Blades and Cherry Blossoms

Introduction

1

Blades & Cherry BlossomsVersion 1.0

by Byron D. Molix([email protected])

IntroductionThe name of this handbook corresponds to the

linkage between a warrior class striving for purity, fulfillment of duty, perceiving the natural order, the complete willingness to kill or die as required at a moment’s notice, and the fragile flower that bursts into bloom then spectacularly falls from its tree in a beautiful display.

There are surprisingly few changes needed to play a game set in Feudal Japan, or more properly Nihon, with the A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying game rules. I have tried to be as detailed as I can in capturing some flavor from the feudal era, without holding the gameplay ransom.

For the remainder of this document, when referring to the people, I will use the term Japanese, but when referring to the country I will use Nihon. If your group wishes to be more correct, you may refer to the people as Nihonjin, which is what they call themselves.

Acknowledgements

I have to acknowledge Robert J. Schwalb and the rest of Green Ronin for creating the game rules this handbook is based on. I also want to acknowledge the unknown artist who created the piece serving as the handbook’s cover art, and Devon Cady-Lee the artist of the piece on page 23.

I intend to add a full bestiary section and perhaps paraphrase some brief essays on daily life, samurai philosophy and the realities of life under the shogunate. This is a free, non-profit document made for fans by a fan. The words and layout contained herein are copyrighted (c) 2009 to protect the spirit of this production without violently violating the rights of the previously acknowledged.

Table of ContentsCharacter

Abilities 2

Qualities

Genre Concerns

Defeat & Consequences 8

Why Can’t I Play....

Equipment & Daily Life

Weapons 10

Armor 13

The Supernatural World

Mythic Cosmology 16

Interactions with Spirits

Glossary of Terms 17

Bestiary

Creatures 20

Spirits

Demons

Section Name

Character

Character

2

AbilitiesAs previously mentioned, no new or changed

abilities are required to create Feudal Era Japanese characters. Even the class system of Japan is roughly analogous to that of the base game. To help people pick Status, a Nihon specific table is provided below.

Because Japanese can be very deferential to those who have earned respect, or who are in honored professions (such as blade smith, priest, etc.) such characters should keep track of their original Status, and what they raise it to. Total strangers will treat them according to their original status in most cases.

QualitiesAvailability of Existing Qualities

Remove the following Qualities or chains, as they have been altered or replaced below:

Blood of the AndalsBlood of the First MenBlood of the IronmenBlood of the RhoyneBlood of ValyriaBraavosi Fighter chainBrother of the Night's WatchGreensight, Knight of the KingsguardSkinchangerThird EyeThird Eye OpenedTourney KnightWater Dancer chain

The following Qualities are harder to acquire:

Axe FighterSohei, warrior monks, are one of the few groups

that teach this chain, other people with it tend to develop it on their own through trial and error as it is not a typical samurai fighting art.

Master of RavensJapanese nobles usually send messengers,

usually on horseback, rather than using animal messengers. Clandestine messages could conceivably be transmitted this way, as ninja are said to use bird messengers.

Polyglot & WorldlyFeudal Nihon has only one language, and the

insular Japanese don't travel far beyond their shores as a matter of course. For a person born in Nihon to have been to China or Korea, or outside of Asia is highly unlikely.

Status

* This rank is included for comparison purposes. PCs cannot play the Emperor.

! Foreigners are afforded only as much deferential status as the Japanese see fit at the time. All foreigners, regardless of birth or position are considered non-persons, albeit non-persons that it may or may not be advantageous to interact with and humor.

