decr eases
dependi ng
on howst r ong t he quar r y' s
odor i s, t he number of
cr eat ur es, and t he age of
t he t r ai l . For each hour t hat t he
t r ai l
i s col d, t he DC
i ncr eases by 2 . T he abi l i t y
ot her wi se f ol l ows
t he r ul es f or t he T r ack
f eat . N ezumi t r acki ngby scent
i gnor e
t he
ef f ect s of sur f ace
condi t i ons and poor vi si bi l i t y.
N ezumi wi t h
t he S cent f eat can i dent i f y
f ami l i ar odor s
j ust as
humans do f ami l i ar si ght s
.
Wat er ,
par t i cul ar l y r unni ngwat er , r ui ns
a t r ai l .
Fal se, power f ul odor s
can easi l y mask ot her scent s . T he
pr esence of
such an odor compl et el y
spoi l s t he abi l i t y t o
pr oper l y det ect or i dent i f y
cr eat ur es, and t he base
Wi l der -
ness Lor e DC t o
t r ack becomes 20 r at her
t han 10.
Aut omat i c Languages
: Rokugani , N ezumi . Bonus Languages
:
Bakemono,
S hadowl ands .
Favor edC l ass : Rogue. A
mul t i cl ass nezumi ' s r ogue
cl ass does
not
count when det er mi ni ng
whet her he suf f er s an XP
penal t y f or
mul t i cl assi ng.
S PI RI T FO LK
S pi r i t
f ol k ar e t he descendant s
of humans and var i ous spi r i t s
of nat ur e. S pi r i t
f ol k have t hr ee di st i nct
r aces- bamboo,
r i ver ,
and sea spi r i t f ol k. Al l t i e
ver y st r ongl y t o t he nat ur al
wor l d as wel l as
t o t he soci et y of humans . S pi r i t
f ol k ar e not
f ound i n Rokugan.
Per sonal i t y:
S pi r i t f ol k t end t o be ser ene
and cal m, at t uned
t o t hei r sur r oundi ngs and
at peace wi t h t he wor l d. T hei r spi r i t
ancest r y gi ves
t heman awar eness of t he spi r i t
wor l d, andt hey
show l i t t l e desi r e t o
mani pul at e t hat wor l d t hr ough
magi c
.
T hey mani f est
a l ove and enj oyment of l i f e
t hat many humans
can onl y envy.
Physi cal
Descr i pt i on: S pi r i t f ol k l ook
human. T hei r eyes
ar e sl ender and
t hei r mout hs ar e smal l . T hei r
eyebr ows ar e
ver y
t hi n
andt hei r compl exi ons ar e ver y pal e or gol den. T hey
have no f aci al or body hai r ,
but t he hai r ont hei r heads i s t hi ck
and l uxur i ous. T hey appear i n al l t he di ver si t y of humans, and
many come cl ose t o t he i deal
of humanbeaut y i n t hei r soci et y.
Rel at i ons : S pi r i t f ol k t ypi cal l y l i ve as par t of human
soci et y,
and ar e
accept ed as equal s i n humancommuni t i es, even when
t hei r t r ue ancest r y i s known.
T hey ar e member s of human
cl ans, ci t i zens
of humannat i ons, and have bl ood r el at i ons who
ar e ent i r el y human. At t he same t i me,
t hey ar e par t of t he spi r i t
wor l d, andnever f eel compl et el y at home i n t he mundanel i f e
of a humanvi l l age.
As
spi r i t s, spi r i t f ol k of t en get al ong wel l wi t h hengeyokai ,
and t hey mayhave f r i ends and al l i es amongot her
spi r i t r aces
as wel l .
Al i gnment : Per haps
because of t hei r st r ong t i es t o t he nat u-
r al
wor l d, spi r i t f ol k t end t o seek bal ance bet ween ext r emes .
T hey t end t owar d neut r al
al i gnment s .
S pi r i t Fol k Lands : S pi r i t f ol k l i ve
among humans, but
usual l ynear
r egi ons of unt ouched wi l der ness- uncut bamboo
gr oves, pur e st r eams and r i ver s, and deepocean
wat er s . Unl i ke
hengeyokai , t hey
ar e mor e t i ght l y i nt egr at ed i nt o human
communi t i es, bound by f ami l y
t i es
. T hey do not
usual l y j oi n i n
communi t i es
wi t h ot her spi r i t f ol k.
Rel i gi on: S pi r i t f ol k shar e t he
r el i gi ous habi t s of humans,
vener at i ng
a host of spi r i t s and For t unes . T hey t ypi cal l y
vener -
at e t hei r human
ancest or s as wel l as t hei r spi r i t f or ebear s .
Language: S pi r i t f ol k speak
C ommon i n t hei r human
communi t i es,
but canal so conver se i n t he S pi r i t T ongue t hat i s
used amongspi r i t cr eat ur es.
N ames : S pi r i t f ol k
usual l yhave humannames, t hough t hei r
gi ven names of t en r ef l ect t hei r ancest r y.
Advent ur er s
: S ome spi r i t f ol k f eel t hei r di f f er ence f r om
t hei r humannei ghbor s mor e acut el y
t han ot her s of t hei r ki nd,
and t ake up t he l i f e of an advent ur er i n or der t o f i nd t hei r own
way i n t he wor l d
. S omet i mes, sheer wander l ust dr i ves a spi r i t
f ol k t o expl or e t he wor l d.
S PI RI T FO LK RAC I AL T RAI T S
T hese abi l i t i es
ar e common t o al l t hr ee subr aces of spi r i t f ol k.
Medi um- si ze: As
medi um- si ze cr eat ur es, spi r i t f ol k have no
speci al
bonuses or penal t i es due t o si ze .
S pi r i t f ol k base speed i s
30 f eet .
Low- l i ght Vi si on: S pi r i t f ol k can see t wi ce as f ar
as a human
i n st ar l i ght , moonl i ght ,
t or chl i ght , and si mi l ar condi t i ons of
poor i l l umi nat i on. T hey r et ai n t he abi l i t y t o
di st i ngui sh col or
and det ai l
under t hese condi t i ons .
S pi r i t S ubt ype: S pi r i t f ol k have t he
spi r i t subt ype, whi chmeans
t hey can be
af f ect ed by spel l s t hat speci f i cal l y t ar get spi r i t s,
such as pr ot ect i on f r omspi r i t s and i nvi si bi l i t y
t o spi r i t s. T hei r
humanancest r y
makes t hemhumanoi ds, however , so t hey ar e
al so af f ect ed by spel l s such as hol d per son and
char mper son.
Aut omat i c
Languages : C ommon and S pi r i t T ongue. Bonus
Languages: Aquan, Gi ant , Gobl i n, Hengeyokai , N ezumi .
Favor edC l ass : Any. Whendet er mi ni ng whet her a mul t i cl ass
spi r i t f ol k suf f er s an XPpenal t y, her hi ghest - l evel cl ass
does
not count.
BAMBO O S PI RI T FO LK
Bamboo spi r i t f ol k have t hese addi t i onal char act er i st i cs .
" +2 r aci al bonus onWi l der ness Lor e checks .
+4 r aci al bonus onHi de
checks when i n woods or f or est .
T r ackl ess S t ep: Bamboo spi r i t f ol k l eave no t r ai l i n nat ur al
sur r oundi ngs and cannot be
t r acked.
RI VE R
S PI RI T
FO LK
Ri ver spi r i t f ol k have t hese addi t i onal char act er i st i cs .
Wat er Br eat hi ng: Ri ver
spi r i t f ol k canbr eat he wat er as easi l y
as t hey br eat he ai r.
Ri ver spi r i t f ol k
have a base swi mmi ng speed of 30 f eet . T hey
do not needt o make S wi mchecks t o swi mnor mal l y. T hey gai n
a +8 r aci al bonus on any S wi mcheckt o per f or msome speci al
act i on or avoi da hazar d, and
t hey canal ways choose t o t ake 10
ont hese checks, even i f r ushed or t hr eat ened whenswi mmi ng.
T hey can use t he r un act i on whi l e swi mmi ng, pr ovi ded t hey
swi mi n a st r ai ght
l i ne .
+2 r aci al bonus on savi ng t hr ows agai nst
spel l s and spel l -
l i ke ef f ect s
wi t h t he wor d " wat er " i n t he name of t he ef f ect ,
shugenj a spel l s of t he
wat er el ement , and wu j en spel l s
connect edt o wat er.
O nce per day a r i ver spi r i t f ol k can use speak wi t h ani mal s t o
speak wi t h any f i sh. T hi s
abi l i t y i s i nnat e t o r i ver spi r i t f ol k.
I t has a dur at i on of 1 mi nut e ( t he spi r i t f ol k i s consi der ed a
1st - l evel cast er when usi ng t hi s abi l i t y, r egar dl ess of act ual
l evel ) .
S ee t he speak wi t h ani mal s spel l descr i pt i on i n t he
Pl ayer ' s Handbook.
+2 r aci al bonus on savi ng t hr ows agai nst spel l s and spel l - l i ke
ef f ect s wi t h t he wor ds " ear t h, " " r ock, " " st one, " or " wood" i n t he
name of t he ef f ect , shugenj a spel l s of t he ear t h el ement , and
wuj en spel l s connect ed
t o
ear t h
or wood.
O nce per day a bamboospi r i t f ol k can use speak wi t h ani mal s
t o speak wi t h any ani mal . T hi s abi l i t y i s i nnat e t o bamboo
spi r i t f ol k. I t has a dur at i on of 1 mi nut e ( t he spi r i t f ol k i s
consi der ed
a
1st - l evel
cast er when usi ng t hi s abi l i t y, r egar d-
l ess of act ual l evel ) . S ee t he speak wi t h ani mal s spel l descr i p-
t i on i n
t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook.
S E A S PI RI T FO LK
S ea spi r i t f ol k have t hese addi t i onal char act er i st i cs .
" Wat er Br eat hi ng: S ea spi r i t f ol k can br eat he wat er as easi l y as
t hey
br eat he ai r.
S ea spi r i t f ol k have a base swi mmi ngspeed of
30
f eet . T hey
do not need t o make S wi mchecks t o swi mnor mal l y. T hey
gai n a +8 r aci al bonus on any S wi mcheck t o per f or msome
speci al
act i on or avoi d a hazar d, and t hey can al ways choose
t o t ake 10 on t hese checks, even i f
r ushed or t hr eat ened
when
swi mmi ng. T hey can use t he r un act i on whi l e swi m-
mi ng, pr ovi ded t hey swi mi n a st r ai ght l i ne
.
+2 r aci al bonus on savi ng t hr ows agai nst spel l s and spel l - l i ke
ef f ect s wi t h t he
f i r e descr i pt or .
Asea spi r i t f ol k canmake a Knowl edge ( nat ur e) check( or an
unt r ai ned
i nt el l i gence check) wi t h a +2 r aci al bonus t o
pr edi ct t he weat her f or t he next 24
hour s
. T he DC
i s 15 .
VAN ARA
Vanar as ar e a r ace of monkeyl i ke humanoi ds, possessi ng br ave
hear t s and i nqui si t i ve mi nds
. Vanar as ar e not f ound i n Rokugan
.
Per sonal i t y: Vanar as ar e of t en vi ewed wi t h amusement or
even exasper at i on by
member s of ot her r aces, who f i nd t hei r
per sonal i t i es chi l di sh and i r r i t at i ng. T hey ar e cur i ous i n t he
ext r eme,
f r equent l y badger i ng peopl e wi t h quest i ons ( some-
t i mes ver y per sonal quest i ons) , pi cki ngsmal l i t ems upt o exam-
i ne t hem, openi ng
door s t o see wher e t hey l ead, and gener al l y
expl or i ng pl aces wher e t he humansense of pr opr i et y and or der
woul d
demandt hey not go. T hey al so t end t o be bl unt l y honest ,
never couchi ng a negat i ve
opi ni on i n gent l e t er ms or hi di ng
t hei r t r ue f eel i ngs about anyt hi ng. At t he same t i me, t hey
ar e
i ncr edi bl y l oyal ,
qui t e
br ave
when t he si t uat i on r equi r es i t , and
genui nel yki nd.
Physi cal Descr i pt i on
: Vanar as ar e sl i ght l y shor t er t han
humans, st andi ng 4 1/ 2 t o S 1/ 2 f eet t al l and t ypi cal l y
wei gh-
i ng90 t o 140 pounds .
T hei r bodi es
ar e cover ed
wi t h l i ght f ur ,
r angi ng f r omwhi t e t hr ough l i ght bl ue t o br own and bl ack.
T hei r f aces ar e di st i nct l y monkeyl i ke, wi t h
pr ot r udi ng
muzzl es, f ur r ed
cheeks, and wi de, l i pl ess mout hs . T hey have
l ong, semi pr ehensi l e t ai l s, l ong f i nger s and t oes,
and l ar ge
ear s, but t hei r ar ms,
l egs, and t or sos ar e pr opor t i oned l i ke
t hose of humans .
Rel at i ons : Vanar as ar e ver y f ond of humans, admi r i ng
t hemand r espect i ng t hei r power whi l e l aughi ng qui et l y at
t hei r conser vat i ve st odgi ness . T hey get
al ongwel l wi t h ot her
good- al i gned r aces as wel l , as l ongas t he ot her r ace wi l l t ol er -
at e t hem. T hey l oat he evi l , however , and t hei r
opi ni on
of
an
ent i r e r ace or ki ndcanbe sour ed by t hei r exper i ence wi t h one
wi cked i ndi vi dual .
Al i gnment : Vanar as ar e st r ongl y chaot i c but equal l y
st r ongl y good. T hey showl i t t l e or no r espect f or soci al mor es,
r ul es wi t h no pur pose t hey can under st and, or codes of di sci -
pl i ne, and hat e t yr anny and oppr essi on. T hei r onl y concessi on
t o soci al or der i s t hei r accept ance of cast e syst ems . T hei r r el i -
gi on
al l ows
f or
t he
possi bi l i t y t hat di f f er ent di vi ne gi f t s mi ght
be gi ven t o di f f er ent peopl e, al t hough i t r ej ect s any di f f er ent
val uat i on
of t hose gi f t s. Vanar as, t her ef or e, mi ght r espect t hat
r el i gi on i s t he pr ovi nce of t he pr i est l y cast e amonghumans, but
do not necessar i l y accor d t hat cast e
t he r espect and vener at i on
humanpr i est s mi ght expect .
Vanar a
Lands : Vanar as dwel l i n deep f or est s and hi gh
mount ai ns, bui l di ng t hei r vi l l ages and t owns i n such a wayas
t o make a mi ni mal i mpact on t hei r nat ur al sur r oundi ngs
.
T hey gat her
i n
l oose cl ans,
but do not keep t r ack of ki nshi p at
al l , so " cl an" i s a ver y l oose t er mf or t hei r associ at i ons
.
T hey
subsi st l ar gel y by hunt i ng and gat her i ng, r at her
t han f ar mi ng
t he l and. T hey r ar el y come i nt o cont act wi t h ot her r aces, and
do not seek t hemout .
Rel i gi on: T he vanar as r ever e t he gr eat est of t he nat ur e
spi r i t s- spi r i t s of t he sun, t he hi ghest mount ai ns, t he ol dest
f or est s, and
t he wi dest r i ver s . T hey r ever e t hese spi r i t s wi t h
deep per sonal devot i on, of f er i ng pr ayer s and songs t o t hese
dei t yl i ke bei ngs at l east dai l y.
Language: Vanar as speak Vanar an, whi ch i s wr i t t en i n t he
C ommon scr i pt . Humans compl ai n t hat Vanar an sounds l i ke
not hi ng but scr eeches
and
chat t er i ng, but i t i s a compl ex and , '
subt l e l anguage.
N ames
: A
vanar a r ecei ves a
name wi t hi n a week af t er bi r t h,
as soon as t he par ent s obser ve some si gn or por t ent t hat
suggest s an
appr opr i at e name f or t he chi l d. T he vanar a keeps
t hi s name t hr ough l i f e, and consi der s i t shamef ul t o use any
ot her name, such as a
ni ckname
or honor i f i c
.
Mal e N ames : Amanu, Khanu, Mi ndr a, Rava, T het su, Vaki ,
and Vi ndu.
Femal e N ames : Aki , Ki r i , Ghuna, Lakshi , S i t ha, T ani ,
and Vi na.
Advent ur er s : T he ar r i val of a human or a member of
anot her r ace i n a vanar a communi t y usual l y spar ks a r ash of
vanar a advent ur er s, as young vanar as- cur i ous about t he
f or ei gn soci et y f r omwhi cht he vi si t or came- vent ur e
f or t h
t o
l ear n about t he wi der wor l d.
Vanar a advent ur er s of t en at t ach
t hemsel ves t o humans, f ol l owi ng t hemwi t h t r emendous
l oyal t y and devot i on
.
VAN ARA RAC I AL T RAI T S
+2
I nt el l i gence, +2 Wi sdom,
- 2 S t r engt h. Vanar as ar e cl ever
and i nqui si t i ve
and have keen senses . T hei r
smal l bui l d de-
t r act s f r omt hei r physi cal
st r engt h, however.
Medi um- si ze
: As Medi um- si ze cr eat ur es,
vanar as have no
speci al bonuses or penal t i es
due t o t hei r si ze .
Vanar a base
speed i s 30 f eet .
Vanar as have a
base cl i mb speed of 20 f eet . T hey
gai n
a
+8
r aci al
bonus on al l C l i mb
checks, and use ei t her t hei r
S t r engt h modi f i er
or t hei r Dext er i t y modi f i er ,
whi chever i s
hi gher .
T hey canal ways choose t o
t ake 10, even i f r ushed or
t hr eat ened when
cl i mbi ng. I f a vanar a chooses an
accel er -
at ed
cl i mb ( see t he C l i mbski l l
i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook) , he
moves at a speed of
30 f eet and makes a si ngl e
C l i mb check
each r ound at a - 5 penal t y.
Low- l i ght Vi si on:
Vanar as can see t wi ce
as
f ar as
a humani n
st ar l i ght , moonl i ght , t or chl i ght ,
and si mi l ar condi t i ons
of
poor i l l umi nat i on.
T heyr et ai n t he abi l i t y
t o di st i ngui sh col or
and det ai l
under t hese condi t i ons
.
+4 r aci al bonus
on Bal ance and j ump checks.
Vanar as ar e
agi l e
and at hl et i c, cl i mbi ng,
l eapi ng, and swi ngi ng i n
t r ees .
+2 r aci al bonus on
Hi de and Move S i l ent l y
checks . T hough
t hey
enj oy maki ng noi se, vanar as
can be ver y st eal t hy
when
t he si t uat i on
demands i t .
Aut omat i c Languages :
C ommon and Vanar a.
Bonus Lan-
guages : Gi ant ,
Gobl i n, S pi r i t T ongue,
S yl van.
Favor ed C l ass : S haman.
Amul t i cl ass vanar a' s
shaman cl ass
does not
count when det er mi ni ng
whet her he suf f er s an
XPpenal t y.
O T HE R
RAC E S
I n t he f eat ur ed
campai gn set t i ng of
Rokugan, t he onl y char ac-
t er
r aces nor mal l y avai l abl e
ar e human and nezumi .
I n ot her
O r i ent al
Advent ur es campai gns, t he r aces
descr i bedi n t hi s chap-
t er
ar e nor mal l y t he
onl y ones avai l abl e
f or char act er s .
However , a
var i ant campai gn may
i ncl ude some or al l of t he
st andar d r aces descr i bed
i n t he Pl ayer ' s
Handbook- dwar ves,
el ves,
gnomes, hal f - el ves, hal f l i ngs,
and hal f - or cs- dependi ng
on
t he desi r es of t he
Dungeon Mast er . T he st andar d
r aces coul d
each have
t hei r ni che i n an
O r i ent al Advent ur es campai gn,
j ust as
humans do.
Dwar ves : Whet her t he
bar bar i c kor obokur us ar e
pr esent i n
t he campai gnor
not , st andar d dwar ves ar e
par agons of ci vi l i zed
cul t ur e
i n t he l ands of
or i ent al Advent ur es . T hei r sense
of honor
equal s t hat of t he
nobl est human
samur ai , and t hei r accom-
pl i shment s i n t he ar t of war
ar e nol ess i mpr essi ve.
Dwar ves ar e
mast er
bui l der s, and may have
const r uct ed your campai gn' s
equi val ent of t he
Gr eat Wal l of C hi na. T hei r soci et i es
t end t o be
mar t i al
; f euds bet ween dwar ven
war l or ds and t hei r l oyal samu-
r ai ar e al l t oo
common.
Dwar f char act er s can
appl y t hei r +1 r aci al bonus
t o at t ack
r ol l s agai nst
bakemonos and gobl i n
r at s as wel l as gobl i ns,
hobgobl i ns, and bugbear s
.
Dwar f
char act er s can choose
ei t her f i ght er or samur ai as
t hei r f avor edcl ass .
E l ves : E l ves i n t he
l ands of or i ent al Advent ur es
ar e f ound
ei t her
i n pr i st i ne woodl ands,
secl uded f r omt he war f ar e and
pol i t i cs of human
r eal ms, or el se i n t he
ver y t hi ck of
t hose pol i t i cs, as di pl omat s
and cour t i er s i n t he hal l s
of t he dai myos . T hey ar e
usual l y ei t her ver y bar bar i c or ver y
ci vi l i zed- somet i mes di f f er ent el f cul t ur es r epr esent
bot h
ext r emes i n t he same campai gn.
Al l el f char act er s ar e pr of i ci ent wi t h
some f or mof l ong-
swor d, as appr opr i at e
f or t he campai gn, as wel l as t he st an-
dar d ar r ayof bows .
E l f
char act er s can choose ei t her wi zar d or wu j en as t hei r
f avor ed cl ass .
Gnomes : I n cul t ur es t hat r ever e
el der s andr espect educat i on,
gnomes of t en f i nd hi gh st at i on- t hough usual l y
behi nd t he
t hr ones of power. Gnomes
ar e t he mast er bur eaucr at s of some
soci et i es i n
O r i ent al Advent ur es, of t en t ut or i ng younger
humans
i n pr epar at i on f or t he exami nat i ons
t hat ar e r equi r ed t o ent er and
advance i n t he compl ex machi ner y of
gover nment . T hey r et ai n
t hei r t r adi t i onal
af f i ni t y f or mor e concr et e machi ner y as wel l ,
devi si ngf i r ewor ks, ki t es, andcl ockwor k i t ems
.
Gnome
char act er s can appl y t hei r +1 r aci al
bonus t o at t ack
r ol l s agai nst bakemonos
andgobl i n r at s as wel l as kobol ds,
gobl i ns,
hobgobl i ns, andbugbear s.
Gnome char act er s
can choose ei t her i l l usi oni st or wu j en as
t hei r f avor ed cl ass .
Hal f - E l ves : T he char act er and
cul t ur e of hal f - el ves i n an
O r i ent al
Advent ur es campai gn depends l ar gel y
upon
t he r ol e
of
el ves . I f el ves ar e ci vi l i zed
cour t i er s, t hen hal f - el ves ar e
ext r emel y
common, accept ed amongbot h
humans and el ves,
and gener al l y qui t e adept
and maneuver i ng amongbot h soci -
et i es .
I f el ves ar e r ecl usi ve and wi l d, hal f - el ves ar e
qui t e r ar e,
and nei t her humans nor
el ves knowqui t e what t o do wi t h
t hem. I n
such a case, hal f - el ves can be t r eat ed as poor l y as hal f -
or cs usual l y ar e.
" Hal f - el f t r ai t s ar e unchanged f r om
t hose descr i bed i n t he
Pl ayer ' s
Handbook.
Hal f - O r cs
: O ddl y enough, some
soci et i es i n t he l ands of
O r i ent al Advent ur es accept
or cs as equal member s of a l ar ge and
or der l y
nat i on. S uch soci et i es ar e r ar e, but t hey
do exi st . Most
or cs, even i n such muni f i cent cul t ur es,
f i nd t hemsel ves at t he
bot t omr ungs of soci et y, unabl e t o r i se hi gh
i n soci et i es t hat
pr i ze i nt el l i gence
and educat i on. Hal f - or cs ar e never t hel ess
common i n such soci et i es, t hough
t hey al most al ways come
f r om
common backgr ounds . Ahal f - or c' s hi ghest
ambi t i on i s
usual l y t o ser ve as a t empl e
or pal ace guar d. I n empi r es wher e
eunuchs
ar e i mpor t ant , many hal f - or cs become
eunuchs, and
even eunuch war l ocks ( see t he
pr est i ge cl ass descr i pt i on) .
" Hal f - or c
t r ai t s ar e unchanged f r omt hose descr i bed i n t he
Pl ayer ' s Handbook.
Hal f l i ngs : C er t ai n hal f l i ng
bands f i l l t he uni que r ol e of
mer chant s and ambassador s t o cul t ur es beyond t he cent r al
l ands of O r i ent al Advent ur es .
T hey may even car r ysi l k t o di st ant
l ands
wher e pal adi ns and dr ui ds r epl ace samur ai and shugen-
j as! O t her hal f l i ngs
ar e f i er ce nomads who r i de shaggy
war poni es on t he st eppes j ust beyond ci vi l i zed
soci et y. T hese
war l i ke hal f l i ngs maybe t he
peopl e whosei nvasi ons t he dwar f -
bui l t
Gr eat Wal l was bui l t t o r epel .
" Hal f l i ng
t r ai t s ar e unchanged f r omt hose descr i bed i n t he
Pl ayer ' s Handbook.
Li ket he st andar d DUN GE O N S &DRAGO N S r ul es, O r i ent al Adven-
t ur es
of f er s
el even cl asses
f or pl ayer char act er s . S ome
Pl ayer ' s Handbook cl asses ar e not avai l abl e i n O r i ent al
Advent ur es, however , andt hi s chapt er i nt r oduces f i ve new
cl asses . Al l t he avai l abl e cl asses
i n
O r i ent al Advent ur es ar e di s-
cussed
i n t hi s chapt er ; cl asses det ai l ed i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook
may r equi r e some adj ust ment i n an O r i ent al . Advent ur es cam-
pai gn.
T he el even cl asses of O r i ent al Advent ur es ar e as f ol l ows:
Bar bar i an: Af er oci ous war r i or who uses f ur y and
i nst i nct t o br i ng down f oes . T hi s cl ass i s unchanged f r om
i t s descr i pt i on i n
t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook, except f or cul t ur al
consi der at i ons .
Fi ght er : A
war r i or wi t h except i onal combat capabi l i t y
and unequal ed ski l l wi t h weapons. T hi s cl ass i s unchanged
f r omi t s descr i pt i on i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook, except f or cul -
t ur al consi der at i ons and
avai l abl e bonus f eat s.
Monk: Amar t i al ar t i st whose unar medst r i kes hi t f ast and
har d- a mast er of exot i c power s. Monks
can cust omi ze
t hei r
power s t o a cer t ai n ext ent , and canmul t i cl ass f r eel y.
Ranger : Acunni ng, ski l l ed war r i or of t he wi l der ness .
T hi s cl ass i s unchanged f r omi t s descr i pt i on i n t he Pl ayer ' s
Handbook, except
f or cul t ur al consi der at i ons .
Rogue: At r i cky, ski l l f ul scout and spywhowi ns t he bat t l e
by st eal t h r at her t han br ut e f or ce. T hi s cl ass i s unchanged
f r omi t s descr i pt i on i n t he
Pl ayer ' s Handbook, except
f or cul -
t ur al consi der at i ons andweapon pr of i ci enci es .
S amur ai
: A
nobl e
war r i or swor n
t o a code of honor , obe-
di ence, and l oyal t y. T he samur ai i s det ai l ed i n t hi s chapt er.
S haman: An i nt er medi ar y bet ween t he mor t al wor l d
and t he r eal mof t he spi r i t s, a mast er of di vi ne magi c. T he
shaman
i s det ai l ed
i n t hi s chapt er.
S hugenj a: Amast er of
el ement al f or ces, a r el i gi ous,
f i gur e whowi el ds di vi ne magi c. T he shugenj a i s det ai l ed
i n t hi s chapt er .
S ohei : Awar r i or
monk, swor nt o t he def epse of a t empl e
or monast er y. T hesohei i s det ai l ed i n t hi s chapt er.
S or cer er : Aspel l cast er
wi t h
i nbor n magi cal
abi l i t y. T hi s
cl ass i s unchanged f r omi t s descr i pt i on i n t he Pl ayer ' s Hand
book, except f or cul t ur al consi der at i ons .
WuJ en: Apot ent ar cane spel l cast er . T he wu j en i s
det ai l ed i n t hi s chapt er.
C l ass N ame Abbr evi at i ons :
C l ass names ar e abbr evi -
at ed as f ol l ows : Bbn, bar bar i an; Ft r , f i ght er ; Mnk, monk;
Rgr , r anger ; Rog, r ogue; S am, samur ai ; S ha, shaman; S hu,
shugenj a; S on, sohei ; S or , sor cer er ;
Wuj ,
wi t
j en.
As descr i bed i n
t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook, bar bar -
i ans ar e out si der s- and t hi s i s no l ess t r ue i n
t he l ands of O r i ent al Advent ur es . Bar bar i an
char act er s i n Rokugan mi ght i ncl ude cer t ai n
Uni cor ncl an war r i or s, Yabanj i n f r om
t he col d
nor t her n
st eppes, Uj i k- hai f r omt he l ands of t he Bur ni ng
S ands, or nezumi " bushi . " I n ot her campai gn
set t i ngs, st eppe
nomads, j ungl e- dwel l i ng t r i bes, and wi l d kor obokur us ar e
al l bar bar i ans . What ever t hei r or i gi ns, bar bar i ans
ar e l i kel y
t o use st r ange weapons,
wear out l andi sh cl ot hi ng andar mor ,
speak f or ei gn l anguages, andf umbl e t hr ough t he
r i gi d and
r i t ual i zed
f or mal i t i es
of
" ci vi l i zed" cul t ur e.
Advent ur es : As descr i bed i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook, advent ur -
i ng i s t he best way f or a bar bar i an
char act er - what ever hi s
or i gi n- t o
f i nd a pl ace i n ci vi l i zedsoci et y. T hough f ewbar bar -
i ans wi l l
ever ear n
t he r ecogni t i on
of a dai myo or
any
ki nd of
soci al st at us, wi t h anadvent ur i ngpar t y a bar bar i an can f eel l i ke
an equal among
samur ai and shugenj as . For some bar bar i ans,
t hat i s enough; ot her s quest af t er t he i mpossi bl e, hopi ngby t he
gr eat ness of t hei r
deeds t o
wi n
a pl ace amongt he nobi l i t y.
Backgr ound: Bar bar i ans, by def i ni t i on,
come
f r om
cul t ur es
out si de
t he cent er s of ci vi l i zat i on. Bar bar i an advent ur er s of t en
f i nd t hei r way t o t he ki ngdoms and empi r es
because of
har d
t i mes i n
t hei r home l ands, such as f ami ne or i nvasi on. I nRoku-
gan, Uni cor n cl an bar bar i ans
may wander t he E mpi r e si mpl y
because t hey l ove t o t r avel , and f i nd t hemsel ves dr awn i nt o
advent ur e af t er advent ur e al ong t he
way.
Races : I n Rokugan, humans of t he Uni cor n cl an, humans
f r omf or ei gn
l ands, and nezumi ar e t he most l i kel y r aces t o
adopt t he bar bar i an cl ass . I n addi t i on t o t hese bar bar i an peo-
pl es, gobl i ns and ogr es
of t he S hadowl ands may be bar bar i ans .
I n
ot her campai gn set t i ngs, kor obokur us ar e of t en bar bar i ans,
whi l e most ot her
bar bar i ans ar e human.
O t her C l asses : I n Rokugan, Uni cor n cl an bar bar i ans con-
si der t hemsel ves t o
be samur ai , and vi ewt hemsel ves wi t h t he
same haught y pr i de t hat t he samur ai do, r egar di ng onl y
shugenj as
as near - equal s. O t her bar bar i ans, and al l bar bar i ans
i n ot her campai gnset t i ngs, ei t her l ook
up t o t he nobl e samur ai
and shugenj as,
or r egar d t hemas weakl i ngs sof t ened by t he
comf or t s of ci vi l i zat i on. Bar bar i ans
ar e most comf or t abl e wi t h
r anger s, who of t en shar e t hei r r ough edges, or r ogues . T hough
most bar bar i an soci et i es
i ncl ude sor cer er s, shamans, or adept s,
bar bar i ans gener al l y mi st r ust shugenj as and ot her spel l cast er s
unt i l t hey' ve pr oven
t hemsel ves wor t hy of t r ust .
Game Rul e I nf or mat i on: As descr i bed i n
t he Pl ayer ' s Hand-
book. I n Rokugan, bar bar i ans of t en wear ar mor and use weapons
andot her equi pment t hat
i s not nat i ve t o t he ci vi l i zedE mpi r e. Use
t he
nor mal equi pment t abl es i nt he Pl ayer ' s Handbookf or such gear .
FI GHT E R
Fi ght er s i n O r i ent al Advent ur es
ar e exper i enced
sol di er s, bandi t l eader s, bat t l e- har dened mer -
cenar i es, gr aspi ng
war l or ds- any t r ai ned war r i or
who, f or r easons of per sonal honor or l owl y
bi r t h, does not
l i ve up t o t he hi gh st andar ds of
t he
samur ai . T he code of bushi do does not appl y
t o
or di nar y
f i ght er s . Roni n ar e f i ght er s,
as ar e many pr of essi onal sol di er s .
I n
Rokugan, even some cl an samur ai - par t i cul ar l y S cor pi ons
who have no use f or
bushi do- ar e f i ght er s as wel l .
Advent ur es : Most f i ght er s advent ur e
f or
t he
sake of acqui r -
i ng
power andweal t h. Af ewhope t o f ol l owt he exampl e of t he
f amous Rokugani r oni n Gi nawa
( nowAkodo Gi nawa) , who
savedE mper or T ot ur i dur i ng t he Bat t l e at O bl i vi on' s Gat e and
was r ewar dedwi t h
an honor edpl ace amongt he cl ans.
Backgr ound: Roni ns f al l i nt o t wo cat egor i es : " C l anr oni ns"
ar e member s of
t he gr eat cl ans whohave f al l en out of f avor
wi t h t hei r l or d. T he most common r eason f or t hi s i s somehow
al l owi ng t he l or d t o
di e- ei t her i n bat t l e or under an assassi n' s
bl ade. C l an r oni ns cl i ng t o t he hope of r egai ni ng t hei r l ost
honor. " T r ue
r oni ns" have never bel onged t o one of t he cl ans,
usual l y comi ngf r oma r oni n f ami l y.
O t her f i ght er s i n
Rokugan i ncl ude some S cor pi on bushi ,
who usual l y do not meet t he al i gnment
r est r i ct i on of t he
samur ai cl ass, and mer cenar i es, i ncl udi ng manymember s of
t he Yor i t omo f ami l y.
Fi ght er s i n ot her campai gn set t i ngs gener al l y f ol l owt he
gui del i nes
i n
t he
Pl ayer ' s
Handbook
.
Races : I n Rokugan, humans ar e t he most common f i ght er s,
but nezumi and S hadowl ands cr eat ur es can
become f i ght er s as
wel l . Ar at l i ng f i ght er i s unusual l y wel l t r ai ned f or hi s speci es,
and mayhave st udi ed wi t h a C r absamur ai , f or exampl e.
I n ot her campai gnset t i ngs, member s of al l r aces maybe f i ght -
er s. Most hengeyokai f i ght er s ar e cr abs, dogs, f oxes, r accoon
dogs, or r at s i n t hei r ani mal f or m, andt hey t end t o be t ough, wi t h
a wi l d f i ght i ng st yl e. Kor obokur uf i ght er s r epr esent t he
el i t e of
t hei r
mi l i t ar y ( most kor obokur us ar e bar bar i ans) . S pi r i t f ol k
f i ght er s come f r oma var i et y of backgr ounds, l i ke
humans .
Vanar a
f i ght er s usual l y r el y on speed over br ut e st r engt h, but
t hey showt r emendous br aver y andl oyal t y i n bat t l e.
O t her C l asses : Whi l e honor abl e samur ai i n Rokuganmi ght
l ook down upon or di nar y f i ght er s, f i ght er s may shar e t hat di s-
dai n. Bushi do i s a cr ut ch, some f i ght er s bel i eve, and t hey put
l i t t l e f ai t h i n t hose whose l i ves ar e di ct at ed by i t s const r ai nt s .
Fi ght er s associ at e mor e of t en wi t h r ogues and sor cer er s t han
wi t h samur ai and shugenj as.
I n ot her campai gn set t i ngs, f i ght er s r ecogni ze t he need f or
suppor t i n t he r eal ms of magi c and st eal t h, andwor k wel l wi t h
shamans, wuj en, r ogues, and monks .
Game Rul e I nf or mat i on: As descr i bed i n t he Pl ayer ' s Hand-
book, wi t h t he f ol l owi ng addi t i on.
Bonus Feat s : Pr one At t ack and S uper i or E xper t i se ( bot h
descr i bed i n C hapt er 4
of
t hi s book)
ar e
added t o t he l i st of
f i ght er bonus f eat s.
MO N K
Monast er i es wher e
monk char act er s ar e t r ai ned
i n t he spi r i t ual and mar t i al ar t s ar e f ar mor e
common
i n
O r i ent al Advent ur es
t han i n t he
wor l d descr i bedi n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook.
Advent ur es : Monk advent ur er s ar e
common, si nce t hei r bel i ef s and l i f est yl e l end t hemsel ves t o
act i vi t y i n t he wor l d. Whi l e some monks devot e
t hei r t i me and
ener gy t o t r ai ni ng samur ai i n cl an doj os, t eachi ng t he scr i p-
t ur es i n secl uded monast er i es, or st r i vi ng t o per f ect t hem-
sel ves i n i sol at i on, manyot her s t ake t hei r l essons and pr act i ce
on t he r oad, f i ndi ng pr omi si ng st udent s amongt he r anks of
advent ur er s and even r oni n
. Af t er al l , who has
mor e need of
t he t eachi ngs of enl i ght enment t han t hose whoar e on t he
f r ont
l i ne of t he bat t l e agai nst dar kness? Andwhat good i s t he
per f ect i on of di sci pl i ne i f i t does not hol d up when t est ed i n
t he r eal
wor l d?
Backgr ound: As descr i bed i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook, monks
usual l y r ecei ve t hei r
t r ai ni ng ei t her i n
a
monast er yor under t he
ment or shi p of an i ndi vi dual sensei . Peopl e f r omal l wal ks of l i f e
mayf i nd
t r ai ni ng
i n
monast er i es- f oundl i ngs
or
or phans who
ar e r ai sed by t he monks, hei mi n or hi ni n peasant s, samur ai
nobl es, r et i r ed gener al s, spi r i t f ol k and
hengeyokai , and even
t he r ar e r at l i ng, kor obokur u, or vanar a al l may dedi cat e t hei r
l i ves t o enl i ght enment and
l ear n t he spi r i t ual
and
physi cal di s-
ci pl i nes of a monk. What ever t hei r soci al or r aci al or i gi n,
monks devot e t hei r whol e l oyal t y t o t he pat h of
enl i ght enment ,
cl ai mi ng ki nshi ponl y wi t h ot her monks, not wi t h cl an or
f ami l y. I n t he C el est i al O r der of Rokugan' s soci et y, monks ar e
equal t o
t he f ar mer hei mi ns, what ever t hei r bi r t h.
T he monks of Rokuganar e vi gi l ant
champi ons of enl i ght en-
ment , opponent s of t he dar kness- whet her t hat dar kness i s
mani f est ed i n t he
S hadowl ands or i n si mpl e i gnor ance. S i nce
t he Bat t l e of O bl i vi on' s Gat e, t he monks of Rokugan have come
t o r eal i ze t hat t hei r phi l osophy of wi t hdr awal f r om
t he wor l d
was not suf f i ci ent t o pr ot ect t he wor l df r omdar kness, andt hey
have adopt ed a mor e
aggr essi ve st r at egy of t eachi ng t he cl ans
t he t r ut hs of t he T ao. As a r esul t , t he r anks of t he monks ar e
swel l i ng, andmany
samur ai andshugenj as ar e l ear ni ng at l east
t he basi c t eachi ngs of S hi nsei .
Races : I n Rokugan, most monks ar e human, and a l ar ge
number ar e dr awn f r omt he Dr agon cl an. N onhuman monks
ar e ext r emel y
r ar e except i ons t o t he gener al r ul e t hat monas-
t er i es ar e a humanest abl i shment .
I n ot her campai gn
set t i ngs, t he near - human r aces ( hengeyokai
andspi r i t f ol k) ar e much mor e l i kel y t o adopt t he monk
cl ass t han
t he mor e
wi l d- nat ur ed kor obokur us, nezumi , or vanar as . T he
nonhumanr aces do not
have monast er i es of t hei r own, but t r ai n
and st udy i n humancommuni t i es or wi t h a humansensei .
O t her C l asses : I n Rokugan,
al t hough monks t end t o have
di f f er ent
goal s and val ues t han member s of ot her cl asses, t hey
bel i eve t hat t hey have
an obl i gat i on t o t each and wor k among
t he
br oader popul at i on of t he E mpi r e. T hey may
somet i mes
appr oach t he t ask wi t h
condescensi on, but i n gener al t hey r ec-
ogni ze t he i mpor t ance of nonmonks i n
def endi ng Rokugan
f r om
t he evi l t hat has near l y dest r oyedi t i n t he past . T hey t each
t hemso t hat al l t he
peopl e of Rokugan mi ght become enl i ght -
ened, t he
bet t er t o r esi st t he dar kness .
I n ot her campai gn set t i ngs, monks
r ecogni ze t hei r i nt er de-
pendence on ot her char act er s and t end t o cooper at e wel l wi t h
member s of al l ot her
cl asses .
Game Rul e I nf or mat i on: E xcept as not ed bel ow, monks
i n
O r i ent al Advent ur es conf or mt o t he r ul es gi ven i n t he
Pl ayer ' s
Handbook.
C l ass S ki l l s: Knowl edge
( r el i gi on) i s a cl ass
ski l l
f or monks .
WeaponPr of i ci ency: Monks ar e pr of i ci ent wi t h t he f ol l owi ng
weapons : but t er f l y swor d, cl ub,
cr ossbow( l i ght or heavy) , dagger ,
j avel i n,
j i t t e, kama, nunchaku, quar t er st af f , sai , shur i ken, andt onf a.
Monks canuse any
of t he f ol l owi ngweapons wi t h t hei r unar med
base at t ack bonus : but t er f l y swor d, cl ub, j i t t e, kama, l aj at ang,
nekode, nunchaku, quar t er st af f , sai ,
t hr ee- sect i on st af f , and t onf a.
Bonus Feat s : At i st , 2nd, and6t h l evel , a monkcan sacr i f i ce
a cl ass abi l i t y
( st unni ngat t ack at I st , Def l ect Ar r ows at 2nd, or
I mpr ovedT r i pat 6t h) i n or der t o gai n
a di f f er ent bonus mar t i al
ar t s f eat . T he
monk can choose any f eat l i st ed on T abl e 6- i :
Mar t i al Ar t s Feat s, but she must
meet al l t he pr er equi si t es f or
t he
f eat she sel ect s . T hi s bonus f eat can hel p a monkqual i f y f or
mast er yof a mar t i al
ar t s st yl e.
Mul t i cl ass Monks: Monks i n O r i ent al Advent ur es canmul t i -
cl ass and f r eel y r et ur n t o t he
monk cl ass .
RAN GE R
O f t en cal l ed scout s or t r acker s, r anger s i n O r i ent al
Advent ur es ar e war r i or s wi t h an uncannyconnec-
t i on t o t he ear t h and an equal l y uncanny
dedi -
cat i on t o war f ar e agai nst a chosen enemy. T he
ar chet ypal r anger i n Rokugan
i s
t he Hi r uma
scout:
a
C r ab samur ai whoknows t he S hadowl ands l i ke t he back of hi s
handandf i ght s i t s evi l deni zens
wi t h unmat chedski l l andf er oci t y.
Advent ur es : Ranger s may be amongt he most " advent ur -
ous" char act er s i n O r i ent al Advent ur es,
at l east as advent ur i ng
i s
gener al l y
under st ood
i n DUN GE O N S &DRAGO N S . Ranger s ar e
mor e l i kel y t han anyot her char act er t o vent ur e i nt o t he wi l der -
ness f or t he expr ess pur pose of
ki l l i ng monst er s . Al so, t hey
wor k wi t h ar mi es of samur ai and war r i or s, l eadi ng t hem
t hr ough
danger ous t er r ai n and scout i ng out enemyposi t i ons.
Backgr ound: Amongt he C r abcl an of Rokugan, t he ski l l s of
r anger s ar e t aught i n a f or mal
school , whi ch pr i des i t sel f on
bei ng an i nt egr al par t of t he E mpi r e' s def ense agai nst t he
S hadowl ands . O t her r anger s under go mor e
i nf or mal t r ai ni ng,
of t en under t he gui dance
of a ment or or par ent .
Races : I n Rokugan, r anger s ar e most commonl yf ound
among
t he C r ab( par t i cul ar l y t he Hi r uma f ami l y andi t s scout school ) , t he
Uni cor n, and t he nezumi . I n ot her
campai gn set t i ngs, non-
humans
of t enmake excel l ent r anger s, due t o t hei r cl ose connec-
t i on wi t h t he nat ur al and spi r i t wor l ds . Hengeyokai r anger s ar e
of t en cat s, cr anes, f oxes, har es, monkeys, r accoon dogs,
r at s, or
spar r ows i n t hei r ani mal f or m, andt hey use t he conceal ment and
nat ur al abi l i t i es of t hat f or mt o t hei r advant age i n scout i ng and
spyi ng. Kor obokur ur anger s ar e excel l ent t r acker s, andt heyf eel a
cl ose ki nshi p wi t h t he nat ur e spi r i t s ar ound t hei r homes . S pi r i t
f ol k r anger s ar e at home i n nat ur al sur r oundi ngs andbr i nga var i -
et y of speci al abi l i t i es t o bear t o i ncr ease t hei r ef f ect i veness .
Vanar a r anger s use gr eat st eal t h and agi l i t y t o make t hemsel ves
ef f ect i ve scout s anddeadl y f oes of t hei r f avor edenemi es.
O t her C l asses : I n Rokugan, most humanr anger s vi ewt hem-
sel ves as samur ai , r egar di ng ot her samur ai as equal s, shugenj as
near l y t hat wel l , andot her cl asses as somewher e f ar bel owt hei r
st at i on. Al l r anger s t end t o be pr agmat i c enough, however , t o
val ue t he cont r i but i ons of anymember of an advent ur i ngpar t y,
no mat t er t hei r st at i on, and cooper at e as equal s i n an advent ur -
i ngpar t y, eveni f soci al equal i t y i s out of t he quest i on.
Game Rul e
I nf or mat i on: As descr i bed i n t he Pl ayer ' s
Handbook. Al t hough r anger s can f i ght wi t h t wo weapons, f ew
r anger s i n Rokugan do so.
RO GUE
Fr oml ower - cl ass st r eet t hi eves and hi ghway
bandi t s t o schemi ngcour t i er s andnobl es, r ogues
ar e commonbut of t en
near l y i nvi si bl e i n O r i ent al
Advent ur es . S ome appear i n f ar l ess r ogui sh gui ses:
as of f i ci al s, di pl omat s, and envoys ( most such
char act er s,
however , have
t he
exper t or ar i st ocr at
N PC
cl asses)
.
Rogues i n O r i ent al Advent ur es ar e no easi er t o cat egor i ze t han
t hei r
st andar d count er par t s, f or t hey ar e at l east as var i ed
i n t hei r
ski l l s, r ol es, andbackgr ounds.
Advent ur es : Rogues advent ur e f or a wi de var i et y of
r easons,
but under l yi ngt hemal l i s a commont hr ead: Rogues advent ur e
because
i t ser ves t hei r per sonal goal s . Whet her t hose goal s ar e
as base as sel f - advancement andpower or as compl ex as a S cor -
pi on' s webof l oyal t i es, r ogues' own desi r es usual l y spur t hem
i nt o advent ur e.
Backgr ound: Most r ogues ar e sel f - t aught or l ear n t hei r ski l l s
under
a
shady
ment or
i n
a
l i f e
ont he st r eet .
T he school s of t he
S cor pi on cl an of Rokugan, however - i ncl udi ng t he Bayushi
samur ai school andpar t i cul ar l y t he secr et i ve
S hosur o school -
speci f i cal l y t r ai n t hei r st udent s i n r ogue abi l i t i es, ski l l s, andt ech-
ni ques . S cor pi on cl an
r ogues, nat ur al l y, mai nt ai n a hi gh degr ee
of l oyal t y t o each ot her , whi l e ot her r ogues t ypi cal l y do not t r ust
ot her r ogues any mor e t han absol ut el y necessar y
.
Races : S cr oungi ng nezumi ar e per haps t he qui nt essent i al
r ogues of Rokugan. Amonghumans,
S cor pi ons and
l ower - cl ass peasant s and
out cast s ar e t he most commonr ogues .
Rogues ar e common amongt he r aces of t he S hadowl ands as
wel l . I n ot her
campai gn set t i ngs, hengeyokai r ogues r ange
f r omst eal t hy cat and r at bur gl ar s t o
br ut i sh r accoon dogban-
di t s. S pi r i t f ol k
r ogues ar e t ypi cal l y t hose who f eel al i enat ed
f r om
humansoci et y because of t hei r spi r i t
ancest r y. Vanar a
r ogues ar e not
usual l y cr i mi nal l y i ncl i ned, but t hei r l i mi t l ess
cur i osi t y of t en get s t hemi nt o t r oubl e.
O t her C l asses
: Rogues pr ef er t o be i n cont r ol of any gi ven
si t uat i on. At one ext r eme, t hi s
mani f est s as a desi r e t o make
t hei r
own deci si ons and not be account abl e t o a l eader f i gur e.
Rogues wi t h t hi s
phi l osophy wor k wel l wi t h anyone whodoes
not t r y t o boss t hemar ound. At t he ot her ext r eme ar e
r ogues
who seek t o mani pul at e
ot her s t o t hei r ownadvant age. Gi ven
t hat pr ef er ence, t hese r ogues ar e happyt o wor k wi t h member s
of ot her cl asses- as
l ong as t hose ot her s can be t r i cked or
coer cedi nt o doi ng what t he r ogue want s
t hemt o do. Fanat i cal
devot ees of bushi do, l i ke
most samur ai , canbe a pr obl emi f t hey
ar e t oosmar t or st r ong- wi l l ed, andmonks wi t h t hei r
r i gi d ways
of t hi nki ng ar e
di f f i cul t t o mani pul at e as wel l . I n gener al ,
r ogues enj oy wor ki ngwi t h r anger s, r oni ns,
and even bar bar i ans .
Game Rul e
I nf or mat i on: As descr i bed i n t he Pl ayer ' s
Handbook, except as not edbel ow.
Weapon
andAr mor Pr of i ci ency: Rogues ar e pr of i ci ent
wi t h t he bl owgun, cr ossbow( hand
or l i ght ) , dagger , punchi ng
dagger , dar t ,
kama, l i ght mace, ni nj a- t o, nunchaku, composi t e
shor t bow, shor t swor d, t onf a,
and waki zashi . Medi um- si ze
r ogues ar e al so pr of i ci ent wi t h t he cl ub,
heavycr ossbow,
heavy
mace, mor ni ngst ar ,
andquar t er st af f .
S AMURAI
S amur ai ar e pr of essi onal war r i or s, member s of
t he nobl e cl ass who
ar e t r ai ned i n t he ar t s of
war f ar e. T hey ar e not onl y t r ai ned f or t hei r r ol e
i n
soci et y, t hey ar e bor n f or i t - bor n i nt o a
syst emof al l egi ance, l oyal t y,
and honor t hat
i nf l uences ever y st age
of t hei r l i ves . Asamur ai cut l oose f r om
t hi s
syst emi s no l onger a samur ai ; he i s an or di nar y f i ght er ,
a
r oni nwi t h no
honor andnost andi ng i n soci et y.
Advent ur es : Asamur ai ' s f i r st r esponsi bi l i t y
i s obedi ence t o
hi s l or d, usual l y t he
head of hi s f ami l y. T hi s i s si mul t aneousl y
an endl ess sour ce of advent ur es and a pot ent i al
hi ndr ance t o a
l i f e of
advent ur e. Al ow- l evel samur ai ' s l or d maycommandhi m
t o i nvest i gat e a myst er i ous
occur r ence or subdue a gangof ban-
di t s . I f
he per f or ms t hese dut i es wel l , hi s l or d wi l l cal l onhi m
t o
deal wi t h mor e si gni f i cant
pr obl ems . However , a samur ai usu-
al l y cannot si mpl y di sappear onanexpedi t i on i nt o t he S hadow-
l ands wi t hout hi s
l or d' s commandor at l east per mi ssi on, andi f
a samur ai ' s l or d has an i mpor t ant mi ssi on f or hi m,
he must
make t hat hi s
t op pr i or i t y. Whet her t hi s i s a si gni f i cant hi n-
dr ance or not i s upt o t he Dungeon
Mast er
.
C har act er i st i cs : S amur ai ar e di st i ngui shed f r omor di nar y
f i ght er s by t hei r adher ence t o bushi do,
a code of honor , l oyal t y,
and obedi ence
. T heyhave combat t r ai ni ng- i ncl udi ng some
bonus f eat s- r i val i ng t hat of a f i ght er. I f
a samur ai r emai ns
honor abl e andt r ue t o hi s code of conduct , hi s swor ds- mast er -
wor k bl ades passed down t hr ough
gener at i ons- may awaken
i n hi s
hands, mani f est i ng i ncr easi ng magi cal abi l i t i es as t he
samur ai advances i n
l evel and i nvest s spi r i t ual ener gy i n t hem.
T o a samur ai , di shonor i s wor se t han deat h, and t he l oss
of
hi s
swor ds i s possi bl y
t he wor st di shonor i magi nabl e.
Al i gnment : Bushi do, t he code of t he samur ai , demands st r i ct
obedi ence
t o
st andar ds of behavi or and honor. O nl y l awf ul
char act er s canadher e t o t hi s code and cal l t hemsel ves samur ai .
Backgr ound: S amur ai l ear n t hei r combat t echni ques and
t he pr i nci pl es of bushi do i n est abl i shed, wel l - or gani zed school s .
I n Rokugan, at l east one f ami l y i s r esponsi bl e f or t r ai ni ng
samur ai wi t hi n each cl an. T he C r ab' s Hi da school , t he C r ane' s
Dai doj i and Kaki t a school s, t he Dr agon' s Mi r umot o school , t he
Li on' s
Akodo andMat su school s, t he Phoeni x' s S hi ba school ,
t he S cor pi on' s Bayushi school , and t he Uni cor n' s Mot o and
S hi nj o school s ar e t he samur ai school s of Rokugan.
Races : Al most wi t hout except i on, al l samur ai i n Rokugan
ar e humans f r omt he maj or cl ans .
I n
ot her
campai gn set t i ngs,
onl y humans and spi r i t f ol k usual l y become samur ai , because
t he samur ai i s ver y much a char act er i st i c of humansoci et y.
O t her C l asses : S amur ai consi der t hemsel ves t he pi nnacl e
of t he C el est i al O r der t hat st r uct ur es t hei r soci et y. S hugenj as
ar e t echni cal l y t hei r equal s i n t hi s or der , but i n a wor l d wher e
honor i s vi r t ual l y equat edwi t h bat t l e pr owess, shugenj as have a
t enuous hol d
on
t hat
posi t i on
.
S amur ai r espect onl y
ot her
samur ai - as wel l as ot her char act er s ( Uni cor nbar bar i ans, C r ab
r anger s) whowear t he dai sho
and uphol d
t he
code of
bushi do.
T hey ar e pr one t o t r eat i ng member s of ot her char act er cl asses
as ser vant s, or
si deki cks at best ,
unl ess such char act er s ar e
obvi -
ousl y wel l r espect ed by t he samur ai ' s l or d.
T ABLE 2- 1: T HE S AMURAI
GAME RULE I N FO RMAT I O N
S amur ai have
t he f ol l owi ng
game st at i st i cs .
Abi l i t i es: S t r engt h i s especi al l y i mpor t ant f or samur ai because
i t i mpr oves t hei r mel ee at t ack anddamage r ol l s . C onst i t ut i on i s
i mpor t ant f or gi vi ng samur ai l ot s of hi t poi nt s, whi ch t hey' l l need
i n t hei r many bat t l es . Dext er i t yi s i mpor t ant f or
samur ai who
want t o be ski l l ed ar cher s, i mpr oves t hei r Ar mor C l ass, andal l ows
t hemaccess t o cer t ai n Dext er i t y- or i ent ed f eat s
.
Al i gnment : Anyl awf ul .
Hi t Di e: di o.
C LAS S S KI LLS
Asamur ai ' s cl ass ski l l s ( and t he key abi l i t y f or each ski l l ) ar e
C l i mb ( S t r ) , C r af t ( I nt ) , Di pl omacy( C ha) , I ai j ut su Focus ( C ha) ,
Base For t Ref Wi l l
Level At t ack Bonus S ave S ave S ave S peci al
1 st +1 +2 +0 +2 Ancest r al dai sho
2nd +2 +3 +0 +3 Bonus f eat
3r d +3 +3 +1 +3
4t h +4 +4 +1 +4 Bonus
f eat
5t h +5 +4 +1 +4
6t h +6/ +1 +5 +2 +5
7t h +7/ +2
+5
+2
+5 Bonus f eat
8t h +8/ +3
+6
+2
+6
9t h +9/ +4 +6 +3 +6
10t h +10/ +5 +7
+3
+7
Bonus
f eat
11t h +11/ +6/ +1 +7 +3 +7
12t h +12/ +7/ +2 +8 +4 +8
13t h +13/ +8/ +3 +8 +4 +8 Bonus
f eat
14t h +14/ +9/ +4 +9 +4 +9
15t h +15/ +10/ +5 +9 +5 +9
16t h +16/ +11/ +6/ +1 +10 +5 +10 Bonus
f eat
17t h +17/ +12/ +7/ +2 +10 +5 +10
18t h +18/ +13/ +8/ +3 +11 +6 +11
19t h +19/ +14/ +9/ +4 +11 +6 +11 Bonus
f eat
20t h +20/ +15/ +10/ +5 +12 +6 +12
I nt i mi dat e ( C ha) , J ump( S t r ) , Per f or m( C ha) , Pr of essi on ( Wi s) ,
Ri de ( Dex) , S ense Mot i ve
( Wi s) , and S wi m
( S t r ) .
S ee
C hapt er
4: S ki l l s i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook f or ski l l descr i pt i ons . T he I ai -
j ut su Focus ski l l
i s descr i bed i n C hapt er 4 of t hi s book
.
S ki l l Poi nt s at 1st l evel : ( 4 +I nt modi f i er ) x 4.
S ki l l Poi nt s at E ach Addi t i onal Level : 4 +I nt modi f i er .
C LAS S FE AT URE S
T he f ol l owi ng
ar e cl ass f eat ur es of t he samur ai .
Weapon andAr mor Pr of i ci ency: S amur ai ar e pr of i ci ent
wi t h al l
si mpl e and mar t i al weapons and wi t h l i ght and
medi umar mor. S amur ai ar e not pr of i ci ent wi t h shi el ds . N ot e
t hat ar mor check penal t i es f or ar mor heavi er t han l eat her
appl y t o t he ski l l s Bal ance, C l i mb, E scape Ar t i st , Hi de, J ump,
Move S i l ent l y, Pi ck Pocket , andT umbl e. Al so, S wi mchecks
suf f er a - 1 penal t y f or
ever y 5 pounds of ar mor and equi p-
ment car r i ed.
Ancest r al Dai sho: Al l samur ai begi npl ay wi t h a kat ana
and
a waki zashi - t wo mast er wor k weapons. T hese ar e weapons
t hat bel onged t o t he samur ai ' s ancest or s, and pr ot ect i ng t he
weapons i s an i mpor t ant poi nt of honor f or
t he samur ai . As a
samur ai acqui r es t r easur e t hr ough advent ur i ng, he has t he
opt i on of awakeni ngt he super nat ur al
abi l i t i es l at ent i n t he
weapons . T hi s opt i on al l ows a samur ai who pr ef er s t o use hi s
ancest r al
bl ade t o wi el d a magi c weapon, whi l e a samur ai who
T ABLE 2- 2: AN C E S T RAL DAI S HO
*A weapon can' t act ual l y have a bonus hi gher t han +5 . Use
t hese l i nes t o det er mi ne pr i ce when speci al abi l i t i es ar e added
i n. E xampl e: Asamur ai who has a +4 kat ana can t r ansf or mi t
i nt o a +4 t hunder i ng
kat ana wi t h a sacr i f i ce of
40, 000
gp, si nce
t hunder i ng i s a
speci al abi l i t y equi val ent t o a +2 bonus .
wi el ds a t et subo agai nst S hadowl ands
f i ends can use hi s t r ea-
sur e t o acqui r e newj ade or magi c weapons.
At any t i me, a samur ai may r et r eat t o a
t empl e or shr i ne and
spendt i me i n pr ayer i n or der t o awaken t he ancest r al spi r i t s
i n
hi s kat ana or waki zashi . ( Most samur ai i mpr ove
t hei r kat anas
and not
t hei r waki zashi s . ) T hi s r equi r es a sacr i f i ce of val uabl e
i t ems wor t ht he amount shownonT abl e 2- 2: Ancest r al Dai sho
.
T hi s sacr i f i ce does not have
t o be gol d- t he char act er cansac-
r i f i ce magi c i t ems or ot her goods wor t h t he r equi r ed amount ,
r at her t han sel l i ng hi s goods ( at
hal f val ue) t o pay f or t he sacr i -
f i ce .
T he samur ai must meet t he mi ni mumchar act er l evel
( i ncl udi ng anypr est i ge cl ass l evel s)
shownont he t abl e, and he
must spend
one day per 1, 000 gp sacr i f i ced i n t he shr i ne or
t empl e. Dur i ng t hi s t i me, he must spend at
l east 8 hour s each
day
kneel i ng bef or e hi s ancest or s and hi s weapons, not st op- ,
pi ng t o eat or r est . Many samur ai r equest t he
assi st ance of
a
shugenj a i n t hi s pr ocess,
but a shugenj a
i s
not r equi r ed.
T he val ues shownonT abl e 2- 2 ar e t he t ot al val ue of
sacr i f i ce
r equi r ed t o br i nga si ngl e weapon
t o t he l i st ed weaponbonus . I f
a samur ai al r eadyhas a +3 kat ana, he
canr ai se i t t o a
+4
kat ana by
sacr i f i ci ng 14, 000 gp and spendi ng t woweeks i n pr ayer . I f t he
same samur ai want edt obr i nghi s mast er wor k waki zashi t o a +1
waki zashi , he woul dhave t o sacr i f i ce 2, 000 gp.
Bef or e a samur ai ' s ancest r al swor dbecomes a +1 weapon, i t i s
an or di nar y mast er wor k weapon i n ever y way. I t s l at ent super -
nat ur al power s do not cause i t t o be consi der ed a magi c weapon
unt i l t hose power s ar e awakened.
Asamur ai who l oses hi s ancest r al swor ds i s di shonor ed unt i l
he can r ecover t hem. He cannot enhance any
ot her
weapon
i n
t hi s way.
N ot e: I n some campai gns, a samur ai mi ght begi n pl ay wi t h a
di f f er ent ancest r al weapon,
such as a t ul war ( sci mi t ar ) or a j i an
( l ongswor d) .
Bonus Feat s : At 2ndl evel , t he samur ai get s a bonus
f eat . T he
samur ai gai ns an addi t i onal bonus f eat at 4t h l evel and ever y
t hr ee l evel s t her eaf t er ( 7t h, l ot h, 13t h,
16t h, and 19t h) . T hese
bonus f eat s must be dr awnf r omt he l i st t hat appear s bel owf or
t he char act er ' s cl an.
C r ab- E mphasi ze heavy
ar mor , gr eat st r engt h, and unusual
weapons . Feat s : Ar mor Pr of i ci ency ( heavy) , Dodge ( Mobi l i t y,
S pr i ng At t ack) , E ndur ance, Power
At t ack ( C l eave, I mpr oved
Bul l Rush, S under , Gr eat C l eave) , Run, Weapon Focus
( bat t l eaxe, gr eat cl ub, kat ana, or war hammer ) .
Weapon Bonus
+1
T ot al S acr i f i ce
Requi r ed
2, 000 gp
Mi ni mum
C har act er Level
4t h
+2
8, 000 gp 7t h
+3
' 1
18, 000 gp 9t h
+4
32, 000 gp 11t h
+5 50, 000 gp 13t h
+6* 72, 000 gp 14t h
+7* 98, 000 gp 15t h
+8* 128, 000 gp 16t h
+9* 162, 000 gp 17t h
+10* 200, 000 gp 18t h
C r ane- E mphasi ze speed and agi l i t y. Feat s: Dodge( Mobi l i t y,
S pr i ng At t ack) , E xper t i se ( I mpr oved Di sar m,
I mpr oved
T r i p,
Whi r l wi nd At t ack) , I mpr oved I ni t i at i ve, Qui ck Dr aw, S ki l l
Focus ( I ai j ut su Focus) ,
T oughness, Weapon Focus ( kat ana) .
Dr agon- T each t wo- weapon f i ght i ng and unar med combat .
Feat s : E xot i c Weapon Pr of i ci ency
( kat ana) , I mpr oved Gr appl e
( C hoke Hol d) , I mpr oved Unar medS t r i ke ( Def ensi ve T hr ow,
Def l ect Ar r ows, Gr appl i ng
Bl ock, Gr eat T hr ow, S t unni ng Fi st ) ,
Power At t ack ( C l eave) , Weapon Focus ( kat ana) .
Li on- E mphasi ze
st r at egy, i nt el l i gence, andst r engt h of wi l l .
Feat s : E ndur ance, E xper t i se ( I mpr oved Di sar m, I mpr oved T r i p,
Whi r l wi nd At t ack) , I mpr oved I ni t i at i ve, I r on Wi l l , Ki S hout
( Gr eat Ki S hout ) , Remai n
C onsci ous, T oughness, Weapon
Focus ( kat ana) .
Phoeni x- E mphasi ze ment al
and spi r i t ual t r ai ni ng. Feat s : Al er t -
ness, Bl i nd- Fi ght , C ombat Ref l exes, E xper t i se ( I mpr ovedDi sar m,
I mpr oved T r i p, Whi r l wi nd
At t ack) , Gr eat For t i t ude, I mpr oved
I ni t i at i ve, I r on Wi l l , Qui ck Dr aw, Weapon Focus ( kat ana) .
S cor pi on- E mphasi ze
mobi l i t y anddi r t y f i ght i ng. Feat s: Bl i nd-
Fi ght , Dodge ( Mobi l i t y, S pr i ng At t ack) , E xper t i se ( I mpr oved
Di sar m, I mpr ovedT r i p,
Whi r l wi ndAt t ack) , I mpr oved I ni t i at i ve,
Pr one
At t ack, Qui ck Dr aw, WeaponFocus ( kat ana) .
Uni cor n- E mphasi ze
mount ed combat and ar cher y. Feat s :
Al er t ness, Mount edC ombat ( Mount ed
Ar cher y, T r ampl e,
Ri de- By At t ack,
S pi r i t ed C har ge) , Poi nt Bl ank S hot ( Far S hot ,
Pr eci se S hot , Rapi d S hot , S hot on t he Run) ,
Weapon Focus
( spear , l ance,
bow, or kat ana) .
C har act er s wi t hout
a cl an shoul d choose one cl an t hat best
r epr esent s t he f i ght i ng st yl e t hey wi sh t o l ear n. T hey must
t her eaf t er choose t hei r
bonus f eat s f r omt he l i st f or t hat cl an.
S ome of t he bonus f eat s avai l abl e t o a samur ai cannot be
acqui r ed unt i l t he
samur ai has gai ned one or mor e pr er equi -
si t e f eat s ;
t hese f eat s ar e l i st ed par ent het i cal l y af t er t he pr e-
r equi si t e f eat . Asamur ai must st i l l
meet al l pr er equi si t es f or a
f eat , i ncl udi ng
abi l i t y scor e andbase at t ack bonus mi ni mums .
C ode of C onduct
:
A
samur ai must be of l awf ul al i gnment ,
and di shonor s hi msel f , hi s f ami l y, and hi s swor ds i f he ever
wi l l i ngl ycommi t s
a chaot i c act . Addi t i onal l y, t he samur ai code
of bushi do r equi r es t hat he be obedi ent t o hi s l or d, accept deat h
at anyt i me
and f ace i t br avel y, avenge any di shonor , and shun
any appear ance of cowar di ce. T he cor e pr i nci pl es
of bushi do ar e
honor , l oyal t y, and
cour age. Vi ol at i ng t hese pr ecept s r esul t s i n
di shonor , whi ch may r esul t i n a samur ai bei ng st r i pped
of
hi s
f ami l y name
or bei ng asked t o commi t seppuku( r i t ual sui ci de) .
E X- S AMURAI
Asamur ai who becomes
nonl awf ul or vi ol at es t he t enet s of
bushi do cannot gai n newl evel s as a samur ai . He r et ai ns al l hi s
bonus f eat s, but hi s ancest r al
weapons l ose any" awakened" magi -
cal abi l i t i es. I f t he samur ai r et ur ns t o l awf ul al i gnment , he
must
at one f or hi s
vi ol at i ons ( see t he at onement spel l descr i pt i on i n t he
Pl ayer ' s Handbook) and r edeemhi s honor i n or der t o r est or e hi s
weapons t ot hei r pr i or
st at us and cont i nue advanci ngas a samur ai .
S HAMAN
I f a cl er i c' s basi c cr eed i s t hat t he handi wor k of t he dei t i es i s
ever ywher e, a shamans
si mpl e asser t i oni s t hat t he dei t i es t hem-
sel ves ar e ever ywher e. S hamans ar e i nt er medi ar i es bet ween t he
mor t al wor l d and t he r eal mof
spi r i t s- t he vast mul t i t ude of
l i vi ng bei ngs t hat i nf use t he ent i r e wor l d wi t h di vi ne
essence. S hamans
pl ay a vi t al r ol e i n t he wor l dof or i ent al
Advent ur es- communi cat i ng wi t h ancest or spi r i t s, demons,
nat ur e spi r i t s, and
t he most power f ul of spi r i t s, whomi ght be con-
si der ed dei t i es. T he shamanof f er s sacr i f i ces, pr ayer s, and ser vi ces
t o t he spi r i t s, and i n r et ur n gai ns t he f avor of pat r on spi r i t s who
best owspel l s and ot her magi cal abi l i t i es upon hi m. Wi t h t he
except i on of cer t ai n Li on cl an " spi r i t t al ker s" of t he Ki t suf ami l y,
shamans
ar e
not f ound
i n
Rokugan;
shugenj as
f i l l t hi s
r ol e
i nst ead.
Advent ur es : S hamans of t engo on advent ur es not because of
any
desi r e of t hei r own, but as a di r ect r esul t of
t hei r
uni que r el a-
t i onshi p wi t h t he spi r i t wor l d. Ancest or spi r i t s of t en have t hei r
own
agendas- deeds l ef t undone
or
wr ongs unavenged- and
cal l ont hei r shaman descendant s t o car r y t hemout . Peasant s and
nobl es al i ke of t en summon shamans i f evi l spi r i t s or
undead
monst er s cause t r oubl e. E ven nat ur e spi r i t s, nor mal l y uncon-
cer ned wi t h t he af f ai r s of humani t y, mi ght r equest
assi st ance
f r oma shaman i f an evi l i nf l uence ( such as a baj ang or buso)
t r oubl es t he nat ur al wor l d. S hamans whot r af f i c wi t h evi l spi r i t s
ar e of t en dr i ven t o commi t hei nous deeds. S hamans ar e bot h
bl essedandbur denedby t hei r gi f t s, andmay somet i mes f eel l i ke
pawns
i n
t he games and
machi nat i ons of t he spi r i t wor l d.
C har act er i st i cs : S hamans use di vi ne magi c, much l i ke t he
cl er i cs
of
t he
Pl ayer ' s Handbook. I n addi t i on t o
heal i ng,
shaman
spel l s nat ur al l yi ncl ude means of cont act i ng and communi cat -
i ngwi t h spi r i t s, wi nni ng f avor s f r omt hem, or war di ngagai nst
t hei r i nf l uence. S haman spel l s ar e al so mor e st r ongl y or i ent ed
t owar d nat ur e t han cl er i c spel l s . Ashaman' s spel l s ar e gr ant ed
byspi r i t s r at her t han dei t i es .
S hamans have some power over undead, but not as gr eat as cl er -
i cs have. N or ar e t hey as f ear some i n combat as cl er i cs, al t hough
t hey l ear nunar med combat t echni ques as t hey advance i n l evel
.
Al i gnment : Most shamans ar e of goodal i gnment , cooper at -
i ng wi t h ki ndl y ancest or spi r i t s and opposi ng evi l spi r i t s and
undead. Af ewshamans, however , si de wi t h t he evi l spi r i t s,
usi ng t he power t he spi r i t s best owt o i ncr ease
t hei r ownpower
i n t he wor l d.
Backgr ound: I ndi vi dual s ar e of t endr awn t o t he shamancl ass
because t hey possess a nat ur al gi f t f or deal i ngwi t h spi r i t s, r at her
t han t he ot her way ar ound. As wi t h sor cer er s, t hi s gi f t t ypi cal l y
mani f est s at puber t y, t hough somet i mes even youngchi l dr en
di spl ay an unusual abi l i t y t o see and communi cat e wi t h spi r i t s .
T he t r ansi t i on f r oma gi f t ed chi l d or young adul t t o a power f ul
shaman, however , i s not easy. T ypi cal l y, a shaman- t o- be spends
mont hs i n t he wi l der ness, f ast i ng and communi ngwi t h t he
spi r i t s, unt i l f i ndi ngt wospi r i t s t o ser ve as pat r ons i n a f or mal and
r i t ual i zed r el at i onshi p. T hese t wo spi r i t s gr ant t he char act er hi s
f i r st spel l s, at whi chpoi nt he t r ul y becomes a shaman.
Races : S hamans ar e t ypi cal l y f ound amongal l t he r aces,
al t hough t hei r appr oach
t o
t he spi r i t s mayvar y. Most shamans
ar e human, because t he human r ace i s l ess i n t une wi t h t he
spi r i t wor l d and t her ef or e most i n need of i nt er medi ar i es who
cancommuni cat e wi t h spi r i t s. Hengeyokai and spi r i t
f ol k
con-
si der t hemsel ves
spi r i t s, and
somet i mes see
l i t t l e need t o ven-
er at e t he spi r i t s . Hengeyokai shamans, who ar e qui t e r ar e, f or m
par t ner shi ps wi t h
spi r i t s based mor e on equal r espect t han on
ser vi ce andvener at i on. S pi r i t f ol k shamans ar e somewhat mor e
common,
and r ever e bot h
humanancest or s
and nat ur e spi r i t s.
Vanar as ar e qui t e commonl y shamans, because t hey hol d t he
spi r i t wor l di n gr eat r espect. N ezumi and
kor obokur u shamans
ar e r ar e, but qui t e si mi l ar t o humanshamans i n t hei r pr act i ces.
O t her C l asses :
Whi l e
no
advent ur er wi l l begr udge a
shaman' s power t o heal and ot her wi se hel p an advent ur i ng
par t y, most advent ur er s vi ewshamans wi t h at l east a hi nt of
f ear ,
awe, or wonder . Ashaman' s power s ar e ot her wor l dl y, and t he
spi r i t s t hat gr ant t hose power s of t en mani f est i n ways t hat make
mundane- mi nded f i ght er s
and
r ogues mor e t han a l i t t l e uncom-
f or t abl e. T he
shaman occupi es a
uni que andsomet i mes danger ous
posi t i on on t he bor der
bet ween
t he spi r i t wor l d and t he mor t al
wor l d,
and many char act er s f i nd
t hat posi t i on unner vi ng. For t hei r
par t ,
shamans t end t o l ook ki ndl y on
member s of most
ot her cl asses,
humbl y of f er i ng t hei r power s f or
t he good of t he par t y
as a whol e.
GAME RULE
I N FO RMAT I O N
S hamans have t he f ol l owi ng game
st at i st i cs .
Abi l i t i es : Wi sdomdet er mi nes how
power f ul
a spel l a shaman can cast ,
howmany spel l s t he shaman can cast
per day, and how
har d t hose spel l s ar e
t o r esi st . T o cast a spel l , a shaman must
have a Wi sdom
scor e of 10 +t he spel l ' s
l evel . Ashamanget s bonus spel l s
based
on Wi sdom.
T he Di f f i cul t y C l ass of a
savi ng t hr owagai nst a shaman' s
spel l
i s 10 +t he spel l ' s l evel +t he shaman' s
Wi sdommodi f i er .
Ahi gh C onst i t ut i on
i mpr oves a shaman' s hi t poi nt s, and
a
hi gh C har i sma
i mpr oves t he shaman' s
savi ng t hr ows .
Al i gnment: Any.
Hi t
Di e: d6.
C LAS S
S KI LLS
Ashaman' s cl ass ski l l s ( and
t he key abi l i t y
f or
each school ) ar e C oncent r at i on
( C on) , C r af t ( I nt ) , Di pl omacy
( C ha) ,
Heal ( Wi s) , Knowl edge ( ar cana) ( I nt ) , Knowl edge ( r el i gi on)
( I nt ) , Knowl edge ( spi r i t s) ( I nt ) , Pr of essi on ( Wi s) , S cr y
( I nt , excl usi ve ski l l ) , andS pel l cr af t ( I nt ) . S ee C hapt er 4:
S ki l l s i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook f or ski l l descr i pt i ons .
S ki l l Poi nt s at 1st l evel : ( 4 +I nt modi f i er ) x4.
S ki l l Poi nt s at E ach Addi t i onal Level : 4 +I nt modi f i er .
T ABLE 2- 3: T HE
S HAMAN
*I n
addi t i on t o t he st at ed number of spel l s per day f or 1
st - t hr ough 9t h- l evel spel l s, a shaman get s a domai n spel l f or each spel l l evel ,
st ar t i ng
at 1st . T he " +1" on t hi s l i st r epr esent s t hat . T hese
spel l s ar e
i n
addi t i on t o any bonus spel l s f or havi ng a hi gh Wi sdom.
C LAS S FE AT URE S
T he
f ol l owi ng ar e cl ass f eat ur es of t he shaman.
Weapon andAr mor Pr of i ci ency: S hamans
ar e
pr of i ci ent
wi t h al l
si mpl e
weapons
andwi t h
l i ght ar mor . N ot e t hat ar mor checkpenal t i es f or
ar mor
heavi er t han l eat her appl y
t o t he ski l l s Bal ance, C l i mb, E s-
cape Ar t i st , Hi de, J ump, Move
S i l ent l y, Pi ck Pocket , andT um-
bl e. Al so, S wi mchecks suf f er a
- 1
penal t y f or ever y 5 pounds of ar mor and
equi pment car r i ed.
S pel l s
:
Ashaman
cast s di vi ne spel l s accor di ng
t o T abl e 2- 3: T he S haman. Ashaman may pr e-
par e and cast any spel l on t he shaman spel l l i st
( see C hapt er
7:
Magi c and S pel l s) , pr ovi ded
he
can cast spel l s of t hat l evel . ( Al i gnment r est r i c-
t i ons mean
t hat cast i ng some spel l s may have
unpl easant consequences . ) T he Di f f i cul t y C l ass
f or a savi ng t hr owagai nst a shaman' s spel l i s 10
+t he spel l ' s l evel +t he shaman' s Wi sdommodi f i er .
S hamans do not acqui r e t hei r spel l s f r ombooks
or scr ol l s, nor pr epar e t hemt hr ough
st udy. I nst ead,
t hey medi t at e or pr ay f or t hei r spel l s, r ecei vi ngt hem
as gi f t s f r om
t he
many
spi r i t s ( nat ur e spi r i t s, ani mal
spi r i t s, ancest or spi r i t s, and ot her s) wi t h
whomt he shaman deal s . E ach shaman
must choose a t i me at whi ch he must spend an
hour each dayi n qui et conver sat i on wi t h t he
spi r i t s t o
r egai n
hi s
dai l y al l ot ment of
spel l s ( t ypi cal l y, t hi s hour i s at dawn or
Base
For t Ref Wi l l
S pel l s per Day*
Level
At t ack Bonus S ave S ave S ave S peci al
0
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1st
+0 +0 +0 +2
Unar med st r i ke, 3 1+1 - - - - - - - -
ani mal
compani on
2nd
+1 +0 +0
+3 S pi r i t si ght 4 2+1 - - - - - - - -
3r d
+2 +1 +1
+3 T ur n or r ebuke undead 4 2+1 1+1 - - - - - - -
4t h
+3 +1 +1 +4
Bonus f eat 5 3+1 2+1 - - - - - - -
5t h +3 +1 +1
+4 S pi r i t s' f avor 5 3+1 2+1 1+1 - - - - - -
6t h
+4 +2 +2
+5 5 3+1 3+1 2+1 - - - - - -
7t h +5 +2 +2
+5 6 4+1 3+1 2+1 1+1 - - - - -
8t h +6/ +1 +2
+2 +6 Bonus f eat 6 4+1 3+1 3+1 2+1 - - - - -
9t h +6/ +1
+3 +3 +6 6 4+1 4+1 3+1 2+1 1+1 - - - -
10t h
+7/ +2
+3 +3 +7 6 4+1 4+1 3+1 3+1 2+1 - - - -
11t h
+8/ +3 +3 +3 +7 T hi r d domai n 6 4+2 4+1 4+1 3+1 2+1 1+1 - - -
12t h +9/ +4
+4 +4 +8 Bonus f eat 6 4+2 4+1 4+1 3+1 3+1 2+1 - - -
13t h +9/ +4
+4 +4 +8 6 4+2 4+2 4+1 4+1 3+1 2+1 1+1 - -
14t h
+10/ +5 +4 +4 +9 6 4+2 4+2 4+1 4+1 3+1 3+1 2+1 - -
15t h
+11/ +6/ +1 +5 +5 +9 6 4+2 4+2 4+2 4+1 4+1 3+1 2+1 1+1 -
16t h
+12/ +7/ +2 +5 +5 +10 Bonus f eat 6 4+2 4+2 4+2 4+1 4+1 3+1 3+1 2+1 -
17t h +12/ +7/ +2 +5 +5 +10 6 4+2 4+2 4+2 4+2 4+1 4+1 3+1 2+1 1+1
18t h +13/ +8/ +3 +6 +6 +11
6
4+2 4+2 4+2 4+2 4+1 4+1 3+1 3+1 2+1
19t h +14/ +9/ +4 +6 +6 +11
6
4+2
4+2 4+2 4+2 4+2 4+1 4+1 3+1 3+1
20t h +15/ +10/ +5 +6 +6 +12 Bonus f eat 6 4+2 4+2 4+2
4+2 4+2 4+1 4+1 4+1 4+1
noon f or goodshamans and at dusk or mi dni ght f or evi l ones) .
T i me spent r est i ng
has no ef f ect on whet her a shaman can
pr epar e spel l s .
I n addi t i on
t o
hi s
st andar d spel l s, a shamanget s one domai n
spel l of each spel l l evel , st ar t i ng at 1st . Whena shamanpr epar es
a domai n
spel l , i t must come f r omone of hi s t wodomai ns ( see
bel owf or det ai l s) .
S pi r i t s, Domai ns, and Domai n S pel l s : C hoose t wo
domai ns f or your shaman. E ach domai n r epr esent s
an
i ndi vi d-
ual spi r i t wi t h whi ch you have a speci al r el at i onshi p- a spi r i t
of t he dead ( usual l y one of your
ancest or s) , an
ani mal spi r i t , or
a nat ur e spi r i t . E ach spi r i t gi ves you access t o a domai n spel l at
each spel l l evel , f r om1st on
up,
as wel l as a gr ant edpower. Your
shaman get s t he gr ant ed power s of bot h domai ns you sel ect .
Wi t h access t o t wo
domai n spel l s at a gi ven spel l l evel , a
shamanpr epar es one or t he ot her each day. I f a domai n spel l i s
not
on
t he S haman S pel l s
l i st , a shaman can onl y pr epar e i t
i n
hi s domai n sl ot . Domai n spel l s and gr ant ed power s ar e gi ven
i n S haman
Domai ns ( see C hapt er 7) .
When a shaman r eaches 11t h l evel , he can choose a t hi r d
domai n,
and
gai ns
access t o t he spel l s and gr ant edpower of t hi s
domai n. E ach day, he can pr epar e t wodomai n spel l s of cer t ai n
spel l l evel s, as shown
onT abl e 2- 3.
S pont aneous C ast i ng: Good shamans can channel st or ed
spel l ener gy i nt o heal i ng
spel l s t hat t hey haven' t pr epar ed
ahead of t i me. T he shaman can " l ose"
a pr epar ed spel l
i n
or der
t o
cast any cur e spel l of t he same l evel or l ower ( a cur e spel l i s
any spel l wi t h " cur e" i n i t s name) . For exampl e,
a good shaman
who has
pr epar ed bl ess ( a 1st - l evel spel l ) may l ose bl ess i n or der
t o cast cur e l i ght wounds
( al so a i st - l evel spel l ) . Good shamans
can cast cur e spel l s i n t hi s waybecause t hey ar e especi al l y pr of i -
ci ent at wi el di ng posi t i ve ener gy
.
An evi l shaman, on t he ot her hand, can' t conver t pr epar ed
spel l s
t o cur e spel l s but can conver t t hemt o i nf l i ct spel l s ( an
i nf l i ct
spel l i s one wi t h " i nf l i ct " i n
t he t i t l e) . S uch shamans ar e
especi al l y pr of i ci ent at wi el di ng negat i ve ener gy.
Aneut r al shamancanconver t spel l s ei t her
t o cur e spel l s or t o
i nf l i ct
spel l s ( pl ayer ' s choi ce) , dependi ng on whet her t he
shaman i s mor e pr of i ci ent
at wi el di ng posi t i ve or negat i ve
ener gy.
O nce t he pl ayer makes t hi s choi ce, i t cannot be
r ever sed. T hi s choi ce al so
det er mi nes whet her t he neut r al
shaman t ur ns or r ebukes undead ( see bel ow) .
Ashaman can' t
use spont aneous cast i ng t o conver t domai n
spel l s i nt o cur e or i nf l i ct spel l s . T hese spel l s ar i se f r omt he
par -
t i cul ar power s
of t he shamans chosenspi r i t s, not di vi ne ener gy
i n gener al .
C haot i c, E vi l , Good, andLawf ul S pel l s : Ashaman can' t
cast spel l s of anal i gnment opposed t o hi s own. A
good shaman
cannot
cast evi l spel l s, andvi ce ver sa. S pel l s associ at ed wi t h t he
al i gnment s of
chaos,
evi l , good,
and l awar e i dent i f i ed as such
on t he " S chool , S ubschool and Descr i pt or s" l i ne of t he spel l
descr i pt i on.
Unar medS t r i ke : S hamans gai n I mpr oved Unar med S t r i ke
as
a bonus f eat .
Ani mal C ompani on: A1st - l evel shaman
maybegi npl ay
wi t h
an
ani mal compani on. T hi s ani mal i s one t hat t he shaman has
bef r i ended wi t h t he spel l ani mal f r i endshi p. I t canhave upt o 2 Hi t
Di ce. ( Whi l e
t he shamani s 1st l evel , t hi s par t i cul ar ani mal i s l oyal
enough t o st ay wi t h hi m, even
t hough an advent ur i ng shaman
usual l y can onl y mai nt ai n ani mal f r i ends whose Hi t Di ce t ot al up
t o hi s l evel . ) Al t er nat i vel y, t he shaman
may have mor e t han one
ani mal
compani on pr ovi ded t he ani mal s' t ot al Hi t Di ce don' t
exceed 2. T he shaman
can al so cast ani mal f r i endshi p i n pl ay
( see t he spel l descr i pt i on i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook) .
S pi r i t S i ght : Ashaman of 2nd l evel and above can see et he-
r eal cr eat ur es
( i ncl udi ng spi r i t s) as easi l y as he sees mat er i al
cr eat ur es andobj ect s . T he shaman can easi l y
di st i ngui sh
bet ween
et her eal cr eat ur es andmat er i al ones, because et her eal
cr eat ur es appear t r ansl ucent andi ndi st i nct .
T ur n or Rebuke Undead: When a
shamanr eaches 3r d l evel ,
he gai ns t he super nat ur al abi l i t y t o t ur n or r ebuke undead. He
mayuse t hi s abi l i t y a number
of t i mes per dayequal t o t hr ee pl us
hi s C har i sma modi f i er . He t ur ns undead as a cl er i c of t wol evel s
l ower woul d. N eut r al shamans must choose t o
ei t her t ur n or
r ebuke undead( see S pont aneous C ast i ng above) .
E xt r a T ur ni ng: As a f eat , a shaman may t ake
E xt r a T ur ni ng.
T hi s f eat al l ows t he shaman t o t ur n undeadf our mor e t i mes per
day t han nor mal . Ashaman can t ake t hi s f eat mul t i pl e
t i mes,
gai ni ng f our ext r a dai l y t ur ni ngat t empt s each t i me.
Bonus Feat : At 4t h l evel and ever y f our l evel s
t her eaf t er , a
shaman
gai ns a bonus mar t i al
ar t s f eat
. T he shaman must
choose t hese f eat s f r omt he f ol l owi ng l i st : Def ensi ve T hr ow,
Def l ect Ar r ows ( Gr appl i ng Bl ock) , Dodge,
E xper t i se ( Kar mi c
S t r i ke, I mpr ovedT r i p, Def ensi ve S t r i ke, S uper i or E xper t i se) ,
Gr eat T hr ow, I mpr oved Gr appl e ( C hoke
Hol d, E ar t h' s
E mbr ace) , S t unni ng Fi st ( Fal l i ng S t ar S t r i ke, Fr eezi ng t he
Li f ebl ood, Unbal anci ng S t r i ke, Pai nT ouch) .
S pi r i t s' Favor : Ashaman of 5t h l evel or hi gher appl i es hi s
C har i sma modi f i er ( i f posi t i ve) as a bonus on
al l savi ng t hr ows .
S HUJ E N J A
S hugenj as ar e di vi ne spel l cast er s who cast
spel l s by at t uni ng t hemsel ves t o t he
el ement s
ar ound t hemand
f ocusi ng t he power of t he
el ement s t hr ough t hei r bodi es t o pr oduce
magi cal ef f ect s . Li ke
samur ai , t hey ar e member s
of Rokugan' s nobl e cl ass, t hough t hey ar e not as bound by
honor and t he code of bushi do as
t hei r war r i or count er par t s .
S hugenj as ar e f ound i n Rokugan, and may not be appr opr i at e
f or ot her campai gn set t i ngs .
Advent ur es
:
S hugenj as of t en advent ur e t o i ncr ease t hei r
magi cal knowl edge and per sonal power . T hey ar e par t i cul ar l y
dr awn t o i nvest i gat e di st ur bances i n t he nat ur al har mony of
t he el ement s- par t i cul ar l y i ncur si ons of t he S hadowl ands or
t he act i vi t i es of maho- t sukai wi t hi n t he E mpi r e. S ome shugen-
j as dedi cat e t hei r l i ves t o f i ght i ng t he t ai nt of maho ( bl ood
magi c) , whi l e ot her s cr ave t he power t hat
maho best ows . S t i l l
ot her s ar e dr awnt o pl umbt he dept hs of magi c f or magi c' s own
sake, hopi ngevent ual l y t o l ear nt he myst er i es of Voi d,
t he " f i f t h
el ement " t hat bi nds t he ot her s t oget her .
C har act er i st i cs : S hugenj as ar e
much mor e t han spel l -
sl i ngi ng sor cer er s . T hey ar e t he f oundat i on of Rokugan' s
r el i gi on- pr i est s who t each t he r i t ual s of
pi et y, keep t he
names of t he For t unes, andeven measur e t he passage of t i me.
T hey st udyf or year s t o l ear neven t he
f undament al el ement s
of t hei r magi cal pr act i ce, and ar e t he most l i t er at e cl ass of
peopl e i n Rokugan. Ashugenj a' s spel l s ar e wr i t t en on
of udas
( nonmagi cal pr ayer scr ol l s) t hat t he shugenj a car r i es wi t h
her , ser vi ng as a di vi ne f ocus f or cast i ng t he spel l
.
Al i gnment : Whi l e many shugenj as at t empt t o f ol l owt he
st andar ds of honor and l oyal t y, and t hus adher e t o a
l awf ul
al i gnment , not al l
shugenj as l i ve up t o t hose st andar ds . T her e
ar e no al i gnment r est r i ct i ons on shugenj as .
Backgr ound:
S hugenj as ar e member s of Rokugan' s nobl e
cl ass. T hey l ear n t he pr act i ce of magi c i n school s at t ached t o
each cl an, l i ke t hei r samur ai ki n. T he
shugenj a school s of Roku-
gan i ncl ude t he Kuni school of t he C r ab cl an, t he Asahi na
school of t he C r ane cl an, t he T amor i
school of t he Dr agon cl an,
t he Ki t suschool of t he Li on cl an, t he Agasha and I sawa school s
of t he Phoeni xcl an, t he S oshi andYogo school s
of t he S cor pi on
cl an,
andt he I uchi school of t he Uni cor n cl an.
Races : Al most
wi t hout except i on, al l shugenj as ar e humans
f r omt he maj or cl ans. I n Rokugan, spel l cast er s f r omot her r aces
( and human
peopl es) ar e sor cer er s . I n ot her campai gn set t i ngs,
most spel l cast er s ar e shamans, sor cer er s,
or wuj en
.
O t her C l asses : Li ke samur ai , shugenj as ar e set apar t by t hei r
nobl e st at i on and t end t o
l ook down upon member s of ot her
cl asses . Despi t e t he pr evai l i ng vi ewof soci et y, shugenj as do not
bel i eve t hat mar t i al pr owess
i s t he ul t i mat e expr essi on of
honor - i n f act , t hey l ook
down on
t he
samur ai who set t l e any
di sagr eement or mat t er of honor wi t h a duel t o t he deat h.
S hugenj as have l i t t l e r espect f or
member s of ot her cl asses ; how-
ever , shugenj as, especi al l y advent ur er s, wi sel y under st and t hat
di f f er ent cl asses
have speci al i zed ski l l s and abi l i t i es of t en
needed f or success.
GAME RULE I N FO RMAT I O N
S hugenj as have t he f ol l owi nggame st at i st i cs .
Abi l i t i es : C har i sma
det er mi nes howpower f ul a spel l a
shugenj a can cast , howmany spel l s t he shugenj a can cast per
day, and howhar d
t hose spel l s ar e t o r esi st . T o cast a spel l , a
shugenj a must have a C har i sma scor e of 10 +t he spel l ' s l evel .
Ashugenj a get s
bonus spel l s basedon C har i sma. T he Di f f i cul t y
C l ass of a savi ng t hr owagai nst a shugenj a' s spel l i s
10
+t he
spel l ' s
l evel
+
t he shugenj a' s C har i sma modi f i er . Hi gh Dext er i t y
i s hel pf ul f or a shugenj a ( who t ypi cal l y
wear s l i t t l e or noar mor )
because
i t pr ovi des her wi t h an Ar mor C l ass bonus . Agood
C onst i t ut i on gi ves a shugenj a ext r a hi t
poi nt s, a r esour ce t hat
she i s ot her wi se l owon.
Al i gnment
:
Any.
Hi t Di e: d6 .
C LAS S S KI LLS
T he shugenj a' s cl ass ski l l s ( and t he key abi l i t y f or each ski l l )
ar e Al chemy ( I nT ) , C oncent r at i on ( C on) ,
C r af t ( I nt ) , Di pl o-
macy ( C ha) , Heal ( Wi s) , Knowl edge ( al l ski l l s, t aken i ndi vi d-
ual l y)
( I nt ) , Pr of essi on ( Wi s) , S cr y ( I nt , excl usi ve ski l l ) ,
S pel l cr af t ( I nt ) . S ee C hapt er 4: S ki l l s i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook
f or ski l l descr i pt i ons
.
S ki l l Poi nt s at 1st l evel : ( 4 +I nt modi f i er ) x4.
S ki l l Poi nt s
at E ach Addi t i onal Level : 4 +i nt modi f i er .
C LAS S FE AT URE S
T he f ol l owi ng ar e cl ass f eat ur es of t he shugenj a.
Weapon and Ar mor Pr of i ci ency: S hugenj as ar e
pr of i ci ent
wi t h al l si mpl e
weapons
and wi t h t he waki zashi . T hey ar e not
pr of i ci ent wi t h any t ype of ar mor , nor wi t h shi el ds. I t i s consi d-
er ed i nappr opr i at e
f or
a
shugenj a t o wear ar mor , and many
samur ai consi der i t an i nsul t t o t hei r st at i on t o have a non-
samur ai wear i ngt he ar mor t hat t hey bel i eve i s a badge of
t hei r
r ank. Li kewi se, whi l e a shugenj a i s ent i t l ed t o wear t he waki -
zashi as a member of t he nobl e cl ass, wear i ng a kat ana i s con-
si der ed an
i ndi cat i on t hat t he wear er i s pr epar ed t o use i t i n
def ense, and most shugenj as woul dr at her l eave t he swor dpl ay
t o t he samur ai . N ot e t hat ar mor checkpenal t i es f or ar mor heav-
i er t han l eat her appl y t o t he ski l l s Bal ance, C l i mb, E scape
Ar t i st , Hi de, J ump, Move S i l ent l y, Pi ck Pocket , and T umbl e.
Al so, S wi mchecks suf f er a - 1 penal t y f or ever y 5 pounds of
ar mor and equi pment car r i ed.
S pel l s : Ashugenj a cast s di vi ne
spel l s, but her spel l knowl -
edge i s l i mi t ed, much l i ke t hat of a sor cer er . Your shugenj a
begi ns pl ay knowi ngf our 0- l evel spel l s ( al so cal l ed
i nor i )
and'
t wo
1st - l evel
spel l s of
your choi ce, pl us one 0- l evel spel l and
one 1st - l evel spel l t hat ar e det er mi ned by your school . At each
l evel , t he shugenj a
gai ns one or mor e newspel l s, as i ndi cat ed
onT abl e 2- 5: S hugenj a S pel l s Known. O ne spel l of ever y l evel
i s det er mi ned by t he shugenj a' s school ; somet i mes t hese spel l s
ar e nor mal spel l s on t he shugenj a spel l l i st , but of t en t hey ar e
addi t i ons t o t he spel l l i st . T hese spel l s ar e l i st ed
wi t h t he
shugenj a spel l l i st i n C hapt er
7:
Magi c and S pel l s . ( N ot e: T he
number of spel l s a shugenj a knows i s not af f ect ed by
her

