Onmyodo:

A Game of Ancient Magic

in Modern Tokyo

Cheat Sheet
Taking Action
Always start with what you want to do, and
then try to explain it in rules. Going the
other way is boring and lame. Generally, if
its not dramatic or interesting, you dont
need to roll.
Roll the dice and add your skill ranks. You
can either roll four fate dice (4dF) or
1d6-1d6. Every point over your target
number is called a shift.
When you fail, you can choose to either fail
or succeed with a major consequence. When
you tie with the target number, you succeed
at a minor cost. When you exceed the target
number, you succeed at no cost. When you
succeed by 3 or more (3 shifts), you get a
boost. A boost is an aspect with one free
invoke that disappears after you use it.
To work as a team, choose one character to
make the main roll, and add +1 for each
character with one or more ranks in the skill
who is helping. Alternatively, each other
character could roll to create an aspect to
help and give +2.
Aspects
When you want to do better at something,
choose an aspect on your sheet, on the scene,
or on the game as a whole that seems
relevant. Describe your action according to
that aspect. Spend a Fate Point to gain a +2
on your roll or reroll the dice (not both).
This is called invoking.
Aspects are also the fuel for gaining more
Fate Points. Whenever an aspect hurts you,
you gain one Fate Point. This is called a
compel.
You can make a new aspect by using a skill.
If you succeed, you create (or discover) an

aspect and gain one free invoke. Succeed by

3 or more, and you get 2 invokes. You can
give these free invokes to other players.
Free invokes stack with paid invokes and
with one another.
Conflicts
Perception determines turn order. Only roll
if you have the same number as another
character in the scene.
There is no grid, but play is divided up into
zones, each of which has one or more
aspects. Moving between zones takes an
action, and may require a roll if there is an
obstacle in the way.
You can choose to do nothing proactive for
a round and gain a +2 on defensive rolls.
When you fail at a defense action, you must
take stress equal to the number of shifts the
attacker scored. Check off a stress box of
the appropriate type (physical, mental,
spiritual). A stress box absorbs up to the
amount written, but they cannot be divided
up. When you run out of stress boxes, you
are taken out. If you concede the conflict,
you can choose how your character fails, but
if you are taken out, your opponent chooses.
To avoid being taken out, you can choose to
take a consequence. Mild consequences soak
up 2 stress, moderate 4, and severe 6.
In order to heal those consequences, you or
someone else must succeed at an
appropriate skill roll (difficulty 2/4/6). You
can then rename the consequence to
something less harsh (i.e. Broken Leg
On
Crutches), but you must wait to erase it.
Mild takes one scene, moderate one session,
and severe one storyline.

Magic
Magic can be used for any of the major
actions in the game: attack, defend, create an
advantage, overcome, even recovery. Most
of the time, everyone at the table will agree
on roughly how powerful the effect you
want is and will agree on a target number.
When we dont agree, refer to this table.
Abjurations protect something within an
arcanums domain. Alterations change the
essence of a target. Commands involve
pressing an existing being or phenomenon
to do your will. Creations summon things
that are not present, either by creating them
or calling to them from afar. Destructions

Complexity is a subjective matter. Creating

a solid block of iron would be fairly simple.
Creating an iPad would be complex.
Changing a spirit of hunger to a spirit of
thirst would be simple. Changing a spirit of
hunger to a spirit of rock and roll would be
complex. Warding a room against all human
beings would be simple. Warding a room
against human beings from Kagoshima
named Tetsuya would be complex. And so
on.

Complexity

Duration

cat

Connection
(*with stunt only)
touch (same zone)

simple

scene

1 target

human

sight (nearby zone)

moderate

session

alteration

room full

car

personal item*

complex

story

abjuration

building full

house

town full

airplane

intimate
knowledge*
second-hand
knowledge*

whole
world

building

Practice

Targets

Size

+0

divination

Self

+1

command

+2
+3

+4 destruction
+5

remove obstacles. Divinations provide

sensory perceptions or knowledge about
something under an arcanums domain.

creation

Paradox occurs whenever an unenlightened

person witnesses magic. The onmyji
attempts to overwrite someone elses vision
of reality, and so a conflict occurs. Paradox
can be avoided by making magic look like a
coincidenceinstead of lightning from the
hands, a circuit breaker erupts in sparks, for
example.
A paradox functions as an attack on the
onmyjis soul. The onmyji rolls Mysticism
as a Defense against a paradox attack,
determined by the number of witnesses:

permanent

Paradox Rolls
1 witness

A room full of witnesses

Several rooms full of witnesses

A building full of witnesses

A whole town or more

10

(Name)

Family Name

Given Name(s)

Occupation

Date of Birth

Height

Weight

cm

Day

Male

kg

Month

Year

Female

(30mm x 40mm)

Skills

Contacts

Athletics

Academics

Deceive

Burglary

Crafts

Empathy

Drive

Computers

Provoke

Fight

Mysticism

Rapport

Shoot

Perception

Resources

Stealth

Will

Refresh
Aspects

Essence

Conflict

Arcana

Stunts
Death

Body (Athletics)

Mind (Will)

Soul (Mysticism)

Mild

Moderate

Severe

Consequences

Prime

Matter

Earth

Life

Fate

Void

Mind

Time

Wind

Fire

Water

Spirit

Forces

Space

Game Creation
Game Aspects
As a group, come up with two
phrases, called Aspects, that
describe the kind of game you
want to play. Think of major
issues or challenges that youd like
your character to come up against.
Your GM has some ideas for
challenges,
opponents,
and
scenarios, but you,, the players, will
decide the overall tone of the
game. Youll decide what sort of
group you are, how you know
each other, and the general
context in which you deal
with the supernatural
ural
forces of modern Tokyo.
To get the discussion
going, here are a few
example settings. Feel
free to add your own
ideas, mix and match and
mash together to make
the game thats best for
everyone at the table.