Rank Description

0 Untouchables (Eta), !Foreigners

1 Lesser Merchant

2 Peasant, Merchant, Masterless Samurai, Wandering Priest

3 Village Leader, Landless Samurai, Minor House Functionary, Shrine Priest

4 House Functionary, Member of a Minor House

5 Landed Samurai, Minor House Advisor , Temple Priest, Minor House Heir, Member of a House

6 Minor House Lord, Great House Advisor, Member of a Great House, House Heir, Leader of a Sect

7 House Lord, Great House Heir

8 Great House Lord (Daimyo)

9 Member of the Imperial Family, Shogun

10 *The Emperor (the Mikado)

Character

3

Shield MasteryJapanese use shields purely as protection from

arrows. Most shields are free standing slabs of wood for archers to seek cover behind on the battlefield, or small shields used to siege a castle. They don't interpose them between themselves and melee strikes, so this Quality is not taught anywhere.

Bastard BornBastardy and family ties are important, in a way,

to the Japanese, but uncertain parentage would be glossed over. While the character is unlikely to be acknowledged as a child of the local samurai or lord, they would be given a house position, and be expected to fulfill it well. Those who want to take a flaw related to their bastardy should probably look at Flaw-Wretched (-1D to Status) instead.

New QualitiesIf you are playing in a completely non-magical

game, do not choose Benefits with an asterisk (*) behind the name.

Devil Master* / FateYou can compel even the most powerful of yokai to do your bidding, for the threat of combat with you is great.

Requires Cunning 4, Ghost MasterWhen interacting with spirits, you have the

ability to engage them in physical confrontation with much greater ability. Building on the bonuses from Ghost Master, all of your attacks deal +2 damage, and you may grab spirits at close range. Your attacks ignore AR on manifest spirits. Additionally, this prowess translates into a +1D bonus on all Intrigue tests versus spirits.

Fighting Spirit I / MartialYour training has sharpened your senses.

Requires Fighting 4You may add your Fighting rank to all Awareness

test results and to your passive Awareness result. When threatening violence as the consequence of an intrigue, you may add a +1 modifier to a Persuasion test.

Fighting Spirit II / MartialYour battle spirit has become amazingly sharp.

Requires Fighting 5, Fighting Spirit I

You may add your Fighting rank to all Agility tests results. When threatening violence as the consequence of an intrigue, you may add a +2 modifier to a Persuasion test.

Fighting Spirit III / MartialYour battle spirit has become legendary.

Requires Fighting 6, Fighting Spirit IIYou may add your applicable Brawling, Long

Blades, or Short Blades Specialty to your Combat Defense.

Flashing Blade Style / MartialYou can weave a curtain of steel about you.

Requires Fighting 5When armed with a Long Blade or Short Blade,

you perform a series of cuts and maneuvers to deflect incoming attacks. As a Greater Action, sacrifice all of your bonus dice and make a single attack against an adjacent opponent. A hit deals normal damage. However, for every full 5 points of your test result, you also increase your Combat Defense by 1 until you next make a Fighting test.

Flashing Blade Style II / MartialYou slip your blade into openings your foes leave you.

Requires Fighting 6, Flashing Blade Style IWhenever an opponent armed with a Fighting

weapon attacks you and misses, you may make a Free Attack against him. This single attack occurs after their attack ends, but before a second Lesser Action could take place.

Flashing Blade Style III / MartialYour blade becomes a hail of steel too devastating to ignore.

Requires Flashing Blade Style IIAs a Greater Action, you can sacrifice all of your

bonus dice to add your Agility rank to the damage of your strike. This damage adds to the total, after accounting for degrees of success. In addition, add the Vicious quality to your weapon for this strike.

Fox-born* / HeritageYour ancestry is intertwined with the spirit world. One of your parents was spirit-touched, or a spirit themselves.

Before engaging in an Intrigue with a Spirit or Demon, your Status counts as one rank higher for

Character

4

the purposes of influencing a target without fully engaging in an intrigue. In addition, whenever you test Persuasion to secure a Service, you add +2 to the test results.

Finally, you have a Spirit Armor rating one higher than normal and do +1 damage to spirits when facing them in combat.

Ghost Master* / FateKami must respect your desires and obey your commands.

Requires Will 3 (Dedication 1B), Spirit TalkerThe character has gained a potent aura and is

considered a threat to spirits.

