Several brave samurai have given their lives in battle to protect the Toturi dynasty. Young heroes newly begun on their journey, well-known heroes with many exploits to their name -- both gave all that they had in the name of Duty and Honor. In reward, their souls have ascended to Yomi, where they will watch over the Empire for all time.
Effective immediately, these ancestors will be available to members of the appropriate Clans (listed after their names) at a cost of 2 CP (during character creation) or 3 XP (after character creation):
Agasha Shuko (Phoenix Clan)
Asahina San (Crane Clan)
Asako Tetsu (Phoenix Clan)
Bayushi (Rokugo) Kenji (Scorpion and Mantis Clans). For an additional
2 CP or 3 XP, Rokugo's spirit will award a Free Raise on an Athletics or Defense
roll, once per adventure.
Bayushi Satoshi (Scorpion Clan)
Hida Origano (Crab Clan)
Ichiro Togaki (Badger and Unicorn Clans)
Ikoma Traisu (Lion and Phoenix Clans). For an additional 2 CP or 3
XP, Traisu will also offer one more Void point per adventure which can only
be spent against Shadowlands or Maho-Tsukai enemies. A character with Shadowlands
Taint cannot take Traisu as an ancestor, and he will abandon characters who
gain Taint after he began helping them.
Kakita Junichi (Crane Clan)
Kitsune Hideki (Fox Clan)
Mirumoto Notomo (Dragon Clan)
Moto Cao (Unicorn Clan)
Tsuruchi Chiyami (Mantis Clan)
Tsuruchi Kei (Mantis Clan)
Yoritomo Noriyuki (Crab and Mantis Clans)
Tomayuki (Ronin and Sparrow Clan)
The basic benefit from all of these ancestors will be the same: you gain one extra Void point per adventure, which may be spent any time you are engaged in an act of honor and courage. As these spirits grow in power, however, they will gain additional benefits which can be purchased with more points.
Due to the possibility for rediculous abuse of a poorly-worded spell, in Heroes of Rokugan each casting of the "Silent Waters" spell is considered to continually use one of your Water spell slots for as long as it is in place.
Under the dueling rules in Art of the Duel, the various combat maneuvers (Feint, Disarm, etc) cannot be used in an Iaijutsu duel. This does make sense, since most of these maneuvers would be impossible to pull off within the strict structure of Iaijutsu. However, this rule also disallows Called Shots, a decision which makes no sense to us. In fact, many types of non-lethal duels would seem to demand the use of Called Shots to produce the required effects (such as duels in which the combatants try to cut a ribbon off their opponents' sleeves).
Therefore, in Heroes of Rokugan, the "Called Shot" maneuver may still be performed normally in an Iaijutsu duel.
Under the standard 3rd Edition rules, PCs can brag about an incident in which they gained Glory up to one year later, thereby gaining an additional point of Glory. For the purposes of the Heroes of Rokugan campaign, however, we have decided to limit all Bragging attempts to the same adventure as the original Glory gain took place.
In order to to make an honor roll, the PC must have at least one rank of honor. PCs with less that one rank of honor are not eligible to make an honor roll, as there are no consequences for failure in that case.
Alderac has begun posting 3rd Edition updates for Schools and New Paths from out-of-print books. These updated Schools and Paths are for the most part legal in the Heroes of Rokugan campaign (subject to the limitations in the Character Creation Guidelines). The first legal update, encompassing the Crab, Crane, and Dragon Clans, may be found here. The second legal update, for the Lion, Mantis, and Phoenix, may be found here. The third legal update, for the Scorpion and Unicorn, may be found here. (Note that the third update also includes Shadowlands schools, which are prohibited to PCs.) The fourth and final legal update, for Imperials, Minor Clans, and ronin, may be found here.
Writing a module automatically prohibits your character from playing it. Consequently, players who write modules are awarded the same Experience Points as the module awards, on the date of its premier. Note that it is the final Experience Point award chosen by the Campaign Administrator which counts – so no writing 10 XP mods just to try to boost your character! :)
A player is considered to "eat" a module when s/he judges it without a prior opportunity to play it, thereby losing experience. Any player who "eats" a module is awarded 2 XP in compensation. This does NOT stack with the XP awarded for writing a module.