Weird Tales from Akeyami

High School
You were
re a normal student at a
normal high schooluntil
school
one day
you witnessed an event which
warped your mind and opened
you up to the true nature of reality.
Now, along with English, Calculus
and Japanese History, you study
the ancient ways of compelling
spiritss and weaving spells. Its a
struggle juggling a mountain of
homework, after-school
after
activities,
and parents incessant questions
about why you come home
covered in bruises at two in the
morningbut
but its kind of fun.
fun

Bureau of Yin and Yang

Special Task Force
For more than a thousand years,
mages from the Bureau of Yin and
Yang advised the most powerful
men in Japan, overseeing the
succession of emperors and
deciding the movements of vast
armies. Officially, the Bureau was
disbanded during the Meiji period,
amidst
idst a wave of Westernizing
influences. The Bureau continued
on, however, in secret, protecting
the Japanese people from mystical
threats and ensuring that the
public remains ignorant of the true
nature of the world. You are a

special agent of the Bureau of

o Yin
and Yang, instructed in the ancient
ways of magic, and charged with a
solemn duty to defend the land of
your ancestors from dangers
beyond our realm.
The Abe Academy for Talented
Youngsters
Take the Yamanote line to
Harajuku, then take the elevator
down
own from the platform. If you
look carefully, youll find the
button: B14. A tram is there, with
no
conductors
or
station
attendants, but it always arrives on
time. Ride the line out to the last
stop, and youll find the Abe

Academy for Talented Youngsters,

where students with special
promise are trained to unlock their
hidden potential.
The Hidden Council
You are part of a very select cabal
of mages, the last in a succession
of mentors and apprentices
stretching back more than fifteen
centuries. Your master and his
colleagues have overseen Japans
resurrection from the ashes of
World War II, pulling strings in
secret and arranging the threads of
fate. Their time is now nearing its
end. You and your fellow
apprentices must step up and
assume
this
awesome
responsibility as the true power
behind Japan. But a cloud looms
over the horizon in the land of the
rising sun. While the population
declines and corruption eats away
at the political establishment, a
mystical power threatens to
swallow Japan into a thousand
years of darkness.

Wisdom of the Elders

It is the year 1514. You and your
fellow will-workers of the Imperial
Council of Magi have peered
through the veil of ages, through
generations of descendents, and
seen a truly dark and horrifying
fate for the city of Edo. Using a
secret spell laid out in an ancient
Chinese scroll, you transfer your
consciousness forward, 500 years
into the future, to the year 2014.
Taking on a new form in this
strange new era, you must prevent
the coming apocalypse with
magics long forgotten.

Faces and Places

Once the table has settled on two
game-wide aspects to tie things
together, its time to think of a few
major figures and locations that
will make the setting work. As a
group, GM and players alike will
come up with some important
locations and NPCs that help to
flesh out those themes. No need
for a lot of details, just a name and
one or two aspects for now. You
can always come back to this.

Your Character
Start with the Essence, or High
Concept for your character. This
should be a short phrase that
describes the core idea of your
character. If you were making
Luke Skywalker, for instance, you
might have something like Last of
the Jedi.. Then, come up with a
Conflict, or Trouble. This
his could
be an internal or external struggle.
Luke Skywalker might have
something like On the Run from
the Empire. Good aspects are a
double-edged
edged sword: they make
you good at some things and
complicate your life in other ways.
4

For the third aspect, think about

your characters first encounter
with the mystical world. How did
you become enlightened? Did you
witness something supernatural?
Did you have a mentor? What
problems did you face? Write
down a short story, just a couple
of sentences, on an index card.
ca
Then pass that card to your left.
Now, take the card you just got
and add a detail to it. You are a
guest star in someone elses story,
so find some way that you solve a
problem
for
them,
add
complications, or otherwise make
their story more interesting.
interestin Talk

to that player about it, make it

something fun for both of you.
Finally, write down two aspects,
one describing your first story, and
one describing your guest
appearance in the other players
story.
That leaves one aspect left. For
this one, you have
ave a lot of
freedom. You could have some
minor magical effect, like Weighs
5 Kilos.. You could have a magical
artifact or favorite tool. Maybe you
have
an
important
NPC
connection, a day job, or a
connection to another PC. Have
fun, and be creative! If you really
cant think of anything, its okay to
leave it blank and fill it in later.
Now choose your characters
element by circling one of the five
elements. Casting
asting spells from
f
that
element is always free, but other
o
elements cost 1 Fate Point each.
For skills,
lls, your character starts
with one skill at +4, two skills at
+3, three skills at +2, and four
skills at +1. No two players may
have the same skill rated +4.
5

Your character begins play with

three stunts, which you can design
yourself or choose from the Fate
Core SRD (fate-srd.com/fate
srd.com/fate-core-menu)
or from the Magic section of this
document. You begin with 5
Refresh, but you can trade 1
refresh for 1 stunt. Your Refresh
may never be lower than 3.
Refresh gives you free Fate Points
at the start of each session,
sessi
so
think carefully about whether the
stunt is worth the loss of Fate
Points.