You may add your Dedication Specialty to the test results of all Intrigues made against spirits. When engaging in a physical interaction with a spirit, you may use your Cunning Ability instead of Fighting or Marksmanship, your Will plus Dedication is treated as an Armor Rating, and your attacks do damage equal to your Knowledge rank. If comparing "strength" with a Spirit, you may use your Will (Dedication) instead of Athletics (Strength).

If you possess the Knowledge Focus (Occult) quality, your attacks deal extra damage equal to your Education bonus dice.

Spirit Talker* / FateYou have the spark necessary to see, hear, and communicate with kami. This is a basic skill of Onmyoudou and Shinto religious training.

The character can clearly see spirits and demons, and communicate or interact with them. In general, a spirit talker does not have to acknowledge every spirit he sees, as they exist everywhere. Rather, when a spirit is causing problems, or he seeks a favor, he will specifically interact with a spirit. With a Will check versus Routine Difficulty, the spirit talker can choose to ignore spirits. This means that he is still aware of their presence, but he no longer sees or hears them clearly. This is normally handled with a Routine Success, but if agitated, distracted or otherwise disturbed it is considered a pressure situation.

When interacting physically with a spirit being, you may use your physical abilities, and may gain damage bonuses from Fighting weapons. Armor and other sorts of objects have no effect unless of a

blessed, or mystical nature. The caveat is that you only retain damage bonuses from weapons that remain in your hands, so thrown weapons are harmless to spirits, even if thrown by a Spirit Talker.

Charm paper, and other tools of the trade of an Onmyouji or Priest are not considered weapons and should be liberally described as the character pursues their craft or conducts combat against spirit beings. Charm paper thrown by a Spirit Talker always interacts with spirits and serves as the anchor for their power.

In the special case of a sealed spirit, it is impossible to see the spirit, but its voice can be heard if near the object or location that binds it. This means that while a powerful ancestor that was sealed away in a mystic battle could be advantageous to free using the Summoner Quality, there is no way to know it is your ancestor and not a demon simply wishing to regain its freedom and perhaps take revenge on the humans who imprisoned it.

Lastly, a Spirit Talker may take spirit companions as well as human companions with the Cohort Quality.

Summoner* / FateYou can awaken the sleeping spirits of physical objects, tsukumogami, or call spirits, (kami,) or demons, (yokai,) of all types to audience with you.

Requires Knowledge 4 (Education 2B), Spirit Talker

By making a Knowledge test versus the desired spirit type's Passive Will result, you can attract the nearest spirit of a certain type to your location. This can be as specific as a benevolent gaki of a particular form without a specific name. Names are required to summon a ghost, as a dead person has a funeral name given to them during the funeral. Dead who were never granted proper funeral rights must be summoned based on their name in life which introduces uncertainty for all those who were not nobility, (or otherwise recognized with a specific name or nickname).

Attracted spirits come at a pace corresponding to the Degree of Success achieved, a marginal success results in the spirit wandering in your direction at a normal pace, while an Incredible Success would cause the spirit to move at its

Character

5

greatest possible speed to you. If the summoning is successful, you know how far away the spirit is, and can roughly gauge how long it will take to see it (seconds, minutes, hours, days).

Tsukumogami have a Will rank equal to the Cunning of the craftsman who created the object. Awakened tsukumogami do not automatically return to a sleeping state.

Sword Drawing Style I / MartialYou can draw your blade and attack in one fluid motion, also known as Battoujutsu or Iajutsu.

Requires Fighting 4( Long Blades 2B)When your sword is sheathed, you may draw it

as a Free Action. Add your Agility rank to the Fighting test result of your first strike on an opponent, due to the surprising speed of your blade. If your first strike on an opponent is part of a Divided Attack, your Agility rank must be split as equally as possible against each target, even if one of the targets was previously attacked by you and the bonus would not normally apply.