C har i sma bonus,
i f any;
t he
number s
on
T abl e 2- 5 ar e
f i xed. ) , ,
"
Ashugenj a i s l i mi t ed t o cast i nga cer t ai n number of spel l s of
each
l evel per day, but she need not pr epar e her spel l s i n
advance. T he number of spel l s she can cast per day i s i mpr oved
by her bonus spel l s, i f any. For i nst ance, at
1st l evel , Ki t su Mar i
can cast f our 1st - l evel spel l s per day- t hr ee f or bei ng 1st l evel
( see T abl e 2- 4: T he
S hugenj a) , pl us one t hanks t o her hi gh
C har i sma. However , she onl y knows t hr ee 1st - l evel spel l s : cur e
l i ght wounds ( her school spel l of t hat
l evel ) , bl ess, and bur ni ng
hands ( see T abl e 2- 5
:
S hugenj a S pel l s Known) . I n anygi ven day,
she can cast cur e l i ght wounds
f our t i mes, cast bl ess f our t i mes,
cast bur ni ng hands f our t i mes, or cast some combi nat i on of t he
t hr ee spel l s a t ot al of f our t i mes. S he does
not have t o deci de
ahead of
t i me whi ch spel l s she' l l cast .
Ashugenj a mayuse a hi gher - l evel sl ot t o cast a
l ower - l evel spel l
i f
she
so chooses . For exampl e, i f an 8t h- l evel shugenj a has used
up al l her 3r d- l evel spel l sl ot s f or t he day but want s t o cast
anot her one, she
coul d use a 4t h- l evel sl ot t o
do so. T he spel l i s st i l l
t r eat ed as i t s act ual
l evel , not
t he l evel of t he sl ot used t o
cast i t .
T o l ear n or cast a
spel l , a shugenj a must
have a C har i sma
scor e of at l east t 0 +t he
spel l ' s l evel . T he
Di f f i cul t y C l ass f or
savi ng
t hr ows agai nst shugenj a
spel l s i s
10 +t he spel l ' s
l evel +t he shugenj a' s
C har i sma modi f i er .
S hugenj as
do not have spel l books,
t hough t hey wr i t e
t hei r spel l s on of udas .
T hese
of udas ser ve as di vi ne
f ocus i t ems
and must be r ead
as par t of t he spel l cast i ng
pr ocess
. S hugenj as can use t he S cr i be
S cr ol l
f eat t o cr eat e
magi c scr ol l s t hat wor k t he
same
as a wi zar d' s or cl er i c' s scr ol l s
.
When cast i ng
met amagi c spel l s, r emem-
ber
t hat t he shugenj a has not
pr epar ed t he
spel l i n advance,
andi s doi ng so ont he spot
.
T he
shugenj a, t her ef or e,
must t ake mor e
t i me t o cast a
met amagi c spel l t han a r egu-
l ar spel l . I f i t s
nor mal cast i ng t i me i s 1
act i on,
cast i ng a met amagi c spel l
i s a f ul l -
r ound act i on f or a
shugenj a. For spel l s wi t h
a l onger
cast i ng t i me, i t t akes an
ext r a f ul l -
r ound act i on t o
cast t he spel l . S hugenj as
cannot use t he Qui cken
S pel l met amagi c f eat .
E l ement
Focus : Al l shugenj as have a
f avor ed el ement: ai r ,
ear t h, f i r e, or wat er. A
shugenj a' s choi ce of speci al i zed el ement
i s det er mi ned
by t he cl an school s i n whi ch
she st udi es . At l east
hal f t he spel l s
a shugenj a knows at each spel l l evel must bel ong
t o her
f avor ed el ement , and t he
spel l di ct at ed by her school
al so bel ongs t o
t hat el ement . T hi s i s r ef l ect ed on
T abl e 2- 5,
whi ch
i ndi cat es howmanyspel l s of
each l evel must be spel l s of
t he shugenj a' s
f avor ed el ement . At 1st l evel , f or
exampl e, t he
shugenj a Ki t su Mar i must
knowat l east t hr ee 0- l evel wat er
spel l s- one
wat er spel l det er mi ned by her school
and t woaddi -
t i onal wat er spel l s, pl us t wo
ot her 0- l evel spel l s of anyel ement .
S he al so
knows one 1st - l evel wat er spel l
f r om
her
school , one
addi t i onal 1st - l evel
wat er spel l , and one i st - l evel spel l of
any el ement . S hugenj as aut omat i cal l y gai n t he benef i t s of t he
S pel l Focus f eat f or
spel l s f r omt hei r f avor ed el ement .
As t he cost of speci al i zi ng i n one el ement , a shugenj a i s pr o-
hi bi t ed f r oml ear ni ngspel l s associ at ed wi t h a di f f er ent el ement .
T he pr ohi bi t ed el ement i s di ct at ed by t he
f avor ed el ement , as
descr i bed
bel ow.
Ai r: Ai r spel l s ar e subt l e, i nvol vi ng t r avel , i nt ui t i on, i nf l u-
ence, di vi nat i on, and i l l usi on. E ar t h i s t he pr ohi bi t ed el ement
f or ai r shugenj as. T heAsahi na
school of t he C r ane cl an and t he
S cor pi on cl an' s S oshi school speci al i ze i n ai r magi c.
E ar t h: E ar t h spel l s i nvol ve r esi l i ence
and r esol ve, heal t h and
gr owt h, t he body and i t s st r engt h. Ai r i s t he pr ohi bi t ed el ement
f or ear t h shugenj as
. T he Kuni school of t he C r abcl an, t he T amor i
school of t he Dr agon cl an, and t he Yogo school of t he S cor pi on
cl an speci al i ze i n ear t h
magi c.
T ABLE
2- 4: T HE S HUGE N J A
T ABLE 2- 5
: S HUGE N J AS PE LLS KN O WN "
Level 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9
1st s+2+2 s+1+1 -

-

-

-

-

-

-

-
2nd s+3+2 s+1+1 -

-

-

-

-

-

-

-
3r d s+3+2 s+2+1 -

-

-

-

-

-

-

-
4t h s+3+3 s+2+1 s+1+0 -

-

-

-

-

-

-
5t h s+3+3 s+2+2 s+1+1 -

-

-

-

-

-

-
6t h s+4+3 s+2+2 s+1+1 s+1+0 -

-

-

-

-

-
7t h

s+4+3 s+3+2 s+2+1
s+1+1

-

-

-

-

-

-
8t h s+4+4 s+3+2
s+2+1 s+1+1 s+1+0 -

-

-

-

-
9t h s+4+4
s+3+2 s+2+2 s+2+1 s+1+1 -

-

-

-

-
10t h s+5+4
s+3+2 s+2+2 s+2+1 s+1+1 s+1+0 -

-

-

-
11t h s+5+4 s+3+2 s+3+2 s+2+2 s+2+1 s+1+1 - - - -
12t h s+5+4 s+3+2
s+3+2 s+2+2 s+2+1 s+1+1 s+1+0 -

-

-
13t h s+5+4
s+3+2 s+3+2 s+2+2 s+2+2 s+2+1 s+1+1 -

-

-
14t h
s+5+4 s+3+2 s+3+2 s+2+2 s+2+2 s+2+1
s+1+1 s+1+0 -

-
15t h s+5+4 s+3+2 s+3+2 s+2+2 s+2+2 s+2+2 s+2+1
s+1+1 -

-
16t h s+5+4 s+3+2 s+3+2 s+2+2 s+2+2
s+2+2 s+2+1 s+1+1 s+1+0 -
17t h s+5+4 s+3+2 s+3+2 s+2+2 s+2+2
s+2+2 s+2+1 s+2+1 s+1+1 -
18t h s+5+4 s+3+2 s+3+2 s+2+2 s+2+2
s+2+2 s+2+1 s+2+1 s+1+1 s+1+0
19t h s+5+4 s+3+2 s+3+2
s+2+2 s+2+2 s+2+2 s+2+1 s+2+1 s+2+1 s+1+1
20t h s+5+4 s+3+2 s+3+2 s+2+2
s+2+2 s+2+2 s+2+1 s+2+1 s+2+1 s+2+1
*At each l evel , a shugenj a get s a
school spel l f or each spel l l evel , st ar t i ng at 1 st .
T he " s" on t hi s l i st r epr esent s
t hat . T he number i n t he mi ddl e i s t he number of
spel l s of t he shugenj a' s f avor ed el ement ,
and t he f i nal number i s t he addi t i onal
number of spel l s known of any el ement .
Base For t Ref
Wi l l
S pel l s per Day
Level At t ack Bonus S ave S ave
S ave S peci al 0 1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1 st +0
+0 +0 +2 E l ement f ocus, 5 3 - - - - - - - -
sense el ement s
2nd
+1 +0
+0 +3
_ _
6
4
-
- - - - - - -
3r d +1 +1
+1 +3 6
5 - - - - - - - -
4t h
+2 +1
+1 +4
6 6 3 - - - - - - -
5t h +2 +1
+1 +4 , ;
6 6 4 - - - - - - -
6t h +3
+2 +2 +5
6 6 5 3 - - - - - -
7t h +3
+2 +2 +5
6
_ ,
6 6 4 - - - - - -
8t h +4
+2 +2 +6
6 6 6 5 3 - - - - -
9t h +4
+3 +3 +6
6 6 6 6 4 - - - - -
10t h
9t h
+5
+3 +3 +7
6 6 6 6 5 3 - - - -
11t h +5
+3 +3 +7
6 6 6 6 6 4 - - - -
12t h +6/ +l
+4 +4 +8
6 6 6 6 6 5 3 - - -
13t h +6/ +1
+4 +4
+8 6 6 6 6 6 6 4 - - -
14t h +7/ +2
+4 +4 +9
6 6 6 6 6 6 5 3 - -
15t h
+7/ +2 +5 +5 +9
6 6 6 6 6 6
6
4 - -
16t h
+8/ +3 +5 +5 +10
6 6 6 6
6 6 6 5 3 -
17t h
+8/ +3 +5 +5 +10
6 6 6 6
6 6 6 6 4 -
18t h
+9/ +4 +6 +6 +11
6 6 6 6 6
6 6 6 5 3
19t h
+9/ +4 +6 +6
+11 6 6 6
6 6 6 6 6 6 4
20t h +10/ +5
+6 +6 +12
6 6 6 6
6 6 6 6 6 6
Fi r e: Fi r e spel l s ar e dest r uct i ve and bl at ant ,
t hough
t hey
al so
deal wi t h i nt el l i gence,
i nspi r at i on, and cr eat i vi t y. Wat er i s t he
pr ohi bi t ed el ement f or f i r e shugenj as . T he Agasha school
of t he
Phoeni x cl an speci al i zes
i n f i r e magi c.
Wat er: Wat er spel l s i nvol ve t r ansf or mat i on,
cl eansi ng,
heal -
i ng, and f r i endshi p.
Fi r e i s t he pr ohi bi t ed el ement f or wat er
shugenj as . T he Ki t su school of t he Li on
cl an and t he I uchi
school
of t he Uni cor ncl an speci al i ze i n wat er magi c.
T he shugenj as of t he Phoeni xcl an' s
I sawa school canspeci al -
i ze i n any of t he f our el ement s . T he I sawa school al so t r ai ns
shugenj as who speci al i ze i n t he
f i f t h el ement , Voi d. S ee t he
Voi d
di sci pl e pr est i ge cl ass i n C hapt er 3: Pr est i ge C l asses.
S ense E l ement s : O ne
of
t he f i r st
" spel l s" a shugenj a
l ear ns- a
magi cal ef f ect so basi c t hat i t becomes a spel l - l i ke
abi l i t y- i s t he abi l i t y t o sense
el ement s . As a f ul l - r ound act i on,
a shugenj a
can become awar e of al l sour ces of one chosen el e-
ment ( ai r , ear t h, f i r e,
or wat er ) wi t hi n 10 f eet of her sel f. T he
shugenj a l ear ns t he si ze of t he obj ect s
but not t hei r pr eci se l oca-
t i on or act ual nat ur e
.
By
concent r at i ng l onger , a shugenj a can ei t her
ext end her
magi cal senses
or
gat her
mor e i nf or mat i on about t he el ement s
she
has det ect ed. E ach addi t i onal r oundspent i n
concent r at i on
al l ows t he shugenj a t o
add 5 f eet t o t he r adi us of her sense abi l -
i t y,
t o a maxi mumof 5 addi t i onal f eet per
shugenj a l evel . T hus,
at 4t h l evel , Ki t su
Mar i cansense el ement s t o a maxi mumr ange
of 30 f eet by concent r at i ng
f or f i ve f ul l r ounds . Al t er nat i vel y,
t he shugenj a canf ocus on one sour ce
of t he sensed el ement per
r ound, at t empt i ng
a S pel l cr af t check t o det er mi ne mor e about
t hat si ngl e
i t em. T he amount of i nf or mat i on
she l ear ns depends
on her S pel l cr af t
checkr esul t :
C heck
Resul t

I nf or mat i on Lear ned
20 or hi gher

i t em' s gener al l ocat i on
( 5- f oot squar e
cont ai ni ng i t ,
or i t s near est boundar y i f i t i s
l ar ger t han a
5- f oot squar e) .
25 or hi gher

Whet her
t he i t emi s nat ur al or a spel l ef f ect .
( A nor mal
S pel l cr af t check agai nst DC 20 +
spel l l evel can t hen
det er mi ne t he nat ur e of
t he
spel l ef f ect . )
30 or hi gher

Whet her
t he i t emi s a cr eat ur e or an obj ect .
35 or hi gher

T he exact
nat ur e of t he i t em( f or exampl e,
whet her a cr eat ur e i s a humanor an oni ,
whet her an obj ect i s gol d or st one, whet her
ai r i s br eat habl e or not ) .
I n subsequent r ounds, a shugenj a
can ei t her r et r y her S pel l cr af t
check on t he same i t em, shi f t her at t ent i on
t o a di f f er ent i t em,
or ext end t he r ange of
her senses .
A
1st - l evel shugenj a canuse t hi s abi l i t y
t hr ee t i mes per day.
E ver y f i ve l evel s she
advances as a shugenj a al l ows her t o use
t he abi l i t y an addi t i onal t i me
per day ( f our t i mes at 5t h l evel ,
f i ve t i mes
at l ot h l evel , and so on) . Li ke many di vi nat i on
spel l s, a shugenj a' s sense el ement s
abi l i t y i s bl ocked by 1 f oot
of st one, 1 i nch of common met al , a t hi n sheet of l ead,
or 3
f eet of wood
or di r t .
For exampl e, Ki t su Mar i
ent er s a r oomand concent r at es t o
sense wat er.
( Al t hough she i s a wat er shugenj a, she coul dj ust
as easi l y sense anyot her el ement ,
i ncl udi ngf i r e . ) S he becomes
awar e
of al l sour ces of wat er wi t hi n 10 f eet . Abasi n of wat er
r est s on t he ni ght st and,
a per son l ur ks behi nd t he door ( l i vi ng
cr eat ur es ar e made of al l f our el ement s) hol di ng a vi al of
poi son- Ki t su Mar i
di scover s t hr ee sour ces of wat er wi t hi n 10
f eet of her : one Medi um- si ze, one S mal l , and one Fi ne. Focus-
i ng on t he
Medi um- si ze sour ce and concent r at i ngf or a r ound,
she makes a S pel l cr af t checkandget s a
r esul t of 31 . S he l ear ns
t hat t he Medi um- si ze
sour ce of wat er i s a cr eat ur e, t hat i t i s
nat ur al , andwher e i t i s .
I f
t he assassi n
behi nd t he
door has not
al r eadyj umpedout t o at t ack her , she has l ear nedt hat a cr eat ur e
i s hi di ngbehi nd t he door . . . but mor e l i kel y, she has l ear ned
t hi s t oo l at e.
S O HE I
S ohei ar e war r i or monks, r el i gi ous sol di er s who pr ot ect l ar ge
monast er i es . Unl i ke shamans, sohei ar e mor e mi l i t ant t han
hol y,
and r ecei ve ver y l i t t l e
r el i gi ous i nst r uct i on. I nst ead t hey
ar e t r ai ned i n t he ar t of f i ght i ng. S ohei def end t hei r monast er y
agai nst at t acks and advance i t s pol i t i cal cl ai ms i n t he out si de
wor l d. T hey ar e subj ect t o t he l eader of t hei r t empl e. S ohei ar e
not f ound i n Rokugan.
Advent ur es : Li ke pal adi ns, sohei t hi nk of t hei r advent ur es
as " quest s" i n t he ser vi ce of t hei r r el i gi on. Li ke samur ai , how-
ever , t hey ar e
t ypi cal l y
sent on t hese quest s
by
a super i or
whose commandi s l awt o t he sohei . S ohei ar e of t en char ged
wi t h def endi ng t hei r t empl es i n t i mes
of
conf l i ct , but
t hey
can al so expect t o st r i ke agai nst enemy t empl es, monks, or
shamans, t o
hunt
down evi l
monst er s
t er r or i zi ng
t he count r y-
si de, or t o r ecover a r el i c t hat i s sacr ed t o t hei r or der.
T hey
wel -
come al l chal l enges as t est s of t hei r pr owess and, secondar i l y,
t hei r f ai t h.
C har act er i st i cs : S ohei mi x mar t i al pr owess wi t h di vi ne
power t hat gr ant s t hemspel l abi l i t y ( as t hey gai n exper i ence) ,
t he abi l i t y t o hei ght en t hei r st r engt h and speed i n bat t l e, and
pr ot ect i on f r omment al and bodi l y har m. Ver y exper i enced
sohei canshr ugof f physi cal damage andi gnor e cer t ai n magi cal
ef f ect s . T hei r spel l s ar e usef ul i n bat t l e t o gr ant pr ot ect i on,
enhance at t acks, and damage f oes .
Al i gnment : S ohei , l i ke monks, l i ve a l i f e of st r i ct di sci pl i ne
and obedi ence t o t hei r or der s . S ohei must be l awf ul , and l ose
t hei r di vi ne power i f t hey st r ay f r omt he pat h of l aw.
Backgr ound: S ohei come f r omal l wal ks of l i f e t o t r ai n i n,
t hei r t empl es and monast er i es . Manyj oi n t hei r or der s as chi l -
dr en, and become sohei when t hey demonst r at e a st r engt h of
bot h body and mi nd t hat l ends i t sel f
t o
t he t empl e' s def ense.
O f t en, t hough, young menand womenwho showl i t t l e pr om-
i se f or t he cont empl at i ve l i f e
of t he monkar e t he ones sel ect ed
t o become sohei .
Races : As wi t h monks, most sohei ar e humanor near - human
( hengeyokai
or spi r i t f ol k) . T he monast i c or der s t o whi ch sohei
bel ong ar e pr edomi nant l y human, and kor obokur us, nezumi ,
andvanar as r ar el y
j oi n such or der s.
O t her C l asses : S ohei hol d shamans and monks i n deep
r espect , and may even be assi gned t o ser ve as bodyguar d t o
such a char act er. At t he same t i me, t hey t ypi cal l y per cei ve
t hemsel ves as spi r i t ual l y i nf er i or t o such enl i ght ened f ol k, and
f eel mor e ki nshi pwi t h samur ai or " common" war r i or s ( f i ght er s,
r anger s, or even r ogues) .
GAME RULE I N FO RMAT I O N
S ohei have t he f ol l owi nggame st at i st i cs .
Abi l i t i es : AWi sdomscor e of 14 or hi gher i s r equi r ed t o
get access t o t he most power f ul sohei spel l s, and a scor e of 11
or hi gher i s r equi r ed t o cast any sohei spel l s at al l . Ahi gh
C onst i t ut i on i mpr oves a sohei ' s
hi t poi nt s, and a hi gh
S t r engt h makes her mor e ef f ect i ve i n mel ee combat , wher e
she t ypi cal l y excel s.
Al i gnment : Anyl awf ul .
Hi t Di e: d10.
C LAS S S KI LLS
Asohei ' s cl ass ski l l s ( and t he
key abi l i t y f or each school ) ar e
C oncent r at i on ( C on) , C r af t ( I nt ) , Di pl omacy ( C ha) , Heal
( Wi s) , I ai j ut su
Focus ( C ha) , Knowl edge ( r el i gi on) ( I nt ) , and
Pr of essi on ( Wi s) . S ee C hapt er 4: S ki l l s i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook
f or ski l l descr i pt i ons. T he
I ai j ut su Focus ski l l i s descr i bed i n
C hapt er 4 of t hi s book.
S ki l l
Poi nt s at 1st l evel : ( 2 +I nt modi f i er ) x 4.
S ki l l Poi nt s at E ach Addi t i onal Level : 2 +I nt modi f i er .
C LAS S
FE AT URE S
T he
f ol l owi ng ar e cl ass f eat ur es of t he
sohei .
Weapon and Ar mor Pr of i ci ency:
S ohei ar e pr of i ci ent wi t h al l si mpl e
and mar t i al weapons, and wi t h
al l ar mor ( but
no shi el ds)
. N ot e
t hat ar mor check penal t i es
f or ar mor heavi er t han
l eat her
appl y
t o t he ski l l s Bal ance,
C l i mb, E scape Ar t i st , Hi de,
J ump, Move S i l ent l y, Pi ck
Pocket , andT umbl e. Al so,
S wi m
checks suf f er a - 1
penal t y f or ever y
5
pounds of ar mor and
equi pment
car r i ed.
WeaponFocus : S ohei
gai n Weapon
Focus wi t h
a weapon of t hei r choi ce
as a bonus f eat . Many
sohei
choose t he nagi -
nat a, t he t r adi t i onal
weapon of t he sohei .
S pel l s : Begi nni ngat
4t h l evel , a sohei gai ns t he
abi l i t y t o cast a smal l
number of di vi ne spel l s . T o
cast a spel l , t he
sohei must
have a Wi sdomscor e of at
l east 10 +t he spel l ' s
l evel , so
a
sohei wi t h a Wi sdomof 1o or
l ower cannot
cast t hese spel l s .
S ohei bonus spel l s ar e based on
Wi sdom, and
savi ng t hr ows agai nst
t hese spel l s have a Di f f i cul t y
C l ass of 10 +spel l l evel +
Wi sdommodi f i er . When
t he sohei get s o
spel l s of a gi ven l evel , such as 0 1st - l evel spel l s at
4t h l evel , t he sohei get s onl y
bonus spel l s . Asohei wi t h-
out a bonus spel l f or t hat l evel
cannot yet cast a spel l of t hat
l evel . T he
sohei ' s spel l l i st appear s i n C hapt er
7.
Asohei has
access t o any spel l on t he l i st
and can f r eel y choose whi ch t o
pr epar e
. Asohei pr epar es and cast s spel l s j ust as a cl er i c or
shamandoes.
T hr ough 3r d l evel , a sohei has nocast er l evel . S t ar t i ng at 4t h
l evel , a sohei ' s cast er l evel
i s one- hal f her cl ass l evel .
Ki Fr enzy: S t ar t i ng at 1st l evel , a sohei gai ns t he abi l i t y t o
f ocus her ki
power i nt o a f r enzy of ber ser k ener gy. I n t hi s
f r enzi ed st at e, she t empor ar i l y gai ns +2 t o
st r engt h
and +2
t o
Dext er i t y. Her speed
i ncr eases by 10 f eet , and she canchoose
t o make a f l ur r y of bl ows wi t h a f ul l at t ack act i on i n mel ee,
maki ng
one ext r a at t ack per r ound whi l e suf f er i ng a - 2
penal t y on ever y at t ack.
Whi l e i n a ki f r enzy, a sohei cannot use
ski l l s
or
abi l i t i es
t hat r equi r e pat i ence or concent r at i on, such as movi ng
si l ent l y or cast i ng spel l s . ( S he cannot use any cl ass
ski l l s i n a
f r enzy. ) S he canuse anyf eat she mi ght have except f or E xper -
t i se, i t emcr eat i on f eat s, met amagi c f eat s, and
S ki l l
Focus
( i f
i t ' s t i ed t o a
ski l l
t hat r equi r es
pat i ence or concent r at i on) . Aki
f r enzy l ast s f or a number of r ounds equal t o t hr ee +t he sohei ' s
C onst i t ut i on
modi f i er . T he sohei may pr emat ur el y end t he
f r enzy vol unt ar i l y. At t he end of t he f r enzy, t he sohei i s
f at i gued ( - 2 t o S t r engt h,
- 2
t o
Dext er i t y,
can' t char ge or r un) f or t he dur at i on of t hat
encount er
. T he
sohei can
onl y ent er a f r enzy
once per encount er , and onl y a cer t ai n
number of t i mes per day ( det er mi ned by
l evel ) . E nt er i ng a f r enzy t akes no t i me
i t sel f , but t he sohei can onl y do i t
dur i ng her act i on, not i n r esponse
t o somebody el se' s act i on.
Def l ect Ar r ows : At 3r d
l evel ,
sohei gai ns t he Def l ect Ar r ows
f eat
( see
Feat s i n t he Pl ayer ' s
Handbook) , even i f she doesn' t
have t he pr er equi si t e f eat and
Dext er i t y scor e.
Remai n C onsci ous : At
5t h
l evel ,
a sohei gai ns
t he
Remai n C onsci ous f eat ( see
C hapt er 4 i n t hi s book) , even
i f she doesn' t have t he pr e-
r equi si t e f eat s .
S t r engt h of Mi nd: A
sohei of at l east 5t h l evel i s
i mmune t o st unni ng and
sl eep spel l s and ef f ect s.
Def ensi ve
S t r i ke: At 7t h
l evel , a sohei gai ns t he Def en-
si ve S t r i ke f eat
( see C hapt er 4
i n t hi s book) , even i f she doesn' t
have t he pr er equi si t e f eat s and
abi l i t y scor es .
Met t l e : T he sohei ' s speci al
bl essi ng
al l ows
her
t o
shr ug of f
magi cal ef f ect s t hat woul d ot her -
wi se damage or har mher. I f a sohei
of at l east 9t h l evel makes a successf ul
Wi l l or For t i t ude savi ng t hr owt hat
woul d nor mal l y r educe t he spel l ' s ef f ect ,
she suf f er s no ef f ect f r omt he
spel l at al l . O nl y
t hose spel l s wi t h a S avi ngT hr owent r y of " Wi l l
par t i al , " " For t i t ude hal f , " or
si mi l ar ent r i es can be
negat ed t hr ough t hi s abi l i t y.
Damage Reduct i on: S t ar t i ng at 11t h l evel , t he sohei
gai ns
t he ext r aor di nar y abi l i t y t o shr ug of f some amount of i nj ur y
f r omeach bl owor at t ack. S ubt r act 1 f r omt he damage t he
sohei
t akes
each
t i me
she
i s deal t damage. At 14t h l evel , t hi s damage
r educt i on r i ses t o 2. At 17t h, i t r i ses t o 3. At 20t h, i t r i ses t o 4.
Damage r educt i on
can r educe damage t o 0 but not bel ow0.
E X- S O HE I
Asohei whobecomes nonl awf ul l oses al l spel l s and
her ki
f r enzy
abi l i t y. S he al so may
not
pr ogr ess
i n
l evel s
as a sohei .
S he r egai ns her spel l s and ki f r enzy abi l i t y i f she at ones f or her
vi ol at i ons ( see t he at onement spel l descr i pt i on
i n t he Pl ayer ' s
Handbook) , as appr opr i at e.
T ABLE 2- 6
:
T HE
S O HE I
S O RC E RE R
S or cer er s i n
Rokugan ar e ar cane
spel l cast er s who cast nonel ement al
magi c. T hese
sor cer er s i ncl ude t he
f ear ed and r evi l ed bl ood sor cer er s
cal l ed maho- t sukai , as wel l as nezumi
shamans and out l ander s such as
Yabanj i n
and
Uj i k- hai ( see t he bar bar i an
cl ass ent r y) . Li ke
bar bar i ans,
most sor cer er s ar e out si der s i n
Rokugan- t hough
maho- t sukai may t r y t o
pass as nor mal shugenj as .
I n ot her campai gn
set t i ngs,
sor cer er s ar e vi r t ual l y i ndi s-
t i ngui shabl e
f r omwuj en
i n t he mi nds of most
peopl e.
Li ke t he sor cer er s
descr i bed i n t he Pl ayer ' s
Handbook,
many sor cer er s
cl ai mdescent f r om
dr agons
( t he dr agons descr i bed i n
t hi s book, not t he
dr agons
of t he Monst er Manual ) .
Advent ur es: Most sor cer er s
advent ur e i n or der
t o acqui r e gr eat er
magi cal power. Abl ood sor cer er
mi ght sear ch
f or scr ol l s penned by t he
gr eat est maho- t sukai of hi st or y, t he
undead
sor cer er I uchi ban. A
nezumi or out l ander sor cer er
mi ght
advent ur e f or t he
same r eason a bar bar i an
char act er does : t o f i t i n,
ei t her wi t h an advent ur i ng
par t y
or i n Rokugan' s br oader soci et y.
Al i gnment : Bl ood
sor cer er s ar e uni ver sal l y evi l . O t her sor -
cer er s t end t owar d
chaos, and f ewsor -
cer er s car e enough about
ot her s t o be good. Many sor cer -
er s ar e t r ue neut r al .
Backgr ound: Li ke bar bar -
i ans, sor cer er s ( even bl ood
sor cer er s) ar e out si der s i n
Kokugan, wher e
magi c i s
r i t ual -
i zed and cont r ol l ed by t he shugen-
j as . O ut l ander and nezumi sor -
cer er s usual l y f eel t hat t hei r
power s have chosen t hem,
r at her t han t he ot her way
ar ound, and f eel a bur den
and r esponsi bi l i t y t o use
t hempr oper l y. S uch char ac-
t er s ar e usual l y t r ai ned by
ol der shamans and sor cer -
er s i n t hei r t r i be or pack.
Bl ood sor cer er s, on t he
ot her hand, seek out magi cal
power f or power ' s
sake,
and
cor r upt t hei r soul s and
bodi es t o
acqui r e i t .
T hey l ear n t he r i t ual s
of t hei r power f r om
banned scr ol l s and
hi dden t ext s, or even
f r omt he oni of t he
S hadowl ands .
Races : Humans f r omf or -
ei gn l ands andnezumi ar e t he most
l i kel y of t he common r aces t o become
sor cer er s . Bl ood sor cer er s ar e al ways human, and
C l ass
Base For t Ref Wi l l S pel l s per Day-
Level At t ack
Bonus S ave S ave S ave S peci al 1 2 3 4
1st
+0 +2 +0 +2 Ki f r enzy 1 / day, - - - -
Weapon Focus
2nd +1
+3 +0 +3 - - - -
3r d
+2 +3 +1 +3 Ki f r enzy
2/ day, - - - -
Def l ect
Ar r ows
4t h
+3 +4 +1 +4
0 - - -
5t h
+3 +4 +1 +4
Remai n C onsci ous, 0 - - -
st r engt h of mi nd
6t h
+4 +5 +2 +5 1 - - -
7t h +5 +5 +2
+5 Def ensi ve S t r i ke, 1 - - -
ki
f r enzy 3/ day
8t h +6/ +1 +6 +2 +6 1
0 - -
9t h +6/ +1
+6 +3 +6 Met t l e 1 0 - -
10t h +7/ +2 +7
+3
+7
1 1 - -
11t h +8/ +3 +7
+3 +7 Damage r educt i on 1/ - , 1 1 0 -
ki f r enzy 4/ day
12t h +9/ +4 +8 +4
+8 1 1 1 -
13t h
+9/ +4 +8 +4
+8 1 1 1 -
14t h +10/ +5 +9
+4 +9 Damage r educt i on 2/ - 2 1 1 0
15t h
+11/ +6/ +1
+9
+5 +9 Ki f r enzy 5/ day 2 1 1 1
16t h +12/ +7/ +2 +10
+5 +10 2 2 1 1
17t h +12/ +7/ +2
+10 +5 +10 Damage r educt i on 3/ - 2 2 2 1
18t h +13/ +8/ +3 +11
+6 +11 3 2 2 1
19t h +14/ +9/ +4
+11 +6 +11 Ki f r enzy 6/ day 3 3 3 2
20t h +15/ +10/ +5
+12 +6 +12 Damage r educt i on 4/ - 3 3 3 3
t hey may come f r omany cl an- par t i cul ar l y t he
Phoeni x and
Uni cor n. S hadowl ands
cr eat ur es, i ncl udi nggobl i ns and ogr es,
may al so be sor cer er s .
O t her C l asses : By
r eput at i on, sor cer er s ar e f ear ed and
shunned by member s of most ot her cl asses . Most
sor cer er s
don' t mi nd at
al l - t hey use t he f ear and r espect of ot her s t o
hel p t hemaccompl i sh t hei r owngoal s . O ccasi onal l y, a sor cer er
may chose t o associ at e wi t h ot her s and
devel op per sonal r el a-
t i onshi ps wi t h t hem.
Game Rul e I nf or mat i on
:
As
descr i bed i n t he Pl ayer ' s
Handbook
.
S or cer er s canuse ei t her t he wi zar d/ sor cer er spel l l i st
f r omt he Pl ayer ' s Handbook or t he wuj en spel l l i st
i n C hapt er
7.
T o cast t he most
power f ul f or ms of maho ( bl ood magi c) ,
whi ch r el i es on dr awi ngbl ood t o power spel l s, bl ood
sor cer -
er s must adopt t he maho- t sukai pr est i ge
cl ass, descr i bed i n
C hapt er 12 .
WU- J E N
Wuj en ar e spel l cast er s
wi t h myst er i ous power s . T hey com-
mandt he el ement s, spi r i t f or ces, andt he ver y power s
of nat ur e.
T hey ar e
sel domf ound l i vi ng wi t h t he r est of humansoci et y.
I nst ead, t hey l i ve as her mi t s i n t he wi l der ness, pur i f yi ng t hei r
bodi es and mi nds i n or der t o cont act
t he var i ous nat ur al and
super nat ur al power s of t he wor l d. Fr omt hese ent i t i es t hey
l ear n t hei r spel l s- magi cal means t o
cont r ol t he i nvi si bl e
f or ces of t he wor l d. Wuj en ar e not f ound i n Rokugan.
Advent ur es : Wuj en t ypi cal l y advent ur e t o expand
t hei r
knowl edge of t he wor l d, bot h magi cal andmundane. Li ke wi z-
ar ds, t hey t end t o appr oach advent ur es wi t h car ef ul
pl anni ng,
si nce t hei r dai l y spel l sel ect i oni s
vi t al l y i mpor t ant .
C har act er i st i cs : Wuj en ar e t he ar cane spel l cast er s of
O r i ent al Advent ur es . As
wi t h wi zar ds, t hei r spel l s ar e t hei r pr i -
mar y cl ass f eat ur e, and assume an al l - i mpor t ant r ol e i n a wu
j en' s
l i f e
. Many wuj en spel l s dr awon t he
power of t he f i ve
el ement s ( ear t h, f i r e, met al , wat er , and wood) , and a wu j en
who mast er s al l t he spel l s of one el ement
gai ns addi t i onal
power wi t h t hose spel l s. Fi nal l y, wuj en ar e adept at mani pu-
l at i ng t hei r spel l s, i ncr easi ng t hei r r ange, dur at i on, or
ef f ect ,
or el i mi nat i ng ver bal or somat i c component s t hr ough per -
manent met amagi c ef f ect s .
Al i gnment : Wuj ent end t o st andapar t f r omt he l awf ul soci -
et i es i n whi cht hey l i ve, f l out i ngt he r ul es and nor ms of decent
f ol k
.
T hey have a st r ong t endency
t owar d chaos, but i n any
event cannot be l awf ul .
Backgr ound: Wuj encr ave
magi cal power i n a wor l d wher e
no or gani zed col l eges of wi zar dr y exi st. T hei r t hi r st dr i ves t hem
t o seek out ot her s l i ke t hemsel ves, her mi t s, r ecl uses,
or exi l es
who have gai ned
t he secr et s t hey seek. N ear l y al l wuj en ar e
t r ai ned by a si ngl e ment or i n t hi s f ashi on, out cast f r ompr oper
soci et y and set apar t by t hei r f ear some
super nat ur al power s .
Races : Most
wu j en ar e humans or hengeyokai , t hough
member s of al l t he common r aces of O r i ent al
Advent ur es can
l ear n t he wu
j en' s cr af t.
O t her C l asses : Wuj en gener al l y don' t
l i ke member s of any
ot her cl ass
.
At t he same t i me,
however , a wuj en i s pai nf ul l y
awar e t hat wi t hout f i ght er s and samur ai t o bl ock
enemy sol -
di er s, a shamant o heal
her wounds, andper haps a r ogue t o deal
wi t h l ocks and t r aps, her pat h t o t he knowl edge she seeks
may
be bl ockedby i nsur mount abl e andpossi bl y
f at al obst acl es . T hi s
r eal i zat i on of her r el i ance on ot her cl asses mi ght make
her
accept t hemor mi ght make
her r esent t hem.
GAME RULE I N FO RMAT I O N
Wuj en
have t he f ol l owi nggame st at i st i cs .
Abi l i t i es : I nt el l i gence
det er mi nes howpower f ul a spel l a wu
j en cancast ,
howmany spel l s t he wuj en can cast
per day, and
howhar d t hose spel l s ar e t o r esi st .
T o cast a spel l , a wuj en must
have anI nt el l i gence
scor e of 10 +t he spel l ' s l evel . Awuj enget s
bonus
spel l s based on i nt el l i gence . T he Di f f i cul t y
C l ass of a
savi ng t hr owagai nst a wuj en' s
spel l i s 10 +t he spel l ' s l evel +t he
wuj en' s
I nt el l i gence modi f i er . Hi gh Dext er i t y i s
hel pf ul f or a wu
j en, who t ypi cal l y wear s
l i t t l e or no ar mor , because i t pr ovi des
her wi t h an
Ar mor C l ass bonus. Agood C onst i t ut i on
gi ves a wu
j en ext r a hi t poi nt s, a r esour ce
t hat she i s ot her wi se ver y l owon
.
Al i gnment : Anynonl awf ul .
Hi t Di e: d4.
C LAS S
S KI LLS
Awuj en' s cl ass ski l l s ( and
t he key abi l i t y f or each ski l l ) ar e
Al chemy
( I nt ) , C oncent r at i on ( C on) , C r af t ( I nt ) ,
Knowl edge
( al l ski l l s, t aken i ndi vi dual l y)
( I nt ) , Pr of essi on ( Wi s) , S cr y ( I nt ,
excl usi ve
ski l l ) , and S pel l cr af t ( I nt ) . S ee C hapt er 4:
S ki l l s i n t he
Pl ayer ' s Handbook f or ski l l descr i pt i ons .
S ki l l Poi nt s at
1st l evel : ( 2 +I nt modi f i er ) x 4.
S ki l l Poi nt s at E ach Addi t i onal Level
: 2 +I nt modi f i er .
C LAS S FE AT URE S
T hef ol l owi ng ar e cl ass
f eat ur es of t he wu j en.
Weapon andAr mor Pr of i ci ency: Wuj en ar e
pr of i ci ent
wi t h al l si mpl e weapons. T hey ar e
not pr of i ci ent wi t h anyt ype
of ar mor nor
wi t h shi el ds. Ar mor of any t ype i nt er f er es
wi t h a
wuj en' s movement s, whi ch can
cause her spel l s t o f ai l ( i f t hose
spel l s have
somat i c component s) . N ot e t hat ar mor check
penal -
t i es f or ar mor heavi er t han l eat her appl y t o
t he ski l l s Bal ance,
C l i mb, E scape Ar t i st , Hi de,
J ump, Move S i l ent l y, Pi ck Pocket ,
andT umbl e. Al so, S wi mchecks suf f er a - 1
penal t y f or ever y
5
pounds of ar mor and
equi pment car r i ed.
S pel l s: Awuj encast s ar cane spel l s. S he i s
l i mi t ed t o a cer t ai n
number of spel l s of each spel l
l evel per day, accor di ngt o her cl ass
l evel .
Awuj en must pr epar e spel l s ahead of t i me
by get t i ng a
good ni ght ' s sl eep and spendi ng
1 hour st udyi ng her spel l book.
Whi l e st udyi ng, t he
wuj en deci des whi ch spel l s t o pr epar e ( see
Pr epar i ng Wi zar d S pel l s i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook)
. T o l ear n, pr e-
par e, or cast a spel l , a wuj en
must have an i nt el l i gence scor e of at
l east 10 +t he spel l ' s l evel . Awuj en' s bonus
spel l s ar e based on
I nt el l i gence . T he Di f f i cul t y C l ass
f or savi ng t hr ows agai nst wuj en
spel l s i s 10 +t he spel l ' s l evel +t he wuj en' s
I nt el l i gence modi f i er .
Unl i ke shugenj as
and sor cer er s, wu j en may know
any
number of spel l s .
E l ement al Mast er y:
T he spel l s of a wuj en ar e di vi ded
i nt o
f i ve
el ement al gr oups: ear t h, f i r e, met al , wat er ,
and wood. When
a wuj enl ear ns al l t he spel l s of a
si ngl e el ement upt o t he hi ghest
l evel of spel l s she can
cast , she i s consi der ed a mast er of
t hat el e-
ment . T her eaf t er , whenever t he wuj en cast s
a spel l of t hat el e-
ment , t he savi ng t hr owDC
i s i ncr easedby 2, whi l e t he
wuj en
her sel f
get s a +2 compet ence bonus on
savi ng t hr ows agai nst
spel l s of t hat el ement
. T hi s bonus st acks wi t h t he
bonus con-
f er r ed by t he S pel l Focus f eat . N ot e t hat when
t he wuj en gai ns
t he abi l i t y t o cast hi gher - l evel
spel l s, she l oses her mast er y
unt i l
she l ear ns
al l t he spel l s of t hat el ement at t he
newspel l l evel . C er -
t ai n spel l s ont he wuj en spel l
l i st ar e desi gnat ed " Al l " ; t hi s
means
t hey bel ong
t o al l el ement al gr oups, and a wu j en
must l ear n
t hese spel l s i n or der t o achi eve mast er y
of anyel ement .
Bonus Languages
: Awu j en may subst i t ut e
T engu, Dr a-
coni c, or Gi ant f or one of t he
bonus l anguages avai l abl e t o
t he char act er because of her
r ace, si nce
many
anci ent t omes of magi c ar e
wr i t t en i n t hese l anguages
and
appr ent i ce wu j en of t en
l ear n t hemas par t of
t hei r
st udi es .
S udden Act i on:
O nce
per day, a wu j en can
f ocus her ki
t o bur st i nt o
sudden act i on. T hi s
gi ves her a +4
bonus on
her i ni t i at i ve check f or
t hat combat .
Bonus Feat : Awuj en
begi ns pl ay wi t h
a bonus met a-
magi c f eat .
S pel l
S ecr et : At 3r d l evel ,
and ever y t hr ee l evel s
t her e-
af t er , a wu j en
can choose
one spel l knownt o her t hat
t hen becomes
per manent l y
modi f i ed as t hough af -
f ect ed by one of t he
f ol -
l owi ng met amagi c f eat s :
E nl ar ge
S pel l , E xt end
S pel l , S t i l l S pel l ,
or
'
S i l ent
S pel l . T he spel l ' s
l evel does not change,
and
once
t he choi ce of spel l andmodi -
f i cat i on ar e
chosen, t hey cannot be
changed. As t he wu j en
goes up i n
l evel , she can
choose t he same
spel l t o be modi f i ed
i n di f f er ent
ways wi t h mul t i pl e spel l
secr et s . S he does
not need
t o
know t he f eat she
appl i es t o t he
spel l
.
S pel l books : Wuj en must
st udyt hei r spel l books each day
t o pr epar e t hei r
spel l s, much l i ke wi zar ds . A
wu j en cannot
pr epar e
any spel l not r ecor ded i n
her spel l book ( except f or
T ABLE 2- 7: T HE
WUJ E N
r ead magi c, whi ch al l wu j en can pr epar e f r om
memor y) . Awuj en begi ns pl ay wi t h a
spel l book cont ai ni ng al l 0- l evel wu j en
spel l s pl us t hr ee 1st - l evel spel l s of t he
pl ayer ' s choi ce. For each poi nt of I nt el l i -
gence bonus t he wuj en has, t he spel l book
hol ds one addi t i onal 1st - l evel spel l . E ach
t i me t he wu j en achi eves a newl evel , she
gai ns t wo newspel l s of any l evel or
l evel s t hat
she can cast ( accor d-
i ng t o her newl evel ) . For
exampl e, when Hi de-
yor i achi eves 5t h
l evel , she can
add t wo 3r d- l evel
spel l s t o her
spel l book.
T he wu j en
canal so
add
spel l s f ound
i n t he spel l -
books of ot her
wuj en.
T aboos : I n or der
t o mai nt ai n t hei r super -
nat ur al power , wuj en
must
abi de by cer t ai n t aboos t hat may seem
i nconsequent i al t o ot her
char act er s but
ar e vi t al l y i mpor t ant t o t he wu j en. I f a
wu j en
vi ol at es one of her t aboos, she
cannot cast any mor e spel l s t hat day. A
wu j en
must choose one t aboo at 1st
l evel , and one addi t i onal t aboo ever y
t i me she l ear ns a spel l secr et . Pos-
si bl e t aboos i ncl ude:
" C annot eat meat .
" C annot ownmor e t han she can car r y.
"
Must make a dai l y of f er i ng( such as f ood, f l ower s, or i ncense)
t o one or manyspi r i t power s
.
Base
For t Ref Wi l l
S pel l s per Day
Level At t ack
Bonus S ave S ave S ave
S peci al 0 1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9
1st
+0 +0 +0
+2 S udden act i on, 3 1 - - - - - - - -
bonus f eat
2nd
+1 +0 +0
+3 4 2 - - - - - - - -
3r d
+1 +1
+1 +3 S pel l secr et 4
2 1 - - -
- - - -
4t h
+2 +1 +1
+4 4
3 2 - - - - - - -
5t h +2 +1
+1 +4 4
3 2 1 - - - - - -
6t h
+3 +2
+2 +5 S pel l secr et 4
3 3 2 - - - - - -
7t h
+3 +2
+2 +5 4 4
3 2 1 - - - - -
8t h +4 +2
+2 +6 4 4
3 3 2 - - - - -
9t h +4
+3 +3 +6 S pel l secr et
4 4 4 3 2 1 - - - -
10t h +5
+3 +3 +7
4 4 4 3 3 2 - - - -
11 t h +5
+3 +3 +7
4 4 4 4 3 2 1 - - -
12t h
+6/ +1 +4 +4
+8 S pel l secr et
4
4 4 4 3 3 2 - - -
=13t h
+6/ +1 +4 +4
+8 4 4 4 4 4 3 2 1 - -
14t h +7/ +2
+4 +4 +9
4 4 4 4 4 3 3 2 - -
15t h
+7/ +2 +5
+5 +9 S pel l secr et 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 2 1 -
16t h
+8/ +3 +5 +5 +10
4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 2 -
17t h
+8/ +3 +5 +5
+10 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 2 1
18t h +9/ +4 +6
+6 +11 S pel l secr et 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 2
19t h +9/ +4 +6
+6 +11 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
3 3
20t h +10/ +5 +6
+6 +12 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
C annot bat he.
C annot cut her hai r .
C annot t ouch a dead body.
C annot dr i nk al cohol .
C annot wear a cer t ai n col or.
C annot l i ght a f i r e .
C annot si t f aci ng i n a cer t ai n di r ect i on.
N PC C LAS S E S
T he DUN GE O N MAS T E R' s Gui de descr i bes f i ve N PC cl asses : t he
adept , t he ar i st ocr at , t he commoner , t he exper t , and t he war r i or
.
I n O r i ent al Advent ur es, t hese cl asses var y onl y sl i ght l y f r omt he
nor mpr esent edt her e.
Adept : T he adept cl ass r epr esent s t he pr act i t i oner s of f ol k
magi c, i nvol vi ng di vi nat i on t hr ough ast r ol ogy and cast i ng
st ones or coi ns. T he peopl e of t he peasant cl asses, whi l e t hey ar e
t er r i f i edby t he mi ght y magi c of shugenj as and sor cer er s, vi ew
t hese di vi ner s i n a mor e f avor abl e l i ght . T o t hei r eyes, shugenj as
mani pul at e t he el ement s, whi l e adept s onl y r ead t hemand
t r ansl at e t hei r messages t o t he
peopl e
f or t hei r benef i t .
Ar i st ocr at : T he cour t s of t he dai myos ar e f ul l of cour t i er s,
member s of t he nobl e cast e who
ar e
not t r ai ned i n t he way of
bushi do. T hese cour t i er s have t he ar i st ocr at cl ass, gi vi ng t hema
decent
number of ski l l poi nt s and a wi de r ange of cl ass ski l l s,
but l i t t l e el se i n t he way of cl ass abi l i t i es . As ment i oned i n t he
DUN GE O N MAS T E R' S
Gui de, ar i st ocr at may be a vi abl e cl ass opt i on
f or pl ayer char act er s, par t i cul ar l y i n a campai gn t hat f ocuses
heavi l y on pol i t i cs and t he i nt r i gue of cour t .
C ommoner , E xper t : T hese cl asses ar e unchanged f r om
t hei r descr i pt i ons i n t he DUN GE O N MAS T E R' S Gui de.
War r i or : T he
bul k of Rokugan' s ar mi es ar e
not samur ai ,
wi t h t hei r ext ensi ve t r ai ni ng and expensi ve equi pment . E ver y
hei mi n
vi l l age has a f or ce of ashi gar u- f ar mer s whohave
t r ai ned wi t h weapons, l i ght ar mor , and basi c t act i cs . T hese
war r i or s f or m
t he r ank and f i l e of most ar mi es, ar med wi t h
spear s ( yar i ) and wear i ng ashi gar u ar mor . War r i or s ar e pr of i -
ci ent onl y wi t h si mpl e weapons .
BAN N E DC LAS S E S
C har act er s nat i ve t o Rokugan may not choose
any of t he f ol l owi ng
cl asses
f r omt he Pl ayer ' s
Handbook: bar d, cl er i c, dr ui d, pal adi n, or
wi zar d. Whi l e ent er t ai ner s ar e cer t ai nl y pop-
ul ar i n t he cour t s of t he dai myos, t hey ar e
gener al l y exper t s
( or somet i mes r ogues) r at her t han bar ds,
f ocusi ng on Per f or mand Di pl omacy ski l l s but gai ni ng no
spel l s or magi cal abi l i t i es . S hugenj as mi x t he f unct i ons of
bot h cl er i cs and wi zar ds . Dr ui ds and pal adi ns ar e bot h west er n
char act er concept s . C er t ai n pr est i ge cl asses dupl i cat e some
pal adi n abi l i t i es, and shugenj as have access t o a number of
dr ui d spel l s .
I n ot her O r i ent al Advent ur es campai gns, t hese cl asses ar e
usual l y not avai l abl e, but check wi t h your DungeonMast er .
You mi ght be abl e t o pl ay char act er s f r oma di f f er ent par t of
t he campai gn wor l dwher e t hese cl asses do exi st , or your cam-
pai gn may have nat i ve char act er s
of t hese
cl asses . S hamans
ar e t he O r i ent al Advent ur es ver si on of cl er i cs, and wu j en ar e
equi val ent t o wi zar ds .
MULT I C LAS S
C HARAC T E RS
Mul t i cl assi ng
i s much l ess common i n
Rokugan t han i n t he wor l d of t he cor e
D&D
r ul es . S ome samur ai and
shugenj as ar e
mul t i cl ass monks, mast er i ng t he ar t s of
unar med combat al ong
wi t h t hei r ot her
t r ai ni ng
. C er t ai n member s of t he S cor pi oncl an ar e mul t i cl ass
f i ght er / r ogues or even samur ai / r ogues, l ear ni ng
t echni ques
of st eal t h and t r i cker y
as wel l as t he way of t he swor d.
Mul t i cl ass samur ai / shugenj as ar e compl et el y
unhear d of ,
si nce member s of
bot h cl asses t r ai n f r omchi l dhood t o l ear n
t hei r ski l l s, but f i ght er / shugenj a or r anger / shugenj a
combi nat i ons mi ght be possi bl e,
and a samur ai mi ght
mul t i cl ass as a sor cer er on t he wayt owar d adopt i ng t he maho-
t sukai pr est i ge cl ass .
I not her O r i ent al
Advent ur es campai gns, mul t i cl assi ng i s usu-
al l y j ust as r ar e as i n Rokugan, al t hough monks may
st i l l mul t i -
cl ass f r eel y
. S hamans, sohei , and wu j en t end t o be as si ngl e-
mi nded as samur ai andshugenj as ar e.
C AS T E AN D C LAS S
C har act er s i n Rokugan ar e ei t her member s of
t he nobl e cast e ( of t en
cal l ed t he samur ai cast e)
or t hey ar e
not - t hey ar e hei mi ns ( " hal f -
peopl e" ) or hi ni ns ( " nonpeopl e, "
i ncl udi ng
et a) . T hi s i s an
i mpor t ant di st i nct i on, and can
have a gr eat i mpact on ot her char act er choi ces .
N onnobl e
char act er s do not come f r omt he seven gr eat
cl ans, and
cannot gai n
t he benef i t s of cl an or i gi n ( an ext r a cl ass ski l l ) .
T hey cannot adopt t he samur ai or shugenj a
char act er cl asses,
si nce bot h of t hese cl asses r equi r e t r ai ni ng i n a cl an school
f or many year s .
N onnobl e char act er s
can be bar bar i ans, f i ght er s or r anger s
( wel l - t r ai ned ashi gar u sol di er s) , monks ( who car e
not hi ng f or
soci al st at us) , r ogues,
shamans, sor cer er s, or wu j en. T hey can
al so adopt t he adept , commoner , or exper t N PC cl asses
.
N obl e char act er s ar e usual l y samur ai
or shugenj as, t hough
t her e ar e many except i ons . Uni cor n bar bar i ans, r oni n f i ght er s,
Dr agon monks, C r ab r anger s,
S cor pi on r ogues, and Phoeni x
bl ood sor cer er s r epr esent t he nobl e cast e among
al l
t he avai l -
abl e char act er cl asses i n Rokugan
. Ar i st ocr at s ar e al ways nobl e
cast e char act er s, and exper t s of t en ar e ( C r ab engi neer s and
C r ane ar t i st s, f or exampl e) .
N onnobl e char act er s had bet t er not be seen car r yi ng a
kat ana or waki zashi ! T hesoul of a samur ai i s
hi s swor d, and t he
dai sho- t he
t wo swor ds, kat ana and waki zashi - ar e a mar k of
st at us, si gni f yi ng t hat t he bear er i s a
member of t he nobl e cast e.
N onsamur ai nobl es of t en do not car r y t he kat ana, si nce wear -
i nga kat ana i s a si gn t hat one i s pr epar ed t o
use i t . S uch char ac-
t er s may
car r y
a
waki zashi .
S i mi l ar l y, samur ai ar mor - i ncl udi ng
par t i al ar mor and gr eat
ar mor - ar e
vi ewedas a badge of t he nobl e cast e, and par t i cul ar l y
of t he war r i or s of t hat cast e ( i ncl udi ng samur ai as wel l as
nobl e
r anger s, bar bar i ans, and even some
r ogues) . S amur ai ar e pr one t o
t aki ng i nsul t whennonsamur ai wear " t hei r " ar mor.
PRE S T I GE C LAS S E S
Awi de var i et y of pr est i ge cl asses i s avai l abl e t o char ac-
t er s i n O r i ent al Advent ur es, r ef l ect i ng
advancedt r ai ni ng
or a par t i cul ar
speci al i zat i on. T he onl y pr est i ge cl ass
f r omt he DUN GE O N
MAS T E R' s
Gui de
appr opr i at e t o
O r i ent al Advent ur es
i s t he assassi n- whi ch, al ongwi t h t he
ni nj a
spy pr est i ge cl ass descr i bed
i n t hi s chapt er , def i nes
t he st eal t hy ki l l er s
of l egend.
I n Rokugan, samur ai
l ear n t he ar t of war , t he code of
bushi do, and t he
ski l l s bef i t t i ngan ar i st ocr at i n
f or mal school s
r un
by t he var i ous f ami l i es of
t he gr eat cl ans of t he E mpi r e.
E ach school
t eaches uni que abi l i t i es and has an
associ at ed
pr est i ge cl ass . S amur ai
char act er s can qual i f y f or t hese pr es-
t i ge
cl asses r el at i vel y ear l y, t hough t hey of t en
r equi r e a ver y
speci f i c sel ect i on of f eat s ear l y
i n t he char act er ' s car eer . As a
r esul t ,
samur ai f r omdi f f er ent school s usual l y
begi n pl ay
wi t h di f f er ent
f eat s, and di ver ge mor e wi del y by about 6t h
l evel , when most have ent er ed
t hei r , school ' s pr est i ge cl ass .
T he samur ai
pr est i ge cl asses oeach cl an ar e det ai l ed i n
C hapt er 11: T he E mpi r e of Rokugan
. T hese cl asses i ncl ude
t he Hi da def ender of t he C r abcl an, t he Dai doj i bodyguar d
of
t he C r ane cl an,
t he Mi r umot o ni t enmast er of t he Dr agon
cl an, t he Akodo champi on of t he Li on cl an, t he
S hi ba Pr ot ec-
t or of t he Phoeni x cl an,
t he Bayushi decei ver of t he S cor pi on
cl an, t he Mot o avenger of t he Uni cor n cl an, and t he
Mant i s
mer cenar y of t he
mi nor Mant i s cl an. C hapt er 12 : T he
S hadowl ands i ncl udes pr est i ge
cl asses t hat der i ve t hei r
power f r omt he evi l
of t he S hadowl ands, i nt ended pr i mar i l y
f or nonpl ayer char act er s : t he maho- buj i n,
or T ai nt edwar r i or ,
and t he
maho- t sukai , or bl ood sor cer er .
I f you ar e not pl ayi ngi n
t he f eat ur ed campai gnset t i ngof
Rokugan,
consul t wi t h your DMabout avai l abl e pr est i ge
cl asses . Youmaybe abl e t o use some of t he pr est i ge cl asses i n
C hapt er 11 ( i gnor i ng or r epl aci ng cl an r est r i ct i ons) ,
as wel l
as t hose
pr esent edi n t he r emai nder of t hi s chapt er.
MO N K PRE S T I GE C LAS S E S
T hi s chapt er descr i bes t hr ee
pr est i ge cl asses- t he henshi n
myst i c,
t he S hi nt aomonk, andt he t at t ooed monk- t hat ar e
nat ur al choi ces f or monkchar act er s, al l owi ng t hemt o con-
t i nue i mpr ovi ng t hei r unar med at t acks, unar med damage,
Ar mor C l ass, andspeed. T o det er mi ne t he
damage, AC
bonus, and speed of a monk char act er wi t h one of t hese
pr est i ge cl asses, si mpl y add t he char act er ' s `monk l evel s t o
her monk pr est i ge cl ass l evel s and consul t T abl e 3- 10: T he
Monk i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook.
T o det er mi ne how
many
unar med at t acks she can make and at what at t ack bonuses,
add t oget her t he base at t ack bonus der i ved f r omher monk
l evel s andt he base at t ack bonus der i ved f r omher monk
pr est i ge cl ass l evel s,
and consul t T abl e 3- 1: Mul t i pl e
Unar medAt t acks . T hi s t abl e shows howmany addi t i onal
unar med at t acks ( af t er
t he
f i r st ,
at t he char act er ' s f ul l at t ack
bonus) t he char act er canmake i n a r ound andat what at t ack
bonuses
. C har act er s who have l evel s i n onl y monk cl asses
al ways get mor e unar medat t acks t han t hey woul dnor mal l y
get
based on
t hei r
base at t ack bonus ( , addi t i onal at t acks at
i nt er val s of - 3, i nst eadof - 5)
.
C har act er s who have
l evel s
i n
ot her cl asses as wel l may or may not gai n an advan-
t age f r omt hi s, and any advant age i s of t en sl i ght .
T ABLE 3- 1: MULT I PLE UN ARME D AT T AC KS
E xampl e:
AsakoT ur i ma i s a 10t h- l evel monk/ 4t h- l evel hen-
shi n myst i c. Hi s base at t ack
bonus i s +10 ( +7 f r omhi s monk
l evel s,
+3 f r omhi s henshi nmyst i c l evel s) .
N or mal l y, t hi s woul d
gi ve hi man addi t i onal
at t ack at +5 . He can i nst ead t ake t he
addi t i onal
unar medat t acks l i st ed f or hi s +10
at t ack bonus
( si nce t he ent i r e bonus i s
der i vedf r ommonkandmyst i c l evel s)
onT abl e 3- 1 : Mul t i pl e Unar med
At t acks, +7, +4, and +1 . T hus,
he can make f our
at t acks i n a r oundwi t h an unar med st r i ke ( or
a monk weapon) , at +10,
+7,
+4, and +1 .
When usi ng anot her
weapon, he can
make t wo at t acks, at +10 and
+5 .
He has t he
unar med damage, AC
bonus, and speed of a 14t h- l evel monk.
T ogashi
T i dai ko, however , i s a 3r d- l evel samur ai / 5t h-
l evel monk/ 7t h- l evel
t at t ooed monk. Her base at t ack
bonus i s +11 ( +3 f r omher samur ai
l evel s, +3 f r omher monk
l evel s, and +5 f r omher t at t ooed monk l evel s) . N or mal l y, she
woul dhave t wo addi t i onal
at t acks at +6 and +1 . S he cani nst ead
t ake t he addi t i onal unar med at t acks l i st ed f or a +8 base at t ack
bonus f r omher monk
and t at t ooed monkl evel s onT abl e 3- 1,
+5 and +2 . S he makes t hr ee at t acks i n a r ound, whet her ar med
or unar med. I f unar med
( or
usi ng
a monk weapon) , she can
choose whet her t o st r i ke at +11/ +6/ +1
or at
+11/ +5/ +2
. Ar med
wi t h an or di nar y weapon, she must at t ack at +11/ +6/ +1 . S he
has t he unar med damage,
AC bonus, andbase speed of a 12t h-
l evel monk.
Al l monk
pr est i ge cl asses al l owchar act er s t o use t hei r
unar medbase at t ack wi t h speci al monkweapons, i ncl udi ng t he
but t er f l yswor d, cl ub, j i t t e,
kama, l aj at ang, nekode, nunchaku,
quar t er st af f , sai , t hr ee- sect i on st af f , and t onf a. Al l suf f er t he
same
penal t i es f or wear i ngar mor t hat monks do.
BAT T LE MAI DE N
Bat t l e mai dens ar e t he st uf f of wonder and
l egend, an or der of mount ed f emal e samur ai
whose swi f t , f ear l ess at t acks ar e r enowned
t hr oughout t he wor l d. T hey have a super nat ur al
bond wi t h t hei r mount s, an i nt ense spi r i t ual
connect i on si mi l ar
t o t he bond bet ween a pal adi n and her
mount. Bat t l e mai dens mai nt ai n a t r adi t i on of mar t i al pr owess
t emper ed
by spi r i t ual pur i t y. T hei r spi r i t s bur n wi t h pur e
devot i on; t hey ar e unquest i onabl y l oyal , et er nal l y
dedi cat ed,
and above wor l dl y desi r es .
Base At t ack Bonus
Addi t i onal Unar med At t acks
+0 -
+1 -
+2 -
+3 -
+4
.
.
+1
+5 +2
+6
+3
+7
+4/ +1
+8 +5/ +2
+9 +6/ +3
+10
+7/ +4/ +1
+11
+8/ +5/ +2
+12
+9/ +6/ +3
+13
+10/ +7/ +4/ +1
+14
+11/ +8/ +5/ +2
+15
+12/ +9/ +6/ +3
Bat t l e mai dens
ar e al most excl usi vel y f emal e member s of t he
samur ai char act er cl ass . I n Rokugan,
t hey ar e dr awn sol el y f r om
t he Uni cor n cl an,
wher e t hey ar e t r ai nedi n t he Ut aku school .
N PC bat t l e mai dens f or mt he el i t e
caval r y uni t s of an ar my.
Hi t Di e:
d10
.
RE QUI RE ME N T S
T o qual i f y t o become a bat t l e
mai den, a char act er must f ul f i l l al l
t he f ol l owi ng
cr i t er i a.
Gender : Femal e.
Al i gnment : Anyl awf ul .
Base At t ack
Bonus : +7.
S ki l l s : Handl e Ani mal 10 r anks, Ri de
10
r anks .
Feat s : Mount ed
C ombat , Ri de- by At t ack, S pi r i t ed C har ge.
T ABLE 3- 2: T HE BAT T LE
MAI DE N
C LAS S S KI LLS
T he bat t l e mai den' s cl ass ski l l s ( and t he key abi l i t y f or
each ski l l )
ar eAni mal E mpat hy
( C ha, excl usi ve ski l l ) , C r af t ( I nt ) , Di pl omacy
( C ha) , Handl e Ani mal ( C ha) , Pr of essi on ( Wi s) ,
and Ri de ( Dex) .
S ee C hapt er 4: S ki l l s i n t he
Pl ayer ' s Handbook f or ski l l descr i pt i ons .
S ki l l Poi nt s at E ach Level : 2 +I nt modi f i er .
C LAS S FE AT URE S
T he f ol l owi ng
ar e cl ass f eat ur es of t he bat t l e mai den.
Weapon andAr mor Pr of i ci ency
: Bat t l e mai dens ar e pr of i -
ci ent wi t h al l si mpl e
and mar t i al weapons and wi t h l i ght
and
medi umar mor.
S peci al
Mount : Abat t l e mai den' s mount i s
no or di nar y
ani mal . I n f act , i t i s not
anani mal at al l , but a magi cal beast . T hi s
heavy
war hor se shar es t he basi c st at i st i cs
of i t s ki nd, as
descr i bed i n t he
monst er Manual , but al so shar es many qual i t i es
i n common wi t h a pal adi n' s
mount
.
I t i s super i or t o a nor mal
mount of i t s ki nd
and has speci al power s, as shown bel ow.
Bat t l e Mai den Level : T he
cl ass l evel of t he bat t l e mai den. I f t he
mount
suf f er s a l evel dr ai n, t r eat t he mount
as t hough i t
bel onged t o a bat t l e
mai den of one l evel l ower. For exampl e, i f
t he mount of a 7t h- l evel bat t l e
mai deni s dr ai ned of one l evel , i t
ef f ect i vel y becomes t he mount of a 6t h- l evel bat t l e mai den
( r educed HD, ar mor , et c. , and no l onger abl e t o use command
equi nes) unt i l t he l evel dr ai n i s negat ed. I f t he mount of a 1st -
l evel bat t l e mai deni s dr ai ned
of one l evel , i t becomes a
nor mal
heavy war hor se ( no l onger a magi cal beast ) .
HD: T hewar hor se' s Hi t Di ce.
N at ur al Ar mor : A
bat t l e
mai den' s
mount begi ns wi t h t he nor mal
t hi ck hi de of i t s ki nd, but t hat nat ur al ar mor val ue i ncr eases as t he
bat t l e mai dengoes
up
i n
l evel
.
Aheavywar hor se' s AC i s 10, - 1 f or
i t s si ze, +1 f or i t s Dext er i t y, +t he number l i st ed i n t hi s col umn.
S t y: T he mount ' s S t r engt h scor e.
I nt :
T he
mount ' s I nt el l i gence scor e.
At t ack Bonuses: T hese mel ee at t ack number s r ef l ect t he hor se' s
Hi t Di ce, S t r engt h scor e, and si ze ( Lar ge) . Awar hor se get s t wo
hoof at t acks at t he l i st ed
bonus anda bi t e at t ack at t he l i st ed
bonus.
I mpr oved E vasi on ( E x) : I f t he mount i s subj ect ed t o an at t ack
t hat
nor mal l y al l ows a Ref l ex savi ng t hr owf or
hal f
damage,
i t
t akes no damage i f i t makes a successf ul savi ng t hr owand hal f
damage even i f t he savi ng t hr ow
f ai l s .
E mpat hi c Li nk ( S u) : T he bat t l e mai denhas an empat hi c l i nk wi t h
t he
mount out t o a di st ance of up t o one mi l e. T he bat t l e mai den
cannot see t hr ough t he hor se' s eyes, but t hey can communi cat e
t el epat hi cal l y. E ven i nt el l i gent mount s see t he wor l d di f f er ent l y
f r omhumans, so mi sunder st andi ngs ar e al ways possi bl e
.
Because of t he empat hi c l i nk bet ween t he mount and t he
bat t l e mai den, t he bat t l e mai den
has t he same connect i on t o an
i t emor pl ace t hat t he mount does .
S har e S avi ng T hr ows : T he mount
uses i t s own base save
bonuses or t he bat t l e mai den' s, whi chever ar e hi gher .
S peed: T he mount ' s base speed i ncr eases as t he bat t l e mai den
acqui r es mor e l evel s . Anor mal war hor se' s speedi s
50
f eet .
C ommandE qui nes ( S p) : T he mount can use t hi s abi l i t y at wi l l
agai nst ot her equi nes ( i ncl udi ng hor ses, donkeys, mul es, and
poni es) wi t h f ewer Hi t Di ce t han i t has i t sel f . T he mount can
use t hi s abi l i t y once per day per l evel of t he
bat t l e
mai den,
andI
t he abi l i t y f unct i ons j ust l i ke t he spel l command ( f or pur poses
of t hi s spel l , t he mount can make i t sel f be under st ood by any
nor mal equi ne) . S i nce t hi s i s a spel l - l i ke abi l i t y, t he mount must , v
make a C oncent r at i on
check ( DC 21) i f i t ' s bei ngr i dden at t he
t i me ( as i n combat ) . I f t he check f ai l s, t he abi l i t y does not wor k
t hat t i me,
but i t st i l l count s agai nst t he mount ' s dai l y uses .
S pel l Resi st ance ( E x) :
T o af f ect t he mount wi t h a spel l , a spel l -
cast er must make a cast er l evel check ( 1d20 +cast er l evel ) at
l east equal t o t he mount ' s spel l
r esi st ance of 20.
Ri de Bonus ( E x) : Abat t l e mai den get s a +2 compet ence
bonus on her Ri de checks
at
1st
l evel
. T hi s
bonus i ncr eases by -
+2 ever y f our l evel s t her eaf t er ( +4 at 5t h l evel , +6 at 9t h l evel ) .
S he can al ways t ake 10 on a Ri de check, even i f st r ess and di s-
t r act i ons woul dnor mal l y pr event her f r omdoi ng so.
C l ass
Base For t Ref
Wi l l
Level
At t ack Bonus S ave
S ave S ave S peci al
1st +1 +2
+0 +0 S peci al mount , Ri de bonus +2
2nd +2
+3 +0 +0 Bur st of speed
3r d +3
+3 +1 +1 Ri de bonus ( i ni t i at i ve) +2
4t h +4 +4
+1 +1 Def ensi ve r i di ng
5t h
+5 +4 +1 +1 Ri de bonus ( AC ) +4
6t h +6
+5 +2 +2
7t h +7
+5 +2 +2 ? Ri de bonus ( at t acks) +4
8t h +8
+6 +2 +2 Heal mount
9t h +9
+6 +3 +3 Ri de bonus +6
1 0t h +10
+7 +3 +3
Bat t l e
At t ack
Mai den N at ur al
Bonuses
Level
HD Ar mor S t r I nt
Hoof Bi t e S peci al
1st - 3r d 6d8+18 4 19
6 +7 +2 I mpr oved
evasi on,
empat hi c l i nk,
shar e savi ng
t hr ows
4t h- 6t h 8d8+32 6
20 7 +10 +5 S peed 60 f t .
7t h- 9t h 10d8+30 8
21 8 +11 +6 C ommand
equi nes
10t h 12d8+36
10 22 9 +14 +9 S peed 70 f t . ,
S R20
I n addi t i on, as t he bat t l e mai den i ncr eases i n l evel s, she can
appl y t hi s bonus t o ot her checks . At
3r d
l evel and above, she
appl i es her Ri de bonus on her i ni t i at i ve checks whi l e f i ght i ng
f r omhor seback.
At 5t h l evel and above, she appl i es her Ri de
bonus t o her Ar mor C l ass whi l e she i s mount ed. At 7t h l evel
and above, she appl i es her
Ri de bonus on
mel ee or r anged
at t acks she makes f r omhor seback.
Bur st
of S peed ( E x) : At 2nd l evel , t he bat t l e mai den can
ur ge her mount t o gr eat er t han nor mal speeds . T hi s abi l i t y dou-
bl es t he di st ance of t he
mount ' s nor mal char ge movement .
T hi s
abi l i t y can be used once per day wi t hout penal t yt o t he mount .
E ach addi t i onal use of t he
abi l i t y
i n
a si ngl e day r equi r es t he
mount t o make a Wi l l save ( DC 20) i mmedi at el y af t er t he con-
cl usi on of t he addi t i onal char ge
;
f ai l ur e
r esul t s
i n
t he mount
t aki ng 2d6 poi nt s of damage.
Def ensi ve
Ri di ng ( E x) : O nce per day, when a mount ed
bat t l e mai den woul d be r educed t o 0 hi t poi nt s
or l ess by
damage i n
combat ( f r oma weapon or ot her bl ow, not a spel l or
speci al abi l i t y) , she can at t empt t o r educe t he damage i n t he
same way
as she can negat e damage t o her mount wi t h t he
Mount ed C ombat f eat . S he makes a Ri de check ( DC =damage
deal t ) and, i f
she' s successf ul , she t akes onl y hal f damage f r om
t he bl owS he must be awar e of t he at t ack and
abl e t o r eact t o i t
i n or der t o per f or mher def ensi ve r i di ng- i f she i s deni ed her
Dext er i t y bonus
t o AC , she can' t avoi d t he damage.
Heal Mount ( S p) : O nce per day, a bat t l e mai denof 8t h l evel or
hi gher can use heal
mount as a spel l - l i ke abi l i t y.
BE ARWARRI O R
C er t ai n peopl e i n t he l ands of O r i ent al Advent ur es r ever e bear s
as symbol s of t he war r i or ' s st r engt h and bat t l e pr owess . By
adopt i ng t he bear as a t ot emani mal , war r i or s
of t hese peopl e
hope
t o t ap some of t he bear ' s st r engt h. Bear war r i or s, t hr ough
a speci al r el at i onshi p wi t h bear spi r i t s, l i t er al l y adopt a bear ' s
st r engt h
i n t he r age of bat t l e, act ual l y t r ansf or mi ng i nt o bear s
whi l e t hey f i ght .
O nl y
char act er s whocanal r eadyt ap i nt o a spi r i t ual power of
r age or f r enzy can hei ght en t hat
power t o become bear war -
r i or s . Most bear war r i or s ar e bar bar i ans, and sohei somet i mes
become bear
war r i or s . C har act er s wi t h anot her pr est i ge cl ass
t hat gr ant s a r age abi l i t y ( such as t he si ngh r ager ) occasi onal l y
adopt t hi s cl ass . Bear
war r i or s ar e not f ound i n Rokugan.
N PC bear war r i or s ar e usual l y t he champi ons
of bar bar i an
t r i bes,
r ust i c vi l l ages, or war l i ke t empl es . T hey l ead ot her war -
r i or s, not t hr ough di sci pl i ne and or der ,
but by t he
i nspi r i ng
exampl e t hey pr esent .
Hi t Di e: d12.
RE QUI RE ME N T S
T o
qual i f y t o become a bear war r i or , a char act er must f ul f i l l al l
t he f ol l owi ngcr i t er i a.
Base At t ack
Bonus :
+7 .
Feat s : Power At t ack.
S peci al
: Rage, f ur y, or hi f r enzy abi l i t y.
T ABLE 3- 3: T HE BE ARWARRI O R
. .
C l ass