The Mystical
World
Onmyodo: the Way of
Yin and Yang
Onmyd, literally the Way
of Shadow and Light) is a set of
mystical practices dating back at
least fifteen hundred years. Its
practices are dividing among five
elementsEarth, Water, Fire,
Wind, and Voidas well as
between Yin (shadow) and Yang
(light). Its practitioners once held
Japan in the palms of their hands,
controlling the comings and
goings of nobles, the waging of
war, and the succession of
Emperors. Yet modern Japanese
as a whole do not believe in magic.
Modern Japanese are mistaken.
(

A Brief History of the Onmyoji

Onmyd was introduced to
Japan under the rule of Empress
Suiko in the year 603, by the
Buddhist monk Kwalluk. The first
(onmyji, shaman) were
6

devotees
of
the
Chinese
philosophy (w xng, the
Five Movements), as well as
students of Buddhism and
Confucianism. They were diviners,
scholars and advisers to the
wealthy and powerful, and much
feared for their unique skills. Over
time, onmyoji developed a
complex set of arcane practices
based on the five elements, as well
as Yin and Yang, darkness and
light. They blended in knowledge
from Taoism and Shinto, and their
influence grew.
In the 7th and 8th centuries, their
art was governed by an official
government bureau, the
(onmyry, Bureau of Yin and
Yang). They had an official place
in the Imperial bureaucracy and
enjoyed high status. Nobles all
across Japan sought the wisdom of
the onmyji, and many would
refuse even to leave their palace
grounds without consulting the
divinations
first.
Onmyji
sometimes refer to this as the
Golden Age of Onmyd.

During this the

Fujiwara Clan rose
to dominate the
Bureau of Yin and
Yang, and gained
preeminence over
the onmyji of
Japan. They ruled
over the Imperial
Court in regency, seeing to all of
the duties of state as the Emperor
lived in secluded luxury. By the
year 1000 they gained the right to
enthrone and dethrone Emperors.
Em
Their power was curbed a few
decades later by Emperor
Go-Sanj,, as he wrested back
control of the Chrysanthemum
Throne. Their influence remained
immense, however, and for
centuries thereafter,
ter, until 1924, the
principle consorts and marriages
of the Imperial family were
recruited from the Fujiwara Clan.
At the turn of the 11th century, a
great onmyji named
(abe no seimei)) codified many of the
practices of the onmyji in a book,
(senji
enji ryakketsu,
ryakketsu A
Summary of the Judgment of
7

Divinations).
He performed
many famous
miracles
during
his
time, and his
acts
have
passed
into
legend. He is
considered the greatest onmyji
who ever lived.
Abe no Seimeis influence lived on
in a new form of Shinto,
Sh
as well as
in a lineage of powerful magi. His
descendent, Abe Arinaga, was
elevated to head of the Bureau of
Yin and Yang in the 16th century,
during the Muromachi period.
Thereafter, their lineage was
known as the Tsuchimikado
family. In 1683 Emperor
Empero Reigen
decreed that the Tsuchimikado
family would have hereditary
control over the Bureau and over
all onmyd throughout Japan.
They presided over the accession
of
each
new
Emperor,
transmitting his wishes to heaven.
In 1870, the Meiji government
took upon
pon itself authority over

astrology and calendar making,

and onmyd was banished along
with all other forms of
superstition. The Bureau was
disbanded, the onmyji went into
hiding, and onmyd became a
secret cult. Following Japans
defeat in World War II, freedom
of belief was instated, and the ban
on onmyd was lifted. The
damage had already been done,
however. Japan had become a
secular
nation,
where
technological innovation and
economical development ruled
supreme.

Spirits
(kami, spirit) are spirits that
exist in all things. Some might say
that kami are reflections of this
world, and are strengthened by
whatever
phenomenon
they
embody. In every candle there
exists a small flame kami, and it
grows stronger as the candle burns
hotter and brighter. Others would
say that our world reflects the
Spirit Realm of the kami, and their
constant struggle for dominance
8

produces all that we perceive.

There is some truth in both
perspectives. The kami themselves
are limited in their ability to
influence our world, however.
Each kami is representative of a
single phenomenonhunger, a
waterfall, lust, beautyand can
only affect that particular facet of
our reality. The larger or more
powerful the force in our world,
the stronger the kami in the spirit
world. In game terms, this means
that kami generally have just two
skills: their domain, and Will. Thus
a kami of pride would have the
skill Pride, for example, and its
ranks would range from 1 to 5,
depending on the amount of pride
to be found in that location.
A skilled onmyoji can cause a
spirit to manifest in our world,
however, through the use of
(shikigami) and other forms of
possession. Most commonly this
means binding the spirit to a small,
artfully folded, cut-paper manikin,
but many other forms are possible.
It is entirely possible for a
shikigami to possess a living

creature, and if the host is

unwilling, this results in a struggle
of wills between the host and the
spirit. Although kami themselves
do not have physical stress tracks,
the forms
ms they possess do.
The reverse, mortal beings
entering the Spirit Realm, is a far
more dangerous proposition. Most
lesser kami lack any kind of
consciousness or intelligence, and
are only able to perceive
phenomena within their domain.
More powerful kami are aware of
humans, and will react to an
Onmyoji standing in their midst.

Precisely how they will react

depends on the kami. A kami of
Tradition, for example, may be
scandalized by the presence of
fleshly creatures in her parlor, while a
kami of Innovation
Innovati
might
welcome someone with new ideas
or wearing interesting fashions.
fashions
(oni,, demons) are a special
subclass of kami. They tend to
represent the more vicious and
basal tendencies of human nature,
such as Violence and Greed.
Jealous of the world of humans,
human
they frequently seek to possess
bodies of the weak-willed.
weak

Ghosts
Ghosts are the spirits of the dead,
existing on the border of this
world and the next. That border is
called the Twilight, or
(chuuin, middle shadow). Although
A
it is not visible to most human
beings,
some
natural
creaturesdogs, catscan
can sense
the smell of an unearthly presence.
Most Japanese are cremated
shortly after their death, usually
within a week, and family
members place their bones in an
urn as part of the initial funeral
rites.
tes. However, there is a second
rite to be performed forty-nine
forty
days after death. During the
interim, the soul of the deceased
tends to remain with its remains,
and ascends to heaven after the
second rite is performed.
In some cases, however, the ghost
clings to this world,, and becomes
an (onry,, vengeful ghost).
ghost)
If the proper rites have not been
performed, or if the ghost has
some unfinished business or
emotional attachment to this
world, they may remain in the
10

Twilight. The longer a ghost

remains in thee Twilight, the more
it comes to resent the living, and a
ghost that stays behind long
enough
invariably
becomes
twisted and hateful.
Like kami, ghosts by default have
two skills: Grudge, and Will. They
may also retain some of the skills
they had in life. They lack a
physical stress track, but can be
possess bodies, much like kami.