Sword Drawing Style II / MartialYou can draw and attack so quickly that assailants are cut down before they can strike you.

Requires Fighting 5, Sword Drawing Style IWhen attacked by an opponent with a Fighting

weapon when your own sword is sheathed, you may as a Greater Action, sacrifice all of your bonus dice to interrupt that opponent and strike first as a normal attack. If both you and the opponent possess this quality you must compare bonus dice from Quickness to resolve the tie. At the end of your action, you have the option of sheathing your sword as a Free Action.

Sword Drawing Style III / MartialYou are so fast on the draw that you may draw, strike, and sheath your blade in the time it takes others to perform an attack.

Requires Fighting 6, Sword Drawing Style IIYou may sacrifice all of your bonus dice to gain

a Free Attack when drawing your weapon and striking in one movement. This Free Attack may be against the same target as your primary attack, or a nearby target, but must be made without the benefit of bonus dice as well. At the end of your action, you have the option of sheathing your sword as a Free Action.

Summoning Sealed SpiritsSome spirits are sealed, and to break the seal

and summon the spirit, a Will (Dedication) test must be made against the Will (Dedication) passive result of the person who sealed the spirit to begin with). In this case, no Knowledge test is required to break the seal, but the object or location where it is sealed must be present. Making the Knowledge test gives a rough direction to the sealed item or location.

Character

6

Character

Genre Considerations


8

Defeat & ConsequencesDeath, Maimed, Ransom, and Unconscious are

the same as in the core rules. Take the Black is replaced with Monkly Banishment. There is also a new Consequence: Honorable Death.

Honorable DeathThis refers to ritual suicide, known as seppuku

or harikiri. To succeed at a ritual suicide is to use a short blade, commonly your wakizashi for a samurai, to stab into your own abdomen, turn the blade and cut across so as to disembowel yourself.

When performed with a second, this is very painful but ends quickly when the second separates your character's head from his body. To succeed at ritual suicide, one must make a Will (Courage) test versus a Difficulty of Formidable for a warrior, or Hard for a non-warrior. To simply kill oneself in a less agonizing way does not require a Will test.

In certain cases, any form of suicide is considered honorable, such as avoiding capture for ransom, or maintaining purity in the face of worse fates. An opponent may only select Honorable Death for an important adversary who has been conquered through warfare and captured, or an opponent who has publicly committed an action that stains their own honor. If you have time or opportunity, you may select this consequence yourself if you would otherwise be ransomed.

Monkly BanishmentIn rare instances, your opponent may demand

that you give up life as a warrior, and become a priest of a local religion. Without spending a destiny point, the only alternative to this consequence is to choose Honorable Death. For many, this is a fate worse than death, as it is sometimes seen as a form of cowardice, and releases the character from all ties of servitude, family and any right of inheritance for the character and his heirs.

The character is likewise stripped of status (down to 2) and wealth. Characters who are attempting to simply avoid death may choose this consequence disingenuously. These characters are still stripped of status and wealth, but instead of seeking a new religious life they seek revenge, or to

continue their activities using this new opportunity. The case in which this would be considered a desired option for an opponent who is not a warrior, is when spilling their blood would provide too much stain on the victor's honor, such as killing the Emperor.

Actual versus Perceived StatusEvery player character should keep track of

where his or her status began in the game. Outside of direct promotion by a daimyo, or the shogun, promotion to a higher advisory position under your lord or marriage to a higher status husband for female characters, it is difficult for a character to change their actual status. However, when ones deeds are well known, or one has become known for a holy profession or otherwise given treatment by the highest echelons of society, one has a perceived status increase. Player characters can choose to increase their status with game master approval just like any other Ability.

The difference in actual and perceived status comes about when the character is outside of his or her element. A low born sword smith who has impressed his lord with wisdom and humility could be as high as Status 5 or 6 in his Lord's court, but when traveling and separated from members of his House' retinue, he status is much lower. When encountering characters who have no particular reason to know who your character is, use your actual, lower status. When in your element, your higher, perceived status is used.