L5R is a deadly game system, and the Heroes of Rokugan campaign reflects this. Since starting over time after time can be disheartening, we have instituted a modified version of the option Kharma rule from the L5R rules.
Any time a Heroes of Rokugan character dies, the player is eligible for a small award of "kharma" – additional points to use in building the next character. These points are equal to the total of 1 plus (2 x Previous Character's Insight Rank). Thus, a Rank 1 character would earn 3 points, while a Rank 5 character would earn 11.
Players may try to earn additional kharma for their departed character by submitting a fanfiction story, illustration, poem, or other creative exercise to the Campaign Administrator.
Centuries ago, a Crane courtier named Doji Kumiyako managed to coax life into a bare flower bed right outside the bed chamber of the Emperor's aging mother. The Emperor was so pleased, he granted Kumiyako her own family name on the spot: Hanagensei, "strength of the flower." The Crane Champion, likewise pleased that Kumiyako had brought such prestige to the Clan, granted her the right to build a castle for her new family. She chose a small valley in Doji lands, surrounded by low hills where flowers could always receive the sun they needed, and where no army would ever come and trample the beauty of the land. She named the valley Hanahosei, "Spirit of a Flower."
Sadly, several generations later one of the Hanagensei daimyos, Hanahachi by name, proved to be a poor leader of the family, a weak man besotted with geisha, gambling, and sake. The family lost its lands and dwindled into insignificance, all but forgotten by the Empire. It fell to Hanahachi's granddaughter, Hanabira, to begin rebuilding the family's fortunes through a political marriage to a Scorpion bushi. The son born of their marriage, Hanameishu, succeeded in restoring the family's lands and position, although the family was left with a deep political debt to the Shosuro.
The Hanagensai family is a contradiction, embracing an ethic of perfection and purity, but also obsessed with the need to overcome their past shame and rise to greater heights. The leadership of the family is obsessed with the dream of casting of their vassal status and rising to become a full-fledged family that can stand alongside the Doji and Kakita. At the same time, the family remains politically indebted to the Shosuro, which has frequently forced them to painfully compromise their ethic of honor and purity.
Stat Bonus: +1 Awareness
Effect: Must replace one starting skill with Artisan (Ikebana). All
Hanagensai family members start with Obligation 4: Shosuro for no character
points. They gain one extra character point for taking the Disadvantage of
Driven: Cast off Vassal Status.
After many generations of their home, the City of the Rich Frog, being traded back and forth between the Lion and the Unicorn, the Kaeru family attempted to gain security and stability for themselves by swearing fealty to the Ikoma. The Lion happily accepted, since this made their claim to the city more concrete.
The Kaeru family is charged with protecting and governing the City of the Rich Frog, and maintains close ties with the city's large ronin community. Members of the family seem to gravitate to the Ikoma Spymaster school, whose practice of ruthlessness in the name of the Clan appeals to the Kaeru. Those Kaeru who follow the path of the bushi typically favor the Akodo school, with its emphasis on precision and tactics, over the wild aggression of the Matsu school.
Stat Bonus: +1 Awareness
Effect: Kaeru PCs take may substitute Staves (Pipe) for any one skill
in their starting skill list.
Requirement:
Must be member of Kaeru family
Path of Entry: Starting
character
Path of Egress: Akodo
Bushi 1 or Ikoma Spymaster 1
Trait Bonus: +1
Agility
Technique: When
fighting with a jo staff or pipe, may add Staves skill to TN to be Hit. Gains
a Free Raise on all Disarm and Knockdown attempts.
Starting Honor:
2.5
Skills: Athletics
1, Defense 1, Kenjutsu 1, Staves (Pipe) 1, Underworld Lore 1, any 2 skills.
Outfit: Katana,
wakizashi, iron smoking pipe, light armor, kimono and sandals, traveling pack,
3 koku
Note that this New Path replaces and overrides the Machi-Kanshisha Advanced School found in School Update #4. When the Lion fully absorbed the Kaeru family, they largely suppressed the Machi-Kanshisha training, and only this technique survives of their school.