11

Rules
Skills
The Ladder
#
+8

Rank
Legendary

+7
+6

Epic
Fantastic

+5
+4

Superb
Great

+3
+2

Good
Fair

+1
0

Average
Mediocre

-1
-2

Poor
Terrible

Among the greatest

achievements
in history.
A once-in-a-lifetime
achievement
for
the
average
person.
An

expert can
reliably
achieve this
under
favorable
circumstances.

Nearly
anyone
could do it
with just a
little help.
Most people could
do it most of
the time.

For most types of actions, its

enough for everyone at the table
to agree and say, Yeah, you
12

should be able to do that. When

theres a conflict or a genuine
challenge, roll the dice and add the
relevant skill. See fate-srd.com for
more detail on what each skill
does.
Dice
There are two alternative forms of
dice-rolling, and you may choose
to use one or both of them. All
rolls
are
essentially
the
sameskill+diceso you can
choose whichever die rolling
method you like best.
Fate Dice are six-sided dice with
two pluses, two minuses, and two
blanks. Pluses add one to the roll,
minuses subtract one, and blanks
are ignored. Roll four Fate Dice
(4dF) and add your skill. This
results in fairly uniform results,
mostly within one point of your
skill ranking, and a (very rare)
maximum deviation of four over
or under the skill.

The Four Actions

Overcome: get past an
obstacle (the normal use of skills
in most games).

Two pluses, one minus, one blank, for

a total of +1.

Alternatively, you can use two six

sided dice of two different colors.
The darker die represents yin, and
is subtracted from the total. The
lighter die represents yang,
yang and is
added to the total. Skill - yin + yang
= result. This results in more
widely distributed results, up to
five over or under the skill rank in
rare cases. The average and most
common result is still equal to a
characters skill rank.
To work as a team,, choose one
character to make the main roll,
and add +1 for each character
with one or more ranks in the skill
who is helping. Alternatively, each
other character could roll to create
an aspect to help and give +2.

13

Create an Advantage: Create

an aspect and/or invoke for free.
Attack: Try to harm another
character (physically, socially,
mentally, etc).
Defend: Mitigate an attack.
Overcome
Use the overcome action to
achieve assorted goals appropriate
to your skill.
When you fail an overcome
action, you have two options.
You can simply fail, which
means you dont attain your
goal or get what you were after,
or you can succeed at a serious
cost.
When you tie an overcome
action, you attain your goal or
get what you were after, but at
a
a minor cost.
When you succeed at an
overcome action, you attain
your goal without any cost.

When you succeed with style

(3 over target) at an overcome
action, you attain your goal and
get a boost, an aspect that you
or an ally can invoke once for
free.
Create an Advantage
Use the create an advantage action
to make a situation aspect that
gives you a benefit, or to claim a
benefit from any aspect you have
access to.
When you fail, you either
dont create the aspect, or you
create it but someone else gets
the free invokewhatever you
end up doing works to
someone
elses
advantage
instead.
When you tie, you get a boost
instead of the situation aspect
you were going for.
When you succeed, you create
a situation aspect with a free
invocation.
When you succeed with style,
you get a situation aspect with
two free invocations instead of
one.
14

Attack
Use the attack action to harm
someone in a conflict or take them
out of a scene.
When you fail at an attack,
you dont cause any harm to
your target. (It also means that
your target succeeded on the
defend action, which could get
you saddled with other effects.)
When you tie an attack, you
dont cause any harm, but you
gain a boost.
When you succeed on an
attack, you inflict a hit on your
target equal to the number of
shifts you got. That forces the
target to try and buy off the
value of your hit by taking
stress or consequences; if thats
not possible, your target gets
taken out of the conflict.
When you succeed with style
on an attack, it works like a
normal success, but you also
have the option to reduce the
value of your hit by one to gain
a boost as well.

Defend
Use the defend action to avoid an
attack or prevent someone from
creating an advantage against you.
When you fail at a defense,
defense
you suffer the consequences
uences of
whatever you were trying to
prevent. You might take a hit
or have an advantage created
on you.
When you tie a defense,
defense you
grant your opponent a boost.
When you succeed at a
defense,, you successfully avoid
the attack or the attempt to
gain an advantage on you.
When you succeed with style
at a defense,, it works like a
normal success, but you also
gain a boost as you turn the
tables momentarily.

Damage
Fill in one stress box greater than
or equal to the value of an attack,
take a consequence, or fill in one
stress
box
and
take
a
Consequenceif
if you cant do one
of these three things, youre Taken
Out.. What that means is up to the
15

group, but it generally means that

the character is out of play for at
least a scene, and perhaps
permanently.
Consequences
Consequences are basically aspects,
but with a negative bent. Most
characters have three: Mild (2),
Moderate (4), and Severe (6).
You use consequences to soak
damage when you run out of
stress boxes and dont want to be
taken out. Taking a consequence
consequenc

reduces an attack by the number

listed and uses up that
consequence slot. Recovering
from a consequence requires an
Overcome action with a relevant
skill, difficulty set at the value of
the consequence. When you
recover,
you
rename
the
consequence to something less
serious, and then wait. Mild
consequences take one whole
scene, moderate take a session,
and severe take a whole scenario
to recover.