Base

For t

Ref

Wi l l
Level

At t ack Bonus

S ave

S ave

S ave

S peci al
1 st

+1

+2

+0

+2

Bear f or m( bl ock) 1 / day
2nd

+2

+3

+0

+3
3r d

+3
+3

+1 +3 S cent
4t h

+4

+4

+1

+4

Bear f or m( br own) 2/ day
5t h

+5

= -

+4

+1

+4

E xt r a r agi ng
6t h

+6

+5

+2

+5
8t h

+8

+6

+2

+6

Bear f or m( di r e) 3/ day
9t h

+9

+6

+3

+6
1
0t h

+10

+7

+3

+7

E xt r a r agi ng
C LAS S S KI LLS
T he bear war r i or ' s cl ass ski l l s ( and t he key abi l i t y f or each
ski l l )
ar e
Ani mal E mpat hy ( C ha,
excl usi ve ski l l ) , C l i mb ( S t r ) , Handl e
Ani mal ( C ha) , I nt i mi dat e ( C ha) , I nt ui t Di r ect i on( Wi s) , J ump
( S t r ) ,
Li st en ( Wi s) , Ri de
( Dex) , S wi m( S t r ) , andWi l der ness Lor e ( Wi s) .
S ee C hapt er 4: S ki l l s i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook f or ski l l descr i pt i ons .
S ki l l Poi nt s at E ach Level : 4 +I nt modi f i er
.
C LAS S FE AT URE S
T he f ol l owi ngar e cl ass f eat ur es of t he bear
war r i or.
Weapon andAr mor Pr of i ci ency: Bear war r i or s ar e pr of i -
ci ent wi t h al l si mpl e andmar t i al weapons . T hey do not gai n any
addi t i onal pr of i ci ency wi t h ar mor or shi el ds .
Bear For m( S p) : Abear
war r i or
can
t r ansf or mi nt o a bear
whi l e i n a r age, f ur y, or ki f r enzy. At 1st l evel , a bear war r i or can
assume t he f or mof a bl ack bear f or t he ent i r e dur at i on
of one of
hi s r ages each day. T hi s abi l i t y i s si mi l ar t o pol ymor ph sel f , except
t hat t he bear war r i or becomes an except i onal bear . Hi s
S t r engt h
scor e
i ncr eases
by
+8, hi s Dext er i t y scor e by +2, and
hi s C onst i t ut i on scor e by +4 ( t hese bonuses r epl ace t he nor mal
r agi ng bonuses) . He gai ns t empor ar y hi t poi nt s f r omhi s new
C onst i t ut i on scor e as i f r agi ng and a +2 nat ur al AC bonus . He
st i l l gai ns a +2 bonus on Wi l l saves and suf f er s a - 2 penal t y t o
AC whi l e r agi ng. He can make t wo cl awat t acks at hi s f ul l
nor mal base at t ack bonus, each
deal i ng 1d4 poi nt s of damage
pl us hi s
( new)
S t r engt h
bonus, and one bi t e at t ack at hi s base
at t ack bonus
- 5,
deal i ng 1d6 poi nt s of damage pl us one- hal f hi s
( new) S t r engt h bonus . As wi t h pol ymor ph sel f , hi s weapons,
ar mor , and ot her equi pment mer ge i nt o hi s bear f or m, becom-
i ng nonf unct i onal
f or
t he dur at i on
of t he change ( except f or
i t ems speci f i cal l y desi gned t o super cede t hi s l i mi t at i on) .
At 4t h l evel , t he bear
war r i or
can
assume bear f or mt wi ce
each day ( whi l e i n a r age, f ur y, or ki f r enzy) and can choose
bet weenbl ackandbr own bear f or ms . I n br own bear f or m, t he
bear war r i or ' s S t r engt h i ncr eases by
+16, hi s Dext er i t yby +2,
andhi s C onst i t ut i on by +8. He gai ns a +5 nat ur al AC bonus, and
becomes
si ze Lar ge ( suf f er i ng a - 1 penal t y t o AC and at t acks) .
Hi s cl awat t acks deal i ds poi nt s of damage pl us hi s S t r engt h
bonus, andhi s bi t e at t ack deal s 2d8
poi nt s of damage pl us one-
hal f hi s S t r engt h bonus . He gai ns t he i mpr oved gr ab excep-
t i onal abi l i t y,
whi ch
he canuse
when he hi t s wi t h a cl awat t ack.
Hi s f ace becomes 5 f eet by 10 f eet .
At 8t h l evel , t he bear war r i or
can assume bear
f or m
t hr ee t i mes
each day ( whi l e i n a r age, f ur y, or hi f r enzy) and can choose
bet weenbl ack, br own,
and di r e bear
f or ms
.
I n di r e
bear
f or m,
t he
bear war r i or ' s S t r engt h i ncr eases by +20, hi s Dext er i t yby +2, and
hi s C onst i t ut i on by +8. He gai ns
a +7 nat ur al AC bonus, and
becomes si ze Lar ge. Hi s cl awat t acks deal 2d4 poi nt s of damage
pl us hi s S t r engt h bonus, and hi s bi t e at t ack deal s 2d8 poi nt s of
damage pl us one- hal f hi s S t r engt h bonus.
He gai ns t he i mpr oved
gr ab except i onal abi l i t y, whi chhecanuse whenhe hi t s wi t h a cl aw
at t ack. Hi s f ace becomes 10 f eet by 20 f eet , and hi s r each i s 10 f eet .
S cent ( E x) : At 3r dl evel , a bear war r i or gai ns t he scent speci al
abi l i t y. T hi s al l ows t he char act er t o det ect opponent s by sense of
smel l as a f r ee act i on, gener al l y wi t hi n 30 f eet . I f t he opponent i s
upwi nd, t he r ange i s 60 f eet . I f i t i s downwi nd, t he r ange i s
15
f eet . T he bear war r i or candet ect st r ong scent s, such as smoke or
r ot t i ng gar bage,
at
t wi ce
t hese r anges . T he bear war r i or can
det ect over power i ng scent s, such as skunk musk or t r ogl odyt e
st ench, at t hr ee t i mes t hese r anges .
T hebear war r i or det ect s anot her cr eat ur e' s pr esence but not
i t s speci f i c l ocat i on.
N ot i ngt he di r ect i onof t he scent i s a move-
equi val ent act i on. I f he moves wi t hi n
5
f eet of t he scent ' s
sour ce, t he bear war r i or
can
pi npoi nt
t hat sour ce .
T he bear war r i or can f ol l owt r acks by smel l , maki ng a
Wi sdomcheck t o f i nd or f ol l owa t r ack. T he t ypi cal DC f or
a f r esh t r ai l i s 10. T he DC i ncr eases or decr eases dependi ng
on
howst r ong t he quar r y' s odor i s, t he number of cr eat ur es, and
t he age of t he t r ai l . For each hour t hat t he t r ai l i s col d, t he DC
i ncr eases by 2. T he abi l i t y ot her wi se f ol l ows t he r ul es f or t he
T r ack f eat . Bear war r i or s t r acki ng by
scent
i gnor e
t he ef f ect s of
sur f ace condi t i ons and poor vi si bi l i t y.
Bear war r i or s can i dent i f y
f ami l i ar odor s j ust as nor mal
humans do f ami l i ar si ght s . Wat er , par t i cul ar l y r unni ng wat er ,
r ui ns a t r ai l .
Fal se, power f ul
odor s can easi l y mask ot her scent s . T he pr es-
ence of such an odor compl et el y spoi l s t he abi l i t y t o pr oper l y
det ect or i dent i f y cr eat ur es, and t he base Wi l der ness Lor e DC
t o t r ack becomes 20 r at her t han 10.
E xt r a Ragi ng:
At 5t h l evel , andagai n at l ot h l evel , t he
number of t i mes per dayt hat a bear war r i or can ent er a st at e of
r age, f ur y, or ki f r enzy i ncr eases by one. For exampl e, a 7t h- l evel
bar bar i an/ 5t h- l evel bear war r i or
can r age t hr ee t i mes per day,
whi l e a 7t h- l evel bar bar i an/ 10t h- l evel bear war r i or can r age
f our t i mes per
day.
I f
t hat same char act er wer e t o advance one
bar bar i anl evel , he coul d r age f i ve t i mes per day.
BLADE DAN C E R
T o bl ade dancer s, t he swor d i s mor e t han a weapon- i t i s
an
al l y,
a f r i end, a spi r i t compani on. Vi ewi ng combat as ar t , a deadl y
dance, bl ade dancer s ar e pr one t o si ngi ngi n bat t l e. Bl ade dancer s
t ap power f ul magi cal ener gy t hr ough a combi nat i on of mar t i al
pr owess andmagi cal st udy,
gai ni ngphenomenal
acr obat i c
abi l i t y
and t he abi l i t y t o enchant t hei r bl ades i n combat .
Most bl ade dancer s ar e mul t i cl ass char act er s, f i ght er s or
monks andwuj enor ( occasi onal l y) shamans . Mul t i cl ass r ogue
spel l cast er s can al so meet t he st eep
ski l l r equi r ement s . Bl ade
dancer s ar e not f oundi n Rokugan.
N PC
bl ade dancer s of t en dedi cat e t hemsel ves t o
hunt i ng
evi l spi r i t s andundead. T hey t end t o be eccent r i c l oner s, pr one
t o l at e- ni ght bout s of si ngi ng, danci ng, and t umbl i ng ( usual l y
enhanced wi t h st r ong dr i nk) .
Hi t Di e: d8.
RE QUI RE ME N T S
T oqual i f y
t o become a bl ade dancer , a
char act er must f ul f i l l al l
t he f ol l owi ngcr i t er i a
.
Al i gnment
: Anyl awf ul .
Base At t ack Bonus: +7 .
S ki l l s
: J ump 12 r anks, T umbl e 12 r anks .
Feat s : Dodge, Mobi l i t y, S pr i ng
At t ack.
S pel l s : Abl e
t o cast ar cane or di vi ne spel l s .
S peci al : Pr of i ci ency wi t h any
swor d.
T ABLE
3- 4: T HE BLADE DAN C E R
C LAS S S KI LLS
T he bl ade dancer ' s cl ass
ski l l s ( and t he keyabi l i t y f or each ski l l )
ar e Bal ance
( Dex) , C l i mb ( S t r ) , C r af t ( I nt ) ,
E scape Ar t i st ( Dex) ,
J ump ( S t r ) , Per f or m( C ha) ,
Pr of essi on ( Wi s) , Ri de ( Dex) , and
T umbl e ( Dex) .
S ee C hapt er 4: S ki l l s i n t he Pl ayer ' s
Handbook f or
ski l l descr i pt i ons .
S ki l l Poi nt s
at E ach Level : 2 +I nt modi f i er .
C LAS S FE AT URE S
T hef ol l owi ng
ar e cl ass f eat ur es of t he bl ade dancer .
Weapon andAr mor Pr of i ci ency
: Bl ade dancer s ar e pr of i -
ci ent
wi t h al l si mpl e and mar t i al weapons, and wi t h l i ght
ar mor. Abl ade dancer who
wear s medi umor heavy ar mor , or
car r i es a medi um
or heavy l oad, cannot use any of hi s speci al
abi l i t i es except f or enchant edbl ade.
Acr obat i cs
( S u) : A1st - l evel bl ade dancer gai ns a +10 compe-
t ence bonus onBal ance, J ump,
andT umbl e checks . At 5t h l evel ,
t hi s bonus
i ncr eases t o +20, and at l ot h l evel
i t i s +30. I n addi -
t i on, a bl ade dancer can
al ways choose t o t ake 10 on a Bal ance,
j ump, or T umbl e check, even when
ci r cumst ances woul d nor -
mal l y pr event hi m
f r omdoi ng so.
Leapof t he C l ouds ( S u) : Abl ade
dancer ' s j umpi ngdi st ance
( ver t i cal or hor i zont al )
i s not l i mi t ed accor di ng t o hi s hei ght .
Fast Movement ( S u) : Abl ade
dancer moves f ast er t han
nor mal .
AS mal l bl ade dancer moves
mor e sl owl y t han a
Medi um- si ze bl ade
dancer , whi l e a r at l i ng moves f ast er , as
shown on
t he t abl e bel ow.
E nchant ed Bl ade I ( S u) : At 2nd l evel ,
a bl ade dancer can
t empor ar i l y enchant
hi s bl ade t o achi eve a speci f i c ef f ect . T he
ef f ect l ast s f or 1 mi nut e/ l evel , and
t he bl ade dancer can cr eat e
t he ef f ect once
per day. T he bl ade dancer canchoose f r omt he f ol
l owi ng speci al abi l i t i es t o best ow
on hi s bl ade: def endi ng,
f l ami ng, f r ost , shock, or ghost t ouch. Abl ade dancer can use
t hi s abi l i t y even i f he i s wear i ng medi umor heavyar mor.
Ri de t he Wi nd
( S p) :
A
bl ade dancer of 4t h l evel or hi gher can
use ai r wal k as a spel l - l i ke abi l i t y once per day.
Acr obat i c At t ack ( E x) :
At 5t h l evel , i f t he bl ade dancer
at t acks by j umpi ng at l east
5
f eet t owar d hi s opponent , j umpi ng
down at l east
5
f eet ont o hi s
opponent or swi ngi ng on a r ope or
si mi l ar obj ect i nt o hi s opponent , he gai ns a +2 bonus on at t ack
and damage r ol l s . T he bl ade
dancer must make a j umpcheck; i f
t he r esul t i s l ess t han
5
f eet , he cannot use t hi s abi l i t y
on t hat
at t ack. I f t he r esul t i s gr eat er t han t he di st ance bet weent he bl ade
dancer andt he opponent , t he bl ade
dancer canl i mi t t he di st ance
t o t hat bet ween hi msel f and t he opponent as a f r ee act i on.
E nchant ed
Bl ade I I ( S u) : At 6t h l evel , a bl ade dancer can
choose f r omt he f ol l owi ngabi l i t i es t o best owon hi s bl ade: bane
( choose t ype of cr eat ur e) , di sr upt i on, f l ami ng
bur st , i cy bur st ,
shocki ng
bur st , t hunder i ng, woundi ng. Al t er nat i vel y, he can
addt wo enchant edbl ade I
abi l i t i es t o hi s bl ade, ei t her si mul t a-
neousl yor separ at el y.
E nchant ed Bl ade I I I
( S u) : At 10t h l evel , a bl ade dancer can
choose f r omt he f ol l owi ng abi l i t i es t o best owon hi s bl ade:
danci ng, f l yi ng*, passage" , or speed. Al t er nat i vel y, he can add
t hr ee enchant edbl ade I abi l i t i es t o hi s
bl ade,
ei t her
si mul t ane-
ousl y or separ at el y. ( " S ee C hapt er S : Magi c I t ems f or t hese new
weapon speci al abi l i t i es. )
E UN UC H WARLO C KS
I n
some l ands of O r i ent al Advent ur es, eunuchs ar e t he power
behi nd t he t hr one
of a decadent , cor r upt emper or. E unuchs
ser ve as spi es, cour i er s, and i nf or mant s, whi l e eunuch war l ocks
ar e t he el i t e l eader s of t hi s gr oupof t he emper or ' s
most l oyal
mi ni ons
. I n some cases, pr ovi nci al gover nor s even r epor t
di r ect l y t o one or mor e
eunuchs, not t o t he emper or hi msel f
.
E unuch war l ocks must be ar cane spel l cast er s of si gni f i cant
abi l i t y, and
t hey ar e of t en sor cer er s r at her t han wuj en. Many
eunuch war l ocks ar e mul t i cl ass r ogue/ sor cer er s or
f i ght er / sor cer er s, t hough t hey gener al l y have no mor e t han a
f ewl evel s of a nonspel l cast i ngcl ass . E unuch war l ocks ar e not
f ound i n Rokugan.
N PC eunuch war l ocks ar e f ear ed and r espect ed, command-
i ng
si gni f i cant power i n t he emper or ' s cour t
.
T he hi ghest - r ank-
i ng member s i ssue commands wi t h t he voi ce and aut hor i t y of
t he emper or hi msel f .
Hi t Di e: d6 .
RE QUI RE ME N T S
T o qual i f y t o become a eunuch war l ock, a char act er must f ul f i l l
al l t he f ol l owi ng
cr i t er i a.
C l ass Base
For t Ref Wi l l
Level At t ack Bonus
S ave S ave S ave S peci al
1 st +1
+0 +2 +0 Acr obat i cs ( +10) , l eap of t he cl ouds, f ast movement
2nd +2
+0 +3 +0 E nchant ed bl ade I
3r d +3
+1 +3 +1
4t h +4 +1
+4 +1 Ri de t he wi nd, f ast movement
5t h
+5 +1 +4 +1 Acr obat i cs ( +20) , acr obat i c at t ack
6t h +6
+2 +5 +2 E nchant ed bl ade I I
7t h +7
+2 +5 +2 Fast movement
8t h +8
+2 +6 +2
9t h +9
+3 +6 +3
10t h +10 +3
+7 +3 Acr obat i cs ( +30) , enchant ed bl ade I I I , f ast movement
Bl ade Dancer
Base S peed
Level 20 f t .
30 f t . 40 f t .
1 st - 3 r d
40
f t .
60 f t . 80 f t .
4t h- 6t h
45 f t . 70 f t . 95 f t .
7t h- 9t h
55 f t . 80 f t . 105 f t .
10t h
60 f t . 90 f t . 120 f t .
Gender : Mal e.
Al i gnment
: Anyevi l .
Feat s : S pel l Focus .
S pel l s :
Abl e t o cast 5t h- l evel ar cane spel l s .
S peci al : T he char act er must be a eunuch member i n t he
emper or ' s
ser vi ce. Whi l et hi s ser vi ce i s of t en i nf l i ct ed as a pun-
i shment , many vol unt eer f or t he pr ocedur e
because of t he
power eunuchs hol d i n
some soci et i es .
T ABLE 3- 5: T HE E UN UC H
WARLO C K
C LAS S
S KI LLS
T he eunuch war l ock' s cl ass ski l l s ( and t he
key abi l i t y f or each
ski l l )
ar e Al chemy ( I nt ) , Bl uf f ( C ha) , C oncent r at i on ( C on) ,
C r af t ( I nt ) , Di pl omacy ( C ha) ,
Di sgui se ( C ha) , For ger y ( I nt ) ,
Gat her
I nf or mat i on ( C ha) , Knowl edge ( ar cana) , Pr of essi on
( Wi s) , S cr y ( I nt , excl usi ve ski l l ) ,
and S pel l cr af t ( I nt ) . S ee C hap-
t er 4: S ki l l s
i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook f or ski l l descr i pt i ons .
S ki l l Poi nt s at E ach
Level : 4 +I nt modi f i er .
C LAS S FE AT URE S
T he
f ol l owi ng ar e cl ass f eat ur es of t he eunuch war l ock.
Weapon andAr mor Pr of i ci ency: E unuch
war l ocks ar e
pr of i ci ent
wi t h
al l
si mpl e weapons . T hey ar e not pr of i ci ent
wi t h any t ype of ar mor or shi el ds. Ar mor
of
any
t ype i nt er f er es
wi t h a eunuch war l ock' s
ar cane gest ur es, whi ch can cause hi s
spel l s t o f ai l ( i f t hose spel l s have somat i c component s)
.
Bonus
S pel l s : S i mi l ar t o bonus spel l s f or hi gh abi l i t y scor es,
f or each l evel of eunuch war l ock
t hat a spel l cast i ng char act er
at t ai ns, he gai ns
bonus spel l s t o t he number of ar cane spel l s per
day he nor mal l y cast s . T hese bonus
spel l s can be added t o what -
ever
l evel s of spel l s t he eunuch war l ock can cur r ent l y cast , but
no mor e t han one canbe
addedt o t he char act er ' s hi ghest cur r ent
spel l l evel . E xampl e: Wi eh Wani s a 9t h- l evel
wuj en who t akes
one l evel i n eunuch war l ock.
He cangi ve hi msel f one bonus S t h-
l evel spel l ( hi s hi ghest as a 9t h- l evel wuj en) , andone bonus
spel l
i n one ot her l evel ,
0 t hr ough 4t h.
I f a eunuch war l ock has t wo ar cane
spel l cast i ng cl asses
al r eady, he
must choose whi ch pr evi ous spel l cast i ng cl ass gai ns
t he bonus . For exampl e, T uangi i s a
10t h- l evel sor cer er / 9t h- l evel
wuj en, wi t h one l evel of eunuch war l ock. C oncei vabl y, T uangi
coul d have
a bonus 5t h- l evel wu j en spel l and a bonus 5t h- l evel
sor cer er spel l , or he coul d put bot h bonus spel l s i n ei t her
sor -
cer er
or wu j en, but t hen onl y one of t hemcoul d be 5t h l evel .
Bonus spel l s cannot be added t o a
di vi ne spel l cast i ng cl ass
.
O nce
a eunuch war l ock has chosen howt o appl y hi s bonus
spel l s, t hey cannot be shi f t ed.
Gr eat er
S pel l Focus ( E x) : Aeunuch war l ock adds +4 t o t he
DC f or savi ng t hr ows agai nst
spel l s i n
al l
school s f or
whi ch
he
has t he S pel l Focus f eat , i nst ead of t he nor mal +2 bonus gr ant ed
by t hat f eat . I n addi t i on, t he
eunuch war l ock gai ns a +2 bonus
on cast er l evel checks t o beat a cr eat ur e' s spel l r esi st ance wi t h
spel l s f r omt hose school s . T hi s addi t i onal bonus st acks wi t h
t he S pel l Penet r at i on f eat .
T hi s benef i t appl i es even t o school s f or whi ch t he char act er
gai ns t he S pel l Focus f eat af t er becomi nga eunuch war l ock. For
exampl e,
i f
Wi eh Wanhas
S pel l Focus ( E vocat i on) when he
becomes a eunuch war l ock, t he save DC f or hi s evocat i on spel l s
i ncr eases by +4 i nst ead of by +2 . I f he l ear ns S pel l Focus
( I l l u-
si on) when he r eaches 12t h l evel , t he save DC f or hi s i l l usi on
spel l s al so i ncr eases by +4.
Mi ght y S pel l s ( E x) : At 2nd l evel ,
and at
ever y
even
l evel
t her eaf t er , a eunuch war l ock can desi gnat e one spel l he knows
t hat becomes modi f i ed as t hough af f ect ed by t he E mpower
S pel l f eat . T he spel l ' s l evel does not change, and once t he spel l
i s chosen i t cannot
be changed.
At 8t h l evel , when he chooses hi s f our t h mi ght y spel l , t he
eunuch war l ock canal so desi gnat e one pr evi ousl y chosenmi ght y
spel l t hat becomes per manent l y af f ect ed by t he Maxi mi ze S pel l
f eat
.
T hi s r epl aces t he E mpower S pel l ef f ect , r at her t han st acki ng
wi t h i t . At
l ot h
l evel , i n addi t i on t o choosi ng hi s f i f t h mi ght y
spel l , t he eunuch war l ock can choose a second maxi mi zed spel l .
T hus, a 10t h- l evel eunuch war l ock knows t hr ee spel l s t hat ar e
per -
manent l y empower ed, andt wo t hat ar e per manent l y maxi mi zed.
Leader shi p: At 3r d l evel , a eunuch war l ock gai ns t he Leader -
shi p f eat f or f r ee . E unuch war l ocks t ypi cal l y have uni t s of sol -
di er s at t hei r command. I f t he eunuch war l ock al r eady
has t he
Leader shi p f eat , he gai n a per manent +2 bonus on hi s Leader -
shi p scor e f or pur poses of det er mi ni ng f ol l ower s, but not
cohor t s
.
( T ypi cal l y,
t hi s bonus onl y negat es t he - 2 penal t y t he
char act er suf f er s f or a r eput at i on of cr uel t y. )
N ewS pel l Level : When a eunuch war l ock r eaches 5t h
l evel , and agai nwhenhe r eaches
l ot h
l evel , he gai ns t he abi l -
i t y t o cast spel l s of one l evel hi gher t han he was pr evi ousl y
abl e t o cast . I ni t i al l y, he can cast 0 spel l s of t hi s l evel , but
bonus spel l s ( f r oma hi gh abi l i t y scor e or hi s eunuch
war l ock
bonus spel l s) can i ncr ease t hi s number . E xampl e: Wi eh Wan
i s a 9t h- l evel wu j en/ 4t h- l evel eunuch war l ock. When he
r eaches S t h l evel as a eunuch war l ock, he gai ns t he abi l i t y t o
cast 6t h- l evel wu j enspel l s. He must al l ocat e one of hi s bonus
spel l s t o 6t h l evel i n
or der t o cast
any 6t h- l evel spel l s, unl ess
hi s I nt el l i gence i s hi gh enough ( 22 or hi gher ) t o gi ve hi ma
bonus
6t h- l evel spel l .
HE N S HI N
MYS T I C
Henshi n
myst i cs ar e
member s of a monast i c
or der t hat t eaches what t hey consi der a gr eat
myst er yof t he uni ver se : t hat humani t y i s capa-
bl e of a t r ansf or mat i on ( henshi n) i nt o di vi ni t y.
T hei r t r ai ni ng and di sci pl i ne i s ai med
C l ass Base
For t Ref Wi l l
Bonus
Level At t ack Bonus
S ave S ave S ave S peci al S pel l s
1st +0
+0 +0 +2 Gr eat er spel l f ocus
2
2nd +1
+0 +0 +3 1st mi ght y spel l 3
3r d +1
+1 +1 +3 Leader shi p 2
4t h +2
+1 +1 +4 2nd mi ght y spel l 3
5t h +2
+1 +1 +4 N ewspel l l evel 2
6t h
+3 +2 +2 +5 3r d mi ght y spel l 3
7t h
+3 +2 +2 +5 2
8t h +4
+2 +2 +6 4t h mi ght y spel l 3
9t h
+4 +3 +3 +6 2
10t h +5 +3 +3 +7 5t h mi ght y spel l , newspel l l evel 3
t owar d t he ul t i mat e per f ect i on not onl y of t hemsel ves, but of
al l humani t y.
T hey bel i eve t hi s per f ect i on i s t he f ut ur e of t he
wor l d and of humani t y, and t hi s bel i ef f i l l s t hemwi t h a hope-
f ul peace.
Most henshi n myst i cs t r ai n as monks . S ome begi n t hei r
car eer s as
shugenj as or ot her spel l cast er s, but t hey abandont hi s
cour se once begi nni ng t he pat h of t he myst i c. I n Rokugan,
t hey ar e dr awn
excl usi vel y f r omt he Phoeni x cl an, wher e t hey
ar e t r ai ned i n t he Asako school .
Many N PC
henshi nmyst i cs wander t he E mpi r e, ser vi ng as
gui des and hel per s al ong humani t y' s pat h. T hey ar e expect ed
t o showpeopl e howt o act , how
t o t r eat each ot her , and howt o
bel i eve, i n hope t hat t hey mayachi eve r ei ncar nat i on i n a mor e
enl i ght ened f or m
t hat wi l l al l owt hemt o at t ai n di vi ni t y. T hey
never r eveal t hei r t r ue i nt ent i ons t o t he wor l d,
however ,
i nst ead movi ng
amongt he masses of humani t y, of f er i ngwhat
hel p and advi ce t hey
can
.
T hese wander i nghenshi n myst i cs
ar e
cal l ed mi chi zur e ( " t r avel i ng compani ons" ) .
Hi t Di e: d8.
RE QUI RE ME N T S
T o qual i f y
t o become a henshi n myst i c, a char act er must f ul f i l l
al l t he f ol l owi ng
cr i t er i a
.
'

Al i gnment : Any l awf ul .
Base At t ack
Bonus : +7 .
S ki l l s : Knowl edge ( ar cana) 6 r anks, Knowl edge ( r el i gi on)
13
r anks
.
S peci al : Pur i t y of body cl ass abi l i t y.
T ABLE 3- 6: T HE HE N S HI N MYS T I C
C LAS S S KI LLS
T he henshi n
myst i c' s cl ass ski l l s ( and t he keyabi l i t y f or each
ski l l ) ar e Bal ance ( Dex) ,
C l i mb ( S t r ) , C oncent r at i on ( C on) ,
C r af t ( I nt ) , Di pl omacy ( C ha) , E scape Ar t i st ( Dex) , Heal
( Wi s) , J ump
( S t r ) , Knowl edge ( al l ski l l s, t aken i ndi vi dual l y)
( I nt ) , Li st en ( Wi s) , Per f or m( C ha) , Pr of essi on
( Wi s) ,
S cr y
( I nt , excl usi ve
ski l l ) , S pel l cr af t ( I nt ) , S wi m( S t r ) , andT umbl e
( Dex) . S ee C hapt er 4: S ki l l s i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook f or ski l l
descr i pt i ons
.
S ki l l Poi nt s at E ach Level : 4 +I nt
modi f i er .
C LAS S FE AT URE S
T he
f ol l owi ngar e cl ass f eat ur es of t he henshi nmyst i c.
Weapon andAr mor Pr of i ci ency
: Henshi n myst i cs gai n no
addi t i onal weapon or ar mor pr of i ci ency. T hey suf f er t he
same
penal t i es f or wear i ng
ar mor t hat monks do.
MonkAbi l i t i es : Ahenshi nmyst i c has t he unar med
damage,
AC bonus, and
speed of a monk wi t h as many l evel s as hi s
myst i c l evel s pl us hi s monk l evel s
( i f any)
.
Add t he henshi n myst i c' s base at t ack bonus der i ved f r om
monk l evel s t o
t hat der i ved f r omhenshi n myst i c l evel s and
consul t T abl e 3- 1: Mul t i pl e Unar medAt t acks .
Ri ddl e of Awar eness ( S p) : A1st - l evel henshi n myst i c can use
sayi ngas a spel l - l i ke abi l i t y once per day, wi t h a cast er l evel
equal t o hi s henshi n myst i c l evel
. T he char act er must ent er a
medi t at i ve t r ance f or t he ent i r e cast i ng t i me and dur at i on of
t he spel l , but r equi r es no mat er i al
component or f ocus i t em.
I n addi t i on, t he henshi nmyst i c gai ns a +4 i nsi ght bonus on
al l Li st en, S cr y, S ear ch, and S pot checks .
Bl i nd- Fi ght : A2nd- l evel henshi n myst i c gai ns t he Bl i nd-
Fi ght f eat .
Di amond
Body
( S u) : At 2nd l evel , a henshi n myst i c i s i n
such cont r ol of hi s ownmet abol i smt hat he gai ns i mmuni t y t o
poi son
of al l ki nds
.
Happo Zanshi n( E x) : A3r d- l evel henshi n myst i c has a
pr et er nat ur al awar eness of danger and
can no l onger be
f l anked; he can r eact t o opponent s on opposi t e si des of hi m
as easi l y as he can r eact t o a si ngl e at t acker . T hi s def ense
deni es a r ogue t he abi l i t y t o use a f l ank at t ack t o sneak at t ack
t he myst i c. T he except i on t o t hi s def ense i s t hat a r ogue at
l east f our l evel s hi gher t han t he myst i c can f l ank hi m( and
t hus sneak at t ack hi m) . T hi s abi l i t y does not st ack wi t h any
ot her uncanny dodge abi l i t y, such as t hat gai ned f r omt he
bar bar i an or r ogue cl asses .
Root t he Mount ai n( S u) : O nce per day, a henshi nmyst i c of
4t h l evel or hi gher can make hi msel f unmovabl e. He aut omat i -
cal l y wi ns an opposed S t r engt h check when an opponent
at t empt s t o bul l r ush hi m. Acr eat ur e wi t h t he i mpr oved gr ab
abi l i t y must move i nt o t he myst i c' s space t o gr appl e
hi m, si nce
i t cannot pul l t he myst i c i nt o i t s space. N o spel l or ot her ef f ect
can f or ce t he myst i c t o move. I f he becomes f r i ght ened or pan-
i cked, he suf f er s t he f ul l ef f ect of t he f ear but does not r un
away. He cannot move, even t o make a 5- f oot st ep, whi l e t hi s
abi l i t y i s i n ef f ect . Root t he mount ai nl ast s f or 1 r oundper l evel ,
but t he myst i c can end i t at any t i me.
Ri ddl e of I nt er act i on ( S p) : A4t h- l evel henshi n myst i c can
use char mmonst er as a spel l - l i ke abi l i t y t hr ee t i mes per day,
wi t h a cast er l evel equal t o hi s henshi n myst i c l evel
and a
savi ng t hr owDC equal t o 14 +hi s C har i sma modi f i er . I n
addi t i on, t he henshi n myst i c gai ns a +4 i nsi ght bonus on
al l
Bl uf f , Di pl omacy,
Gat her
I nf or mat i on, I nt i mi dat e, and S ense
Mot i ve checks .
Ki S t r i ke ( S u) : At 4t h l evel , a henshi n myst i c' s unar med
at t ack i s empower ed wi t h hi . T he unar med st r i ke damage
f r omsuch an at t ack can deal damage t o a
cr eat ur e wi t h
damage r educt i on as i f t he bl owwer e made wi t h a weapon
wi t h a +1 enhancement bonus . At 8t h l evel , a
myst i c' s
unar med st r i ke can deal damage agai nst cr eat ur es wi t h
damage r educt i on as i f i t wer e made wi t h a weaponwi t h a +2
C l ass Base For t Ref Wi l l
Level At t ack Bonus S ave S ave S ave S peci al
1st +0 +2 +2 +2 Monk abi l i t i es, r i ddl e of awar eness
2nd +1
+3 +3 +3
Bl i nd- Fi ght , di amond body
3r d +2
+3 +3 +3
Happo zanshi n, r oot t he mount ai n
4t h +3 +4 +4 +4 Ri ddl e of i nt er act i on, ki st r i ke ( +1)
5t h
+3 +4 +4 +4 T ouch
of f i r e
6t h +4
+5 +5 +5
Bl i ndsi ght , hi t su- do
7t h
+5
.
+5 +5 +5 +5
Ri ddl e
of f Lame
8t h +6 +6 +6 +6
T i mel ess body, ki st r i ke ( +2)
9t h +6 +6 +6 +6
Wal k t hr ough t he mount ai ns
1
0t h
+7 +7 +7
+7 Ri ddl e of i nvul ner abi l i t y
enhancement bonus
.
T hi s abi l i t y st acks wi t h a
monk' s
ki
st r i ke abi l i t y, so a 10t h- l evel monk/ 8t h- l evel myst i c has ki
st r i ke ( +3) .
T ouch of Fi r e ( S p) : Ahenshi nmyst i c of 5t h l evel or hi gher can
use heat met al as a spel l - l i ke abi l i t y t hr ee t i mes per
day, wi t h a
cast er l evel equal t o hi s henshi nmyst i c l evel .
Bl i ndsi ght ( E x) : At 6t h l evel , a
henshi n myst i c gai ns t he
abi l i t y t o per f ect l y sense hi s sur r oundi ngs wi t hout r el yi ng on
si ght .
T hi s
abi l i t y makes i nvi si bi l i t y and dar kness ( even magi -
cal dar kness) i r r el evant t o t he myst i c ( t hough he st i l l can' t
det ect et her eal cr eat ur es) . T hi s abi l i t y oper at es out t o a r ange of
30
f eet . T he myst i c cannot di st i ngui sh col or or vi sual cont r ast
wi t h bl i ndsi ght , and t hus cannot r ead. When usi ngbl i ndsi ght
( and not r egul ar
vi si on) ,
t he
myst i c i s unaf f ect ed by gaze
at t acks and i s not hamper ed by bl i ndness . Deaf ness or si l ence
does not
hamper t he myst i c' s bl i ndsi ght , si nce i t r el i es on
ext r aor di nar y senses, not on sound.
Hi t su- Do ( S u) : A6t h- l evel myst i c gai ns t he
abi l i t y t o cause
hi s hands, eyes, and weapons t o l i ght up wi t h f l ame once per
day,
f or a dur at i on of 2 r ounds per myst i c l evel . E ach of t he
myst i c' s mel ee at t acks deal s an ext r a 1d6 poi nt s of damage per
at t ack. T he myst i c
can
ext i ngui sh t he f l ames bef or e t he expi r a-
t i on of t he ef f ect ' s dur at i on, but cannot t hen use t he power
agai n t hat
day.
Ri ddl e of Fl ame ( S p) : Ahenshi nmyst i c of 7t h l evel or hi gher
can use f i r e shi el d as a spel l - l i ke abi l i t y once per day, wi t h a
cast er l evel equal t o hi s henshi n myst i c l evel . I n addi t i on t o
t he def ensi ve benef i t s of t he spel l , t he myst i c' s
unar med
at t acks deal addi t i onal col d damage ( i f t he f i r e shi el d pr ot ect s
agai nst f i r e- based at t acks) or f i r e damage ( i f t he f i r e shi el d pr o-
t ect s agai nst col d- based at t acks) equal t o 1d6 poi nt s +1 poi nt
per l evel of t he myst i c. T hi s ext r a damage does not st ack wi t h
t he hi t su- do abi l i t y.
T i mel ess Body ( E x) : Af t er at t ai ni ng 8t h
l evel , a henshi n
myst i c no l onger suf f er s abi l i t y penal t i es f or agi ng and cannot
be magi cal l y aged. ( Any penal t i es he may al r eady
have suf f er ed
r emai n i n pl ace. ) Bonuses st i l l accr ue, and t he myst i c st i l l di es
of ol d age when hi s t i me i s up
.
Wal k t hr ought he Mount ai ns ( S u) : At 9t h l evel or hi gher ,
a henshi n myst i c can assume an et her eal st at e
f or 2 r ounds per
l evel per day, as per t he spel l et her eal ness . T he myst i c may go
et her eal on a number of di f f er ent occasi ons dur i ng any si ngl e
day as l ong as t he t ot al number of r ounds spent et her eal does
not exceed t wi ce hi s l evel .
Ri ddl e of I nvul ner abi l i t y ( S u) : A1 ot h- l evel henshi n
myst i c gai ns damage r educt i on of 20/ +1 . T hi s means t hat t he
myst i c
i gnor es
( i nst ant l y r egener at es)
t he f i r st 20 poi nt s of
damage f r omany at t ack unl ess t he damage i s deal t by a weapon
wi t h
a
+1 enhancement
bonus
( or bet t er ) , by a spel l , or by a
f or mof ener gy ( aci d, col d, el ect r i ci t y, f i r e, soni c) .
E
I ai j ut su i s t he
mar t i al ar t of dr awi ng a weapon
( al most al ways a kat ana) and at t acki ng
wi t h i t i n
t he same f l ui d mot i on
.
I t i s t he
f oundat i on of
some f or ms of
duel i ng i n O r i ent al Advent ur es ( see
I ai j ut su Duel s i n C hapt er 6: C ombat ) , and
i t s mas
t er s ar e f ear ed and r espect ed
t hr oughout Rokugan and ot her
l ands wher e i ai j ut su i s pr act i ced. I ai j ut su mast er s har ness
t hei r ki
ener gy t o st r i ke wi t h bl i ndi ng
speed and devast at i ng power.
I ai j ut su mast er s ar e al most al ways member s
of t he samur ai
char act er cl ass . I n
Rokugan, t hey ar e dr awn excl usi vel y
f r om
t he
C r ane cl an, wher e t hey ar e t r ai ned i n t he
Kaki t a school .
' .
N PC i ai j ut su mast er s ser ve as sensei
t o t he f i nest samur ai i n
t he E mpi r e.
Hi t Di e: d10.
RE QUI RE ME N T S
T o
qual i f y t o become an i ai j ut su mast er , a char act er must
f ul f i l l
al l t he f ol l owi ngcr i t er i a.
Al i gnment :
Anyl awf ul .
Base At t ack Bonus: +6 .
S ki l l s : I ai j ut su Focus 9
r anks .
Feat s:
I mpr ovedI ni t i at i ve, Qui ckDr aw, WeaponFocus
( kat ana) .
C LAS S
S KI LLS
T he i ai j ut su mast er ' s cl ass
ski l l s ( and t he keyabi l i t y f or each ski l l )
ar e Bal ance
( Dex) , C l i mb( S t r ) , C r af t ( I nt ) , Di pl omacy( C ha) ,
E scape
Ar t i st ( Dex) , I ai j ut su Focus ( C ha) , J ump
( S t r ) , Per f or m( C ha) , Pr o-
f essi on ( Wi s) , Ri de ( Dex) ,
S ense Mot i ve ( Wi s) , andT umbl e ( Dex) .
S ee C hapt er 4:
S ki l l s i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook f or ski l l
descr i pt i ons .
T he I ai j ut su Focus ski l l i s
descr i bed i n C hapt er 4 of t hi s book.
S ki l l Poi nt s at
E ach Level : 4 +I nt modi f i er .
C LAS S
FE AT URE S
T hef ol l owi ng ar e cl ass f eat ur es of t he
i ai j ut su mast er .
Weapon andAr mor
Pr of i ci ency: I ai j ut su mast er s ar e pr o-
f i ci ent wi t h al l si mpl e and mar t i al weapons .
I ai j ut su mast er s do
not gai n any pr of i ci ency wi t h
ar mor or shi el ds, t hough most
have
such pr of i ci ency f r omt he samur ai cl ass .
Weapon Fi nesse ( E x) : At 1st l evel , an i ai j ut su
mast er may
use her Dext er i t y
modi f i er i nst ead of her S t r engt h modi f i er on
at t ack r ol l s wi t h her kat ana . T hi s wor ks
l i ke t he Weapon
Fi nesse f eat ,
except t hat i t appl i es t o t he kat ana, a weapon t o
whi ch t he f eat cannot nor mal l y be appl i ed.
C annyDef ense
( E x) : When not wear i ng ar mor , i ai j ut su
mast er s add t hei r i nt el l i gence bonus t o
t hei r Dext er i t y bonus
t o modi f y Ar mor
C l ass whi l e wi el di ng a kat ana . As wi t h nor mal
T ABLE 3- 7: T HE I AI J UT S U MAS T E R
C l ass Base For t Ref
Wi l l
Level At t ack Bonus S ave S ave
S ave S peci al
1st
+1 +0 +2
+0 Weapon f i nesse,
canny def ense
2nd +2 +0 +3
+0 Li ght ni ng bl ade
3r d
+3 +1 +3
+1
4t h +4 +1 +4
+1 Bonus f eat
5t h +5 +1 +4
+1 S t r i ke f r omt he Voi d
6t h +6 +2 +5
+2
7t h
+7 +2 +5
+2
8t h +8 +2 +6
+2 O ne st r i ke, t wo cut s
9t h +9
+3 +6 +3
Bonus f eat
10t h +10 +3
+7 +3 S t r i ke wi t h no t houeht
Dext er i t y AC modi f i cat i ons, posi t i ve modi f i er s ar e l ost when
t he i ai j ut su
mast er i s caught f l at - f oot ed.
Li ght ni ng Bl ade ( E x) : An i ai j ut su mast er of 2nd l evel or
hi gher adds her C har i sma modi f i er
t o
her i ni t i at i ve checks, as
wel l as her Dext er i t y modi f i er .
Bonus
Feat s : At 4t h l evel , t hen agai n at 9t h l evel , t he
i ai -
j ut su mast er get s a bonus f eat i n addi t i on t o her nor mal f eat
pr ogr essi on.
T hese bonus f eat s must be dr awn f r omt he
f ol l ow-
i ng l i st : Dodge ( Mobi l i t y, S pr i ng At t ack) , E xper t i se ( I mpr oved
Di sar m,
I mpr oved
T r i p,
Whi r l wi nd At t ack) , S ki l l Focus ( l ai -
j ut su Focus) , T oughness .
S t r i ke f r omt he Voi d ( E x) : Ani ai j ut su mast er of 5t h l evel or
hi gher adds her C har i sma modi f i er t o each ext r a damage di e
gai ned f r omusi ngt he
I ai j ut su Focus ski l l .
O ne S t r i ke, T woC ut s ( E x) : At 8t h l evel and above, an i ai -
j ut su mast er
can make t wo at t acks wi t h a kat ana as a st andar d
act i on. T hi s means she can st r i ke t wi ce
and move
i n
t he same
r ound, or at t ack t wi ce i n t he st r i ke phase of an i ai j ut su duel .
S t r i ke wi t h N oT hought ( E x) : I f an i ai j ut su mast er of
l ot h
l evel begi ns
combat ( not an i ai j ut su duel ) wi t hi n mel ee r ange
of an opponent , she gai ns a f r ee sur pr i se
r ound, even t hough
her
opponent s ar e awar e of her pr esence. T he onl y act i on t he
i ai j ut su mast er can t ake i n t hi s sur pr i se
r ound i s an at t ack
act i on
usi nga kat ana. For exampl e, i f t he i ai j ut su mast er Kaki t a
T i moshi ko and
Bayushi Kor o ar e st andi ng on t he st r eet hur l i ng
i nsul t s at each ot her and t he si t uat i on er upt s i nt o combat ,
T i moshi ko can
at t ack wi t h hi s kat ana bef or e Kor o even r ol l s
i ni t i at i ve, cat chi ng hi s opponent f l at - f oot ed.
T hi s abi l i t y
r ef l ect s t he i ai j ut su mast er ' s abi l i t y t o appl yt he pr i n-
ci pl es of t he i ai j ut su duel i n nor mal mel ee combat . I t does not gi ve
t he i ai j ut su mast er any
addi t i onal benef i t wi t hi n an i ai j ut su duel .
KI S HI C HARGE R
Ki shi char ger s ar e caval r y sol di er s t r ai ned t o
make t he gr eat est possi bl e
use of a hor se' s speed
and a r i der ' s agi l i t y. Ki shi char ger s shar e a
speci al bondwi t h
t hei r mount s- t hough not t o
t he ext ent t hat bat t l e mai dens do- and ar e
capabl e of t r ul y devast at i ng at t acks
when char gi ng.
Ki shi char ger s t end t o come f r omt he samur ai and bar bar i an
char act er
cl asses . I n Rokugan, t hey ar e dr awn excl usi vel y f r om
t he Uni cor n cl an, wher e t hey ar e t r ai ned i n t he S hi nj o school .
N PC ki shi char ger s l i ke
t o seek out newpl aces and exper i -
ences, and t hei r penchant f or
expl or at i on makes t hemespeci al l y
sui t ed f or scout i ngand hunt i ng. T hey do not l i ke t o be cont ai ned
and woul dr at her sl eep under
t he st ar s t han i n a t ent or a cast l e.
Hi t
Di e: d10.
RE QUI RE ME N T S
T o qual i f y t o become a
ki shi char ger , a char act er must f ul f i l l al l
t he f ol l owi ng cr i t er i a .
Base At t ack Bonus : +6.
S ki l l s : Ri de 9 r anks .
Feat s : Mount ed
C ombat , Ri de- by At t ack, S pi r i t ed C har ge.
Weapon Pr of i ci ency: Lance ( uma- yar i ) .
T ABLE 3- 8: T HE KI S HI C HARGE R
C LAS S S KI LLS
T he ki shi char ger ' s cl ass ski l l s ( and t he key abi l i t y f or each
ski l l ) ar e C l i mb( S t r ) , C r af t ( I nt ) , Handl e Ani mal ( C ha) , I ai j ut su
Focus ( C ha) , I nt i mi dat e ( C ha) ,
I nt ui t Di r ect i on ( Wi s) , J ump
( S t r ) , Li st en ( Wi s) , Per f or m( C ha) , Pr of essi on ( Wi s) , Ri de ( Dex) ,
S ense Mot i ve ( Wi s) , S pel l cr af t ( I nt ) , S wi m( S t r ) , and
Wi l der -
ness Lor e ( Wi s) . S ee C hapt er 4: S ki l l s i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook
f or ski l l descr i pt i ons . T he I ai j ut su Focus ski l l i s descr i bed i n
C hapt er 4 of
t hi s book.
S ki l l Poi nt s at E ach Level : 4 +I nt modi f i er .
C LAS S FE AT URE S
T hef ol l owi ng
ar e
cl ass f eat ur es
of
t he ki shi char ger.
Weapon andAr mor Pr of i ci ency: Ki shi char ger s ar e pr of i -
ci ent wi t h al l si mpl e and mar t i al weapons and
wi t h l i ght and
medi umar mor.
Ri de Bonus ( E x) : Aki shi char ger
gai ns
a
compet ence bonus
on
al l
Ri de checks .
T he bonus i s +2 at 1st l evel and i ncr eases by
+2 ever y t hr ee l evel s t her eaf t er ( +4 at 4t h l evel , +6 at 7t h l evel ,
and+8 at 10t h l evel ) .
E xper t i se: At 1st l evel , a ki shi char ger l ear ns t he
" S hi nj o
par r y, " gi vi ng hi mt he E xper t i se f eat f or f r ee, even i f he doesn' t
have t he pr er equi si t e i nt el l i gence scor e.
Deadl y C har ge ( E x) : When mount ed and usi ng t he char ge
act i on, a ki shi char ger of 2nd l evel or hi gher deal s
t r i pl e
damage wi t h a mel ee weapon ( or quadr upl e damage
wi t h a
l ance) , up t o t he number of t i mes per day i ndi cat ed. T hi s abi l i t y
super sedes t he S pi r i t ed C har ge f eat .
Bur st of S peed( E x) : At 3r dl evel , t he ki shi char ger can ur ge
hi s
mount t o gr eat er t han nor mal speeds
. T hi s
abi l i t y
doubl es
t he di st ance of t he mount ' s nor mal char ge movement . T hi s abi l -
i t y can be used once per day wi t hout penal t y t o t he
mount .
E ach addi t i onal use of t he abi l i t y i n a si ngl e day r equi r es t he
mount t o make a Wi l l save ( DC 20) i mmedi at el y af t er t he con-
cl usi on of t he addi t i onal char ge;
f ai l ur e r esul t s i n t he mount
t aki ng 2d6 poi nt s of damage.
O ne S pi r i t ( S u) :
Aki shi char ger
of
5t h l evel or hi gher has
a spi r i t ual bond wi t h hi s mount . O nce per day, whi l e
mount ed, t he ki shi char ger can make any one at t ack
r ol l ,
savi ng t hr ow, or ski l l check usi ng hi s Ri de ski l l modi f i er i n
pl ace of al l ot her modi f i er s. For exampl e, he coul d
r ol l a mel ee
C l ass Base For t Ref Wi l l
Level At t ack Bonus
S ave S ave
S ave S peci al
1 st +1
+2 +0 +0
Ri de bonus +2, E xper t i se
2nd
+2 +3 +0 +0
Deadl y char ge 1 / day
3r d
+3 ? +3 +1 +1 Bur st
of speed
4t h +4 +4 +1 +1 Deadl y char ge 2/ day, Ri de bonus +4
5t h +5 +4 +1 +1 O ne spi r i t
6t h
+6 +5 +2
+2 Deadl y char ge 3/ day, f ul l mount ed at t ack
7t h +7 +5 +2 +2
Ri de bonus +6
8t h +8 +6 +2 +2
Deadl y char ge 4/ day
9t h +9 +6 +3 +3
Danci ngwi t h t he For t unes
10t h +10 +7 +3 +3
Deadl y char ge 5/ day, Ri de bonus +8
at t ack r ol l usi ng onl y hi s Ri de ski l l modi f i er i nst ead of hi s
t ot al at t ack bonus ( i ncl udi ng S t r engt h modi f i er , weapon
enhancement bonus, Weapon Focus bonus, and
al l
ot her
bonuses t o t he at t ack r ol l ) .
Ful l Mount edAt t ack ( E x) : At 6t h l evel , a ki shi char ger
gai ns t he abi l i t y t o make a f ul l at t ack f r omhor seback, even i f
hi s mount has moved mor e t han 5 f eet i n t he r ound.
Danci ngwi t h
t he For t unes ( S u)
: Aki shi char ger of 9t h
l evel or hi gher can, once per day, r er ol l one r ol l he has j ust
made. He must
t ake
t he r esul t
of
t he r er ol l , even i f i t ' s wor se
t han t he or i gi nal r ol l .
N I N J A S PY
N i nj a
spi es ar e
per haps t he most eni gmat i c and
myst er i ous cl ass of or i ent al Advent ur es . Whi l e
some ni nj a ar e l i t t l e mor e t han assassi ns ( and
may adopt t he assassi n pr est i ge cl ass
f r omt he
DUN GE O N MAS T E R' s Gui de) , t r ue ni nj a spi es ar e
mast er s of exot i c weapons, t ool s of st eal t h, and st r ange ki
power s . N i nj a spi es ar e member s of a secr et i ve ni nj a cl an, t he
head of whi ch hol ds absol ut e aut hor i t y over t he ni nj a' s l i f e and
deat h
.
T hey ar e swor n t o secr ecy t o pr ot ect t he
i dent i t i es of
t hei r cl an member s and must never r eveal t hat t hey ar e ni nj a.
Despi t e t hei r i ncl i nat i on
t o
evi l , ni nj a
bel i eve
st r ongl y i n a code
of honor , and r i sk of f endi ng t hei r f ami l y ( and ear ni ng a deat h
sent ence)
i f
t hey br eak
t hat
code of honor
.
Most ni nj a spi es ar e r ogues, and t he ski l l r equi r ement s of t he
cl ass pr act i cal l y demandt hat anywoul d- be ni nj a have at l east a
f ewl evel s i n t he
r ogue
cl ass . S ome ni nj a have a magi cal back-
gr ound. I n Rokugan, ni nj a ar e t he st uf f of l egends . S ome r ef use
t o bel i eve t hey exi st. N i nj a t r ai n i n t he S hosur o school of t he
S cor pi on cl an, t hough ot her , myst er i ous ni nj a may oper at e i n
t he E mpi r e as wel l .
N PC ni nj a ar e of t en a myst er i ous f or ce act i ng i n opposi t i on
t o t he pl ans and goal s of pl ayer char act er s . T he obj ect i ves of a
ni nj a cl an ar e of t en i nscr ut abl e, but t hey r ar el y coi nci de wi t h
t hose of a gr oup of her oes .
Hi t Di e: d6 .
RE QUI RE ME N T S
T o qual i f y as a ni nj a spy, a char act er must f ul f i l l al l t he f ol l ow-
i ng
cr i t er i a :
Al i gnment : Anynonchaot i c, nongood.
S ki l l s : Bl uf f 10 r anks, Di sgui se 7 r anks, Hi de 7 r anks,
T umbl e
7
r anks.
Feat s: Dodge.
S peci al : E vasi on cl ass abi l i t y
T ABLE 3- 9: T HE N I N J AS PY
C LAS S
S KI LLS
T he ni nj a spy' s cl ass
ski l l s ( and t he keyabi l i t y f or each ski l l )
ar e:
Bal ance ( Dex) , Bl uf f ( C ha) , C l i mb( S t r ) , Di pl omacy( C ha) ,
Di sabl e
Devi ce ( I nt ) , Di sgui se ( C ha) ,
E scape Ar t i st ( Dex) , Gat her i nf or -
mat i on ( C ha) ,
Hi de ( Dex) , I nnuendo ( C ha) , I nt i mi dat e ( C ha) ,
J ump( S t r ) , Li st en ( Wi s) , Move S i l ent l y
( Dec) , O pen Locks ( Dex) ,
Pi ck Pocket s ( Dex) ,
S ense Mot i ve ( Wi s) , S pot ( Wi s) , andT umbl e
( Dex) . S ee t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook, C hapt er 4, f or ski l l
descr i pt i ons .
S ki l l Poi nt s at each l evel
: 6 +I nt modi f i er .
C LAS S
FE AT URE S
T he f ol l owi ng ar e cl ass f eat ur es of
t he ni nj a spy.
Weaponand
Ar mor Pr of i ci ency: N i nj a spi es gai n noaddi -
t i onal
weapon or ar mor pr of i ci ency. However , t hey gai n
pr of i -
ci ency i n cer t ai n exot i c weapons
as t hey advance i n l evel . A
ni nj a spy who wear s medi umor heavy ar mor
cannot use t he
f ol l owi ng speci al cl ass
f eat ur es : sl owf al l , evasi on, acr obat i cs,
( ,
wat er
wal k, and abundant st ep.

'
E xot i c Weapon: At
1st l evel , and agai n at 3r d l evel , 6t h l evel ,
and
9t h l evel , a ni nj a spy gai ns a f r ee E xot i c Weapon
Pr of i -
ci ency. T hi s pr of i ci ency must be
chosenwi t h one of t he f ol l ow-
i ngweapons : bl owgun,
chai n, chi j i r i ki , f uki mi - bar i , handcr oss-
bow, kusar i - gama, nekode, ni nj a- t o,
shi komi - zue, shur i ken,
spi ked chai n, or
war f an.
Ki Br eat h ( E x) : Ani nj a spyl ear ns t o f ocus
hi s ki t o i ncr ease