Why can’t I play....Observant readers may have noticed that there

are no provisions to play foreign characters, ninja, or spirit beings.

Foreigners are not well treated by the Japanese during the Pre-Shogunate and Shogunate Eras, which this handbook assumes are the time periods your game is set in. The rare foreign dignitary may be given a tour, humored, or just treated as a curiosity, but that same foreigner is one very minor misunderstanding away from being killed by a random samurai.

In some periods, foreigners were ordered to be killed on sight. So the romance of Shogun and the Last Samurai aside, it wouldn’t be fun to be the red


9

headed giant who has to remain quiet during all the intrigue scenes, and is always being harassed.

Whether you accept the existence of ninja in your campaign or not, ninja in a historically influenced game are not romantic or heroic characters. They are given orders, disappear for a while, and come back with information or reports of dead enemies. They are effectively plot devices and adversaries.

For every action packed infiltration or fight scene for a PC ninja, there would be ten boring ones due to the character’s deep cover as a peasant. That said, it’s your campaign, if you go ahead and include them as PC archetypes, I suggest the All Ninja option or the Lone Ninja option.

Character namesYour best path to authentic Japanese names is to

find an English to Japanese dictionary, or a true resource on japanese names. Japanese characters, of noble birth, have given names and surnames in this era. Commoners would not have surnames, even merchants would be named after their brand or business name. These names may be traditional, but often a character would have been named after the first thing his parent saw on the day of his or her birth. Being named after an environmental feature, or omen is common.

Hayabusa(m) means falcon, Midori(f) means the color green, Umiko(f) means ocean, Ichiro(m) means first born son as does Taro(m), Fuuko(f) means wind, Tetsuro(m) means iron, Natsumi(f) means summer. If you add RO or TO to the end of a word it makes it sound like a masculine name. If you add MI, KA, NA or KO to the end of a word it makes it sound like a feminine name. As this practice has resulted in myriad variety, a list of actual names or a dictionary is the only way to find especially appropriate names.

Sons may also be named using numeric suffixes, such a Kenichi or Kentaro, Kenjiro, Kenzo, Kenshiro, and Kengoro, ken being the word for blade.

Japanese of common birth tend to have nicknames or to be referred to by their profession. As the nobles didn’t care to learn any given names ascribed to many of them. They would instead be called Farmer, or Woodcutter, or Tailor. Farmers

tended to be called Name son of Name, and other peasants might be Name of Village in Province.

Members of an important clan family would also have a family name. This is separate from the daimyo’s clan name, and history would be a good guide for choosing these names. Again, obvious placement tends to serve more than poetry. If your family was historically the attendant to important imperials, Otomo would be your surname, as it literally means “great attendant, or companion.”

As this is a game you should stop as soon as you arrive at a name that rolls off your tongue, since you’ll be saying it only a bit less than the game master. Don’t try to go as far as creating all of the use names that a japanese person would have had in feudal times. That is like arguing at the table about the correct japanese honorifics for every important NPC that you come across. You are here to play a game, so don’t sweat the details you don’t know enough about.

Male names

Female names

Clan names

Samurai surnames


10




12

WeaponsTo convert weapon statistics for non-advanced

reach, treat all weapons without Reach of 2 or more as not having the Reach quality. Samurai, the warrior nobility, view axes as tools, although some weapons still use that skill. Someone could specialize in their use, but ono are rare and often

associated with warrior monks. Consequently, anybody who is not a monk using an axe as a weapon, particularly as a main weapon, will be considered a savage.