Aspects
An aspect is a phrase that
describes something unique or
noteworthy about whatever its
attached to. Theyre the primary
way you spend and gain fate
points, and they influence the
story by providing an opportunity
for a character to get a bonus,
complicating a characters life, or
adding to another characters roll
or passive opposition.

16

Invoking Aspects
The main way youre going to use
aspects in a game of Fate is to
invoke them. If youre in a
situation where an aspect is
beneficial to your character
somehow, you can invoke it.
In order to invoke an aspect,
explain why the aspect is relevant,
spend a fate point, and you can
choose one of these benefits:
Take a +2 on your current skill
roll after youve rolled the dice.
Reroll all your dice.
Pass a +2 benefit to another
characters
roll,
if
its
reasonable that the aspect
youre invoking would be able
to help.
Add +2 to any source of
passive opposition, if its
reasonable that the aspect
youre
invoking
could
contribute to making things
more difficult. You can also use
this
to
create
passive
opposition at Fair (+2) if there
wasnt going to be any.

Free Invocations
When you succeed at creating an
advantage, you stick a free
invocation onto an aspect. If you
succeed with style, you get two
invocations. Some of the other
actions also give you free boosts.
You also get to stick a free
invocation on any consequences
you inflict in a conflict.
Free invocations work like normal
ones except in two ways: no fate
points are exchanged, and you can
stack them with a normal
invocation for a better bonus. So
you can use a free invocation and
pay a fate point on the same
aspect to get a +4 bonus instead
of a +2, two rerolls instead of one,
or you can add +4 to another
characters roll or increase passive
opposition by +4. Or you could
split the benefits, getting a reroll
and a +2 bonus. You can also
stack multiple free invocations
together.
After youve used your free
invocation, if the aspect in
question is still around, you can
17

keep invoking it by spending fate

points.
Compelling Aspects
The other way you use aspects in
the game is called a compel. If
youre in a situation where having
or being around a certain aspect
means your characters life is more
dramatic or complicated, someone
can compel the aspect. That aspect
can be on your character, the
scene, location, game, or anywhere
else thats currently in play. Well
start with character aspects, and
then talk about situation aspects in
a bit.
In order to compel an aspect,
explain why the aspect is relevant,
and then make an offer as to what
the complication is. You can
negotiate the terms of the
complication a bit, until you reach
a reasonable consensus. Whoever
is getting compelled then has two
options:

Accept the complication and

receive a fate point
Pay a fate point to prevent the
complication from happening
Finally, and this is very important:
if a player wants to compel
another character, it costs a fate
point
to
propose
the
complication. The GM can
always compel for free, and any
player can propose a compel on
his or her own character for free.

Fate Points
GMs and players both have a pool
of points calledd fate points they
can use to influence the game.

18

Players, you start with a certain

number of points every scenario,
equal to your characters refresh.
Youll also reset to your refresh
rate if you ended a mid-scenario
mid
session with fewer fate points than
your rate. At the beginning of
every scene, the
he GM gets a budget
of one fate point to spend for each
character in the scene.
When your aspects come into play,
you will usually spend or gain a
fate point.

Spending Fate Points

You spend fate points in any of
the following ways:
Invoke an Aspect: Invoking
an aspect costs you one fate
point, unless the invocation is
free.
Power a Stunt: Some stunts
are very potent, and as such,
cost a fate point in order to
activate.
Refuse a Compel: Once a
compel is proposed, you can
pay a fate point to avoid the
complication associated with it.
Declare a Story Detail: To
add something to the narrative
based on one of your aspects,
spend a fate point.
Earning Fate Points
You earn fate points in any of the
following ways:
Accept a Compel: You get a
fate point when you agree to
the complication associated
with a compel.
Have Your Aspects Invoked
Against You: If someone pays
a fate point to invoke an aspect
19

attached to your character, you

gain their fate point at the end
of the scene. This includes
advantages created on your
character,
as
well
as
consequences.
Concede in a Conflict: You
receive one fate point for
conceding in a conflict, as well
as an additional fate point for
each consequence that youve
received in that conflict. You
choose how you fail, so dont
hesitate to use this option if
things are going poorly!

Stunts and Refresh

Stunts are additional little tweaks
that allow your character to use a
skill in a different or more
powerful way. Feel free to make
up your own stunts or choose
them from the Fate Core list. They
basically come in three flavors:
You can use <skill> in
<situation where you normally
couldnt>
provided
that
<limitation>.
Gain a +2 bonus to <skill>
when doing <specific thing that

youll probably do once or

twice a session>.
Something else interesting.
Really powerful stunts might cost
a Fate Point in order to balance
them.
By default, every character starts
with three free stunts and a refresh
of 3.. Refresh is the number of
Fate Points your character has at
the start of each session. You can
take up to two additional stunts by
spending 1 refresh for each: the
more cool stuff you can do, the
less
fuel
you
have
for
awesomeness.
Feel free to choose any stunt from
the Fate Core rulebook, from the
section below on magic skills, or
make your own.

Conflicts
Perception determines turn
order. Only roll if you have
the same number as another
character in the scene.
There is no grid, but play is
divided up into zones, each of
which has one or more
20

aspects. Moving between zones

takes one turn,, and may require a
roll if there is an obstacle in the
way.
You can choose to do nothing
proactive for a round and gain a
+2 on defensive rolls. If you
concede the conflict, you can
choose how your character fails,
but if you are taken out, your
opponent chooses.

Advancement & Change

After each session,
session you may do
one (and only one) of the
following:
Switch the rank values of any
two skills, or replace one
Average (+1) skill with one that
isnt on your sheet.