hi s abi l i t y t o hol d
hi s
br eat h
. Ani nj a adds hi s ni nj a l evel t o hi s
C onst i t ut i on checkr ol l t o cont i nue hol di ng
hi s br eat h ( see T he
Dr owni ng Rul e
i n t he DUN GE O N MAS T E R' s Gui de) .
Poi sonUse: N i nj a spi es ar e t r ai ned i n t he use of
poi son and
never r i sk acci dent al l y poi soni ng
t hemsel ves when appl yi ng
poi son t o a
bl ade.
S l owFal l ( E x) : At 2nd l evel , a ni nj a spy
wi t hi n ar m' s r each of
a wal l can use t he wal l t o
sl owhi s descent . T he ni nj a t akes
damage as i f t he f al l wer e 20 f eet shor t er t han i t act ual l y i s
. Hi s
abi l i t y t o sl owhi s f al l ( t hat i s, t o r educe
t he ef f ect i ve hei ght
of
t he f al l whennext t o a wal l ) i mpr oves wi t h hi s l evel
unt i l , at 6t h
l evel , t he ni nj a canuse a
near by wal l t o sl owhi s descent and f al l
up
t o
50
f eet wi t hout har m.
I mpr ovedE vasi on( E x) : At 2ndl evel andabove,
a ni nj a spy
can avoi deven magi cal and
unusual at t acks wi t h gr eat agi l i t y. I f
t he ni nj a makes a successf ul Ref l ex savi ng t hr ow
agai nst an
at t ack t hat nor mal l y deal s
hal f damage on a successf ul save, he
i nst ead t akes
no damage. E ven i f he f ai l s hi s savi ng t hr ow, he
t akes onl y hal f damage f r omt he at t ack
. T he ni nj a can onl y use
i mpr oved evasi on i f he i s wear i ng l i ght ar mor or no
ar mor.
S neak At t ack ( E x) :
I f
a
ni nj a spy can cat ch an opponent , ,
whenshe i s unabl e
t o def endher sel f ef f ect i vel y f r omhi s at t ack, `
he can st r i ke a vi t al spot f or ext r a damage.
Any t i me t he ni nj a' s
t ar get woul d
be deni ed her Dext er i t y bonus t o AC ( whet her
she
C l ass Base For t Ref
Wi l l
Level At t ack Bonus S ave S ave S ave
S peci al
1st +0 +2 +2 +2
E xot i c weapon, ki br eat h, poi son use
2nd +1 +3 +3 +3
S l owf al l ( 20 f t . ) , i mpr oved evasi on,
sneak at t ack +1d6
3r d +2 +3 +3 +3
E xot i c weapon, acr obat i cs ( +10) , l eap of
t he cl ouds
4t h +3 +4 +4 +4
S l owf al l ( 30 f t . ) , hi de i n pl ai n si ght
5t h +3 +4 +4 +4
Wat er wal k, sneak at t ack +2d6
6t h +4 +5 +5 +5
E xot i c weapon, sl owf al l ( 50 f t . )
7t h +5 +5 +5 +5 T housand
f aces, acr obat i cs +20 `
x
8t h +6 +6 +6 +6
Poi son i mmuni t y, sneak at t ack +3d6
9t h +6 +6 +6 +6 E xot i c
weapon, sl i pper y mi nd
1 0t h +7 +7 +7 +7 Abundant
st ep
act ual l y has a Dext er i t y bonus
or not ) , or
when t he ni nj a f l anks
t he t ar get , t he ni nj a' s at t ack deal s ext r a damage. T he ext r a
damage i s +1d6 at 2nd l evel and an addi t i onal 1d6 ever y t hr ee
l evel s t her eaf t er . T hi s ext r a damage st acks wi t h anyext r a sneak
at t ack damage t he
char act er al r eady deal s. T hus, a
7t h- l evel
r ogue/ 5t h- l evel ni nj a deal s +6d6 damage wi t h a sneak at t ack:
+4d6
f r om
hi s r ogue l evel s and+2d6 f r omhi s ni nj a l evel s .
S houl d t he ni nj a scor e a cr i t i cal hi t wi t h a sneak at t ack, t hi s
ext r a
damage i s not mul t i pl i ed. Ranged at t acks can onl y count
as sneak at t acks i f t he t ar get i s wi t hi n 30 f eet . Wi t h a sap
( bl ackj ack) or unar medst r i ke, t he ni nj a can make a sneak
at t ack t hat deal s subdual damage i nst ead of nor mal damage.
He cannot use a weapon t hat deal s nor mal damage t o deal sub-
dual damage i n a sneak at t ack, not even wi t h t he usual - 4
penal t y, because he must make opt i mal use of hi s weapon i n
or der t o execut e a sneak at t ack.
Ani nj a
spy can onl y sneak at t ack l i vi ng cr eat ur es wi t h di s-
cer ni bl e anat omi es- undead,
const r uct s, oozes, pl ant s, and
i ncor por eal cr eat ur es l ack vi t al ar eas t o at t ack. Addi t i onal l y, any
cr eat ur e t hat i s i mmune t o cr i t i cal
hi t s i s al so not vul ner abl e t o
sneakat t acks . Al so, t he ni nj a must be abl e t o see t he t ar get wel l
enough t o pi ck
out a vi t al spot and must be abl e t o r each a vi t al
spot . T he ni nj a cannot sneak at t ack whi l e st r i ki ng a cr eat ur e
wi t h conceal ment
or st r i ki ng t he l i mbs of a cr eat ur e whose
vi t al s ar e beyond r each.
Acr obat i cs ( S u) : A3r d- l evel ni nj a spygai ns a +10 compet ence
bonus on Bal ance, C l i mb, J ump, andT umbl e checks . At 7t h l evel ,
t hi s
bonus i ncr eases t o +20.
I n addi t i on, a ni nj a can
al ways choose t o t ake 10
on a Bal ance, C l i mb,
j ump, or T umbl e check.
even when ci r cumst ances
woul d nor mal l y pr event
hi m
f r omdoi ng
so.
Leap of t he C l ouds
( S u) : A3r d- l evel ni nj a
spy' s j umpi ng di st ance
( ver t i cal or hor i zont al ) i s
not l i mi t ed accor di ng t o
hi s hei ght .
Hi de i n Pl ai n S i ght
( S u) : A
4t h- l evel ni nj a
spy can use t he Hi de
ski l l even
whi l e bei ng
obser ved. As l ong as he i s
wi t hi n 10 f eet of some
sor t of shadow,
a
ni nj a
spy can hi de hi msel f f r om
vi ewi n t he open wi t hout
anyt hi ng t o act ual l y hi de
behi nd
.
A
ni nj a spy can-
not , however , hi de i n
hi s own
shadow.
Wat er Wal k
( S u) :
A
ni nj a spy of 5t h l evel or
hi gher can
use wat er
wal k t o wal k on any
l i qui d as
i f
i t wer e f i r m
gr ound. T he ni nj a must con-
W
cent r at e ( as a st andar d act i on)
t o per f or mt hi s abi l i t y, and -
b
t hus can onl y t ake a si ngl e
move or move- equi val ent act i on
each r ound whi l e wat er wal ki ng. T he ef f ect l ast s f or 1 r ound
per ni nj a l evel .
T housand
Faces ( S u) : At 7t h l evel , a ni nj a spygai ns t he abi l -
i t y t o change hi s appear ance at wi l l , as
i f usi ng t he spel l al t er sel f .
Poi son I mmuni t y( S u) : Ani nj a spy of 8t h l evel or hi gher i s
i mmune t o al l poi sons .
S l i pper y Mi nd
( E x) : At 9t h l evel , a ni nj a spygai ns t he abi l -
i t y t o wr i ggl e f r ee f r ommagi cal ef f ect s t hat woul d
ot her wi se
cont r ol
or compel hi m. I f a ni nj a wi t h sl i pper y mi ndi s af f ect ed
by a spel l and f ai l s hi s savi ng t hr ow, he can at t empt hi s
savi ng
t hr owagai n
i n t he next r ound. He onl y get s t hi s one ext r a
chance t o succeedat hi s savi ng t hr ow.
Abundant S t ep ( S p) :
Ani nj a spy of
10t h
l evel can sl i p magi -
cal l y bet ween spaces, as per t he spel l di mensi on door , once per
day. T he ni nj a' s ef f ect i ve cast er l evel i s 5t h.
S HADO W
S C O UT
T he camouf l age of a t i ger , t he st ami na of a hor se, t he eyes of
an eagl e: t hese ar e t he i ngr edi ent s of t he
shadowscout s, el i t e
spi es, t r acker s, and r unner s . S hadowscout s ar e t r ai ned t o bl end
i nt o t hei r sur r oundi ngs, t o obser ve andr emember t he
smal l est
det ai l s about an opposi ng f or ce, and t o r un l i ke t he wi nd t o
br i nga r epor t back al i ve.
Whi l e some shadow
scout s come f r omt he
samur ai char act er cl ass,
many begi n t hei r car eer s
as r anger s . I n Rokugan,
t hey ar e dr awn excl usi vel y
f r omt he
C r ab cl an, wher e t hey ar e t r ai ned i n
t he Hi r uma school and sent t o
scout
t he
S hadowl ands .
N PC shadowscout s ar e of t en
at t ached t o l ar ge ar mi es or
i n
t he
ser vi ce of power f ul war l or ds or
emper or s .
T hey ar e usual l y f ound
near danger ous l ands- demon-
i nf est ed mount ai ns, haunt ed
f or est s,
or enemy l i nes.
Hi t Di e: d10.
RE QUI RE ME N T S
T o qual i f y t o become a shadow
scout , a char act er must f ul f i l l al l t he
f ol l owi ngcr i t er i a.
Al i gnment : Any nonevi l .
Base At t ack Bonus :
+4.
S ki l l s : Hi de 9 r anks, Move
S i l ent l y 9r anks, S pot 5
r anks .
Feat s : Run, T r ack.
C LAS S S KI LLS
T he shadowscout ' s
cl ass ski l l s
( and t he key abi l i t y f or each
ski l l )
ar e
C l i mb( S t r ) , C r af t ( I nt ) , Hi de
( Dex) , I nt ui t Di r ect i on( Wi s) , J ump
( S t r ) , Knowl edge
( nat ur e) ( I nt ) ,
Knowl edge ( S hadowl ands) ( I nt ) ,
Li st en ( Wi s) , Move
S i l ent l y ( Dex) ,
Pr of essi on ( Wi s) , Ri de ( Dex) ,
S ear ch ( I nt ) , S pot ( Wi s) , Use
Rope
( Dex) , and Wi l der ness Lor e ( Wi s) . S ee C hapt er 4: S ki l l s
i n
t he
Pl ayer ' s Handbook f or ski l l descr i pt i ons . T he Knowl edge
( S hadowl ands)
ski l l i s onl y appr opr i at e i n Rokugan.
S ki l l Poi nt s at E ach Level : 4 +I nt modi f i er .
T ABLE
3- 10: T HE S HADO WS C O UT
C LAS S FE AT URE S
T he f ol l owi ng
ar e cl ass f eat ur es of t he shadowscout .
Weapon andAr mor Pr of i ci ency: S hadowscout s ar e pr of i -
ci ent wi t h al l si mpl e
andmar t i al weapons andwi t h l i ght ar mor.
Favor edE nemy: At 1st l evel , a shadowscout maysel ect a
t ype of cr eat ur e ( such as gi ant s, gobl i noi ds, undead, oni ) as a
f avor ed enemy. Ashadowscout
may sel ect anot her
human
cl an as hi s f avor ed enemy. Due t o hi s ext ensi ve st udy of hi s
f oes and t r ai ni ng
i n t he pr oper t echni ques f or combat i ng
t hem, t he scout gai ns a +1 bonus on Bl uf f , Li st en, S ense
Mot i ve, S pot , and Wi l der ness Lor e checks whenusi ngt hese
ski l l s agai nst t hi s t ype of cr eat ur e. Li kewi se, he get s t he
same
bonus onweapon damage r ol l s agai nst cr eat ur es of t hi s
t ype. T he shadowscout al so get s t he
damage
bonus wi t h
r anged weapons, but onl y agai nst t ar get s wi t hi n
30
f eet . T he
bonus doesn' t appl y t o damage agai nst cr eat ur es t hat ar e
i mmune t o cr i t i cal hi t s . At 4t h l evel andat ever yt hr ee l evel s
t her eaf t er ( 4t h, 7t h, and l ot h l evel ) , t he bonus goes upby +1 .
T abl e 4- 14 i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook l i st s possi bl e cat egor i es
f or a f avor ed enemy.
I f a shadowscout al r eadyhas a f avor ed enemy, he maysel ect
a newf avor edenemy, andt he bonus associ at ed wi t h ever y pr e-
vi ousl y sel ect ed f avor ed enemy
goes up by
+1 . T he
bonus
f or
pr evi ousl y sel ect ed enemi es i ncr eases ever y t i me t he new
bonus goes up. For exampl e,
a
6t h- l evel r anger / 5t h- l evel
shadowscout wi l l have t hr ee f avor ed enemi es, wi t h bonuses of
+4,
+3,
and +2 .
Fast Movement : T he shadowscout has a speed f ast er
t han t he nor mf or hi s
r ace by
+10
f eet when wear i ng no
ar mor , l i ght ar mor , or medi umar mor ( and not car r yi ng a
heavy
l oad) .
E vasi on ( E x) : At 2nd l evel and above, a shadowscout can
avoi deven magi cal andunusual at t acks wi t h gr eat agi l i t y. I f t he
scout
makes a successf ul Ref l ex savi ng t hr owagai nst an at t ack
t hat nor mal l y deal s hal f damage on a successf ul save, he i nst ead
t akes no damage. T he shadowscout can onl y use evasi oni f he i s
wear i ngl i ght ar mor or no ar mor.
Det ect E nemy ( S p) : At 3r d l evel , a shadowscout gai ns t he
abi l i t y t o det ect t he pr esence of hi s f avor ed enemy. T he abi l -
i t y i s si mi l ar t o t he det ect evi l spel l i n r ange, ar ea, and dur a-
t i on. I n t he f i r st r ound of concent r at i on, t he shadowscout
can ascer t ai n t he pr esence or absence of hi s f avor ed enemy
wi t hi n t he ar ea. I n t he
second
r ound, t he shadowscout can
det er mi ne t he number of cr eat ur es i n t he ar ea and t he power
of t he st r ongest one ( as per t he det ect evi l spel l ) . I n t he t hi r d
r ound, t he shadowscout can det er mi ne t he st r engt h and
l ocat i on of each cr eat ur e. I f t he shadowscout has mor e t han
one f avor ed enemy, he can det ect
any of t hem, and on t he
second
r ound he can det er mi ne what ki nd of cr eat ur e i s i n
t he ar ea.
Memor y: At
6t h l evel , a shadowscout ' s memor y i s gr eat l y
enhanced. He canhol d i n hi s mi nd an i mage he
has seen or up
t o
1 mi nut e of speech, and can descr i be t he det ai l s or r epeat t he
wor ds ( eveni f he does not speakt he l anguage) as i f he
wer e st i l l
pr esent . T he shadow
scout can onl y hol d one i mage or soundi n
hi s mi nd at a t i me.
Fr eeze ( S u) : By keepi ng
compl et el y st i l l whi l e usi ng t he
Hi de
ski l l , a shadowscout of 8t h l evel or hi gher canvani sh i nt o
hi s sur r oundi ngs . He gai ns a +15 bonus on
hi s Hi de check. T he
shadowscout can use t hi s abi l i t y t hr ee t i mes per day.
S mi t e E nemy( S u) : A9t h- l evel
shadowscout gai ns t he
abi l i t y t o smi t e hi s f avor ed enemy once per day. He adds hi s
i nt el l i gence modi f i er ( i f posi t i ve) t o hi s at t ack r ol l and deal s
1
ext r a poi nt of
damage per l evel . T hi s damage bonus st acks
wi t h hi s f avor ed enemy bonus . I f t he shadowscout has
mor e
t han one f avor ed enemy, he can smi t e
any
of
t hem, but can
st i l l use t he
abi l i t y onl y once per day.
S HAPE S HI FT E R
T he l ands of or i ent al Advent ur es ar e
f ul l of shapechanger s : ani -
mal s who t ake t he shape of humans ( hengeyokai ) , f i ends and
spi r i t s i n humangui se, and sor cer er s who
t ake ani mal f or m.
S hapeshi f t er s ar e mast er s of t hese
t r ansf or mi ng power s, whose
nat ur al f or ms event ual l y become as f l ui d as wat er.
S hapeshi f t er s must al r eady have
some means of changi ng
t hei r f or mbef or e l ear ni ng t o mast er t hat change. S ome shape-
shi f t er s ar e spel l cast er s ( wu j en,
sor cer er s, or shamans) who
f i r st l ear n pol ymor ph sel f and t hen move on t o gr eat er mast er y.
O t her s ar e hengeyokai ,
l ycant hr opes, r akshasas, ogr e mages, or
ot her cr eat ur es wi t h nat ur al shapechangi ng abi l i t y.
A
ver y
f ew
hi gh- l evel ni nj a ( wi t h t hei r t housand
f aces super nat ur al abi l i t y)
manage t o acqui r e at l east a f ewl evel s of shapeshi f t er . S hape-
shi f t er s ar e not f ound i n Rokugan
.
N PC shapeshi f t er s ar e of t en l oner s, haunt i ng t he
wi l der -
ness i n ani mal f or m. O t her s l i ve i n t he
mi dst of ci vi l i zed soci -
et y,
usi ng t hei r abi l i t i es t o become spi es, t hi eves, or even
assassi ns .
Hi t Di e: d8.
RE QUI RE ME N T S
T o qual i f y t o become a shapeshi f t er , a char act er
must f ul f i l l al l
t he f ol l owi ngcr i t er i a.
Base At t ack Bonus : +3.
S ki l l s :
C oncent r at i on
10
r anks .
C l ass Base For t Ref
Wi l l
Level At t ack Bonus S ave S ave
S ave S peci al
1st +1 +2 +0
+0 Favor ed enemy +1, f ast movement
2nd +2 +3 +0 +0
E vasi on
3r d +3 +3 +1 +1
Det ect enemy
4t h
+4 +4 +1
+1 Favor ed enemy +2
5t h +5 +4 +1 +1
6t h +6 +5 +2 +2 Memor y
7t h +7 = +5 +2 +2 Favor ed
enemy +3
8t h +8 +6 +2 +2 Fr eeze
9t h +9 +6 +3 +3 S mi t e
enemy
10t h +10 +7 +3 +3
Favor ed enemy +4
S peci al : Al t er nat e For m- Must ei t her knowpol ymor ph sel f
or have a nat ur al al t er nat e f or m, al t er sel f , pol ymor ph sel f , or
shapechange abi l i t y.
T ABLE 3- 11 : T HE S HAPE S HI FT E R
C LAS S S KI LLS
T he shapeshi f t er ' s
cl ass
ski l l s
( and t he key
abi l i t y f or
each
ski l l )
ar e Ani mal E mpat hy ( C ha, excl usi ve ski l l ) , C oncent r at i on
( C on) , C r af t ( I nt ) , Di pl omacy
( C ha) , Handl e
Ani mal ( C ha) ,
I nt ui t Di r ect i on ( Wi s) , Knowl edge ( nat ur e) ( I nt ) , Pr of essi on
( Wi s) , S cr y ( I nt ,
excl usi ve
ski l l ) ,
S pel l cr af t
( I nt ) , S wi m( S t r ) ,
and Wi l der ness Lor e ( Wi s) . S ee C hapt er 4: S ki l l s i n t he Pl ayer ' s
Handbook f or ski l l descr i pt i ons .
S ki l l Poi nt s at E ach Level : 4 +I nt modi f i er .
C LAS S FE AT URE S
T he f ol l owi ng
ar e cl ass f eat ur es of t he shapeshi f t er .
Weapon andAr mor Pr of i ci ency: S hapeshi f t er s ar e pr of i -
ci ent wi t h al l si mpl e weapons
. T hey do not gai n any addi t i onal
pr of i ci ency wi t h ar mor or shi el ds .
Wi l d
S hape ( S p) : At 1st l evel , a shapeshi f t er gai ns t he abi l i t y
t o change f or mi nt o a S mal l or Medi um- si ze ani mal ( but not a
di r e ani mal )
and back agai n t hr ee t i mes per day. T hi s abi l i t y
wor ks exact l y l i ke t he dr ui d' s wi l d
shape abi l i t y
.
T he shapeshi f t er can use wi l d shape mor e t i mes per day at 4t h
and8t h l evel , as not edonT abl e
3- 11
: T he
S hapeshi f t er . I n addi -
t i on, t he shapeshi f t er gai ns t he abi l i t y t o t ake t he shape of a
Lar ge ani mal
at 3r dl evel , a T i ny ani mal at 5t h l evel , and a Huge
ani mal at 9t h l evel . At 7t h l evel or hi gher , she can t ake t he f or m
of a di r e ani mal .
At l ot h l evel , t he shapeshi f t er may use wi l d shape t o change
i nt o
a S mal l , Medi um- si ze, or Lar ge ai r , ear t h, f i r e, or wat er el e-
ment al once per day. S he gai ns al l t he el ement al ' s speci al abi l i -
t i es when she does so.
E xt r a S hi f t i ng( E x) : Ashapeshi f t er wi t h a nat ur al abi l i t y t o
change shape ( such as a hengeyokai ' s al t er nat e f or mabi l i t y)
adds her
shapeshi f t er l evel t o t he number of t i mes per day t hat
she cannor mal l y change f or m. T hus, a hengeyokai 7t h- l evel wu
j en/ 3r d- l evel shapeshi f t er coul d change f or mf our t een t i mes
per day, i nst ead of t he el even t r ansf or mat i ons nor mal l y al l owed
a 10t h- l evel hengeyokai
char act er.
S pel l s per Day: Ashapeshi f t er cont i nues her magi cal t r ai n-
i ng whi l e mast er i ng
t he power s of wi l d shape. At 2nd, 4t h, 6t h,
8t h, and l ot h l evel , t he char act er gai ns newspel l s per day and
spel l s
knownas i f she had al so gai ned one l evel i n a spel l cast i ng
cl ass . S he does not , however , gai n any ot her
benef i t of t he
spel l cast i ng cl ass . T hi s essent i al l y means t hat she adds hal f her
shapeshi f t er l evel s t o her ot her cl ass l evel s, t hen det er mi nes
spel l s per day and spel l s known accor di ngl y. For exampl e, i f
J enguT or i , a 7t h- l evel
wuj en/ 1st - l evel shapeshi f t er , gai ns a
l evel i n shapeshi f t er , she gai ns newspel l s as i f she had r i sen t o
8t h l evel i n wuj en, but uses
t he ot her shapeshi f t er aspect s of
l evel pr ogr essi on such as at t ack bonus and save bonus
.
I f she
next gai ns a l evel of wu j en,
maki ng her an 8t h- l evel wu
j en/ 2nd- l evel shapeshi f t er , she gai ns spel l s as i f she had
r i sent o
9t h l evel
i n
wuj en
.
I f a char act er adopt s t he shapeshi f t er pr est i ge cl ass wi t hout
havi nga spel l cast i ng cl ass, he does
not gai n anyspel l abi l i t y as
he i ncr eases hi s shapeshi f t er l evel s .
T housand Faces ( S u) : At 6t h
l evel , a shapeshi f t er gai ns
t he abi l i t y t o change her appear ance at wi l l , as
i f
usi ng t he
spel l al t er sel f.
N at ur al S hapechanger : At l ot h l evel , a shapeshi f t er
changes f or mso nat ur al l y t hat
her
t ype
changes t o shape-
changer r at her t han humanoi d. ( Hengeyokai ar e al r eadyshape-
changer s ; t hei r t ype i s not af f ect ed. ) S he becomes i mmune t o
spel l s and ef f ect s t hat
speci f i cal l y t ar get humanoi ds, such as
char mper son.
S HI N T AO MO N K
S hi nsei i s a f i gur e i n t he hi st or y of Rokugan
whose nat ur e and t r ue i dent i t y ar e shr ouded i n
myst er y and l egend.
He spoke f or many days
wi t h t he f i r st emper or Hant ei , andhi s wor ds ar e
r ecor ded
i n
t he
T ao of S hi nsei , a t ext t hat gui des
emper or s and samur ai as wel l as humbl e monks . S hi nsei al so
l ed t he S even T hunder s- t he gr eat est
her oes of t he seven
Gr eat C l ans- i nt o t he S hadowl ands t o combat t he evi l of Fu
Leng, cr eat i ng t he T wel ve
Bl ack S cr ol l s t hat bound t he E vi l
O ne' s power f or a t housandyear s . S hi nt ao monks ar e dedi cat ed
t o f ol l owi ng hi s t eachi ngs, bot h t o f ur t her
t hei r ownquest f or
enl i ght enment and t o cont i nue hi s cr usade agai nst t he evi l of
t he S hadowl ands .
S hi nt ao monks must advance at l east a f ewl evel s i n t he
monk cl ass bef or e l ear ni ng t he uni que ski l l s and super nat ur al
abi l i t i es of t he
S hi nt ao monk. Monks of S hi nsei come f r oma
wi de var i et y of backgr ounds, however - many ar e r et i r ed
samur ai
whobecome mul t i cl ass samur ai / monks and t hen
adopt t he S hi nt ao monk pr est i ge cl ass . Vi r t ual l y al l S hi nt ao
monks ar e human, andt hey come f r omal l seven
Gr eat C l ans as
wel l as t he common cast e.
N PC S hi nt ao monks ser ve as t eacher s and gui des on
t he
pat h of enl i ght enment
.
Many ar e advi sor s t o
dai myos or l esser
nobl es, but most l i ve f ai r l y r ecl usi ve l i ves i n t hei r monast er i es
and
t empl es . Aver y f ewt ake S hi nsei ' s cr usade t o t he ver y
bor der s of t he S hadowl ands, r i ski ng deat h and
T ai nt t o
combat t he evi l t hat i nf est s t hat
f oul pl ace.
Hi t Di e: d8.
C l ass Base For t Ref Wi l l
Level At t ack
Bonus S ave S ave S ave S peci al
S pel l s per Day
1st +0 +2 +2 +2 Wi l d shape
( 3/ day) , ext r a shi f t i ng
2nd
+1 +3 +3 +3
+1 l evel of exi st i ng
cl ass
3r d +2 +3 +3 +3 Wi l d
shape ( Lar ge)
4t h
+3 +4 +4
+4 Wi l d shape ( 4/ day) +1 l evel of exi st i ng cl ass
5t h +3 +4 +4 +4 Wi l d
shape ( T i ny)
6t h +4 +5 +5 +5 T housand f aces
+1 l evel of exi st i ng cl ass
7t h +5 +5 +5 +5 Wi l d shape ( di r e)
8t h +6 +6 +6 +6 Wi l d shape ( 5/ day)
+1 l evel of exi st i ng cl ass
9t h +6 +6 +6 +6 Wi l d shape ( Huge)
10t h +7 +7 +7 +7 Wi l d shape ( el ement al
1
/ day) ,
+1 l evel of exi st i ng cl ass
O I L
nat ur al shapechanger
T ABLE 3- 12: T HE S HI N T AO MO N K
RE QUI RE ME N T S
T o qual i f y t o become a S hi nt aomonk, a char act er must f ul f i l l al l
t he f ol l owi ng
cr i t er i a .
Al i gnment: Lawf ul good
.
Base Wi l l S ave Bonus : +4.
S ki l l s : Knowl edge ( r el i gi on) 8 r anks .
S peci al : S t i l l mi nd
cl ass abi l i t y.
C LAS S
S KI LLS
T he S hi nt ao monk' s cl ass ski l l s
( and t he key abi l i t y f or each
ski l l ) ar e Bal ance ( Dex) , C l i mb( S t r ) , C oncent r at i on ( C on) ,
C r af t ( I nt ) , Di pl omacy ( C ha) ,
E scape Ar t i st ( Dex) , Heal ( Wi s) ,
J ump ( S t r ) , Knowl edge ( al l ski l l s, t aken i ndi vi dual l y) ( I nt ) ,
Li st en
( Wi s) , Per f or m( C ha) , Pr of essi on ( Wi s) , S cr y ( I nt ,
excl usi ve ski l l ) , S pel l cr af t ( I nt ) , S wi m( S t r ) , and T umbl e
( Dex) . S ee C hapt er
4: S ki l l s i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook f or ski l l
descr i pt i ons .
S ki l l Poi nt s at E ach Level : 4 +I nt modi f i er .
C LAS S FE AT URE S
T he
f ol l owi ngar e cl ass f eat ur es of t he S hi nt ao monk.
Weapon andAr mor Pr of i ci ency: S hi nt ao monks gai n no
addi t i onal
weapon or ar mor pr of i ci ency. T hey suf f er t he same
penal t i es f or wear i ng ar mor t hat monks do.
MonkAbi l i t i es : AS hi nt ao monk has t he unar meddamage,
AC bonus, and speedof a monkwi t h as many l evel s as her S hi n-
t ao monk l evel s pl us her monkl evel s .
Add t he S hi nt ao monk' s base at t ack bonus der i ved f r om
monk l evel s t o t hat der i vedf r omS hi nt ao monkl evel s andcon-
sul t T abl e 3- 1
: Mul t i pl e
Unar medAt t acks .
T oucht he Voi d Dr agon( S u) : O nce per day, a S hi nt aomonk
can r ai se one abi l i t y
scor e by 1d4+1 poi nt s f or a dur at i on of 1
hour per l evel . T hi s abi l i t y i s si mi l ar t o t he spel l s bul l ' s st r engt h,
cat ' s
gr ace, and endur ance, and t o t he ef f ect s of a pot i on of I nt el l i -
gence, a pot i on of Wi sdom, or a pot i on of C har i sma.
Bonus Feat : At 1st l evel , and ever y t wo l evel s t her eaf t er , a
S hi nt ao monk r ecei ves
a bonus f eat
. T hi s
f eat must be sel ect ed
f r omt he f ol l owi ng l i st : Def ensi ve T hr ow, Def l ect Ar r ows
( Gr appl i ng
Bl ock) , E agl e C l awAt t ack, E xper t i se ( Kar mi c
S t r i ke, I mpr oved Di sar m, I mpr oved T r i p, Def ensi ve S t r i ke,
S uper i or E xper t i se, Whi r l wi nd At t ack) , Fi st s of I r on, Gr eat
T hr ow, I mpr oved
Gr appl e ( C hoke Hol d,
E ar t h' s E mbr ace) ,
S t unni ng Fi st ( Fal l i ng S t ar S t r i ke, Fr eezi ng t he Li f ebl ood,
Unbal anci ngS t r i ke, Pai nT ouch) .
Det ect T ai nt ( S p) : AS hi nt ao monk of 2nd l evel or hi gher can
use det ect T ai nt as a spel l - l i ke abi l i t y, at wi l l . O ut si de t he f eat ur ed
campai gn set t i ng of Rokugan, t he S hi nt ao monk can use det ect
evi l i nst ead.
S mi t e T ai nt ( S u) : O nce per day, a S hi nt ao monkof 2ndl evel
or hi gher may at t empt t o smi t e
a S hadowl ands opponent
wi t h
one unar medat t ack. S he adds a +4 bonus on her at t ack
r ol l and
deal s +1 poi nt of damage per cl ass
l evel . AS hadowl ands oppo-
nent i s a monst er
wi t h t he S hadowl ands descr i pt or or a char ac-
t er wi t h aT ai nt scor e. I f t he monkacci dent al l y smi t es a
cr eat ur e
t hat i s not
T ai nt ed, t he smi t e has noef f ect but i t i s st i l l used up
f or t hat day.
O ut si de t he
f eat ur ed campai gn set t i ngof Rokugan, t hi s abi l -
i t y appl i es t o evi l i n gener al : T he S hi nt ao monk can
smi t e any
evi l opponent .
S peak t o t he S oul ( S p) : O nce per day, a S hi nt aomonkof at
l east
2ndl evel canuse det ect magi c as i f cast by a sor cer er of
t he
shi n-
t ao
monk' s l evel .
Gr aspt he E ar t h Dr agon ( E x) : A
S hi nt ao monk of a l east
3r d l evel i s i mmune t o st unni ng, sl eep spel l s and ef f ect s, and
sl owspel l s and ef f ect s .
Pur i t y of S hi nsei ( S p) : At 4t h l evel , a S hi nt ao monk can
cause her ent i r e body t o become suf f used wi t h a heat l ess
f i r e
t hat sheds
l i ght as a l i ght spel l , as i f cast by a sor cer er of t he
monk' s l evel . T he monk can use t hi s abi l i t y once per l evel
per day.
C hannel
t he Fi r e Dr agon( S p) : O nce per day, a S hi nt aomonk
of 5t h l evel or hi gher can use pr ot ect i on f r omel ement s
( f i r e or
col d
onl y)
as
a sor cer er of t he monk' s char act er l evel .
Gr eat S i l ence ( S u) : At 6t h l evel , a S hi nt ao monk
gai ns a
gaze at t ack
. T he S hi nt ao monk can use t hi s abi l i t y once per
day, t ar get i ng one cr eat ur e wi t hi n 30 f eet . When
t he monk' s
chosen t ar get meet s
hi s gaze, t he t ar get must at t empt a Wi l l
savi ng t hr ow( DC 10 +monk' s cl ass l evel +monk' s C har i sma
modi f i er ) . I f t he t ar get f ai l s t hi s save, he i s st r uck
mut e f or 1
mi nut e per l evel of t he monk. Amut e char act er cannot speak
or cast spel l s wi t h a ver bal component .
S t eal t he
Ai r
Dr agon ( S p) : O nce
per day, a S hi nt ao monkof at
l east 7t h l evel can use i mpr oved i nvi si bi l i t y as a sor cer er of t he
monk' s char act er l evel .
Ancest r al Gui dance ( S p) : At 8t h l evel , a S hi nt ao
monk can
use,
commune
wi t h
gr eat er spi r i t
once per week, as a cl er i c of t he
monk' s char act er l evel . S he need not pay t he XPcomponent
cost f or t he spel l
.
Ri de t he Wat er Dr agon ( E x) : At 9t h l evel , a
S hi nt aomonk' s
wounds heal ext r aor di nar i l y
qui ckl y. S he r ecover s 1 hi t poi nt
per
l evel per hour , wi t hout needi ng t o r est f or t he
heal i ng t o
t ake pl ace.
Kukan- Do ( S u) : At 10t h l evel , a S hi nt ao
monk gai ns a
second gaze at t ack. T he monk can use
t hi s abi l i t y once per
day,
t ar get i ngone cr eat ur e wi t hi n 30 f eet . When t he monk' s
chosen t ar get meet s her gaze, t he t ar get
must at t empt a Wi l l
savi ng
t hr ow( DC 10 +monk' s cl ass l evel +monk' s
C har i sma
modi f i er ) . I f t he t ar get f ai l s t hi s save, he and
t he monk ar e
l ocked i n a ki nd
of el ement al st asi s, pr event i ng bot h of
t hemf r ommust er i ngt hei r spi r i t ual
ener gi es . N ei t her
t he t ar get
nor t he monk can use any spel l s, spel l - l i ke
C l ass Base For t Ref Wi l l
Level At t ack Bonus S ave S ave S ave S peci al
1st +0 +2 +2 +2 Monk abi l i t i es, t ouch t he Voi d dr agon, bonus f eat
2nd +1 +3 +3 +3 Det ect T ai nt , smi t e T ai nt , speak t o t he soul
3r d +2 +3 +3 +3 + Gr aspt he ear t h dr agon, bonus f eat
4t h +3 +4 +4 +4 Pur i t y of S hi nsei
5t h +3 +4 +4 + C hannel t he f i r e dr agon, bonus f eat
6t h +4 +5 +5
+5
Gr eat si l ence
7t h
+5 +5 +5 +5' S t eal
t he ai r dr agon, bonus f eat
8t h +6
+6 +6 +6
Ancest r al gui dance
9t h
+6 +6 +6 +6
Ri de t he wat er dr agon, bonus f eat
10t h +7 +7 +7 +7
Kukan- do
abi l i t i es,
or
super nat -
ur al abi l i t i es .
E i t her
char act er can at t ack or
use ski l l s
andexcept i onal abi l -
i t i es, i ncl udi ngt he
monk' s unar med
at t acks
andst unni ng at t ack.
C ode of C onduct
: S hi nt ao monks must f ol l ow
cer t ai n
r ul es
of l i f e i n or der t o mai nt ai n t he
pur i t y of t hei r soul s and
cont i nue t hei r
advancement t owar d
enl i ght enment . T heyar e
f or bi dden t o eat meat
( t hough t hey may eat f i sh) , commi t
mur der or
t hef t , or mar r y. S hi nt ao monks
ar e expect ed t o
avoi d causi ng vi ol ence,
t hough ci r cumst ances can make
t hat
i mpossi bl e
. Gl ut t ony and
dr unkenness ar e vi ces t o be
avoi ded, and hol y
pl aces must be t r eat ed wi t h
r espect . S hi n-
t ao monks
cannot accumul at e weal t h
or become i nvol ved i n
pol i t i cs . AS hi nt aomonk
who vi ol at es t hi s code of
conduct or
st r ays
f r oma l awf ul good al i gnment
cannot gai n newl evel s
as a S hi nt aomonkbut
r et ai ns al l monkcl ass abi l i t i es
. Assum-
i ng he
r emai ns l awf ul , he can
cont i nue t o advance i n t he
monk cl ass .
S I N GH RAGE R
Whi l e bear war r i or s cl ai m
t he wi l d f er oci t y of t he
bear
i n t hei r uncont r ol l ed
r ages, si ngh r ager s
dr awt hei r f ur i ous
st r engt h f r omt he nobl e l i on
( cal l ed a si ngh or si ngha i n
some soci et i es) . T he
si ngh r ager s'
f ur y never r obs t hemof t hei r
di sci pl i ne
and cont r ol , whi ch t o many
mi nds makes t hemonl y
mor e t er r i f yi ng.
T hey ar e par agons of war r i or
vi r t ue whose
speed,
st r engt h, and cour age ar e
unr i val ed.
Fi ght er s and samur ai
make t he best si ngh r ager s,
t hough
r anger s can easi l y qual i f y.
Monks and sohei can' t qual i f y
bef or e 12t h l evel
unl ess t hey have some l evel s i n
f i ght er -
r el at ed cl asses, but some
have been knownt o per sever e t o
t hat poi nt . I n
Rokugan, si ngh r ager s come f r om
t he Li on
cl an, wher e t hey ar e
t r ai ned i n t he Mat su school ( and cal l ed
Mat su
r ager s) .
N PC si ngh
r ager s ar e of t en t he f avor i t e champi on of a
pr i nce or emper or. T hei r
l awf ul al i gnment makes t hemexcel -
l ent
r et ai ner s .
Hi t Di e
: d12
.
RE QUI RE ME N T S
T o qual i f y t o become a si ngh r ager , a char act er
must f ul f i l l al l
t he f ol l owi ngcr i t er i a
.
Al i gnment : Any l awf ul .
Base At t ack Bonus : +7 .
Feat s : I r on Wi l l ,
Ki S hout .
C LAS S S KI LLS
T he si ngh r ager ' s cl ass ski l l s ( and t he
key abi l i t y f or each
ski l l ) ar e C l i mb( S t r ) ,
C r af t ( I nt ) , Handl e Ani mal ( C ha) , I ai -
j ut su Focus ( C ha) , I nt i mi dat e ( C ha) , J ump ( S t r ) ,
Knowl edge
( hi st or y) ( I nt ) ,
Ri de ( Dex) , S ense Mot i ve ( Wi s) , and S wi m
( S t r ) . S ee C hapt er 4: S ki l l s i n t he
Pl ayer ' s Handbook f or ski l l
descr i pt i ons
.
T he
I ai j ut su Focus ski l l i s descr i bed i n C hapt er
4 of t hi s book.
S ki l l Poi nt s at E ach Level : 2 +I nt modi f i er .
C LAS S FE AT URE S
T he f ol l owi ngar e cl ass f eat ur es of t he si ngh
r ager
.
Weapon
andAr mor Pr of i ci ency: S i ngh r ager s ar e pr of i -
ci ent wi t h al l si mpl e and mar t i al weapons and wi t h al l
ar mor.
Li on' s Roar : T he si ngh r ager ' s f ur y i n bat t l e sends f ear i nt o
her opponent s' hear t s . Asi ngh
r ager can use a Ki S hout or Gr eat
Ki S hout a number of t i mes per day equal t o f our pl us her
C har i sma modi f i er , and t he Di f f i cul t y
C l ass of t he f ear ef f ect i s
i ncr eased by 4.
Gr eat Ki S hout : Asi ngh r ager gai ns t hi s f eat f or
f r ee at
1st l evel .
Li on' s Fur y ( E x) : At 2nd l evel , a si ngh r ager can ent er
a
st at e of r age,
gai ni ng phenomenal st r engt h and dur abi l i t y
but becomi ng r eckl ess and l ess abl e t o def end her sel f . S he
t empor ar i l y gai ns +4 t o
S t r engt h,
+4
t o C onst i t ut i on, and
a +2 mor al e bonus on Wi l l saves, but suf f er s a - 2
penal t y
t o AC .
T he i ncr ease i n C onst i t ut i on i ncr eases t he si ngh r ager ' s
hi t
poi nt s by 2 poi nt s per l evel , but t hese hi t poi nt s go away at
t he end of t he r age when t he C onst i t ut i on scor e dr ops back
t o nor mal . T hese ext r a
hi t poi nt s ar e not l ost f i r st t he way
t empor ar y hi t poi nt s ar e. Whi l e r agi ng, a si ngh r ager cannot
use ski l l s or abi l i t i es t hat r equi r e pat i ence and
concent r at i on,
such as movi ng si l ent l y or cast i ng spel l s . ( T he onl y cl ass
ski l l s
she can' t use
whi l e r agi ng
ar e
C r af t , I ai j ut su Focus, and
S ense Mot i ve. ) S he canuse anyf eat she has except f or E xper -
t i se, i t emcr eat i on f eat s, met amagi c f eat s, and S ki l l
Focus ( i f
i t ' s t i ed t o a ski l l t hat r equi r es
pat i ence or concent r at i on) . A
f i t of r age l ast s f or 3 r ounds, pl us t he char act er ' s ( newl y
i mpr oved) C onst i t ut i on modi f i er
.
T he si ngh r ager
may pr e-
mat ur el y end t he r age vol unt ar i l y. At t he endof t he r age, t he
si ngh r ager i s f at i gued ( - 2 S t r engt h, - 2
Dext er i t y, can' t
char ge or r un) f or t he dur at i on of t hat encount er. T he si ngh
r ager can onl y
f l y
i nt o a r age once per encount er ,
and onl y a
cer t ai n number of t i mes per day ( det er mi ned by l evel ) .
E nt er i ng a r age t akes no t i me i t sel f , but t he
si ngh r ager can
onl y do i t dur i ng her act i on, not i n r esponse t o somebody
el se' s act i on. Asi ngh r ager can' t , f or exampl e,
f l y
i nt o a r age
when st r uck
down by an
ar r owi n or der t o get t he ext r a hi t
poi nt s f r omt he i ncr eased C onst i t ut i on, al t hough t he ext r a
hi t poi nt s woul dbe of benef i t i f she had gone i nt o a r age ear -
l i er i n t he r ound, bef or e t he ar r owst r uck.
Asi ngh r ager canent er a r age t hr ee t i mes per
dayat 3r dl evel ,
f our t i mes at 6t h l evel , and f i ve t i mes at l ot h l evel . S t ar t i ng at
8t h l evel , t he si ngh r ager ' s f ur y bonuses become
+6 t o S t r engt h,
+6 t o C onst i t ut i on, and a
+3
mor al e bonus on Wi l l saves. ( T he
AC penal t yr emai ns at - 2. )
Li on' s C our age ( E x) : Asi ngh r ager of 3r dl evel
or hi gher
i s
i mmune t o f ear ( magi cal or ot her wi se) and gai ns a +4
bonus on Wi l l saves agai nst ot her mi nd- i nf l uenci ng
spel l s
andef f ect s .
Remai n C onsci ous : Asi ngh r ager gai ns t hi s f eat f or f r ee at
3r d l evel .
Li on' s Pounce ( E x) : At 4t h l evel , a si ngh r ager can
make a
f ul l at t ack at t he endof a char ge
.
Roar i ngS t r i ke ( E x) : Asi ngh r ager of 5t h l evel or hi gher can
make a Ki S hout as a f r ee act i on i f she
combi nes i t wi t h a f ul l
at t ack act i on.
S wi f t ness of t he Li oness ( E x) : Whenshe r eaches
7t h l evel ,
a si ngh r ager can act as i f under t he ef f ect s of a hast e spel l f or a
t ot al of 1 r ound per
cl ass l evel per day. T hese r ounds
need not
be consecut i ve
.
T AT T O O E D MO N K
C er t ai n monast i c or der s i n t he
l ands of
O r i ent al Advent ur es best ow
super nat ur al or
spel l - l i ke
power s on t hei r member s by
i nscr i bi ng magi c t at t oos on
t hei r ski n. T hese
t at t ooed
monks shave t hei r heads, speak i n
cr ypt i c
r i ddl es and maxi ms, and- i n manycases- t r avel
t he
count r ysi de f ur t her i ng t hei r quest
f or enl i ght enment by
f aci ng and
conquer i ng t empt at i on.
T he gr eat maj or i t y of t at t ooed
monks begi n t hei r car eer s as
monks .
Asmal l number of samur ai , shamans, and shugenj as
adopt t he t at t ooed monk pr est i ge cl ass . I n
Rokugan, t hey ar e
dr awn al most excl usi vel y
f r omt he Dr agon cl an, t hough mem-
ber s
of ot her cl ans whogai n t he f avor of
t he or der ar e some-
t i mes al l owed t o j oi n
. T at t ooed monks i n Rokugan ar e t r ai ned
i n t wo compet i ng
school s : t he T ogashi school ( whose
monks
ar e cal l ed i se zumi ) and t he Hi t omi
school ( whose monks ar e
ki kage
zumi ) .
T he r anks of t he
t at t ooed monks ar e di vi ded bet ween
wor l dl y monks- t hose
who bel i eve t hat t empt at i on can
onl y
be over come i f i t i s squar el y f aced- and
ascet i c monks, who , '
r ar el y l eave t hei r
mount ai nt opr et r eat s . Pl ayer char act er
t at -
t ooed monks ar e assumed t o f al l i nt o t he
f or mer cat egor y, but
N PC s can be f ound i n bot h r ol es .
Hi t Di e: d8.
RE QUI RE ME N T S
T o qual i f y t o become a t at t ooed
monk, a char act er must f ul f i l
al l
t he
f ol l owi ng cr i t er i a .
Al i gnment : Anyl awf ul
.
Base At t ack
Bonus :
+3.
S ki l l s : Knowl edge ( r el i gi on) 8
r anks .
Feat s : I mpr oved Gr appl e,
I mpr oved Unar med S t r i ke
( or
monk
cl ass abi l i t y) .
S peci al : Must be accept ed by
t he t at t ooed monk or der.
C LAS S
S KI LLS
T he t at t ooed
monk' s cl ass ski l l s ( and t he key
abi l i t y f or each
ski l l ) ar e Bal ance ( Dex) ,
C l i mb ( S t r ) , C oncent r at i on ( C on) ,
C r af t ( I nt ) ,
Di pl omacy ( C ha) , E scape Ar t i st ( Dex) ,
Hi de ( Dex) ,
J ump ( S t r ) , Knowl edge ( ar cana)
( I nt ) , Knowl edge ( r el i gi on)
( I nt ) , Li st en ( Wi s) ,
Move S i l ent l y ( Dex) , Per f or m
( C ha) , Pr of es-
si on ( Wi s) , S wi m( S t r ) , andT umbl e
( Dex) . S ee C hapt er 4:
S ki l l s
i n t he Pl ayer ' s
Handbook f or ski l l descr i pt i ons.
S ki l l Poi nt s at E ach Level : 4+I nt
modi f i er .
T ABLE 3- 13:
C l ass
Level
1st
T HE S I N GHRAGE R
Base
At t ack Bonus
+1
RAGE R
For t
S ave
+2
Ref
S ave
+0
Wi l l
S ave
+2
S peci al
Li on' s r oar , Gr eat
Ki S hout
2nd +2 +3 +0
+3 Li on' s f ur y 3/ day
3r d _ +3 +3 +1
+3 Li on' s cour age, Remai n
C onsci ous -
4t h +4 +4
+1 +4 Li on' s pounce
5t h +5 ' ' +4 +1 +4
Roar i ng st r i ke _ _
6t h +6 +5 +2 +5
Li on' s f ur y 4/ day
7t h _ - +7 - +5 +2 +5
S wi f t ness of t he l i oness
8t h +8 +6 +2 +6
Gr eat er f ur y
9t h
+9 +6 +3 +6
10t h
+10 +7 +3
+7 Li on' s f ur y 5/ day, no
l onger wi nded af t er f ur y
T ABLE 3- 14: T HE T AT T O O E DMO N K
C LAS S FE AT URE S
T he f ol l owi ng
ar e cl ass f eat ur es of t he t at t ooed monk.
Weapon andAr mor Pr of i ci ency: T at t ooed monks gai n no
addi t i onal weapon
or ar mor pr of i ci ency. T hey suf f er t he same
penal t i es f or wear i ngar mor t hat monks do.
MonkAbi l i t i es: At at t ooed monkhas t he unar meddamage,
AC bonus, and speed of a monk wi t h as many
l evel s as
hi s
t at -
t ooed
monk l evel s pl us hi s monkl evel s ( i f any) .
Addt he t at t ooed monk' s base at t ack
bonus der i ved
f r om
monkl evel s t o t hat der i vedf r omt at t ooed monkl evel s and con-
sul t T abl e
3- 1
: Mul t i pl e Unar med
At t acks.
T at t oo ( S u) : T at t ooed monks gai n t hei r power s f r omt he
magi c t at t oos t hat event ual l y
gr owt o cover t hei r bodi es . A1st -
l evel t at t ooed monk has one t at t oo and gai ns anot her
t at t oo
ever y t wo
l evel s, t o a maxi mumof f i ve . T het at t ooed monkcan
choose hi s t at t oos f r omt he f ol l owi ngl i st . N ot e t hat some t at -
t oos have mi ni mum
l evel r equi r ement s .
Al l t at t oos ar e magi cal , and t he abi l i t i es
t hey best owar e
super nat ur al . At at t ooed monk i n an ant i magi c f i el d l oses al l
benef i t s of hi s t at t oos . Unl ess t he
ef f ect of a t at t oo i s cont i nu-
ous, act i vat i ng a t at t oo i s a move- equi val ent act i on t hat can
be combi ned wi t h
a r egul ar move and does not pr ovoke an
at t ack of oppor t uni t y.
Ar r owr oot : T he
t at t ooed monk can heal wounds i n anot her
char act er by t ouch. E ach day he can cur e a t ot al number of
hi t poi nt s
equal t o hi s Wi sdombonus t i mes hi s l evel . T he t at -
t ooed monk cannot heal hi msel f , but he may di vi de t he
cur i ng among
mul t i pl e r eci pi ent s, andhe doesn' t have t o use
i t al l at once.
Bamboo
: O nce per dayper t at t oo he possesses, t he t at t ooed
monk can add t he number of t at t oos
he possesses as an
enhancement
bonus t o hi s C onst i t ut i on scor e. T hi s abi l i t y l ast s
f or 1 r ound per l evel .
Bat : O nce per day per t at t oo he possesses, t he t at t ooed
monk can
add t he number of t at t oos he possesses as an
enhancement bonus t o hi s Dext er i t y scor e. T hi s abi l i t y l ast s
f or 1 r ound per l evel .
Bel l f l ower : O nce per day per t at t oo he possesses, t he t at t ooed
monk can add hi s C har i sma modi f i er as an enhancement
bonus t o any of hi s abi l i t y
scor es ( i ncl udi ng C har i sma) . T hi s
l ast s f or 1 r oundper l evel .
But t er f l y: O nce per day per
t at t oo he possesses, t he t at t ooed
monk can add t he number of t at t oos he possesses as an
enhancement
bonus t o hi s Wi sdomscor e. T hi s abi l i t y l ast s f or
1 r ound per l evel .
C ent i pede
: O nce per week, t he t at t ooed monk can shadow
wal k. T hi s abi l i t y al l ows t he t at t ooed monk
t o
cr oss gr eat di s-
t ances,
but he must end hi s j our ney on t he Mat er i al Pl ane ( i n
Rokugan, t hi s means he cannot ent er t he S hadowl ands) . Mi ni -
mumLevel : 5t h.
C hamel eon: T he t at t ooed
monk
can
use al t er sel f once per
day per t at t oo he possesses t o
t ake on
t he appear ance of any
ot her human he has encoun-
t er ed. T he dur at i on of t hi s abi l -
i t y i s one hour per l evel .
C l oud: O nce per day,
t he t at -
t ooed monk can commune
wi t h gr eat er
spi r i t as t he spel l
( descr i bed i n C hapt er 7) . Wi t h
each use of t he
abi l i t y, t he t at -
t ooed monk can ask no mor e
t hanone quest i on per l evel . Mi ni mumLevel
:
5t h
.
C r ab: T he t at t ooed monk gai ns damage r educt i on
equal t o 2
per t at t oo he possesses. T hi s damage r educt i on i s negat ed by a
weapon wi t h a magi cal enhancement bonus equal t o or bet t er
t han t he t at t ooed monk' s C onst i t ut i on bonus ( i f any) , by magi -
cal at t acks, or by ener gy at t acks. Damage r educt i on can r educe
damage
t o
0
but not bel ow0. ( T hat i s, t he t at t ooed monkcannot
act ual l y gai n hi t poi nt s i n t hi s manner . )
C r ane: T he t at t ooed monk gai ns a gr adual i mmuni t y t o
bodi l y decay. When t he t at t ooed monkf i r st gai ns t hi s t at t oo, he
gai ns
i mmuni t y
t o nonmagi cal di seases .
When he gai ns hi s
next t at t oo ( what ever i t may be) , he acqui r es i mmuni t y t o
poi son as wel l . When he gai ns hi s next t at t oo, he
no l onger suf -
f er s abi l i t y penal t i es f or agi ng, and cannot be magi cal l y aged.
( Any agi ng penal t i es he may al r eady have suf f er ed r emai n i n
pl ace. ) Bonuses st i l l accr ue, and t he t at t ooed monkst i l l di es of
ol d age when hi s t i me i s up. Mi ni mumLevel
:
5t h
.
C r ow: When t he t at t ooed monk cal l s on t he power of t hi s
t at t oo, he becomes i mmune t o t he S hadowl ands
T ai nt f or one
day per t at t oo he possesses, and gai ns a +1 r esi st ance bonus on
al l Wi l l savi ng t hr ows f or t he same dur at i on. Af t er
usi ng t hi s
abi l i t y, t he t at t ooed monk cannot act i vat e t he cr owt at t oo f or
f i ve mor e days . T at t ooed monks i n campai gns ot her t han Roku-
gan do not use t he cr owt at t oo.
C hr ysant hemum: E ver yhour t hat t he t at t ooed monkwi t h t hi s
t at t oo
i s i n sunl i ght , he heal s a number of hi t poi nt s equal t o hi s
l evel . Adayl i ght spel l does not pr ovoke t hi s f ast heal i ng; t he
char act er must be exposedt o t he r eal sun. Mi ni mumLevel
:
7t h
.
Dr agon: O nce per day per t at t oo he possesses, t he t at t ooed
monk can use f i r e br eat h as t he spel l ( descr i bed i n C hapt er 7) .
T he t at t ooed monk' s cast er
l evel
i s
hi s cl ass l evel . Mi ni mum
Level : 5t h.
Dr agonf l y: O nce per day per t at t oo he possesses,
t he t at t ooed
monkgai ns a dodge bonus t o hi s AC equal t o t he number of t at -
t oos he possesses
.
T hi s ext r aor di nar y abi l i t y l ast s
f or 1 r ound
per l evel .
Fal con: T het at t ooed monk i s i mmune t o f ear ( magi cal
or ot h-
er wi se) . Al l i es wi t hi n 10 f eet of t he t at t ooed monk gai n a
mor al e bonus on t hei r savi ng t hr ows agai nst f ear ef f ect s
.
T he
bonus equal s
t he t at t ooed monk' s C har i sma bonus ( i f any) pl us
t he number of t at t oos he possesses.
Li on: O nce per day per t at t oo he possesses, t he t at t ooed
monk can smi t e a f oe, gai ni ng a +4 at t ack bonus and a
damage
bonus equal
t o hi s l evel on a si ngl e mel ee at t ack. T he t at t ooed
monk must decl ar e t he smi t e bef or e maki ng t he at t ack
.
Monkey:
T he t at t ooed monk gai ns a +1 compet ence bonus
per t at t oo he possesses on al l Bal ance, C l i mb, E scape Ar t i st ,
Hi de, J ump, Move S i l ent l y, O pen Lock,
Pi ck Pocket , and
T umbl e checks .
Moon, C r escent : I n Rokugan,
onl y ki kage zumi ( monks of t he
Hi t omi school ) can choose t hi s t at t oo. O nce per day per
t at t oo
C l ass Base
For t
Ref Wi l l
Level
At t ack Bonus S ave S ave S ave S peci al
1
+0 +2 +2 +2
Monk abi l i t i es, t at t oo
2 +1
+3
+3 +3
3 +2 +3 +3 +3 T at t oo
4 +3 +4 +4 +4
5
+3 +4 +4
+4
T at t oo
6
+4 +5 +5 +5
7
+5 +5 +5 +5 T at t oo
8
+6 +6 +6 +6
9 +6 +6 +6 +6 T at t oo
10
+7 +7 +7 +7
he possesses, t he t at t ooed monk can use et her eal j aunt as a spel l -
l i ke abi l i t y. Mi ni mumLevel : 7t h.
Moon,
Ful l
: I n Rokugan,
onl y
ki kage
zumi ( monks of t he
Hi t omi school ) can choose t hi s t at t oo. O nce per ni ght per
t at t oo he possesses, t he t at t ooed monk can gai n a +2 l uck bonus
on a si ngl e at t ack r ol l , ski l l check, or abi l i t y check, as he cal l s on
t hef ul l power
of
Hi t omi ,
t he moon
. T hi s abi l i t y cannot be used
dur i ng dayl i ght hour s .
Mount ai n: T he
t at t ooed
monk
can t ake on
t he i mmovabi l -
i t y of t he mount ai n, gai ni ng phenomenal dur abi l i t y t hough
he cannot move f r omt he spot wher e he st ands
.
He gai ns a
+4
bonus t o hi s C onst i t ut i on and Wi sdomscor es . T he i ncr ease
i n C onst i t ut i on i ncr eases t he t at t ooed monk' s
hi t poi nt s by 2
poi nt s per l evel , but t hese hi t poi nt s go away when t he
power ' s dur at i on expi r es . T hese ext r a hi t poi nt s ar e not l ost
f i r st t he
way
t empor ar y hi t poi nt s ar e. Whi l e usi ngt hi s abi l -
i t y, t he t at t ooed monkcannot use anyski l l s based on Dext er i t y,
i ncl udi ng
Bal ance and
T umbl e. He i s i mmune t o bul l r ush
andt r i p at t acks . T hi s i mmovabl e st at e l ast s 1 r ound per l evel .
T he t at t ooed monk mayuse t hi s abi l i t y once per day per
t at t oo he possesses .
N i ght i ngal e: T he t at t ooed monkcancur e hi s ownwounds . He
can cur e upt o t wi ce hi s l evel i n hi t poi nt s each day, and he can
spr ead t hi s
heal i ng
out
among
sever al uses .
O cean: T he t at t ooed monk wi t h an ocean t at t oo never needs
t o eat , sl eep, or dr i nk. Mi ni mumLevel : 9t h
.
Phoeni x: T he t at t ooed monk gai ns spel l r esi st ance equal t o
hi s cl ass l evel +15 . I n or der t o af f ect t he t at t ooed monk wi t h
a spel l , a spel l cast er must r ol l t he t at t ooed monk' s spel l r esi st -
ance or hi gher on 1d20 +t he spel l cast er ' s l evel .
Mi ni mum
Level : 7t h.
Pi ne: T he t at t ooed monkgai ns t he benef i t s of t he E ndur ance
and Remai n C onsci ous f eat s .
S cor pi on: O nce per day per t at t oo he possesses, t he t at t ooed
monk can f or ce an opponent at t acki ng hi mt o use her l owest
abi l i t y scor e modi f i er i nst ead of her S t r engt h or
Dext er i t y scor e
modi f i er when maki ngher at t ack r ol l .
S pi der : T he t at t ooed monk' s t ouch ( or unar medat t ack)
del i ver s a cont act poi son. T hepoi son' s save DC i s equal t o 10
+
t he t at t ooed monk' s cl ass l evel +hi s C onst i t ut i on
modi f i er .
T he poi son' s i ni t i al and secondar y damage i s 1 poi nt of t em-
por ar y
C onst i t ut i on damage. T he t at t ooed
monk
can
sup-
pr ess t hi s poi son f or 1 hour by concent r at i ng f or a f ul l
r ound and maki ng a successf ul Wi l l save ( DC 20) . Mi ni mum
Level : 3r d.
S un: I n Rokugan,
onl y i se zumi ( monks of t he T ogashi
school ) can choose t hi s t at t oo. O nce per day
per t at t oo he
possesses, t he t at t ooed
monk can gai n a +2 l uck bonus on
a
si ngl e at t ack r ol l , ski l l check, or abi l i t y
check, as he cal l s on
t he f ul l power of t he
sun. T hi s abi l i t y canonl y be used dur i ng
dayl i ght hour s .
T i ger: O nce per day per t at t oo he
possesses, t he t at t ooed
monk can f i ght
unar med wi t h a +1 bonus on al l at t ack r ol l s
and deal i ng an addi t i onal +1d6 poi nt s of
damage wi t h a suc-
cessf ul at t ack
. T hi s bur st of mar t i al ar t s f er oci t y l ast s f or 1
r ound per l evel .
T or t oi se: O nce per
day per t at t oo he possesses, t he
t at t ooed
monk can use hi s l evel as t he number
of r anks i n a ski l l he does
not possess
f or t he pur poses of one ski l l check, even an excl u-
si ve
ski l l f or anot her cl ass . For exampl e, T ogashi
Mi t asu, a 4t h-
l evel t at t ooed monk wi t h t wo
t at t oos, can make up t o t wo Use
Magi c
Devi ce checks as i f he had4 r anks i n t hat
ski l l . He adds
hi s C har i sma modi f i er t o
t he ski l l checkas usual .
Uni cor n:
T het at t ooed monkgai ns t he power of good
f or t une,
whi ch i s usabl e once per
dayper t at t oo he possesses . T hi s abi l -
i t y al l ows t he t at t ooed monk t o r er ol l one
r ol l t hat he has j ust
made. T he char act er must t ake
t he r esul t of t he r er ol l , even i f
i t ' s wor se t han t he
or i gi nal r ol l .
Wasp: O nce per day per t at t oo he
possesses, t he t at t ooed
monk canuse hast e
on hi msel f . T he hast e ef f ect l ast s 1 r oundper
l evel . Mi ni mumLevel : 3r d.
Whi t e Mask: T he t at t ooed
monk i s i mmune t o det ect
t hought s, det ect l i es, and any at t empt t o magi cal l y
di scer n hi s
al i gnment . He
gai ns a +10 bonus on al l Bl uf f checks .
Mi ni -
mumLevel : 3r d.
VO I DDI S C I PLE
T ABLE 3- 15: T HE VO I DDI S C I PLE
of al l t he
el ement al f or ces t hat make up t he
uni ver se, t he most power f ul and t he
most ,
di f f i cul t t o
cont r ol i s t he one t hat l i es bet ween
and j oi ns t he ot her s : Voi d. Most
shugenj as
can,
cal l upon and
di r ect onl y t he i ndi vi dual f or ces
of speci f i c el ement s,
whi l e wu j en use t hemal l . But Voi d
di sci pl es under st and t hat ever yt hi ng i n t he wor l dcont ai ns
al l
t he basi c el ement s, hel d t oget her
by t he l east t angi bl e
essence
. Voi d i s l i ke t he si l ence bet ween not es of musi c,
gi vi ng r hyt hmand shape t o t he whol e.
T o t hose who
under st and
t he r el at i onshi p of Voi d t o al l ot her t hi ngs, and
C l ass Base For t Ref Wi l l
Level At t ack Bonus S ave S ave S ave S peci al
S pel l s per Day
1st +0 +0 +0 +2 S ense Voi d ( physi cal senses,
1 / day)
2nd +1 +0 +0 +3
+1 l evel of exi st i ng cl ass
3r d
+1 +1 +1 +3 S ense Voi d ( 2/ day)
4t h +2 +1 +1 +4 Moment of cl ar i t y ( 2/ day)
+1 l evel of exi st i ng cl ass
5t h +2 +1
+1 +4 S ense Voi d ( magi cal senses, 3/ day)
+1 l evel of exi st i ng cl ass
6t h +3 +2
+2 +5
+1 l evel of exi st i ng cl ass
7t h +3 +2 +2
+5 Al t er i ng t he cour se, sense voi d
( 4/ day)
8t h +4
+2 +2 +6 Moment of cl ar i t y ( 3/ day)
+1 l evel of exi st i ng cl ass
9t h +4 +3 +3 +6
S ense Voi d ( empat hi c senses, 5/ day)
10t h +5 +3 +3
+7 Voi d r el ease
+1 l evel of exi st i ng
cl ass
11t h +5 +3 +3
+7 S ense Voi d ( 6/ day)
+1 l evel of exi st i ng cl ass
12t h +6 +4 +4 +8
Voi d suppr essi on,
+1 l evel of exi st i ng cl ass
moment of cl ar i t y ( 4/ day)
13t h +6 +4 +4 +8
Voi d st r i ke, sense Voi d
( ment al senses, 7/ day) -
who have t he i nnat e
abi l i t y t o per sonal l y per -
cei ve t hat r el at i onshi p,
di st ance and f or mbe-
come i nconsequent i al .
Voi d di sci pl es begi n
t hei r t r ai ni ng as spel l -
cast er s- usual l y shu-
genj as, but occasi onal l y
shamans or wu j en-
and cont i nue
t o gai n
spel l cast i ng abi l i t y as
t hey r i se i n
l evel
.
I n
Rokugan, t hey ar e al -
ways shugenj as
of t he
Phoeni x cl an, t r ai ned
i n t he I sawa school .
Li ke ot her spel l cast -
er s, N PC Voi d di sci pl es
pl ay t he r ol e of wi se
el der s, keeper s of r el i -
gi ous t eachi ngs and
l egends
. T hose who
have mast er ed t he pat h
of Voi d ar e cal l ed i shi -
hen, and
ar e char ged
wi t h t he t ask of l i st en-
i ng acr oss t he
wor l d' s
under l yi ng st r eamof Voi d f or t he bi r t hs of t hose who have an
i nnat e af f i ni t y
f or Voi d, and super vi si ng t he t r ai ni ng of t hese
i ndi vi dual s as t hey mat ur e.
Hi t
Di e: d6 .
RE QUI RE ME N T S
T oqual i f y t o become
a Voi d di sci pl e, a char act er must
f ul f i l l al l
t he f ol l owi ngcr i t er i a.
Al i gnment : Any
neut r al .
S ki l l s : S cr y 10 r anks .
Feat s : Hei ght en
S pel l , S pel l Penet r at i on.
S pel l s : Abl e t o cast 3r d- l evel ar cane or di vi ne spel l s .
C LAS S S KI LLS
T he Voi d
di sci pl e' s cl ass ski l l s ( and t he key abi l i t y f or each
ski l l ) ar e Al chemy ( I nt ) , C oncent r at i on ( C on) , C r af t ( I nt ) ,
Di pl omacy ( C ha) , Heal ( Wi s) , Knowl edge ( al l ski l l s, t aken
i ndi vi dual l y) ( I nt ) , Pr of essi on
( Wi s) , S cr y ( I nt , excl usi ve
ski l l ) , and S pel l cr af t ( I nt ) . S ee C hapt er 4: S ki l l s i n t he Pl ayer ' s
Handbook f or ski l l descr i pt i ons
.
S ki l l Poi nt s at E ach Level : 2 +I nt modi f i er .
C LAS S FE AT URE S
T hef ol l owi ng ar e cl ass f eat ur es of t he Voi d di sci pl e .
Weapon andAr mor
Pr of i ci ency: Voi d di sci pl es gai n no
weapon or ar mor pr of i ci enci es .
S pel l s per
Day:
A
Voi d di sci pl e cont i nues
her
magi cal
t r ai ni ngwhi l e mast er i ng t he power s of voi d. At 2nd, 4t h, 5t h,
6t h,
8t h, 10t h, 11t h, and 12t h l evel , t he char act er gai ns new
spel l s per day and spel l s knownas i f she had al so gai ned one
l evel i n
a pr evi ous spel l cast i ng cl ass . S he does not , however ,
gai n any ot her benef i t of t he ot her spel l cast i ng cl ass . For
exampl e, i f I sawa T odar i , a 7t h- l evel shugenj a/ 1st - l evel Voi d
di sci pl e, gai ns a l evel i n Voi d di sci pl e, she gai ns newspel l s as
i f
she had r i sen t o 8t h l evel i n shugenj a, but uses t he
ot her Voi d di sci pl e
aspect s
of l evel pr o-
gr essi on such as
at t ack
bonus and save bonus .
I f she next gai ns a l evel
of shugenj a, maki ngher
an 8t h- l evel
shugenj a/
2nd- l evel
Voi d di sci pl e,
she gai ns spel l s as i f she
had
r i sent o 9t h l evel i n
shugenj a.
S ense Voi d
( S u)
:
T he
f i r st t echni que t aught
t o t he Voi d di sci pl e
i s
t he abi l i t y t o r each out
wi t h t he mi nd and sense
t he wor l d
ar ound,
expl or i ng t he unseen
l ayer of r eal i t y
most
peopl e r ar el y exper i -
ence. T heVoi d di sci pl e' s
consci ousness act ual l y
depar t s her body and
ext ends i nt o t he wor l d,
al l owi ng her t o use her
nor mal
senses ( si ght ,
hear i ng, t ouch, t ast e,
smel l ) t o per cei ve what
ever ar ea, per son, or t hi ng she di r ect s her at t ent i on t o. T he
Voi d di sci pl e must make a S cr y check, wi t h t he DC det er -
mi ned by di st ance, not f ami l i ar i t y.
T he Voi d di sci pl e cannot sense acr oss
pl anar boundar i es .
T hus, a Voi d di sci pl e st andi ng on t he Kai u Wal l coul d not
ext end her senses i nt o t he S hadowl ands,
evenwi t hi nher l i ne
of si ght .
Wi t h ever y f our l evel s t he Voi d di sci pl e at t ai ns beyond 1st ,
she gai ns t he abi l i t y t o per cei ve deeper l evel s of r eal i t y. At 5t h
l evel , t he Voi d di sci pl e can det ect magi c and det ect T ai nt at wi l l
whi l e usi ngt hi s abi l i t y
.
At 9t h l evel , she can
di scer n l i es and r ead
emot i onal st at es, gai ni nga +10 bonus on S ense Mot i ve checks
whi l e usi ng t hi s
abi l i t y.
At 13t h
l evel , she can det ect t hought s at
wi l l whi l e usi ngt hi s abi l i t y.
AVoi d di sci pl e can use t hi s abi l i t y once per dayat
1st l evel .
Wi t h ever y t wo l evel s she at t ai ns beyond 1st , she can use t he
abi l i t y anaddi t i onal t i me per day( t wi ce at 3r dl evel ,
t hr ee t i mes
at 5t h, and so on) .
Moment of C l ar i t y ( S u) : At 4t h l evel , a
Voi d di sci pl e can
gr ant anal l y t he t empor ar y abi l i t y t o per f or many ski l l or f eat
( wi t h t he except i onof ancest or f eat s) .
T he Voi d di sci pl e must use
a st andar d act i on t o t ouch t he t ar get . T he t ar get gai ns ei t her one
f eat or a number of r anks i n one ski l l equal t o hi s r el evant
abi l i t y
modi f i er f or t hat
ski l l . For exampl e, a char act er wi t h a 14 Dext er -
i t y coul dgai n 2 r anks i n Ri de, f or a t ot al ski l l modi f i er of
+4. T he
ef f ect l ast s
f or 1 r oundper l evel of t he Voi d di sci pl e . T he Voi d di s-
ci pl e can use t hi s super nat ur al abi l i t y t wi ce per dayat 4t h l evel ,
pl us anaddi t i onal use
f or ever y f our addi t i onal l evel s she at t ai ns.
Di st ance DC
Li ne of si ght , 5
Up t o 1 mi l e ( same vi l l age) 10
Upt o 10 mi l es ( same pr ovi nce)
15
Up t o 100
mi l es
( same cl an' s
t er r i t or y) 20
Up t o 1, 000
mi l es
( anot her
cl an' s t er r i t or y) 25
Al t er i ng t he C our se ( S u) : O nce per day, a Voi d di sci pl e of
7t h l evel or hi gher canadd a +20 bonus t o anysi ngl e at t ack r ol l ,
ski l l check, or abi l i t y checkshe makes . S he cannot t r ansf er t hi s
bonus t o anot her char act er by anymeans . T hi s super nat ur al
abi l i t y r equi r es no act i on, and l ast s onl y t he dur at i on of t he
si ngl e check.
Voi d Rel ease ( S u) : T hr ee t i mes per day, a Voi d di sci pl e of
l ot h l evel or hi gher cant ouch anal l y, al l owi ng t hat char act er t o
use her hi ghest abi l i t y scor e modi f i er i n
pl ace of
anyone l ower
modi f i er ( t ar get ' s choi ce) f or a number of r ounds equal t o hal f
t he
Voi d di sci pl e' s l evel
.
For exampl e, a sever el y
wounded
samur ai coul d use hi s hi gh S t r engt h modi f i er i n pl ace of hi s
l owDext er i t y modi f i er f or a f ewr ounds, i ncr easi ng
hi s Ar mor
C l ass, Ref l ex save bonus, and r anged at t ack bonus ( as wel l as
Dext er i t y- basedski l l s) .
Voi d S uppr essi on ( S u) : O nce per day, a 12t h- l evel Voi d di s-
ci pl e can make a mel ee t ouch at t ack t o f or ce t he t ar get t o use
hi s l owest abi l i t y scor e modi f i er i n pl ace of any one hi gher
modi f i er ( Voi d di sci pl e' s choi ce) f or 5 r ounds. For exampl e, a
Voi d di sci pl e coul d f or ce an ogr e t o use hi s l owi nt el l i gence
modi f i er i n
pl ace of hi s hi gh S t r engt h modi f i er , sever el y weak-
eni ngt he br ut e' s physi cal bl ows.
Voi d S t r i ke ( S u) : O nce per day, a 13t h- l evel Voi d di sci pl e can
make a mel ee t ouch at t ack t o best ow1d4 negat i ve l evel s ont he
t ar get . T he Voi d di sci pl e gai ns S t empor ar yhi t poi nt s f or each
negat i ve l evel she best ows. I f t he t ar get has at l east as manyneg-
at i ve l evel s as HD, he di es. E ach negat i ve l evel gi ves a cr eat ur e a
- 1 compet ence penal t y on at t ack r ol l s, savi ng t hr ows,
ski l l
checks, abi l i t y checks, and ef f ect i ve l evel ( f or det er mi ni ng t he
power ,
dur at i on, DC , and ot her det ai l s of spel l s or speci al abi l i -
t i es) . Addi t i onal l y, a spel l cast er l oses one spel l or spel l sl ot f r om
hi s hi ghest avai l abl e l evel . N egat i ve l evel s st ack. Assumi ng t he
t ar get sur vi ves, he r egai ns l ost l evel s af t er 13 hour s pass . T hi s abi l -
i t y r el i es on t he Voi d di sci pl e' s mast er y of Voi d, not negat i ve
ener gy,
so i t cannot be used t o benef i t undead.
WE APO N MAS T E R ( KE N S E I )
Har nessi ng ki ener gy i s an essent i al abi l i t y f or
many char act er s i n O r i ent al Advent ur es . For
weapon mast er s ( kensei ) , t he per f ect i on of ki i s
f ound i n t he mast er y of a si ngl e mel ee weapon.
Weapon mast er s seek t o uni t e t hi s weapon of
choi ce wi t h t he
body, t o make t hemone, and t o use t he weapon
as nat ur al l y and wi t hout t hought as any ot her l i mb.
Weaponmast er s ar e most of t enf i ght er s or samur ai , si nce t he
sheer number of f eat s r equi r ed t o qual i f y det er s many ot her
char act er s . Weapon mast er s ar e
not t r ai ned i n t he samur ai
school s of Rokugan, but i ndi vi dual f i ght er s or samur ai ,
under
t he t ut el age of a mor e exper i enced
mast er , mayadopt t he
weapon
mast er pr est i ge cl ass .
Hi t Di e: d10.
RE QUI RE ME N T S
T o qual i f y as aweapon
mast er , a char act er must f ul f i l l al l t he f ol -
l owi ngcr i t er i a.
Base At t ack Bonus : +5 .
S ki l l s : I nt i mi dat e 4 r anks.
Feat s: Dodge,
Mobi l i t y C ombat Ref l exes, E xper t i se, Weapon
Focus ( wi t h weaponof choi ce) , Whi r l wi ndAt t ack
.
S peci al : Must owna
mast er wor k weapon of choi ce.
T ABLE 3- 16: T HE WE APO N MAS T E R
C LAS S S KI LLS
T he weapon
mast er ' s cl ass ski l l s ( and t he key abi l i t y f or each
ski l l ) ar e: I ai j ut su Focus ( C ha) , I nt i mi dat e
( C ha) , Li st en ( Wi s) ,
S ense Mot i ve ( Wi s) , andS pot ( Wi s) . S ee C hapt er 4: S ki l l s i n t he
Pl ayer ' s Handbook f or ski l l descr i pt i ons.
T he I ai j ut su Focus ski l l
i s
descr i bedi n C hapt er 4 of t hi s book.
S ki l l Poi nt s at each l evel : 2 +I nt
modi f i er .
C LAS S FE AT URE S
WeaponandAr mor
Pr of i ci ency: Weaponmast er s gai n no
addi t i onal weaponor ar mor pr of i ci ency.
Weapon of C hoi ce ( E x) : Weapon mast er s
dedi cat e t hei r l i ves
t o t he st udy of a si ngl e mel ee weapon, of t ent he kat ana or anot her
t ype of swor d. Aweaponmast er must have
t he WeaponFocus f eat
wi t h t hi s weapon
of choi ce. Al l of a weaponmast er ' s speci al abi l i -
t i es appl y onl y whenhe i s wi el di ng t hat t ype of
weapon. O nce he
has sel ect ed a weapon of
choi ce, a weapon mast er cannot l at er
change t hat weapon.
I n or der t o qual i f y f or t he weapon
mast er cl ass, a char act er
must owna mast er wor k weapon t hat i s hi s weapon of
choi ce .
He does not necessar i l y need
t o cont i nue usi ng t hat same
weapon t hr oughout hi s car eer , andhe gai ns t he benef i t s of t he
cl ass even i f he i s usi nga nor mal ( not a mast er wor k)
weapon, as
l ong as i t i s
hi s
weapon
of choi ce .
Ki Damage ( E x) : Af t er scor i ng a hi t wi t h hi s weapon
of
choi ce, a weapon mast er
can choose not t o r ol l di ce t o det er -
mi ne t he damage. I nst ead, he f i gur es t he nor mal maxi mum
damage ( not a cr i t i cal hi t ) he can
i nf l i ct and deal s t hat much
damage t o t he t ar get . Aweaponmast er wi el di ng a kat ana wi t h
a 17 S t r engt h deal s 13 poi nt s of
damage ( 10 +
3
f or S t r engt h)
when he chooses t hi s opt i on. Addi t i onal damage, such as
f r omusi ngt he Power At t ack f eat ( f ol l owi ng
al l
t he
r ul es f or
i t
nor mal l y) , t he sneak at t ack abi l i t y, or a weapon' s speci al pr op-
er t i es ( such as f l ami ngor honor abl e) , i s
det er mi nednor mal l y,
not maxi mi zed. T hi s abi l i t y cannot be used when you r ol l a
C l ass Base For t Ref Wi l l
Level At t ack Bonus S ave S ave S ave S peci al
1st +1 +0 +2 +0 Weapon
of choi ce, ki damage 1/ day/ l evel
2nd +2 +0 +3 +0
I ncr eased mul t i pl i er 1 / day
3r d
+3
+1 +3 +1 S uper i or
Weapon Focus
4t h +4 +1 +4 +1 I ncr eased
mul t i pl i er 2/ day
5t h +5 +1 +4 +1 S uper i or
C ombat Ref l exes
6t h +6
+2 +5 +2 I ncr eased
mul t i pl i er 3/ day
7t h
+7 +2 +5 +2 Ki cr i t i cal
8t h
+8
+2 +6 +2 I ncr eased
mul t i pl i er 4/ day
9t h +9 +3
+6 +3 Ki Whi r l wi nd At t ack
10t h +10 +3 +7 +3 I ncr eased
mul t i pl i er 5/ day
successf ul
cr i t i cal hi t
.
T he weapon mast er can use t hi s abi l i t y
once per dayper cl ass l evel .
I ncr easedMul t i pl i er ( E x) : A
weaponmast er of 2nd l evel or
hi gher
can deal ext r a damage wi t h a cr i t i cal hi t. T he damage
mul t i pl i er of t he
weapon mast er ' s f avor ed weapon i s i ncr eased
by 1. For exampl e, t he kat ana has a cr i t i cal mul t i pl i er of x2 .
Usi ng t hi s abi l i t y, t he weapon
mast er can i ncr ease t hat
mul t i -
pl i er t o x3 once per day at 2ndl evel . As a weapon mast er
i ncr eases i n l evel , he can use t hi s abi l i t y mor e f r equent l y. T he
weapon mast er must decl ar e t he use of t hi s abi l i t y bef or e
r ol l i ngany
damage di ce.
S uper i or Weapon Focus ( E x) : S t acki ng wi t h any exi st i ng
Weapon
Focus bonus, a weapon mast er of 3r dl evel or hi gher
adds anaddi t i onal +1 t o al l at t ack r ol l s wi t h hi s weaponof choi ce .
S uper i or
C ombat Ref l exes ( E x) : Aweapon mast er of 5t h
l evel or hi gher canmake a number of at t acks of oppor t uni t y i n a
r ound equal t o hi s Dext er i t y modi f i er pl us hi s Wi sdommodi f i er .
Ki C r i t i cal :
When a weapon mast er r eaches 7t h l evel , he
gai ns t he i mpr oved C r i t i cal f eat f or f r ee. I f he al r eady possesses
t hi s f eat , he adds an addi t i onal +2
t o t he t hr eat r ange f or hi s
weaponof choi ce . T hi s +2 bonus i s appl i edl ast , af t er any mul t i -
pl i er s, such as t hose gi ven
by t he i mpr oved C r i t i cal f eat or by
keen weapons.
Ki Whi r l wi ndAt t ack
( E x) : Aweapon mast er of 9t h l evel or
hi gher can make a Whi r l wi nd At t ack as a st andar d act i on
r at her t han a f ul l - r ound act i on. O nl y one whi r l wi ndat t ack can
be made per r ound.
WI T C HHUN T E R
Wi t ch
hunt er s combi ne magi cal t r ai ni ng wi t h
combat exper t i se t o bat t l e t he spi r i t ual f or ces of
evi l i n t he wor l d. Ghost s and ot her evi l spi r i t s,
demons and oni , and pr act i t i oner s
of bl ack
magi c ar e t he wi t ch hunt er s' swor n enemi es,
and t hey br i ng uni que abi l i t i es and exper t i se
t o bear
i n
combat i ng t hese f oes .
Awi t ch hunt er t ypi cal l y
begi ns hi s t r ai ni ng as a shaman,
shugenj a,
or wuj en. At some poi nt i n hi s car eer , he encount er s
an ol der wi t ch hunt er who sel ect s hi m
as an appr ent i ce . Af t er
t hi s sel ect i on, he l ear ns weapon pr of i ci ency, war ds and bi nd-
i ngs, ways of det ect i ng
angr yspi r i t s, andcombat t echni ques. By
t he t i me t he wi t ch hunt er l eaves hi s mast er and goes hi s
own
way, he i s usual l y
a mul t i cl ass f i ght er or r anger . I n Rokugan,
wi t ch hunt er s ar e excl usi vel y shugenj as f r omt he C r ab cl an,
t r ai nedi n
t he Kuni school .
N PC wi t ch hunt er s wander
r oads and f i el ds i n sear ch of
evi l cr eat ur es or sor cer er s . Rumor s of haunt i ngs or demoni c
sacr i f i ces dr awt heml i ke f l i es, whi ch has made
t he wi t ch
hunt er s t he subj ect of popul ar l egend among t he peasant r y
.
T he t al es el evat e t hemt o a st at us par al l el i ng t hat of t he mys-
t er i ous t at t ooed monks, andi t comes as
no sur pr i se t hat
wi t ch
hunt er s and t at t ooed monks t end t o gr eet each ot her
wi t h r espect .
Hi t Di e: d8.
RE QUI RE ME N T S
T o qual i f y t o become a wi t ch hunt er , a char act er must
f ul f i l l al l
t he f ol l owi ngcr i t er i a
.
Al i gnment : Any nonevi l .
Base At t ack Bonus : +5 .
S ki l l s : Knowl edge ( ar cana) or Knowl edge ( S hadowl ands)
10 r anks .
Feat :
T r ack.
S pel l s : Abl e t o cast magi c ci r cl e agai nst T ai nt or magi c ci r cl e
agai nst evi l
.
S peci al : Must have been sel ect ed by anot her wi t ch hunt er , and
t r ai ned under t hat ment or bef or e ent er i ng t he pr est i ge
cl ass.
T ABLE 3- 17: T HE WI T C HHUN T E R
C LAS S S KI LLS
T he wi t ch hunt er ' s cl ass ski l l s ( and t he keyabi l i t y f or each ski l l )
ar e Al chemy ( I nt ) , C l i mb ( S t r ) , C oncent r at i on ( C on) , C r af t
( I nt ) , Heal ( Wi s) , Hi de ( Dex) , I nt ui t Di r ect i on ( Wi s) , J ump
( S t r ) , Knowl edge ( ar cana) ( I nt ) , Knowl edge ( l ocal ) ( I nt ) ,
Knowl edge ( r el i gi on) ( I nt ) , Knowl edge ( S hadowl ands) ( I nt ) ,
Li st en ( Wi s) , Move S i l ent l y ( Dex) , Pr of essi on ( Wi s) , S cr y ( I nt ,
excl usi ve
ski l l ) ,
S ear ch
( I nt ) ,
S ense
Mot i ve ( Wi s) , S pel l cr af t
( I nt ) , S pot ( Wi s) , S wi m( S t r ) , Use Rope ( Dex) , and Wi l der ness
Lor e ( Wi s) . S ee C hapt er 4:
S ki l l s i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook f or
ski l l descr i pt i ons . T he Knowl edge ( S hadowl ands) ski l l i s onl y
appr opr i at e
i n
Rokugan
.
S ki l l Poi nt s at E ach Level : 4 +I nt modi f i er .
C LAS S FE AT URE S
T hef ol l owi ng ar e cl ass f eat ur es of t he wi t ch hunt er .
Weaponand
Ar mor Pr of i ci ency
:
Wi t ch hunt er s ar e pr of i -
ci ent wi t h al l si mpl e and mar t i al weapons and wi t h al l ar mor.
S pel l s per Day: Awi t ch hunt er cont i nues her magi cal t r ai n-
i ng as wel l as pr act i ci ng t he t echni ques of t he hunt er . At 2nd,
5t h, 7t h, 9t h, and l ot h l evel , t he char act er gai ns newspel l s per
dayandspel l s knownas i f she had al so gai ned one l evel i n her
spel l cast i ng cl ass . S he does not , however , gai n any ot her ben-
ef i t of t he spel l cast i ng cl ass . For exampl e,
i f Kuni
O sar i , a
3r d-
l evel shugenj a/ 4t h- l evel r anger / 1st - l evel wi t ch hunt er , gai ns
a l evel
i n wi t ch hunt er ,
she
gai ns newspel l s as i f she had r i sen
t o 4t h l evel i n shugenj a, but uses t he ot her wi t ch hunt er
aspect s of l evel pr ogr essi on such as at t ack bonus and save
C l ass
Base For t Ref Wi l l
Level
At t ack Bonus S ave S ave S ave S peci al S pel l s
per Day
1st +1 +2 +0 +2 Det ect evi l , kami ' s gr ace
2nd
+2 +3 +0 +3 S mi t e evi l
+1 l evel of exi st i ng cl ass
3r d +3 +3 +1 +3 Aur a of cour age
4t h
+4 +4 +1 +4 Bonus f eat : Power At t ack
5t h +5 +4 +1 +4 +1 l evel of exi st i ng
cl ass
6t h +6 +5 +2 +5 Bonus f eat : C l eave
7t h +7 +5 +2 +5 +1 l evel of exi st i ng cl ass
8t h +8 +6 +2 +6 Resi st evi l magi c
9t h +9 +6 +3 +6 +1 l evel of exi st i ng cl ass
10t h +10 +7 +3 +7 Bonus f eat : Gr eat C l eave +1 l evel of exi st i ng
cl ass
bonus. I f she next gai ns a l evel of shugenj a, maki ng her a 4t h-
l evel shugenj a/ 4t h- l evel
r anger / 2nd- l evel wi t ch
hunt er ,
she
gai ns spel l s as i f she had r i sen t o 5t h l evel i n shugenj a.
Det ect E vi l
( S p) : At
wi l l ,
t he wi t ch hunt er can use det ect
evi l as
a spel l - l i ke abi l i t y. I n t he f eat ur ed campai gn set t i ng of Roku-
gan, wi t ch hunt er s use
det ect
T ai nt
i nst ead.
Kami ' s Gr ace: Awi t ch hunt er appl i es her C har i sma modi -
f i er ( i f posi t i ve) as a bonus on al l savi ng t hr ows .
S mi t e E vi l ( S u) : O nce per day, a wi t ch hunt er of 2ndl evel or
hi gher
may at t empt t o smi t e an evi l opponent wi t h one nor mal
mel ee at t ack. S he adds a +4 bonus on her at t ack r ol l anddeal s 2
ext r a poi nt s
of damage per cl ass l evel . I f t he wi t ch hunt er acci -
dent al l y smi t es a cr eat ur e t hat i s not evi l , t he smi t e has no ef f ect
but i t i s st i l l used up f or t hat day.
i n t he f eat ur ed campai gn set t i ng of Rokugan, wi t chhunt er s
smi t e S hadowl ands opponent s i nst ead. AS hadowl ands oppo-
nent i s a monst er wi t h t he S hadowl ands descr i pt or or a char -
act er wi t h a T ai nt scor e.
Aur a of
C our age ( E x/ S u) : Begi nni ng at 3r d l evel , a wi t ch
hunt er i s i mmune t o f ear ( magi cal or ot her wi se) . Al l i es wi t hi n
10 f eet of t he wi t ch hunt er gai n a +4 mor al e bonus on savi ng
t hr ows agai nst f ear ef f ect s. Gr ant i ngt he mor al e bonus t o al l i es
i s a super nat ur al abi l i t y.
Bonus Feat s : At 4t h, 6t h, and l ot h l evel , a wi t ch hunt er
gai ns t he bonus f eat s Power At t ack, C l eave, andGr eat C l eave . I f
t he wi t ch hunt er al r eadyhas one of t hese f eat s at t he
t i me she
gai ns i t as a bonus f eat , she gai ns no speci al benef i t . I f t he wi t ch
hunt er
does
not
have t he pr er equi si t e
S t r engt h scor e, she can
onl y use t he f eat s agai nst evi l opponent s ( or S hadowl ands
opponent s, i n Rokugan)
.
Resi st E vi l Magi c ( E x) : At 8t h l evel , a wi t chhunt er gai ns a
speci al i zed spel l r esi st ance
equal t o 20
+her cl ass l evel . T hi s
spel l r esi st ance appl i es
onl y t o evi l spel l s or spel l s cast by an
evi l cr eat ur e. I n Rokugan, t hi s spel l r esi st ance appl i es
onl y t o
spel l s cast by maho- t sukai or
ot her char act er s wi t h t he S hadow-
l ands T ai nt , as wel l as spel l s and spel l - l i ke abi l i t i es
used
by
S hadowl ands monst er s
.
YAKUZA
T he yakuzas ar e many di f f er ent t hi ngs, dependi ng on whoi s
asked. S ome cal l t hempr ot ect or s of t he
common f ol k, ot her s
t hi nk of t hemas t hugs and ext or t i oni st s, st i l l ot her s r el y on
t hemas an unof f i ci al pol i ce f or ce. T hey ar e
si mul t aneousl y
despi sed and
r espect ed, somet i mes even suppor t edby t he l ocal
aut hor i t i es. O n one hand, t hey r epr esent t he
shadowy under -
wor l d, di r ect i ng and cont r ol l i ng l ocal act i vi t i es . O n t he ot her
hand, t hey pr ovi de pr ot ect i on
f or t he hel pl ess and wat ch over
t hose
i n t hei r car e. O f cour se, such car e has a pr i ce, and t hat i s
howt he yakuzas make t hei r l i vi ng.
Most
yakuzas ar e r ogues, and no char act er wi t hout at l east
some r ogue l evel s wi l l meet t he
ski l l r equi r ement s f or t he
yakuza cl ass bef or e ver y
hi gh l evel s . S ome r ogue/ f i ght er s ar e
dr awn t o t he yakuzas' t huggi sh, enf or cer r ol e .
Yakuzas ar e not
f ound i n Rokugan
.
Yakuza may be t ol er at ed, condoned, or
even r ecogni zed by
t he gover nment , but t hey
ar e never t hel ess cr i mi nal s, al ways
i n danger of ar r est andpuni shment f or t hei r
cr i mes . As a
r esul t , yakuza f ami l i es do
t hei r best t o keep ever yt hi ng r un-
ni ng smoot hl y and qui et l y i n t hei r t er r i t or i es,
avoi di ng any
unwant ed at t ent i on
.
Hi t Di e: d6.
RE QUI RE ME N T S
T o qual i f y as
a yakuza, a char act er must f ul f i l l
al l t he f ol l ow-
i ng cr i t er i a:
Al i gnment : Anynonchaot i c, nongood
.
S ki l l s : Bl uf f
10 r anks, Gat her I nf or mat i on
10 r anks, Hi de
7
r anks .
Feat s : Dodge.
T ABLE 3- 18
: T HE YAKUZA
C LAS S
S KI LLS
T he
yakuza' s cl ass ski l l s ( and t he key
abi l i t y f or each ski l l ) ar e:
Bl uf f ( C ha) ,
Di pl omacy ( C ha) , Di sabl e
Devi ce ( I nt ) , For ger y
( I nt ) , Gat her I nf or mat i on
( C ha) , Hi de ( Dex) ,
I nnuendo
( C ha) , I nt i mi dat e
( C ha) , Li st en ( Wi s) ,
Move S i l ent l y ( Dec) ,
O pen Locks ( Dex) , Pi ck
Pocket s ( Dex) , S ense Mot i ve
( Wi s) ,
and S pot ( Wi s)
. S ee C hapt er 4: S ki l l s i n
t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook
f or ski l l descr i pt i ons.
S ki l l Poi nt s
at each l evel : 8 +I nt modi f i er .
C LAS S FE AT URE S
Weapon and
Ar mor Pr of i ci ency: Yakuzas gai n
no addi -
t i onal
weapon or ar mor
pr of i ci ency
.
Uncanny
Dodge ( E x) : Ayakuza
has t he abi l i t y t o r eact t o
danger
bef or e her senses
woul d nor mal l y al l owher t o even
be
awar e of i t . Fr om
1st l evel , she r et ai ns her
Dext er i t y bonus t o
AC ( i f any) r egar dl ess
of bei ng caught f l at - f oot ed or st r uck by
an i nvi si bl e
at t acker . ( S he st i l l l oses her
Dext er i t ybonus t o AC
i f
i mmobi l i zed. )
At 4t h l evel ,
t he yakuza can no l onger
be f l anked, si nce she
can r eact t o opponent s
on opposi t e si des of her as
easi l y as
she can
r eact t o a si ngl e at t acker
. T hi s def ense deni es r ogues
t he oppor t uni t y
t o use f l ank at t acks t o
sneak at t ack t he
yakuza. T he
except i on t o t hi s
def ense i s t hat a r ogue at l east
f our l evel s
hi gher t han t he yakuza can f l ank
her ( and t hus
sneak at t ack her ) .
At 8t h
l evel , t he yakuza gai ns an
i nt ui t i ve sense t hat al er t s
her t o danger f r omt r aps,
gi vi ng her a +1 bonus on
Ref l ex saves
made
t o avoi d t r aps.
I f t he
yakuza has anot her cl ass t hat
gr ant s t he uncanny
dodge abi l i t y, add t oget her
al l t he cl ass l evel s of t he cl asses
t hat
gr ant t he
abi l i t y and det er mi ne t he
char act er ' s uncanny dodge
abi l i t y on t hat basi s .
Def ensi ve Rol l ( E x) : Ayakuza
can r ol l wi t h a pot ent i al l y
l et hal bl owt o t ake
l ess damage f r omi t . O nce per day,
when a
yakuza
woul dbe r educed t o 0 hi t
poi nt s or l ess by damage i n
combat ( f r oma
weapon or ot her bl ow, not a spel l or
speci al
abi l i t y) ,
t he yakuza can at t empt
t o r ol l wi t h t he damage. S he
makes a Ref l ex
savi ng t hr ow( DC = damage
deal t ) and, i f
she' s successf ul , she t akes onl y
hal f damage f r omt he bl ow.
S he must
be awar e of t he at t ack and abl e t o
r eact t o i t i n
or der t o execut e
her def ensi ve r ol l - i f she i s deni ed
her Dext er i t y
bonus t o AC , she can' t r ol l . S i nce t hi s ef f ect
woul d not nor mal l y al l owa
char act er t o make a Ref l ex save
f or
hal f damage, t he yakuza' s evasi on abi l i t y does not appl y t o
t he def ensi ve r ol l .
I mpr oved E vasi on ( E x) : At 2nd l evel and above, a yakuza
canavoi d even
magi cal andunusual at t acks wi t h gr eat agi l i t y. I f
t he yakuza makes a successf ul Ref l ex
savi ng t hr owagai nst an
at t ack t hat nor mal l y
deal s hal f damage ona successf ul save, she
i nst eadt akes no damage. E ven i f she f ai l s
her savi ng t hr ow, she
t akes onl y
hal f damage. T he yakuza can use i mpr oved evasi on
onl y i f she i s wear i ngl i ght ar mor
or no ar mor.
Yakuza Knowl edge ( E x) : Ayakuza, i f she' s doi ng her j ob,
knows ever yt hi ng
t hat goes oni n her " t er r i t or y, " and a l ot about
what goes on out si de i t . Ayakuza may
make a speci al yakuza
knowl edge
check wi t h a bonus equal t o her cl ass l evel +her
i nt el l i gence modi f i er t o see whet her she knows
some r el evant
i nf or mat i on
about l ocal peopl e or pl aces . T he yakuza may not
t ake 10 or t ake 20 ont hi s check; t hi s sor t of knowl edge i s
essen-
t i al l y r andom. T he
DMwi l l det er mi ne t he Di f f i cul t y C l ass of
t he checkby r ef er r i ng t o t he t abl e bel ow.
Leader shi p: At 5t h l evel ,
a yakuza gai ns t he Leader shi pf eat
f or
f r ee . Yakuza bel ong t o an adopt i ve f ami l y, and can cal l on
ot her member s of t hei r f ami l i es f or assi st ance. A
yakuza' s
f ol -
l ower s maybe r ogues as wel l as war r i or s, exper t s, or common-
er s . I f t he yakuza al r eady
has t he Leader shi p f eat , she gai ns a
per manent +2 bonus on her Leader shi p scor e.
S l i pper y Mi nd( E x) : At
l ot h l evel , a yakuza gai ns t he abi l i t y
t o wr i ggl e f r ee f r ommagi cal ef f ect s t hat woul d ot her wi se
con-
t r ol or compel her. I f
a yakuza wi t h sl i pper y mi ndi s af f ect ed by
magi c and f ai l s her savi ng t hr ow, 1 r ound l at er she can at t empt
her savi ng t hr owagai n.
S he onl y get s t hi s one ext r a chance t o
succeed at her savi ng t hr ow.
C l ass
Base For t
Ref Wi l l
Level
At t ack Bonus S ave S ave
S ave S peci al
1 st
+0 +0
+2 +0 Uncanny dodge ( Dex bonus t o AC ) , def ensi ve r ol l
2nd
+1 +0
+3 +0 I mpr oved evasi on
3r d
+2 +1
+3 +1 Yakuza knowl edge
4t h
+3 +1
+4 +1 Uncanny dodge ( can' t be f l anked)
5t h
+3 = +1
+4 +1 Leader shi p
6t h
+4 +2
+5 +2
7t h +5
+2 +5 +2
8t h
+6 +2
+6 +2 Uncanny dodge ( +1
t o t r aps)
9t h
+6 +3
+6 +3
10t h
+7
+3 +7 +3 S l i pper y mi nd
DC T ype
of Knowl edge E xampl es
5 C ommon, known by at l east Al ocal mayor ' s r eput at i on
a subst ant i al mi nor i t y of t he f or dr i nki ng; a
nei ghbor -
l ocal popul at i on. hood' s
r eput at i on f or
cr i mi nal
act i vi t y.
15 Uncommon but avai l abl e, Al ocal shaman' s shady
known by onl y a f ewpeopl e
past ; a dai myo' s f ami l y
i n t he ar ea. hi st or y.
20 O bscur e, known by a f ew, A
samur ai ' s f ami l y hi st or y,
har d t o come by.
t he l ocat i on and i dent i t y
of a r el i abl e pur chaser
of st ol en goods .
25 E xt r emel y
obscur e, known Ami ght y wu j en' s bi r t h
by ver y f ew, possi bl y
f or got t en name; key f i gur es i n t he
by most who
once knewi t , l ocal under wor l d.
possi bl y
known onl y by t hose
who don' t
under st and t he
si gni f i cance
of t he knowl edge.
T
he f undament al r ul es f or ski l l s andf eat s i n O r i ent al
Advent ur es ar e t he same as t hose descr i bed i n t he Pl ayer ' s
andbook. T hi s chapt er det ai l s speci f i c speci al t i es of t he
C r af t , Knowl edge, Per f or m, andPr of essi on ski l l s, expl ai ns
newuses f or S ense Mot i ve and t echni ques f or " E xt r eme
T umbl i ng, " i nt r oduces one newski l l : I ai j ut su Focus, and
descr i bes
mor e t han
70 newf eat s .
C AS T E AN DS KI LLS I N RO KUGAN
I n Rokugan' s hi ghl y st r at i f i ed soci et y,
cer t ai n t asks ar e per f or med
onl y
by
cer t ai n
cl asses of peopl e. Asamur ai does not honor
hi s ancest or s by cr af t i ng ar mor or pl yi ng a
t r ade, and he br i ngs shame t o hi s f ami l y i f
he engages i n f or ger yor l eat her wor ki ng. Li kewi se, ski l l s of
knowl edge and f i ne ar t s ar e not pr act i ced
by hei mi ns.
T he f ol l owi ng ski l l s ar e consi der ed Hi gh ski l l s, and ar e
honor abl e f or samur ai t o pr act i ce : C r af t ( cal l i gr aphy,
f l ower
ar r angi ng, l andscape gar deni ng, or i gami , pai nt i ng, and
ot her f i ne ar t s) , Di pl omacy, Knowl edge ( any) ,
Per f or m( f i ne
ar t s, t ea cer emony) , Pr of essi on ( cour t i er ) , Ri de, S cr y, S peak
Language, and S pel l cr af t .
T he f ol l owi ng ski l l s ar e consi der ed Lowski l l s, andbr i ng
di shonor t o a samur ai : Bl uf f , C r af t ( l eat her wor ki ng, poi son,
t r aps) , Di sgui se, E scape
Ar t i st ,
For ger y,
Gat her I nf or mat i on,
Handl e Ani mal , Hi de, Move S i l ent l y, O pen Lock, Per f or m
( common ent er t ai nment ) ,
Pi ck Pocket , and Pr of essi on,
( gambl er , mor t i ci an, t or t ur er ) .
O t her ski l l s ar e
neut r al wher e a samur ai ' s honor i s con-
cer ned.
O ut si de t he f eat ur ed
campai gn set t i ngof Rokugan, some
soci et i es
cl assi f y ski l l s i n t hi s way, whi l e ot her s do not. As
a
r ul e, char act er s concer nedwi t h war r i or honor
( al ways
i ncl ude
i ng samur ai and possi bl y al so
shugenj as) shoul d not pr act i ce
t he ski l l s desi gnat ed as Lowski l l s . N i nj a and yakuzas, whi l e
t hey bot h have t hei r owncodes of
honor , f i nd not hi ng di s-
honor abl e i n pr act i ci ng Gat her I nf or mat i on, Hi de, and t he
ot her Lowski l l s .
S PE C I ALT I E S
C har act er s
i nO r i ent al Advent ur es can choose f r omt hese
speci f i c speci al t i es wi t hi n t he br oader
cat egor y of C r af t ,
Knowl edge,
Per f or m, and Pr of essi on ski l l s .
C r af t : Ar mor smi t hi ng,
bl acksmi t hi ng, bowmaki ng,
br ewi ng, car pent r y,
cal l i gr aphy ( Hi gh) , expl osi ves, f l ower
ar r angi ng ( Hi gh) , gemcut t i ng, l andscape
gar deni ng( Hi gh) ,
l eat her wor ki ng
( Low) , l ocks, or i gami ( Hi gh) ,
pai nt i ng
( Hi gh) , paper maki ng, poi son ( Low) , pot t er y,
si l kmaki ng,
st onemasonr y, t ai l or i ng,
t at t ooi ng, t r aps ( Low) , weapon-
smi t hi ng, and weavi ng.
Knowl edge: T he
essent i al f i el ds of st udy encompassed
by t he Knowl edge ski l l ar e l ar gel y unchanged,
but t hei r
speci f i c f oot s i s sl i ght l y di f f er ent
i n O r i ent al Advent ur es .
Knowl edge ( t he
pl anes) i s r epl aced by Knowl edge
( S hadowl ands) i n t he f eat ur ed campai gn set t i ng of Rokugan,
andby Knowl edge ( spi r i t s) i n ot her campai gn set t i ngs .
" Ar cana ( anci ent myst er i es, ast r ol ogy, magi c t r adi t i ons, ar cane
symbol s, cr ypt i c
phr ases)
" Ar chi t ect ur e andengi neer i ng ( bui l di ngs, br i dges, f or t i f i cat i ons)
" Bar bar i an l or e ( l ands out si de Rokugan, t hei r peopl e and
cust oms)
" Geogr aphy
( l ands of Rokugan, t er r ai n, cl i mat e, peopl e
and cl ans)
"
Hi st or y( r oyal t y, war s, col oni es, mi gr at i ons, f oundi ngof ci t i es)
" Local ( l egends, per sonal i t i es, i nhabi t ant s, l aws, and t r adi -
t i ons of one cl an or smal l r egi on)
" N at ur e ( pl ant s and ani mal s, seasons and cycl es, weat her )
" N obi l i t y andr oyal t y ( l i neage, her al dr y, cust oms, f ami l y t r ees,
mot t oes, per sonal i t i es, l aws)
" Rel i gi on ( ancest or s, S hi nt ao, t he For t unes, r i t ual s, sacr ed
symbol s)
" S hadowl ands ( gobl i ns, ogr es, nezumi , ot her S hadowl ands
cr eat ur es and danger s, maho, t he T ai nt ) - Rokugan onl y
"

S pi r i t s ( spi r i t cr eat ur es, t he spi r i t wor l d)
" War ( mi l i t ar v
hi st or v, st r at egy, t act i cs . war machi nes)
Per f or m: C ommon t ypes of per f or mance
i ncl ude acr obat i cs
( Low) , act i ng
( Low) , dance ( Low) , j est i ng ( Low) , N oh/ kabuki
( Hi gh) , musi cal i nst r ument s ( Hi gh or
Low- see C hapt er 5 :
Descr i pt i ons
andE qui pment f or possi bl e i nst r ument s) , or at or y
( Hi gh) , poet r y ( Hi gh) ,
r het or i c ( Hi gh) , st or yt el l i ng ( nei t her
Hi gh nor Low) , and t ea cer emony ( Hi gh) .
Pr of essi on: C ook, cour t i er ( Hi gh) , engi neer , f ar mer , f i sher ,
gambl er ( Low) , her bal i st , masseur , mer chant , mor t i ci an ( Low) ,
mount ai neer , pear l bed di ver , sai l or , and t or t ur er ( Low) .
N E WUS E S FO R O LD S KI LLS
Af ewski l l s have newappl i cat i ons i n O r i ent al Advent ur es .
S ense Mot i ve: C har act er s use t hi s ski l l i n an i ai j ut su duel
( see C hapt er 6) and at ot her t i mes when t hey want t o
appr ai se
t he ski l l of anot her
char act er ( usual l y an opponent ) . Because of
t hese uses, i t i s a cl ass ski l l f or samur ai . I n an i ai j ut su duel ,
samur ai
use t he f ol l owi ngDC s :
S peak Language: T he common
l anguages of O r i ent al Adven-
t ur es ar e summar i zedi n T abl e 4- 1 : Languages .
E xt r eme
T umbl i ng: C har act er s whoar e excel l ent at t umbl i ng
can accompl i sh r emar kabl e f eat s of acr obat i cs wi t h a ver y hi gh
T umbl e check r esul t :
DC T ask
30

T r eat a f al l as i f i t wer e 20 f eet shor t er when
det er mi n-
i ng damage.
35

S t and up f r ompr one as a f r ee act i on
( i nst ead of a
move- equi val ent act i on) .
40

Move 10 f eet as a " 5- f oot st ep, " whi l e al so
per f or mi nga
f ul l - r ound act i on dur i ng t he r ound ( such as a f ul l
at t ack) .
I n mel ee, you mi ght do a back f l i p over your opponent ' s
head t o get on hi s ot her si de . T hi s move never
pr ovokes
an at t ack of oppor t uni t y- i t i s exact l y equi val ent t o a 5-
f oot st ep,
except f or t he di st ance cover ed.
45

T r eat a f al l as i f i t wer e 30 f eet shor t er when det er mi n-
i ng damage.
50

C l i mb t o a hei ght of up t o 20 f eet
( as par t of nor mal
movement ) by j umpi ng and bounci ng
of f wal l s or t r ees .
You must have at l east t wo ver t i cal sur f aces
t o bounce
of f , and t he t wo must be wi t hi n 10 f eet of each ot her.
60