A new Fighting specialty for chains and blowpipes exists. Lastly, samurai use Daikyu, or Yumi, and practice zen archery (aiming is frowned upon), while dishonorable types such as bandits and

Weapon Specialty Training Damage Qualities

Blowpipe Blowpipe 1B Agility -2 Close Range, Poisoned, Slow

Bokken Long Blade 0 Athletics Adaptable, Reach 1

Daikyu Bow 1B Agility +2 Long Range, Mounted, Piecing 1, Two-Handed

Gunsen or Tessen Bludgeon 0 Athletics -2 Defensive +1, Off-hand +1, Reach 0

Hankyu Bow 1B Agility -1 Long Range, Two-Handed

Jitte or Sai Short Blade 1B Athletics Defensive +2, Off-hand +1, Reach 0

Jo Bludgeon 0 Athletics -1 Fast, Off-hand +1, Reach 1

Kama Axes 1B Athletics -1 Off-hand +1, Reach 0

Kodachi Long Blade 0 Athletics -1 Reach 1

Konsaibo Bludgeon 0 Athletics +1 Fast, Two-Handed, Reach 2

Kusari Chains 1B Agility -2 Reach 1

Kusarigama (Axe) Axes 1B Athletics -1 Reach 0

Kusarigama (Sickle) Chains 2B Agility Entangling, Reach 3

Manriki-Gusari Chains 1B Agility -1 Entangling, Reach 2

Naginata Pole-Arm 1B Athletics +2 Two-Handed, Reach 2

Nekode Brawling 1B Athletics -2 Off-hand +1, Reach 0

Nunchaku Brawling 2B Agility +1 Fast, Two-handed, Unwieldy, Reach 1

Shuriken Thrown 1B Agility -2 Close Range, Fast

Tetsubo Bludgeon 0 Athletics +2 Bulk 1, Powerful, Shattering 2, Slow, Two-Handed, Reach 2

Tonfa Brawling 1B Agility Defensive +2, Off-hand +1, Reach 1


13

ninja prefer Hankyu. Hunting Bows are sometimes, though rarely, supplied to foot soldiers in armies and castle guards, which is one of the few legitimate uses of bows outside of the Daikyu.

Warriors view specific weapons as part of their soul. This is the daishou, a set of katana and wakizashi, presented to a samurai by his family or lord, the Yumi, and the daikyu. To touch one of these weapons without permission is very rude, on the order of committing adultery or worse. Samurai treat these weapons with such reverence that a sword will not be lightly abandoned for a different sword. Theft of a daishou or simply the katana is the worst affront that could be visited on the samurai and retaliation will be immediate, swift and all consuming.

Weapons that remain the same from the SIFRP book and are available are the Battleaxe (Ono), Woodsman's Axe (Masakiri), Quarterstaff (Bo), Club (Keibo), Fist, Improvised, Knife, Bastard Sword (Katana), Greatsword (Nodachi), Long Sword (Ninja-To, Tachi), Dagger (Wakizashi), Dirk (Tanto) and the Spear (Yari)

Weapon DescriptionsArrows

Japanese use three types of arrows for war, the yanagiba, or willow leaf arrow, is the normal type. The togariya, or sharp arrow, provides Piercing +1, as it is designed to punch through armor. The watakushi, or bowel raker, is barbed to cut up an enemy's vitals as much as possible, and has the Impale trait and is treated as having Impaled the target on any hit that deals damage.

BlowgunBlowguns are assassin’s weapons. They are

always poisoned, and considered cowardly choices for a warrior. Even using knock-out poison is considered a cowardly exploit, so the weapon is included here primarily for NPC adversaries to use.

BokkenThe bokken is a practice sword, made of hard

wood. They are used by warriors who desire to duel but do not wish to risk a life-ending injury. That said, they are not risk free, as a bokken can break joints, crush ribs or smash skulls. Less lethal

practice swords made of bamboo are called shinai and have the same statistics, with one less damage.

DaikyuThe Daikyu, or Yumi, is a large recurved bow

favored by samurai archers that is easily as tall if not taller than its adult owner. It is a hunting or war weapon with a much larger bend along the top part of the weapon. Treasured by archers, Daikyu are not to be touched by people other than their owners.