Change any single stunt for

another stunt.
Purchase a new stunt, provided
you have the refresh to do so.
(Remember, you cant go below
1 refresh.)
Rename one character aspect
that isnt your high concept.
After each scenario,, you can do
one thing from the session list,
plus:
Add one point to an existing
skill or buy a new skill at +1.
If you have any severe
consequences, you can rename
them to begin the recovery
process, if you havent already.
After each story arc,, you can do
one thing from both of the above
lists, plus:
Take an additional point of
refresh, which allows you to
immediately buy a new stunt or
keep it in order to give yourself
more fate points at the
beginning of a session.
Rename your characters high
concept if you desire.

21

Magic
Magic skills in this game work
essentially like any other skill.
Your character can overcome,
create an advantage, attack, or
defend with magical skills. You
can even use magic to recover
from
consequences,
where
appropriate. There are, however,
four major limitations: sensory
connection, primary elements, the
arcane ladder, and paradox.

Sensory Connection
In order to cast a spell on a target,
the caster must be able to sense
the target in some way. Normal
sight, hearing, or touch will do for
most spells. The mundane senses
can be enhanced with Life magic,
granting infrared vision or
magnetic detection, which some
living creatures possess. Mind
magic can enhance the perception
of senses, but cannot actually give
a mage sensory perceptions she
does not already have. Space
magic can create a portal which
the mage could then activate by
22

visiting a second location, thereby

opening up a conduit for the
senses.
To perform magic at some
distance, and particularly in order
to perform more impressive acts
with Space magic, an onmyji
should master the art of
Sympathetic Magic (a stunt). Using
this technique, spells can be cast
on any target with which the mage
has some physical connectiona
personal object, a piece of the
target, etc.

The Elements
There
are
five
elements,
collectively called the (godai,
The Great Five), describe the
connections between various
fundamental essences of existence.
They are representative of an
outlook on life or a style of doing
things, and not so much classical
elements like those found in the
West or in typical fantasy
roleplaying games. If youre
familiar with the I Ching or Feng
Shui, thats the kind of thing were
talking about here.

In Onmyodo, each element

governs two schools of magic,
called arcana. In these pairings,
one arcanum represents the Yin of
the elementsubtle,
subtle, shadowy,
femininewhile
while
the
other
represents the Yang
vibrant,
bright, masculine.
Each onmyji gains a focus in one
of the five elements (Void, Wind,
Fire, Water, or Earth). This is her
Governing Element, and
nd casting
spells from that element is always
free. Casting spells from any
other element costs a Fate
Point.
Stunt: Extra Element. You
may
choose
a
second
Governing Element. Casting
spells from this element no
longer costs a Fate Point.
Example spells below are not to
be construed as a complete menu
of possibilities. They are merely
provided in order to spur the
imagination and give a sense
se
of
what is possible.

23

"Earth" represents our connection to

this realm, to living things and the
matter that surrounds them. Onmyji
with a connection to the earth tend
toward
stubbornness,
traditional
thinking, and a focus on the collective

good.
They are conservative in their views,
resistant to change. They also tend to
be the most physical of shamans,
mixing their own skills in athletics or
martial arts into their rituals.

The stone, resolute,

remains calm and unperturbed
in rushing waters.

Matter has dominion over soil, water, Life magic has dominion over animals, pl
metal, air, and other kinds of
ants, disease, evolution, and healing.
non-living
substances.
The
The physicians arcanum.
Stunt: Blood magic. Take a minor consequence
alchemists arcanum.
Stunt: Earthly craftsmanship. Can use Matter
in place of Prime to create an artifact.

before rolling to add 2 to a magic die roll, or

a moderate consequence to add 2 after.

Example spells

Example spells

Curse of Steel [Attack, Physical] the

enemys weapon explodes in a
shower of shrapnel.
Saintly Robes [Defend] The
onmyjis clothing becomes as
hard as iron.
Sense Weakness [Divination (0)] find
the weakest point in a structure in
order to destroy it more easily.
Cruel Masters Training Sword
[Alteration (2)] make a piece of
wood as strong as steel, and a
much deadlier weapon.
Zone of Nature [Abjuration (6)]
Protect a temple so that no
man-made materials may enter.
Heavens Craftsman [Creation (7)]
create complex machinery out of
nothing.

Wrath of Nature [Attack, Physical]

snakes slither out from the shadows
to attack the victim.
Scales of Steel [Defend] The onmyji
develops thick scales to deflect
attacks.
Touch of Heaven [Recovery, Physical]
a touch closes wounds and relieves
pain.
Rapid Growth [Command (1)]
Brambles grow up to inhibit an
enemys movement.
Plague [Alteration (3)] A touched
human being contracts a disease.
Aquatic Form [Alteration (4)] Grow
gills and webbed digits for
swimming.
Mighty Serpent [Creation (10)]
Summon a celestial dragon.

24

"Water" is the element of endless,

flowing change, of things without
form or substance. Take it once in
your hand, and it is gone in an
instant, but its power can raze cities
or foster future life. Mentally, it is
the acceptance of lifes constant

changes, a oneness with the flow of

things. Onmyji of water are adaptable,
rarely surprised by the vicissitudes of
life, but frightfully powerful when
roused to anger. They are rarely found
in leadership positions, but take readily
to working with others.
The leaf floats softly
on rushing river waters
as bough and branch snap

Time magic has dominion over the past, Space has dominion over scrying,
present, and future, acceleration and teleportation, wards, and summoning.
The travelers arcanum.
deceleration. The oracles arcanum.
Stunt: Temporal magic. Can cast a spell with a Stunt: Sympathetic Magic. Can cast spells on
time delay, such that it triggers at a
targets not present in the scene.
particular time in the future.