T r eat a f al l as i f i t wer e 40 f eet shor t er when
det er mi n-
i ng damage. ( T her e i s no l i mi t t o t he di st ance a char ac-
t er wi t h T umbl e can f al l wi t hout bei ng hur t . I ncr ease
t he DC by 15 f or each addi t i onal 10 f eet of f al l i ng. )
Achar act er wi t h 15 or mor e r anks i n T umbl e gai ns a +4 dodge
bonus t o AC when execut i ngt he f i ght def ensi vel y st andar d
or
f ul l - r ound act i on, i nst ead of a +2 bonus ( or t he +3 bonus f r om
havi ng5 or mor e r anks) .
Achar act er wi t h
15
or mor e r anks i n T umbl e gai ns a +8 dodge
bonus t o AC when execut i ng t he t ot al def ense st andar d act i on,
i nst eadof a +4
bonus ( or t he +6 bonus f r omhavi ng
5
or mor er anks) .
N E WS KI LL:
I AI J UT S U FO C US ( C HA)
Uset hi s ski l l t o gat her your per sonal ener gy ( hi ) i n an i ai j ut su duel .
C heck: I f you at t ack a f l at - f oot ed opponent i mmedi at el y
af t er dr awi ng a mel ee weapon, you can deal ext r a damage,
based on t he r esul t of an
I ai j ut su Focus check. I n addi t i on, i f
you and your opponent bot h agr ee t o par t i ci pat e i n a f or mal
i ai -
j ut su duel , your I ai j ut su Focus check r epl aces
your i ni t i at i ve
checkf or t he ensui ngcombat .
I n an i ai j ut su duel ( see C hapt er 6) , you and your
opponent
make opposedI ai j ut su Focus checks, and t he wi nner accumul at es
ext r a damage di ce accor di ngt o t he accompanyi ngt abl e.
You can al so use I ai j ut su Focus i n pr epar at i on
f or st r i ki ng an
i nani mat e obj ect , assumi ngnodi st r act i ons . Your ext r a damage
I nf or mat i on
DC
O pposi ng char act er ' s
l evel 15
O pposi ng char act er ' s
r anks i n I ai j ut su Focus 20
O pposi ng char act er ' s
t ot al at t ack and damage 25
bonus wi t h pr i mar y
weapon
T ABLE 4- 1 :
LAN GUAGE S
Language T ypi cal S peaker s Al phabet Language
T ypi cal S peaker s Al phabet
Rokugani / C ommon Humans C ommon N ezumi
N ezumi C ommon
Bakemono Bakemono, Dwar ven S hadowl ands
Bog hags, dokuf u, C ommon
S hadowl ands ogr es
S hadowl ands oni
Buso Buso - S pi r i t T ongue
S pi r i t f ol k, cel est i al s, Dr aconi c
Dr aconi c Dr agons, hannya Dr aconi c
dr agons
Dwar ven Kor obokur u Dwar ven T asl oi T asl oi
C ommon
Gi ant O ni , wang- l i ang Dwar ven T engu T engu
C ommon
Hengeyokai Hengeyokai C ommon Vanar a Vanar a
C ommon
Kappa Kappa C ommon Yet i
r `
Yet i -
Yuan- T i Yuan- t i
Dr aconi c
i s hal ved, j ust l i ke your or di nar y damage. T hi s i s
t he t echni que
mar t i al ar t i st s use t o shat t er obj ect s .
S ki l l cont est s ar e a par t of l i f e i n t he wor l d of O r i ent al Adven-
t ur es . T hey ar e honor abl e
t est s of ski l l i n t he noncombat ar t s
t hat t hose of nobl e backgr ound ar e expect ed t o know. T he out -
come of a cont est cangr eat l y af f ect a
char act er ' s soci al posi t i on.
For mal cont est s occur most of t en at t he cour t of nobl e
househol ds . T hese ar e usual l yannounced i n advance,
gi vi ng al l
t he par t i ci pant s t i me t o pr epar e. O f t ena speci f i c subj ect mat t er
i s chosen, i n whi chcase t he par t i ci pant s br i ng a f i ni shed wor k
on t hat subj ect. S omet i mes nosubj ect
i s gi ven, and t he cont est
i s a t est of t he i mpr ovi sat i onal abi l i t i es of t he par t i ci pant s . N o
char act er i s ever r equi r ed t o at t end a cont est , but
t hose who
seek t he
f avor
of
t hei r l or d or some t ype of pol i t i cal posi t i on
sel dommi ss a chance t o appear i n cour t .
C ont est s canal so be i mpr ompt u event s t hat occur whenever
a gr oupof nobl es gat her s .
For exampl e, char act er s who gat her
t o wat ch a par t i cul ar l y beaut i f ul moonr i se may
suddenl y be
askedby t hei r host t o compose a poem
about t he event .
Resol vi ng
a cont est i n game t er ms i s si mpl e: C ont est ant s
make ski l l checks, and t he hi ghest check r esul t
wi ns t he
con-
t est . T i es canbe r esol ved
as nor mal , by compar i ng t he key abi l - '
i t y
scor es of
t he char act er s who t i ed, or by r ol l i ngof f. I n a case
wher e char act er s can pr epar e a submi ssi on ahead of t i me, t he
char act er can ( and
shoul d) t ake 20 on t he check.
T he benef i t s of wi nni ng a cont est ar e pr i mar i l y i n- char act er
benef i t s, not game benef i t s .
Wi nner s gai n
honor ,
whi ch causes
ot her s t o
t r eat t hemwi t h mor e r espect , andmaygai n t he f avor of
t he cont est ' s host . T he DMmaychoose t o gi ve a
smal l XPawar dt o
a char act er whowi ns a cont est - per haps so XPper char act er l evel .
FE AT S
O r i ent al Advent ur es i nt r oduces a number of
f eat s r el at ed t o mar -
t i al ar t s, combat , and si mi l ar act i vi t y, as wel l as t wo newi t em
cr eat i on f eat s . T hese f eat s ar e summar i zed onT abl e 4- 2
: N ew
Feat s and descr i bed
i n t he t ext t hat f ol l ows t he t abl e.
I n addi t i on t o t hese f eat s, begi nni ng
char act er s i n O r i ent al
Advent ur es may
choose
a
si ngl e not abl e ancest or by sel ect i ng an
ancest or f eat at char act er cr eat i on. Ahuman
char act er f r omone
of Rokugan' s gr eat
cl ans must choose an ancest or f eat wi t h t he
bonus f eat al l ot t ed t o humans. O t her char act er s
can choose one
ancest or f eat at char act er cr eat i on
. Ancest or f eat s may not be
t aken at anyt i me beyond char act er cr eat i on.
Achar act er i s assumednot onl y t o be
descended f r oman ances-
t or t hr ough bl oodl i ne ( i n most cases) , but al so t o possess a
speci al
kar mi c t i e t o t hat ancest or , whi chbest ows some of
t he ances-
t or ' s qual i t i es on t he descendant
. I n t he case of Uni cor n
C heck Resul t
E xt r a Damage
10- 14 +1d6
15- 19 +2d6
20- 24 +3d6
25- 29 +4d6
30- 34 +5d6
35- 39 +6d6
40- 44 +7d6
45- 49 +8d6
50+ +9d6 ( maxi mum)
S KI LL C O N T E S T S
ancest or s,
t he kar mi c t i e i s mor e
i mpor t ant t han anyact ual bl ood
r el at i on t hat may
exi st , si nce most member s of t he
Uni cor ncl an
ar e
descended f r ombar bar i ans
whower e adopt ed i nt o t he
cl an
.
C har act er s
ar e not l i mi t ed t o choosi ng
ancest or s f r omt hei r
own
cl an, si nce i nt er mar r i age
bet ween cl ans i s common.
I t i s
qui t e
possi bl e f or a Dr agonsamur ai , f or exampl e,
t o cl ai ma C r ane
ancest or t hr ough hi s
mot her ' s si de . T he ancest or
f eat s ar e l i st ed
onT abl e
4- 3: Ancest or Feat s, gr ouped
by cl an f or conveni ence
onl y. T he names and
backgr ounds of ancest or s appl y f or
human
char act er s i n Rokugan; nonhuman
char act er s and char act er s i n
ot her
campai gnset t i ngs can name t hei r
ancest or s and det ai l t hei r
hi st or i es as t hey l i ke,
but t he f eat benef i t s do not change.
T ABLE 4- 2: N E WFE AT S
S HUJ E N J AS AN D ME T AMAGI C FE AT S
Li ke sor cer er s
and bar ds, shugenj as choose
spel l s as t hey cast
t hem. T hey can choose when
t hey cast t hei r spel l s whet her t o
use met amagi c
f eat s t o i mpr ove t hem. As
wi t h ot her spel l -
cast er s, t he i mpr oved
spel l uses up a hi gher - l evel spel l
sl ot . Because t he shugenj a has not pr epar ed t he spel l i n
a met am-
agi c f or mi n advance, she
must do so on t he spot . T he shugenj a,
t her ef or e, must t ake mor e t i me t o cast a met amagi c
spel l t han a
r egul ar
spel l . I f i t s nor mal cast i ng t i me i s 1 act i on, cast i ng
a
met amagi c spel l i s a f ul l - r ound
act i on f or a shugenj a. I t t akes an
ext r a f ul l - r ound
act i on t o cast spel l s wi t h a l onger cast i ng t i me.
S hugenj as cannot use t he Qui cken
S pel l met amagi c f eat .
ART
O F FAS C I N AT I O N [ AN C E S T O R]
You cl ai mdescent f r omKaki t a Wayozu, t he f i r st f emal e Mi s-
t r ess of t he Kaki t a Academy,
whose ar t was so gr eat i t i s sai d
t hat
she hel ped cr eat e an al t er nat e wor l d.
C l an: C r ane.
Benef i t : You canf asci nat e a si ngl e cr eat ur e wi t h your musi c
or poet i cs . Youmake a Per f or m
check, and t he t ar get cannegat e
t he ef f ect wi t h a Wi l l savi ng t hr owequal t o or gr eat er t han your
check r esul t . I f t he savi ng t hr ow
succeeds, youcannot at t empt
t o f asci nat e t hat cr eat ur e agai n f or 24 hour s . I f t he savi ng t hr ow
f ai l s, t he cr eat ur e
si t s qui et l y and l i st ens t o t he song f or up t o 1
r ound per l evel you possess . Whi l e f asci nat ed, t he t ar get ' s
S pot
and Li st en
checks suf f er a - 4 penal t y. Any pot ent i al t hr eat
al l ows t he f asci nat ed cr eat ur e
a second savi ng t hr owagai nst a
Gener al Feat s
Pr er equi si t e
Dodge*
Dex 13+ -
Kar mi c
S t r i ke Dex 13+, Dodge
E xper t i se*
I nt 13+
Def ensi ve
S t r i ke I nt 13+, E xper t i se
Dex 13+, Dodge
S uper i or
E xper t i se I nt 13+, E xper t i se
Base at t ack bonus
+6 or hi gher
I mpr oved Gr appl e I mpr oved Unar med
S t r i ke
C hoke Hol d I mpr oved
Unar med S t r i ke
I mpr oved
Gr appl e
S t unni ng
Fi st or monk' s
st unni ng
at t ack
E ar t h' s
E mbr ace I mpr oved
Unar med S t r i ke
I mpr oved
Gr appl e
S t r 15+
I mpr oved
Unar med S t r i ke* -
Def ensi ve T hr ow
I mpr oved Unar med S t r i ke
Dex 13+, Dodge
I mpr oved T r i p
C ombat Ref l exes
E agl e C l awAt t ack
Base at t ack bonus +2 or
hi gher
I mpr oved Unar med S t r i ke
S under
Dex 15+
Fal l i ng S t ar S t r i ke
I mpr oved Unar med S t r i ke
Base at t ack bonus +4 or hi gher
S t unni ng Fi st or
monk' s
st unni ng at t ack
Wi s 17+
Fi st s of I r on
Base at t ack
bonus +2 or hi gher
I mpr oved
Unar med S t r i ke
Fr eezi ng t he
Li f ebl ood I mpr oved Unar med
S t r i ke
Base
at t ack bonus +5 or hi gher
S t unni ng
Fi st or monk' s
st unni ng at t ack
Wi s 17+
Gr appl i ng Bl ock
I mpr oved Unar med S t r i ke
Def l ect
Ar r ows
I nt
13+, E xper t i se
I mpr oved Di sar m
C ombat Ref l exes
Gener al Feat s Pr er equi si t e
Gr eat T hr ow I mpr oved Unar med
S t r i ke
Dex 13+, Dodge
I mpr oved T r i p
C ombat Ref l exes
Unbal anci ng S t r i ke I mpr oved Unar med S t r i ke
S t unni ng
Fi st or monk' s
st unni ng at t ack
Wi s 15+
Pai n T ouch
Base at t ack bonus +2 or hi gher
S t unni ng Fi st or monk' s
st unni ng at t ack
Wi s 19+
Ki S hout
C ha 13+
Base at t ack bonus +1 or hi gher
Gr eat Ki
S hout C ha 13+
Ki S hout
Base at t ack bonus +9 or hi gher
PowerAt t ack* S t r 13+
Roundabout Ki ck S t r 15+
Power
At t ack
I mpr oved
Unar med S t r i ke
Fl yi ng Ki ck S t r 15+
Power At t ack
I mpr oved Unar med S t r i ke
j ump ski l l
Pr one At t ack Base
at t ack bonus +2 or hi gher
Dex 15+
Li ght ni ng Ref l exes
Remai n C onsci ous
Base at t ack bonus +2 or hi gher
E ndur ance
I r on Wi l l
T oughness
I t emC r eat i on
Feat s Pr er equi si t e
C r af t C r yst al
Weapon S pel l cast er l evel 7t h+
C r af t Magi c Ar ms and Ar mor
C r af t ( weaponsmi t hi ng) ski l l
C r af t T al i sman I nt el l i gence 13+
appr opr i at e C r af t ski l l
S pel l cast er
l evel 1+
newPer f or m
check r esul t . Any obvi ous t hr eat aut omat i cal l y
br eaks t he ef f ect . You must
concent r at e, as i f cast i ng or mai n-
t ai ni ng
a spel l . T hi s i s a spel l - l i ke, mi nd- af f ect i ng char mabi l i t y.
ART I S T [ AN C E S T O R]
You cl ai m
descent f r omDoj i , t he f ounder of t he C r ane house-
hol d, knownas a cr eat or of cul t ur e
and ci vi l i zat i on.
C l an: C r ane.
Benef i t : You get a +2 bonus on al l Per f or mchecks and
on
checks f or
one C r af t ski l l t hat i nvol ves ar t ( such as cal l i gr aphy,
or i gami , pai nt i ng, or scul pt ur e)
.
AT T E N T I O N T O DE T AI L [ AN C E S T O R]
You ar e descended f r omAkodo' s advi sor I koma- a hi st or i an,
j udge, and
st or yt el l er .
C l an: Li on.
Benef i t : Yougai n a +2 bonus on S ense Mot i ve andS pot checks.
BLO O DS O RC E RE R [ AN C E S T O R]
You ar e descendedf r omYogo, t he S cor pi on shugenj a who was
t he f i r st guar di an of t he Bl ack S cr ol l s of FuLeng.
C l an: S cor pi on.
Benef i t :
Add +3 t o
t he
Di f f i cul t y C l ass of al l maho- t sukai
spel l s youcast . However , you al so add +3 t o t he DC f or t he For -
t i t ude save youmust make t o avoi d
accumul at i ng
T ai nt
when
you cast mahospel l s .
T hi s f eat i s onl y
avai l abl e i f t he maho- t sukai pr est i ge cl ass,
descr i bed i n C hapt er 12: T he S hadowl ands, i s avai l abl e.
BO RN DUE LI S T [ AN C E S T O R]
Youcl ai mdescent f r om
Mi r umot o, one of t he f i r st t wo samur ai
t o j oi n T ogashi i n hi s medi t at i ve r et r eat .
C l an: Dr agon
.
Benef i t : I f you adopt t he Mi r umot o ni t en mast er pr est i ge
cl ass, yougai n an addi t i onal
+1 AC bonus f r omt he use of t he
ni t ent echni que.
T hi s f eat i s onl y avai l abl e
i f t he Mi r umot o ni t en mast er
pr est i ge cl ass, descr i bed i n C hapt er 11 : T he E mpi r e of Roku-
gan, i s avai l abl e.
C HO KE HO LD [ GE N E RAL]
Youhave l ear nedt he
cor r ect way t o appl y pr essur e t o r ender an
opponent unconsci ous .
Pr er equi si t es
: I mpr oved Unar med S t r i ke, I mpr oved
Gr appl e, S t unni ng Fi st .
Benef i t : I f you pi n your opponent
whi l e gr appl i ng and
mai nt ai n t he pi n f or 1 f ul l r ound, at t he end of t he r ound
your opponent must make a For t i t ude savi ng t hr ow( DC 10
+
1/ 2 your l evel +your Wi sdom
modi f i er ) . I f
t he
savi ng t hr ow
f ai l s, your opponent f al l s unconsci ous f or 1d3 r ounds.
C O O L HE AD [ AN C E S T O R]
Youar e descended f r omt he gr eat di pl omat I de,
who was
chosen t o be t he voi ce of S hi nj o i n al l deal i ngs wi t h st r anger s .
C l an: Uni cor n.
Benef i t : Youget a
+3
bonus onDi pl omacy checks .
C RAFT C RYS T AL
WE APO N
[ I T E MC RE AT I O N ]
You can cr eat e magi c weapons f r omKuni cr yst al ,
whi ch i s
deadl y t o
cr eat ur es of t he S hadowl ands .
Pr er equi si t e: S pel l cast er l evel 7+, C r af t Magi c
Ar ms and
Ar mor , C r af t ( weaponsmi t hi ng)
ski l l .
Benef i t: Youcan f or ge a weapon out of Kuni cr yst al , i f you
meet t he ot her pr er equi si t es f or doi ng so ( hol y smi t e or j ade st r i ke
and dayl i ght ) . Youmust f i r st cr eat e t he weapon, usi ng t he r ul es
f or t he C r af t ski l l i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook ( a Kuni cr yst al weapon
adds 400 gpt o t he l i st ed weaponpr i ce andhas a DC of 20) .
T hen
you must enhance t he weapon, whi ch t akes one dayf or each
1, 000 gpi n t he pr i ce of i t s magi cal f eat ur es . T o enhance a weapon,
youmust spend 1/ 25 of i t s f eat ur es' t ot al pr i ce i n XPand use up
r awmat er i al s cost i ng hal f t hi s t ot al pr i ce. S ee C hapt er 8: Magi c
I t ems f or det ai l s of Kuni cr yst al weapons' cost and abi l i t i es .
N or mal : Weapons andot her i t ems made f r omnor mal
cr yst al ar e not i nher ent l y danger ous t o
S hadowl ands cr ea-
t ur es, nor do t hey possess any ot her ext r aor di nar y abi l i t i es,
unl ess speci f i cal l y augment ed.
C RAFT T ALI S MAN [ I T E MC RE AT I O N ]
You
cancr eat e
magi c f et i shes, si ngl e- use magi c i t ems t hat hol d
spel l s unt i l t r i gger ed.
Pr er equi si t e
: I nt el l i gence 13+, appr opr i at e C r af t ski l l , spel l -
cast er l evel 1+.
Benef i t : You can
cr eat e a t sangusur i , a one- use magi c t al i sman,
i mbui ngi t wi t h t he power of any spel l youknowt hat i s 3r d
l evel
or
l ower. You
must
pr ovi de any mat er i al component s or f ocuses
t he spel l r equi r es . I f cast i ng t he spel l woul d r educe your XPt ot al ,
youpayt he cost upon
begi nni ng
t he
pr ocess i n addi t i on t o t he XP
cost f or maki ng t he t al i sman i t sel f. Li kewi se, mat er i al compo-
nent s ar e consumedwhenyoubegi n cr af t i ng,
but
f ocuses ar e
not . ( Af ocus used
i n cr af t i ng a t al i sman can be r eused. )
T ABLE 4- 3: AN C E S T O RFE AT S
C r ab C r ane
Gr eat C r af t er Ar t of Fasci nat i on
Gr eat T eamwor k Ar t i st
I mpr oved Ai d
Gi f t ed
Gener al
Luck of Her oes Gr eat S t ami na
Power At t ack- S hadowl ands
I ai j ut su Mast er
Resi st T ai nt Magi cal Ar t i san
S ea Legs Power At t ack- I ai j ut su
S pel l Power
S moot h T al k
S t r engt h of t he C r ab
Dr agon
Li on
Bor n Duel i st
At t ent i on t o Det ai l
Keen I nt el l ect
Fear some and Fear l ess
Resi st
Poi son Li on S py
S i l ver T ongue
War r i or I nst i nct
S oul of Loyal t y
War r i or S hugenj a
Phoeni x
S cor pi on
Di sci pl i ne
Bl ood S or cer er
Gr eat Di pl omat
Honest Mer chant
Keen I nt el l ect Kar mi c T wi n
O ni ' s Bane Magi st r at e' s Mi nd
S chol ar of N at ur e Many Masks
S pel l cast er S uppor t S oul of S i ncer i t y
Uni cor n
C ool Head , -
Kami ' s I nt ui t i on
Magi c i n t he Bl ood
Power f ul Voi ce
S addl eback
S oul of Honor
S t r engt h of
t he
C har ger
S t r ong
S oul
T he
t al i sman has a base pr i ce of t he spel l l evel
x
cast er l evel
x
50 gp( a 0- l evel spel l
count s as
1/ 2 l evel ) .
You
must spend 1/ 25 of
i t s base pr i ce i n XPand use upr awmat er i al s cost i ng hal f t hi s base
pr i ce. At al i sman' s mar ket val ue equal s i t s base pr i ce.
DE FE N S I VE S T RI KE . [ GE N E RAL]
Youcant ur n a st r ong def ense i nt o a power f ul of f ense. T hi s f eat
i s
cal l ed musubi i n Rokugan
.
Pr er equi si t e: I nt 13+, E xper t i se, Dex 13+, Dodge.
Benef i t : I f an opponent at t acks you and mi sses whi l e you
ar e usi ng t he t ot al def ense act i on, youcanat t ack t hat opponent
on your next t ur n wi t h a +4 bonus onyour at t ack r ol l . You gai n
no bonus agai nst an opponent t hat does not at t ack you or
agai nst an opponent t hat at t acks and does not mi ss .
DE FE N S I VE
T HRO W [ GE N E RAL]
You can use your opponent ' s wei ght , st r engt h, and moment um
agai nst her , def l ect i ng her at t ack andt hr owi ngher t o t he gr ound.
Pr er equi si t e
: Dex 13+, I mpr oved Unar med S t r i ke, Dodge,
I mpr ovedT r i p, C ombat Ref l exes.
Benef i t: I f t he opponent
you have chosen t o r ecei ve your
AC bonus f r omt he Dodge f eat at t acks you and mi sses, you can
make an
i mmedi at e i mpr oved t r i p at t ack agai nst t hat oppo-
nent . T hi s at t empt count s agai nst your al l owed at t acks of
oppor t uni t y
t hi s r ound.
DI S C I PLI N E [ AN C E S T O R]
Your ancest or , N aka Kaet er u, was t he f i r st
Gr and
Mast er of al l
t he el ement s, a mast er of medi t at i on and cont empl at i on.
C l an: Phoeni x.
Benef i t : You gai n a +2 bonus on al l C oncent r at i on checks
and
a +1 bonus onWi l l saves.
E AGLE C LAWAT T AC K[ GE N E RAL]
Your unar medat t acks
shat t er obj ect s
.
Pr er equi si t es : Base at t ack bonus +2 or hi gher , i mpr oved
Unar med S t r i ke,
S under , Dex 15+.
Benef i t : Youcanst r i ke an opponent ' s weaponor shi el d wi t h
an
unar med st r i ke
.
S peci al : Weaponhar dness and hi t poi nt r at i ngs ar e gi ven on
T abl e
8- 13: C ommon Weapon and S hi el d Har dness Rat i ngs
and Hi t Poi nt s i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook.
N or mal : Achar act er cannor mal l y onl y at t ack an opponent ' s
weapon wi t h a sl ashi ng
or bl udgeoni ng weapon.
E ART H' S E MBRAC E [ GE N E RAL]
You can cr ush opponent s when you gr appl e t hem. T hi s f eat i s
cal l ed t suchi - do i n Rokugan.
Pr er equi si t es : I mpr oved Unar medS t r i ke, I mpr oved Gr appl e,
S t r 15+.
Benef i t : Whi l e gr appl i ng, i f youpi nyour opponent , youdeal
cr i t i cal damage ( doubl e nor mal unar med damage) each r ound
t hat youmai nt ai n t he
pi n
.
You hol d your
opponent i mmobi l e as
nor mal , but youmust al so r emai ncompl et el y i mmobi l e, gi vi ng
opponent s ( ot her t han t he one you' r e pi nni ng) a +4 bonus
on
at t ack r ol l s agai nst you( but you ar e not hel pl ess) .
FALLI N G S T AR S T RI KE [ GE N E RAL]
You have mast er ed t he ar t of st r i ki ng a ner ve t hat
bl i nds a
humanoi d opponent .
Pr er equi si t es : I mpr oved Unar medS t r i ke, base at t ack
bonus +4 or hi gher , S t unni ng Fi st or monk' s st unni ng
at t ack, Wi s 17+.
Benef i t :
Agai nst a humanoi d opponent , you can make an
unar med at t ack t hat has a chance of bl i ndi ng your t ar get
. i f
your at t ack i s successf ul , your
t ar get must at t empt a For t i t ude
savi ng t hr ow( DC 10 +1/ 2 your l evel +your Wi sdom
modi f i er ) .
I f t he t ar get f ai l s
t hi s savi ng t hr ow, he i s bl i ndedf or 1 r oundper
l evel you possess. I n addi t i on t o t he obvi ous ef f ect s, a
bl i nded
cr eat ur e suf f er s a 50%mi ss
chance i n combat ( al l opponent s
have f ul l conceal ment ) , l oses any Dext er i t y bonus t o AC , gr ant s
a +2 bonus on at t acker s' at t ack
r ol l s ( t hey ar e ef f ect i vel y i nvi si -
bl e) , moves at
hal f speed, and suf f er s a - 4 penal t y on most
S t r engt h- and Dext er i t y- basedski l l s .
FE ARS O ME AN D FE ARLE S S
[ AN C E S T O R]
You cl ai mdescent
f r omt he f i r st Akodo, t he par agon of
samur ai vi r t ue.
C l an: Li on.
Benef i t : Yougai n a +1 bonus on al l Wi l l saves agai nst f ear
ef f ect s, and t he Di f f i cul t y C l ass of any f ear ef f ect you cr eat e
( t hr ough spel l or ot her abi l i t y) i s i ncr eased
by 1 .
I f youadopt t he Akodochampi onpr est i ge cl ass ( see C hapt er
11) , al l i es wi t hi n your aur a of cour age
gai n an addi t i onal +1
bonus on t hei r savi ng t hr ows agai nst f ear .
FI S T S O F I RO N [ GE N E RAL]
You have l ear ned t he secr et s of i mbui ng
your unar med at t acks
wi t h ext r a f or ce.
Pr er equi si t es : Base at t ack bonus +2 or hi gher , i mpr oved
Unar medS t r i ke
.
Benef i t : Decl ar e t hat youar e usi ngt hi s f eat bef or e you make
your at t ack
r ol l ( t hus, a mi ssed at t ack r ol l r ui ns t he at t empt ) .
You deal an ext r a 1d4 poi nt s of damage whenyou make a suc-
cessf ul unar med at t ack
.
You mayuse t hi s f eat a
number of t i mes
per day equal t o t hr ee +your Wi sdommodi f i er .
FLYI N G KI C K [ GE N E RAL]
You l i t er al l y l eap i nt o bat t l e, deal i ngdevast at i ngdamage.
Pr er equi si t e: S t r 13+,
Power At t ack, I mpr oved Unar med
S t r i ke, J ump ( 4 r anks) .
Benef i t : When f i ght i ng unar medand
usi ng t he char ge
act i on, you deal doubl e damage wi t h your unar med at t ack.
FRE E ZI N G T HE LI FE BLO O D
[ GE N E RAL]
You canpar al yze a humanoi dopponent wi t h an unar medat t ack.
Pr er equi si t e :
I mpr oved Unar med S t r i ke, base at t ack bonus
+5 or hi gher , S t unni ngFi st or monk' s st unni ng at t ack, Wi s 17+.
Benef i t : Agai nst a humanoi d opponent ,
you can make an
unar med at t ack t hat deal s no damage, but has a chance of par al yz-
i ng your t ar get .
I f your at t ack i s successf ul , your t ar get must
at t empt a For t i t ude savi ng t hr ow( DC 10 +1/ 2
your l evel +your
Wi sdommodi f i er )
.
I f t he t ar get
f ai l s t hi s savi ng t hr ow, he i s par a-
l yzed f or 1d4+1 r ounds. Apar al yzedchar act er st ands
r i gi d andhel p-
l ess, unabl e t o move or act
physi cal l y. He has ef f ect i ve S t r engt h
and Dext er i t y scor es of 0 but may t ake pur el y
ment al act i ons .
GI FT E D GE N E RAL [ AN C E S T O R]
Your ancest or Dai doj i Yur ei , ananci ent
dai myo of t he Dai doj i f ami l y,
was
a
gi f t ed gener al - t he f i r st i n Rokugan t o use guer i l l a
t act i cs .
C l an: C r ane.
Benef i t : You gai n a +2 bonus on I ni t i at i ve checks and a +1
bonus onal l For t i t ude saves.
GRAPPLI N G BLO C K [ GE N E RAL]
You cancat ch andpi nan opponent ' s weaponwi t h your bar e hands .
Pr er equi si t e : I mpr oved Unar medS t r i ke, Def l ect Ar r ows,
I nt 13+, E xper t i se, I mpr oved Di sar m, C ombat Ref l exes .
Benef i t : You must have bot h hands f r ee or be hol di ng weap-
ons desi gned t o cat ch ot her weapons ( such as t he sai or j i t t e) t o
use t hi s f eat . O nce per r oundwhenyouwoul dnor mal l y be hi t by
a mel ee weapon, youmaymake a speci al di sar mat t empt agai nst
your opponent . T hi s at t empt count s agai nst your al l owedat t acks
of oppor t uni t y t hi s r ound. You make anopposed at t ack r ol l ( wi t h
your unar med st r i ke, sai , or j i t t e) agai nst t he at t ack r ol l t hat hi t
you. T he opponent ' s
at t ack r ol l i s not modi f i ed by t he si ze of t he
weapon. I f you succeed, you gr ab t he weapon away f r omyour
opponent ( i f you ar e unar med) or knock t he weapon t o t he
gr ound ( i f you ar e ar med) . Youmay onl y use t hi s f eat agai nst
weapons upt o t wosi zes l ar ger t han
you.
GRE AT C RAFT E R [ AN C E S T O R]
Your ancest or , Kai u, was t he f i r st andgr eat est bl acksmi t h of t he
C r ab cl an. Kai u
f or ged t he weapons whi ch t he C r ab used
agai nst t he S hadowl ands, andgave hi s
name t o t he engi neer i ng
school
of t he cl an.
C l an: C r ab.
Benef i t : You
gai n a +3 bonus onal l C r af t checks .
GRE AT DI PLO MAT [ AN C E S T O R]
You ar e
descended f r omAsako, one of t he compani ons of t he
f i r st Phoeni x, a gr eat heal er , di pl omat , andwar r i or.
C l an
:
Phoeni x.
Benef i t : You gai n a +2 bonus on Di pl omacy checks, and
your Leader shi p scor e ( see t he DUN GE O N MAS T E R' s Gui de) i s i n-
cr eased by 2.
GRE AT KI S HO UT [ GE N E RAL]
Your ki shout canpani c your opponent s.
Pr er equi si t es : C ha 13+,
Ki S hout , base at t ack bonus +9
or hi gher .
Benef i t
: When you make a ki shout , your opponent s ar e
pani cked f or 2d6 r ounds unl ess t hey succeed at t hei r Wi l l
saves ( DC 10 +1/ 2
your char act er l evel +your C har i sma mod-
i f i er ) . Pani cked char act er s suf f er a - 2 mor al e penal t y on
at t ack
r ol l s, saves, and checks, t hey have a so%chance t o dr op
what t hey ar e hol di ng, and t hey r un away f r omyou
as
qui ckl y
as t hey
can
.
T he ef f ect s of bei ng pani cked super sede t he
ef f ect s of bei ng shaken.
GRE AT S T AMI N A [ AN C E S T O R]
Your ancest or , Dai doj i Masashi gi , gave hi s l i f e def endi ng t he
Kai u Wal l al ongsi de
t he C r ab at t he Bat t l e of t he Landbr i dge.
C l an: C r ane.
Benef i t : Yougai n a +2 bonus onal l checks you make f or per -
f or mi ng a physi cal act i on t hat ext ends over a per i od of t i me
( r unni ng, swi mmi ng, hol di ngyour br eat h, and so on) , and +1 t o
your hi t poi nt t ot al .
GRE AT T E AMWO RK [ AN C E S T O R]
You ar e a descendant of Hi da Banuken, t he C r ab champi on
who over sawt he const r uct i on of t he Kai u Wal l dur i ng t he
Bat t l e of t he C r est i ng
Wave.
C l an: C r ab.
Benef i t : When
you and an al l y f l ank an opponent , you gai n
a +4 bonus on your at t ack r ol l , i nst ead of t he nor mal +2 bonus.
HO N E S T ME RC HAN T [ AN C E S T O R]
Your ancest or , Bayushi T esagur i , was t he sonof
Bayushi J unzen,
S cor pi on C l an
C hampi on. He di d not t r ust t he Yogo f ami l y, so
he gave t hr ee of t he Bl ack S cr ol l s of FuLengt o hi s son,
T esagur i .
T esagur i , however ,
bet r ayed t hi s t r ust by sel l i ng t he S cr ol l s t o
t he Phoeni x cl an- andpai d f or hi s cr i me wi t h
hi s l i f e
.
C l an: S cor pi on
.
Benef i t : Youget a +2 bonus on al l
Pr of essi on checks, al l ow-
i ngyout o make
mor e money at your wor k.
I AI J UT S U MAS T E R [ AN C E S T O R]
You ar e not onl y descendedf r omKaki t a, t he gr eat est duel i st ever
t o have l i ved, but you shar e a kar mi c t i e t o
hi s spi r i t .
C l an: C r ane.
Benef i t: O nce per day, you can
make any one at t ack r ol l ,
savi ng t hr ow, or ski l l checkusi ng your I ai j ut su Focus ski l l modi -
f i er i n pl ace of al l ot her modi f i er s . For exampl e, you can
r ol l a
mel ee at t ack r ol l
usi ng onl y your I ai j ut su Focus ski l l modi f i er
i nst eadof your t ot al at t ack bonus ( i ncl udi ng S t r engt h modi f i er ,
weapon enhancement bonus, Weapon Focus bonus,
si ze modi -
f i er , andal l ot her bonuses t o your
at t ack r ol l ) . Yougi ve upal l your
ot her modi f i er s and use your ski l l modi f i er i nst ead.
I MPRO VE D AI D [ AN C E S T O R]
You ar e
descended f r omHi da T adaka, t he gr eat C r ab dai myo
whogave hi s l i f e t o aver t a war bet ween hi s cl an and t he
Li on.
C l an: C r ab
.
Benef i t : When usi ng t he Ai d Anot her act i on
i n mel ee
combat ( see Ai d
Anot her i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook) , your al l y
gai ns a +4 ci r cumst ance bonus on hi s at t ack r ol l or t o
hi s AC .
N or mal : T he Ai d Anot her
act i on nor mal l y gi ves a +2 ci r -
cumst ance bonus on your al l y' s at t ack r ol l or AC
agai nst a
si ngl e opponent .
I MPRO VE D GRAPPLE [ GE N E RAL]
You
ar e ski l l ed i n mar t i al ar t s t hat emphasi ze hol ds andt hr ows .
Pr er equi si t e : I mpr oved Unar med S t r i ke.
Benef i t : I f youhi t wi t h anunar med st r i ke, you deal
nor mal
damage andcan at t empt t o st ar t a gr appl e as a f r ee act i on wi t h-
out pr ovoki ng an at t ack of oppor t uni t y. N o
i ni t i al t ouch at t ack
i s r equi r ed. You can deal nor mal damage whi l e gr appl i ng,
r at her t han subdual damage, wi t hout suf f er i ng a penal t y on
your
gr appl e check.
N or mal : C har act er s wi t hout t hi s f eat make a mel ee t ouch
at t ack t o
gr ab t hei r opponent and pr ovoke an at t ack of oppor t u-
ni t y whendoi ngso. T hey al so suf f er a - 4 penal t yont hei r gr appl e
checks when t r yi ng t o i nf l i ct nor mal damage i n a gr appl e.
KAMI ' S I N T UI T I O N [ AN C E S T O R]
You ar e descended f r omS hi nj o, t he f i r st Uni cor n, t he ki ndest
and most compassi onat e of t he kami .
C l an: Uni cor n
.
Benef i t : Youget a +2 bonus on S ense Mot i ve
checks andon
i nt el l i gence checks
made t o f i gur e t hi ngs out .
KARMI C S T RI KE [ GE N E RAL]
Youhave l ear nedt o st r i ke whenyour opponent i s
most vul ner -
abl e: at t he same i nst ant your opponent
st r i kes you. T hi s f eat i s
al so cal l ed at uchi .
Pr er equi si t es : Dex 13+, Dodge.
Benef i t : Youcan make an at t ack of oppor t uni t y agai nst an
opponent t hat hi t s youi n mel ee. You t ake a - 4 penal t y t o
your Ar mor C l ass, i n exchange f or t he abi l i t y t o make an at t ack of
oppor t uni t y
agai nst
any
cr eat ur e t hat makes a successf ul
mel ee
at t ack r ol l or mel ee t ouch at t ack r ol l agai nst you. T heopponent
t hat hi t s youmust be i n your t hr eat ened ar ea, and t hi s f eat does
not gr ant you mor e at t acks of oppor t uni t y t han youar e nor mal l y
al l owed i n a r ound. I f you hi t wi t h your at t ack of oppor t uni t y,
you andyour opponent
deal and t ake damage
si mul t aneousl y.
You speci f y onyour t ur n t hat youar e act i vat i ng t hi s f eat , andt he
change t o your Ar mor
C l ass and your
abi l i t y t o make t hese spe-
ci al at t acks of oppor t uni t y l ast unt i l your next t ur n.
KARMI C T WI N [ AN C E S T O R]
Youar e descendedf r omBayushi , t he f i r st S cor pi on, whosel ove
f or hi s daught er pr oved hi s f i nal downf al l .
C l an: S cor pi on.
Benef i t : Youget a +2 bonus on al l C har i sma- based ski l l
checks and C har i sma checks. You have a kar mi c t i e t o anot her
char act er. You maydet ect t he di r ect i on of t hi s char act er i f he or
she i s al i ve,
on t he same pl ane, and you succeed at an i nt ui t
Di r ect i on check agai nst DC
15
( or a Wi sdomcheck i f you do
not
have t he
ski l l ) .
Af ai l ur e ont hi s checkgi ves noi nf or mat i on.
You may r et r y once per r oundas a st andar d act i on.
T he char act er t o whom
you have t hi s kar mi c connect i on may
be anot her pl ayer char act er or an N PC under cont r ol of t he DM,
but he or she must al so have t he Kar mi c T wi n ancest or f eat .
KE E N I N T E LLE C T [ AN C E S T O R]
You ar e
descended f r omAgasha, t he f ounder of t he or i gi nal
Dr agon shugenj a school , a shugenj a knownf or her keen i nt el -
l ect
and power s of obser vat i on.
C l an: Dr agon, Phoeni x.
Benef i t : Yougai n a +1 bonus on i nt el l i gence checks and a +1
bonus
onKnowl edge, S cr y, and S ear ch checks .
KI S HO UT [ GE N E RAL]
You can bel l owf or t h a hi - empower ed shout t hat st r i kes t er r or
i nt o
your enemi es .
Pr er equi si t es :
Base at t ack bonus +1 or hi gher , C ha 13+
.
Benef i t : Maki ng a ki shout i s a st andar d act i on. O pponent s
whocan hear your shout andwho
ar e
wi t hi n
30 f eet of you may
become shakenf or 1d6 r ounds . T he ki shout af f ect s onl y oppo-
nent s wi t h
f ewer Hi t Di ce or l evel s t han youhave. An af f ect ed
opponent can r esi st t he ef f ect s wi t h a successf ul Wi l l save
agai nst a
DC of 10
+
1/ 2 your char act er l evel +your C har i sma
modi f i er . Youcanuse Ki S hout once per day.
S haken char act er s suf f er a - 2 mor al e penal t yon at t ack r ol l s,
saves, and checks .
LI O N S PY [ AN C E S T O R]
Your ancest or , AkodoS hi nj u, was t he gr eat est spyof t he Li on cl an.
C l an: Li on.
Benef i t : Yougai n a +2 bonus on Di sgui se and Gat her i nf or -
mat i on checks .
LUC K O F HE RO E S [ AN C E S T O R]
You ar e descended f r omt he qui ck- f oot ed and qui ck- wi t t ed
Hi r uma, t he ar chet ypal hunt er and scout .
C l an: C r ab.
Benef i t: Youget a +1 bonus onal l savi ng t hr ows. .
MAGI C I N T HE BLO O D [ AN C E S T O R]
You cl ai ma kar mi c l i nk wi t h I uchi , one of t he most
r esour cef ul shugenj as i n ear l y Rokugan.
C l an: Uni cor n.
Benef i t : You get a +2 bonus on Al chemy and S pel l cr af t
checks .
MAGI C AL ART I S AN [ AN C E S T O R]
Youar e descended
f r omAsahi na Yaj i nden, a shugenj a of t he
C r ane cl an whobecame t he gr eat est l i eut enant
of t he dr eadsor -
cer er
I uchi ban. Yaj i nden abused hi s power , cr eat i ng t he Bl ood-
swor ds andot her evi l magi c i t ems used by t he ar mi es of
I uchi ban.
C l an: C r ane.
Benef i t : C hoose one i t emcr eat i on f eat . When
det er mi ni ng
your cost i n XPand r aw
mat er i al s f or cr eat i ng i t ems wi t h t hat
f eat , mul t i pl y t he base pr i ce by 75%. S i nce youmust choose t hi s
f eat at char act er cr eat i on, you do not
have t o sel ect an i t emcr e-
at i on f eat you al r eady know, but you get nobenef i t f r omt hi s
f eat unt i l youl ear n t he i t emcr eat i on
f eat you have sel ect ed.
MAGI S T RAT E ' S MI N D
[ AN C E S T O R]
Youcl ai mdescent f r omS oshi S ai bankan, a
gr eat S cor pi on
j udge whohel pedest abl i sh t he E mpi r e' s i nst i t ut i on of E mer al d
Magi st r at es.
C l an: S cor pi on.
Benef i t : You get a +2 bonus on Knowl edge
( hi st or y) and
Knowl edge ( nobi l i t y andr oyal t y) checks .
MAN Y MAS KS [ AN C E S T O R]
Youar e descended f r omS hosur o Fur uyar i , an i mpor t ant
S cor pi on pl aywr i ght .
C l an: S cor pi on.
Benef i t : Youget a +2 bonus onDi sgui se
andPer f or mchecks .
O N I ' S BAN E [ AN C E S T O R]
Your ancest or , I sawa
Akuma, was a Phoeni x shugenj a who
sought t o under st and t he myst er y of i dent i t y.
Vent ur i ng i nt o
t he S hadowl ands,
he l ost hi s owni dent i t y t o an oni .
C l an: Phoeni x.
Benef i t : Yougai n a +3 bonus on cast er l evel
checks ( 1d20 +
cast er l evel ) t o beat an out si der ' s spel l r esi st ance . However , because
of Akumds f al l , you suf f er a - 2 penal t y on Di pl omacy
checks .
PAI N T O UC H[ GE N E RAL]
You cause i nt ense pai n
i n
an
opponent wi t h a successf ul st un-
ni ngat t ack.
Pr er equi si t es: Base
at t ack bonus +2 or hi gher , S t unni ngFi st
or monk' s st unni ngat t ack, Wi s 19+.
Benef i t : Vi ct i ms of a successf ul st unni ng at t ack
ar e subj ect t o
such debi l i t at i ng pai n t hat t hey ar e nauseat edf or 1 r oundf ol l ow-
i ngt he r oundt hey ar e st unned. N auseat edcr eat ur es ar e
unabl e t o
at t ack, cast spel l s, concent r at e on spel l s, or do anyt hi ng el se
r equi r i ngat t ent i on. T he onl y act i on such a char act er cant ake
i s a
si ngl e move ( or move- equi val ent ) act i on per t ur n.
C r eat ur es t hat ar e i mmune
t o st unni ng at t acks ar e al so
i mmune t o t hi s f eat , as ar e anycr eat ur es t hat ar e mor e
t han one
si ze cat egor y l ar ger t han t he f eat user
.
PO WE R AT T AC K- I AI J UT S U
[ AN C E S T O R]
Your
ancest or , Kaki t a Rensei , was a r enowned duel i st whose
st r engt h was l egendar y.
C l an: C r ane.
Benef i t : I n an i ai j ut su duel , you add an ext r a
1d6 poi nt s of
damage t o t he damage f r omyour
I ai j ut su Focus checks .
PO WE R AT T AC K - S HADO WLAN DS [ AN C E S T O R]
You ar e descended
f r omKai u Gi neza,
t he engi neer whonot
onl y hel ped const r uct t he
t omb of l uchi ban, but

`'
al so r emai ned
i n t he t omb t o set t he
l ast t r ap.
C l an: C r ab.
Benef i t :
When youuse t he Power At t ack
f eat agai nst a cr eat ur e wi t h t he
S hadow-
l ands t ype
modi f i er or a char ac-
t er wi t h t he S hadowl ands
T ai nt ,
you subt r act
a number f r om
your mel ee at t ack r ol l s
and add
11/ 2 t i mes
t hat number t o your
mel ee damage r ol l s . T he
nor mal
r est r i ct i ons of
t he Power At t ack
f eat
appl y. You gai n no
benef i t
f r omt hi s ancest or
f eat i f you do
not have t he Power At t ack
f eat .
T hi s f eat
i s onl y avai l abl e i n
Rokugan.
PO WE RFUL
VO I C E [ AN C E S T O R]
You ar e
kar mi cal l y l i nked
t o Ut aku,
S hi nj o' s most
t r ust ed l i eut enant
anddevot ed bodyguar d
.
C l an: Uni cor n.
Benef i t : Your
power f ul
speaki ng voi ce gi ves youa +2
bonus on
Di pl omacy checks
and Per f or mchecks when
you
ar e speaki ng
or si ngi ng.
AT T AC K
[ GE N E RAL]
You at t ack f r om
a pr one posi t i on wi t hout
penal t y.
Pr er equi si t es : Base
at t ack bonus +2 or hi gher ,
Dex 15+,
Li ght ni ng Ref l exes
.
Benef i t : Youcanmake an
at t ack f r omt he pr one
posi t i on and
suf f er no penal t y
on your at t ack r ol l . I f
your at t ack r ol l i s suc-
cessf ul ,
you may r egai n
your f eet i mmedi at el y
as a f r ee act i on.
S peci al : Pr one
At t ack i s a bonus
f eat f or f i ght er s . I t can
be
t aken
whenever a f i ght er i s
el i gi bl e f or a bonus
f eat , as l ong as
t he char act er
has met t he pr er equi si t es
.
RE MAI N C O N S C I O US [ GE N E RAL]
You have a
t enaci t y of wi l l t hat suppor t s
you even when you ar e
di sabl ed
or dyi ng.
Pr er equi si t es
: Base at t ack bonus +2
or hi gher , E ndur ance,
I r on Wi l l , T oughness .
Benef i t : Whenyour hi t
poi nt s ar e r educedt o 0, youmayt ake
one par t i al act i on
on your t ur n ever y r ound
unt i l your each - 10
hi t
poi nt s, or your hi t poi nt
t ot al r et ur ns t o 0 or hi gher . I f
st abi -
l i zed, youcan
cont i nue t o t ake par t i al act i ons,
but t he f i r st par t i al
act i on you t ake r evokes
t he st abi l i zat i on. I f you r each - 10 hi t
poi nt s,
you di e.
RE S I S T PO I S O N [ AN C E S T O R]
Your ancest or , Agasha
Ki t suki , f ounded t he f our t h
f ami l y of
t he Dr agon
cl an and a school f or
magi st r at es r enowned f or
t eachi ng ski l l s of
i nvest i gat i on and deduct i on.
C l an:
Dr agon.
Benef i t: You gai n a +4 bonus on
For t i t ude savi ng
t hr ows agai nst
poi son.
RE S I S T T AI N T [ AN C E S T O R]
You ar e descended f r omKuni , t he f ounder
of t he
Kuni f ami l y, a
schol ar of - and mi ght y war r i or
agai nst - t he S hadowl ands .
C l an:
C r ab.
Benef i t : Yougai n a +4
bonus on al l For t i t ude
savi ng
t hr ows t o det er mi ne whet her you
acqui r e t he
S hadowl ands T ai nt.
T hi s f eat i s onl y avai l abl e i n Rokugan.
RO UN DABO UT
KI C K [ GE N E RAL]
Youcan f ol l owup on a par t i cul ar l y
power f ul unar med at t ack wi t h
a mi ght y
ki ck,
spi nni ng i n a compl et e ci r cl e bef or e
l andi ng t he ki ck.
Pr er equi si t es : S i r 1S +,
Power At t ack,
I mpr oved Unar medS t r i ke.
Benef i t
:
I f
you st r i ke a
successf ul cr i t i cal hi t wi t h an
unar med
at t ack, you can i m-
medi at el y make an
addi t i onal
. unar med
at t ack agai nst t he
same
opponent , as i f you hadn' t
used your
at t ack f or
t he
cr i t i cal hi t .
Youuse t he same at t ack bonus t hat you
used f or t he cr i t i cal hi t
. For exampl e,
Buj i ko can make t hr ee unar med
at t acks i n
a r ound, at base
`

at t ack bonuses
of +9,
+6, and
+3.
I f she
get s a cr i t i cal hi t on her
second at t ack, she can
make
an
addi t i onal at t ack usi ng her +6
baseat t ackbonus. S het henmakesher t hi r d at t ack( at +3) as nor mal .
S ADDLE BAC K [ AN C E S T O R]
You
have a uni que kar mi c t i e t o Mot o C hai ,
one of t he gr eat est
r i der s ever t o l i ve,
even by Uni cor n st andar ds.
C l an: Uni cor n.
Benef i t : You
r ecei ve a +3 bonus on al l Ri de checks .
S C HO LAR
O F N AT URE
[ AN C E S T O R]
Youar e descended f r om
Asako Hanasaku, a gr eat schol ar who
t hr ew
hi msel f i nt o t he st udyof medi ci ne,
her bs, and poi son.
C l an: Phoeni x.
Benef i t
: You gai n a +2 bonus on Al chemy
and Heal checks.
S E A LE GS [ AN C E S T O R]
You ar e
descended f r omYasuki Fumoki , a not or i ous pi r at e who
pr eyed on C r ane mer chant shi ps of f t he
coast .
C l an: C r ab.
Benef i t : You gai n a +2 bonus on Bal ance and
Pr of essi on
( sai l or ) checks.
S I LVE R
T O N GUE [ AN C E S T O R]
Your ancest or , Mi r umot o
Kai j uko, was t he f i r st womant o become
dai myo
of t he Mi r umot o f ami l y. At t he age of 16, she
def eat ed
her uncl e i n a duel t o cl ai m
l eader shi p of t he f ami l y.
C l an: Dr agon.
Benef i t : You gai n a +2
bonus on Bl uf f and Di pl omacychecks.
S MO O T H
T ALK [ AN C E S T O R]
You ar e descended
f r omDoj i T aehi me, a C r ane ambassador t o
t he S cor pi on cour t - a cour t i er ski l l ed at
di scover i ng f al se-
hoods and
uncover i ng pl ot s .
C l an: C r ane.
Benef i t : You gai n a +2
bonus on Di pl omacy andS ense
Mot i ve checks .
S O UL O F HO N O R[ AN C E S T O R]
Your ancest or
S hi nj o Mar t er a, t he f i r st bor n son of S hi nj o, was
t he l i vi ng i ncar nat i on of bushi do f or t he
Uni cor n, ut t er l y wi t h-
out f aul t or
f ai l i ng.
C l an: Uni cor n.
Benef i t : You ar e awar e of
any act i on or i t emt hat coul d
adver sel y af f ect your honor or your al i gnment , i ncl udi ng
magi -
cal ef f ect s . Amoment ' s cont empl at i on
al l ows you t o di scer n
such i nf or mat i on bef or e per f or mi ng such an act i on or becom-
i ng associ at ed wi t h such an i t em
.
S O UL O F LO YALT Y
[ AN C E S T O R]
Your ancest or , Mi r umot o T oker u, was r enownedf or hi s l oyal t y
t o hi s t wi n br ot her , Ryudumu.
C l an: Dr agon
.
Benef i t : You gai n a +4 bonus on Wi l l savi ng t hr ows
agai nst
compul si on ef f ect s.
S O UL O F
S I N C E RI T Y
[ AN C E S T O R]
You ar e descended f r omt he f amous S cor pi on dai myo Bayushi
T angen, aut hor of Li es and Li t t l e T r ut hs .
C l an: S cor pi on.
Benef i t : You gai n a +4 bonus on S ense Mot i ve checks
and a
- 2 penal t yon Bl uf f checks .
S PE LL PO WE R [ AN C E S T O R]
Your l i neage
t r aces back t o t he young shugenj a Kuni O saku,
whosi ngl e- handedl y hel d of f a massi ve ar my of
oni at t he
Bat t l e of t he C r est i ng Wave. Her spel l summoned a t sunami
and made t he S ei go no Kamae r i ver
i mpassi bl e f or sevent y-
t hr ee days
whi l e
t he C r ab
bui l t t he Kai u Wal l , but i t s power f ul
. ,

magi c cost O sakuher l i f e .
C l an: C r ab.
Benef i t : T hr ee t i mes per day, you can cast a spel l
wi t h
ext r aor di nar y power
.
Add +1 t o t he savi ng
t hr owDi f f i cul t y
C l ass f or t hese spel l s .
S PE LLC AS T E R S UPPO RT
[ AN C E S T O R]
`

Your ancest or , S hi ba Kai gen, was a samur ai whoused
hi s
knowl edge of spel l cr af t t o hel p def end
a mount ai n pass f r oma
Li on
i nvasi on.
C l an: Phoeni x.
Benef i t :
Youcanuse t he Ai d Anot her act i on, maki ng a S pel l -
cr af t check agai nst DC 10, t o add+2 t o t he
Di f f i cul t y C l ass of an
al l i ed
shugenj a' s spel l .
S T RE N GT HO F T HE C HARGE R
[ AN C E S T O R]
You shar e t he spi r i t of Ut aku S hi ko, t he
f ounder of t he
Ut aku
Bat t l e Mai dent r adi t i on.
C l an: Uni cor n
.
Benef i t
: Yougai n a +2 bonus on
al l For t i t ude saves and
+1
t o
your hi t poi nt t ot al .
S T RE N GT H
O F
T HE
C RAB
[ AN C E S T O R]
You cl ai m
descent f r omHi da, t he f i r st C r ab
.
C l an: C r ab.
Benef i t :
When f i ght i ng si de by si de
wi t h at l east one ot her
C r ab char act er , you gai n a +1
mor al e bonus onat t ack r ol l s
and
onsaves agai nst f ear
ef f ect s.
S T RO N G
S O UL
[ AN C E S T O R]
Youcl ai mdescent f r omMot o
S or o, t he si mpl e peasant
who
ear ned hi s pl ace
amongsamur ai and f ounded
t he Mot o f ami l y.
C l an: Uni cor n.
Benef i t : Youget a +1
bonus on al l For t i t ude and
Wi l l saves
and an
addi t i onal +1 bonus agai nst
ener gy dr ai ni ng and
deat h ef f ect s .
S UPE RI O R E XPE RT I S E [ GE N E RAL]
You have mast er ed
t he ar t of def ense i n combat .
Pr er equi si t es : I nt 13+, E xper t i se, base
at t ack bonus +6 or
hi gher .
Benef i t : When you use t he E xper t i se
f eat t o i mpr ove your
Ar mor C l ass, t he number
you subt r act f r omyour at t ack and
add t o your
AC canbe any number t hat does
not exceed your
base at t ack bonus . ( Wi t hout
t hi s f eat , t he number can be no
gr eat er t han +5 . )
S peci al : S uper i or E xper t i se i s a
bonus f eat f or f i ght er s . I t can
be t aken whenever a
f i ght er i s el i gi bl e f or a bonus
f eat , as l ong
as t he
char act er has met t he pr er equi si t es .
UN BALAN C I N G S T RI KE [ GE N E RAL]
Youcan st r i ke a humanoi d
opponent ' s j oi nt s t o knock
your
t ar get of f
bal ance. T hi s f eat i s cal l ed Kuzushi
i n Rokugan.
Pr er equi si t es : I mpr oved Unar med
S t r i ke, S t unni ng Fi st or
monk' s st unni ng at t ack,
Wi s 15+.
Benef i t: Agai nst a humanoi d opponent ,
you can make an
unar med at t ack t hat
has a chance of unbal anci ng your
t ar get ,
i f your at t ack i s successf ul , you deal nor mal damage
and your
t ar get must at t empt a Ref l ex savi ng
t hr ow( DC 10 +1/ 2 your
l evel
+
your
Wi sdommodi f i er ) . I f t he t ar get
f ai l s t hi s savi ng
t hr ow, he i s t hr own
of f bal ance f or 1 r ound, l osi ng
any Dex-
t er i t y
bonus t o AC and gi vi ng at t acker s a +2
bonus on t hei r
at t ack r ol l s .
WARRI O R I N S T I N C T [ AN C E S T O R]
Your ancest or , Mat su
Hi t omi , was t he most f amous
f emal e
samur ai of t he ear l y E mpi r e. Hi t omi
donned her br ot her ' s
ar mor t o avenge
hi s deat h, ear ni ngcommandof a uni t of
samu-
r ai t hr ough
her f i er ce devot i on t o war
.
C l an: Li on.
Benef i t : Yougai n a +2 bonus on
I ni t i at i ve and S pot
checks
WARRI O R S HUJ E N J A [ AN C E S T O R]
Your ancest or ,
Agasha N odot ai , was a shugenj a
wel l ver sed i n
t he code of
bushi do and t he way of war
.
C l an: Dr agon.
Benef i t
: Yougai n a +2 bonus on
your C oncent r at i on
checks when cast i ng
def ensi vel y and a +1 bonus on your
For -
t i t ude saves
.
Whencr eat i ng a char act er i n O r i ent al Advent ur es, you
need t o
consi der many of t he same quest i ons
descr i bed i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook- - what
your char -
act er
l ooks l i ke, her age, her demeanor , her bel i ef s,
and her backgr ound. O r i ent al Advent ur es adds onl y a f ew
wr i nkl es t o t hose
quest i ons .
ALI GN ME N T AN D HO N O R
T he cul t ur es of O r i ent al Advent ur es pl ace st r ong
emphasi s
on
pr oper behavi or , r i gi d adher ence t o soci al cust om,
andst r i ct cast e st r at i f i cat i on wi t h
l i t t l e or no soci al
mobi l i t y.
I n ot her wor ds, t hey ar e t he epi t ome of t he
l awf ul soci et y,
and nonl awf ul
char act er s have a di f f i cul t ,
t i me f unct i oni ng wi t hi n, i t s const r ai nt s . Bar bar i ans,
nezumi , and ot her chaot i c i ndi vi dual s can never t r ul ybe a
par t of t he C el est i al O r der , t he pyr ami d of soci et y.
C l osel y l i nked
t o
t he l awf ul nat ur e of t hese soci et i es i s
t hei r emphasi s on honor. Asamur ai wi t hout honor i s not
a samur ai at al l - he i s not hi ngmor e t han a si mpl e f i ght er
wi t h
a
pai r of unusual mast er wor k swor ds
.
Wi t hout
honor , t he t r appi ngs of st at us- power , weal t h, and posi -
t i on - mean
not hi ng
t o a char act er i n O r i ent al Advent ur es .
Honor i s a measur e of char act er and a r ef l ect i on of an
ent i r e f ami l y' s hi st or yand deeds . Honor r ef l ect s a per son' s
wor t h i n soci et y, t r ust wor t hi ness, decency, and l oyal t y.
Wi t h honor comes r espect , power , i nf l uence, and posi -
t i on. Wi t hout i t , char act er s can expect di sr espect humi l i -
at i on, and i nsul t s.
HO N O RI N T HE GAME
DUN GE O N S &DRAGO N S gi ves your
char act er no concr et e game
benef i t f or bei ngl awf ul good. I f your campai gn
r evol ves st r ongl y
ar ound t hemes of honor ,
however , you may gai n some game
benef i t f or adher i ng t o t he pr i nci pl es
of honor
.
At mi ni mum, a
char act er who i s
known f or bei ng ext r emel y honor abl e, shoul d
gai n t he +1
Leader shi p modi f i er f or a r eput at i on of " f ai r ness
and gener osi t y"
( see t he DUN GE O N MAS T E R' S Gui de) . Addi t i onal
benef i t s, al l
dependent on a si t uat i on wher e t he char act er ' s
i dent i t y and r eput at i on
ar e wel l known, coul d i ncl ude:
" A+2 ci r cumst ance bonus on Di pl omacy checks .
" A+2 ci r cumst ance bonus on S ense Mot i ve checks
when t he t ar get of t he check i s act i ng di shonor abl y
.
" A
+1 ci r cumst ance bonus on
Wi l l
saves when
t he
consequence of
f ai l i ng
t he save woul d
br i ng di shonor
on t he char act er .
At t he DM' s di scr et i on, ot her char act er s whose
per sonal honor and i nt egr i t y ar e vi t a/ l i mpor t ant and a
wel l - known aspect of t he char act er ' s per sonal i t y mi ght
gai n t hese bonuses as wel l .
T her e i s no game mechani c t o measur e or t r ack a char act er ' s
honor . Honor f unct i ons
much
l i ke al i gnment :
as a
t ool f or
devel opi ng your char act er ' s i dent i t y. As par t of cr eat i ng your
char act er , you shoul d
deci de whet her you
i nt end t o pl ay your
char act er as a par agon of honor , a di shonor abl e scoundr el , or
somet hi ng i n bet ween- per haps someone who st r uggl es t o
l i ve honor abl ybut t oo of t ensuccumbs t o t empt at i on. As a gen-
er al gui del i ne, consi der t hese f i ve " r anks" of honor :
Honor l ess: T hi s char act er does not adher e t o t he pr i nci pl es of
bushi do, andeven mocks t hemas i r r el evant i deal s . S uch a char act er
cannot be t r ust ed, f or bet r ayal comes
as
nat ur al l y t o t hi s per son as
br eat hi ng. Anhonor l ess char act er i s usual l y bot h chaot i c andevi l .
Unt r ust wor t hy: T he code of bushi do i s ani nconveni ence t o
t hi s char act er , a t ool best used t o mani pul at e ot her s . S uch a
per son woul d bet r ay anyone i n t he r i ght ci r cumst ances, but
can usual l y be r el i ed on at l east t o come t o t he ai d of t he cl an.
Wi t h sel f - i nt er est t aki ng pr ecedence above al l , such char act er s
ar e usual l y chaot i c or neut r al and of t en evi l .
Honor abl e
Act i on
:
At a bar e mi ni mum, an honor abl e char -
act er must at l east act i n accor dance wi t h bushi do, even i f t he
char act er ' s
hear t i s not i n i t . S ubor di nat i ng one' s owni nt er est s
t o t hose of t he cl an i s di f f i cul t f or such a char act er , and l i vi ng
up t o t he
i deal s of bushi do i s a const ant st r uggl e. Wi t h each suc-
cessf ul bout agai nst t empt at i on, however , t he char act er ' s
r esol ve
gr ows st r onger . T hi s mi ni mumst andar d of honor usu-
al l y r epr esent s a neut r al al i gnment , wi t h l eani ngs t owar d l aw.
Honor abl eT hought : At r ul y honor abl e char act er no l onger
doubt s or quest i ons
bushi do and i t s demands . S uch a per son,
whi l e not f r ee f r omt empt at i on, easi l y over comes i t . N ow, t he
di f f i cul t y comes when t he
char act er i s f or ced t o bend r ul es,
however sl i ght l y- t hi s i s a chal l enge f or t he except i onal l y
honor abl e
samur ai . S uch a char act er i s usual l y l awf ul neut r al .
Honor abl e S oul : T he par agon
of
honor
cannot be swayed
f r omt he cal l of dut y t o cl an and f ami l y. T o even quest i on t he
honor
of such a char act er i n unt hi nkabl e. C har act er s so i m-
mer sed i n honor ar e sel f l ess, compl et el y devot ed t o t hei r f ami l y
andcl an,
and
wi l l i ng
t o gi ve up t hei r ownl i ves f or t he saf et y and
secur i t y of ot her s . T hey ar e usual l y l awf ul neut r al or l awf ul good.
HO N O R AN DDI S HO N O R:
S O ME E XAMPLE S
Honor abl e act i ons, accor di ng t o t he code of bushi do, i ncl ude:
" Avengi ngt he deat h of a f ami l y member
" Def eat i ngan ancest r al enemy
" S avi ng anot her
per son' s l i f e
" Leadi ng
a vi ct or i ous f or ce i n bat t l e
" C ompl et i nga gr eat quest
" Dyi nga her oi c deat h
Di shonor abl e act i ons
i ncl ude t he f ol l owi ng:
" Bei ngaccused or convi ct ed of a cr i me
" Bei ngt akenpr i soner
" Br eaki ngan oat h
" Losi ng a bi r t hr i ght , i ncl udi ng an
ancest r al weapon
" Losi ng a cont est or
duel , especi al l y t o an i nf er i or opponent
" Behavi ngr ashl y or i mpr oper l y
"

Ref usi nga
cont est or duel
" C ommi t t i ngt r eason
" E nt er i ngi nt o debt ( of
moneyor f avor s)
"

Fl eei ng a f i ght
" Leadi ng a l osi ng f or ce
i n bat t l e
" Usi ng a peasant or ni nj a weapon
" Di sobeyi ng one' s l or d
I n campai gns not based on J apanese cul t ur e, def i ni t i ons of
honor may var y, somet i mes
dr amat i cal l y.
RE LI GI O N
T he Pl ayer ' s Handbook descr i bes a pol yt hei st i c
wor l d, whi ch i s
t he basel i ne assumpt i on of
r el i gi on i n t he D&Dgame. I n such
a syst em, a number of dei t i es hol d cont r ol over di f f er ent
aspect s
of mor t al exi st ence, such as deat h,
honor , st r engt h, l aw, and
magi c. Rel i gi on i n O r i ent al Advent ur es spr i ngs f r oma ver y
di f -
f er ent wor l dvi ew, one t hat i s f undament al l y
ani mi st i c.
Ani mi sm
i s t he
bel i ef t hat spi r i t s i nhabi t ever y par t of t he
nat ur al wor l d. I n t he wor l d of or i ent al Advent ur es,
ever yt hi ng
has a spi r i t - f r omt he gr andest mount ai n t o t he l owl i est r ock,
f r omt he gr eat ocean t o a babbl i ng br ook, f r omt he sun and
moon t o a samur ai ' s ancest r al swor d.
Al l t hese obj ect s, andt he
spi r i t s t hat i nhabi t t hem, ar e al i ve and sent i ent , t hough some
ar e mor e awar e, al er t , and i nt el l i gent t han
ot her s . S ome ar e al so
mor e power f ul t han ot her s- some mi ght even be cal l ed
dei t i es . But al l ar e wor t hy of r espect and even vener at i on.
T hemul t i t udi nous
spi r i t s of t he wor l d ar e not ser ved by cl er i cs,
as ar e t he dei t i es descr i bed i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook, but shamans
andshugenj as can somet i mes commandor i mpl or e t hemt o per -
f or mspeci f i c t asks on t hei r behal f . S hamans act ual l y have t wot o
t hr ee speci f i c pat r on spi r i t s ( who
gr ant t hemdomai nspel l s and
BE HI N D
T HE
C URT AI N : ALI GN ME N T I N
O RI E N T AL ADVE N T URE S
A
cl ose l ook at t he spel l l i st s, magi c i t ems, and ot her el ement s
of O r i ent al Advent ur es r eveal s t hat , i n compar i son t o t he st an-
dar d DUN GE O N S &DRAGO N S game, al i gnment i s somewhat l ess
i mpor t ant . I n many O r i ent al Advent ur es campai gns, a per son' s
et hi cal code i s summed up i n t he i dea of honor r at her t han
not i ons of good or evi l , l awor chaos . S o you' l l f i nd honor abl e
weapons i n C hapt er 8: Magi c I t ems- weapons t hat deal
i ncr eased damage agai nst di shonor abl e char act er s and cr ea-
t ur es . I n t he f eat ur ed campai gn set t i ng of Rokugan, t he
S hadowl ands T ai nt i s a physi cal f or ce of evi l , and t he shugenj a
spel l l i st f eat ur es det ect T ai nt i nst ead of det ect evi l , j ade st r i ke
i nst ead of
hol y smi t e, andj ade aur a i nst ead of hol y aur a. T ai nt ed
weapons
and j ade weapons appear i n C hapt er 8: Magi c I t ems .
I t i s t heor et i cal l y possi bl e t o
el i mi nat e al i gnment ent i r el y i n
an O r i ent al Advent ur es
campai gn, usi ngt he syst ems of honor ,
T ai nt , or bot h, t o
r epl ace i t . I f you use shamans, sor cer er s,
and wu j en
i n
such
a game, you' l l need t o cr eat e r epl ace-
ment s f or spel l s such
as det ect evi l and pr ot ect i on f r omevi l
t hat r el y on
honor i nst ead of al i gnment . C har act er s who ar e
honor l ess or unt r ust wor t hy
woul d be af f ect ed by det ect
di shonor or pr ot ect i on f r om
di shonor , honor abl e weapons, and
t he l i ke, whi l e char act er s who
qual i f y as honor abl e t hought or
honor abl e soul woul d be
af f ect ed by det ect honor or pr ot ect i on
f r omhonor and di shonor abl e
weapons .
power s) , but most ot her char act er s do not pay al l egi ance t o any
one spi r i t over t he ot her s.
I nst ead, t hey of f er pr ayer s and sacr i -
f i ces t o di f f er ent spi r i t s at di f f er ent t i mes, as appr opr i at e t o t he
spi r i t . A
pi ous char act er pr obabl y makes dai l y pr ayer s andof f er -
i ngs t o her ancest or spi r i t s, r egul ar pet i t i ons t o i mpor t ant spi r i t s
such as t he
S evenFor t unes of GoodLuck, occasi onal sacr i f i ces of
i ncense t o pl acat e spi r i t s such as t he spi r i t of a f or est , and spor adi c
pr ayer s t o a host
of ot her spi r i t s as wel l .
An ani mi st i c r el i gi on i s ver y t ol er ant . Most spi r i t s don' t
car e
whoel se a
char act er of f er s sacr i f i ces t o, as l ong as t heyget t he sac-
r i f i ces andr espect t hey ar e due. As newr el i gi ons
spr ead t hr ough-
out
t he l ands of or i ent al Advent ur es, t hey t ypi cal l y wi n adher ent s
but not conver t s. Peopl e i ncor por at e newspi r i t s
anddei t i es i nt o
t hei r pr ayer s
wi t hout di spl aci ng t he ol dones. Monks and schol -
ar s may adopt compl exphi l osophi cal syst ems andpr act i ces wi t h-
out changi ng
t hei r bel i ef i n andr espect f or t he spi r i t s at al l .
I n shor t , you do not need t o sel ect
a pat r on dei t y f or your
char act er. You
maywi sh t o put some t hought i nt o whi chspi r i t s
he commonl y vener at es . I f he has
an ancest or f eat , t hat ' s a good
pl ace
t o st ar t
.
I n t he f eat ur ed campai gnset t i ngof Rokugan, t he
most i mpor t ant ancest r al spi r i t s
ar e t he seven kami , chi l dr en of
t he sun
dei t y, who f ounded t he gr eat cl ans : Akodo, Doj i ,
Bayushi , S hi nj o, S hi ba, T ogashi , and
Hi da. T hei r el dest br ot her
Hant ei f ounded
t he i mper i al l i ne, and t hei r br ot her Fu Leng,
nowdead, cr eat ed t he
S hadowl ands and i t s demoni c i nhabi -
t ant s
. N ear l y as i mpor t ant ar e t he f ounder s of
t he ot her cl an
f ami l i es- Mat su,
Dai doj i , S hosur o, and t he r est .
O t her spi r i t s commonl y vener at edi n any
O r i ent al Advent ur es
set t i ng
i ncl ude For t unes of good l uck, weal t h, l ove, st r engt h,
wi sdom, l ongevi t y, st or ms,
har vest s, t he sea, t he wi nds, war , and
var i ous
cr af t s andpr of essi ons. T he sun ( cal l ed Yakamo i n Roku-
gan) and moon ( cal l ed Hi t omi ) ,
as wel l as ot her cel est i al bodi es
ar e commonl y vener at ed as wel l .
I n Rokugan,
one phi l osophi cal syst emover l ays t he r el i gi on
of t he spi r i t s : cal l ed S hi nsei smor
S hi nt ao ( " t he way of S hi n-
sei " ) , i t emphasi zes
t he i ndi vi dual ' s quest f or enl i ght enment
over vener at i on of t he spi r i t s,
t hough ( as usual i n t he l ands of
O r i ent al Advent ur es) t he t wo ar e never seen as mut ual l y
excl u-
si ve. By f ocusi ng t he
mi ndont he et er nal , unchangi ng f i ve el e-
ment s ( ai r , ear t h, f i r e, wat er ,
voi d) r at her t han t he t empor al ,
mat er i al wor l d, a f ol l ower of S hi nt ao hopes t o f r ee hi s soul f r om
t he mat er i al and achi eve
enl i ght enment . I t i s not uncommon
f or
a f ol l ower of S hi nt aot o vener at e pr evi ous enl i ght ened
soul s
al ongsi de or
even
i n
pl ace of hi s act ual ancest or s .
VI T AL S T AT I S T I C S
As
descr i bed i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook, def i ni ng key det ai l s
of
your char act er can hel p
br i ng t hat char act er t o l i f e .
N AME
I f you ar e pl ayi ngi n t he
f eat ur ed campai gn set t i ng of Rokugan
and your char act er i s human, you have al r eady chosen your
char act er ' s cl an. C hoose a f ami l y wi t hi n t hat cl an, andyouhave
hal f of your char act er ' s name.
Fami l y names i n Rokugan ar e
spoken and wr i t t en f i r st , so Ki t su Mar i i s a shugenj a of t he
Ki t su f ami l y. Per sonal names ar e usual l y one t o t hr ee syl l abl es
l ong, and each syl l abl e i s dr awn f r oma f i ni t e l i st of common
sounds i n t he Rokugani l anguage.
Youcansel ect syl l abl es f r omT abl e 5- 1 : C ommonS yl l abl es t o
f or myour char act er ' s name. Youcan i nser t an N bet ween syl l a-
bl es i f t hat hel ps youpr onounce t he r esul t i ng name. Women' s
names somet i mes end i n " - ko, " t hough some f emal e samur ai
choose mascul i ne
names .
C hapt er 2 : Races cont ai ns exampl es of common names f or
member s of each of
t he r aces avai l abl e i n O r i ent al Advent ur es .
T ABLE
5- 1: C O MMO N S YLLABLE S
AGE
You can choose or r andoml y gener at e your char act er ' s age. I f
you choose i t , i t must be at l east t he mi ni mumage f or t he char -
act er ' s r ace and cl ass ( see T abl e
5- 2
: RandomS t ar t i ng Ages) .
Randomdet er mi nat i on of st ar t i ng age and agi ngef f ect s wor k
as descr i bed
i n
t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook.
At some poi nt bet weent he ages of 13 and 21 ( usual l y ar ound
16) , a humanchi l d i n Rokuganper f or ms a r i t e of passage cal l ed
gempukku. At t hi s poi nt , t he chi l d i s consi der ed an adul t and
usual l y
t akes a newname. C har act er s of t he nobl e cast e ( i ncl ud-
i ng al l samur ai and shugenj as, and possi bl y ot her char act er s as
wel l ) ar e assumedt o begi n t hei r advent ur i ng car eer s f ol l owi ng
t he compl et i on
of t hei r gempukkucer emony
.
T ABLE 5- 2: RAN DO MS T ART I N GAGE S
T ABLE 5- 3: AGI N GE FFE C T S
HE I GHT
AN D WE I GHT
O n aver age, humans i n O r i ent al Advent ur es ar e
somewhat
shor t er t han t hei r count er par t s i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook. ( T hi s i s
A
BA BE BI BO BU C HA C HI C HO C HU DA DE
DO E FU GA GE GI GO GU HA HE HI HO
I ) A J I J O J U KA KE KI KO KU MA ME
MI MO MU N A N E N I N O N U O PA PE PI
PO PU RA RE RI
RO RU S A S E
S HA S HI S HO
S HU S O S U T S U T A T E T O
T U
U WA YA YO
YU
7A 7E 7O
ZU
Fi ght er Monk
Bar bar i an Ranger S haman
Rogue S amur ai S hugenj a
Race
Adul t hood
S or cer er S ohei
Wu
J en
Human 15 year s +1 d4 +1 d6 +2d6
Hengeyokai 40 year s +4d6 +6d6 +9d6
Kor obokur u 40 year s +3d6 +5d6 +7d6
N ezumi 5 year s +1 d2 +1 d4 +1 d8
S pi r i t Fol k 110 year s +4d6 +6d6 +10d6
Vanar a 30 year s +2d6 +4d6 +6d6
Maxi mum
Race Mi ddl e Age* O l d** Vener abl e- j - Age
Human 35 year s 53 year s 70 year s +2d20 year s
Hengeyokai 100 year s 150 year s 200 year s +3d%year s
Kor obokur u 125 year s 188 year s 250 year s +2d%year s
N ezumi 15 year s 23 year s 30 year s +1 d10 year s
S pi r i t Fol k 175 year s 263 year s 350 year s +4d%year s
Vanar a 75 year s 113 year s 150 year s +1 d%year s
- - 1 t o S t r , C on, and Dex; +1 t o I nt , Wi s, and C ha.
** - 2 t o S t r , C on, and Dex; +2 t o I nt , Wi s, and C ha.
- j
- 3 t o S t r , C on, and Dex; +3 t o I nt , Wi s, and C ha.
par t i cul ar l y t r ue f or
t he f eat ur ed campai gn set t i ngof Rokugan,
but
may not be t r ue f or al l campai gns
. Use t he t abl es i n t he
Pl ayer ' s
Handbook f or humans i n set t i ngs wher e
humans
ar e
t al l er . ) C hoose your char act er ' s
hei ght and wei ght f r omt he
r anges ment i oned i n
her r ace' s descr i pt i on or f r omt he r anges
f ound onT abl e 5- 4: RandomHei ght and
Wei ght . T hi nkabout
what your
char act er ' s abi l i t i es mi ght say about her hei ght and
wei ght . You can al so r ol l r andoml y
f or your char act er ' s hei ght
andwei ght
onT abl e 5- 4.
T ABLE
5- 4: RAN DO MHE I GHT AN D
WE I GHT
E QUI PPI N G A C HARAC T E R
As descr i bed
i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook,
youbegi n t he game
wi t h at l east one out f i t of
nor mal cl ot hes ( ar t i san' s out f i t ,
ent er t ai ner ' s
out f i t , expl or er ' s out f i t , monk' s out f i t ,
peasant ' s
out f i t , schol ar ' s out f i t ,
or t r avel er ' s out f i t ) anda r andom
amount
of money det er mi ned by your
cl ass ; see T abl e 5- 5:
RandomS t ar t i ng Gol d
.
T ABLE 5- 5: RAN DO M
S T ART I N GGO LD
WE APO N S
C har act er s i n
O r i ent al Advent ur es use a var i et y of
weapons-
some wi t h di r ect count er par t s
i n
t he
Pl ayer ' s Handbook ( dagger ,
cl ub,
mast er wor k bast ar d swor d) , some
wi t hout ( nagi nat a,
nekode, sodegar ami ) .
T abl e 5- 6: Weapons f r omt he Pl ayer ' s
Handbook
l i st s al l t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook
weapons avai l abl e i n
Rokuganandi n ot her
O r i ent al Advent ur es campai gns, i ncl udi ng
t hose i nf l uenced by
C hi nese, Kor ean, I ndi an, and S out heast
Asi an cul t ur es
. T abl e 5- 7: N ewWeapons det ai l s new
weapons
avai l abl e i n O r i ent al Advent ur es
.
WE APO N DE S C RI PT I O N S
T he
t ypes of weapons f ound onT abl e
5- 7:
N ew
Weapons ar e
descr i bedbel ow
( i n al phabet i cal or der ) .
Bl owgun: T he bl owgun i s
a
l ong
t ube t hr ough whi ch
youf i r e
needl es . Aneedl e can del i ver poi son of ei t her t he
i nj ur y or cont act t ype.
Bl owgun, Gr eat er : T he gr eat er bl owgun f i r es bl owgun dar t s
( sl i ght l y smal l er t han t hr own dar t s) and
can al so del i ver poi sons .
But t er f l y S wor d: Amonk usi ng a but t er f l y swor d f i ght s
wi t h her unar medbase at t ack bonus, i ncl udi ng
her mor e
f avor abl e number of at t acks per r ound, al ong wi t h ot her
appl i cabl e modi f i er s .
C hai n: Al so cal l ed t he manr i ki - gusar i , t hi s i s a si mpl e chai n
wi t h wei ght ed ends . I t can be whi r l ed qui ckl y, st r i ki ng
wi t h
har d bl ows f r omt he wei ght s. O neend can al so be swungout t o
ent angl e
anopponent .
T hechai n canbe used ei t her as a doubl e weapon or as a r each
weapon.
You can f i ght wi t h i t as i f f i ght i ngwi t h t wo weapons,
i ncur r i ng al l t he nor mal at t ack penal t i es as i f usi ng
a one-
handed weapon and a l i ght weapon. I n t hi s case, you can onl y
st r i ke at an adj acent opponent .
I f youuse t he chai n as a r each weapon, you can st r i ke oppo-
nent s 10 f eet away wi t h i t . I n addi t i on,
unl i ke ot her weapons
wi t h r each, you can use i t agai nst an adj acent f oe. I nt hi s
case,
you can onl y
use one end of t he chai n ef f ect i vel y; you cannot
use i t as a doubl e weapon.
Because t he
chai n can wr ap ar ound an enemy' s l eg or ot her
l i mb, youcan make t r i p at t acks wi t h i t . I f you
ar e
t r i pped
T ABLE 5- 6
: WE APO N S FRO MT HE PLAYE R' S HAN DBO O K
Pl ayer ' s Handbook
Weapons
Avai l abl e i n Rokugan
Bat t l eaxe
C hai n,
spi ked
C l ub*

C r ossbow,
l i ght
C r ossbow, hand
C r ossbow, heavy
C r ossbow, r epeat i ng
Dagger
Dar t
Gaunt l et
Gr eat cl ub
Gr eat swor d
Gui sar me
J avel i n
Kama
Lance, heavy- ]
Longbow, composi t e$
N unchaku
Quar t er st af f
S hor t bow, composi t e
S hor t spear
S hur i ken
S l i ng- ]
S t r i ke, unar med
T r i dent