The Maeda began as a small otokodate (ronin brotherhood), Maeda's Disciples, which hired out to protect the villages on the Road of Lengthy Commerce during the Clan War. Later, when those lands came under the control of the Unicorn Clan, the ronin band was hired on a semi-permanent basis to assist the Unicorn in protecting travelers and trade. Many of the band began calling themselves after the name of their founder, a Lion ronin named Maeda, and the name was eventually recognized by the Unicorn Clan. The Maeda are still based in the villages along the Road of Lengthy Commerce, and have close relations with the peasants and commoners of that region. Besides guarding the road and its inhabitants, they also frequently hire out as caravan guards for Unicorn merchants operating elsewhere in the Empire. As a result, they tend to be better equipped and more financially comfortable than the average ronin, although they still spend much of their time seeking employment.
The Maeda are intensely honorable, an unusual trait for ronin. However, due to their long association with commoners and merchants, they do not consider it dishonorable to live alongside such folk or to assist in matters of labor or commerce. Instead, they consider themselves to be protectors of common folk, and believe that compassion is one of the most important tenets of Bushido.
As one might expect, the Maeda are well-respected by the Unicorn, who are their patrons and protectors. They also have good relations with the Dragon (who make use of their services on the Road of Lengthy Commerce) and the Phoenix and Crane (who respect their ethic of protecting the common people). The Lion have a somewhat dimmer view of them, as one might expect, especially due to the rumors that these soft-hearted mercenaries were founded by a Lion ronin. The Scorpion and Mantis both tend to look down on the Maeda for being excessively honorable, while the Crab have no real opinion of them at all.
Stat Bonus: +1 Perception
Effect: Members of the Maeda family do not lose Honor for using the
Commerce skill in public.
Requirement: Must be member of Maeda family
Path of Entry: Starting character
Path of Egress: Ronin Bushi 1 or Ronin Yojimbo 1
Trait Bonus: +1 Willpower
Technique: The Maeda ronin may add his Rank in Hunting to his TN to
be Hit at all times. When attacking a criminal or lawbreaker, he rolls additional
unkept dice equal to his Honor rank.
Starting Honor: 2.5
Skills: Defense 1, Commerce 1, Horsemanship 1, Hunting 1, Kenjutsu
(Katana) 1, Kyujutsu 1, any one skill.
Outfit: Katana, wakizashi, bow and 20 arrows, light armor, traveling
clothes and sandals, travel pack, 1 koku.
The Tsume are the lingering survivors of the former Crane vassal family which ruled Shiro Kyotei for centuries before its destruction by the Lion. (Details on the Tsume family's origins and deeds may be found in Secrets of the Crane, pages 49-50.) Since the fall of Shiro Kyotei, the survivors of the family have continued to cling to their name, dreaming of the day when they will avenge their defeat. Although the Lion declared the family disbanded, not all in the Empire agree, and a Tsume can usually count on a favorable reception from members of the Dragon, Phoenix, or Unicorn Clans. (The Crane Clan itself, on the other hand, tends to spurn the Tsume as reminders of a humiliating defeat.)
The Tsume no longer have a dojo of their own, but continue to privately train their children in the family's technique of fighting with yari, analyzing the enemy's style and striking with lightning speed at holes in the defense, often using their foes' own momentum to impale them.
Once a year, on the anniversary of the fall of Shiro Kyotei, the Tsume family gathers to remember their defeat and to renew their dedication to avenging themselves against the Lion Clan. The meeting is held in a different location each year.
Stat Bonus: +1 Agility
Effect: Tsume family members may purchase Heart of Vengeance (Lion)
for one less point.
Requirement: Must be member of Tsume ronin family
Path of Entry: Ronin Bushi 1, Ronin Duelist 1, or Ronin Yojimbo 1
Path of Egress: Rank 2 in the same Ronin school from which the character
entered the Path.
Technique: None
Shall Pass. While the Tsume bushi is in the Full Defense posture
and wielding a yari, he adds his rank in Spears to his TN to be Hit. If an
opponent's melee attack hits a Tsume Pikeman in Full Defense who is wielding
a yari, the Tsume may immediately roll Reflexes/Spears against the opponent's
TN to be Hit +5. With a success, the Tsume has maneuvered in such a way as
to trick the opponent into impaling him/herself on the yari. This inflicts
normal yari damage plus an additional +2k0. This may only be done once per
round.