Example spells
Flow of Time [Attack, Soul] send an
enemy forward in time.
Stop the Sands [Defend] move an
instant into the future to avoid an attack.
Kaerimiru (Look Back) [Divination
(0)] watch the last minute of activity
over again.
Fleet of Foot [Alteration (2)] Your
body and mind move faster.
Rewind [command (5)] everyone in
your zone replays the last round of
combat.
Scroll of Futures [Divination (7)] see
into the web of possible futures for the
world.
Time Gate [Creation (8)] Open a rift
in time to walk through. Requires an
object from the target time.

25

Example spells

Forced Teleportation [Attack, Physical]

shunt the target into another area.
Zenos Paradox [Defend] Projectiles
appear to draw ever nearer to you, but
never quite make it.
Scrying [Divination (3)] Open a
window to a distant location known to
you. Anything on the other side can see
you just as easily, though.
Infinite Bag [Alteration (2)] Make a
container connect to a distant holding
area for near-infinite storage.
The
Essence
of
Nothingness
[Destruction 7] an area the size of a
house ceases to beeverything inside is
pushed out..
Portal [Creation (8)] Open a rift in
space to walk through. Requires an
object from the location.

"Fire" governs the dynamic, the

forceful. It is the sudden outburst
that rends asunder and the
pounding heat that drives men mad.
It is passion, drive, desire, and
firmness of intention. The onmyji

of fire are readily known by the intensity

of their gaze and the zeal in their words.
They are born leaders, rarely content to
do as others have done, charging
headlong into the fires of hell without
thought of peril.

Flames of mens passions,

burning for but a moment.
Ah, but how brightly!

Mind magic has dominion over mind

control, telepathy, mental projections,
imagination, and hallucinations. The
mind-readers arcanum.

Force magic has dominion over energy

and forces: light, sound, electricity,
radiation, fire, kinetic energy; gravity,
conductivity. The physicists arcanum.

Stunt: Dreamweaving. Can cast a spell on a Stunt: Arcane Technician. Use Forces in place
person who is not present but
of Academics or Craft for rolls
currently asleep.
involving electronics.

Example spells

Example spells

Mind Control [Attack, Mental] gain

control of a subject.
Mind Reading [Attack, Mental] read
the contents of a subjects mind.
Mental Bulwark [Defend] block
others from using mind control against
you.
Surface Ripples [Divination (0)] Get
a sense of the zeitgeist around you.
Parallel Processing [Alteration (2)]
Perform multiple mental actions
simultaneously.
Zone of Peace [Abjuration (6)] bar
hostile intentions inside of a given
building.
Locus of Hate [Creation (7)] Creates
a cloud that instills feelings of hate.

Shocking Tendrils [Attack, Physical]

Delivers a powerful electric shock.
Weight of the World [Defend]
Gravity around attackers triples, slowing
their blows.
Spectral Conversion [Alteration (2)]
Convert heat energy into harmless light.
Invisibility [Abjuration (4)] Cause
light and sound to pass through you.
Gaze of Heaven [Divination (4)] tap
into a satellite feed to watch the
movements of cell phones.
Fireball [Creation (5)] create balls of
flame to throw.
Reverse Gravity [Alteration (7)] The
area inside an entire building has its
gravitational field reversed.

26

"Wind" is the element of freedom,

chance, chaos, and the unseen
spirits that bring the ripple across
still waters. An onmyji of wind
shows independence and care-free
thinking, prone to flights of fancy
and moments of divine inspiration.

Revolutionaries, poets, wanderers and

merrymakers find their paths lead
toward the wind. Yet there is also a
benevolence and patience to the breeze
that blows even in the heat of summer,
cooling hotter heads and uplifting
spirits.
Gentle summer breeze
makes ripples across a pond,
whispers things to come

Spirit magic has dominion over kami, Fate magic has dominion over blessings,
demons, exorcism, and protection of the luck, destiny, curses, oaths, gambling,
and probability. The soothsayers
soul. The shamans arcanum.
Stunt: Counsel of the Spirits. Can use Spirit in arcanum.
place of Empathy to recover a mental Stunt: Ritual magic. Can cast a spell and save
consequence.
it for later, using the same die result.

Example spells

Example spells

Admonish Spirits [Attack, Soul]

speak a command that saps a spirits
energy.
Ethereal Barrier [Defend] project a
magical field that blocks spirits from
attacking.
See Spirits [Divination (0)] gain the
ability to see into the Spirit Realm.
Spirit Call [Creation (5)] summon a
spirit to assist you. Shifts may increase
the rank of the spirit called.
Human Shikigami [Alteration (5)]
allow a kami to possess a willing or
unconscious host.
Spirit Guide [Creation (8)] create a
portal connecting the physical and spirit
realms.

Evil Eye [Attack, Soul] inflict a

horrible curse on the target.
Turn of Bad Luck [Defend] Attacker
stumbles and misses.
Will of Heaven [Divination (0)] sense
the strength of others destinies.
Supernal Haze [Alteration (4)]
Supernatural effects in the area treat
blanks as minuses.
Font of Fortune [Creation (5)] create
a pool of free rerolls for your allies.
Despair [Destruction (5)] Suppress a
targets destiny for one scene.
Fortunes Friend [Abjuration (6)]
ward self permanently against curses.
Destiny [Creation (8)] Instill a blessing
that makes you destined to perform
some particular great deed.

27

"Void" is the representation of

those things beyond our experience,
the unknowable Other. It is the
realm invisible, the Great Beyond.
Those who wish to truly know the
secrets of creation, to peer beyond
this life and into the next, are drawn
to the path of Void.

Most onmyji of the Void are

unfulfilled by normal, mundane life, and
seek ever higher understanding through
adventure or asceticism. A mage of the
void is a scholar, an explorer, an
inventor, one who often has little time
or patience for the trifling concerns of
this world.
Only empty minds
with empty hands and empty hearts
can know true fullness.