War hammer
Whi p
Pl ayer ' s Handbook Weapon
Avai l abl e i n O t her O r i ent al
Advent ur es C ampai gns
Bat t l eaxe
Bows ( al l )
C l ub
Dagger
Dagger , punchi ng
Dar t
Gl ai ve
Gr eat cl ub
Hal ber d
Handaxe
j avel i n
Kama
( l i an)
Kukr i
Longspear
Longswor d
Mace, l i ght or heavy
Mor ni ngst ar
Pi ck, l i ght
or heavy
Quar t er st af f
S ci mi t ar
S i angham
S wor d, shor t
S wor d, bast ar d
T r i dent
*T he j o ( a si mpl e cl ub made of bamboo) i s a f avor ed weapon of
monks, of t en used i n pai r s . Amonk usi nga j o can st r i ke wi t h her
unar med base at t ack bonus, i ncl udi ng her mor e f avor abl e
number
of at t acks per r ound, al ong wi t h
ot her appl i cabl e
modi f i er s
.
- ] T he heavy l ance and t he sl i ng ar e
consi der ed exot i c weapons
i n Rokugan, except f or Uni cor n char act er s and out l ander s not
nat i ve t o t he E mpi r e of Rokugan.
$T he dai - kyu ( composi t e l ongbow)
i s
unusual i n t hat t he gr i p
i s not cent er ed, bei ng
cl oser t o t he bot t om
. T hi s
al l ows t he
bowt o be f i r ed f r omhor seback and kneel i ng posi t i ons .
Base Hei ght
Base Wei ght
Race
Hei ght Modi f i er Wei ght Modi f i er
Human, man 4' 10"
+2d8 120 l b.
x
( 2d4) I b
Human,
woman 4' 5" +2d8 85
l b.
x
( 2d4) I b
Hengeyokai ,
man 4' 10" +2d8 120
l b.
x
( 2d4) I b
Hengeyokai , woman 4' 5" +2d8
85 l b. x ( 2d4) I b
Kor obokur u, man 3'
9" +2d4 100 l b. x ( 2d4) I b
Kor obokur u, woman 3' 7" +2d4
70 l b. x ( 2d4) I b
N ezumi , man
5' 2" +2d4 140 l b. x ( 1 d6) I b
N ezumi , woman 4' 9"
+2d4 105 l b. x ( 1 d6) I b
S pi r i t Fol k, man 4' 10"
+2d8 120 l b. x ( 2d4) I b
S pi r i t Fol k, woman 4' 5"
+2d8 85 l b. x ( 2d4) I b
Vanar a, man 4'
5" +1 d8 90 l b. x ( 1d6) I b
Vanar a, woman 4' 2"
+1d8 85 l b. x ( 1d6) I b
C l ass
Amount ( gp) C l ass Amount
( gp)
Bar bar i an
4d4 x 10 S haman 4d4 x
10
Fi ght er
6d4 x 10 S hugenj a
3d4
x
10
Monk
5d4 S ohei
6d4
x
10
Ranger
6d4 x 10 S or cer er 3d4 x
10
Rogue
5d4 x 10 Wu J en
3d4 x 10
S amur ai
6d4 x 10
dur i ng your ownt r i p at t empt ,
you can dr op t he chai n t o avoi d
bei ng
t r i pped.
Whenusi nga chai n, you
get a +2 bonus onyour opposedat t ack
r ol l
whenat t empt i ng t o di sar manopponent ( i ncl udi ng t he r ol l
t o
avoi d bei ng
di sar med i f youf ai l t o di sar myour opponent ) .
Youcanuse t he Weapon
Fi nesse f eat t o appl y your Dext er i t y
modi f i er i nst ead of your S t r engt h modi f i er
t o at t ack
r ol l s wi t h
a chai n.
C hakr am: T he chakr ami s
a t hr owi ng di sk or quoi t about 1
f oot i n di amet er , wi t h
a shar pened out er r i m.
C hi j i r i ki
: T he chi j i r i ki i s a doubl e
weapon, al l owi ng you t o
st r i ke wi t h t he spear
endor whi pout t he chai nendt o ent angl e
your opponent . You
can f i ght wi t h i t as i f f i ght i ng wi t h t wo
weapons, i ncur r i ng
al l t he nor mal at t ack penal t i es
as i f usi ng a
one- handed weaponanda l i ght
weapon.
Because t he chai n end of t he chi j i r i ki
can wr ap ar ound an
enemy' s
l eg or ot her l i mb, you can make t r i p at t acks wi t h
i t . I f
you
ar e
t r i pped
dur i ng your ownt r i p at t empt , youcandr opt he
chai n
t o avoi dbei ngt r i pped.
Dar t s, Bl owgun: T hese
dar t s ar e somewhat smal l er t han
t hr owi ng
dar t s andcancar r y poi son.
Fuki mi - Bar i
( mout h dar t s) : T hese sl i m, al most
needl el i ke
met al dar t s ar e conceal ed i n
t he mout h and t hen spi t at t he
t ar get .
T hei r ef f ect i ve r ange i s ext r emel y
shor t , and t hey do
l i t t l e damage, but t hey
ar e hi ghl y usef ul when t aki ng an oppo-
nent by sur pr i se . Youcanf i r e
upt o t hr ee mout hdar t s per at t ack
( al l at t he same
t ar get ) .
Donot appl y your S t r engt h
modi f i er t o damage wi t h mout h
dar t s . T hey ar e
t oo smal l t o car r y t he ext r a f or ce t hat a
st r ong
char act er usual l y i mpar t s
t o a t hr own weapon. T he cost and
wei ght ar e
f or a si ngl e mout h dar t .
J i t t e: Wi t h a j i t t e, you
get a +2 bonus on your opposed at t ack
r ol l when
at t empt i ng t o di sar man enemy
( i ncl udi ng t he
opposed at t ack r ol l t o avoi dbei ngdi sar med i f you f ai l t o di sar m
your enemy) .
Amonkusi ng
a j i t t e can st r i ke wi t h her unar medbase at t ack
bonus, i ncl udi ng her mor e f avor abl e number of at t acks per
r ound, al ong wi t h ot her appl i cabl e modi f i er s .
Kat ana: T he kat ana i s a mast er wor k bast ar d swor d t hat
gr ant s a +1 bonus on your at t ack r ol l s . Amast er wor k
weapon' s bonus t o at t ack does not st ack wi t h an enhance-
ment bonus t o at t ack. Li ke a bast ar d swor d, t he kat ana can
onl y
be used i n one hand by a char act er wi t h t he E xot i c
Weapon Pr of i ci ency ( kat ana) f eat . A
Medi um- si ze char act er
can use a kat ana t wo- handed as a mar t i al weapon, or a Lar ge
cr eat ur e can use i t one- handed i n t he
same way. Amongt he
samur ai of Rokugan, onl y Dr agons r out i nel y use t hei r
kat anas
one- handed.
For a samur ai char act er , a kat ana i s
mor e t han j ust a swor d-
i t i s par t of hi s honor and t he honor of hi s f ami l y. I t i s hi s per -
sonal weapon, not t o be used by ot her s . T o t ouch t he scabbar d of
a sheat hed kat ana i s t o i nsul t t he samur ai .
T o dr awt he bl ade
wi t hout per mi ssi on i s a gr i evous i nsul t . Asi ngl e kat ana may
have beeni n t he same f ami l y f or gener at i ons, becomi nga t r eas-
ur ed hei r l oom. Kat anas of t en have i ndi vi dual names, r ef l ect i ng
t he deeds of gl or y i n whi ch
t hey have beenused. T o l ose such a
weapon i s a shamef ul di sgr ace t hat can onl y be swept cl ean by
r ecover i ng t he weaponandpuni shi ng t hose who t ook i t . Many
samur ai have gi ven t hei r
l i ves
t o r ecover t he f ami l y' s
weapon
.
T he i mpor t ance of a samur ai ' s kat ana i s r ef l ect ed i n t he ances-
t r al dai sho abi l i t y
of t he samur ai cl ass.
Akat ana i s t he onl y honor abl e weapon f or a samur ai t o use i n
combat agai nst anot her samur ai .
Member s of t he C r ab
cl an, i n
par t i cul ar , ar e f amous f or t hei r use of weapons such as t he t et -
subo, t he ono, and t he dai t suchi , but t hey gener al l y use
t hese weapons onl y agai nst t he nonhuman
deni zens of
t he S hadowl ands . Agai nst a samur ai , even a C r ab samur ai
must use hi s kat ana or f ace di shonor .
Kau S i n
Ke: Al so cal l ed a whi ppi ng chai n, t hi s weapon
i s
a l engt h of f our t o si x shor t i r on bar s connect ed by l i nks
of chai n.
Kawanaga: A kawanaga i s a l engt h of l i ght chai n wi t h a
wei ght at one end and a
shar p- bl aded gr appl i ng hookon t he
ot her . I t can be whi r l ed qui ckl y, st r i ki ng wi t h har d bl ows
f r omei t her end. O ne end
can al so be swung out t o ent angl e
anopponent .
T ABLE 5- 7: N E WWE APO N S
S I MPLE WE APO N S - RAN GE D
S ee t he descr i pt i on of t hi s weapon f or speci al r ul es .
* N o wei ght wor t h not i ng.
. j
Reach weapon.
Doubl e weapon.
Y
Reach or doubl e weapon ( see weapon descr i pt i on) .
T he weapon deal s
subdual damage r at her t han
nor mal damage.
a I f you use a
r eady act i on t o set t hi s weapon agai nst a char ge, you
deal doubl e damage i f you scor e a hi t agai nst a char gi ng char act er
.
AT hi s
weapon i s not commonl y f ound i n Rokugan .
Weapon C ost Damage C r i t i cal Range I ncr ement
Wei ght
T ype*'
, ','
S mal l
Bl owgun* 1 gp 1 x2 10 f t .
2
I b
. Pi er ci ng
N eedl es, bl owgun ( 20) 1 gp - -
MART I AL WE APO N S - ME LE E
S mal l
Waki zashi * 300 gp
1d6
19- 20/ x2 - 3 I b.
S l ashi ng
Lar ge I
N agamaki
8 gp
2d4 x3 - 10 I b. S l ashi ng
N agi nat a*j
10gp
1d10 x3 - 1516 . S l ashi ng
E XO T I C WE APO N S - ME LE E
T i ny
N ekode*
5 gp
1d4 x2 - 2 I b. Pi er ci ng
T ai l
spi kes,
r at t i ng*
1 gp 1d4 x2 - -
1/ 2 I b. Pi er ci ng
S mal l
But t er f l y swor d*A )
10 gp 1d6
19- 20/ x2 - 2 I b. S l ashi ng
j i t t e* 5 sp 1d4 x2 -
2 I b. Bl udgeoni ng
N i nj a- t o* 10 gp 1d6 19- 29/ x2 - 3 I b.
S l ashi ng
S ai *
1 gp 1d4 x2 -
216 . Bl udgeoni ng
T onf a 5 sp 1d6 x2 - 2 I b.
Bl udgeoni ng
War f an
30 gp 1d6 x3 - 3 I b.
S l ashi ng
Medi um- si ze
Kat ana* 400 gp 1d10 19- 20/ x2 - 6 I b.
S l ashi ng
Kau si n ke A 15 gp
1d8
x2 - 4 I b.
Bl udgeoni ng
Kawanaga*YA 10 gp 1d3/ 1d3 x2 -
1
I b.
S l ashi ng/
Bl udgeoni ng
Laj at ang, kor obokur u*i _ A 80 gp 1d6/ 1d6 x2 - 3 I b. S l ashi ng
Lar ge
C hai n* 5 gp
1d6/ 1d6
x2 - 5 I b. Bl udgeoni ng
C hi j i r i ki *_ i _ 8 gp
1d6/ 1d4
x2 - 6 I b . Pi er ci ng/
Bl udgeoni ng
Kusar i - gama*Y 10
gp
1d6/ 1d4 x2 - 3 I b. S l ashi ng/
Bl udgeoni ng
Laj at ang*r A 90gp 1d8/ 1d8 x2 - 7l b. S l ashi ng
S ang kauw* : A 95 gp 1d8/ 1d8 x3 - 1016 . Pi er ci ng
S asumat a* - j
8 gp
1d4( x2 - 8 I b. Bl udgeoni ng
S hi komi - zue*a
12 gp 1d8 x3
?
- 5 I b. Pi er ci ng
S odegar ami * 4 gp 1d4 x2 -
5
I b
. Pi er ci ng
T hr ee- sect i on st af f A 4 gp 1d8 x3 - 8 I b. Bl udgeoni ng
E XO T I C WE APO N S - RAN GE D
T i ny
Fuki mi - Bar i *
A 1 gp 1 x2 10 f t . 1 / 10t h l b.
Pi er ci ng
( mout h
dar t s)
S mal l
C hakr amA 15 gp 1d4 x3 30 f t . 2 I b.
S l ashi ng
Lar ge
Bl owgun, gr eat er * 10 gp 1d3 x2 10 f t . 4 I b. Pi er ci ng
Dar t s, bl owgun ( 10) 1 gp - - - 1 I b. -
T he kawanaga canbe used ei t her as a doubl e weapon or
as a
r each weapon. You
can f i ght wi t h i t as i f f i ght i ng wi t h t wo
weapons, i ncur r i ngal l t he nor mal
at t ack penal t i es as i f usi ng a
one- handed weapon and a l i ght weapon. I n t hi s case, you can
onl y st r i ke at an adj acent
opponent .
I f you use
t he kawanaga as a r each weapon, you can st r i ke
opponent s 10 f eet away wi t h i t . I n addi t i on,
unl i ke ot her
weapons
wi t h r each, you can use i t agai nst an adj acent f oe. I n
t hi s case, you can onl y
use one endof t he kawanaga ef f ect i vel y;
youcannot use i t as a doubl e weapon.
Because t he
kawanaga can wr ap ar ound an enemy' s l eg or
ot her l i mb, youcan
make
t r i p at t acks
wi t h i t . I f youar e t r i pped
dur i ng
your ownt r i p at t empt , you can dr op t he chai n
t o avoi d
bei ngt r i pped.
When usi ng a kawanaga, you get a +2 bonus on your
opposed at t ack r ol l when
at t empt i ng t o di sar man opponent
( i ncl udi ng t he r ol l t o avoi d bei ng
di sar med i f you f ai l t o
di sar myour
opponent ) .
Youcanuse t he Weapon Fi nesse
f eat t o appl y your Dext er i t y
modi f i er
i nst ead of your S t r engt h modi f i er t o at t ack r ol l s wi t h
a kawanaga.
Akawanaga al so ser ves as a cl i mbi ng t ool . I t
i s t he equi val ent
of
10 f eet of r ope wi t h a gr appl i ng hook at t ached.
Kusar i - gama: Akusar i - gama
i s a
l engt h
of chai n wi t h a
kama at one end. I t canbe used ei t her as a doubl e weapon or as
a r each weapon. You can f i ght
wi t h i t as i f f i ght i ng wi t h t wo
weapons, i ncur r i ng al l t he nor mal at t ack penal t i es as i f usi ng a
one- handed weapon and a l i ght
weapon
. I n
t hi s case, you can
onl y st r i ke at an adj acent opponent .
I f you use t he kusar i - gama
as a r each weapon, youcan st r i ke
opponent s 10 f eet away wi t h i t . I n addi t i on, unl i ke ot her
weapons wi t h r each,
you can use i t agai nst an adj acent f oe. I n
t hi s case, you can onl y use one end of t he kusar i - gama
ef f ec-
t i vel y
;
you cannot use i t as a doubl e
weapon. You can choose
whi ch end of t he kusar i - gama t o use. T he kama end deal s 1d6
poi nt s of damage and i s a sl ashi ng weapon; t he
chai n
end
deal s
1d4 poi nt s of damage and i s a bl udgeoni ng weapon.
Youcan make t r i p at t acks wi t h a kusar i - gama. I f you ar e
t r i pped dur i ng your ownt r i p at t empt , youcan dr op t he kusar i
gama t o avoi dbei ngt r i pped.
When usi ng
a
kusar i - gama,
youget a
+2 bonus on your
opposed at t ack r ol l when at t empt i ng t o di sar man opponent
( i ncl udi ng t he r ol l t o avoi dbei ng di sar med i f youf ai l t o di sar m
your opponent ) .
You can use t he Weapon Fi nesse f eat t o appl y your Dext er i t y
modi f i er i nst eadof your S t r engt h modi f i er t o at t ack r ol l s wi t h
a kusar i - gama.
Laj at ang or Kor obokur u Laj at ang
: A
l aj at ang
i s a doubl e
weapon. You can f i ght wi t h i t as i f f i ght i ng wi t h t wo weapons,
but i f you do, you i ncur al l t he nor mal at t ack penal t i es associ -
at ed wi t h f i ght i ngwi t h t wo weapons as i f you ar e usi ng a one-
handed weapon and a l i ght weapon. Acr eat ur e usi ng a doubl e
weapon i n one hand, such as a Lar ge cr eat ur e usi ng a l aj at ang,
can' t use i t as a doubl e weapon.
Amonk usi ng a l aj at ang f i ght s wi t h
her
unar med
base
at t ack bonus, i ncl udi ng her mor e f avor abl e number of
at t acks per r ound,
al ong wi t h ot her appl i cabl e modi f i er s. T he
monk can onl y use her mor e f avor abl e number of at t acks per
r ound wi t h one end of t he weapon
. T he kor obokur u l aj at ang
i s f or S mal l monks .
N agamaki
: T he nagamaki i s a pol ear msi mi l ar t o t he nagi -
nat a, but somewhat shor t er. I t i s commonl yusedby mount ed
samur ai .
N agi nat a: Anagi nat a has r each. You can st r i ke opponent s
10 f eet away wi t h i t , but you can' t use i t
agai nst an adj a-
cent f oe
.
N eedl es, Bl owgun: T hese 2- i nch- l ongi r on needl es ar e sol d
i n smal l wooden cases of 20. Af ul l case i s so l i ght t hat i t s
wei ght i s negl i gi bl e . T he t i ps of t he needl es ar e of t en coat ed
wi t h poi son.
N ekode: Anekode i s a st r ap or gl ove f i t t ed wi t h spi kes i n t he
pal m, f avor ed
as bot h a weapon anda cl i mbi ngt ool by
ni nj a
.
Your opponent cannot use a di sar mact i on t o di sar myouof a
nekode
.
An
at t ack wi t h a
nekode i s consi der ed an
ar med at t ack.
Amonk usi ng a nekode can st r i ke wi t h her unar med base
at t ack bonus, i ncl udi ng her
mor e f avor abl e number of at t acks
per r ound, al ong wi t h ot her appl i cabl e modi f i er s.
Usi ng
a pai r
of
nekodes whi l e cl i mbi ng gi ves a +1 ci r cum-
st ance bonus on C l i mbchecks. T hi s bonus does not st ack wi t h
t he
+2 bonus f r omusi ngacl i mber ' s ki t .
T he bagh nakh ( " t i ger ' s cl aws" ) i s a si mi l ar weapon t o t he
nekode,
wi el ded mor e l i ke br ass knuckl es . I t s st at i st i cs ar e t he
same, but i t does not gi ve a bonus
on
C l i mb
checks.
N i nj a- t o: T he ni nj a- t o- a shor t , st r ai ght swor d si mi l ar t o a
waki zashi - i s t he st andar d swor d
of t he
ni nj a
. T r ue t o a ni nj a' s
met hods, t he scabbar d of t he ni nj a- t o i s a mul t i pur pose t ool . I t
i s open at bot h
ends, al l owi ng i t t o be used as a bl owpi pe f or
powder s or poi sons or as a br eat hi ng t ube. I t i s al so st i f f and
st r ong, al l owi ng
i t t o be used as t he r ung of a l adder or even as
a weapon ( use t he st at i st i cs f or a cl ub) .
S ai : A
sai ' s pr ongl i ke ext r usi ons ar e desi gned t o hel p cat ch
and di sar mopponent s' weapons . I f youat t empt t o
di sar m
your
opponent
usi ng a sai , yougai n a+4bonus ont he opposedat t ack
r ol l r equi r ed. ( You don' t gai n any bonus i f someone t r i es t o
di sar m
your sai . )
Amonk usi ng a sai can st r i ke wi t h
her unar med base at t ack
bonus, i ncl udi ng her mor e f avor abl e at t acks per r ound, al ong
wi t h ot her appl i cabl e
modi f i er s.
S angkauw: Asang kauwi s a doubl e weapon. Youcan f i ght
wi t h i t as i f
f i ght i ng wi t h t woweapons, but i f youdo, youi ncur al l
t he nor mal at t ack penal t i es associ at ed wi t h f i ght i ng wi t h t wo
weapons
as
i f
you ar e usi ng a one- handed weapon and a l i ght
weapon. Acr eat ur e usi nga doubl e weaponi n onehand,
such as
a
Lar ge cr eat ur e
usi ng a sangkauw, can' t use i t as a doubl e weapon.
T he buckl er i n t he mi ddl e of t he sang kauwgi ves you
a
+1
shi el d bonus
t o your Ar mor C l ass i f youat t ack wi t h onl y one
end of t he sang kauwi n
a
r ound.
S asumat a: T he sasumat a i s a pol e ar mdesi gned t o capt ur e
opponent s wi t h a mi ni mum
of har m. Awi el der who hi t s a
S mal l or Medi um- si ze opponent wi t h a sasumat a can i mmedi -
at el y i ni t i at e
a gr appl e ( as a f r ee act i on) wi t hout pr ovoki ngan
at t ack of oppor t uni t y. ( S ee Gr appl e i n C hapt er 8 of t he Pl ayer ' s
Handbook f or
mor e i nf or mat i on. ) I n addi t i on t o t he nor mal
opt i ons avai l abl e t o a gr appl er , t he wi el der of a sasumat a can
at t empt t o pul l hi s
t ar get t o t he gr ound( t he equi val ent of a t r i p
at t ack, t hough no at t ack r ol l i s
necessar y) .
T he
sasumat a has r each and cannot be used agai nst adj acent
opponent s .
S hi komi - zue: T hi s ni nj a weaponappear s t o be a st out bamboo
or wooden st af f , but a qui ck t wi st or pr ess of a but t on causes a
spear
head t o spr i ng f r omone end. Wi t hout t he bl ade, t he
shi komi - zue deal s t he same damage as a quar t er st af f ( 1d6, x2 cr i t -
i cal ) , andcan even be used as a doubl e weapon, l i ke a quar t er st af f .
Wi t h t he bl ade out , i t has t he st at i st i cs shownonT abl e S - 7.
S odegar ami : T he sodegar ami , or sl eeve- t angl er , i s a hi ghl y
speci al i zed weapon, used t o cat ch andent angl e an opponent
wi t hout causi ng gr eat har m. I t i s nor mal l y used t o hook and
cat ch t he cl ot hi ngof anopponent . Whenyouuse a sodegar ami
i n t hi s way, you
make a gr appl e at t ack, wi t hout
pr ovoki ng
an at t ack of oppor t uni t y. Youmake a mel ee t ouch at t ack
wi t h t he weapon t o " gr ab" t he t ar get ' s
cl ot hi ng. T hi s at t ack does
not wor k agai nst a char act er i n heavy ar mor , or agai nst most
monst er s t hat do not wear
cl ot hi ng. I f t he t ouch at t ack i s suc-
cessf ul ,
youmake an opposed gr appl e check, usi ng t he si ze
modi f i er f or t he sodegar ami ( +4 f or aLar ge
weapon) i nst eadof
your ownsi ze . I f youwi nt he opposed check, you have a hol d
on t he t ar get , but you do not deal
any
damage
. I f you l ose, you
f ai l
t o
st ar t t he gr appl e.
T o mai nt ai n t he gr appl e, youdo not need t o
move i nt o your
opponent ' s space.
T he sodegar ami hol ds your opponent 10 f eet
away f r omyou. Whi l e youmai nt ai n t he gr appl e, youdo
not
have t he opt i on t o damage or pi n your opponent
. Your oppo-
nent cant r y t o escape or wr i ggl e f r ee, at t ack wi t h a l i ght
weapon, or cast a spel l wi t h no somat i c component s and a
cast -
i ng t i me of 1 act i on.
Asodegar ami canal so be used as a nor mal weapon,
deal i ngt he
damage
shownonT abl e
S - 7
but not ent angl i ng t he opponent .
Asodegar ami has r each. Youcan st r i ke opponent s 10 f eet
away
wi t h
i t , but you
can' t use i t agai nst an adj acent f oe.
T ai l S pi kes, Rat l i ng: Anezumi or vanar a char act er whohas
pr of i ci ency wi t h t ai l spi kes can use t hemt o make one
ext r a
at t ack i n a r ound at her hi ghest base at t ack, i n addi t i on t o al l
at t acks wi t h a hand- hel d weapon ( or a r at l i ng' s nat ur al
weapons) . T he t ai l spi ke at t ack andeach ot her at t ack made t hat
r ound suf f er a - 2 penal t y api ece.
For exampl e, at 6t hl evel , Mi n' t chap get s t wo at t acks wi t h her
nagamaki at +8 and+3 ( i ncl udi ng her st r engt h bonus and
Weapon Focus f eat ) . I f she uses t ai l spi kes i n addi t i on, she get s
t hr ee at t acks : t wo wi t h t he nagamaki at +6 and +1, and onewi t h
t he t ai l spi kes at +6 . T hi s penal t y appl i es
f or 1 r ound, so i t
af f ect s at t acks of oppor t uni t y t he r at l i ng mi ght make bef or e
her next act i on.
T hr ee- S ect i onS t af f : O r i gi nal l y af ar mi mpl ement f or t hr esh-
i nggr ai n, t hi s weapon i s composed of t hr ee sect i ons of wood
of
equal l engt hs, j oi ned at t he ends by chai n, l eat her , or r ope.
Amonk usi ng a t hr ee- sect i on st af f ( f or whi ch she
must t ake
an E xot i c
Weapon
Pr of i ci ency
f eat due t o
t he weapon' s Lar ge
si ze) f i ght s wi t h her unar med base at t ack bonus andher mor e
f avor abl e number
of
at t acks
per r ound,
al ong wi t h ot her appl i -
cabl e at t ack modi f i er s . T he t hr ee- sect i on st af f r equi r es t wo
hands t o use.
T onf a: Amonk usi ng a t onf a can st r i ke wi t h her unar med
base at t ack bonus, i ncl udi ng her mor e f avor abl e number of
at t acks per r ound, al ongwi t h ot her appl i cabl e modi f i er s .
Waki zashi : T hewaki zashi i s a mast er wor k shor t swor d,
gr ant -
i ng
a
+1 bonus onyour at t ack r ol l s . Amast er wor k weapons bonus
t o at t ack does not st ack wi t h an enhancement bonus t o at t ack
.
Asamur ai ' s waki zashi i s par t of a mat ched pai r wi t h hi s
kat ana, and- l i ke t he kat ana- i s an i mpor t ant par t of
hi s
honor . S amur ai r ar el y use i t
i n
combat ,
except amongt he
Dr agon cl an, whose member s have devel oped a st yl e of t wo-
weaponf i ght i ng
.
I t s most
pr omi nent use i s i n t he r i t ual sui ci de
cal l ed seppuku. N onsamur ai char act er s of t he nobl e cast e ( pr i -
mar i l y shugenj as) maycar r y a
waki zashi wi t hout a kat ana, and
of t en use i t whenpr essed i nt o combat .
War Fan: Favor ed by
cer t ai n S cor pi ons, t hi s weaponappear s
t o t he unt r ai ned eye as not hi ng mor e t han a beaut i f ul l y
cr af t ed
l ady' s f an. I n f act , t he vanes of t he
f anar e cr af t ed f r omst eel , and
t he t i ps ar e needl e- shar p. When t he f an i s f i r st br ought
i nt o
mel ee, t he wi el der may
at t empt a Bl uf f check agai nst an oppo-
nent ' s S ense Mot i ve check. I f t he wi el der wi ns t he
cont est ,
he
adds a +4 bonus t o t he at t ack r ol l f or
hi s f i r st r ound' s at t acks) .
T hi s weapon shoul d not be conf used wi t h t he t essen, a met al
" f an" t hat ser ves as a shi el d.
ARMO R
C har act er s i n O r i ent al Advent ur es have a l ar ge number of ar mor
choi ces . T abl e 5- 8: Ar mor f r omt he Pl ayer ' s Handbook l i st s t he
Pl ayer ' s Handbook ar mor avai l abl e i n Rokugan andi n ot her or i -
ent al Advent ur es campai gns,
i ncl udi ng t hose i nf l uenced by C hi -
nese, I ndi an, Kor ean, and S out heast Asi an cul t ur es . T abl e
5- 9:
N ewAr mor
det ai l s newar mor avai l abl e i n O r i ent al Advent ur es.
T ABLE S - H: ARMO R
FRO MT HE PLAYE R' S HAN DBO O K
Pl ayer ' s Handbook Ar mor
Avai l abl e i n Rokugan
C hai n shi r t
Padded
Pl ayer ' s Handbook Ar mor Avai l abl e i n O t her
O r i ent al Advent ur es C ampai gns
Banded mai l
C hai nmai l
C hai n shi r t
Hi de
Leat her
Padded
S cal e mai l
S hi el ds ( al l )
S pl i nt mai l
S t udded l eat her
ARMO R DE S C RI PT I O N S
T he t ypes of ar mor
f ound on T abl e 5- 9: N ewAr mor ar e
descr i bed bel ow( i n al phabet i cal or der ) .
Ashi gar uAr mor : Ashi gar u
ar mor i s a l i ght andi nexpensi ve
ar mor wor nby f ar mer s conscr i pt ed i nt o a dai myo' s ar my. I t con-
si st s of a l i ght
br east pl at e and t hi gh pr ot ect or s made of l aced
met al pl at es ( har a- at e) , shi n guar ds
( sune- at e) , and a l i ght
hel met
r esembl i nga r ound st r awhat ( j i ngasa) .
Bone Ar mor: Bone ar mor
i s somet i mes wor n by nezumi
or bar bar i an sol di er s or sor cer er s . T he ar mor
consi st s of a
cl ot h or l eat her
coat r ei nf or ced wi t h st r i ps of bone, and
l eaves t he l i mbs f r ee .
Br i gandi ne
: Br i gandi ne ar mor consi st s of a coat of l eat her
pl at es, each pl at e
consi st i ng of l eat her wi t h a st r i p of st eel
i nsi de i t . I t i s essent i al l y a l i ght f or mof spl i nt mai l , and i s
commoni n manycul t ur es i n O r i ent al Advent ur es .
C hahar - Ai na: T hi s " f our mi r r or ar mor " can be wor n over
cer t ai n ot her t ypes of ar mor t o pr ovi de an addi t i onal ar mor
bonus t hat st acks wi t h bot h t he
f oundat i on ar mor and any
shi el d wor n. Achar act er can wear a chahar - ai na ef f ect i vel y
over padded, l eat her , or chai n shi r t ar mor. Achar act er
needs Ar mor Pr of i ci ency ( medi um) t o wear a
chahar - ai na
wi t hout penal t y.
C or d Ar mor : C or d ar mor consi st s of r opel i ke f i ber s
wovenand knot t ed i nt o a t hi ck, t ough f abr i c . I t i s t ypi cal l y
f ound among mor e bar bar i c cul t ur es or i n pl aces wher e
l eat her i s scar ce .
Dast ana: T hese l ar ge met al br acer s canbe wor n i n addi t i on
t o some ot her t ypes of ar mor t o pr ovi de an addi t i onal
ar mor
bonus t hat st acks wi t h bot h t he f oundat i on ar mor and any
shi el d wor n. Achar act er canwear dast ana wi t h padded, l eat her ,
or chai n shi r t ar mor. Achar act er needs Ar mor Pr of i ci ency
( l i ght ) t o wear dast ana wi t hout penal t y.
Dhenuka: T hi s heavyhi de ar mor i s made f r omt he ski n of a
r hi nocer os
.
I t
i s mor e
commonl y
enhanced by magi c
t han r eg-
ul ar hi de ar mor , andof t encar r i es magi c r el at ed t o t he st r engt h
of t he
r hi no
.
Gr eat Ar mor : Gr eat ar mor , cal l ed o- yor oi , i s a f ul l sui t of
ar mor f or med f r omsmal l met al pl at es t i ed t oget her wi t h col -
or ed l eat her l aci ngs and l acquer ed t o
seal t hemf r ommoi st ur e. T he f ul l sui t
consi st s of a cor sel et ( do- mar u, cover i ng
t he st omach, chest , shoul der s, and
back) , l ar ge r ect angul ar shoul der pi eces
( sode) ,
an apr on of l ar ge pl at es t o cover
t he t hi ghs and knees ( hai dat e) , a gr eat
hel met wi t h a f ace
mask ( kabut o) , and
shi n guar ds made of met al spl i nt s ( sune-
at e) .
Wear i ng gr eat ar mor i s a badge of
honor f or samur ai of t he nobl e cast e,
and t hey f r ownonanyone el se wear -
i ng
a
sui t - i ncl udi ng shugenj as .
Kappa S hel l : N ezumi sol di er s occasi onal l y
use kappa
shel l s f or pr ot ect i on, st r appi ng t he har d shel l t o t hei r backs
and cr awl i ng on al l f our s t o advance t hei r posi t i on. Usedt hi s
way, a kappa
shel l
f unct i ons much
l i ke a t ower shi el d, pr o-
vi di ng ni ne- t ent hs cover ( +10 t o AC , +4 on Ref l ex saves,
wi t h hal f damage on
a
f ai l ed save and none on a successf ul
save) as l ong as t he cover ed nezumi r emai ns on al l f our s,
movi ng
at hal f hi s speed. O nce engaged i n mel ee, a
sensi bl e
When r unni ng i n heavy ar mor , you move onl y t r i pl e your
speed, not quadr upl e.
T he kappa shel l gr ant s you cover. S ee t he descr i pt i on
.
. y
Ar mor f i t t ed f or S mal l char act er s wei ghs hal f as much
.
AT hi s ar mor i s not commonl y f ound i n Rokugan.
r at l i ng sheds t he shel l ent i r el y
. Humans can use kappa
shel l s as
wel l , but gener al l y f i nd t he concept demeani ng.
A
char act er needs S hi el d Pr of i ci ency t o use a kappa
shel l wi t h-
out penal t y.
Lamel l ar : S i mi l ar t o spl i nt and br i gandi ne ar mor , l amel l ar
l i es bet ween t he t wo i n pr ot ect i ve val ue
. I t consi st s of smal l ,
over l appi ngpl at es of met al
sewn t oget her or st i t ched t o a back-
i ngof l eat her or cl ot h.
T ABLE 5- 9: N E WARMO R
Ar mor Maxi mum Ar mor
Ar cane S peed
Ar mor C ost Bonus Dex Bonus C heck Penal t y S pel l
Fai l ur e ( 20 f t . ) ( 30 f t . ) ( 40 f t . ) Wei ght y
Li ght ar mor
C or d ar mor A 15 gp +2 +5 - 1 5%
20 f t . 30 f t . 40 f t . 15 I b.
Bone ar mor 20 gp +3 +4 - 3 15% 20 f t . 30
f t . 40 f t . 20 I b.
Ashi gar u ar mor 25 gp +3 +5 - 1 15% 20
f t . 30 f t . 40 f t . 20 I b.
Leat her scal e A 35 gp +3 +6 - 2 15% 20 f t
. 30 f t . 40 f t . 20 I b.
Medi umar mor
Dhenuka A 30 gp +4 +1 - 5 25% 15 f t .
20 f t . 30 f t . 25 I b.
Br i gandi ne A 30 gp +4 +2 - 5 30%
15
f t
. 20 f t . 30 f t . 40 I b.
Par t i al ar mor 50 gp
+4 +4 - 3 25% 15 f t . 20
f t . 30 f t . 30 I b.
Lamel l ar A 150 gp +5 +3 - 4 30%
15 f t . 20 f t . 30 f t . 35 I b.
Heavy ar mor
Gr eat ar mor 1, 000 gp +7
+2 - 5 40% 15 f t . *
20 f t . * 30 f t . * 45 I b.
S hi el ds and O t her Addi t i ons
C hahar - ai na A 75 gp
+1 - - 1 5% - -
- 10 I b.
Dast ana A 25 gp +1 -
- 1 5% - -
- 5 I b.
T essen 12 gp +1 -
- 1 5% - -
-
1
I b.
Kappa shel l 30 gp -
- 10 50% -
- - 45 I b.
Leat her S cal e: Leat her scal e ar mor i s j ust l i ke t he scal e mai l
descr i bed i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook, except t hat t he scal es ar e
made of cur ed l eat her i nst ead
of
met al .
Par t i al Ar mor: Al i ght sui t of ar mor f or samur ai who do not
wi sh t o be heavi l y
bur dened, par t i al ar mor consi st s of a br east -
pl at e pr ot ect i ng t he chest , st omach, and back ( har amaki - do) ,
t hi gh cover i ng ( hai dat e) ,
and
shi n guar ds ( sune- at e) .
T essen: At essen act s much l i ke a buckl er , t hough you
cannot wi el d a weapon i n t he same hand as t he t essen. How-
ever , youcan
use t he t essen as an of f - hand weapon, deal i ng 1d3
poi nt s of damage ( x2 cr i t ) .
Used
t hi s
way,
t he t essen
i s a mar t i al
bl udgeoni ng weapon. For pur poses of at t ack penal t i es, t r eat a
t essen as a l i ght
weapon
.
I f you use a t essen as a weapon, you
l ose i t s AC bonus unt i l your next act i on ( usual l y unt i l t he next
r ound) . A
char act er
needs
S hi el d Pr of i ci ency t o use a t essen
wi t hout penal t y.
ADVE N T URI N G GE AR
Advent ur er s i n
O r i ent al Advent ur es r equi r e much t he same
t ypes of equi pment as t hei r count er par t s i n
t he Pl ayer ' s Hand-
book
.
I n most cases, t he speci f i c f or mof i t ems mayvar y, but t he
f unct i on r emai ns
t he same- as do pr i ce and wei ght .
Backpack: T wo f or ms of backpacks ar e avai l abl e i n O r i ent al
Advent ur es : a wi cker basket
wi t h shoul der st r aps or a f ur oshi ki
sack, a bundl e of f abr i c f ol ded and t hr own over t he shoul der .
Bl anket ,
Wi nt er : Use t he same pr i ce and wei ght f or a
st r awmat .
Bot t l e, Wi ne,
Gl ass : T he l ands of or i ent al Advent ur es t ypi -
cal l y use cer ami cs r at her t han gl ass . I n
Rokugan, t he Uni cor n
cl an i s a not abl e except i on.
C al t r ops
: C al t r ops ar e al so cal l ed shaken.
I nkpen: Use t hi s pr i ce and wei ght f or a cal l i gr aphy br ush
andi nki ng st one.
Lamp, C ommon: Acommon l amp i n O r i ent al
Advent ur es i s
a paper l ant er n, whi ch
shar es one of t he dr awbacks of t he l amp
descr i bedi n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook, i n
t hat i t can easi l y cat ch on
f i r e i f car r i ed
ar ound.
Paper : Paper i s commonl ymade
f r om
r i ce
pul pr at her t han
cl ot h
f i ber s i n t he l ands of or i ent al Advent ur es . Par chment i s
not used.
Rat i ons,
T r ai l : T r ai l r at i ons t ypi cal l y consi st of r i ce cakes .
C LAS S
T O O LS AN D S KI LL
KI T S
Hol y
S ymbol , Wooden: Uset hi s pr i ce andwei ght f or i t ems
such as pr ayer beads, smal l bel l s,
or gongs, whi chshamans may
use when cast i ng spel l s .
Hol yS ymbol ,
S i l ver : Use t hi s pr i ce andwei ght f or i t ems
such as pr ayer wheel s or l ar ger bel l s .
Musi cal
I nst r ument , C ommonor Mast er wor k: Popu-
l ar i nst r ument s i n
Rokugan i ncl ude t he sami sen ( pl ucked
l ut e) , t he bi wa ( pl ucked l ut e) , t he
kot o ( zi t her ) , t he kokyu
( bowed
l ut e) , andt he shakuhachi ( bamboo f l ut e) . i nst r u-
ment s of ot her cul t ur es i n O r i ent al
Advent ur es i ncl ude t he cl an
t i nh ( 2- st r i nged pl ucked l ut e) , di zi ( bamboo f l ut e) , er - hu
( t wo- st r i nged
bowed l ut e cover ed wi t h snakeski n) , kaen
( bamboo r eed i nst r ument ) , kenbau
( doubl e r eed) , khent hai
( woodenf l ut e) ,
pi pa ( l ar ge pl ucked l ut e) , sal aw( a bowed l ut e
made f r oma coconut shel l ) , sar od ( l ar ge
pl ucked or bowed
l ut e) , si t ar
( l ar ge pl ucked l ut e) , soong ( l ut e) , sul i ng ( f l ut e) ,
t ambur a ( l ar ge bowed l ut e
used t o pr ovi de a dr one) , t ' r ung
( bamboo xyl ophone) , yang chi n ( hammer dul ci mer ) , zheng
( zi t her ) , and t he var i ous gongs
and met al l ophones t hat make
up t he gamel an ( kenong, bonang, sl ent hem,
sar on, gambang,
and ot her s) .
S pel l book, Wi zar d' s : S hugenj as donot use hol y symbol s t o
cast t hei r spel l s, al t hough t hey ar e di vi ne spel l cast er s
. I nst ead,
t hey use of udas as f ocus i t ems . Aset of of udas cost s 15 gp and
wei ghs 3 pounds, j ust l i ke a
wi zar d' s spel l book.
C LO T HI N G
T hebasi c t ypes of out f i t s i n O r i ent al Advent ur es ar e t he same as
descr i bed i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook, but t hei r composi t i on and
st yl e var i es wi del y amongdi f f er ent cul t ur es .
T hese descr i p-
t i ons i ncl ude commonout f i t s i n t he f eat ur ed campai gn set t i ng
of Rokugan.
Ar t i san' s O ut f i t : Apul l over shi r t , a t hi gh- l engt h cot t on
r obe ( happi ) , l oose knee- l engt h t r ouser s
wi t h a dr awst r i ng, a
si mpl e sash ( obi ) , and sandal s .
C ol d Weat her O ut f i t :
A
heavyr obe
( ki mono) ,
padded
wi t h
cot t on, wor n over sever al ot her l ayer s :
knee- l engt h t r ouser s
( hakama) , pul l over shi r t , t hi gh- l engt h out er r obe, and sl eeved
j acket ( haor i ) .
C our t i er ' s O ut f i t : Anobl e' s out f i t i n t he f i nest si l ks. j ewel r y
i s not necessar y t o compl et e t hi s out f i t .
E nt er t ai ner ' s O ut f i t : Al i ght ki mono wi t h an embr oi der ed
obi ( sash) .
Monk' s O ut f i t : As descr i bed i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook.
N obl e' s O ut f i t : An el abor at e si l k or f i ne l i nen r obe
( ki mono) wi t h exagger at ed sl eeves, an enl ar ged sash ( obi ) ,
and a sl eevel ess out er j acket ( kat agi nu) t hat emphasi zes t he
shoul der s, bear i ng t he mar k of t he wear er ' s
f ami l y.
Peasant ' s O ut f i t : Apul l over shi r t and l oose, knee- l engt h
t r ouser s wi t h a
dr awst r i ng.
Royal O ut f i t : T he emper or ' s cour t wear i s ext r emel yel abo-
r at e, wi t h a l ongt r ai n andmany l ayer s .
S chol ar ' s O ut f i t
:
Al ong si l k ki mono wi t h a si mpl e obi
( sash) , a t hi gh- l engt h r obe ( ki mono) t o ser ve as a j acket , and
sandal s .
T r avel er ' s O ut f i t : As ar t i san' s out f i t , pl us a l ar ge st r awhat.
FO O D, DRI N K, AN D LO DGI N G
Al e: Use t hi s l i st ed pr i ce f or t ea, f r ui t br andy, beer , or mead-
al l
l ess expensi ve al t er nat i ves t o sake .
Meat , C hunk of : I n most l ands of or i ent al Advent ur es,
seaf ood, chi cken, and por k ar e t he onl y common meat s. C ows
ar e r ar e ( or sacr ed) andval ued mor e f or t hei r mi l k t han f or t hei r
meat . Fi sh i s boi l ed, br oi l ed, f r i ed, st ewed, or ser ved r awon
vi negar - t r eat ed r i ce . N obl es t end t o avoi d eat i ng meat , si nce
t hey bel i eve i t makes t hemsmel l di r t y. Monks do not eat meat
f or r el i gi ous r easons.
Vi negar : T hi s cost s 1 cp. I t i s pr i mar i l y used as a cooki ng
i ngr edi ent .
Wi ne, C ommon
: T hi s
i s sake, t he popul ar r i ce
wi ne of Roku-
gan. I t i s nor mal l y ser ved war mi n a smal l cup.
Wi ne, Fi ne: Amor e pot ent ver si on of sake i s cal l ed shochu
.
O nl y ver y ser i ous dr i nker s par t ake of shochu.
MO UN T S AN D RE LAT E DGE AR
E l ephant : I n some l ands of or i ent al Advent ur es, member s
of t he nobl e cl asses commonl y r i de el ephant s ( t he smal l er
I ndi an var i et y) andt r ai n t hemf or war. Awor k el ephant
( sui t abl e f or r i di ng andcar r yi ng heavy l oads, ei t her on i t s
back or
i n i t s
t usks) cost s 2, 000 gp,
whi l e
a
war el ephant
cost s 4, 000 gp.
S i nce el ephant s ar e Huge, bar di ng f or an el ephant cost s
ei ght t i mes
what a human' s ar mor cost s and wei ghs f i ve t i mes
as much. An el ephant i n medi umor heavybar di ng moves at a
speedof
30
f eet ; i n
heavybar di ngi t moves at onl y t r i pl e nor mal
r at e when r unni ngi nst eadof quadr upl e.
A
howdah ( a pl at f or mf or r i der s onan el ephant ' s back) cost s
200 gp and wei ghs 100 pounds . Four Medi um- si ze r i der s can
f i t
on a howdah. T hi s t ypi cal l y i ncl udes a noncombat ant
ani mal handl er.
Hor se: T he t hr ee br eeds of hor se used i n Rokugani ncl ude
t he Rokugan pony ( pony) , t he
gai j i n
r i di ng
hor se
( l i ght
hor se,
l i ght war hor se i f t r ai ned f or bat t l e) , and t he Ut akuwar hor se
( heavy war hor se) . Ut aku war hor ses ar e used excl usi vel y
by
t he
bat t l e mai dens of t he Uni cor n cl an.
I n ot her campai gn
set t i ngs, t he nor mal var i et i es of hor ses
maybe avai l abl e.
S PE C I AL AN D S UPE RI O R I T E MS
E ggshel l Gr enades : Af avor i t e t ool of ni nj a, used t o cr eat e
di st r act i ons, eggshel l gr enades ar e empt i ed eggshel l s car ef ul l y
packed wi t h
var i ous al chemi cal subst ances . C ommongr enade
t ypes i ncl ude dust ,
f l ashpowder , pepper , andpoi son smoke. Al l
use t he gr enadel i ke weapons r ul es expl ai ned i n t he Pl ayer ' s
Handbook: T he t hr ower makes
a r anged t ouch at t ack r ol l t o hi t
t he
t ar get .
N at ur al l y,
eggshel l gr enades ar e ver y f r agi l e and must be
st owedcar ef ul l y t o avoi dbr eakage. I f a char act er car r yi ng
t hese
i t ems
suf f er s damage f r omf al l i ng, each eggshel l gr enade must
make a For t i t ude save ( as i f t he char act er wer e maki ngt he savi ng
t hr ow) agai nst a DC of 10 +t he amount of damage suf f er ed.
An eggshel l
gr enade' s l i ght wei ght makes i t ver y di f f i cul t t o
t hr owf ar. Al l eggshel l gr enades have a r ange i ncr ement of
5
f eet .
Maki ng an
eggshel l gr enade r equi r es t he Al chemy ski l l ( DC
20 f or dust and pepper , DC
25
f or
f l ashpowder
and
poi son
smoke) and
f ol l ows t he r ul es f or maki ng t hi ngs f ound i n t he
C r af t ski l l descr i pt i on i n t he Pl ayer ' s
Handbook.
Dust
: Adust gr enade t hat hi t s i t s t ar get di r ect l y bl i nds t he
t ar get f or 1d4 r ounds . Acr eat ur e wi t hi n
t he " spl ash" r adi us of
t he dust cl oud( 5 f eet ) must make a For t i t ude save ( DC 10) or be
bl i ndedf or 1 r ound.
Fl ashpowder : Af l ashpowder gr enade i s ef f ect i ve onl y when
t hr own i nt o a f i r e sour ce, wher e i t
expl odes
i n
a br i l l i ant f l ash of
l i ght . Any cr eat ur e wi t hi n 10 f eet must make a successf ul For t i -
t ude save ( DC
10) or be bl i nded f or 1d4 r ounds. T her e i s noef f ect
i f t he gr enade mi sses t he f i r e ( t hough t he
gr enade i s r ui ned) .
Pepper : A
pepper gr enade t hat hi t s i t s t ar get di r ect l y i ncapaci -
t at es t he t ar get f or 1 r ound
unl ess he makes a successf ul For t i -
t ude
save ( DC 10) . T he t ar get i s t r eat ed as st unned: He l oses hi s
Dext er i t y bonus t o AC and can
t ake no act i ons, whi l e enemi es
gai n a +2 bonus t o hi t hi m. T her e i s no" spl ash" ef f ect .
Poi son
S moke: Apoi son smoke gr enade i s ef f ect i ve onl y when
t hr own i nt o a f i r e sour ce, wher e i t bur st s i nt o a cl oud of vi l e,
st i nki ng smoke. T he cl oudspr eads t o a r adi us of 10 f eet f r omt he
f i r e sour ce, and has t he ef f ect of a st i nki ng cl oud spel l : C r eat ur es
wi t hi n t he cl oud must make a successf ul For t i t ude save each
r ound ( DC
13)
or become
nauseat ed.
T he onl y
act i on a nause-
at ed char act er can t ake i s a si ngl e move ( or move- equi val ent )
act i on per t ur n. T he ef f ect l ast s f or 1d4+1
r ounds
af t er t he char -
act er l eaves t he cl oud. T her e i s no ef f ect i f t he gr enade mi sses
t he f i r e ( t hough t he
gr enade i s r ui ned) .
Fl ash Paper ( Moer agar u) : Fl ash paper i s t hi n r i ce paper t hat
has been
t r eat ed wi t h a chemi cal t hat i gni t es upon f r i ct i on.
When a char act er r ubs t he paper , i t i gni t es and
bur ns wi t h a
br i ght f l ash equi val ent t o
a f l ar e cant r i p. I f t he paper i s hel d cl ose
t o t he eyes of anot her cr eat ur e, t hat cr eat ur e i s dazzl ed unl ess i t
makes a successf ul For t i t ude save
( DC 10) . Adazzl ed cr eat ur e
suf f er s a - 1 penal t y on at t ack r ol l s. T he cr eat ur e r ecover s i n
1
mi nut e. S i ght l ess cr eat ur es ar e not af f ect ed by f l ash paper
.
J ade Powder : J ade powder i s a mi xt ur e of vi scous oi l and
gr oundj ade usedt o coat bl ades f or combat wi t h
S hadowl ands
cr eat ur es, whi ch ar e vul ner abl e t o j ade. Aweapon coat ed wi t h
j ade powder deal s nor mal damage t o oni , and canpenet r at e
t hei r
damage r educt i on, but t he powder wear s of f af t er one successf ul
st r i ke . Appl yi ngj ade powder t o a weapon i s a f ul l - r ound act i on
t hat
pr ovokes an
at t ack of oppor t uni t y. J ade powder may not be
avai l abl e i n campai gn set t i ngs ot her t han t he f eat ur ed set t i ngof
Rokugan. Maki ngj ade powder f ol l ows t he
r ul es f or maki ng
t hi ngs f oundi n t he C r af t ski l l descr i pt i on i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook.
Li qui d S moke ( E ki t ai
Kemur i ) : Li qui d smoke cr eat es t hi ck,
opaque smoke when exposed t o ai r. T he smoke f i l l s a 10- f oot
cube. T he smoke di ssi pat es nat ur al l y af t er 1 r ound. T he smoke
obscur es al l si ght , i ncl udi ngdar kvi si on, beyond
5
f eet . Acr eat ur e
5 f eet away has one- hal f conceal ment ( at t acks have a 20%mi ss
chance) . C r eat ur es separ at edby
10
f eet of
smoke have
t ot al
con-
ceal ment
( 50%
mi ss chance, andt he at t acker cannot use si ght t o
l ocat e t he t ar get ) . Maki ngl i qui d smoke r equi r es t he Al chemy
ski l l ( DC 20) and f ol l ows t he r ul es f or maki ng t hi ngs f ound i n
t he C r af t ski l l descr i pt i on i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook.
S l eepi ng Fi r e ( Hi nemur i ) : S l eepi ng
f i r e
i s a speci al
f or m
of
al chemi cal f i r e t hat i gni t es wheni t s t emper at ur e changes even
sl i ght l y. I t
i s
of t enpai nt ed t hi nl y on i t ems as a t r ap; a cr eat ur e
t ouchi ngor evenbr eat hi ngon an ar ea so coat ed t r i gger s a
bl ast
of
f i r e
t hat causes 1d3
poi nt s of damage, wi t h anaddi t i onal 1d3
poi nt s of damage i n t he f ol l owi ng r ound. Bur ni ng
char act er s
canuse a f ul l - r ound act i on t o
ext i ngui sh t he f l ame, as descr i bed
f or al chemi cal f i r e i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook. Maki ng sl eepi ng
f i r e r equi r es t he Al chemyski l l ( DC 20) andf ol l ows t he r ul es f or
maki ng t hi ngs
f ound
i n t he C r af t ski l l descr i pt i on i n t he
Pl ayer ' s Handbook.
T ABLE 5- 11 : GRE N ADE LI KE WE APO N S
*Gr enadel i ke weapons r equi r e no pr of i ci ency t o
use.
**Gr enadel i ke weapons deal spl ash damage t o al l cr eat ur es
wi t hi n 5 f eet of wher e t hey l and.
T N o wei ght wor t h not i ng.
T ABLE 5- 1O : S PE C I AL AN DS UPE RI O R I T E MS
S peci al S ubst ances and I t ems C ost
E ggshel l gr enade, dust 10 gp
E ggshel l
gr enade, f l ashpowder
60 gp
E ggshel l gr enade, pepper _ 10 gp
E ggshel l gr enade, poi son smoke 150 gp
Fl ash
paper ( squar e) "
5 gp
j ade powder ( f l ask) 100 gp
Li qui d
smoke
( f l ask) 20 gp
S l eepi ng f i r e ( f l ask) 40 gp
Weapon*
E ggshel l gr enade,
C ost
Damage
Di r ect Hi t S pl ash
Range
I nc. Wei ght
dust 10 gp bl i nded
bl i nded 5 f t .
- j
l d4 r d .
1
r d. **
f l ashpowder 60 gp bl i nded -
5 f t . T
pepper 10 gp st unned -
5 f t . T
1 d4 r d .
poi son smoke 150 gp st i nki ng - 5
f t . T
cl oud
Li qui d smoke 20 gp S moke - 10
f t . 1 1/ 4 l b.
For t he most par t , t he r ul es f or conduct i ng combat
i n O r i ent al
Advent ur es ar e unchanged f r omt hose
descr i bed i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook. C har act er and mon-
st er abi l i t i es may al t er t he
way t hat combat pr oceeds,
but t he essent i al mechani cs of i ni t i at i ve, at t ack and
damage r ol l s, magi c, and speci al abi l i t i es wor k t he same.
T hi s chapt er cover s t hr ee r ul es expansi ons : r ul es
descr i b- i ngmar t i al ar t s st yl es, r ul es f or conduct i ngi ai j ut su
duel s, and r ul es f or ' r esol vi ng psychi c duel s t hat don' t
even i nvol ve a bl ade.
MART I AL
ART S
T he monks descr i bed i n t he Pl ayer ' s
Handbook
( and
expanded i n C hapt er 2: C l asses of t hi s book) ar e t he pr i n-
ci pal pr act i t i oner s of unar med mar t i al ar t s
i n
t he DUN -
GE O N S &DRAGO N S game, whi l e f i ght er s ( and, t o anext ent ,
samur ai ) ar e t he exper t s i n ar med mar t i al ar t s . C har act er s
of al l cl asses, however , can l ear n at l east some of t he t ech-
ni ques of mar t i al ar t s- and i n an O r i ent al Advent ur es cam-
pai gn, t hey do so i n t he cont ext of wel l - def i ned school s
and t r adi t i ons . Lear ni ng a mar t i al ar t i s mor e t han sel ect -
i ng a coupl e of i nt er est i ng f eat s. I t i nvol ves commi t ment
t o a par t i cul ar st yl e of f i ght i ng- one t hat emphasi zes
ki cks over bl ows wi t h t he hand, f or exampl e, or one t hat
t eaches t hr ows r at her t han st r i kes .
Amar t i al
ar t s st yl e i s a col l ect i on of f eat s t hat
pr act i t i on-
er s of t hat st yl e l ear n t o enhance t hei r pr owess i n combat -
ar med or unar med. T he cl an- based sel ect i on
of
bonus f eat s
t hat samur ai mayl ear n
( see C hapt er 2) ar e br oad mar t i al
ar t s
st yl es, gener al l y emphasi zi ng cer t ai n t echni ques of
ar med combat . T he C r ab school , f or
exampl e, emphasi zes
physi cal st r engt h and st ami na by t eachi ng f eat s such as
Ar mor Pr of i ci ency ( heavy) , E ndur ance,
Power At t ack and
i t s dependent
f eat s, Run, andWeaponFocus wi t h si gnat ur e
weapons. T he C r ane school , by cont r ast , emphasi zes
speed
and
ski l l
by
t eachi ng t he Dodge and E xper t i se f eat t r ees,
I mpr ovedI ni t i at i ve, and Qui ck Dr aw.
T ABLE 6- 1 : MART I AL ART S
FE AT S
Har d For m: Power At t ack
Ki ck Met hod: Roundabout Ki ck, Fl yi ng Ki ck
S t r i ke Met hod: Fi st s of I r on, E agl e C l awAt t ack
Har d/ S of t For m:
Lock Met hod: I mpr oved Gr appl e, C hoke Hol d,
Gr appl i ng Bl ock, E ar t h' s E mbr ace
S of t For m: E xper t i se
Movement Met hod: Dodge, Mobi l i t y, Pr one At t ack,
S uper i or E xper t i se
T hr owMet hod
:
I mpr oved T r i p, Def ensi ve T hr ow,
Gr eat T hr ow
Vi t al Ar ea Met hod: Pai n T ouch, S t unni ng Fi st ,
Fr eezi ngt he Li f ebl ood, Fal l i ng S t ar S t r i ke
Push Met hod: Unbal anci ng S t r i ke
Ment al T r ai ni ng:
Bl i nd Fi ght , C ombat Ref l exes, Gr eat Ki S hout , I r on
Wi l l , Ki S hout , Remai n
C onsci ous
S i mi l ar l y, school s of unar med combat have cer t ai n st yl es
r ef l ect ed i n t he
speci f i c f eat s t hey t each. O ne f undament al
di f f er ence bet ween st yl es i s t he di st i nct i on bet ween har d
f or ms and sof t f or ms
. Har d f or ms emphasi ze t he use of mus-
cl es and bones f or power , r el yi ng on di r ect movement s and
of f ensi ve
f ocus . Har d st yl es of t en bui l d on t he Power At t ack
f eat . S of t f or ms r el y mor e on i nner power , ut i l i zi ngf l ui d
and
ci r cul ar
mot i ons and r edi r ect i ng an at t acker ' s movement s
wi t h a mor e def ensi ve appr oach. S of t st yl es of t en bui l d on
t he E xper t i se f eat . Many st yl es use a combi nat i on of har d
and sof t f or ms, and
mayor may not make use of Power
At t ack
andE xper t i se.
Wi t hi n each f or m, st yl es make use
of cer t ai n met hods of
at t ack and def ense. T hese met hods, and t he f eat s associ at ed
wi t h t hem, ar e l i st ed i n T abl e 6- 1 :
Mar t i al Ar t s Feat s .
N o st yl e makes use of onl y one met hod. T abl e 6- 2: Mar t i al
Ar t s S t yl es i l l ust r at es sampl e st yl es
f or t he wor l d of O r i ent al
Advent ur es . T he f eat s of a st yl e can be l ear ned i n any or der ,
except i n t he case of f eat s wi t h pr er equi si t es .
Fol l owi ng t he pat h of a mar t i al ar t s st yl e has cer t ai n bene-
f i t s. Achar act er who mast er s t he f eat s wi t hi n a st yl e gai ns a
mast er y abi l i t y r el at ed t o t he t echni ques of t hat st yl e. S ome
st yl es have one mast er y abi l i t y; ot her s have mul t i pl e abi l i t i es
t hat a char act er
gai ns
as
she mast er s di f f er ent aspect s of t he
st yl e. Mast er y abi l i t i es ar e a bi t l i ke t he syner gy bonuses a
char act er gai ns i f she has sever al r anks i n cer t ai n ski l l s : char -
act er s whol ear n cer t ai n combi nat i ons of f eat s gai n an ext r a
edge f or doi ng so.
S ampl e mast er y abi l i t i es, l i nked t o t he sampl e mar t i al ar t s
st yl es l i st ed onT abl e 6- 2, ar e descr i bed her e
i n t he f ol l owi ng
f or mat :
MAS T E RY ABI LI T Y N AME
Basi c descr i pt i on of t he st yl e.
Pr er equi si t es
: Feat s and
( i n
some
cases) ski l l s or ot her
abi l i t i es r equi r ed f or a char act er t o mast er t he st yl e.
Benef i t : T he benef i t a char act er gai ns f or mast er i ng t he
st yl e.
E MPT Y HAN D MAS T E RY
You have mast er ed t he mar t i al ar t s st yl e of " E mpt y Hand" - a
har d f or memphasi zi ng
st r i kes wi t h t he hand.
Pr er equi si t es : I mpr oved Unar med S t r i ke, Power At t ack,
Fi st s of I r on, S under , E agl e C l awAt t ack, Ki S hout , 4 or mor e
r anks i n Bl uf f.
Benef i t
: Your unar med damage i ncr eases by one di e
t ype,
as
i f you wer e one si ze cat egor y l ar ger t han you ar e.
O l d Damage ( each)

N ewDamage
1d2 1d3
1d3

1d4
1d4

1d6
1d6

1d8
1d8 or 1d10

2d6
1d12

2d8
1d20

4d6
MI GHT Y UO RI : S MAS T E RY I
Youhave mast er ed t he
i ni t i al
secr et s of t he " Mi ght y Wor ks"
mar t i al ar t s st yl e- a har d/ sof t f or memphasi zi ng l ocks and
hand st r i kes .
Pr er equi si t es : I mpr oved Unar med S t r i ke, I mpr oved Gr ap-
pl e, S t unni ng Fi st ( or monk' s st unni ng at t ack) , C hoke Hol d,
Fi st s of I r on, Def l ect Ar r ows.
Benef i t : When youmake an at t ack or f ul l at t ack act i on
usi nganunar medst r i ke, yougai n a +2 dodge bonus t o your AC
f or t hat r ound.
MI GHT Y `WO RKS MAS T E RY 11
Youhave mast er ed t he deeper secr et s of t he " Mi ght y Wor ks"
mar t i al ar t s st yl e.
Pr er equi si t es :
Mi ght y Wor ks Mast er y I , I mpr ovedT r i p,
E ar t h' s E mbr ace, Ki S hout , I r on Wi l l .
Benef i t : Whenyoumake a
st unni ng at t ack, you maychoose
t o i nf l i ct 1d4 poi nt s of t empor ar y S t r engt h damage i nst ead of
st unni ng
your t ar get
.
FO O T AN D FI S T
MAS T E RY
You have mast er ed t he mar t i al ar t s st yl e of " Foot and Fi st " -
a har d f or memphasi zi ng st r i kes wi t h t he hands and f eet .
T ABLE 6- 2: MART I AL ART S S T YLE S
S t yl e
Feat s O t her
E mpt y
Hand I mpr oved Unar med Bl uf f ski l l
S t r i ke ( f or f ei nt i ng)
Power At t ack
Fi st s of I r on
S under
E agl e C l awAt t ack
Roundabout Ki ck
Mi ght y Wor ks I mpr oved Unar med
S t r i ke
I mpr oved Gr appl e
, - E xper t i se
C hoke Hol d
E ar t h' s E mbr ace
Def l ect
Ar r ows
I mpr oved Di sar m
C ombat Ref l exes
Gr appl i ng Bl ock
Power At t ack
Fi st s of I r on
E agl e C l awAt t ack
Fl yi ng Ki ck
Foot and
Fi st I mpr oved Unar med j ump ski l l
S t r i ke T umbl e ski l l
Power At t ack
Roundabout Ki ck
Fl yi ng Ki ck
Fi st s of I r on
' Gr eat T hr ow
T he Gent l e Way E xper t i se
T umbl e ski l l
I mpr oved T r i p Bl uf f ski l l
Def ensi ve T hr ow
( f or f ei nt i ng)
c
. -
. .
Dodge
C ombat Ref l exes
Gr eat T hr ow
Pr one
At t ack
Pai n T ouch
S t unni ng Fi st
I r on Wi l l
Medi t at i on of War I mpr oved Unar med Weapon
S t r i ke Pr of i ci ency:
Power At t ack bast ar d swor d
Fi st s of I r on dagger
S t unni ng Fi st shor t swor d
Pai n T ouch spear
Fr eezi ngt he Li f ebl ood quar t er st af f
Fal l i ng S t ar S t r i ke heavy mace
Bl i nd Fi ght T umbl e ski l l
I r on Wi l l
j ump
ski l l
Pr er equi si t es : I mpr oved Unar med S t r i ke, Power At t ack,
Roundabout Ki ck, Fl yi ng Ki ck,
Fi st s of I r on, Def l ect Ar r ows, 5
or mor e r anks i n j ump andT umbl e.
Benef i t : Yougai n a +10 compet ence bonus on Bal ance,
l ump, andT umbl e checks .
T HE GE N T LE
WAY
MAS T E RY
You have mast er ed t he mar t i al ar t s st yl e of " T he Gent l e Way" -
a sof t f or memphasi zi ngt hr ows and movement .
Pr er equi si t es: I mpr oved Unar med S t r i ke, Dodge, I mpr oved
T r i p, Def ensi ve T hr ow, C ombat Ref l exes, Gr eat T hr ow, 6 or mor e
r anks i n T umbl e
Benef i t s : O nce
per day, you can
make your sel f un-
movabl e . You
aut omat i cal l y
wi n an opposed S t r engt h
check when
an opponent
at t empt s t o bul l r ush
you. Acr eat ur e
wi t h t he i m-
pr oved gr ab
abi l i t y must
move i nt o
your space
t o gr appl e
you, si nce
i t
cannot pul l
you i nt o i t s space
N o s pel l or ot her
ef f ect can f or ce
you t o move. 1 f
you become
f r i ght ened or
pani cked, you suf f er t he f ul l ef f ect
of t he f ear but
do not
r un
away. You
cannot move, even t o make a 5- f oot st ep, whi l e
t hi s abi l i t y
i s i n ef f ect
.
T hi s abi l i t y l ast s f or 1 r ound per l evel ,
but you can end i t at any t i me.
ME DI T AT I O N O F
WAR
MAS T E RY
You have mast er ed t he mar t i al ar t s st yl e of " Medi t at i on of
War " - a har d/ sof t f or m
emphasi zi ng weapon use and st r i kes
t o pr essur e poi nt s .
Pr er equi si t es : I mpr oved
Unar med S t r i ke, S t unni ng Fi st ( or
monk' s st unni ng at t ack abi l i t y) , Fi st s of I r on, Fr eezi ng t he
Li f ebl ood, Fal l i ng
S t ar S t r i ke, 6 or mor e r anks i n J umpandT umbl e
Benef i t s : T he savi ng t hr owDC of your st unni ngat t ack and
ot her pr essur e- poi nt at t acks i s i ncr eased by 2. You al so gai n
Weapon Focus as a bonus f eat ; youmust al r eady have pr of i -
ci ency wi t h t he weapon and youmust sel ect one of t he f ol l ow-
i ng weapons f or t he f eat t o appl y t o: bast ar d swor d, dagger ,
shor t swor d, spear , quar t er st af f , or heavy mace.
I AI J UT S U DUE L
S amur ai bel i eve t he gr eat est honor and t he t r uest expr essi on of
t hei r t r ai ni ng i s t hei r exper t i se wi t h t he kat ana . T he pi nnacl e of
t hi s ar med mar t i al
ar t i s t he i ai j ut su ( " f ast - dr aw" ) duel
: a dr a-
mat i c f ace- t o- f ace conf r ont at i on i n whi ch each samur ai f ocuses
hi s hi , t hen at t empt s t o
st r i ke hi s opponent whi l e dr awi ng hi s
bl ade i n a si ngl e, smoot h mot i on.
T he pr ocess of
conduct i ng an i ai j ut su duel i s hi ghl y f or mal -
i zed.
S i nce i ai j ut su duel s ar e of t en f at al t o one or even bot h
duel i st s, t hey ar e never pr ovoked
by mi nor i nsul t s or passi ng
ar gument s . When a samur ai has been deepl y wr onged
and
deci des t o chal l enge
hi s enemyt o an i ai j ut su duel , he must f i r st
get
hi s
l or d' s
per mi ssi on t o i ssue t he chal l enge. S i nce hi s l i f e
and
body bel ongt o hi s l or d, t he l or d must
consent t o a duel t hat coul d
meant he
l oss of t hi s pr oper t y. I f hi s l or d agr ees, t he samur ai seeks
out hi s enemy and f or mal l y r equest s a duel ,
st at i ngt he r eason
f or
t he
chal l enge and pr e-
ci sel y nami ngt he t er ms of vi ct or y.
I f t he second
samur ai i s wi l l i ng t o f i ght
t he duel , he must askhi s l or d' s per mi ssi on
t o
accept . T he chal l enged
samur ai may hi m-
sel f r ef use t o accept t he duel , t hough
t hi s i s not a par t i cul ar l y
honor -
abl e cour se of act i on .
Hi sl or d may r ef use
per mi ssi on, or may
name anot her
samur ai
t o accept t he duel i n
pl ace of t he chal l enged

samur ai . Assumi ng per -
mi ssi on i s gr ant ed, t he chal -
l enged samur ai has t he
r i ght t o name t he
pl ace wher e t he duel wi l l occur ( al ways a
publ i c pl ace, wi t h wi t nesses f r ombot h si des) , as
wel l as t he t i me ( no
mor e t han one year i n t he
f ut ur e) . I f ci r cumst ances pr event one samur ai
f r omappear i ng
at t he appoi nt edt i me f or t he duel ,
hi s l or d mayname a samur ai t o f i ght i n hi s pl ace.
O nce t hi s f or mal pr ocess
has been f ol l owed, t he act ual
duel can occur. An i ai j ut su duel has t hr ee phases : st ance,
f ocus, and st r i ke. Dur i ng t he st ance,
t he duel i st s f ace
each
ot her and st udy each
ot her ' s st ance t o assess t hei r opponent ' s'
ski l l . Dur i ng t he f ocus, t he samur ai gat her t hei r ener gi es and
pr epar e f or t he st r i ke.
Dur i ng t he st r i ke, one samur ai dr aws
f i r st and t he ot her l oses t he duel .
I n or der t o par t i ci pat e meani ngf ul l y i n ani ai j ut su
duel , bot h
samur ai must have t he Qui ck Dr awf eat . S pendi ng a move-
equi val ent act i on t o dr awa kat ana
i n t he st r i ke phase of a duel
woul d al most cer t ai nl y be f at al . S peci al i zed duel i st s mast er t he
I ai j ut su Focus ski l l as wel l .
S t ance: I n t he f i r st r ound of an
i ai j ut su duel , t he t wo samu-
r ai st and a f ewst eps apar t andappr ai se each ot her , l ooki ng f or
si gns of t hei r opponent ' s
ski l l , t r ai ni ng, andr ef l ex i n t he samu-
r ai s r eady post ur e. Many duel s go no f ur t her: O ne samur ai con-
cedes vi ct or y t o t he ot her , r ecogni zi ng a cl ear l y
super i or oppo-
nent . S uch duel s ar e t he onl y bl oodl ess i ai j ut su duel s .
C oncedi ng i n t hi s
manner i s not di shonor abl e .
When t he duel i st s assume t hei r st ance, t hey each make a
S ense Mot i ve check. T he check r esul t
det er mi nes howmuch
i nf or mat i on t hey di scer n about t he ot her samur ai :
Focus : Bot h duel i st s make an I ai j ut su Focus
check. I f you do
not have r anks i n t he I ai j ut su
Focus ski l l , youcanat t empt
C heck Resul t I nf or mat i on Gl eaned
15 or hi gher O pposi ng samur ai ' s char act er
l evel
20 or hi gher O pposi ng samur ai ' s
r anks i n I ai j ut su f ocus
25 or hi gher O pposi ng samur ai ' s t ot al at t ack
and damage
bonus wi t h hi s pr i mar yweapon
t o use t he ski l l unt r ai nedby maki ng a C har i sma check( and you
shoul dn' t be i n ani ai j ut su duel ) .
S t r i ke: Af t er bot h duel i st s at t empt I ai j ut su Focus checks,
t hey dr awt hei r kat anas and st r i ke . T he r esul t of t he ski l l check
r epl aces each char act er ' s nor mal i ni t i at i ve r ol l unl ess t he char -
act er ' s nor mal i ni t i at i ve modi f i er ( Dext er i t y modi f i er pl us f eat
bonuses) i s bet t er t han hi s I ai j ut su Focus checkmodi f i er ( r anks
i n I ai j ut su Focus pl us C har i sma modi f i er ) , i n whi ch case he
makes a nor mal
i ni t i at i ve check.
T he f i r st r ound of ani ai j ut su duel ' s st r i ke phase i s essent i al l y a
sur pr i se r ound
: E ach combat ant can t ake onl y a par t i al act i on
( usual l y a si ngl e at t ack) i n addi t i on t o dr awi ng t he weapon( a f r ee
act i on, assumi ng each duel i st has t he Qui ck Dr awf eat ) . Wi t h a
successf ul hi t , a duel i st deal s t he bonus damage achi eved t hr ough
hi s I ai j ut su Focus checki n
addi t i on t o nor mal ( or cr i t i cal ) weapon
damage. T he i ni t i at i ve wi nner st r i kes f i r st , nat ur al l y. T he i ni t i at i ve
l oser , i f
he sur vi ves, must at t ack onhi s act i on as wel l - he cannot
hol d back t he ki he has f ocused. N ot e t hat si nce t he l oser i s not
at t acki ng
a f l at - f oot ed f oe, he does not get t he oppor t uni t y t o
st r i ke wi t h hi s bonus damage di ce f r omI ai j ut su Focus.
I f
t he i ni t i at i ve check i s a t i e, t he at t acks act ual l y occur
si mul t aneousl y, wi t h bot h samur ai
consi der ed t o be f l at - f oot ed.
O n
r ar e occasi ons, t wosamur ai have beenknownt o st r i ke each
ot her downi n t he same i nst ant i n
what i s cal l ed a kar mi c st r i ke.
Af t er t he i ni t i al r ound of t he duel , t he t wo samur ai can con-
t i nue f i ght i ng i n
nor mal combat , i f bot h sur vi ve. T hey nol onger
r ecei ve anybonus damage di ce t o t hei r at t ack r ol l s unl ess t he ci r -
cumst ances under whi ch
I ai j ut su Focus checks maybe at t empt ed
somehowar i se agai n i n t he cour se of t he f i ght
( t he combat ends
and one or t he ot her r et ur ns hi s weapont o i t s sheat h) .
E xampl e: Hi da T amor o f aces t he i ai j ut su mast er Kaki t a
Kudako i n
an i ai j ut su duel . Bot h samur ai assume t hei r st ance
and si ze
each ot her up. T amor o r ol l s an 18 on hi s S ense Mot i ve
check- enough t o di scer nonl y t hat t he C r ane i s 12t h l evel ,
t he
same as he i s . Wi t hout mor e i nf or mat i on, t he pr oud C r ab i s not
about t o yi el d. Kudako r ol l s a
33,
andnot es t hat she i s t he same
l evel as he i s, t hat he has 15 r anks i n I ai j ut su Focus, andt hat hi s
t ot al at t ack and damage
i s +19/ +14/ +9 mel ee ( 1d10+8, kat ana) .
Wei ghi ng what she has l ear ned, Kudako f eel s conf i dent t hat
she wi l l get t he f i r st st r i ke .
T he duel begi ns, andt he samur ai begi nf ocusi ng t hei r ki . Kudako
get s a check r esul t
of 28 and get s +4d6 t o her damage. T amor ds
r esul t was onl y a 24, gai ni nghi m+3d6 t o hi s damage. Kudako' s
i ni t i at i ve becomes
28 and she goes f i r st . Kudako st r i kes, her bl ade
spr i ngi ngf r omi t s scabbar d l i ke l i ght ni ngt owar d t he C r ab.
Kudako' s damage, assumi ng she hi t s, i s i ncr eased by +4d6,
wi t h anaddi t i onal +8 because she i s an
i ai j ut su mast er and adds
her
C har i sma modi f i er t o each bonus di e. S he r ol l s a mi ser abl e
6, adds her at t ack bonus of +20, and hi t s T amor o wi t h a 26 . Her
damage i s 1d10+5 ( her nor mal damage wi t h a kat ana) pl us
4d6+8. S he r ol l s 30, br i ngi ng
T amor o down t o 71 hi t poi nt s .
T amor o st r i kes when i t ' s hi s t ur n wi t h hi s i ni t i at i ve of
24.
S i nce Kudako i s
not f l at - f oot ed, T amor o get s no bonus damage
di ce. He r ol l s even mor e pat het i cal l y t han Kudako
: a
5,
pl us hi s
at t ack bonus of +19 f or a
24
.
Hi s damage i s 1d10+8. He r ol l s a
13,
br i ngi ng Kudako t o 69 hi t poi nt s .
I f t he combat ant s agr eed on
a duel t o f i r st bl ood, t he duel i s
over and Kudako has won. I f t hi s i s a duel t o t he deat h, combat
cont i nues as nor mal , wi t h Kudako hol di ng
her l ead i n i ni t i a-
t i ve
.
Af t er t he cr i t i cal f i r st r ound, Kudako l oses much of her
advant age agai nst t he st r onger C r ab.
Hi da T amor o: Mal e human( C r ab) S am5/ Hi da def ender
7 ; hp 101 ; AC 22 ( t ouch 12, f l at - f oot ed 20) ;
Ar k +19/ +14/ +9
mel ee ( 1d10+8/ 19- 20, +4
kat ana) .
S ki l l s: I ai j ut su Focus +16, S ense Mot i ve +8.
Kaki t a
Kudako: Femal e human( C r ane) S am5/ I ai j ut su
mast er 7 ; hp 82; AC 20 ( t ouch 18, f l at - f oot ed 16) ; Ar k
+20/ +15/ +10 mel ee ( 1d10+5/ 19- 20, +4
kat ana) .
S ki l l s : I ai j ut su Focus +19, S ense Mot i ve +14.
I AI T UT S U S T RI KE S I N N O RMAL C O MBAT
You can use your I ai j ut su Focus bonus damage i n nor mal
combat t oo, but onl y when you ar e at t acki ng a f l at - f oot ed oppo-
nent and you dr awyour weapon i n t he same r ound you st r i ke.
T hi s means t hat a char act er wi t h Qui ck Dr aw can use
I ai j ut su Focus i n a sur pr i se r ound, ei t her t o st r i ke someone
st andi ng wi t hi n swor d r each, or t o st r i ke an opponent at t he
end of a par t i al char ge ( usi ng Qui ck Dr awt o dr awher weapon
f i r st ) . Achar act er wi t hout Qui ck Dr aw
cannot st r i ke an oppo-
nent i n a sur pr i se r ound i f he begi ns
t he r ound wi t h hi s
weapon sheat hed .
I n a nor mal f i r st r ound of
combat , a char act er whose i ni t i a-
t i ve i s hi gher t han hi s opponent ' s
can dr awa weapon, move t o
t he opponent , and at t ack
usi ng I ai j ut su Focus, as l ong as he
has ei t her Qui ck Dr awor a base at t ack bonus of
+1 or hi gher
( so t hat he can dr awhi s weapon whi l e he moves) .
PS YC HI C DUE L
Far l ess l et hal t han an i ai j ut su duel , a psychi c duel i nvol ves
t wo
samur ai st ar i ng each ot her down- f ocusi ng t hei r ener gy unt i l
one deci des t o yi el d t o a super i or opponent
.
S uch a duel usual l y
occur s under much l ess f or mal ci r cumst ances t han an i ai j ut su
duel - f or exampl e, when a nobl e samur ai f or ces a
t eahouse
bul l y t o r ecogni ze hi s super i or i t y and skul k away. Li ke an i ai -
j ut su duel , a psychi c duel i s st r i ct l y a one- on- one conf r ont at i on
.
O nl y
i nt el l i gent humanoi ds, monst r ous humanoi ds, and gi ant s
can par t i ci pat e i n a psychi c duel . T he par t i ci pant s cannot have
cr ossed swor ds al r eady dur i ng t he encount er , and t hey
cannot
duel i n t he mi ddl e of a r agi ng bat t l e. I f ei t her char act er i s
at t acked dur i ng t he psychi c duel , t he duel ends wi t h no vi ct or .
T o r esol ve a psychi c
duel , t he char act er s spend a f ul l r ound
f aci ng each ot her , wi t hi n 10 f eet of each ot her. E ach
char act er
t hen
r ol l s
a
Wi l l
save
agai nst DC 10. I f one char act er succeeds
and t he ot her does not , t he successf ul char act er has wont he
duel . I f bot h char act er s f ai l t he savi ng t hr ow, t he
duel i s i ncon-
cl usi ve and nei t her wi ns . I f bot h char act er s succeed, t hey ar e
l ocked i n t he ment al bat t l e andt he duel cont i nues
f or anot her
r ound, wi t h t he DC r i si ng t o 15 .
T he
DC r i ses by 5
each r ound
t he duel cont i nues . S houl done char act er br eak of f t he duel and
at t ack bef or e i t
i s r esol ved,
he
i s t he l oser.
T he l oser of a psychi c duel has t wo opt i ons . He may ei t her
r et r eat or at t ack, but i f he at t acks he act s as
i f under t he ef f ect of
a bane spel l f or t he dur at i on of t he encount er : He suf f er s a - 1
mor al e penal t y on at t ack
r ol l s
and
savi ng t hr ows agai nst f ear
ef f ect s . I f he r et r eat s, he must avoi dt he wi nner of t he duel f or
at l east one dayor suf f er t he bane ef f ect
.
Rokugan,
t he wor l d of t he Legend of t he Fi ve Ri ngs car d
game and novel s, i s t he f eat ur ed set t i ng f or O r i ent al
Advent ur es . I t does not use al l t he opt i ons pr esent ed
t hr oughout t hi s book, but f ewcampai gns do. Roku-
gan st ands as a shi ni ng exampl e of howt o weave var i ous
el ement s f r omt he cul t ur es and l egends of Asi a i nt o a
uni que campai gn set t i ng wi t h a f l avor al l i t s own.
T hi s chapt er i s r el at i vel y br i ef , but
i nf or mat i on about
Rokugan appear s
t hr oughout t hi s book. T hi s chapt er
del ves i nt o det ai l r egar di ng t he hi st or y of t he E mpi r e of
Rokugan, i t s cul t ur e,
and
t he
cl ans t hat make i t up- t hei r
f ami l i es andl ands . E ach cl an descr i pt i on i ncl udes an
addi t i onal pr est i ge cl ass and hooks ( many wi t h maps) f or
advent ur es i nvol vi ng
t he cl an.
T he next chapt er descr i bes t he sour ce of evi l i n Rokugan,
t he S hadowl ands
.
HI S T O RY
T hi s hi st or y of Rokuganencompasses mor e t han a t housand
year s. T he l ast f or t y or so of t hose year s ar e of par t i cul ar i nt er -
est , si nce t hat i s t he t i me per i od cover ed by t he Legend of t he
Fi ve Ri ngs car d game and novel s. T hi s chapt er cannot hope t o
descr i be t he event s of t he
C l an War s,
t he War Agai nst t he
S hadow, and t he S pi r i t War s i n any ki nd of exhaust i ve det ai l .
A
summar y of key event s i n t hose year s appear s her e,
and
each cl an descr i pt i on bel owgi ves a cur r ent snapshot of t he
cl an, wi t h
det ai l s of t he most i mpor t ant event s l eadi ngupt o
t he pr esent .
T HE C HI LDRE N O F T HE
S UN AN D MO O N
T he hi st or y of Rokugan begi ns i n t he
C el est i al Heavens,
whi ch at
t hat t i me wer e one wi t h t he mor t al wor l d. T her e,
Lady S un and Lor d Moon wer e bor n
f r omnot hi ng, and
t oget her bor e
t en chi l dr en. Knownas t he kami
( or
gr eat
spi r i t s) , t hese chi l dr en wer e named
Hi da, Doj i , T ogashi ,
Akodo, S hi ba, Bayushi ,
S hi nj o,
Fu
Leng, Ryoshun,
and
Hant ei . Lor d Moon, O nnot angu, was j eal ous of hi s chi l -
dr en, however , anddi dnot
wi sh
t o
shar e t hei r mot her ' s l ove
wi t h t hem
.
T hus,
he
sought t o dest r oy hi s chi l dr en by
eat i ng t hem. He swal l owed ni ne of t hem, l eavi ng onl y
Hant ei , who hi d
i n
a cave.
When Hant ei gr ewt o adul t hood;
he f aced hi s f at her i n combat and cut open Lor d Moon' s
bel l y. Fr omt he wound,
t he ei ght l i vi ng chi l dr en of t he S un
and
Moon spi l l ed out. O ne chi l d, Ryoshun, di ed i n hi s
f at her ' s st omach and went on t o
wat ch over J i goku, t he
r eal mof t he dead. Lor d Moon' s bl ood and Lady S un' s t ear s
al so f el l f r omt he sky, r ai ni ngdown on
t he
ear t h
. Fr omt he
mi xt ur e of bl ood and
t ear s, humani t y was bor n. T he kami ,
t oo, f el l t o t he ear t h- Fu Leng l andi ng i n a deep pi t
t hat
woul d become t he
sour ce
of
t he S hadowl ands, t he ot her
ei ght endi ngupamongt he newr ace of humans.
When humani t y was bor n, i t
was
not
al one on t he ear t h.
N ezumi , nagas, kenkus, and ki t sus l i ved on ear t h bef or e
humani t y ar ose. T he
ol dest naga st or i es" speak of a r ace t hat
was f l our i shi ng when t hey wer e young. Al l wer e
pushed
asi de by t he r i se of t heempi r e.
T henezumi empi r e was shat -
t er ed
by
Fu Leng' s f al l , and t he nezumi r educed t o
t hei r savage st at e i n or der t o
sur vi ve t he hor r or s of
t he S hadowl ands .
T he nagas began t hei r l ong sl eep,
pl anni ngt o
r eawaken when t hey wer e
needed once mor e. T he kenkus
si mpl y wi t hdr ew
i nt o t he deepest f or est s . T he ki t sus wer e
hunt ed down and near l y
ext er mi nat ed, unt i l Akodo sawt hei r
i nt el l i gence and
compassi on, and br ought t he
sur vi vor s i nt o
hi s cl an.
HAN T E I , S HI N S E I , AN D
FU
LE N G
When t he kami
f el l t o ear t h, t hey hel d a ser i es
of cont est s t o
det er mi ne who woul d r ul e t hem.
Hant ei won, and so hi s l i ne
was t he l i ne of
emper or s f or a t housand year s,
unt i l t he cr own-
i ng
of T ot ur i . Fu Leng, al one
i n t he Fest er i ng Pi t , gat her ed hi s
ownhor des of oni
and ogr es, and soon
made war upon hi s si s-
t er s and br ot her s and t hei r
cl ans. T he ot her seven kami
gat h-
er ed
gr eat humanher oes ar ound
t hem, f or mi ngt he sevengr eat
cl ans of t he empi r e
. T hi s youngempi r e coul d
not st and agai nst
t he
power of Fu Leng' s S hadowl ands
hor de, unt i l a smal l man
appear ed f r omt he West ,
cal l i nghi msel f S hi nsei .
S hi nsei spoke
wi t h Hant ei f or a l ong
t i me, i mpar t i nghi s phi -
l osophy, whi ch was
r ecor ded by S hi ba and became
t he T ao of
S hi nsei . T hen,
S hi nsei t ook one human
f r omeach cl an- Hi da
At ar asi , Doj i Koni shi ko,
Lady Mat su, Lady Ut aku,
Lor d I sawa,
Lor d
Mi r umot o, and Lady
S hosur o- i nt o t he S hadowl ands t o
f i ght Fu Leng.
S hi nsei and hi s S even
T hunder s def eat ed Fu
Leng, bi ndi ng hi s
power wi t hi n t wel ve Bl ack S cr ol l s
t hat
S hosur o- t he
onl y sur vi vor of t he
S evenT hunder s- br ought
back wi t h her t o t he
empi r e
.
A
T HO US AN D
YE ARS
O F
PE AC E
A
t housand year s passed- not peacef ul ,
f or t he cl ans war r ed
agai nst each ot her
vi r t ual l y wi t hout ceasi ng,
as t hey do t o t hi s
day.
S t i l l , t hi s t i me i s cal l ed
" A T housand Year s of Peace, "
because f or a
t housand year s Fu Leng' s power
r emai ned con-
t ai ned i n t he Bl ack S cr ol l s .
Dur i ng t hi s t i me, t he Ki - Ri n cl an,
l ed by t he kami
S hi nj o, l ef t Rokugan
t o expl or e t he r est of t he
wor l d. T hey wander ed f or
ei ght hundr ed year s, r et ur ni ng
i n
815 as t he
Uni cor ncl an.
T he mi ni ons of Fu
Leng di d not r est f or a
t housand year s,
however. N ot onl y di d t he
cr eat ur es of t he S hadowl ands at t ack
t he empi r e
f r omwi t hout , but t he T ai nt
of t he S hadowl ands
began
t o spr ead wi t hi n t he
empi r e as wel l . AC r ab schol ar
named Kuni
N akanu di scover ed t he T ai nt
as ear l y as t he year
100,
not i ci ng i t s abi l i t y t o
ani mat e cor pses . Four cent ur i es l at er ,
a sor cer er now
cal l ed I uchi ban di scover ed
N akanu' s wor ks and
used t hemt o devel op
spel l s of maho. He
ani mat edan ar my of
skel et ons and
zombi es wi t hi n a
cemet er y i n t he hear t of
O t osan Uchi
( known as t he Bat t l e of S t ol en
Gr aves) , but he was
event ual l y caught and
i mpr i soned wi t hi n a t omb deep i n
C r ab
t er r i t or y. Hi s
l oyal f ol l ower s, knownas
Bl oodspeaker s, cont i n-
ued
t o pass on hi s t eachi ngs
despi t e t hei r mast er ' s
appar ent
def eat .
I uchi ban' s spi r i t has not l ai n
qui et l y i n hi s t omb, ei t her .
I t escaped once,
af t er t wo hundr ed year s of
i mpr i sonment , and
ver y
near l y di d so agai n i n
r ecent memor y. N o means has
yet
been di scover ed
t o dest r oy l uchi ban' s spi r i t
f or ever , and unt i l
t hat happens, t he danger he
and hi s Bl oodspeaker s r epr esent
cont i nues
t o t hr eat en t he empi r e.
C LAN WARS
Af t er a t housand
year s of r el at i ve peace, FuLeng
begant o st i r
once mor e. Bayushi S hoj u,
champi on of t he S cor pi on,
di scover ed a
scr ol l of pr ophecy t hat
pr edi ct ed t he
r et ur n of Fu Leng i n t he t i me of t he
l ast Hant ei . At t empt i ng
t o pr event
t he dr eadf ul pr ophecy f r ombei ng f ul f i l l ed, S hoj u
ki l l ed Hant ei XXXVI I I and t r i ed t o sei ze t he t hr one . T he
E mper or ' s
youngson escaped t he coup, however , and Akodo
T ot ur i ki l l ed S hoj u i n t he t hr one r oom. T he
S cor pi on cl an
was
obl i t er at ed by t he ot her cl ans of t he empi r e i n r et al i at i on
f or t he coup. I nst ead of pr event i ng
t he pr ophecy' s f ul f i l l -
ment , S hoj u made i t possi bl e, as t he young Hant ei XXXI X
was easi l y over come by Fu Leng.
Fol l owi ngt he coup, Yogo J unzoopened t he f i r st of t he t wel ve
Bl ack S cr ol l s, unl eashi ngFuLeng' s power
andbegi nni ngt he evi l
cour se
S hoj u had hoped t o pr event. Wi t h each addi t i onal scr ol l
t hat was opened, Fu Leng' s
cont r ol over t he E mper or gr ewmor e
compl et e. Hi da Ki sada, champi on of t he
C r ab, began t o move
agai nst t he
E mper or , per cei vi nghi s weakness and i nabi l i t y
t o
r ul e ef f ect i vel y. S t r i ki ng a bar gai n
wi t h t he S hadowl ands, Ki sada
f ought hi s way t o t he I mper i al Pal ace. When he f i nal l y
st r ode
i nt o t he t hr one r oom, he
expect ed t o cut down t he f eebl e boy-
E mper or
andcl ai mt he t hr one. What he f ound, however , was not
a weak boy, but a dar k dei t y. Wi t h
el even Bl ack S cr ol l s nowopen,
FuLeng' s possessi on of t he young
Hant ei was compl et e, and he
qui ckl y cut downt he
C r abchampi on. T he oni t hat hadmar ched
wi t h
t he C r abj oi ned t hei r dar k mast er , and
t he weakened r em-
nant of t he C r abar my
r et r eat ed.
I n t he end, a descendant
of S hi nsei knownas t he Hooded
Roni n
l ed seven descendant s of t he or i gi nal S even T hunder s
i nt o O t osan Uchi t o f ace Fu Leng once mor e
: Ki sada' s son
Yakamo, Ut aku
Kamoko, Doj i Hot ur i , I sawa T adaka, Bayushi
Kachi ko, Mi r umot o Hi t omi ,
and AkodoT ot ur i . As t hey f ought ,
T ogashi Yokuni r eveal ed hi msel f t o be t he dr agon
T ogashi , and
expl ai ned t hat he had kept t he
t wel f t h Bl ack S cr ol l hi dden
i nsi de hi s
hear t f or cent ur i es . Hi t omi opened hi s hear t t o
r emove t he scr ol l , ki l l i ng
T ogashi , and opened t he scr ol l . Wi t h
t hat , Fu Leng' s power was f ul l y r est or ed- but he was
al so
f ul l y
mani f est and f ul l y mor t al . At
l ast abl e t o har mFu Leng, t he
S evenT hunder s r enewed t hei r ef f or t s, and T our i and
Hot ur i
st r uck
t he ki l l i ng bl ows, dest r oyi ng t he dar k dei t y f or ever.
T ot ur i t ook t he t hr one, est abl i shi ng
a newdynast y as T ot ur i I .
T HE WARAGAI N S T
T HE S HADO W
O nl y t woyear s i nt o hi s r ei gn, T ot ur i
was ki dnapped by ni nj a
and hel d i n r ui ned
Mor i kage C ast l e, i n t he Phoeni x l ands .
T he S cor pi ons once mor e t ook t he
bl ame, as t hei r associ at i on
wi t h ni nj a
was f amous, but t he E mer al d C hampi on, Kaki t a
T oshi moko, r ef used
t o ext er mi nat e t he S cor pi ons agai n.
I nst ead, t hey wer e sent i nt o exi l e i n t he
deser t wast es t o t he
west , t he Bur ni ng
S ands, whi l e t hei r chi l dr en wer e f ost er ed
wi t h T oshi moko' s cl an, t he C r ane.
When
T ot ur i was at l ast f ound, he was changed: Ashadow
seemedt o have f al l en over hi s
eyes, and hi s behavi or went f r om
er r at i c t o
compl et el y i nsane by t he endof t he war. T he ni nj a who
ki dnapped hi mwer e not S cor pi ons,
but r epr esent at i ves of a
mor e myst er i ous f or ce: t he S hadow, a namel ess, f or ml ess bei ng
l ef t over f r omcr eat i on.
T he S hadowsought t o unmake t he
empi r e andal l humani t y by er asi ng names, memor i es,
andeven
f or ms, r e- cr eat i ng t he wor l d
i n i t s f or ml ess i mage. I t s ni nj a ser -
vant s wer e f ear some r epr esent at i ves of t hi s agenda
:
Li t er al l y
f acel ess,
t hey changed shape easi l y and wal ked t hr ough shadow.
T he S cor pi ons wer e not compl et el y
bl amel ess, f or t hey had
shel t er ed t he
S hadowi n t hei r school s and cast l es f or a t hou-
sand year s . When S hosur o r et ur ned f r omt he S hadowl ands
af t er t he f i r st
def eat of Fu Leng, she br ought t he S hadowwi t h
her . Faki ng her own deat h, S hosur o
became S oshi and
f ounded t he S cor pi on school of
shadowmagi c. S cor pi on shugenj as and ni nj a wer e mar ked
wi t h shadow
br ands, whi ch gave t hemaccess t o t he power of
t he S hadowbut began t o r ob t hem
of
t hei r humani t y. S uch
was t he f at e suf f er ed by t he E mper or.
T ot ur i ' s cor r upt i on spr ead chaos t hr ough t he empi r e. As
hi s
madness i ncr eased, so di d t he st r i f e and war f ar e among
t he cl ans
. T he chaos ext ended event o t he heavens, as Hi t omi
chal l enged and
def eat ed Lor d Moon and r ose t o t ake hi s
pl ace.
Yakamo woul d l at er f ol l owher , assi st i ng Lady S uni n
her seppuku and ascendi ng as t he newsun dei t y.
Fi nal l y, i n a moment of cl ar i t y, T ot ur i r ecogni zed t hat t he
onl y way t o save t he empi r e was t o commi t seppuku.
Mean-
whi l e, Hi da Yakamo was l eadi nganar my t o Vol t ur num, t he ci t y
of S hadow
l ocat ed i n t he S hadowl ands . T her e, t he ar mi es f aced
t he S hadowand i t s mi ni ons at
O bl i vi ons' Gat e- t he por t al
t hr ough
whi ch t he spi r i t s of t he dead pass on t o J i goku, t he
r eal mof
t he dead
.
Fi ght i ng t o pr event t he S hadowf r omcl osi ng
t he por t al and dest r oyi ng J i goku, and
t hus
er asi ng
t he empi r e' s
memor y,
t he massedar mi es of t he cl ans f ought f i er cel y agai nst
ni nj a and S hadowl ands cr eat ur es al i ke
.
T he
r oni n Gi nawa saw
T ot ur i ' s spi r i t and pul l ed hi mt hr ough t he por t al f r omJ i goku,
and t he pur i f i ed
E mper or l edt he ar mi es t o vi ct or y.
S PI RI T WARS
T ot ur i was not t he onl y spi r i t t o r et ur n f r omJ i goku dur i ng
t he
Bat t l e at O bl i vi on' s Gat e, however. Lar ge number s of spi r i t s f ound
t hemsel ves on t he wr ongsi de of
O bl i vi on' s Gat e at t he endof t he
war. I n t he end, t hey f ol l owed t hr ee mai n pat hs. Bel i evi ngt hat
t hey had al r eady l i vedt hei r l i ves,
and t hat t hey di d not bel ong i n
moder n- day Rokugan, many of t he spi r i t s pai d t hei r r espect s t o
t hei r descendant s and commi t t ed
seppuku, many t hr owi ng
t hemsel ves of f t he C l i f f s of Gol denT ear s
above t he
Phoeni x t em-
pl es .
O t her s r ej oi ned t hei r cl ans and l i ved amongt hei r descen-
dant s . For cl ans such as t he C r ane andt he Li on, hur t badl y by t he
war s agai nst t he S hadow, t he ai d of such
spi r i t s pl ayed a cr uci al
r ol e i n r ebui l di ng t he cl an' s f or t unes. Af i nal gr oupof spi r i t s was
l ed by Hant ei XVI ( known i n l i f e as t he S t eel
C hr ysant hemum)
and hi s chi ef l i eut enant , Hi da T suneo, who est abl i shed t hem-
sel ves i n what was l ef t of t he
C r ane l ands. Dr awi ng spi r i t ar mi es
i nt o hi s ser vi ce, and pr essi ng hi s cl ai m
upon t he t hr one as a
Hant ei i nst ead
of anupst ar t of no l i neage, Hant ei XVI event ual l y
t hr ewt he empi r e i nt o anei ght - year ci vi l war.
Hant ei ' s ar my of spi r i t s was f i nal l y def eat ed t hr ough a combi -
nat i on of
S cor pi on t r eacher y, Phoeni x magi c, and T ot ur i ' s di pl o-
macy. Pr et endi ngt o t ur n agai nst t he
Li on and Dr agon cl ans t hey
had al l i ed wi t h
pr evi ousl y, t he S cor pi ons pr et ended t o si de wi t h
Hant ei and T suneo. T hey t hen l ed t he
spi r i t ar mi es i nt o Bei den
Pass, wher e t he shugenj as of t he
Phoeni x had l ai d a t r ap; A
mi ght y r i t ual br ought t he wal l s of t he pass down on t he ar my.
Beat en, Hant ei negot i at ed a peace wi t h T ot ur i , wi t h a si mpl e
cost at t ached- T ot ur i must gi ve one of
hi s sons t he Hant ei
name. Hant ei N aser uspent much of hi s chi l dhood at t he est at e
of Hant ei XVI , and car r i es t he name of t he l ast i mper i al
l i ne . '
T HE C E LE S T I AL O RDE R : RO KUGAN I C ULT URE
I n t he soci al phi l osophy of Rokugan, t he uni ver se i s an or der ed
pl ace. Fr omt he hei ght s of t he C el est i al Heavens ( t he
l of t i est
r egi on of t he S pi r i t Wor l d) t o t he dept hs of Gaki do ( t he i nf er nal
r egi ons of t he S pi r i t Wor l d) , wi t h t he mor t al r eal msquar el y
i n
bet ween, al l cr eat ur es and spi r i t s ar e or der ed i n a hi er ar chy, f r om
gr eat est t o l east. Humansoci al or der mi r r or s t hi s cosmi c or der ,
f r omt he E mper or at t he t op t o t he et a at t he bot t om. T hi s
concept of cel est i al or der i s t he key t o t he cul t ur e of
Rokugan, f or
i t est abl i shes a soci et y based on
l awand or der i n
whi chever yt hi ng andever yone
has a pl ace.
At t he
pi nnacl e of t he humansoci al or der
i s t he E mper or , t he
absol ut e r ul er of Rokugan. T he
E mper or owns al l t he l and of
t he empi r e; t he cl ans
payt axes t o t he E mper or as payment
f or t he
r i ght t o l i ve and wor k on t he l and
. j ust beneat h t he E mper or i n
st at us ar e
t he kuge, t he hi ghest r ank of
her edi t ar y nobi l i t y. T he
kuge consi st of t he
I mper i al ( T ot ur i ) f ami l y, t he O t omo and
S eppun
f ami l i es, and t he C hampi on of
each cl an wi t h t hei r
i mmedi at e f ami l i es . Whi l e
t housands of samur ai i n Rokugan
bear t he Doj i
f ami l y name, onl y a handf ul
ar e member s of t he
Doj i
nobl e house. T hey ar e
member s of vassal f ami l i es, and may
have t hei r ownf ami l y
names, but t hey use t he
Doj i f ami l y name
i n of f i ci al mat t er s . T hese vassal
f ami l i es, as wel l as t he ot her gr eat
f ami l i es of
t he cl ans, make up t he
buke, t he her edi t ar y mi l i t ar y
cl ass . T he buke ar e t he
bul k of t he nobl e cast e i n
Rokugan, andal l
samur ai
and shugenj a
char act er s ar e assumedt o be par t of t hi s
soci al cl ass. Bel ow
t he buke ar e j i - samur ai
( " hal f - samur ai " ) , l esser
war r i or s f r omt he vassal f ami l i es
and r oni n.
T I ME LI N E O F RO KUGAN ' S HI S T O RY
T he
Anci ent T i me

