Several books and the AEG web updates contain
Advanced Schools which characters can enter by achieving various
prior qualifications (typically minimum levels in certain Rings
and Skills). Advanced Schools are all "invitation only"
schools, and a character will not be allowed to attend them
unless this privilege is attained during play (due to adventure
outcomes or metagaming achievements). In game terms, this means
entering one of these schools requires a Certificate of Honor
(a "cert").
Please note that the Machi-Kanshisha Advanced
School no longer exists in the Heroes of Rokugan timeline -
it has been replaced by the Machi-Kanshisha New Path in the
campaign House Rules.
Honor
A Hero's beginning Honor Rank depends on their School
(see the appropriate rules in the Campaign Rules). This number
can be increased or decreased during character generation. Your
character's Honor will also change during play, rising or falling
depending on your actions.
Glory and Infamy
Glory reflects how well-known a Hero is for performing
courageous, impressive, and noteworthy deeds. Infamy reflects
how well-known a Hero is for performing dishonorable, embarrassing,
or criminal deeds. All characters begin the game with a Glory
Rank of 1 (10 points) and an Infamy Rank of zero (unless they
took Bad Reputation).
Glory and Infamy can be increased - or decreased
- during play as a result of your Hero's actions, much like
your Honor.
Characters gain Glory by acting courageously,
skillfully, and with honor. Many adventures award Glory for
success, and the GM can also make small Glory awards for exceptional
deeds. On the other hand, a PC can lose Glory for failing to
complete an assigned task, for committing minor breaches of
etiquette, losing duels or other contests, and so forth. Glory
is also lost for inactivity - any time a PC completes an adventure
without gaining any Glory, the PC instead loses 1 Glory point.
(However, this cannot lower the PC's Glory Rank below their
Insight Rank.)
Glory can never be lower than zero, and can never
rise higher than rank 10.
PCs gain points of Infamy by committing
dishonorable, cruel, disgusting, or criminal deeds, such as
stealing or getting caught in a lie. Even if the PC manages
to avoid any direct legal or social consequences for the act,
some Infamy may still accrue, as the PC becomes known in the
Empire for his/her unpleasant acts. Infamy is awarded by the
GM, based on a player's actions. Some adventures may also award
Infamy for specific bad acts.
Once a PC acquires Infamy, it does not go away unless
an adventure (or the Campaign Admin) specifically awards a reduction.
There is no upper limit on how much Infamy a PC can gain.
Consequences of Infamy
If a Clan or Imperial character's Infamy rises too high, others
of higher rank will take notice and punish the character for
behaving too disgracefully. For a normal character, the "cut-off"
for this is if the PC's Infamy exceeds the combined total of
the PC's Glory and Status. However, Mantis and
Tortoise PCs get more leeway - they are not penalized until
their Infamy exceeds the combined total of their Glory and their
Status x2. Scorpion PCs get more leeway still - they are not
penalized until their Infamy exceeds the combined total of their
Glory x2 and their Status x2.
A Clan or Imperial PC whose Infamy rises too high
will be expelled from their family/Clan, becoming ronin. This
will, however, have a side benefit - since their social status
has dropped, they are less widely recognized, and their Infamy
drops by one Rank.
Ronin can accumulate any amount of Infamy.
However, having a high Infamy as a ronin can be hazardous. If
a ronin's infamy ever reaches or exceeds Rank Six, they will
become a wanted criminal and have a Bounty placed on their heads,
making them a target for every Magistrate and Wasp in the Empire.
Status
While Glory represents how famous a character is,
Status represents the character's rank and position in the Celestial
Order. Normally, all PCs start with a Status of 1.0, except
for Imperials (who start at 1.5), Minor Clan and Vassal Family
PCs (who start with 0.5), and ronin (who have no Status, until
and unless they manage to join a Clan).
The Social Position advantage increases a character's
starting Status by one rank (10 points). No PC may purchase
more than one Rank of Social Position at character generation.
Note that Imperial PCs may purchase Social Position for one
less point.
The disadvantage "Social Disadvantage"
normally reduces a character's Status by five (5) points. The
exception to this is "Social Disadvantage: Ronin"
which eliminates all Status from a character.
During play, a character can gain (or lose) Status
in the same manner as Glory and Honor. However, Status changes
are generally much rarer than changes in those other stats.
A character who is reduced to ronin loses all Status until and
unless the character is accepted into a new Clan.
Status is very important in social and legal
interactions in Rokugan. Generally speaking, lower-Status characters
are expected to defer to those of higher Status, and in legal
cases the testimony of those with higher Status is given more
weight.
Outfit
Each character begins with a different "Outfit"
of equipment and money, depending on their School and Clan,
as listed in the L5R Rulebook and the various other sourcebooks.
A character's Outfit is always determined by their School, not
their Clan - samurai who are fortunate enough to attend the
school of a wealthier Clan will be rewarded commensurately by
their daimyo, and samurai who reject the teachings of the Clans
in favor of a ronin school are correspondingly less well-rewarded
by their superiors.
A Clan or Imperial Hero's outfit "refreshes"
(returns to starting levels and conditions) at the beginning
of each adventure. This represents the character's daimyo taking
care of any needs and paying them a stipend.
The "stipend rule" on page 183 of
the L5R Rulebook is not used in Heroes of Rokugan - the effects
of a stipend are simulated by the outfit "refresh"
effect.
Extra equipment and money which a Hero acquires
during play does not "refresh" and, once used, is
gone for good.
Likewise, a ronin's outfit does not "refresh,"
and any items which become lost or broken must be replaced out
of the ronin's own pocket. (On the other hand, many adventures
will contain opportunities for ronin to earn money.)
Obtaining Wealth
During play, Heroes may obtain wealth, positions
of authority, gifts, curses, and -- in very rare cases -- nemuranai
(magical items). For every extraordinary item, position of authority,
special gift, grant of land, and nemuranai a Certificate of
Honor ("cert") will be provided, proclaiming the validity
of such claims. These certificates can NEVER be traded, sold,
or transferred to another Hero without the express permission
of the Campaign Administrator.
All certs must be signed by a GM in order to
be legitimate. If a cert is lost, so is the item or position
it represented.
If a character gains an annual income (through
a land grant or Advantage), the income is "paid" on
January 1st of each calendar year. As mentioned above under
"Outfit," money and equipment gained in this fashion
does not "refresh" like a character's starting outfit.
But I Want Something That is Prohibited!
Heroes of Rokugan is a campaign which encourages
role-play and creativity on the part of its players. If you
have developed a character background or origin which involves
an Advantage, Ancestor, or other element which is prohibited
by these rules, submit a background story, poem, artwork, or
other creative explanation to the Campaign
Administrator for consideration.
The Darkside
Heroes may become Tainted by the power of Fu Leng
during play. This is recorded on the Shadowlands Taint section
of your character sheet. You may call on the power of your Taint
during play, gaining additional unkept dice equal to your Taint
rank on any physical action (any roll which uses the Agility,
Reflexes, Strength, or Stamina traits). However, you gain an
additional point of Taint every time you do this.
If your Taint Rank ever becomes higher than
your highest Ring, your character becomes a servant of Fu Leng
and must be handed over to the GM. The GM will send your character
into Campaign Headquarters, and you may see him again later...as
an official villain.