Note that this version of the Tsume Pikeman supercedes the version printed in School Update #1. The Tsume family has been forced to modify its teachings in order to preserve them in their present difficult circumstances.
The Tiger are descended from the Yotsu, one of the most famous ronin families, whose founder rescued the Imperial heir from Bloodspeakers. (The full story of this deed can be found in the L5R Rulebook, page 77.) Yotsu's daughters were appointed as governors of one of the districts of Otosan Uchi, and after the destruction of the capital by Daigitsu, the growing family assumed responsibility for the ruins.
When the ruins of Otosan Uchi were finally cleansed, it was the Yotsu who fought in the vanguard of the effort, hunting the Bloodspeakers and Shadowlands monsters through the streets of the wrecked city. Afterward, they were proclaimed the Tiger Clan and given permanent responsibility for protecting the city and ensuring that the power of Jigoku could never again be unleashed within its boundaries. Sadly, the process of cleansing the city of Taint also made it unable to support crops or animal life, and in order to live and fulfill their duties, the Yotsu were forced to hire themselves out as mercenaries across the Empire. This allowed them to earn enough koku to scrape by, especially since their skills and hunting foes through cities made them quite popular as yoriki to magistrates.
The Tiger Clan's fortunes changed when the Emperor agreed
to allow the gaijin known as Thrane to resume trade with Rokugan. The Thrane
were ordered to operate only through the port of Otosan Uchi, under the supervision
of the Tortoise Clan. The Tiger and Tortoise quickly developed a symbiotic
relationship, the Tiger offering military protection to the port in exchange
for a share of the Tortoise's profits. As a result, within two generations
the Tiger vaulted from one of the poorest Minor Clans to one of the richest,
able to provide their bushi with fine homes, clothing, and equipment. This
new-found wealth has also brought with it the need to be conscious of politics,
although so far the Tiger have mostly relied on their Tortoise allies to handle
such matters. Despite their new-found wealth, the Tiger continue to guard
the ruins of Otosan Uchi carefully, watching for any sign of the Bloodspeakers'
return, and some of their number still hire out to magistrates in order to
explore the rest of the Empire.
Family Name: Yotsu (+1 Intelligence)
Effect: Members of the Yotsu do not lose Honor for using the Ambush
or Shadowing functions of the Stealth skill, so long as they are using them
against enemies of the Empire. They may take Gaijin Gear for one less point.
The Clan colors of the Tiger Clan are yellow and black. Their mon shows a stylized image of a tiger springing from ambush.
Trait Bonus: +1 Agility
Starting Honor: 2.5
Skills: Commerce, Hunting, Kenjutsu, Kyujutsu, Lore (either Gaijin
or Shadowlands), Stealth (Sneaking), one Low or Bugei skill.
Outfit: Katana, wakizashi, light armor, bow and 20 arrows, one other
weapon, kimono and sandals, travel pack, 4 koku
Rank
One Technique: The Tiger's Tread. The Yotsu are taught to stalk
and attack their enemies with the same mixture of stealth and speed as is
displayed by the tiger when it hunts its prey. When operating in an urban
environment (including a ruin or other ancient relic of such an environment),
they may add their Stealth skill rank to their TN to be Hit, and gain a Free
Raise on all Opposed Stealth rolls. In addition, at all times (regardless
of environment), they may add their Stealth skill to the total of their initiative
roll.
Rank Two Technique:
The Tiger's Pounce. The Yotsu are taught to deliver a devastating
blow against surprised opponents, much like a tiger springing on its prey.
If the Tiger bushi attacks by surprise, he gains a number of Free Raises equal
to his School Rank, which may be used for damage or for making his opponent
easier to hit. If he is not striking by surprise, but has higher initiative
than his foe, he gains half as many Free Raises (rounded down).
Rank Three Technique:
Rending Claws. The bushi may now make two melee attacks per round.
In addition, the bushi may add his Fire ring to the total of his damage rolls.
Note that the Tiger Clan also has a New Path, the Sword of Yotsu, which is found in School Update #4.
Weekend
in Rokugan