Fl our i shi ng of t he nagas, t engus,
ki t sus, and nezumi .
T he Begi nni ng of T i me

T he Fal l of t he Kami ,
t he est abl i sh-
ment of human ci vi l i zat i on
and t he
f oundi ng of t he
Gr eat C l ans .
44

T he Day
of T hunder : S hi nsei t akes
one mor t al f r om
each of t he
Gr eat C l ans i nt o t he
S hadowl ands, wher e
t hey bi nd
Fu Leng wi t h t he Bl ack S cr ol l s
.
72

Ui kku, t he
S er ene Pr ophet , f ound by t he
Phoeni x cl an.
Ui kku' s
pr opheci es gi ve i nsi ght i nt o
t he T ao of S hi nsei .
100

Kuni
N akanu not i ces T ai nt on
cor pses and st udi es i t s
ef f ect s .
283

Deat h of I sawa Akuma,
appear ance of Akuma no O ni
i n
t he S hadowl ands .
387

C r ab- C r ane war spur r ed
by C r ab sei zur e of C r ane
l ands . T he war r esul t s i n
an I mper i al edi ct f or bi ddi ng
l ar ge- scal e war f ar e
among t he cl ans, whi ch r emai ned
i n ef f ect unt i l t he
S cor pi on C l an C oup ( 1123)
. As a
r esul t of t he war ,
t he Yasuki f ami l y l eaves
t he C r ane
cl an and j oi ns
t he C r ab.
510

Ri se of l uchi ban.
Bat t l e of S t ol en Gr aves :
I mper i al
Guar ds f i ght an
ar my of ani mat ed cor pses
i n t he
st r eet s of
O t osan Uchi . l uchi ban i s capt ur ed,
ki l l ed,
and ent ombed
.
712

l uchi ban' s
soul escapes hi s t omb,
gat her i ng Bl ood-
speaker s
and r ai si ng undead t o
assaul t t he capi t al
once
mor e. l uchi ban i s def eat ed
at t he Bat t l e of t he
S l eepi ng
Ri ver and ent ombed
mor e secur el y.
715

C r ane f or ces ai d bel eaguer ed
C r ab ar mi es at t he Bat t l e
of t he Landbr i dge, mar ki ng
t he f i r st C r ab- C r ane coop-
er at i on si nce 387.
716 Massi ve
S hadowl ands assaul t pr ovokes t he f al l
of
Hi r uma C ast l e
and t he bui l di ng of t he Kai u Wal l .
782

Fal l of Mor i kage
C ast l e; t he cast l e r emai ns haunt ed
t o
t hi s day.
815

Ret ur n of
t he Uni cor n cl an, gr eet ed wi t h ar ms
by t he
C r abs,
Li ons, and S cor pi ons . T hr ee l ar ge
bat t l es wer e
f ought
at t he Kai u Wal l , Whi t e S hor e
Pl ai n, and t he
S even Day Bat t l e Pl ai n
bef or e t he Uni cor ns wer e
accept ed back i nt o Rokugan.
925

S hi nj o Fuj i maka and
I koma Goheshu di scover naga
r ui ns i n
S hi nomen For est .
1103

Ascensi on
of Hant ei XXXVI I I .
1107

Bi r t h of Hant ei
S ot or i i ( l at er Hant ei XXXI X) .
1123

S cor pi on
C l an C oup and ascensi on of Hant ei XXXI X.
I mper i al f ami l y
mur der ed by S cor pi ons, S cor pi ons
bani shed,
Akodo f ami l y di sbanded and T ot ur i , t he Li on
C l an C hampi on,
di shonor ed. C l an War s begi n.
1126

T ot ur i
cr owned as E mper or , C l an War s end.
1128

T ot ur i
ki dnapped by ni nj a, hel d i n Mor i kage C ast l e, and
i nf ect ed wi t h t he S hadow. S cor pi on cl an bl amed and
exi l ed . War agai nst t he S hadowbegi ns . Agasha f ami l y
j oi ns t he Phoeni x cl an.
1130

C r abs r et ake Hi r uma C ast l e.
1133

Bat t l e at O bl i vi on' s Gat e. T he
S hadownamed and
def eat ed, spi r i t s l i ber at ed f r omJ i goku
r et ur n t o Rokugan.
1140

Hant ei XVI wi t h hi s l i eut enant ,
Hi da T suneo, at t empt s
t o usur pt he t hr one,
l aunchi ng t he S pi r i t War s .
1150

N ear t he ver y end of
t he war , a S hadowl ands cor r upt ed
( Agasha) T amor i l eads
T suneo and a smal l f or ce of
ment hr ough
t he mount ai ns and i nt o Phoeni x t er r i t or y
wher e
T suneo ki dnaps t he Phoeni x chi l dr en . S pi r i t
ar my
dest r oyed i n Bei den Pass . Hant ei XVI and T ot ur i
r each
an agr eement t o end t he war.
1157

S ever e
ear t hquakes and vol cani c er upt i ons i n Dr agon
l ands
f or ce evacuat i on of many Dr agon hei mi ns,
who
move i nt o Phoeni x l ands . Per sonal and pol i t i cal
conf l i ct bet ween I sawa T aer uko and T amor i
S hai t ung
.
1158

E mper or T ot ur i ki l l ed by a monst r ous oni i n
neut r al
t er r i t or y, l eavi ng no desi gnat ed hei r . Hi s f our chi l dr en-
t he " Four Wi nds" - begi n a st r uggl e f or t he t hr one
.
Yasuki Kamor u di es wi t h no hei r . Dai doj i
Hachi i s
r eveal ed as t he cl osest r el at i ve, t akes
t he Yasuki name,
and at t empt s t o cl ai m
Yasuki l ands, pr ovoki ng war
bet ween t he C r abs
and t he C r anes . Kuni Ut agu
mur der ed. Phoeni x- Dr agon
conf l i ct escal at es i nt o war
wi t h Phoeni x secur i ng Li on
al l i es .
T he member s of t he nobl e cl ass
ar e def i nedbest by t he concept
of l oyal t y.
E ach nobl e owes l oyal t y t o anot her , f r omt he l owl i est
pet t y samur ai t o t he gr eat dai myos ( gover nor / gener al s) and t he
cl an champi ons
of t he kuge. Anobl e l i t er al l y bel ongs t o hi s l or d:
a samur ai i s not per mi t t edt o t hr owhi s l i f e away- i n
bat t l e,
i n
a
duel , or i n
sui ci de ( seppuku) - wi t hout her l or d' s per mi ssi on.
E ven t he l owl i est nobl e has r i ght s
t hat t he l ower cl asses can
never achi eve, however , i ncl udi ng t he r i ght t o car r yweapons
( par t i cul ar l y t he kat ana
and t he waki zashi ) .
Youngnobl es ar e r ai sed i n school s, whet her f or samur ai or
f or shugenj as, wher e t hey l ear n hi st or y,
phi l osophy, and l an-
guage
i n
addi t i on t o t he ski l l s of t hei r char act er cl ass . T hey
spend ni ne year s i n
t hese school s, r ar el y seei ng t hei r par ent s .
At some poi nt bet ween t he age of
13
and 21, t ypi cal l y
ar ound
16, a young
nobl e per f or ms a r i t e of passage cal l ed gempukku
andi s consi der ed an
adul t f or t he f i r st t i me. Amar r i age i s soon
ar r anged f or t he youngnobl e- l ove mer i t s no
pl ace
i n
a hear t
t hat must bel ong ent i r el y
t o one' s l or d. Love and passi on con-
f l i ct
wi t h unquest i oni ng devot i on t o one' s l or d, under mi ni ng
t he l oyal t y due
t o t he l or d. At t he age of 40, i t i s pr oper f or a
nobl e t o r et i r e and become a monk, t hough many pr omi nent
nobl es def y t hi s
expect at i on
.
T he vast bot t omof t he Rokugani soci al or der i s t he bonge,
t he l ower - cl ass
commoner s . T hebonge i ncl udes hei mi ns ( " hal f -
peopl e" ) - t he or di nar y common f ol k, i ncl udi ng f ar mer s and
mer chant s- and hi ni ns
( " nonpeopl e" ) . C r i mi nal s, ent er t ai ner s
( i ncl udi ng act or s, musi ci ans, and gei sha) , gambl er s, and et a
( t hose whoi nher i t " di r t y" j obs i nvol vi ng handl i ngdeadpeopl e
or ani mal s) make up t he hi ni n
cl ass. Despi t e t he appar ent l y
r i gi d
st r uct ur e of t he cl asses, i t i s possi bl e f or hei mi ns t o move
up i nt o t he r anks of t he buke, usual l yby di st i ngui shi ng t hem-
sel ves i n
bat t l e or t hr ough mar r i age. Member s of t he bonge ar e
not al l owed t o appr oach t he E mper or
or t he member s of t he
kuge under any
ci r cumst ances, and al ways t r eat member s of
t he buke wi t h humi l i t y and r espect
.
A
hei mi n who compr o-
mi ses a samur ai ' s honor by bei ng r ude or i nsubor di nat e can
expect t o be ki l l ed
on t he spot , and t he samur ai f aces no l egal
consequences f or pr eser vi ng hi s honor i n t hi s way.
Mor e i nf or mat i on about
Rokugan' s cul t ur e can be f ound i n
C hapt er
2: C l asses ( C ast e and C l ass i n Rokugan) , C hapt er 4
:
S ki l l s and Feat s ( S ki l l
cont est s and cl an ancest or s) , C hapt er 5:
Descr i pt i on and E qui pment ( Al i gnment and Honor ,
Rel i gi on,
mat er i al cul t ur e,
i ncl udi ng f ood and cl ot hi ng) , C hapt er 6 :
C ombat ( i ai j ut su
duel s) , andC hapt er 10: Your O r i ent al Adven-
t ur es C ampai gn ( C osmol ogy: T he S pi r i t Wor l d,
and Rewar ds) .
Al so, see t he
si debar about bushi do i n t hi s chapt er.
T HE E MPI RE O F RO KUGAN
Popul at i on: 30, 000, 000 ; humans ( nobl e cast e, 7%; common
cast e, 93%. C r ab cl an, 16%; C r ane cl an,
8%
;
Dr agon
cl an,
10%; Li on cl an, 26%; Phoeni x cl an,
6%; S cor pi on cl an, 10%;
Uni cor ncl an, 14%; mi nor cl ans, 10%)
Gover nment : Feudal monar chy
Al i gnment : LN
S i nce t he deat h of E mper or T ot ur i
i n S hi nomen For est , t he
E mpi r e of Rokugan has been wi t hout a r ul er . T ot ur i ' s wi f e,
Kaede, was t he or acl e of Voi d- t he human
i ncar nat i on of t he
mi ght y
Dr agon of Voi d, near l y di vi ne her sel f . T hough t he
E mper or had wi shed f or her
t o r ul e unt i l she was abl e t o sel ect
one of hi s chi l dr en as t he next r ul er , Kaede abdi cat ed
t he
t hr one mer e
hour s af t er T ot ur i ' s f uner al , l eavi ng t he t hr one
empt y. Lef t vyi ngf or cont r ol of t he t hr one
ar e T ot ur i ' s f our chi l -
dr en,
known somet i mes as t he Four Wi nds of C hange. T ot ur i
T sudao ( f emal e humanS am6/ Akodo
champi on 6) i s com-
mander of t he i mper i al l egi ons . T ot ur i S ezar u ( mal e human
S hu7/ Voi d di sci pl e
5) i s a mi ght y shugenj a. Hant ei N aser u
( mal e humanS am12) was gi ven t he Hant ei name as par t
of
t he
t r eat y bet ween
T ot ur i and Hant ei XVI t hat ended t he S pi r i t
War s . Akodo Kaneka ( mal e
humanS am14) , T ot ur i ' s bast ar dson
by
a gei sha, i s t he el dest of hi s chi l dr en.
I MPE RI AL FAMI LI E S
T he l eader shi p and bur eaucr acy
of t he empi r e has i t s own
f ami l i es,
r esponsi bl e f or t he f unct i oni ng of t he gover nment .
Wi t h t he except i on
of t he chi l dr en of T ot ur i , most char act er s
i n t he I mper i al f ami l i es ar e ar i st ocr at s,
t hough
many
S eppun
ar e war r i or s
and samur ai .
T heT ot ur i f ami l y i s t he I mper i al
l i ne, consi st i ng at pr esent of
t he l at e E mper or ' s t hr ee chi l dr en.
T he S eppun
f ami l y i s consi der ed t he " f i r st f ami l y" of t he
empi r e, r anki ng behi nd onl y t he T ot ur i i n pr est i ge. I t s mem-
ber s ar e t he def ender s of t he E mper or andt he
capi t al ci t y, com-
pr i si ng t he bul k of t he hi gher l evel s of t he i mper i al Guar d as
wel l as t he body of t he I mper i al C our t.
T he O t omo f ami l y pr oduces t he bur eaucr at s of t he empi r e' s
gover nment , exper t mani pul at or s andmast er s of t edi um
.
T he Mi ya
f ami l y pr ovi des t he E mper or ' s her al ds and di pl o-
mat s, honor abl e andcommi t t ed t o t hei r dut y.
I n addi t i on t o t he est abl i shed f ami l i es of t he i mper i al cour t ,
t he E mer al d C hampi on ser ves as t he chi ef magi st r at e of t he
E mper or. T he E mer al d C hampi on i s chosenby
r i ght of combat ,
whi l e t he E mer al d Magi st r at es under hi s command ar e
appoi nt ed, ei t her by t he E mer al dC hampi on or by t he
E mper or
hi msel f . T he cur r ent E mer al d C hampi on, S eppun T oshi ken,
l i es ver y i l l , and Hant ei N aser u has l ed t he magi st r at es . O ne of
T ot ur i ' s l ast commands, however , was t hat aT est of t he E mer al d
C hampi on shoul d be hel d and a newC hampi on sel ect ed.
I n
wake of t he E mper or ' s deat h, t he t est has not yet occur r ed
.
,
I MPE RI AL LAN DS
O t osanUchi , t he capi t al of t he empi r e, i s si t uat ed on Rokugan' s
east er n coast , r oughl y hal f way bet ween t he l ands of t he C r ab
and t hose of t he Phoeni x. As t he home of t he E mper or andseat
of t he gover nment , much i mpor t ant act i vi t y occur s t her e- but
f ewvi si t or s ar e act ual l y per mi t t ed t o ent er t he ci t y i t sel f .
I nst ead, busi ness i s conduct ed at t he f our " hub vi l l ages" t hat
sur r ound t he capi t al , ser vi ng as a base of oper at i ons f or l esser
ambassador s, mer chant s, and bur eaucr at s . Ki t a C hushi n, t he
nor t h hubvi l l age, i s a cent er of t r ade,
whi l e Mi nami C hushi n,
t he sout h vi l l age, i s a communal home t o poet s, pai nt er s, and
ot her ar t i st s
hopi ng
t o
make a name f or t hemsel ves i n t he capi -
t al . T he east vi l l age, Hi gashi C hushi n, i s t he pl ace t o
hi r e mer -
cenar i es, and t he west vi l l age,
N i shi C hushi n, hol ds i mmense
war ehouses f ul l of r i ce col l ect ed as t axes .
T he S eppun r esi de i n a gr eat pal ace
nor t heast of t he capi t al ,
whi l e t he ancest r al home of t he Mi ya i s f ar t o t he west , bet ween
t he Uni cor n and S cor pi on l ands .
C RAB C LAN
Popul at i on: 3, 000, 000; humans
( C r ab cl an nobl e cast e,
15%;
commoncast e, 85%)
C l an C hampi on: Hi da O - Ushi
( f emal e C r ab S am5/ Hi da
def ender 10)
I mpor t s : Foodst uf f s
E xpor t s : I r on, t ea, f i sh
Al i gnment : LN
S t aunch def ender s of t he gr eat Kai u Wal l , ever
vi gi l ant agai nst
at t acks f r omt he S hadowl ands, t he samur ai of t he C r ab cl an ar e
Rokugan' s gr eat est def ense agai nst any ext er nal
t hr eat . T hei r s i s
a gr i mexi st ence, and t he C r abs see l i t t l e t i me i n l i f e f or t he
cour t l yact i vi t i es so enj oyed by ot her samur ai - ar t s, di pl omacy,
et i quet t e, andt he l i ke . T he ot her cl ans vi ewt he C r abs as cr ude,
unwashedbr ut es, andt hat st er eot ype i s of t en cl ose t o t he t r ut h
.
But f ewot her samur ai i n Rokuganwoul d accept t he r espon
si bi l i t y t hat t he C r abs shoul der : t o f i ght of f t he f ear some
gobl i ns, ogr es,
and oni of t he S hadowl ands,
pr event i ng t hem
f r om
over r unni ngt he empi r e
.
RE C E
N T HI S T O RY
Dur i ngt he S pi r i t
War s, t he C r abl ands wer e r avagedby t he
spi r i t
ar mi es
of Hant ei XVI and hi s
gener al , a f er oci ous C r ab named
Hi daT suneo. T he
C r abchampi on, Hi da O - Ushi ,
l ost her husband
ont he f i el d of bat t l e, but
her t wosons, KuonandKur oda, r emai n.
T owar d t he endof t he S pi r i t War s, a new
t wi st of event s sent
t he C r abcl an i nt o war :
t he deat h of Yasuki T aka, dai myo
of t he
Yasuki f ami l y,
wi t h no hei r . T he schol ar s of t he
S eppun f ami l y
sear ched
t hei r r ecor ds and
l ocat ed t he near est r el at i ve of t he
l at e T aka:
Dai doj i Hachi . Hachi ' s at t empt t o
cl ai mt he l ands he
consi der s hi s have l aunched
t he C r abs and t he C r anes
i nt o a
f i er ce war
over t hi s val uabl e t er r i t or y.
C RAB
FAMI LI E S
T heC r abf ami l i es,
wi t h t he possi bl e except i on
of t he Yasuki , ar e
def i ned
by t hei r opposi t i on t o t he
S hadowl ands.
T he Hi das ar e t he
l eader s of t he cl an, st r ong
def ender s of t he
Kai u Wal l . T he
Hi da def ender pr est i ge
cl ass i s descr i bedbel ow
T he Kai us ar e t he
engi neer s and ar t i sans who
bui l d and
mai nt ai n t hat wal l . Kai u engi neer s
ar e usual l y exper t s,
and
occasi onal l y
samur ai .
T he Hi r umas
ar e scout s whovent ur e
i nt o t he t wi st ed
S hadowl ands
beyond t he Kai u
Wal l . T hey adopt t he shadow
scout pr est i ge cl ass
descr i bed i n C hapt er
3: Pr est i ge C l asses .
T he
Kuni r epr esent some of t he
most f ear ed shugenj as i n
Rokugan. Peopl e ar e
scar ed of t hembecause t he
Kuni woul d
r at her st udy
evi l t han el i mi nat e i t
out r i ght . T he Kuni ar e most
f amous f or t hei r wi t ch
hunt er s, who hunt down
T ai nt ed magi c
bot h out si de t he empi r e
andwi t hi n i t . S ee T heWi t chHunt er s
i n t hi s chapt er
f or mor e i nf or mat i on.
T he
Yasuki f ami l y, now
t or n bet ween t he C r ab and t he
C r ane
f r omwhi cht hey
or i gi nal l y came, ar e
mer chant s f amous t hr ough-
out Rokugan f or t hei r
shr ewd busi ness sense and
gr ay et hi cs .
T he
T or i t aka f ami l y ( f or mer l y
t he Fal con mi nor cl an) was
absor bed i nt o t he C r ab
cl an somet i me ar ound 1121 .
I t s mem-
ber s of t en
t r ai n as r anger s .
T HE HI DA DE FE N DE R
T he Hi da
samur ai school i s wel l known
as t he most r el ent -
l essl y
br ut al t r ai ni ng
gr ounds i n t he empi r e. S t udent s
under go
a gr uel i ng r egi me
of swor dpl aydr i l l s,
mock combat , andmi l i t ar y
phi l osophy, desi gned t o shar pen
t he mi ndand t oughen
t he body.
Hi da def ender s
t r ai n i n gr eat ar mor , a uni que
char act er i st i c t hat
f i t s wel l wi t h t he C r ab
phi l osophy of st r engt h
and endur ance.
Unl i ke t he
Hi r umas, who emphasi ze
speed and t act , t he Hi das
need t hei r st udent s
t o be st r ong, andt heypush
t hemt o t he l i mi t s
of t hei r endur ance.
As a r esul t , Hi da def ender s have t he st ami na
t o
f i ght
f or hour s wi t hout t i r i ng, and canhol d a f or mat i onagai nst
anyaggr essor. T hei r t r ai ni ng gi ves t hemt he
power t hey need t o
def end Rokugan agai nst t he S hadowl ands and f or ms t he back-
bone of t he C r ab mi l i t ar y machi ne
.
Hi da def ender s ar e al most excl usi vel y dr awnf r omt he
samu-
r ai andf i ght er char act er
cl asses .
N PC Hi da def ender s ar e f ound at op t he Kai u Wal l , i n
unceas-
i ng vi gi l ance
agai nst any i ncur si on f r omt he S hadowl ands i nt o
t he empi r e' s t er r i t or y. T he def ense of t he empi r e
i s t hei r pr i mar y
concer n, t aki ng pr ecedence
over pol i t i cs, ar t i st i c pur sui t s, and
t he f al se si ncer i t y of cour t l ymanner s.
Hi t Di e
: d12.
RE QUI RE ME N T S
T o qual i f y t o become
a Hi da def ender , a char act er must f ul f i l l
al l t he f ol l owi ngcr i t er i a.
Race: Human( C r ab) .
Al i gnment : Anynonevi l .
Base At t ack
Bonus : +5.
Feat s : Ar mor Pr of i ci ency ( heavy) ,
Power At t ack, Weapon
Focus ( bat t l eaxe,
war hammer , or gr eat cl ub) .
T ABLE 11- 1 :
T HE HI DA DE FE N DE R
C LAS S
S KI LLS
T he Hi da
def ender ' s cl ass
ski l l s
( and t he keyabi l i t y f or each ski l l )
ar e C l i mb ( S t r ) , Handl e Ani mal ( C ha) ,
I ai j ut su Focus ( C ha) ,
I nt i mi dat e
( C ha) , J ump ( S t r ) , Knowl edge ( S hadowl ands) ( I nt ) ,
Ri de ( Dex) , S ense Mot i ve ( Wi s) , andS wi m
( S t r ) . S ee C hapt er 4:
S ki l l s and
Feat s i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook f or ski l l descr i pt i ons .
T he I ai j ut su Focus ski l l i s descr i bed i n
C hapt er 4 of t hi s book.
Hi da def ender s
have l i t t l e t i me or pat i ence f or what t hey con-
si der f r i vol ous pur sui t s, l i ke cr af t s andar t i st i c
endeavor s.
S ki l l
Poi nt s at E ach Level : 2 +I nt modi f i er .
C LAS S
FE AT URE S
T hef ol l owi ng ar e
cl ass f eat ur es of t he Hi da def ender .
Weapon andAr mor Pr of i ci ency:
Hi da def ender s do not
gai n any addi t i onal
weaponor ar mor pr of i ci ency.
S mi t e( S u) : O nce per day, a Hi da def ender
canmake a si ngl e
mel ee at t ack
wi t h a +4 at t ack bonus and a damage
bonus equal
t o hi s def ender l evel ( i f he hi t s) .
T hedef ender must decl ar e t he
smi t e bef or e
maki ngt he at t ack.
C r i t i cal Focus ( E x) : When
usi nga weaponf or whi ch he has
t he Weapon Focus f eat , a Hi da
def ender i ncr eases t he cr i t i cal
mul t i pl i er of t he
weaponby 1. I f he has Weapon Focus wi t h
mor e
t han
one weapon, he must choose a si ngl e
weaponf or hi s cr i t i cal
f ocus, and he
must choose t he bat t l eaxe, war hammer , or
gr eat -
cl ub. T hus, t he cr i t i cal mul t i pl i er
f or t he bat t l eaxe or war hammer
i ncr eases
t o x4, whi l e t he gr eat cl ub i ncr eases t o
x3. T he t hr eat
r ange f or
t he weapon does not change,
t hough t he def ender can st i l l
choose t he
I mpr oved C r i t i cal f eat wi t h t he same
weaponi f he
meet s t he pr er equi si t es .
Rage ( E x) : When he needs t o, a Hi da
def ender can f l y i nt o a scr eami ng bl ood
f r enzy
.
I n a r age, a def ender gai ns phenom-
enal st r engt h and dur abi l i t y
but becomes
r eckl ess and l ess abl e t o def end hi msel f .
He t empor ar i l y gai ns
+4 t o S t r engt h, +4 t o
C onst i t ut i on, and a +2 mor al e bonus on
Wi l l
saves, but suf f er s a - 2 penal t yt o AC .
T he i ncr ease i n C onst i t ut i on
i ncr eases
t he def ender ' s hi t
poi nt s by 2 poi nt s per
C l ass
Base
For t Ref Wi l l
Level At t ack Bonus
S ave S ave S ave
S peci al
1st
+1 +2 +0
+0 S mi t e, cr i t i cal f ocus
2nd +2
+3 +0
+0 Rage 1 / day
3r d +3
+3 +1 +1
Damage r educt i on 1/ -
4t h +4
+4 +1
+1 Rage 2/ day
5t h
+5 +4 +1
+1 Damage r educt i on 2/ -
6t h
+6 +5 +2
+2 Rage 3/ day
7t h
+7 +5
+2 +2 Damage r educt i on 3/ -
8t h
+8 +6 +2
+2 Rage 4/ day
9t h
+9 +6
+3 +3 Damage r educt i on 4/ -
10t h
+10 +7
+3 +3 Rage 5/ day
l evel , but t hese hi t
poi nt s go away at t he endof t he r age whent he
C onst i t ut i on scor e dr ops back
t o nor mal . T hese ext r a hi t poi nt s
ar e not l ost f i r st t he
wayt empor ar yhi t poi nt s ar e. Whi l e
r agi ng, a
Hi da def ender cannot use ski l l s
or abi l i t i es t hat r equi r e pat i ence
andconcent r at i on,
such as movi ngsi l ent l y or cast i ngspel l s
. ( T he
onl y
cl ass ski l l s he can' t use whi l e
r agi ng ar e C r af t , I ai j ut su Focus,
andS ense Mot i ve
. ) He canuse any f eat he mi ght
have except f or
E xper t i se,
i t emcr eat i on f eat s, met amagi c
f eat s, and S ki l l Focus ( i f
i t ' s t i ed t o a ski l l
t hat r equi r es pat i ence or concent r at i on) .
Af i t of
r age l ast s f or a number of
r ounds equal t o 3 +pl us t he char act er ' s
( newl y
i mpr oved) C onst i t ut i on modi f i er .
T he def ender may pr e-
mat ur el y end t he r age
vol unt ar i l y. At t he end of t he r age, t he
def ender i s f at i gued ( - 2 S t r engt h, - 2 Dext er i t y,
can' t char ge or
r un) f or t he
dur at i on of t hat encount er. T he def ender
canonl y f l y
i nt o a r age once per encount er ,
and onl y a cer t ai n number of
t i mes per day( det er mi ned
byl evel ) . E nt er i ng a r age t akes
no t i me
i t sel f , but t he def ender can onl y do
i t dur i ng hi s act i on, not i n
r esponse t o
somebody el se' s act i on. Adef ender
can' t , f or exampl e,
f l y
i nt o a r age when st r uck
downby an ar r owi n or der t o get t he
ext r a hi t poi nt s
f r omt he i ncr eased C onst i t ut i on,
al t hough t he
ext r a hi t poi nt s woul d be of benef i t
i f he hadgone i nt o a r age ear -
l i er
i n t he
r ound, bef or e t he ar r owst r uck.
I f a Hi da def ender has a
r age abi l i t y f r omanot her cl ass ( such as
bar bar i an) ,
he gai ns t he abi l i t y t o r age mor e
of t en. E ach dai l y use
he gai ns f r omhi s Hi da
def ender l evel s adds t o t he dai l y uses
he
has f r om
hi s bar bar i anl evel s. T hus,
a 6t h- l evel bar bar i an/ 4t h- l evel
Hi da def ender can
r age f our t i mes per day- t wi ce f r om
hi s bar -
bar i an
l evel s and t wi ce f r omhi s
Hi da def ender l evel s .
Damage Reduct i on
( E x) : S t ar t i ng at 3r d l evel , t he
Hi da
def ender gai ns t he ext r aor di nar y
abi l i t y t o shr ug of f some
amount of i nj ur y
f r omeach bl owor at t ack.
S ubt r act 1 f r omt he
damage t he def ender suf f er s
each t i me he i s deal t damage. At
5t h
l evel , t hi s damage r educt i on r i ses
t o 2. At 7t h, i t r i ses t o 3.
At 9t h, i t r i ses t o 4. Damage r educt i on can r educe damage
t o 0
but
not bel ow0
.
MULT I PLE PRE S T I GE
C LAS S E S
I t
i s ext r emel y uncommon f or a
samur ai t o t r ai n i n mor e t han
one
school - or , f or t hat mat t er ,
f or a samur ai t o t r ai n i n
anot her cl an' s school . N o har d
r ul es pr event t hi s, but t he
Dungeon Mast er shoul d di scour age
or even pr ohi bi t char ac-
t er s f r omswi t chi ng f r omone
pr est i ge cl ass t o anot her. O ne
possi bl e except i on i s t he
t at t ooed monk pr est i ge cl ass, whi ch
may be avai l abl e t o a
char act er f r omanot her school who
has
al l i es amongt he Dr agon
cl an.
When a char act er
r eaches t he pi nnacl e of a pr est i ge
cl ass, he
t ypi cal l y f ol l ows one
of t wo possi bl e r out es : r et ur ni ng
t o
hi s
or i gi nal cl ass i n or der
t o pi ck up ext r a f eat s or speci al
abi l i t i es,
or adopt i ng
t he monk cl ass as a sor t of r et i r ement .
T HE WI T C HHUN T E RS
S i nce t he days
of t he i nf amous maho- t sukai
l uchi ban, a ver y
smal l br anch
of t he Kuni have t aken a mor e
f or cef ul r ol e i n t he
bat t l e
agai nst t he S hadowl ands . T hey f eel t hat
evi l must not be
al l owed
t o spr ead i nt o t he empi r e, and
have dedi cat ed t hem-
sel ves t o wi pi ng out al l t r aces of evi l i n
Rokugan pr oper . T hese
r ar e Kuni
ar e known as t sukai - sugasu,
or wi t ch hunt er s . T hey
ar e st i l l
r equi r ed t o l ear n t he myst i c
secr et s of t hei r f ami l y, but
t hey
al so st udy t he war r i or ar t s wi t h t hei r
Hi da ki n. When t hey
ar e
r eady, t hey set out i n t he wor l d, usi ng
t hei r knowl edge and
weaponr y t o dest r oy t he S hadowl ands
T ai nt wher ever i t may
appear . T hese
char act er s adopt t he wi t ch hunt er pr est i ge cl ass
descr i bed i n C hapt er
3 : Pr est i ge C l asses .
Dur i ng
t he S pi r i t War s, a si ngl e Kuni wi t ch hunt er r ose t o a
posi t i on of pr omi nence
i n t he empi r e. Kuni Ut agu wont he posi -
t i on of j ade
C hampi on- t he f or emost shugenj a i n t he empi r e
and
used t hat
posi t i on t o l aunch a t i r el ess cr usade t o hunt down
and ext er mi nat e maho- t sukai i n Rokugan. T he Phoeni x mast er s
f r ownedon Ut agu' s cr usade, si nce t hey see t hemsel ves as
t he t r ue
guar di ans of magi c. O t her , qui et voi ces quest i oned
Ut agu' s met h-
ods, t hough never hi s mot i ves, f or he was exceedi ngl y har sh i n hi s
i nvest i gat i ons, i nt er r ogat i ng ent i r e vi l l ages of hei mi ns i n or der
t o
f i nd a si ngl e dabbl er i n t he dar k ar t s of maho, and even ext r act i ng
conf essi ons under t or t ur e. Hi s unbounded ener gy, some say,
woul d have been put t o bet t er use i nvest i gat i ng bi gger f i sh .
And nowKuni Ut agu l i es dead i n t he I mper i al
C our t , i n t he
wake of a l oud and vi si bl e quar r el wi t h T ot ur i
S ezar u, t he l at e
E mper or ' s t hi r d chi l d. T he wi t ch hunt er ' s hands
and wr i st s ar e
sl i t , suggest i ng t hat hi s bl ood was used t o power a maho
spel l ,
and f ur t her evi dence i mpl i cat es S ezar u . S ezar u pr ot est s hi s i nno-
cence, and no one i s yet wi l l i ng t o make
a f or mal accusat i on
.
T he l oose net wor k of Kuni wi t ch hunt er s
i s nowdead set on
r evenge. C onvi nced t hat a power f ul
maho- t sukai i s l ocat ed
wi t hi n t he I mper i al C our t , many wi t ch
hunt er s ar e f ocusi ng
t hei r ef f or t s on uncover i ng t hi s
pr esumed evi l mast er mi nd
behi nd Ut agu' s deat h.
C RAB LAN DS
T he C r ab l ands ar e bi t t er and dar k.
O n most days, cl ouds and
smoke
obscur e al l but a t hi n shr edof sunl i ght . Most of t he C r ab
l ands ar e hi gh, r ocky mount ai ns wher e
l i t t l e gr ows, al t hough
t he Yasuki l ands t o t he east ar e t he not abl e except i on.
T he Hi das
cont r ol most of t he l and bet ween t he T wi l i ght
r
Mount ai ns andE ar t hquake Fi sh Bay, as wel l as t he mi nes
and
pl ant at i ons i n t he f oot hi l l s . T he
Kai us cont r ol most of t he moun-
t ai ns, andmost of t hei r set t l ement s ar e adj acent t o t he Wal l . T he
Yasuki mai nt ai n t he mer cant i l e
ar eas ar ound t he bay, and t he
Kuni seemcont ent wi t h t hei r bl ackenedwast el and. S ome Hi r u-
mas st ay i n S hi r o Hi r uma,
const ant l y onguar d agai nst S hadow-
l ands assaul t s, whi l e most l i ve i n or near t he ci t y of
Maemi kake.
ADVE N T URE HO O KS
T her e' s no bet t er pl ace i n Rokugan f or a cl assi c dungeoncr awl
t han t he cat acombs beneat h t he Kai u
Wal l
.
T he ef f or t s of t he C r ab
cl an
ar e f ocused on t he gat eways t hr ough t he wal l and t he scout
pat hs al ongsi de i t , andl eave t he r est most l y t o i t sel f .
Hundr eds of
mi l es of f or got t en r ooms andcor r i dor s st r et ch al ong t he wal l ' s
ent i r e l engt h, f ul l of
t r aps, obst acl es, and S hadowl ands monst er s
t hat have wander ed i n andbecome l ost . T her e ar e
enough dun-
geont wi st s andt ur ns i n
t he Kai u Wal l t o l ast an ent i r e campai gn.
T he mapont he f ol l owi ngpage i s an exampl e
of what apar t of t hi s
dungeonmi ght
l ook l i ke .
T he t hr eat s of t he S hadowl ands l ur k not j ust ont he f ar
si de of
t he Kai u Wal l .
C har act er s mi ght encount er oni and ot her
S hadowl ands cr eat ur es i n t he Kuni Ar eno ( Kuni
Wast es) or
wi t hi n t he S hi nomen For est . S t r ay oni ar e al so f r equent l y
Kai u Dungeons
encount er ed i n t he t unnel s
bet ween Hi gashi yama and
N i shi yama, t o t he east i nYasuki l ands . T hese t wi st i ng passages-
a ser i es of nat ur al caver ns
andunder gr oundpat hs- f or ma qui ck
shor t cut acr oss t he Wal l Above t he O cean Mount ai ns, but r egu-
l ar i ncur si ons
by S hadowl ands cr eat ur es make t he j our neyver y
danger ous . T he Hi da senda gr oupt o t he t unnel s at l east ever y
year t o pur ge t he cr eat ur es,
but t he oni keepr et ur ni ng.
C RAN E C LAN
Popul at i on:
3, 000, 000; humans
( C r ane cl an nobl e cast e, 10%;
commoncast e, 90%)
C l an C hampi on: Doj i Kur ohi t o
( mal e
C r ane S am6/ i ai j ut su
mast er
5)
I mpor t s : S i l k, spi ce, i r on
E xpor t s: Foodst uf f s, cr af t s, ar t , sake
Al i gnment
: LN
T he
C r ane cl an has shaped t he ci vi l i zat i on of Rokugan f r omt he
begi nni ng. S i nce t he t i me of t he f i r st
Hant ei , a C r ane has been
t he
i mper i al Advi sor , and unt i l t he l ast Hant ei , a Doj i has been
ever y E mper or ' s br i de. T hey ar e t he
mast er s of t he pol i t i cal
i nt r i gue t hat sur r ounds t he I mper i al cour t - unt i l
ver y r ecent l y,
t he undi sput ed
mast er s ( t he S cor pi ons nowchal l enge t hat
cl ai m) . T hey hol d f avor s i n st or e f r omnear l y ever yf ami l y
of
ever y cl an,
and knowhowt o cal l i n f avor s at t he r i ght t i me and
ci r cumst ance. T he
member s of t he C r ane cl an ar e nobl e i n ever y
sense of t he wor d, r ef i ned, cul t ur ed, ci vi l i zed, and gr acef ul .
RE C E N T HI S T O RY
Wer e i t not f or t hei r
war wi t h t he C r abs over t he Yasuki l ands, t he
C r anes woul d be on t op of t he wor l d. T hei r f or mer cl an cham-
pi on, Doj i
Kuwanan, became i mmor t al and wat ches over t he ci t y
of Vol t ur numt o keepi t f r ee of T ai nt . Despi t e t he r at her
unor t ho-
doxmar r i age
of t hei r headst r ong newchampi on, Kuwanan' s son
Kur ohi t o, t o a Phoeni x spi r i t , l i f e f or t he C r ane
cl an appear s t o be
goi ng wel l
.
T he C r anes have not i nvest ed t oo much ef f or t i nt o
t hei r war wi t h t he C r abs, knowi ng
t hat t he r i ght i s ont hei r si de
and t hat t he
C r abs cannot af f or d t o di ver t t oo many r esour ces
away f r omt he def ense of t he Kai u
Wal l . However , t he C r anes do
f eel t he l oss of ar abl e l and af t er O bl i vi on' s Gat e, t he Kumo, andt he
S pi r i t
War s whenf i el ds wer e f l ooded, sal t ed, andbur ned.
When t he S cor pi ons wer e bl amed f or E mper or T ot ur i ' s
ki d-
nappi ng
and sent i nt o exi l e some t hi r t y- f i ve year s ago, t he
C r anes f ost er ed t hei r chi l dr en, so t he S cor pi ons and C r anes
shar e some unchar act er i st i cal l y cl ose t i es nowt hat t hose chi l -
dr en ar e gr own. T her e
ar e even some adul t C r anes whoseances-
t r y i s S cor pi on, whet her t hey knowi t or not , si nce not al l t he
exi l ed S cor pi ons
r et ur ned al i ve.
C RAN E
FAMI LI E S
T he f ami l i es of t he C r ane
ar e
al l
cul t ur ed, sophi st i cat ed, and
nobl e, t hough i ndi vi dual member s of t hose f ami l i es nat ur al l y
devi at e f r omt hat i deal .
T he Doj i ar e t he most r ecogni zed di pl omat s and cour t i er s i n
t he empi r e. Doj i char act er s
ar e usual l y member s of t he ar i st o-
cr at N PC cl ass .
T he Dai doj i , t hough st i l l
r ef i ned, ar e t he mor e
mi l i t ar y ar m
of t he
C r ane, of t en cal l ed t he " I r onC r ane. " T hei r cr af t y samur ai
f r equent l y
adopt t he Dai doj i bodyguar d pr est i ge cl ass, de-
scr i bed bel ow.
T he Kaki t as ar e knownf or t hei r ar t i sans and t hei r i ai j ut su
mast er s, duel i st s whose mast er y of t he kat ana i s anar t f or m
i n
i t sel f. T hei ai j ut su mast er pr est i ge cl ass
i s descr i bedi n C hapt er
3 :
Pr est i ge C l asses .
T heAsahi nas ar e t he shugenj as of t he
C r ane cl an. Devot ed t o
paci f i sm, t hey ar e al so t he gr eat est cr eat or s of magi c i t ems-
f r omt al i smans t o magi c ar ms andar mor - i n Rokugan
.
T HE DAI DO J I BO DYGUARD
T he Dai doj i
ar e amongRokugan' s cr af t i est f i ght er s, concent r at -
i ngondef ensi ve maneuver s and a st yl e of
f i ght i ng t hat i nduces
t hei r opponent s t o def eat t hemsel ves . T hey make excel l ent body-
guar ds, al t hough t hese abi l i t i es canal so be t ur ned t owar d
shadi e
pur sui t s, and
many Dai doj i wor k as smuggl er s and spi es . T he
Dai doj i ar en' t ashamed of t hei r i l l i ci t act i vi t i es, al t hough
t hey
don' t go t o
anyext r emes t o shout t hemt o t he wor l d. S i mi l ar t o
under gr ound spi es, t he Dai doj i ar e t he shadows i n t he cour t ,
gat her i ng i nf or mat i on and pr ot ect i ng t he Doj i
di pl omat s. I f
somet hi ngi s needed, t he Dai doj i canf i nd i t . I f t her e' s a shi pment
t hat must get t hr ough, t her e' s a Dai doj i wi l l i ng t o t ake i t t her e.
Let t he Doj i use
t hei r ski l l s
t o
hi de anydi shonor ; t he Dai doj i ar e
wi l l i ng t o do what must be done, f or t he sake of t he cl an.
Whi l e
most char act er s
i n
t he
Dai doj i bodyguar d school ar e
samur ai , a f ewr ogues al so t r ai n i n t he school and adopt t he
bodyguar d pr est i ge cl ass.
Dai doj i bodyguar ds, as t he name suggest s, ar e most commonl y
f ound ser vi ng as yoj i mbo ( bodyguar ds) t o Doj i cour t i er s
and
ot her i mpor t ant C r anes . O t her s ar e f ound i nvol ved i n cr i mi nal
oper at i ons- or at l east bor der l i ne act i vi t i es .
Hi t Di e: d12.
RE QUI RE ME N T S
T o qual i f y t o become a Dai doj i bodyguar d, a char act er must f ul -
f i l l al l t he f ol l owi ngcr i t er i a.
Race: Human( C r ane) .
Al i gnment : Any l awf ul .
Base At t ack Bonus :
+5 .
Feat s : I mpr oved I ni t i at i ve, Dodge, T oughness .
C LAS S S KI LLS
T he Dai doj i
bodyguar d' s
cl ass ski l l s ( and t he keyabi l i t y f or each
ski l l ) ar e Bl uf f ( C ha) , C r af t ( I nt ) , Deci pher S cr i pt ( I nt , excl usi ve
ski l l ) , Di pl omacy ( C ha) , Di sgui se ( C ha) , For ger y
( I nt ) , Gat her
I nf or mat i on ( C ha) , I nnuendo ( Wi s) , I nt i mi dat e ( C ha) , Li st en
( Wi s) , Read Li ps
( I nt , excl usi ve ski l l ) , S ear ch ( I nt ) , S ense
Mot i ve ( Wi s) , and S pot ( Wi s) . S ee C hapt er 4: S ki l l s and Feat s i n
t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook f or ski l l
descr i pt i ons .
S ki l l Poi nt s at E ach Level : 4 +I nt modi f i er .
C LAS S
FE AT URE S
T he f ol l owi ngar e cl ass f eat ur es of t he Dai doj i bodyguar d
.
Weapon and
Ar mor Pr of i ci ency: Dai doj i bodyguar ds do
not gai n anyaddi t i onal weapon or ar mor pr of i ci ency.
Def ensi ve
Ref ocus ( E x) : ADai doj i bodyguar d can r ef ocus
whi l e usi ngt he t ot al def ense act i on. Whi l e ont ot al
def ense, t he
bodyguar dget s t he
usual +4 dodge bonus t o hi s AC , t hough he
cannot move as wel l . O n t he f ol l owi ng r ounds of combat ,
t he
char act er moves up
i n
t he
i ni t i at i ve count and i s posi t i oned as
t hough he hadr ol l ed a 20 onhi s i ni t i at i ve check.
Def ensi ve Awar eness ( E x) : S t ar t i ng at
2nd l evel , t he
Dai doj i bodyguar d gai ns t he ext r aor di nar y abi l i t y t o
r eact t o danger
bef or e hi s senses woul d nor mal l y al l owhi m
t o
even
be awar e of i t . At 2nd l evel and
hi gher , he r et ai ns hi s Dex-
t er i t y bonus t o
AC ( i f any) r egar dl ess of bei ng f l at - f oot ed
or
st r uck by an i nvi si bl e
at t acker
.
( He st i l l l oses any Dext er i t y
bonus t o
AC i f i mmobi l i zed. )
At 5t h l evel , t he Dai doj i
bodyguar dcanno l onger be f l anked,
si nce he can
r eact t o opponent s on opposi t e si des
of hi mas
easi l y as he can r eact
t o a si ngl e at t acker . T hi s def ense deni es
r ogues t he
abi l i t y t o use f l ank at t acks t o
sneak at t ack t he
Dai doj i bodyguar d. T he
except i on t o t hi s def ense i s t hat a r ogue
at l east 4 l evel s
hi gher t han t he bodyguar d can f l ank
hi m( and
t hus sneak at t ack hi m) .
At
10t h
l evel , t he Dai doj i bodyguar d
gai ns an i nt ui t i ve sense
t hat al er t s hi mt o
danger f r omt r aps, gi vi ng hi ma +1
bonus on
Ref l ex
saves made t o avoi d t r aps.
Def ensi ve
awar eness i s cumul at i ve wi t h uncanny
dodge.
I f
t he
Dai doj i bodyguar d has
anot her cl ass t hat gr ant s t he
uncanny dodge abi l i t y,
add t oget her al l t he cl ass
l evel s of t he
cl asses
t hat gr ant t hese t wo abi l i t i es
and det er mi ne t he char ac-
t er ' s def ensi ve
awar eness abi l i t y by l ooki ng upt he
l evel t ot al on
t he r ogue t abl e i n t he
Pl ayer ' s Handbook.
E vasi on
( E x) : At 3r d l evel and hi gher ,
a Dai doj i bodyguar d
can avoi d even magi cal and
unusual at t acks wi t h gr eat agi l i t y. I f
t he bodyguar d
makes a successf ul Ref l ex savi ng
t hr owagai nst
an at t ack t hat nor mal l y
deal s hal f damage on a
successf ul save,
he i nst ead
t akes no damage. T he
Dai doj i bodyguar d can onl y
use evasi on i f he i s wear i ng
l i ght ar mor or noar mor.
Movi ngt he S hadow( E x) : At 4t h
l evel , a Dai doj i bodyguar d
l ear ns t he
t echni ques of t aki ng advant age
of anopponent ' s ar mor.
T he
Dai doj i bodyguar dgai ns
a dodge bonus t o hi s AC equal t o t he
ar mor check
penal t y( i f any) of t he opponent
st r i ki ng hi m.
Damage Reduct i on
( E x) : At 6t h l evel , t he Dai doj i
body-
guar d gai ns
t he ext r aor di nar y abi l i t y
t o shr ugof f some amount
of i nj ur y f r omeach
bl owor at t ack. S ubt r act
3
f r omt he
damage
t he
Dai doj i bodyguar d t akes each t i me
he i s deal t damage. At
9t h l evel , t hi s
damage r educt i on r i ses t o 6.
Damage r educt i on
can
r educe damage t o 0 but
not bel ow0. ( T hat i s, t hebodyguar d
cannot act ual l y
gai n hi t poi nt s i n t hi s manner
. )
Def ensi ve Rol l ( E x) : At
8t h l evel , t he Dai doj i bodyguar d
l ear ns t o r ol l
wi t h a pot ent i al l y l et hal bl ow
t o t ake l ess damage
f r omi t . O nce per
day, when a Dai doj i bodyguar d woul d
be
r educed
t o 0 hi t poi nt s or l ess by
damage i n combat ( f r oma
weaponor ot her bl ow,
not a spel l or speci al abi l i t y) , t he
bodyguar d
can at t empt
t o r ol l wi t h t he damage.
He makes a Ref l ex savi ng
t hr ow( DC =
damage deal t ) and, i f successf ul , t akes
onl y hal f
damage
f r omt he bl ow. He must
be awar e of t he at t ack andabl e
t o
r eact t o i t i n
or der t o execut e hi s def ensi ve r ol l - i f
he i s deni ed hi s
Dext er i t y bonus t o AC , he can' t
r ol l . S i nce t hi s ef f ect woul d not
nor mal l y
al l owa char act er t o make a Ref l ex
save f or hal f damage,
t he bodyguar d' s evasi on
abi l i t y does not appl yt o t he def ensi ve
r ol l
.
T ABLE
11- 2: T HE DAI DO J I
BO DYGUARD
C RAN E LAN DS
T he
l ands of t he C r ane st r et ch t he l engt h of Rokugan' s east er n
coast , f r omt he nor t her n l ands sur r oundi ng t he
i mper i al C api -
t al t o t he
f ar sout h, wher e t hey bat t l e t he C r ab over t he Yasuki
l ands . T hei r f i el ds ar e t he most pr osper ous i n t he empi r e,
and
t hus of t ent he most hot l y di sput ed.
T heDoj i andt he Kaki t as dwel l i n t he nor t her n
par t of C r ane
t er r i t or y,
nor t h of t he S pi ne of t he Wor l d Mount ai ns and sur -
r oundi ngt he i mper i al l ands, wher e t hey can most
easi l y make
t he pr esence f el t i n t he cour t. T he r emai ni ng f ami l i es dwel l
on t he ot her si de of t he
mount ai ns, down t he coast l i ne of
Rokugan t o t he T i dal Landbr i dge wher e Dai doj i Masashi gi di ed
def endi ng Rokugan f r om
t he S hadowl ands . T he l ands of t he
Kenkai Peni nsul a ar e f er t i l e
but occasi onal l y swampy, andnow
hot l y
di sput ed bet ween t he C r ane and t he C r ab.
ADVE N T URE HO O KS
S omewher e i n t he
f oot hi l l s of t he S pi ne of t he Wor l d Moun-
t ai ns, near wher e t he Ri ver of t he Bl i nd Monk spi l l s i nt o
t he
T hr ee
S i des Ri ver , a beaut i f ul gol den pal ace once st ood. Bui l t
by an Asahi na shugenj a namedMi f une f or hi s
Dr agon br i de,
t he pal ace
was cr af t ed by t he f i nest ar t i sans of t he C r ane cl an
and was a mar vel of ar t i st i c achi evement
. Bandi t s t ook t he
pal ace one ni ght , however , ki l l i ng t he Dr agon br i de, and
Asahi na Mi f une f el l i nt o
despai r. Af t er car r yi ng hi s wi f e' s body
t o t he r oof , he summoned some dar k magi c,
and t he ent i r e
pal ace di sappear ed
.
T he
gr ound wher e t he pal ace st ood i s sai d
t o be haunt ed: on cer t ai n ni ght s vi l l ager s say t he t or t ur ed
scr eams of t he
bandi t s st i l l echo t hr ough t he hi l l s, and st r ange
l i ght s f l i cker about t he pl at eau.
C r eat ur es of t he
S hadowl ands ar e by no means encount er ed
onl y i n t he C r ab t er r i t or i es . O n t he sout her n coast
of t he
Kenkai
Peni nsul a, a t i ny vi l l age cal l ed O ni Mur a has l ai n com-
pl et el y deser t ed f or near l y hal f
a cent ur y. Al t hough t he f i el ds
ar oundt he vi l l age ar e t ended, t he hei mi ns r ef use t o l i ve wi t hi n
t he r ot t i ng hut s of t he
vi l l age gr ounds, f or f ear t hat an oni t hat
r avaged t he vi l l age f or t y year s ago mi ght st i l l l ur k wi t hi n
t he
vi l l age' s st one encl osur e. T he
vi l l age has pr act i cal l y beenr ebui l t
at t he edge of t he woodl ands t hat sur r ound t he f i el ds,
as
t he
hei mi ns
have r el ocat ed t o what t hey consi der a saf e di st ance
out si de. I t i s possi bl e t he oni
r emai ns, t hough i t seems unl i kel y
i t woul d have r emai ned so qui et f or so l ong. I t
i s al so possi bl e
t hat t he ghost s of t he
vi l l ager s sl ai n by t he oni r emai n t o haunt
t he vi l l age and i t s f i el ds, and i ndeed t he
hei mi ns do not l eave
t hei r homes
at ni ght
.
I t i s al so possi bl e t hat t he hei mi ns have
al l owed unr easoni ng f ear t o domi nat e t hei r
l i ves f or an ent i r e
gener at i on, wi t h
no gr oundi ngi n act ual f act .
C l ass
Base
For t Ref
Wi l l
Level At t ack Bonus
S ave S ave
S ave S peci al
1 st
+1 +2 +0
+0 Def ensi ve r ef ocus
2nd
+2 +3
+0 +0 Def ensi ve awar eness ( Dex bonus t o
AC )
3r d
+3 +3 +1
+1 E vasi on
4t h
+4 +4 +1
+1 Movi ng t he shadow
5t h `
r
+5 +4
+1 +1 Def ensi ve awar eness ( can' t be f l anked)
6t h
+6 +5 +2
+2 Damage r educt i on 3/ -
7t h
+7
8t h
+8 +6
+2 +2 Def ensi ve r ol l
9t h
+9 +6
+3 +3 Damage r educt i on
6/ -
10t h
+10 +7
+3 +3 Def ensi ve awar eness ( +1
ver sus t r aDS )
Popul at i on:
3, 200, 000; humans
( Dr agoncl an nobl e cast e, 12%;
common cast e,
88%)
C l an C hampi on: T ogashi Hoshi
( mal e
demi dei t y S am5/ Mi r u-
mot o ni t enmast er t o/ t at t ooed
monk5)
I mpor t s : Foodst uf f s
E xpor t s : Gol d, wool
Al i gnment : LN
T he Dr agon
i s t he most eni gmat i c and secr et i ve of t he Gr eat
C l ans. For a t housand year s, Dr agons
have l i ved i n vi r t ual secl u-
si on i n t he hi gh
mount ai ns of t he Gr eat Wal l of t he N or t h. T hey
ar e best knownf or t wot hi ngs : t he
myst er i ous i se zumi or der of
t at t ooed monks, and t he unusual f i ght i ng st yl e of t he Mi r u-
mot o school , whi ch
t eaches t he use of t he kat ana i n one hand
and t he waki zashi i n t he ot her. T he i se zumi i n par t i cul ar , but
al l Dr agons at t i mes, ar e
knownf or pr ot r act ed si l ence, evadi ng
di r ect quest i ons, and speaki ng i n r i ddl es .
RE C E N T HI S T O RY
E ar l y i n
t heWar Agai nst t he S hadow, t he anci ent shugenj a f ami l y
of t he Dr agon cl an, t he Agasha, secededf r om
t he cl an t o j oi n t he
Phoeni x cl an. T aki ngt he Agasha l i br ar y wi t h t hem, t he shugenj as
of t he f ami l y moved i nt o t he mount ai ns of t he Phoeni x
l ands,
est abl i shi nga newS hi r oAgasha hi gh i nt he mount ai npeaks. O ne
l eader of t he f ami l y, Agasha T amor i ,
r ef usedt o j oi n t he Phoeni x,
ar gui ng t hat t he Dr agon cl an pr eser ved ananci ent pr act i ce of
magi c t hat was val uabl e i n i t s ownr i ght
and shoul d not be sub-
sumed
i nt o t he Phoeni x appr oach. T amor i f ounded a new
shugenj a school i n t he deser t ed Agasha cast l e, and l aunched t he
Dr agon' s newshugenj a f ami l y, t he T amor i . Al t hough T amor i
hi msel f was a f i r e shugenj a l i ke most of t he Agasha, hi s daught er ,
T amor i S hai t ung, st udi ed t he ways of ear t h, and has st eer ed t he
school
i n
t hat di r ect i on si nce
her f at her ' s
deat h
at O bl i vi on' s Gat e.
T he depar t ur e of t he Agasha seems t o have f uel ed a gr owi ng
ar r ogance amongt he Phoeni x, andT amor i S hai t ungi n par t i cu-
-
l ar has no pat i ence f or t he way t hey boast about t hei r magi cal
power. T hi s t ensi on has become exacer bat ed i n r ecent year s, as
sei smi c act i vi t y has i ncr eased dr amat i cal l y i n t he Dr agon
. l
mount ai ns. Many Dr agon r ef ugees have f l ed t o t he west er n
edge of
t he Phoeni xl ands, set t l i ng ar ound t he
i r on
Ri ngs C as-
cade and t he S hr i ne of t he Ki - Ri n. O nce t he Phoeni xwer e sur e
t he
Li on cl an woul d suppor t
t hem,
t he si t uat i on escal at ed
t o
out r i ght war f ar e. T he shugenj as of t he Phoeni x and t he f l edg-
l i ngT amor i f ami l y ar e at t he cent er of t hi s conf l i ct , whi l e Mi r u-
mot o andLi on f or ces meet ont he f i el ds of bat t l e . N o end t o t he
conf l i ct i s i n si ght , as T amor i S hai t ung and I sawa T aer uko- ; '
bot h power f ul ear t h shugenj as- seemt o l oat he each ot her
bot h pol i t i cal l y and per sonal l y.
DRAGO N FAMI LI E S
T he Dr agon i s not a cl an i n t he t echni cal sense of t he wor d, si nce
t he kami whof ounded t he Dr agon, T ogashi , i s not t he physi cal
ancest or of t he Dr agons. Mi r umot o and
Agasha wer e t he f i r st t wo
monast i c di sci pl es of T ogashi , and t he f ami l i es t hat car r y t hei r
names
( i ncl udi ng t he Ki t suki and t he T amor i , bot h f or medf r om
t he Agasha) ar e t he physi cal descendant s of t hose t wo. T he
T ogashi " f ami l y, " however , i s made
up of member s of ot her f ami -
l i es andeven ot her cl ans who choose t o j oi n t he monast i c or der of
t he i se zumi ( and l i kewi se
f or Hi t omi ' s ki kage zumi ) . O nl y at t he
end of t he C l an War was i t r eveal ed t hat T ogashi ( al so knownas
T ogashi Yokuni )
st i l l
l i ved, and di di n f act have a sonT ogashi
Hoshi , t he dr agon- man, cur r ent champi on of t he Dr agon.
DRAGO N C LAN
T he
Mi r umot o ar e t he samur ai of t he Dr agon cl an, di st i n-
gui shedf r omal l t he
ot her samur ai i n Rokuganby t hei r st yl e of
f i ght i ng
wi t h kat ana and waki zashi . T he Mi r umot o ni t en
mast er pr est i ge cl ass i s descr i bed
bel ow
T he
T ogashi " f ami l y" i s act ual l y a monast i c or der , whose mem-
ber s ar e t he eni gmat i c i se zumi ,
or t at t ooed monks. T he t at t ooed
monk pr est i ge
cl ass i s det ai l ed i n C hapt er
3:
Pr est i ge
C l asses .
Bef or e t aki ng t he pl ace of t he
moon dei t y she hel ped
dest r oy, Mi r umot o Hi t omi est abl i shed her own or der
of t at -
t ooed monks, now
cal l ed ki kage zumi and car r yi ng t he
Hi t omi
f ami l y name.
T he T amor i ar e t he shugenj as
of t he Dr agon cl an, t he r em-
nant s
of t he Agasha f ami l y who di d not j oi n t he Phoeni x cl an.
Whi l e t hey ar e hi st or i cal l y
r esponsi bl e f or keepi ng t he knowl -
edge of
t he cl an i n t hei r l i br ar i es, t hei r
conf l i ct wi t h t he
Phoeni xshugenj as has
nowl edt he t wo cl ans i nt o war.
T he Ki t suki f ami l y ser ves as t he
Dr agon cl an' s cor ps of di pl o-
mat s and
magi st r at es . T hey ar e di st i ngui shedby an uncanny
abi l -
i t y t o see t hr ough t he veneer
of decept i ont hat cover s most soci al
i nt er act i on i n
Rokugan and ar r i ve at t he t r ut h of any
mat t er .
T HE
MI RUMO T O N I T E N
MAS T E R
Whi l e T ogashi l i st ened t o S hi nsei
expoundi nghi s phi l osophy t o
t he f i r st
Hant ei , he gr ewf r ust r at ed and
st or medout of t he cour t .
T aki ngupa seat
of medi t at i on, he r ef usedt o move, or even t o eat ,
unt i l
he under st ood t hi s phi l osophy
t hat S hi nsei had br ought .
Af t er he had f ast ed f or ni ne
days, S hi nsei hi msel f came t o si t
wi t h t he
t r oubl ed T ogashi . T ogashi r epeat ed
hi s ul t i mat um-
" I wi l l not move
unt i l I under st and" - and S hi nsei r esponded
wi t h
but t hr ee wor ds : " N ei t her
wi l l I : " Af t er a moment , T ogashi
l aughed and
bi t i nt o a pl um.
S amur ai of t he Dr agon cl an t r ai n
i n a si mpl e doj o wi t h S hi n-
sei s t hr ee
wor ds pai nt ed on t he wal l . T o t he Mi r umot o f ami l y,
t hese wor ds ar e a r emi nder
t hat a samur ai ' s dut y i s t o hi s l or d.
Whi l e he
was st ar vi ng hi msel f , T ogashi was
al so st ar vi ng t hose
he pr omi sed t o pr ot ect , and
S hi nsei ' s wor ds r emi nded T ogashi
t hat he
was bei ngsel f i sh i n put t i ng hi s ownsear ch
f or enl i ght -
enment over hi s
r esponsi bi l i t y t o ot her s.
T he
Mi r umot o school t eaches a
uni que st yl e of swor dpl ay,
r oot ed i n t hi s sense
of dut y. Mi r umot o wr ot e, " S omepeopl e
say
I
ama cowar d. Asamur ai ' s dut y i s
t o pr ot ect hi s l or d. Ar e t hey
so si mpl e- mi nded
t hat t hey cannot see t hat t wo
swor ds ser ve
t hei r l or d bet t er t han
one?" Unl i ke t he T wo- Weapon Fi ght i ng
f eat descr i bed
i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook, t he
Mi r umot o ni t en
( " t wo- swor d" ) st yl e t ypi cal l y
empl oys t he waki zashi f or def ense
r at her
t han of f ense.
Mi r umot o ni t en
mast er s ar e al most excl usi vel y dr awn
f r om
t he
samur ai char act er cl ass.
N PC Mi r umot o ni t enmast er s ar e t he mi l i t ar y l eader s of t he
Dr agoncl an. T he Mi r umot o f ami l y
shoul der s t he r esponsi bi l i t yof
pr ot ect i ng t he cl an f r omat t ack andf r omassassi nat i onat t empt s .
Hi t Di e: d10.
RE QUI RE ME N T S
T o qual i f y t o become a Mi r umot o ni t en mast er , a char act er
must f ul f i l l al l t he f ol l owi ng cr i t er i a
.
Race: Human( Dr agon) .
Base At t ack Bonus :
+5.
S ki l l s : Knowl edge ( ar cana) 3 r anks.
Feat s: E xot i c
Weapon Pr of i ci ency ( kat ana) , E xper t i se, T wo-
WeaponFi ght i ng.
T ABLE 11- 3:
T HE MI RUMO T O N I T E N
MAS T E R
C LAS S S KI LLS
T he
Mi r umot o ni t enmast er ' s cl ass ski l l s ( and t he key abi l i t yf or
each ski l l ) ar e Bal ance ( Dex) , C l i mb( S t r ) , C oncent r at i on ( C on) ,
C r af t ( I nt ) , Di pl omacy ( C ha) , I ai j ut su Focus ( C ha) , I nt i mi dat e
( C ha) , J ump ( S t r ) ,
Knowl edge ( ar cana) ( I nt ) , Per f or m( C ha) ,
Pr of essi on ( Wi s) , Ri de ( Dex) , S ense Mot i ve
( Wi s) , S wi m( S t r ) ,
andT umbl e ( Dex) .
S ee C hapt er 4: S ki l l s i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook
f or ski l l descr i pt i ons. T he I ai j ut su Focus ski l l i s descr i bed i n
C hapt er
4 of
t hi s
book.
S ki l l Poi nt s at E ach Level : 2 +I nt modi f i er .
C LAS S FE AT URE S
T he
f ol l owi ng ar e cl ass f eat ur es of t he Mi r umot o ni t en mast er .
Weapon andAr mor Pr of i ci ency
: Mi r umot o ni t en mast er s
do not gai n any addi t i onal weaponor ar mor pr of i ci ency.
N i t enT echni que ( E x) : Uni que among
t he samur ai of Roku-
gan, t he Mi r umot o ni t enmast er s l ear n t o f i ght wi t h t he kat ana i n
one hand andt he waki zashi i n t he ot her. Unl i ke t he st yl e
of
t he
T wo- Weapon Fi ght i ng f eat , however , t hi s t echni que does not
t each t he use of t he of f - hand
weapont o at t ack. I nst ead, t he wak-
i zashi ser ves as a shi el d, addi nga +2 ar mor
bonus t o t he ni t en
mast er ' s
AC
whi l e
he i s wi el di ng bot h weapons . T hi s bonus st acks
wi t h ot her ar mor bonuses
except f or t he bonus f r oma shi el d. T he
bonus r i ses t o +3 at 4t h l evel , t o +4 at 7t h l evel , andt o
+5
at
l ot h
l evel . T he ni t en mast er does not
suf f er a penal t y t o her pr i mar y
at t ack whi l e wi el di ng t he waki zashi i n t hi s way. I f t he ni t en
mast er
uses t he waki zashi t o at t ack, she l oses t hi s AC bonus unt i l
her next act i on. Amagi c waki zashi
does not add i t s enhancement
bonus t o t he ni t en mast er ' s AC unl ess i t i s a def endi ngweaponor
has beenot her wi se speci al l y
enhancedf or def ense.
Ai d S hugenj a ( S u) : At 3r d l evel , a Mi r umot o ni t en mast er
canuse her own
per sonal ener gy t o empower a shugenj a' s spel l
whenshe i s t he t ar get of t hat spel l . T he spel l i s t r eat ed
as
i f
t he
shugenj a had used t he
E mpower S pel l met amagi c f eat , i ncl ud-
i ngt he l onger cast i ngt i me. T heni t enmast er can use t hi s abi l i t y
C l ass Base
For t Ref Wi l l
Level At t ack Bonus
S ave S ave S ave
S peci al
1st +1
+2 +0 +2
N i t en t echni que ( +2 AC )
2nd
+2 +3 +0 +3
3r d
+3
+3 +1
+3 Ai d shugenj a 1/ day
4t h +4
+4 +1 +4
N i t en t echni que ( +3 AC )
5t h
+5
+5 +4 +1 +4
Ai d shugenj a 2/ day
6t h
+6 +5 +2
+5
7t h
+7 +5 +2
+5 N i t en t echni que ( +4 AC ) , ai d shugenj a 3/ day
8t h
+8 +6 +2
+6 Di amond soul
9t h +9
+6 +3 +6 Ai d shugenj a ( maxi mi ze) 4/ day
1 0t h
+10 +7
+3 +7 N i t en t echni que ( +5 AC )
once per dayat 3r d l evel ,
t wi ce per day at 5t h l evel ,
t hr ee t i mes
per
dayat 7t h l evel , andf our t i mes
per day at 9t h l evel .
At 9t h l evel
and above, t he ni t en mast er can
appl y t he Maxi -
mi ze S pel l f eat t o spel l s cast
on her i nst ead. S he must deci de
bef or e any appl i cabl e
di ce ar e r ol l ed whet her
she wi shes t o
maxi mi ze
or empower t he
spel l
.
Ani t enmast er
cannot empower an al r eady
empower edspel l ,
or maxi mi ze
an al r eadymaxi mi zed
one.
Di amond S oul
( E x) : At 8t h l evel , t he
Mi r umot o ni t en
mast er
gai ns spel l r esi st ance
equal t o 20 +her C har i sma modi -
f i er . I n or der
t o af f ect t he ni t en mast er
wi t h a spel l , a spel l cast er
must r ol l t he ni t en
mast er ' s spel l r esi st ance or hi gher
on
1
d20 +
t he spel l cast er ' s
l evel .
DRAGO N LAN DS
T he Dr agon l ands
i ncl ude t he hi ghest mount ai n peaks i n
Roku-
gan, st ar k
and snowy but beaut i f ul
i n t hei r maj est i c gr andeur .
However , t hese
mount ai ns ar e st i r r i ng f r om
t hei r ser ene con-
t empl at i on
and begi nni ng t o shake
and er upt wi t h l ava . Many
member s of t he
Dr agon cl an, par t i cul ar l y t he
Mi r umot o and
Ki t suki
f ami l i es, have been
f or ced t o l eave t hei r ancest r al
l ands,
swel l i ng t he west er n
Phoeni x l ands wi t h
r ef ugees . Kanawa
T aki , t he
I r on Ri ngs C ascade, i s t he
r egi on wher e manyof t hese
r ef ugees
have set t l ed, much t o t he chagr i n
of t he Phoeni x.
ADVE N T URE HO O KS
J our neyi ng t o vi si t t he
Dr agon cl an, f or what ever
r eason- di pl o-
macy,
t r ade, or per haps i n hopes of
becomi ng a t at t ooed monk-
i s an advent ur e i n i t sel f .
Reachi ng S hi r o Mi r umot o
or Kyuden
T ogashi
r equi r es a l ongt r ek t hr ough
t he mount ai ns, andi t i s not
even cer t ai n t hat
t he r oad l eads al l t he way
t o t heT ogashi cast l e.
T hose who appr oach t he cast l e
wi t h pur e i nt ent i ons can usual l y
f i nd i t ; t hose
whose mot i ves ar e l ess pur e
seemal ways t o f i nd
t hemsel ves l ost i n t he
mount ai ns . I n t hi s t i me of heavy sei smi c
act i vi t y, t he
j our neyi s an even mor e
danger ous one.
T o t he nor t h of t he
Dr agon l ands, hi dden i n t he
Gr eat Wal l of
t he N or t h
Mount ai ns, i s a secr et i ve
shr i ne cal l ed Hi nanbasho
sano Mi t suS hi mai ( t he S hr i ne
of t heT hr ee S i st er s) . For
cent ur i es,
t hi s shr i ne was i nhabi t ed
by t hr ee myst er i ous hags, supposed t o
have pr ophet i c power s, who ser ved t he Lor d Moon,
O nnot angu.
Dur i ng t he War
Agai nst t he S hadow, Mi r umot o Hi t omi j our -
neyedt o t hi s shr i ne and chal l enged t he
moondei t y. At t he same
t i me, t he monk
T akao f ought and def eat ed t he moons avat ar at
O t osan Uchi , and Hi t omi r ose vi ct or i ous
as t he newmoon. T he
S hr i ne
of t he T hr ee S i st er s i s nowt he monast er y home of t he
ki kage zumi , Hi t omi ' s r emai ni ng
f ol l ower s on ear t h. T he cul t of
t he moon
has al ways been connect edt o evi l
act i vi t y i n Rokugan,
and evenwi t h a newmoon
dei t y maki ng her way t hr ough t he
heavens, t hat does not seemt o have changed much.
DRAGO N S
T he dr agons of Rokugan ar e
not t he l ung dr agons descr i bed
i n
C hapt er 9:
Monst er s- t hough t hey r esembl e t hem- nor
ar e t hey
anyt hi ng l i ke t he dr agons
f ound i n t he Monst er
Manual
.
T he dr ag-
ons ar e bei ngs of
pur e el ement al f or ces, power f ul
andwi se beyond
t he abi l i t y of t he human
mi ndt o compr ehend.
T hey ar e dei t i es, on
a par wi t h Hei r oneous
and Vecna, and no l ess
myst er i ous .
Dr agons ar e
shapeshi f t er s, abl e t o assume any
f or mt hey wi sh.
O f t en t hey ar e
seen as physi cal embodi ment s
of t he el ement s or
f or ces of
nat ur e. T hey occasi onal l y
t ake human f or m, usual l y t o
t each
a l esson i n humi l i t y t o a
vai n or vul gar mor t al . T hey can
seem
pl easant and beaut i f ul , or t er r i bl e
and f er oci ous, dependi ng
on t hei r
i nt ent . T hey command
t he el ement s l i ke t he mi ght i est
shugenj as,
but need no compl ex
r i t ual s or f ocus i t ems .
S even dr agons have been seen i n
Rokugan. Fi ve of t hemar e
commonl y r ef er r ed t o as t he
" el ement al dr agons, " t he dr agons of
ai r ,
ear t h, f i r e, wat er , and Voi d
. T he ear t h dr agon has t he most
consi st ent and i dent i f i abl e f or m:
I t al ways appear s as a l ong, coi l ed
and
scal ed ser pent t hat appear s
t o be made of st one and mud
.
T he f i r e
dr agon t ypi cal l y appear s
as endl ess coi l s of endl ess f l ame.
T he wat er dr agon never keeps t he same
f or mf or l ong, but t ypi cal l y
chooses a f or mt hat f eat ur es coi l s,
t al ons, andf i ns . T he ai r dr agon
i s sai d t o be i nvi si bl e, whi l e
t he Voi d dr agon has onl y appear ed i n
t he dr eams of her oes, and
t hey can never r ecal l i t s f or m.
Dur i ng vi ol ent
st or ms, some peopl e cl ai mt o have seen a
" t hunder dr agon"
soar i ngt hr ough t he sky. T he t hunder dr agon i s
a mani f est at i on of
O sano- Wo, t he For t une of Fi r e and T hunder.
T he sevent h dr agon
was t he kami T ogashi , who f ounded t he
Dr agon cl an and
was i t s champi on unt i l t he deat h of Fu Leng.
He assumed di f f er ent
i dent i t i es i n di f f er ent er as of hi st or y,
pr et endi ng
t o succeed hi msel f as cl an champi on, mai nt ai ni ng
t he
i l l usi on of hi s humani t y unt i l t he day of hi s deat h . O n
t hat
day,
t he S econd Day of T hunder , he r eveal ed t he t wel f t h Bl ack
S cr ol l
of Fu Leng, whi ch he had hi dden wi t hi n hi s hear t.
Mi r umot o
Hi t omi r emoved i t and opened i t , ki l l i ng T ogashi but
maki ng Fu Leng
bot h f ul l y mani f est and f ul l y mor t al , al l owi ng
t he T hunder s t o dest r oy hi mat l ast . T ogashi ' s son, T ogashi
Hoshi ( t he " dr agon- man" ) nowr ul es t he Dr agon cl an i n hi s
f at her ' s st ead, a semi di vi ne f i gur e i n hi s own r i ght ,
but not as
mi ght y as t he r eal dr agons of Rokugan.
Popul at i on: 4, 000, 000; humans
( Li on cl an nobl e cast e,
20%;
commoncast e, 80%)
C l an C hampi on: Mat su N i mur o
( mal e Li on S am7/ Akodo
champi on 8)
I mpor t s
: Ar ms andar mor
E xpor t s : T i mber , copper
Al i gnment : LN
Mor e t han any ot her cl an, t he Li on
cl an embodi es t he war r i or
i deal of bushi do- t he
way of t he war r i or , t he vi r t ues and mor al s
of t he samur ai . T he Li on mi ght be cal l ed t he
soul of t he empi r e:
T he samur ai
of t he Li on ar e t he par agons of war r i or vi r t ue, whi l e
t he shugenj as keep t he voi ces of t he
past al i ve by speaki ng wi t h
t he ancest or s
.
T he
Li on al so pr oduces t he empi r e' s gr eat hi st o-
r i ans, keepi ngRokugan i n t ouch wi t h i t s
past .
RE C E N T
HI S T O RY
Dur i ng t he Bat t l e at O bl i vi on' s Gat e,
t he S hadowwas f i nal l y'
def eat ed by
vi r t ue of bei ngnamed. I t s power der i ved f r omt he
fact t hat i t hadnever been named, and
t hus i t was never bound
t o a shape. When at l ast
Hi t omi gave i t a name, she cal l ed i t
Akodo- a
name t hat f i t t he S hadow, f or l i ke t he S hadow
t he
Akodower e not hi ng, but al so
a name t hat changedt he S hadow,
f or t he
Akodo wer e al ways t he most honor abl e
f ami l y of t he
cl ans
. S uddenl y, t he S hadow
had a f or mand a nat ur e, and i t s
nat ur e was t he
epi t ome of honor . T hedeci mat ed r anks
of t he
Akodo, di sbanded af t er t he S cor pi on
C l an C oup, wer e f i l l ed
wi t h al l t he
shadow- wal ker s whohadl ost t hei r
pr evi ous i dent i -
t i es, andt he r oni n Gi nawa
was made t hei r dai myo, si nce he had
pul l ed T ot ur i
f r omJ i goku. T he newAkodo f ami l y has
not had
an easy t i me bei ng r ei nt egr at ed
i nt o t he Li on cl an, but t hey
have
pr oven t hemsel ves as honor abl e
as t hei r name and as
val i ant as t hei r adopt i ve
ancest or s .
T hough
r ef ugees f r omt he Dr agonl ands
have avoi ded Li on
l ands so f ar , set t l i ng i nst ead
on t he bor der s of t he Phoeni x, t he
Li ons ar e war y
of t he st eady st r eamof r ef ugees
andhave agr eed
t o an al l i ance
wi t h t he Phoeni x. N owt hat war
has er upt ed, t he
Li ons f i ght on t he Phoeni x
si de agai nst t he Dr agons .
LI O N
FAMI LI E S
T he f ami l i es of t he
Li on ar e uni t ed byt hei r
dedi cat i on t o t he
hi ghest i deal s of t he
empi r e- r espect f or t he ancest or s, adher -
ence
t o t he code of bushi do, and st r engt h
of ar ms .
T he Akodo ar e t he
nobi l i t y of t he Li on
cl an- f i er cel y
devot edt o honor andt he i deal s
of bushi do, mor e t han anyot her
f ami l y
i n t he empi r e. T he Akodo champi on
pr est i ge cl ass i s
descr i bed bel ow.
T he
I koma f ami l y mai nt ai ns t he
r ecor ds of hi st or y f or t he
Li on cl an. T hei r " bar ds" ar e
hi st or i ans and st or yt el l er s,
t r ai ned
i n
war and l awas wel l as hi st or y. I koma
" bar ds" ar e of t enf i ght -
er s, r ogues,
war r i or s, or exper t s ; t hey do not
possess t he magi cal
abi l i t i es of t he bar d cl ass .
T he Ki t su
i s one of t he most unusual , eni gmat i c
shugenj a f ami -
l i es i n Rokugan, and t he
onl y school t hat f or bi ds ent r y t o mem-
ber s
of ot her cl ans . T o t he Ki t sus,
t he spi r i t s of t hei r ancest or s ar e
st i l l a bi ndi ng
f or ce upon Rokugan. Because of t hei r
uni que r el a-
t i onshi p
wi t h t he spi r i t wor l d,
cer t ai n member s of t he Ki t su
f ami l y ar e abl e t o
communewi t h t he l i nger i ng
spi r i t s t hat haunt
Rokugan, as wel l as
t hose t hat have passed on t o J i goku. T hey
ar e
knownas spi r i t t al ker s, and
t hey adopt t he shamancl ass descr i bed
i n C hapt er 2:
C l asses, wi t h access t o t he Ancest or
domai n.
T he
Mat sus ar e f er oci ous
war r i or s wi t h t he st r engt h of t hei r
l i on namesake.
Pr ef er r i ng l ar ge weapons l i ke t he
gr eat swor d
( no- dachi ) or t he nagamaki ,
t hese best i al f i ght er s of t en
adopt
t he si ngh
r ager pr est i ge cl ass descr i bed
i n C hapt er 3: Pr est i ge
C l asses ( al t hough
t hey ar e usual l ycal l ed " Mat su
r ager s" ) .
T HE AKO DO C HAMPI O N
T he Akodof or mt he
massi ve ar my of t he Li on cl an, di sci pl i ned,
t i ght l y
st r uct ur ed, and
unmat chedi n bat t l e pr owess . T he
Akodoput
l ess wei ght on i ndi vi dual gl or y t han
ot her cl ans do,
r ecogni zi ng t he st r engt h
of samur ai f i ght i ng si de bysi de. T hey
l ear n coor di nat ed
ef f or t s and t i ght maneuver s,
t r ai ni ng under
t he Akodo mot t o:
" Dut y, Honor , Leader shi p. " T hey ar e per haps
not
as f ur i ous i n bat t l e as t he
Mat sus, but t hei r uni son bat t l e
: t i es andcoor di nat ed
char ges deci mat e t hei r f oes on
t he bat t l e-
f i el d. T he Akodo champi ons
ar e t he l eader s of t hi s mi ght y
ar my,
ani nspi r at i on t o t he sol di er s t hey l ead.
Akodo champi ons
ar e al most excl usi vel y dr awn f r omt he
samur ai
char act er cl ass .
N PC Akodo champi ons
ser ve as of f i cer s i n t he Li on ar my,
mast er s of st r at egy and t act i cs and
guar di ans of t he empi r e.
Hi t Di e
: d10.
RE QUI RE ME N T S
T o qual i f y t o become anAkodochampi on, a char act er must f ul
f i l l al l t he f ol l owi ngcr i t er i a .
Race: Human( Li on) .
Al i gnment
: Lawf ul good.
Base At t ack Bonus
: +5.
S ki l l s: Knowl edge ( hi st or y) 4r anks.
Feat s : I r on Wi l l , Ki S hout , Weapon Focus ( kat ana)
.
C LAS S S KI LLS
T he Akodo champi on' s cl ass ski l l s ( and t he key abi l i t y f or each
ski l l ) ar e C l i mb
( S i r ) , C r af t ( I nt ) , Di pl omacy ( C ha) , I ai j ut su Focus
( C ha) , I nt i mi dat e ( C ha) , J ump ( S i r ) ,
Knowl edge ( hi st or y) ( I nt ) ,
Knowl edge
( nobi l i t y andr oyal t y) ( I nt ) , Per f or m( C ha) , Pr of essi on
( Wi s) , Ri de ( Dex) , S ense Mot i ve ( Wi s) ,
andS wi m( S t r ) . S ee C hap-
t er 4:
S ki l l s
i n t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook f or ski f f descr i pt i ons . T he l ai -
j ut su Focus ski l l i s descr i bedi n
C hapt er 4 of t hi s book.
S ki l l Poi nt s at E ach Level : 4+I nt modi f i er .
C LAS S FE AT URE S
T he f ol l owi ng
ar e cl ass f eat ur es of t he Akodo champi on.
WeaponandAr mor Pr of i ci ency
: Akodochampi ons do not
gai n anyaddi t i onal weaponor ar mor pr of i ci ency.
Det ect E vi l
( S p) : At wi l l , t he Akodochampi on canuse det ect evi l .
Ancest r al Favor ( E x) : At 2nd l evel and hi gher , an
Akodo
champi on
appl i es hi s C har i sma modi f i er ( i f posi t i ve) as a bonus
onal l savi ng t hr ows .
Leader shi p Feat : At 2ndl evel ,
an Akodo champi on gai ns
t he Leader shi p
f eat f or f r ee.
S mi t e E vi l ( S u) : O nce per day, an Akodo champi on of 2nd
l evel or hi gher
may at t empt t o smi t e evi l wi t h one nor mal
mel ee at t ack. He adds hi s C har i sma modi f i er ( i f
posi t i ve) t o hi s
at t ack
r ol l and deal s 1 ext r a poi nt of damage per l evel . I f t he
champi on acci dent al l y smi t es a
cr eat ur e t hat i s not evi l , t he
smi t e has no ef f ect but i t i s st i l l used upf or t hat day
Aur a
of C our age: Begi nni ng at 3r d l evel , an Akodo cham-
pi on i s i mmune t o f ear ( magi cal
or ot her wi se) . Al l i es wi t hi n 10
f eet of t he champi ongai n a +4 mor al e bonus on savi ng
t hr ows
agai nst f ear ef f ect s .
Gr ant i ng t he mor al e bonus t o al l i es i s a
super nat ur al abi l i t y.
Gr eat Leader : At 4t h l evel , anAkodo champi on' s Leader shi p
scor e i s i ncr eased by 1. T hi s
bonus i ncr eases by 1 ever y t hr ee
l evel s t her eaf t er ( t o 2 at 7t h l evel and
3 at l ot h l evel ) . T hi s
bonus
st acks wi t h ot her bonuses t o Leader shi p, i ncl udi ng t he
Gr eat Di pl omat ( Asako ancest or ) f eat .
I nspi r e Gr eat ness ( S u) : An Akodochampi on of 5t h l evel or
hi gher can i nspi r e gr eat ness i n
anot her cr eat ur e, gr ant i ng ext r a
f i ght i ng capabi l i t y. For ever y t wol evel s t he champi on at t ai ns
beyond5t h, he
cani nspi r e gr eat ness i n one addi t i onal cr eat ur e . T o
i nspi r e gr eat ness, t he Akodo champi on must meet hi s al l y' s
gaze,
andt heal l y must be wi t hi n
30 f eet . Acr eat ur e i nspi r ed wi t h gr eat -
ness gai ns t empor ar y Hi t Di ce, at t ack bonuses, and savi ng t hr ow
bonuses as l ong as t he Akodo champi on cont i nues par t i ci pat i ng
i n t he same bat t l e. T he t ar get gai ns t he
f ol l owi ngboost s :
" +2 Hi t Di ce ( d10s t hat gr ant t empor ar y hi t
poi nt s) .
" +2 compet ence bonus onat t acks.
" +1 compet ence bonus
onFor t i t ude saves.
Appl y t he t ar get ' s C onst i t ut i on
modi f i er , i f any, t o each bonus
Hi t Di e. T hese ext r a Hi t Di ce count as r egul ar Hi t Di ce
f or
det er mi ni ng
ef f ect s such as t he sl eep spel l . I nspi r e gr eat ness i s
mi nd- af f ect i ng abi l i t y.
LI O N LAN DS
T he Li ons l i ve on t he wi de cent r al pl ai ns nor t h of O t osan
Uchi and t he S pi ne of t he Wor l d Mount ai ns . T heybui l d t hei r
houses andcast l es on hi l l t ops, but t hei r r oads ar e wi de, l ong,
and f l at f or mar chi ng
ar mi es .
T he
f our f ami l i es of t he Li on
have t hei r ancest r al homes at t he f our car di nal poi nt s i n t he
Li on l ands . S hi r o Akodo st ands on t he f ar west er n bor der of
t he Li on l ands, adj acent t o t he C r ane pl ai ns . Kyuden I koma
l i es at t he ext r eme east , at t he base of Yama sano Kami nar i ( t he
Mount ai n of t he S evenT hunder s) . T he Ki t sus hol d t he nor t h-
er n ext r eme, i n KenHayai , whi ch al so ser ves as bot h t he
school of t he Akodof ami l y and t he r eposi t or y of t he Li oncl an
hi st or y. S hi r o Mat su l i es at t he sout her n edge of Li on l ands,
adj acent t o t he r ui ns of Bei den Pass .
ADVE N T URE HO O KS
T he smal l ci t y of T onf aj ut sen i s t he bi r t hpl ace of many peasant
weapons, i ncl udi ngt he t onf a f or whi ch i t i s named. T he mast er
weaponsmi t h Gozuki , a nat i ve of t hi s vi l l age, l ed a smal l - scal e
r ebel l i on agai nst i mper i al Magi st r at es whof r equent l y har r assed
t he peasant r y. He devel oped t he t onf a and ot her weapons, and
t r ai ned t he peasant r yi n t hei r use. T he I mper i al Magi st r at es put
downt he r ebel l i onand t hen execut ed Gozuki f or t r eason, but a
shr i ne i n hi s honor l i es hi ddeni n t he woods out si de t he ci t y.
T hi s much i s f ai r l y
common knowl edge i n Li on l ands, t hough
t he hei mi ns of t he ci t y deny t he exi st ence of t he shr i ne . I n
act ual f act ,
however , t he
shr i ne
i s a f avor i t e
meet i ng
pl ace of
a
l ar ge cel l of t he Bl oodspeaker cul t . ( T he cul t of t he Bl ood-
speaker s i s
descr i bed i n C hapt er 12 : T he S hadowl ands . ) Ful l y
t went y member s at t end t hi s cel l ' s gr eat est
r i t es and most
i mpor t ant meet i ngs,
t hough onl y hal f ar e usual l y i n at t endance
at l esser cer emoni es . T he l eader of t he cel l i s a
hei mi n f ol k-
magi c pr act i t i oner named
Gi g( f emal e humanAdp5/ maho-
t sukai 3) ,
andshe sur r ounds her sel f wi t h a l oyal cadr e of r ogues
and maho- t sukai appr ent i ces .
T he l ands of t he Li on l i e at a saf e di st ance f r omt he S hadow-
l ands, andhave not been t hr eat ened
by
a
di r ect assaul t of
S hadowl ands
cr eat ur es si nce t he f i r st war agai nst Fu Leng, i n
t he ear l y year s of t he empi r e. O ni ar e
occasi onal l y encount er ed
i n t he
S pi ne of t he Wor l dMount ai ns, andsome specul at e t hat a
net wor k of nat ur al caver ns connect s
t he
mount ai ns
t o t he
S hadowl ands ( as seems t o
be t he case i n t he Wal l Above t he
O ceanMount ai ns, f ar t o t he sout h) . However , t he
Ki t sus ar e at
a l oss t o expl ai n t he r ecent
at t ack on KenHayai by a gr oupof
hor ned beast s f r omt he S hadowl ands . Hi da T ogi ko, a young
C r ab womanst udyi ng at t he Akodo
school , namedt he cr ea-
t ur es t sunos, but even t he C r abs knowl i t t l e about t hi s appar -
ent l ynewt hr eat f r omt he
S hadowl ands, and canof f er no expl a-
nat i on f or t hei r appear ance so f ar nor t h.
PHE O N I XC LAN
Popul at i on: 2, 500, 000; humans ( Phoeni x cl an
nobl e cast e, 8%;
common
cast e, 92%)
C l anC hampi on: S hi ba T sukune ( f emal e
Phoeni x S am7/ S hi ba
pr ot ect or 10)
BUS HI DO
Bushi do i s t he code of t he samur ai , t he mor al and et hi cal pat h
ever y t r ue samur ai t r i es t o f ol l ow. Al l t he cl ans r ecogni ze
Akodo' s wr i t i ngs on bushi do as a l egi t i mat e t ool f or t eachi ng
samur ai t hei r pr oper pl ace i n t he C el est i al O r der . I n t he school s
of t he Li on, however , a copy of Akodo' s t ext si t s besi de a copy
of t he T ao of S hi nsei - but onl y Akodo' s i s ever opened.
Accor di ng t o t he code of bushi do, a samur ai must possess
seven vi r t ues :
Gi ( honest y and j ust i ce) : A samur ai deal s openl y and
honest l y wi t h ot her s and cl eaves t o t he i deal s of j ust i ce .
Mor al
deci si ons do not come i n shades of gr ay, onl y r i ght and
wr ong.
Yu ( her oi c
cour age) : Asamur ai never f ear s t o act , but
l i ves l i f e
f ul l y
and wonder f ul l y
.
Fear i s r epl aced wi t h r espect and
caut i on.
J i n
( compassi on) : Asamur ai t akes ever y oppor t uni t y t o ai d
ot her s, and cr eat es oppor t uni t i es when none ar i se. As a power f ul
i ndi vi dual , a samur ai has a
r esponsi bi l i t y t o use t hat power t o
hel p ot her s .
Rei ( pol i t e cour t esy) : A samur ai has no
r eason t o be cr uel ,
and no need t o pr ove hi s st r engt h
. C our t esy di st i ngui shes a
samur ai f r oman ani mal , and r eveal s
one' s t r ue st r engt h.
Meyo ( honor ) : A samur ai ' s consci ence
i s t he j udge of her
honor . T he deci si ons she makes and howshe
car r i es t hemout
ar e a r ef l ect i on of her t r ue nat ur e .
Makot o ( compl et e si ncer i t y) : When a
samur ai has sai d t hat
he shal l per f or man act i on, i t i s as good as done.
He need not
make pr omi ses ; speaki ng and doi ng ar e as
i f t he same.
C hugo ( dut y and l oyal t y) : Asamur ai f eel s r esponsi bl e
f or her
act i ons and t hei r consequences, and l oyal t o t he peopl e
i n her
car e. A samur ai ' s l oyal t y t o her l or d i s unquest i onabl e
and
unquest i oni ng.
T ABLE 11- 4: T HE AKO DO C HAMPI O N
C l ass Base For t Ref Wi l l
Level At t ack Bonus S ave S ave S ave S peci al
1 st +1 +2 +0 +2 Det ect evi l
2nd +2 +3 +0 +3 Ancest r al f avor , Leader shi p
f eat , smi t e evi l
3r d +3 +3 +1 +3 Aur a of cour age
4t h +4 +4 +1 +4 Gr eat l eader ( +1)
5t h +5 +4 +1 +4 I nspi r e gr eat ness ( 1 al l y)
6t h +6 +5 +2 +5
7t h +7 +5 +2 +5 Gr eat l eader ( +2) , i nspi r e gr eat ness ( 2 al l i es)
8t h
+8
+6 +2 +6
9t h
+9 +6
+3 +6 I nspi r e gr eat ness ( 3 al l i es)
10t h +10 +7 +3
+7 Gr eat l eader ( +3)
I mpor t s : Gol d, wool
E xpor t s :
T i mber
Al i gnment : LN
I f t he Li on cl an exempl i f i es t he
i deal of t he samur ai
war r i or , t he
Phoeni x cl an model s t he i deal
shugenj a:
a mast er of magi c whose
devot i on t o t he kami and at t une-
ment t o t hei r
ways i s as compl et e
as mor t al mi nds canat t ai n. T he Phoeni x
ar e t he most pi ous cl an
i n Rokugan,
and enj oy many bl essi ngs of t he kami as t hei r
r ewar d. T he cl an has i t s samur ai ,
of cour se, but t hey ar e swor n
t o pr ot ect t he
shugenj as above al l el se.
RE C E N T
HI S T O RY
T he Phoeni x st udy of
hi st or y l eads t o onl y one possi bl e concl u-
si on:
T he Phoeni x cl an i s pr eemi nent amongt he cl ans
of Roku-
gan. N oot her cl an can
cl ai mas exal t ed a posi t i on. Accor di ngt o
Phoeni x
l egend, t hei r gl or y pr edat es t he ar r i val
of t he kami , f or
t hei r ci t y Gi sei T oshi f l our i shed
i n t he t i me bef or e t i me, t he f i r st
exampl e
of human ci vi l i zat i on. Magi c was
di scover ed i n Gi sei
T oshi , t he Phoeni x
cl ai m, andi t was I sawa shugenj as who
t aught
magi c t o t he ot her cl ans. I n t he
cent ur i es si nce, t he Phoeni x cl an
has pr oduced
count l ess mast er s of el ement al magi c
andor acl es-
i ncar nat i ons of t he di vi ne
dr agons- t o cont i nue t he gl or y of
t he cl an.
Phoeni x i nqui si t or s have guar ded
t he empi r e f r om
pr act i t i oner s of maho and
t he her esi es of t he Bl oodspeaker s .
T he Agasha
f ami l y' s deci si on t o l eave t he Dr agon
cl an andj oi n
t he Phoeni x cl ear l y shows t he
excel l ence of t he Phoeni x way.
Mor e
r ecent hi st or y cont i nues t o af f i r m
an out l ook of
Phoeni x super i or i t y. I sawa
Hochi u i s wi del y r egar ded as i nst r u-
ment al
t ovi ct or y over t he S hadow, f or he
dest r oyed Goj uAdor ai
at O bl i vi on' s Gat e. An
anci ent Phoeni x champi on, S hi ba Mi r abu,
r ode out f r omJ i goku t o save
t he bel eagur ed ar mi es t r apped i n
t he S hadowl ands
af t er t he S hadow' s def eat , l eadi ng
t hemback
t o
saf et y behi ndt he Kai uWal l . Phoeni x
mast er s t aught r el i gi on
t o Hant ei N aser u, and
al l t he shugenj a' s ar t s t o T ot ur i S ezar u-
one
of t he most power f ul shugenj as
i n r ecent hi st or y.
J eal ous of
t hi s r ecor d of success, ot her cl ans
vi ewt he Phoeni x
as i nsuf f er abl y pr oud. I n
cont r ast , t he Phoeni x f eel t hey ar e t he
onl y ones who
cl ear l y under st and t he t er r i bl e
bur den t hey
hol d- shepher di ng t he
r el i gi ous i deas of an empi r e. S eei ng
t hemsel ves
as t he onl y t r ue pr act i t i oner s
of magi c has not won
t hemany f r i ends among
t he shugenj as of t he ot her cl ans
. T hey
t endt o
be qui ck t o t ake i nsul t , and
I sawa T et suya' s angr y r eac-
t i on t o an i mpassi oned
Dr agon r emar k ( " We need r oom
t o l i ve,
not your pr ot ect i on" ) may
have spur r ed t he t wo cl ans i nt o war
wi t hout r eal
cause. T he bl ame f or t he poor
r el at i onshi p bet ween
I sawa T aer uko andT amor i
S hai t ung of t he Dr agon pr obabl y
bel ongs
t o bot h women, but T aer uko i s a ver y
vocal pr oponent
of t he phi l osophy
of Phoeni x super i or i t y.
PHE O N I XFAMI LI E S
T he Phoeni x cl an
r evol ves ar ound i t s shugenj as and mai nt ai ns
t wo
di st i nct school s f or shugenj as
: t he I sawa and t he Agasha.
T he S hi ba school
t r ai ns samur ai t o ser ve and pr ot ect t he
shugenj as, t hough now, f or
t he f i r st t i me, a S hi ba ( S hi ba N i ngen,
Mast er of t he
Voi d) si t s on t he C ounci l of Fi ve- t he
E l ement al
Mast er s who r ul e t he
cl an. T he Asako ar e somet hi ng of an
anomal y
i n t he Phoeni x, f or t hey ar e monks r at her t han
shugen-
j as and st r ay r at her
f ar f r omt he pi et y of t he I sawa- and t hei r
enmi t y wi t h t he I sawa st r et ches
back a t housand year s .
T he I sawas ar e ar guabl y t he gr eat est shugenj as of t he empi r e,
t hough t hei r
ar r ogance i n such mat t er s has l ed t o gr eat evi l s i n
t he past . T he I sawa school t eaches al l t he el ement s, wi t hout
f ocusi ngonany
one.
T he
school al so t eaches t echni ques r el at i ng
t o t he el ement of Voi d, avai l abl e onl y t o member s of t he Voi d
di sci pl e pr est i ge cl ass, det ai l ed i n C hapt er 3 : Pr est i ge C l asses .
T he Phoeni x cl an has a second shugenj a school , t hanks t o
t he Agasha f ami l y' s secessi on f r om
t he Dr agon cl an. T hey ar e
mast er s of al chemy andher bal i smand accompl i shed cr af t er s of
magi c weapons .
T he S hi bas ar e t he war r i or s of t hi s schol ar l y and magi cal
cl an. T he S hi ba pr ot ect or
pr est i ge cl ass, t he embodi ment of t he
f ami l y oat h t o def end t he I sawas, i s
descr i bed bel ow.
T o out si der s, t he Asako appear t o be not hi ng mor e t han
heal er s, l i br ar i ans, and hi st or i ans
. I n f act , t hey ar e t he car et ak-
er s of a gr eat secr et , passed f r omS hi nsei t o S hi ba t o Asako:
Humani t y can
aspi r e t o godhood
.
T he hei r s t o t hat secr et
adopt t he henshi nmyst i c pr est i ge cl ass, descr i bed i n C hapt er
3:
Pr est i ge C l asses
.
T HE S HI BA PRO T E C T O R
T he war r i or s of t he S hi ba f ami l y ar e swor n
t o pr ot ect t he I sawa
f ami l y, j ust as t he f i r st S hi ba swor e t o pr ot ect t he I sawa f ami l y
whi l e i t s l eader vent ur ed i nt o t he
S hadowl ands wi t h S hi nsei .
For a t housand year s t he descendant s of S hi ba have pur sued
t hi s dut y, gi vi ng t hema cl ear sense
of
pur pose
t hat def i nes
t hei r f ami l y char act er . T hey pur sue t hi s dut y wi t h t he ai d of r i g-
or ous
mi l i t ar y t r ai ni ng, combi ned wi t h a spi r i t ual di sci pl i ne
t hat gr ant s t hema keen awar eness of magi c' s
ebb and f l ow,
al l owi ng t hem
t o hei ght en i t s ef f ect s on t hemsel ves, r esi st i t
mor e st r ongl y, or even shr ug i t of f ent i r el y.
S hi ba pr ot ect or s ar e al most excl usi vel y dr awn f r omt he
samur ai char act er cl ass .
Young
S hi ba pr ot ect or s ser ve a per i od i n t he Home Guar d,
pat r ol l i ng Phoeni x l ands anddef endi ng t hemf r omany t hr eat .
As t hey advance, some choose t o become yoj i mbo ( body-
guar ds) , assi gned t o
pr ot ect an i ndi vi dual cour t i er or di gni t ar y.
I t i s i n t hi s capaci t y t hat t he S hi bas t r ul y excel , andwher e t hei r
vowt o def end t hei r
f el l owPhoeni x shi nes most cl ear l y.
Hi t Di e: di o.
RE QUI RE ME N T S
T o qual i f y t o become a S hi ba pr ot ect or , a char act er
must f ul f i l l
al l t he f ol l owi ng
cr i t er i a .
Race: Human ( Phoeni x) .
Base
At t ack Bonus: +5 .
S ki l l s : Knowl edge ( r el i gi on) 4 r anks .
Feat s
: Al er t ness, E xper t i se, I r on Wi l l .
C LAS S S KI LLS
T he S hi ba pr ot ect or ' s cl ass ski l l s
( and t he key abi l i t y f or each
ski l l ) ar e C l i mb ( S t r ) , C oncent r at i on ( C on) , C r af t ( I nt ) , Di pl o-
macy
( C ha) , I ai j ut su Focus ( C ha) , I nt i mi dat e ( C ha) , J ump ( S i r ) ,
Per f or m( C ha) , Pr of essi on ( Wi s) , Ri de ( Dex) , S ense Mot i ve
( Wi s) , S pel l cr af t ( I nt ) , andS wi m( S t r ) . S ee C hapt er 4: S ki l l s i n
t he Pl ayer ' s Handbook f or ski l l descr i pt i ons . T he I ai j ut su Focus
ski l l i s descr i bed i n C hapt er 4 of t hi s book.
S ki l l Poi nt s at E ach Level : 2 +I nt
modi f i er .
C LAS S FE AT URE S
T he f ol l owi ng ar e cl ass f eat ur es of t he S hi ba pr ot ect or .
Weapon and Ar mor Pr of i ci ency: S hi ba pr ot ect or s do not
gai n any addi t i onal weapon or ar mor pr of i ci ency.
T ABLE 11- 5: T HE
S HI BA PRO T E C T O R
N oT hought ( E x) :
S hi ba pr ot ect or s addt hei r Wi sdommod-
i f i er , i f posi t i ve, t o t hei r at t ack and damage r ol l s .
Ai d S hugenj a ( S u) :
At 2nd l evel , a S hi ba pr ot ect or can use
her ownper sonal ener gy t o
empower a shugenj a' s spel l when
she i s t he
t ar get of t hat spel l . T he spel l i s t r eat ed as i f t he
shugenj a had used t he E mpower
S pel l met amagi c f eat , i ncl ud-
i ngt he l onger
cast i ng t i me. T he S hi ba pr ot ect or can use t hi s
abi l i t y once per dayat 2ndl evel ,
t wi ce per dayat 4t h l evel , t hr ee
t i mes per
day at 6t h l evel , and f our t i mes per day at 8t h l evel .
He must make a successf ul S pel l cr af t
check ( DC 10) t o enhance
t he spel l . A
f ai l ed check does not count as a use of t he abi l i t y.
At 8t h l evel and
above, t he pr ot ect or can appl y t he Maxi mi ze
S pel l f eat t o spel l s cast on her i nst ead. T he
S pel l cr af t DC i s 15 .
S he must deci de bef or e
anyappl i cabl e di ce ar e r ol l ed whet her
she wi shes t o maxi mi ze or empower t he spel l .
AS hi ba
pr ot ect or cannot empower an al r eady empower ed
spel l , or maxi mi ze an al r eady maxi mi zed
one.
Danci ng
wi t h t he E l ement s ( E x) : Begi nni ng at 3r dl evel , a
S hi ba pr ot ect or gai ns a bonus on al l savi ng
t hr ows agai nst
spel l s and spel l - l i ke ef f ect s . T hi s bonus i s +2 at 3r d l evel , +4 at
5t h l evel , and +6 at 7t h l evel .
O newi t h N ot hi ng ( S u) : T hr ee t i mes per day, a S hi ba pr o-
t ect or of 6t h l evel or hi gher
canf al l i nt o a t r ance t hat al l ows her
t o per f or mact i ons qui ckl ybut wi t h per f ect cl ar i t y. For a si ngl e
r ound, t he samur ai
can act as i f under t he ef f ect of a hast e spel l .
Di amondS oul ( E x) : At 9t h l evel , a
S hi ba pr ot ect or gai ns
spel l r esi st ance
equal t o 20 +her Wi sdommodi f i er . I n or der t o
af f ect t he S hi ba pr ot ect or wi t h a spel l , a spel l cast er
must r ol l
t he pr ot ect or ' s spel l r esi st ance or hi gher on 1d20 +t he spel l -
cast er ' s l evel .
O ne wi t h Al l andN ot hi ng( S p) : AS hi ba pr ot ect or of l ot h l evel
has r ecogni zed t he deep t r ut h t hat al l her abi l i t y scor es spr i ng
f r omt he same essence
.
I n a
moment of per f ect
cl ar i t y, she
can
use her hi ghest abi l i t y scor e modi f i er when maki ng a ski l l
check, at t ack r ol l , damage r ol l , or savi ng t hr ow, i n pl ace of t he
abi l i t y scor e modi f i er she woul d nor mal l y use. T hus, she coul d
add
her
Wi sdommodi f i er t o a damage r ol l i nst ead of her
S t r engt h modi f i er , her C har i sma modi f i er t o her Ref l ex savi ng
t hr ow
i nst ead of
her
Dext er i t y modi f i er , or her i nt el l i gence
modi f i er t o her S pot check i nst ead of her Wi sdommodi f i er .
T he S hi ba pr ot ect or can use t hi s abi l i t y a number of t i mes per
dayequal t o her hi ghest abi l i t y scor e modi f i er .
T HE
O RAC LE S
T he Fi ve O r acl es of t he E l ement s
embody al l t hat i s power f ul and
pur e about t he f i ve el ement s i n
Rokugani phi l osophy. Accor di ng
t o myt h, when humans
ar r i ved i n Rokugan, t he dr agons ( see t he
si debar ) sawt hemand
wer e f asci nat ed by t hem. T hough t hey
coul d not r emai n cl osel y
i nvol ved i n human af f ai r s, t he dr agons
l ef t par t s of
t hemsel ves onear t h, so t hey coul d al ways cont act t he
mor t al r eal mand l ear n
of i t s peopl e . E ach dr agon chose one i ndi -
vi dual t o car r y
i t s " soul - shadow, " a smal l par t of t he dr agon' s
spi r i t , and ser ve as i t s voi ce i n t he empi r e. T hese i ndi vi dual s wer e
t he f i r st O r acl es, and si nce t hat t i me, a par t of each dr agon' s
spi r i t has l i ved i n one or anot her human f or m. T he O r acl es ar e
no l onger human, and t hey age ver y sl owl y, but event ual l y each
must pass on t he dr agon' s spi r i t t o a successor , passi ng on t he
col l ect ed
memor y and wi sdomof an i mmor t al l i f e .
T he O r acl es ar e t he br i nger s of pr ophecy and f or t une, abl e
t o see i nt o t he S pi r i t Wor l d and possessi ng t he wi sdomof
ages . Rumor s ar e whi sper ed of Dar k O r acl es who l ai r i n t he
S hadowl ands, each one r epr esent i nga t wi st ed and evi l f or mof
t he el ement of ai r , ear t h, f i r e, or wat er. ( T he O r acl e of Voi d,
appar ent l y, has no Dar k O r acl e count er par t . ) T he sour ce of
t hei r power i s unknown.
T he O r acl e of Ai r i s sai d t o dwel l i n a t r emendous pal ace
t hat f l oat s amongt he cl ouds . T he O r acl e of Fi r e has a home
deep i n t he S l eepi ng T hunder Mount ai n, near t he S hr i ne of
t he Ki - Ri n . T he O r acl e of Wat er i s sai d t o l i ve i n t he sunken
naga ci t y of C andas, hol di ng cour t over t he ni ngyo and ot her
cr eat ur es of myt h . T he O r acl e of E ar t h has a t al l t ower i n t he
T wi l i ght Mount ai ns, made of t wi st i ng vi nes and hol di ng a
t hr one of st one.
T he l ast O r acl e of Voi d, I sawa Kaede, deni ed her nat ur e as
O r acl e i n or der t o l i ve wi t h her husband, t he E mper or T ot ur i .
Desi gnat ed hi s successor , she f l ed t he t hr one shor t l y af t er hi s
deat h and seems
t o
have di sappear ed i nt o t he Voi d.
PHE O N I X LAN DS
T hePhoeni x dwel l i n t he l ush, hi l l yl ands of Rokugan' s f ar nor t h-
east . T he sea and sur r oundi ng mount ai ns shel t er t he Phoeni x
l ands f r omt he col d of t he nor t h. T he I sawa home i s i n t he
ext r eme nor t heast of Rokugan, on t he coast beyond t he Mor i
I sawa ( Phoeni x Woodl ands) . S hi r o S hi ba l i es a l i t t l e f ar t her
sout h, but al so on t he coast , at
some
di st ance f r omt he hear t of
t he Phoeni x- Dr agonconf l i ct . T he Asako dwel l i n a cast l e at t he
sout her n t i p of t he Phoeni x Woodl ands, i t s whi t e wal l s r i si ng
hi gh above t he f or est t o shi ne l i ke a beacon over t he Phoeni x,
l ands. T heAgasha dwel l cl osest t o t he Dr agon l ands, hi gh i n t he
mount ai ns t hat r emi nd t hemof t hei r Dr agonhomel and.
C l ass
Base For t Ref Wi l l
Level
At t ack Bonus S ave S ave S ave S peci al
1 +0 +2 +0 +2 N o t hought
2
+1 +3 +0 +3 Ai d
shugenj a
1 / day
3
+2 +3 +1 +3 Danci ng
wi t h t he el ement s +2
4
+3 +4 +1 +4 Ai d
shugenj a 2/ day
5
+3 +4 +1
+4 Danci ng wi t h t he el ement s +4
6
+4 +5 +2
+5 O ne wi t h not hi ng, ai d shugenj a 3/ day
7
+5 +5 +2
+5 Danci ng wi t h t he el ement s +6
8 +6 +6
+2 +6 Ai d shugenj a ( maxi mi ze) 4/ day
9 +6 +6
+3 +6 Di amond soul
10 +7 +7
+3
+7 O ne wi t h al l and not hi ng
ADVE N T URE HO O KS
Mor i kage
C ast l e, st andi ng hi gh above t he
ci t y of Mor i kage i n
t he
f oot hi l l s of t he Mount ai ns
of Regr et , was l ong ago cur sed
by
a Dr agon shugenj a whose
daught er was scor ned by her
S hi ba husband.
T r ees and shr ubs gr owdense ar oundt he
r ui ned
cast l e, and onl y ghost s ar e sai d
t o wal k i t s hal l s . I n t he t went i -
et h year of T ot ur i ' s
r ei gn, he was ki dnappedby ni nj a
ser vi ngt he
S hadowand hel d i n Mor i kage
C ast l e
.
Whi l e i t i s t r ue
t hat Phoeni x i nqui si t or s
have successf ul l y
hunt ed down maho- t sukai
and Bl oodspeaker s wi t hi n t he
empi r e, i t i s al so
undeni abl y t r ue t hat a si gni f i cant
number of
maho- t sukai ar e Phoeni x,
or had t hei r f i r st exposur e t o maho
l or e i n t he
I sawa l i br ar i es . T hei r zeal
f or a compl et e under -
st andi ng of magi c has l ed
t he I sawa t o st udy maho mor e
t han
coul dever
be heal t hy, and even t he most
di spassi onat e schol ar s
ar e t oo of t en seduced
t o exper i ment wi t h t he pr act i ces
t hey
st udy. I n
t hei r posi t i on of power ,
I sawa shugenj as ar e r ar el y
ent i ced by t he
Bl oodspeaker s' r evol ut i onar y
phi l osophy, but
apar t
f r omt he t eachi ngs of I uchi ban,
mahohas i t s ownappeal
t o many
shugenj as. O ne such shugenj a i s a young
mannamed
Agasha Baj i za, a pr omi si ng
st udent of t he I sawa school .
Baj i za' s
magi cal
abi l i t y i s i mpr essi ve, but hi s
l ust f or power sur passes i t ,
andhe has spent
much t i me i n t he I sawa l i br ar i es sear chi ng
out
maho i nf or mat i on and r i t ual s.
Popul at i on:
3, 200, 000; humans ( S cor pi on cl an nobl e
cast e,
12%; common cast e, 88%)
C l an C hampi on
: Bayushi Yoj i r o ( mal e S cor pi on
Rog5/ S am7/
Bayushi decei ver
3)
I mpor t s : I r on, t ea
E xpor t s
: O pi um, si l ver
Al i gnment : LE
Behi nd t hei r ever - pr esent masks,
t he member s of t he S cor pi on cl an
f i l l a di st ast ef ul but necessar y r ol e
wi t hi n t he empi r e. T hey ar e t he
keeper s of
secr et s, wal ker s i n shad-
ows, assassi ns and spi es . T hey car e
l i t t l e f or
honor , but hol d upl oyal t y
as t he pr e- emi nent vi r t ue of t he cl an: l oyal t y
t o t he cl an andl oy-
al t y t o t he empi r e- l oyal t y t hat makes a S cor pi on wi l l i ng t o
suf f er deat h or di shonor ,
t o pay any cost . S cor pi ons ar e usual l y
seen as vi l l ai ns, of t en even as t r ai t or s- but f r om
t he S cor pi on
poi nt of vi ew, t hei r
wor st deeds have al l st emmed f r omt hei r
unswer vi ng sense of l oyal t y.
RE C E N T HI S T O RY
As t he
pr i ce f or t hei r l oyal t y, t he S cor pi ons have suf f er ed di s-
gr ace andper secut i on at t he
hands of t he ot her cl ans. Bayushi
S hoj u
i nst i gat ed t he S cor pi on C l an C oup i n an at t empt t o save
t he empi r e f r oma dr eadf ul pr ophecy,
and i n t he wake of t he
unsuccessf ul coup, t he S cor pi ons wer e deci mat ed and t hei r
l ands r azed. T hey
wer e r est or ed by t he E mper or T ot ur i whenhe
t ook t he t hr one. Lat er bl amed f or ki dnappi ng E mper or T ot ur i ,
t he S cor pi ons
wer e sent i nt o exi l e andt hei r chi l dr en f ost er ed by
t he C r anes unt i l T ot ur i once agai n showedt hem
mer cy andr ei n-
st at ed
t hem
.
I n t he S pi r i t War s, t he S cor pi ons pl ayed a deci si ve
r ol e by l ur i ng t he spi r i t ar mi es i nt o Bei den Pass,
wher e a gr oup
of shugenj as
br ought t he pass i t sel f downon t hem- t hought he
t r eacher y and decei t t hey used t o set t he
t r ap
won
t hemno
f r i ends amongt he honor abl e samur ai of t he empi r e.
N owt he S cor pi ons ar e back, wi t h a vengeance. T hr ee i ssues
domi nat e t he at t ent i onof t he cl an i n t he wake of T ot ur i ' s deat h.
S C O RPI O N C LAN
Fi r st , T ot ur i ' s deat h at
t he edge of t hei r l ands, i n S hi -
nomenFor est , has put t he S cor pi ons on t he def ensi ve,
and S cor pi on t eams pat r ol t he edge of t he f or est i n
sear ch of t he oni t hat ki l l ed t he E mper or. S econd, wi t h
t he
C r anes engr ossed i n t hei r war wi t h t he
C r abs and t he t hr one of t he empi r e vacant ,
t he
S cor pi ons have t hei r eye on t he i mper i al
C our t . T hey woul d l ove t o t ake t he C r anes'
pl ace as t he ul t i mat e
mani pul at or s of i mper i al
pol i t i cs . Fi nal l y, t he S cor pi on seek vengeance
upon a t r ai t or t o t hei r cl an, Yor i t omo ( f or mer l y
Bayushi ) Ar amasu,
champi on of t he Mant i s
S C O RPI O N FAMI LI E S
T he f ami l i es of t he S cor pi on ar e mor e cl ose
kni t t han t hose of any
ot her cl an. Bayushi ' s l ove
f or S hosur o- who f ounded bot h t he S oshi
and
I
S hosur o
f ami l i es- was unbounded, and t he f am
i l i es cont i nue t hei r cl ose af f i l i at i on. T he S oshi and
S hosur oar e
uni t ed by t hei r past connect i on t o t he
S hadow, whi l e t he Yogo ar e bot h a swor nenemyof
t he
S hadowl ands and, al l t oo of t en, al l i es t o t he
dar kness .
T he
Bayushi ar e t he mast er s of secr et s and l i es .
Honor , t o t hem, i s l ess i mpor t ant
t han l oyal t y, and
i n t he name of l oyal t y t he Bayushi ar e r esponsi bl e f or
al l manner of deeds t hat
ot her samur ai must con-
si der r epr ehensi bl e. T he epi t ome of t he Bayushi
way i s t he
Bayushi decei ver pr est i ge cl ass,