Death magic has dominion over ghosts, Prime has dominion over magic itself:
ley
lines,
counterspells,
decay, weakness, and the stealing of hallows,
enchantment, and
artifacts. The
souls. The necromancers arcanum.
Stunt: Rebuke death. You can use Death to archmages arcanum.
recover from consequences involving Stunt: Countermagic. +2 to Defense rolls
physical injury or weakening effects.
against any magic or supernatural ability
when using Prime.

Example spells

Deathbane [Attack, Soul] you pass

your hand through a ghost, disrupting its
connection to this world.
Shield of Decay [Defend] an aura of
death around you weakens others.
Ghost Sight [Divination (0)] See
ghosts in the Twilight.
Eerie Visage [Alteration (2)] You
appear deadno respiration, no pulse,
no body temperature.
Circle of Protection [Abjuration (5)]
create a circle through which ghosts and
other dead creatures may not pass.
Chains of Undeath [Creation (8)]
create a permanent undead minion.

28

Example spells
Arcane Feedback [Attack, Soul] an
enemy mages own magic turns against
him.
Mana Barrier [Defend] deflect
incoming supernatural effects.
Detect Magic [Divination (0)] See the
remaining resonance of spells cast in the
area.
Mage Armor [Abjuration (3)]
increases defenses against supernatural
effects.
Altered Runes [Alteration (3)] Slightly
change the effect of an existing spell.
Artifact [Creation (8)] Create an item
with a permanent magical effect.

The Arcane Ladder

For magic, its difficult to say what
should constitute a mediocre,
fair, or legendary spell. Hence,
we have the arcane ladder, ranking
the difficulty of spells according to
the sort of effect they might
produce. Simply add together the
factors of the spell to determine
the difficulty of casting. The
consensus of the group comes
first. This table is only a
guideline.
This table is used for generating
static difficulty targets, so the
Attack, Defend, and Recover
actions will be treated separately.
This table is mainly for
adjudicating the difficulty of using
Practice

Targets

Size

+0

divination

Self

+1

command

+2
+3

29

Divinations provide sensory

perceptions or knowledge about
something under an arcanums
domain. Commands involve
pressing an existing being or
phenomenon to do your will.
Alterations change the essence of
a target. Abjurations protect
something within an arcanums
domain. Destructions remove
obstacles. Creations summon
things that are not present, either
by creating them or calling to
them from afar.
Complexity

Duration

cat

Connection
(*with stunt only)
touch (same zone)

simple

scene

1 target

human

sight (nearby zone)

moderate

session

alteration

room full

car

personal item*

complex

story

abjuration

building full

house

town full

airplane

intimate
knowledge*
second-hand
knowledge*

whole
world

building

+4 destruction
+5

a particular type of spell to

Overcome or Create Advantage,
and should not be considered set
in stoneguidelines to keep
things from devolving into Yes, I
can! and No, you cant!

creation

permanent

Complexity is a subjective matter.

Creating a solid block of iron
would be fairly simple. Creating an
iPad would be complex. Changing
a spirit of hunger to a spirit of
thirst would be simple. Changing a
spirit of hunger to a spirit of rock
and roll would be complex.
Warding a room against all human
beings would be simple. Warding a
room against human beings from
Kagoshima named Tetsuya would
be complex. And so on.
Connection is a measure of the
casters metaphysical distance
from the target. Normally, the
caster needs to at least be able to
see a target in order to cast a spell.
However, mages who master
Sympathetic Magic (a stunt) can
cast spells on targets they cannot
see by holding a part of the target
(a lock of hair, a branch of a tree)
or personal item owned by the
target. Casting by knowledge alone
is more difficult, but not
impossible. Of course, failure
could mean the spell targets
someone or something entirely
unintended.
30

Paradox
The onmyjis enlightenment
comes from realizing that all the
world around us is but an illusion
crafted by the minds of those who
inhabit itto perceive is to create.
Knowing this, she can will herself
to see other presents, other
realities, and impose her will above
others. Where the onmyjis vision
of reality conflicts with the
consensus of those around her,
paradox arises.
Paradox Rolls
1 witness

A room full of witnesses

Several
rooms
witnesses

full

of 6

A building full of witnesses

A whole town or more

10

A clever onmyji avoids paradox by

making
his
magic
appear
coincidental or natural. A bolt of
lightning from a persons hand
would surely seem supernatural,
but the same bolt from a shorting
circuit breaker might appear to be

just an unlucky coincidence for the

onmyjis foe.
Animals, supernatural creatures,
ghosts, spirits, and other onmyji
do not count as witnesses. Only
unenlightened human beings,
whose paradigm does not include
the existence of the supernatural,
are considered when determining
paradox. It is said that in the old
days the onmyji were much
m
less
restricted by paradox, before
science and learning were the
default point of view for most
Japanese.
A paradox functions as an attack
on the onmyjis
s soul. The
onmyji rolls Mysticism as a
Defense against a paradox attack,
determined by the number of
witnesses:
Success means that the onmyji
has imposed his will on
reality, and witnesses are
able to somehow justify the
bizarre occurrence or block
it out. On a tie, the spell
succeeds and the onmyji
takes no stress, but
generates a scene aspect,
aspect
31

and witnesses may be left with a

vague feeling of unease or even
partial memory of the casting.
casting
When you fail, the spell does not
succeed, and you take stress on the
soul track, which may be mitigated
mit
by consequences as normal.
Consequences as always will be
negotiated by the table as a whole,
but the following are some
examples
of
possible
consequences of paradox:
The spell goes
es haywire, beyond
the casters control
A form of insanity sets
set in on
the target or caster.
Reality shatters,
shatter
and an
impossible event takes place.
The casters body, mind or soul
are scarred.
An evil spirit slips through the
crack in reality to cause havoc.

32