GunsenThe war fan, the gunsen, is a collapsible fan

with metal construction instead of wood and fabric. Some even feature sharpened tips. The fan’s primary purpose is to signal orders on a battlefield, but were sometimes used to fend off blows or strike as a club when necessary. Also called a tessen. Outside of battle gunsen were primarily used to cool the owner, while tessen were more often used as weapons.

HankyuThe Hankyu is a hunting bow, and when used

by peasants and non-samurai that is its only lawful purpose. That said, bandits and assassins often favor this bow to the Daikyu primarily because it is easier to use, and easier to hide.

JitteJitte are sword catchers carried by magistrates

and detectives, short metal prongs with strong angular handguards. Jitte are actually blunt, not sharp, but their usage most closely matches the use of a short blade, or pair of short blades, thus that Specialty is listed instead of bludgeon. If a character who carries a staff also picks up the jitte or sai, the Narrator can choose to allow the bludgeon specialty to work with them.

JoThe jo is a baton made of wood, often wielded

in pairs. It is used primarily by peasants for self-defense.

KamaThe kama is a sickle constructed as a straight or

curved blade, sharpened on the inside attached to a wooden haft. It is a farming implement, but


14

assassins and bandits have appropriated it as a weapon.

KodachiThe kodachi, or short sword, is often the same

length as a wakizashi but with a decent amount of curve. This sword is short enough that merchants are allowed to wear it for self-defense.

KonsaiboThe konsaibo is a weighted staff, more obviously

a weapon than the bo, and less massive and dangerous than a tetsubo.

KusariThe kusari, also called the kusari-fundo, is a

weighted chain, often no longer than 30 inches in total, used as a weapon. This weapon was rumored to be invent for use by guards at the Imperial Palace to prevent bloodshed on hallowed ground when defeating attackers.

Kusari-GamaThe kusari-gama is a chain weapon with a

weighted ball on one end, and a kama, or sickle, on the other. Most of these are deliberately manufactured by assassins, as they have no perceivable honorable usage. Because of its disparate parts, the kusari-gama may be used from strike to strike as an axe or a chain weapon.

Manriki-GusariA manriki-gusari is a long chain weapon with

weighted ends. With a length as long as 10 feet, the range of possible opponents is very good. As it can be used to ensnare, maim or kill an opponent without shedding blood, it is again a weapon employed primarily in protecting hallowed ground.

NaginataNaginata are long blades on long wooden hafts,

resembling a katana with a three and a half foot haft. Used exclusively by the samurai class, the naginata is popular with female bushi.

NekodeNekode are climbing claws employed by thieves

and assassins, but these devices were sometimes employed as weapons by the desperate. They resemble plates with claws on the underside that

wrap around the hand of the wearer to place the claws below the palms. The plate is often strapped to the hands of the wearer, and they provide a +3 modifier when used for Atheltics (Climbing) tests.

NunchakuNunchaku are pairs of batons attached to each

other by a length of chain or rope. They were invented by monks, but adopted by some peasants as means of self-defense.

SaiSai are sword catchers, prongs with double

handguards forming a fork or trident tip shape. Like Jitte they can be used with the bludgeon specialty.

ShurikenShuriken are assassin’s weapons meant to

confound opponents. They come in two varieties: throwing stars and needles. Shuriken are always sharpened and often coated with poison. Needle shuriken have often been used with blowguns.

UchiwaUchiwa are also war fans. They differ from the

gunsen in that they are not collapsible and meant to be placed in one’s kimono sash, but are instead large metal plates vaguely resembling clover plants with a handle. They are painted differently on both sides so that they may be used to signal orders.

TetsuboThe tetsubo, or war club, is a large unwieldy

monstrosity of wood and spiked metal strips.

TonfaTonfa are batons with handles at right angles

roughly one third from one end. Designed by peasants for self-defense, tonfa are originally okinawan in origin. They are unmistakably weapons, but often overlooked by samurai as a necessary flaunting of the spirit of the law.