descr i bedbel ow.
T he
S hosur o have anci ent t i es t o t he
S hadowt hat was f i nal l y def eat ed by t he
Gr eat C l ans at O bl i vi on' s Gat e. E ven wi t hout i t s
super nat ur al
assi st ance, t he S hosur o cont i nue doi ngwhat t hey
have al ways done: T hey ar e t he spi es and assassi ns of t he empi r e.
S hosur o char act er s
adopt ei t her t he ni nj a spy pr est i ge cl ass,
det ai l ed i n C hapt er 3: Pr est i ge C l asses, or t he assassi n pr est i ge
cl ass f r om
t he DUN GE O N MAS T E R' s Gui de. Mor e mundane S hosur o
ar e act or s wi t h t he exper t N PC cl ass .
T he
magi c of t he S oshi school owes much t o t he f ami l y' s
anci ent connect i on t o t he S hadow. Despi t e t he def eat of t he
S hadowat O bl i vi on' s Gat e, t he S oshi shugenj as cont i nue pr ac-
t i ci ng t hei r ai r magi c.
T he
Yogo S hugenj a school ( l i ke t he C r ab' s Kuni school ) i s
devot ed t o unr avel i ng t he secr et s of t he T ai nt
.
C ur r ent l y,
i t
seeks t o answer t he quest i on: Wi t h Fu Leng dead, wher e does
t he T ai nt come f r om
now? Yogo magi c speci al i zes i n magi cal
war ds and pr ot ect i ons agai nst evi l magi c.
T HE BAYUS HI DE C E I VE R
Most samur ai school s t each bushi do, t he code of honor t hat
def i nes
t he samur ai . I f
t hat i s so, t hen per haps i t i s
wr ong
t o cal l
t he Bayushi school a school f or samur ai . Li ke al l S cor pi ons, t he
Bayushi val ue l oyal t y f ar
mor e hi ghl y t han any i deal of
honor.
t he Bayushi school t eaches t he ski l l s of war f ar e, nat ur al l y, but
he code of behavi or i t t eaches pl aces l oyal t y- t o t he cl an, t o t he
school , t o t he sensei - above al l el se . T he Bayushi ar e char ged
wi t h
t he
di r t i est wor k
i n
t he empi r e. What mat t er s i s
t hei r wi l l -
ngness t o do i t , out of l oyal t y t o cl an and empi r e, despi t e any
: ompunct i ons of honor t hey may cl i ngt o.
Most Bayushi decei ver s begi n pl ay wi t h t he r ogue char act er
cl ass,
t hough some
ar e mul t i cl ass f i ght er / r ogues or evensamu-
ai / r ogues . FewBayushi samur ai can mai nt ai n t he hi gh st an-
l ar ds of honor
demandedby t he samur ai cl ass, however
.
N PC Bayushi decei ver s ser ve i n t he f ai r l y smal l S cor -
pi on ar my, as cour t i er s i n t he dai myo' s cour t , and as spi es
I '
f or t he cl an.
Hi t Di e: d8.
RE QUI RE ME N T S
T o qual i f y t o become a Bayushi decei ver , a
char act er
must f ul f i l l al l t he f ol l owi ngcr i t er i a.
Race: Human( S cor pi on) .
Al i gnment
:
Any nonl awf ul .
Base At t ack Bonus : +3.
S ki l l s : Bl uf f 8 r anks, Di pl omacy 8 r anks .
Feat s : I mpr oved I ni t i at i ve.
S neak At t ack Damage: +2d6 .
C LAS S S KI LLS
T he Bayushi decei ver ' s cl ass ski l l s ( and t he key abi l i t y
f or each ski l l ) ar e Bal ance
( Dex) , Bl uf f ( C ha) , C l i mb
( S t r ) , C r af t ( I nt ) , Di pl omacy ( C ha) , For ger y ( I nt ) ,
Gat her I nf or mat i on ( C ha) , Hi de
( Dex) , I nnuendo
( Wi s) , I nt i mi dat e ( C ha) , J ump ( S t r ) , Knowl edge
( nobi l i t y andr oyal t y) ( I nt ) , Li st en
( Wi s) , Move
S i l ent l y ( Dex) , Per f or m( C ha) , Pr of essi on ( Wi s) ,
Read Li ps ( I nt , excl usi ve ski l l ) , S ear ch ( I nt ) , S ense
Mot i ve ( Wi s) , S pot ( Wi s) , S wi m( S t r ) , T umbl e ( Dex) ,
and Use Rope ( Dex) . S ee C hapt er 4: S ki l l s i n t he Pl ayer ' s
I
Handbook f or ski l l descr i pt i ons.
S ki l l Poi nt s at E ach Level : 6 +I nt modi f i er .
C LAS S FE AT URE S
T he f ol l owi ng ar e cl ass f eat ur es of t he
Bayushi decei ver .
Weapon andAr mor Pr of i ci ency: Bayushi decei ver s ar e
pr of i ci ent wi t h al l si mpl e and
mar t i al
weapons
and wi t h l i ght
and medi umar mor.
S neakAt t ack: I f a Bayushi decei ver
can cat ch an opponent
whenshe i s unabl e t o def endher sel f ef f ect i vel y f r omhi s at t ack,
he can st r i ke a vi t al spot f or ext r a damage. Basi cal l y,
any t i me
t he decei ver ' s t ar get woul d be deni ed her Dext er i t y bonus t o
AC ( whet her she act ual l y has a Dext er i t y bonus
or not ) , or

when t he decei ver f l anks t he t ar get , t he Bayushi decei ver ' s
at t ack deal s ext r a damage. T he ext r a damage i s +1d6 at 1st l evel
and an addi t i onal
1d6
ever y
t wo l evel s t her eaf t er . S houl d t he
decei ver scor e a cr i t i cal hi t wi t h a sneak at t ack, t hi s ext r a
damage i s not
mul t i pl i ed
.
Ranged at t acks can onl y count as sneakat t acks i f t he t ar get i s
wi t hi n 30 f eet . T he Bayushi decei ver
can' t st r i ke wi t h deadl y/
accur acy f r ombeyond t hat r ange.
Wi t h a sap or an
unar med st r i ke, t he Bayushi decei ver can
make a sneak at t ack t hat deal s subdual damage i nst ead of
nor mal damage. He cannot use a weapon
t hat deal s nor mal
damage t o deal subdual damage i n a sneakat t ack, not evenwi t h
t he usual - 4 penal t y, because he
must make opt i mal use of hi s
weapon
i n or der t o execut e t he sneak at t ack.
ABayushi decei ver can onl y sneak at t ack
l i vi ng cr eat ur es
wi t h di scer ni bl e anat omi es- undead, const r uct s, oozes, pl ant s,
andi ncor por eal cr eat ur es l ack
vi t al ar eas t o at t ack. Addi t i onal l y,
any cr eat ur e i mmune t o cr i t i cal hi t s i s si mi l ar l y i mmune t o
sneak at t acks . Al so, t he Bayushi decei ver
must be abl e t o see t he
t ar get
wel l enough t o pi ck out a vi t al spot and must be abl e t o
r each a vi t al spot . T hedecei ver cannot sneakat t ack
whi l e st r i k-
i ngat a cr eat ur e wi t h
conceal ment or by st r i ki ng t he l i mbs of a
cr eat ur e whose vi t al s ar e beyond r each.
I f a Bayushi decei ver get s a sneak
at t ack bonus f r omanot her
sour ce
( such as r ogue l evel s) , t he bonuses t o damage st ack.
Poi son Use:
Bayushi decei ver s ar e t r ai ned i n t he use of
poi son and never r i sk acci dent al l y
poi soni ng t hemsel ves when
appl yi ng poi son t o
a bl ade.
S t r i ke Fi r st , S t r i ke Last ( E x) : ABayushi decei ver
of at l east
2ndl evel adds hi s
i nt el l i gence modi f i er t o hi s i ni t i at i ve checks .
S cor pi on
Fei nt ( E x) : Whena Bayushi decei ver
of 4t h l evel or
hi gher uses t he Bl uf f ski l l
t o f ei nt i n combat agai nst a humanoi d
opponent , he r ecei ves a +2 compet ency bonus
on
hi s
Bl uf f check
anda +2
ci r cumst ance bonus on hi s next at t ack r ol l i f t he f ei nt
i s
successf ul . He gai ns no bonus
agai nst nonhumanoi dopponent s.
I mpr oved Di sar mFeat : At 6t h l evel , a Bayushi
decei ver
gai ns t he i mpr oved Di sar m
f eat . He need not have t aken t he
E xper t i se
f eat , nor mal l y a pr er equi si t e, bef or e t hi s
.
O ppor t uni st ( E x) : O nce
per r ound, a Bayushi decei ver of
8t h l evel
or hi gher can make an at t ack of
oppor t uni t y agai nst
an opponent whohas j ust
been st r uck f or damage i n mel ee by
anot her char act er. T hi s at t ack count s as
t he decei ver ' s at t ack of
oppor t uni t y f or
t hat r ound. E ven a decei ver wi t h t he C ombat
Ref l exes f eat can' t use t he oppor t uni st
abi l i t y mor e t han once
per r ound.
I mpr oved C r i t i cal Feat : At l ot h l evel , a Bayushi decei ver
gai ns t he i mpr oved C r i t i cal f eat wi t h a weapon of hi s choi ce.
T ABLE 11- 6: T HE
BAYUS HI DE C E I VE R
PO I S O N S
S hosur o assassi ns
use a var i et y of poi sons not known i n
t he
st andar d
DUN GE O N S &DRAGO N S wor l d. T abl e 11- 7:
Poi son
descr i bes t he
ef f ect s of t hese t oxi ns .
T ABLE 11- 7:
PO I S O N
S C O RPI O N LAN DS
T he l ands of t he
S cor pi on ar e not r i ch, t hough t hey ar e al so not
as bar r en as t he C r abl ands t o t he sout h. T he wi de, sl owRi ver of
Gol df l ows t hr ough
t he hear t of S cor pi on l ands wi t h i t s many
t r i but ar i es, f or mi ng numer ous wet l ands andwat er i ng l owr i ce
paddi es
.
Poppi es ar e t he ot her maj or " cr op" of S cor pi on l ands .
T he pal aces of t he S cor pi on f ami l i es
ar e cl ust er ed i n t he
nor t h, wi t h bot h Yogo S hi r o andS hi r o S oshi nest l ed amongt he
S pi ne of t he Wor l dMount ai ns . S hi r o
S hosur oguar ds access t o
t he nor t her n r egi on, whi l e Kyuden Bayushi domi nat es t he cen-
t r al pl ai nandcont r ol s t he sout her n
vi l l ages .
ADVE N T URE HO O KS
T he l ar ge ci t y of Ryoki O war i i s t he pr i de of S cor pi on l ands and
one of t he l ar gest ci t i es i n Rokugan. Dur i ng
t he S cor pi on' s exi l e
t o t he Bur ni ng S ands, t he ci t y was gover ned by Uni cor n magi s-
t r at es .
T he
r et ur ned S cor pi ons have not yet managed t o r ecl ai m
t he r i ght t o gover n t he ci t y, so t he Uni cor ns ar e st i l l i n char ge-
at l east i n name. I n f act , t he Uni cor ns mai nt ai n ver y l i t t l e con-
t r ol over day- t o- day af f ai r s i n t he ci t y, wi t h S cor pi on l or ds and
busi nesses ( l egal andot her wi se) exer ci si ng most of t he power i n
t he ci t y. Ryoko O war i i s t he
cent er of a t hr i vi ng ( but i l l egal )
opi umt r ade. I n addi t i on, i t i s t hehome of a smal l , st r ange cul t of
maho- t sukai and ot her f anat i cs
devot ed t o t he moon dei t y. For
manyyear s, t hi s cul t ( dedi cat ed t o O nnot angu, t he or i gi nal
Lor d
Moon) oper at ed wi t h st eal t h andsecr ecy i n t he docks and
hei mi nar eas of t he ci t y. I t has gr owni n t he
year s of t he Uni cor n
occupat i on, and a ki kage zumi dedi cat ed t o Hi t omi nowcon-
t r ol s t he cul t , wi t h
sever al maho- t sukai under hi s command. A
mapof RyokoO war i appear s on t he f aci ng page.
Bei den Pass
was once t he onl y pass t hr ough t he S pi ne of t he
Wor l d Mount ai ns wi de enough t o mar chanar my t hr ough, con-
nect i ngt he ( t hen) bust l i ng ci t y of Bei den wi t h S hi r o Mat su i n
Li on l ands . T hanks i n par t t o S cor pi on
t r eacher y, Bei den Pass col -
l apsed dur i ng t he S pi r i t War s ( cr ushi ngt he spi r i t ar my as i t f el l ) ,
cl osi ng of f t he maj or r out e connect i ng Rokugan' s nor t her n and
sout her n por t i ons. Yakamo, t he sun dei t y, cr eat ed a newpass i n
t he mount ai ns
near bot h Uni cor n andS cor pi on l ands, t he Gr eat
C r at er . T hough t he Uni cor ns have been qui ck t o cl ai mt hi s pass
and t r y t o br i ngi t
under
t hei r
cont r ol , t he S cor pi ons ar e l oat h t o
gi ve upt hei r access t o t hi s cr uci al r out e.
Popul at i on: 3, 600, 000; humans ( Uni cor n cl an nobl e cast e,
15%; common cast e, 85%)
C l ass
Base For t Ref Wi l l
Level At t ack
Bonus S ave S ave S ave S peci al
1st
+0 +2 +2 +0 S neak
at t ack +1d6,
poi son use
2nd +1
+3 +3 +0 S t r i ke f i r st , st r i ke l ast
3r d
+2 +3 +3 +1 S neak at t ack +2d6
4t h
+3 +4 +4 +1 S cor pi on f ei nt
5t h
+3 +4 +4 +1 S neak at t ack +3d6
6t h
+4 +5 +5 +2 I mpr oved Di sar mf eat
7t h
+5 +5 +5 +2 S neak at t ack +4d6
8t h
+6 +6 +6 +2 O ppor t uni st
9t h
+6 +6 +6 +3 S neak at t ack +5d6
10t h +7
+7 +7 +3
I mpr oved C r i t i cal f eat
I ni t i al
S econdar y
Poi son T ype
Damage Damage Pr i ce
Waspvenom I nj ur y DC 11 1
Dex 1 Dex 75 gp
Bee venom I nj ur y DC 11 1
C on 1 C on 90 gp
S cor pi on I nj ur y
DC 11 1d2 S t r l d2 S t r 100 gp
venom
S nake venom I nj ur y
DC
11
1d6 C on l d6 C on 200 gp
Bl ack pi per
I nj ur y DC 14 1d4 S t r l d6 S t r 150 gp
venom
j el l yf i sh
C ont act DC 16 2d12 hp 1d6 C on 300 gp
Ket su
I ngest ed DC 13 1 C on 1d8 C on 120
gp
War ui
paser i I ngest ed DC 11 1d4 S t r l
d4 S t r 150 gp
J er uku r opu I ngest ed DC 16 1d6 Dex
1d6 Dex 210 gp
Puf f er f i sh ( f ugu) I ngest ed DC 14 Par al ysi s 2d4
S t r 400 gp
Ki r ei - ko I ngest ed
DC 15 1 Dex 2d4 Dex 500 gp
Fuant ei shi I ngest ed
DC 18 2d6 C on 1d6 C on 300 gp
+1d6 Dex
J er uku r opu I nhal ed
DC 15 2d4 Dex 2d4 Dex 750 gp
smoke
UN I C O RN C LAN
Ryoko O war i
C l an C hampi on: Mot o
Gaher i s
( mal e
Uni cor n S am5/ Mot o
avenger 10)
I mpor t s : S i l ver ,
gol d
E xpor t s : Di amonds,
wool
Al i gnment
: N
For ei ght
hundr edyear s, t he ances-
t or s of t he
Uni cor nwander ed t he
l ands
out si de Rokugan, l ear ni ng
f r omt he bar bar i ans and
cr eat i ng a cul t ur e uni quel y t hei r own,
synt hesi zi ng
el ement s of bar bar i an cul t ur es wi t h
t hei r nat i ve
Rokugani her i t age . I n
t he t hr ee hundr ed year s si nce t he Uni -
cor ns
r et ur ned t o Rokugan, t hey
have l ef t t hei r mar k on i t s hi s-
t or y as t he best
caval r y i n t he empi r e, wi t h a power f ul
commi t -
ment t o di pl omacy andj ust i ce
.
RE C E N T HI S T O RY
T he
Uni cor ns ser ve as t he magi st r at es of t he empi r e,
enf or ci ng
t he
l aws of t he i deal E mper or
even whent he commands of t he
act ual E mper or
f al l shor t of t hat i deal . T hei r
" out si der " per spec-
t i ve- even af t er t hr ee hundr ed
year s of dwel l i ngi n Rokugan-
gi ves t hemf r eedomf r omsome of
t he st r i ct mor es t hat bi nd
ot her cl ans, and
a Uni cor n magi st r at e i s wi l l i ng
t o r epor t a t r ut h
t hat an I koma hi st or i an
woul d never al l owhi msel f t o speak,
such as t he
deeds of an unj ust E mper or or an
embar r assment f or
t hei r cl an. T he Uni cor ns ar e
al so excel l ent di pl omat s, and st r i ve
t o keept he
f r act ur i ng peace amongt he cl ans
.
T owar d t he end of t he War
Agai nst t he S hadow, t he Uni cor ns
wer e f i nal l y
abl e t o pur ge a dar k bl ot f r omt hei r
cl an' s honor -
t he cor r upt i on of t he
Mot o by t he S hadowl ands . Af t er hun-
dr eds
of year s of ser vi ng t he
S hadowl ands' evi l , t he Dar k Mot o
ar e gone, and t he
Mot o f ami l y r i des pr oudl y once mor e
. S t i l l ,
t he Mot o
have not f or got t en t hei r
l ost ki n, and cont i nue t o r i de
i nt o t he S hadowl ands
andwar agai nst i t s evi l . T he
f act t hat a
member of t he Uni cor n
cl an, I uchi S hahai , i s nowa mi ght y
power i n t he
S hadowl ands, t he so- cal l ed
" Dar k Daught er of Fu
Leng, " l eaves manyi n t he
Uni cor n cl an angr y andashamed.
As
a r esul t , t he
Uni cor ns ar e r api dl y becomi ng
near l y as dedi cat ed
as t he C r abs t o f i ght i ng
t he S hadowl ands .
UN I C O RN
FAMI LI E S
O f t he
f i ve f ami l i es of t he
Uni cor n, t hr ee ar e f or med al most
excl usi vel y of
mount edwar r i or s . C aval r y i s t he
backbone of any
Uni cor n ar my, andevent he
I uchi shugenj as ar e of t en mount ed
.
T he
Mot o ar e st i l l dr i ven t o avenge t hei r ki n
who f i r st l ost
t hei r soul s and t hen
di ed i n t he S hadowl ands . T hey ar e
known
as t he
most power f ul caval r y of t he
Uni cor n, but t hei r gr eat est
f ur y i s di r ect ed
t owar d t he S hadowl ands . Mot o
samur ai of t en
adopt t he Mot o avenger pr est i ge
cl ass, descr i bed bel ow.
T he
S hi nj o ar e r est l ess and
unpr edi ct abl e, l eani ng st r ongl y
t owar d a nomadi c
way of l i f e and a f ocus on act i on
over con-
t empl at i on. T hei r samur ai of t en
adopt t he ki shi char ger pr es-
t i ge cl ass, descr i bed
i n C hapt er 3 : Pr est i ge C l asses.
T he Ut akus ar e
knownf or t hei r det er mi nat i on, devot i on,
and
st r ai ght f or war dness- vi r t ues exempl i f i ed
i n t he Ut aku
bat t l e mai dens, who shar e
a uni que bond wi t h t hei r power f ul
hor ses. T he
bat t l e mai denpr est i ge cl ass i s
descr i bed i n C hapt er
3: Pr est i ge C l asses
.
T he
I uchi ar e t he Uni cor n' s
shugenj a f ami l y. T hei r st yl e of
spel l cast i ng i s a
var i ed mi x of pr ayer s t o t he S even For t unes,
pet i t i ons
t o t he el ement s t hemsel ves,
and t he use of t al i smans
wi t h sacr ed
wor ds i nscr i bed on t hem. ( T hese t al i smans
ser ve as di vi ne f ocus i t ems f or some or al l of an I uchi shugenj a' s
spel l s, r epl aci ng t he t r adi t i onal
of udas .
T he
spel l i s ot her wi se
unchanged,
t hough t he I uchi school t eaches a number of spel l s
t hat ar e unknown t o ot her shugenj as . )
T he
I de ar e t he peacemaker s and di pl omat s of t he Uni cor n,
mast er s of what t hey cal l wabukan, " t he
peacef ul pat h. " T hey
ser ve as a smoot h buf f er bet ween t he Uni cor n- whose " bar -
bar i c" ways
of t en gr at e on t he ner ves of ot her Rokugani - and
t he ot her cl ans, sensi t i ve t o soci al cust oms and l evel - headed
i n t he most awkwar d
si t uat i ons . T hei r emi ssar i es ar e t ypi cal l y
exper t s or ar i st ocr at s .
T HE MO T O AVE N GE R
T hough t he Mot o whor ode i n t he S hadowl ands wer e ext er mi -
nat eddur i ngt he
Bat t l e of O bl i vi on' s Gat e, t he r emai ni ngmem-
ber s of t he Mot o f ami l y ar e no l ess dedi cat ed t o t hei r war
agai nst t he S hadowl ands
and i t s evi l s . I f anyt hi ng, t hey ar e
mor e i mpassi oned, maki ngmor e f r equent r ai ds i nt o t hose dar k
l ands and f i ght i ng
mor e f i er cel y agai nst S hadowl ands cr eat ur es
t hey encount er .
Mot o avenger s
ar e of t en samur ai , but t hey al so come f r om
t he bar bar i an cl ass .
N PC Mot oavenger s ar e r ar el y seeni n Rokugan, f or
t hey
st i l l
f eel t he shame of t hei r
f ami l y i nher i t ance. Dr i ven t o avenge t hat
di shonor , t hey r i de i nt o t he S hadowl ands on t hei r gr i mmi ssi on.
Hi t Di e: d10.
RE QUI RE ME N T S
T o qual i f y t o become a Mot o avenger ,
a char act er must f ul f i l l
al l
t he f ol l owi ng
cr i t er i a .
Race: Human( Uni cor n) .
Al i gnment
: Anygood.
Base At t ack Bonus :
+5 .
S ki l l s : Ri de 8 r anks.
Feat s : Mount ed
C ombat , S pi r i t ed C har ge, T r ampl e.
C LAS S
S KI LLS
T he Mot o avenger ' s cl ass ski l l s ( and t he key
abi l i t y f or each
ski l l ) ar e C l i mb( S t r ) , C r af t ( I nt ) , Handl e Ani mal ( C ha) , i nt i mi -
dat e ( C ha) , J ump( S t r ) ,
Pr of essi on ( Wi s) , Ri de ( Dex) , S ense
Mot i ve ( Wi s) , S pel l cr af t ( I nt ) , and S wi m( S t r ) .
S ee C hapt er 4:
S ki l l s i n t he Pl ayer ' s
Handbook f or ski l l descr i pt i ons .
S ki l l Poi nt s at E ach Level : 4 +I nt modi f i er .
C LAS S FE AT URE S
T he
f ol l owi ng ar e cl ass f eat ur es of t he Mot oavenger .
Weapon andAr mor
Pr of i ci ency: Mot oavenger s ar e pr of i -
ci ent wi t h al l si mpl e and mar t i al weapons and wi t h l i ght and
medi umar mor .
Det ect T ai nt ( S p) : At wi l l , a Mot o avenger can
det ect
T ai nt
.
Fur y of Vengeance ( E x) : When f i ght i ng cr eat ur es wi t h t he
S hadowl ands t ype modi f i er or a T ai nt scor e,
a
Mot o
avenger can
ent er a st at e of r age, gai ni ngphenomenal st r engt h anddur abi l i t y
but becomi ng r eckl ess
and l ess abl e t o def end hi msel f
.
He t em-
por ar i l y gai ns +4 t o S t r engt h, +4 t o C onst i t ut i on, and a +2 mor al e
bonus onWi l l saves, but suf f er s a - 2 penal t y
t o AC .
T he
i ncr ease i n C onst i t ut i on i ncr eases t he avenger ' s hi t poi nt s
by 2 per l evel ,
but t hese hi t poi nt s go away at t he end of t he r age
when t he C onst i t ut i on scor e dr ops back t o nor mal . T hese ext r a
hi t poi nt s
ar e not l ost f i r st t he way t empor ar y hi t poi nt s ar e.
Whi l e r agi ng, a Mot o avenger cannot use ski l l s or abi l i t i es t hat
r equi r e pat i ence and concent r at i on, such as movi ng si l ent l y or
cast i ng spel l s . ( T he onl y cl ass ski l l s
he can' t use whi l e r agi ng ar e
C r af t
and S ense Mot i ve. ) He can use any f eat he mi ght have
except f or E xper t i se, i t emcr eat i on f eat s, met amagi c f eat s, and
S ki l l
Focus ( i f i t ' s t i ed t o a ski l l t hat r equi r es pat i ence or concen-
t r at i on) . Af i t of r age l ast s f or
3
r ounds, pl us t he char act er ' s
( newl y i mpr oved) C onst i t ut i on modi f i er . T he avenger maypr e-
mat ur el y end t he r age vol unt ar i l y. At t he end of t he r age, t he
Mot o avenger i s f at i gued ( - 2 S t r engt h, - 2 Dext er i t y, can' t char ge
or r un) f or t he dur at i on of t hat encount er. T heavenger canonl y
f l y i nt o a r age once per encount er , and onl y a cer t ai n number of
t i mes per day ( det er mi ned by l evel ) . E nt er i ng a r age t akes no
t i me i t sel f , but t he avenger can onl y do i t dur i ng hi s act i on, not
i n
r esponse t o somebody el se' s act i on. An avenger can' t , f or
exampl e, f l y i nt o a r age when st r uck down by an ar r owi n or der
t o get t he
ext r a
hi t
poi nt s f r omt he i ncr eased C onst i t ut i on,
al t hough t he ext r a hi t poi nt s woul d be of benef i t i f he had gone
i nt o a r age ear l i er i n t he r ound, bef or e t he ar r owst r uck.
AMot o avenger can ent er a r age t hr ee t i mes per day at 1st
l evel , f our t i mes at 4t h l evel , f i ve t i mes at 7t h l evel , and si x
t i mes
at l ot h l evel
.
S t ar t i ng at 8t h l evel , t he Mot oavenger ' s
f ur y
bonuses become +6 t o S t r engt h, +6 t o C onst i t ut i on, and a +3
mor al e bonus on Wi l l saves . ( T he AC penal t yr emai ns at - 2. )
I f a Mot o avenger has a r age abi l i t y f r omanot her cl ass ( such as
bar bar i an) ,
t he t wo abi l i t i es do not st ack. T he char act er can use a
r age abi l i t y as many t i mes per
day as
ei t her
cl ass
al l ows hi m
( whi chever i s hi gher ) . He can use t he abi l i t y agai nst anyf oe, but
when f i ght i ng S hadowl ands cr eat ur es hi s S t r engt h andC onst i t u-
t i on bonuses ar e i mpr oved by +2 and hi s Wi l l save bonus i s
i mpr oved
by
+1 .
T hus, an 8t h- l evel bar bar i an/ 4t h- l evel Mot o
avenger can r age f our t i mes per day, even i f he never f aces a
S hadowl ands
f oe. When he does r age i n combat agai nst a
S hadowl ands f oe, he gai ns +6 t o S t r engt h, +6 t o C onst i t ut i on, and
+3 t o Wi l l saves
.
An 8t h- l evel bar bar i an/ 8t h- l evel Mot o avenger
can r age f i ve t i mes per day, and agai nst S hadowl ands f oes he gai ns
+8 t o S t r engt h, +8 t o C onst i t ut i on, and+4 onWi l l saves .
Met t l e ( E x) : At 2nd l evel , t he Mot o avenger ' s speci al bl ess-
i ng al l ows hi mt o shr ug of f magi cal ef f ect s t hat woul d ot her -
wi se
damage or
har m
hi m. I f an avenger makes a successf ul
Wi l l or For t i t ude savi ng t hr owt hat woul d nor mal l y r educe t he
spel l ' s ef f ect , he suf f er s no ef f ect f r omt he spel l at al l .
O nl y
t hose spel l s wi t h a S avi ng T hr owent r y of " Wi l l par t i al , " " For t i -
t ude hal f , " or si mi l ar ent r i es canbe negat ed t hr ough t hi s abi l i t y.
S mi t e S hadowl ands ( S u) : O nce per day, a Mot o avenger of
3r d l evel or hi gher may at t empt t o smi t e a S hadowl ands oppo-
nent wi t h one nor mal mel ee at t ack. He adds a +4 bonus t o hi s
at t ack r ol l and deal s 2 ext r a poi nt s of damage per cl ass l evel . A
S hadowl ands opponent i s a monst er wi t h t he S hadowl ands
descr i pt or or a char act er i nf ect ed wi t h t he S hadowl ands T ai nt .
I f t he avenger acci dent al l y smi t es a cr eat ur e t hat i s not T ai nt ed,
t he smi t e has no ef f ect but i t i s st i l l used up f or t hat day.
Bl oodi edbut
Unbowed ( S u) :
I f
a Mot o avenger
of
l ot h
l evel di es, he can wi l l hi s spi r i t t o r avage hi s body, t ear i ng and
shr eddi ngi t t o pr event i t f r ombei ng ani mat ed. I f he exer ci ses
t hi s opt i on, hi s cor pse wi l l not spont aneousl y
ani mat e i n t he
S hadowl ands
.
A
spel l cast er can st i l l use ani mat e dead on t he
cor pse, but canonl y cr eat e a skel et on, not a zombi e. Rai se
dead
or ot her spel l s t hat r est or e an
i nt act body t o l i f e wi l l not f uns-
t i on, but t r ue r esur r ect i on of cour se wi l l .
T ABLE 11- 8: T HE MO T O AVE N GE R
UN I C O RN LAN DS
T he Uni cor n l ands consi st of vast expanses of
r ol l i ng pl ai ns,
gr assl ands, and l owhi l l s bet ween a t r i o of gr eat l akes and sur -
r ounded by l of t y mount ai ns . Per haps
f or t y per cent of t he Uni -
cor n
popul at i on l i ve as nomads, wander i ngt he pl ai ns whi l e
her di ng sheepandhor ses f r ompl ace t o pl ace wi t h t he seasons
.
T he r est l i ve i n ci t i es and
cast l es al ong t he l ake shor es, r i ver s,
and mount ai n edges . T he S hi nj o and Ut akuf ami l i es l i ve
i n t he
nor t her n l ands ar ound
Dr agon Lake, whi l e t he I de and I uchi
dwel l acr oss t he S pi ne of t he Wor l d Mount ai ns, near S cor pi on
l ands and t he C hr ysant hemum
Pet al Lake.
ADVE N T URE HO O KS
Af t er t he dest r uct i on
of Bei den Pass dur i ng t he S pi r i t War s,
Yakamo cr eat ed a gr eat cr at er i n t he S pi ne of t he
Wor l d Moun-
t ai ns t o ser ve as a newpass
bet ween t he nor t her n and
sout her n
por t i ons of t he empi r e. T hough i t l i es bet weenUni cor nand S cor -
pi on l ands, t he Uni cor ns have cl ai med
t he pass . T wo pat hways
t hr ough t he mount ai ns l ead i nt o t he Gr eat C r at er ( cal l ed si mpl y
t he N or t her n Pass and t he S out her n
Pass) , whi l e t wopat hways
l ead t hr ough
t he br oken gr ound of t he cr at er i t sel f. T he S un' s
Ar c Wayl eads ar oundt he nor t her n edge of t he
cr at er , whi l e t he
Wayof
N i ght l eads ona mor e wi ndi ng pat h downt o t he bot t om
of t he cr at er and t hr ough anunder gr ound passage
bef or e wi nd-
i ngback up t he ot her si de
. Recent l y a gr oupof I de emi ssar i es di s-
cover ed r ui ned st r uct ur es i n t he t unnel por t i on of t he
Way of .
N i ght , and Uni cor n schol ar s
have begun excavat i ng t hese r ui ns .
T hey bel i eve t hey have di scover ed a l ost ci t y,
bel ongi ng t o a ci vi -
l i zat i on not t hei r own, r emi ni scent of
Vol t ur numi n t he S hadow-
l ands. I nsi st i ngt hat a ci vi l i zat i on pr edat i ng t he E mpi r e of
Roku-
gani s i mpossi bl e, t he
hi st or i es of t he empi r e i gnor e t hese r ui ns,
but t he Uni cor ns per si st i n t hei r r esear ch.
As t he nagas pr epar ed t o r et ur n t o
t hei r ages- l ong sl umber f ol -
l owi ngt he
Bat t l e at O bl i vi on' s Gat e, one unf i ni shed i t emof busi -
ness r emai ned t o t hem. When
Hi da Yakamo met hi s doomi n t he
S hadowl ands, a gr oupof nagas pul l ed hi s body of f i t s
f uner al
pyr e and a naga j akl a sacr i f i ced
hi msel f t o r esur r ect t he C r ab.
Yakamo r ose
agai n wi t h t he eyes of a ser pent and a mi nd
l i nked
t o t he Akasha bef or e f i nal l y
ascendi ng t o become t he sun.
Yakamo' s
bi r t h as a naga, however , i nt r oduced a
" cont ami nant "
i nt o t he Akasha, t he communal mi ndof t he
naga r ace : a human
soul . Li ke a gr ai n of
sand i nsi de an oyst er shel l , Yakamo' s soul
chaf ed at t he Akasha unt i l f i nal l y t he Akasha
expel l ed a
C l ass
Level
1st
Base
At t ack Bonus
+1
For t
S ave
+2
Ref
S ave
+0
Wi l l
S ave
+0
S peci al
Det ect T ai nt , f ur y of vengeance 3/ day
2nd
+2 +3 +0 +0
Met t l e
3r d
+3 +3 +1 +1
S mi t e S hadowl ands 1 / day
4t h +4 +4 +1 +1 Fur y of vengeance 4/ day
5t h
+5 +4 +1 +1
6t h
+6 +5 +2 +2 S mi t e
S hadowl ands 2/ day
7t h
+7 +5 +2 +2
Fur y of vengeance 5/ day
vengeance
5/ day
8t h +8 +6 +2 +2 Gr eat er f ur y
9t h +9 +6 +3 +3 S mi t e S hadowl ands
3/ day
10t h +10 +7 +3 +3
Bl oodi ed but unbowed, f ur y of vengeance 6/ day
gol den pear l unl i ke anyever
seen by t he naga bef or e. As t he naga
went back
t o sl eep, t hey l ef t t hi s gol den pear l i n
t he st ewar dshi p
of t he Uni cor n
cl an
.
Dur i ng t he S pi r i t War s, t hi s pear l hat ched
l i ke
anegg, and a humanwoman
namedAkasha emer ged.
T HE
MI N O R C LAMS
Popul at i on:
3, 200, 000; humans
( cl an nobl e cast e, 12%;
common cast e,
88%)
C l an C hampi on: Yor i t omo
Ar amasu
( mal e S cor pi on
Rog3/ Ft r 7)
I mpor t s
: I r on, si l ver , gol d, f ood-
st uf f s
E xpor t s : S i l k, spi ces
Al i gnment : N
When t he
chi l dr en of t he S unand Moon
f el l t o ear t h, t hey
est abl i shed seven
cl ans- one f or each of t he chi l dr en, except -
i ng FuLengandHant ei . E ach
cl an has i t s f ami l i es, andonvar i -
ous occasi ons
over t he t housand- year hi st or y of t he empi r e,
f ami l i es have spl i t of f f r om
t hei r par ent cl ans t o become cl ans
i n
t hei r ownr i ght , usual l y i n r ecogni t i on of a par t i cul ar
act i n
ser vi ce t o t he empi r e
. O nl y once has a mi nor cl an r i sen t o
become
a gr eat cl an i n i t s ownr i ght - t he
Mant i s cl an- but
nowt he cl an i s i n
decl i ne, and seems dest i ned t o l ose t hat
st at us wi t hi n t he next f ewyear s .
RE C E N T HI S T O RY
E ach
mi nor cl an has i t s ownst or y, but t he key st or y
of r ecent
year s i s t he r i se andf al l
of t he Mant i s cl an. Under t he l ead-
er shi p of
Yor i t omo, t he Mant i s cl an gr ewi n power dur i ngt he
C l an War s . Under t he banner of Yor i t omo' s Al l i ance, t he
Mant i s, C ent i pede, Wasp, Fox, T or t oi se, and S par r owcl ans
became a maj or f or ce i n
t he C l an War s and beyond. Yor i t omo,
however , anger ed manysamur ai wi t h hi s br ash ar r ogance and
evi dent desi gns
upon t he t hr one of t he empi r e i t sel f . S hor t l y
af t er achi evi ng t he goal f or whi ch t he al l i ance was f or med-
t he
r ecogni t i on of t he Mant i s ( wi t h t he C ent i pede and t he
Wasp) as a gr eat cl an- t he Fox
l ef t t he al l i ance and al l i ed wi t h
t he C r ane . Yor i t omo hi msel f was ki l l ed dur i ng t he Bat t l e at
O bl i vi on' s Gat e, pr ovoki ng
t he di ssol ut i on of t he al l i ance
ent i r el y. T hough t he Mant i s cl an r emai ns ani mpor t ant cl an, l ed
nowby t he
S cor pi on t r ai t or Yor i t omo ( f or mer l y Bayushi ) Ar a-
masu, t he newdai myo' s l eader shi p i s weak and
he has made
many power f ul
enemi es . I t seems cl ear t hat t he days of t he
mi nor cl ans' gl or y ar e over .
MI N O R
C LAN FAMI LI E S
T he Mant i s cl an managed t o absor b t wo ot her mi nor cl ans
dur i ng t he
C l an War s, so t he f or mer C ent i pede andWasp cl ans
ar e nowMant i s cl an f ami l i es. T he ot her mi nor cl ans each
con-
si st of a si ngl e
f ami l y.
T heMant i s cl an' s Yor i t omo f ami l y ( t he or i gi nal Mant i s cl an)
i s made. upof seaf ar i ngt r ader s and mer cenar i es . T hey ar e adept
at f i ght i ngont he r ol l i ngdecks of a shi p, and t hey use weapons
unf ami l i ar t o t he r est of Rokugan. T heMant i s mer cenar ypr es-
t i ge cl ass i s descr i bed
bel ow.
T heMoshi f ami l y of t he Mant i s ( t he f or mer C ent i pede cl an)
i s a f ami l y of
shugenj a, speci al i zi ng i n f i r e andai r magi c.
T heT sur uchi f ami l y of t he Mant i s ( t he f or mer Wasp cl an) i s
r ecogni zed f or pr oduci ngt he f i nest ar cher s i n t he empi r e. N at u-
r al l y, t hei r samur ai l ear n t he Pr eci se S hot f eat andi t s r el at ed f eat s .
T he Foxcl an ( Ki t sune f ami l y)
i s t he r emnant of t he anci ent Ki -
Ri n cl an t hat never l ef t Rokugan. Locat ed i n t he myst er i ous
woodl ands of t he Ki t sune For est , t he Foxes ar e peacef ul schol ar s
and power f ul shugenj as, at t unedt o t he f or ces of nat ur e i n t hei r
homel and. T he Ki t sune
shugenj a school t eaches ear t h
magi c.
T he Dr agonf l y cl an ( T onbo f ami l y) i s descendedf r oma mar -
r i age bet ween a Dr agon and a Phoeni x, and was deci mat ed i n
one of t he f i r st cl ashes bet ween t hose cl ans i n 1158. O nl y a
handf ul of Dr agonf l y
cl an member s nowexi st , andt heyhave no
l ands. Dr agonf l yshugenj as embr ace a phi l osophy of change-
har dl y wel come i n a cul t ur e t hat
r ever es t r adi t i on so
st r ongl y.
T hey use wat er magi c, but al so st udy ai r magi c.
T he S par r owcl an ( S uzume f ami l y) i s descended f r oma
br anch of t he Doj i f ami l y, but i n st ar k cont r ast t o t he ext r ava-
gant C r ane i s dedi cat ed t o an oddphi l osophy of honor abl e
pover t y
.
Member s of t he S par r owcl an ar e schol ar l y war r i or s,
exper t ar t i st s and cr af t er s, and r emar kabl e st or yt el l er s . T he
S par r ow
samur ai st yl e t eaches E xper t i se and i t s r el at ed f eat s .
T he samur ai of t he Badger cl an ( I chi r o f ami l y) ar e t he
def ender s of Rokugan' s nor t her n passes . T hough no i nvasi on
f r omout si de t he empi r e has yet come t hr ough t he Gr eat Wal l
of t he N or t h,
t he
I chi r o
have beenr eadyf or t en cent ur i es . Li ke
t he C r ab ( f r omwhomt hey ar e descended) , t he Badger samur ai
emphasi ze st r engt h, t eachi ng Power At t ack andi t s r el at ed f eat s .
T he Har e cl an was abol i shed i n 1121, i t s l eader s al l accused of
pr act i ci ng maho. T he accusat i on, as wel l as t he S cor pi on cl an' s
dest r uct i on of S hi r o Usagi , wer e l at er r eveal ed t o be par t of a pl ot
by t he myst er i ous Kol ar , and t he cl an was r ei nst at ed i n 1134. .
T he T or t oi se cl an i s
a
mi nor
mer cant i l e cl an t hat t r ades wi t h
t he Yobanj i n, bar bar i ans whodwel l f ar t o t he nor t h, acr oss t he
mount ai ns of t he Gr eat Wal l
of
t he
N or t h
. T hei r
t r ade
i s ques-
t i onabl e i n l egal t er ms, but cont i nues under t he bl essi ng of
t he E mper or.
T he Boar cl an spl i nt er ed of f f r omt he C r ab dur i ng t he f i r st
C r ab- C r ane war ( i nt he year 387) . T hey wer e knownas mi ner s,
met al cr af t er s, and ar mor smi t hs bef or e t hei r myst er i ous
dest r uct i on ( see Advent ur e Hooks bel ow) .
T he S nake cl an was f ounded by an I sawa magi st r at e who
uncover ed a pl ot agai nst t he E mper or ' s l i f e . I sawa C huda' s
l oat hi ng of maho and al l who use i t was car r i ed on by t he cl an
he f ounded, but t he S nake' s r esear ch i nt o conf i scat ed maho
t ext s l edi t t o t he pr act i ce of
maho, as i s so of t en
t he
case.
E ven-
t ual l y, t he ent i r e cl an was possessedbya t r emendousl y power -
f ul evi l spi r i t cal l ed t he S hut en Doj i , andt he Phoeni xcl an was
f or ced t o ki l l ever y man, woman, andchi l d of t he S nake cl an t o
cut of f t he spi r i t ' s
power
.
T HE MAN T I S ME RC E N ARY
T he war r i or s of t he Mant i s cl an ar e l ar gel y mer cenar i es, war -
r i or s who sel l t hei r ser vi ces wi t h l i t t l e concer n f or whet her
t hei r mi ssi on
i s
r i ght
or honor abl e
.
T heyhave a uni que
f i ght i ng
st yl e amongt he war r i or s of Rokugan, one t hat makes use of
peasant weapons and a r ol l i ng mot i on l i ke t he r ocki ng of t he
ocean. I n f act , as Rokugan' s best sai l or s, Mant i s war r i or s ar e
accust omed t o f i ght i ng aboar d shi ps, and t hei r school makes
use of t hi s t echni que as wel l .
Mant i s mer cenar i es ar e usual l yf i ght er s bef or e adopt i ng t hi s
cl ass,
t hough
many
ar e f i ght er / r ogues .
N PC Mant i s mer cenar i es ar e somet i mes f ound aboar d
Mant i s mer chant shi ps, but mor e of t en appear i n ot her
cl ans'
bat t l es . Yor i t omo Ar amasu has pr omi sed mi l i t ar y ai d t o t he
C r abs i n t hei r war agai nst t he C r anes, but does
not car r y
enough cl out i n hi s owncl an t o must er t hat ai d. S t i l l , some
Mant i s mer cenar i es f i ght i n t he C r ab ar my.
Hi t Di e: di o.
RE QUI RE ME N T S
T o qual i f y t o become a Mant i s mer cenar y,
a char act er must f ul -
f i l l
al l
t he f ol l owi ng
cr i t er i a .
Race: Human( Mant i s) .
Al i gnment :
Anyneut r al .
Base At t ack Bonus: +5 .
Feat s : Dodge, WeaponFocus ( one of
t he f ol l owi ngweapons:
chai n, chi j i r i ki , j i t t e, kama, kusar i - gama, nunchaku, sai ,
shi komi - zue, si angham, or t onf a) .
C LAS S S KI LLS
T he Mant i s mer cenar y' s cl ass ski l l s ( and t he key
abi l i t y f or each 1
ski l l ) ar e C l i mb ( S t r ) , C r af t ( I nt ) , I nt i mi dat e ( C ha) ,
J ump ( S t r ) ,
Pr of essi on ( Wi s) , and S wi m
( S t r ) . S ee C hapt er 4: S ki l l s i n t he
Pl ayer ' s Handbook f or ski l l descr i pt i ons.
S ki l l Poi nt s at E ach Level
: 2 +I nt modi f i er .
C LAS S FE AT URE S
T he f ol l owi ngar e cl ass f eat ur es of t he Mant i s mer cenar y.
WeaponandAr mor Pr of i ci ency:
Mant i s mer cenar i es ar e
pr of i ci ent wi t h t he f ol l owi ng peasant and exot i c weapons :
chai n, chi j i r i ki , j i t t e, kama,
kusar i - gama, nunchaku, sai ,
shi komi - zue, si angham, and t onf a. T hey do not gai n any addi -
t i onal ar mor pr of i ci ency.
Ri di ngt he Waves
( E x) : Mant i s mer cenar i es gai n a +5 com-
pet ence bonus on Bal ance checks made t o keep
t hei r f oot i ng
on an unsur e
sur f ace, such as an uneven f l oor , i ce, or a shi p' s
deck i n a st or m.
T wo
WeaponFi ght i ng: Whenwear i ng
l i ght ar mor or noar mor , a
Mant i s mer cenar y
can f i ght wi t h t wo weapons as i f he had
t he
f eat s Ambi dext er i t y
andT wo- Weapon Fi ght i ng.
He l oses t hi s speci al bonus when
f i ght i ng i n
medi umor heavyar mor , but not whenusi ng
a doubl e
weapon ( such as a kusar i - gama) .
Voi ce
of t he S t or m( S u) : AMant i s mer cenar y of
at l east 3r d
l evel can summon t he
power of O sano- Wo, t he For t une
of
S t or ms,
and channel i t t hr ough hi s
body f or a moment . O nce
per day,
a Mant i s mer cenar y can add hi s
cl ass l evel as an
enhancement bonus t o hi s
S t r engt h. Act i vat i ng t hi s power i s a
f r ee
act i on, andt he power l ast s 1 r ound.
Yor i t omo' s Rol l i ngWave ( E x) :
At 5t h l evel , a Mant i s mer -
cenar y l ear ns t he uni que
bobbi ng mot i on i nvent ed by Yor i t -
omo
. Whenusi ngt he Dodge f eat , a Mant i s
mer cenar yadds hi s
I nt el l i gence or
Wi sdombonus ( whi chever
i s
hi gher )
t o t he
dodge bonus t o AC gr ant ed
by t he f eat .
T ABLE 11- 9: T HE MAN T I S
ME RC E N ARY
MI N O R C LAN LAN DS
T he
Yor i t omo f ami l y of t he Mant i s cl an
dwel l s on t he i sl ands t o
t he sout heast of Rokugan' s
mai nl and. T he t wol ar gest i sl ands i n
t hi s
ar chi pel ago ar e knownas t he
i sl e of
S i l k
and t he I sl e of
S pi ce, af t er t he
Mant i s' pr i mar y expor t s. T he T sur uchi
f ami l y
l ands
ar e nest l ed i n t he S pi ne of
t he Wor l d Mount ai ns, cen-
t er ed on Kyuden
Ashi nagabachi , j ust sout h of t he
RedLake.
T heMoshi pal ace l i es i n t he
Mount ai ns of Regr et , i n t he mi dst of
Phoeni x l ands
.
T he Foxcl an dwel l s i n Ki t sune
For est , sout h of S cor pi on l ands .
T he
f or est
i s knownf or t he manyspi r i t s
t hat dwel l i n i t , i ncl udi ng
t he myst er i ous shapechanger s knownas ki t -
sune, or f oxwi ves . T he Dr agonf l y cl an occu-
pi ed a pal ace j ust sout h of Dr agon l ands, i n
an
ar ea embr oi l ed i n t he Dr agon- Phoeni x
war. T he S par r owhol di ngs ar e west of Ki t -
sune For est , abut t i ng t he C r ab l ands . T he
Badger cl an dwel l s f ar t o t he nor t h of t he
Uni cor n. T he member s of t he Har e cl an
dwel l i n a cast l e anda f ewsmal l vi l l ages near
t he nor t her n S cor pi on l ands.
T her ui ns of S hi r o Hei chi , t he ancest r al home of t he
Boar ,
l i e
i n t he west er n
spur of t he T wi l i ght Mount ai ns, west of C r ab
l ands. T he r ui ns of S hi r o C hudo, t he
S nake cast l e, ar e i n t he
Dr agon Hear t Pl ai n, bet weenDr agonand Phoeni x l ands .
ADVE N T URE HO O KS
I n t he
mi dst of pol i t i cal i nt r i gues at cour t , t he ent i r e Boar cl an
was obl i t er at ed i n an evi l magi cal r i t ual . I n t he f oundr i es of t he
Boar , a Dr agon
vi si t or namedAgasha Ryuden f or ged an anvi l
f r oma magi cal mi ner al , act ual l y t he pet r i f i ed
bl ood of t he f i r st
oni .
Ryuden f edt hi s anvi l ' s evi l spi r i t wi t h t he cour age, honor ,
andat l ast t he l i ves of t he member s
of t he Boar cl an, t hen del i v-
er ed t he anvi l t o hi s mast er , l uchi ban. l uchi ban and hi s l i eu-
t enant , Asahi na
Yaj i nden, used t hi s Anvi l of Despai r t o f or ge t he
Bl oodswor ds- magi c weapons i nf used wi t h
power f ul spi r i t s of
passi on and
vi ol ence. T he west er nbr anch of t he T wi l i ght Moun-
t ai ns i s nowhaunt ed by a ghost cal l ed S hakoki
Dogu, act ual l y a
col l ect i ve ent i t y f or medof t he spi r i t s of t he sl aught er ed Boar . I t
i s a mal i ci ous ent i t y t hat t ur ns st r eams
t o bl ood and l eaves ani -
mal s st r ewn
acr oss t he mount ai n pat hways. T he r ui ns of S hi r o
Hei chi ar e consi der ed t he home of t hi s mi ght y
spi r i t , andeven
t he br avest C r absamur ai dar e not vent ur e near t he pl ace.
O ccasi onal l y, f ool har dy
shugenj as di g about i n t he r ui ns of
S hi r o C hudo hopi ngt o f i nd some r emnant s of t he
S nake' s dar k
maho. T he l ucky
r et ur n home di sappoi nt ed, whi l e t he unl ucky
do not r et ur n at al l .
C HARAC T E RS AN D C LAN S
O ne of your pl ayer s
want s t o pl ay a t at t ooed monk f r om
t he
Dr agon cl an. Anot her
i s ent i ced by t he magi cal
power of t he
I sawa. At hi r d i s
a wi l y S cor pi on r ogue, and t he
f our t h i s a
nobl e Li on samur ai .
I t ' s a cl assi c D&Dpar t y
of advent ur er s,
and t he key st r engt hs
of each char act er cover
each ot her char -
act er ' s
weaknesses . But what i n Rokugan coul d
br i ng t hese
char act er s
t oget her i n an advent ur e?
As Dungeon Mast er , you
have t he r i ght t o gi ve your pl ayer s
gui del i nes f or what char act er s
t hey shoul d pl ay. You coul d
concei vabl y di ct at e t hat t hey al l
pl ay char act er s f r omone cl an,
or at l east t hat t hey al l
pl ay char act er s f r omcl ans t hat get
al ong. However , i t ' s
i mpor t ant t o r emember t hat your gr and
vi si on f or t he
campai gn shoul d enhance t he pl ayer s' f un, not
i nt er f er e
wi t h i t . Apl ayer whose i magi nat i on i s
capt ur ed by t he
t at t ooed
monk pr est i ge cl ass wi l l be di sappoi nt ed i f
you di sal -
l owt hat
choi ce, i nsi st i ng t hat ever yone make
up C r anes . Your
pl ayer s wi l l
be bet t er ser ved i f you can f i nd
some way t o l et
t hem
pl ay t he char act er s t hey want .
I t ' s f i ne f or you t o shi f t some of t hat r esponsi bi l i t y
ont o
t hem. E ncour age your pl ayer s
t o come up wi t h connect i ons
bet ween t hei r char act er s, f r om
bl ood t i es t o t i es of mar r i age
( bet ween char act er s or wi t hi n t hei r f ami l i es) . Anumber
of
i nst i t ut i ons i n Rokugan can f aci l i t at e
char act er s of di f f er ent
cl ans wor ki ng t oget her.
You can cr eat e a campai gn
i n whi ch t he char act er s wi l l al l be
magi st r at es- per haps E mer al d
Magi st r at es under Hant ei
N aser u' s command, or
el se cl an magi st r at es under t hei r cl an
champi on' s command.
Magi st r at es f r omdi f f er ent cl ans can st i l l
be assi gned
t o wor k t oget her on a par t i cul ar case. T he magi s-
t r at e
campai gn i s a t i me- t est ed appr oach. S ome pl ayer s wi l l f i nd
i t appeal i ng
t o know t hat t hei r char act er s act wi t h a hi gher
aut hor i t y
and don' t have t o wor r y as much about cr ossi ng t he
l aw, si nce t hey ar e t he l aw. O t her pl ayer s wi l l f i nd i t monot onous
t o go f r omone i nvest i gat i ve assi gnment t o anot her , and may
f i nd t he suspensi on of di sbel i ef har der t o mai nt ai n as t hey cr oss
t he empi r e one mor e t i me i n sear ch of anot her cr i mi nal .
Ar el at ed appr oach i s t o have one or t wo char act er s r epr e-
sent t he Kuni wi t ch hunt er s or t he Phoeni x i nqui si t or s . Wi t ch
hunt er s and i nqui si t or s cooper at e ext ensi vel y i n t hei r cr usade
agai nst evi l magi c wi t hi n t he empi r e, and i t i s nat ur al f or t hem
t o enl i st t he ai d of ot her t ypes of char act er s al ong t he way-
par t i cul ar l y i f t hey have ot her t i es t o t hose
char act er s
.
C l ass Base For t
Ref Wi l l
Level
At t ack Bonus S ave S ave
S ave S peci al
1st +1 +2
+0 +0 Ri di ng t he waves,
t wo- weapon f i ght i ng
2nd
+2 +3 +0
+0
3r d +3 +3
+1 +1 Voi ce of t he st or m
4t h
+4 +4
+1 +1
5t h +5 +4
+1 +1 Yor i t omo' s r ol l i ngwave