Weapon GradesAll samurai weapons are of great quality when

compared to those available to peasants, but only the katana, the wakizashi, and the daikyu are likely to be made by artisan craftsmen and have Superior or Extraordinary weapon grades. Peasant crafts can


15

create Common Grade weapons, but aside from rich merchants, samurai and conscripted troops, it is unlikely anybody would have them. Most peasant weapons, most of which are hastily created from farming implements, are Poor Grade weapons. If a weapon is constructed entirely or primarily out of wood, then Common and even Superior Grade weapons are more available to non-samurai and merchants.

Lastly, it is completely illegal for any non-samurai to own certain weapons, particularly the daishou (katana and wakizashi). A rich commoner may have a tachi, or even a naginata, but he would be killed if found handling an unsheathed katana unless he were a bladesmith.

ArmorJapanese battle armor, or Yoroi, is made of

lacquered layered plates of leather or metal. Ashigaru, footmen, often wear breastplates with shoulder guards, helmets, and occasionally lower-leg armor or fore-arm armor. Samurai can wear anything from this to full yoroi including a helmet with a metal face mask. Shields are used to avoid missile fire, particularly when sieging a castle, but not for melee combat. This means that Large Shields are available, but they have the AR of wood. Stationary shields with similar size to Tower Shields can be found on a battlefield serving as free standing cover. Neither type would see much use in an adventuring party.

Besides Battle Armor, Clothing, Robes, Soft Leather, and Hide armor exist in the setting as well. As a special note, Leather and Hide are not worn by anyone but the lowest classes, as to wear animal flesh pollutes the wearer in the shinto religion. The following entries are specific to Nihon.

Light BreastplateThis suit of armor is little more than a

breastplate and a helm. It is worn by the poorest outfitted ashigaru, foot soldiers.

Heavy BreastplateThis suit of armor is the full breastplate with

shoulder guards, helmet and lower leg guards. It is worn by well outfitted foot soldiers and samurai who prefer their mobility over protection.

Partial ArmorPartial Armor is the standard image of samurai

armor, consisting of a breastplate, helm, shoulder and hip guards, fore-arm and lower-leg guards. It is worn only by samurai, particularly those who favor freedom of movement in a large battle.

Full ArmorFull Armor is the full battle armor set, including

a metal face mask and intricate layers of plate that must be laboriously tied into position. It is worn most often by generals and lords, but any samurai with the means can wear it into battle. Outside of a battlefield situation, no one would wear this armor as it would be impractical. More than any other suit of armor, this one must be sized to fit its wearer.

Armor AR Penalty Bulk Weight

Light Breastplate 3 -2 1 25 lbs.

Heavy Breastplate 4 -2 2 30 lbs.

Partial Armor 6 -3 2 45 lbs.

Full Armor 9 -4 3 60 lbs.


16

Section Name



18

Mythic CosmologyThe supernatural world of Nihon is one

combining a reverent respect for the spiritual and a constant battle between taint and purity. There are spirits, or kami, in every piece of the landscape and in every object. Dead people become kami, and improperly revered kami become monsters. Thus, families go to great lengths to honor their ancestors.

It is sufficiently complex in terms of beliefs that it is simplest to model the world as follows: the world of mythic feudal Nihon is an animist one, with the leaders of the Empire being descended from the kami of the sun, known as Amaterasu. Those descendants are the primary priests in the country, and the lords and common folk do their best to follow a path of maintaining purity, or undergoing purification rites in order to follow this divine will.

Least Kami are the spirits that inhabit objects, small areas such as hearths, and ancestor spirits in gentle repose. Least Kami cannot manifest without being summoned by a human, but they can still affect the world in accordance with their Athletics ability or powers.

Lesser Kami are the common spirits that inhabit the world, they make up the majority of encountered monsters and include unquiet dead (gaki or hannya), kami of groves, and haunted castles.

Lesser Yokai are powerful monsters, technically demons, they are often perversions of natural creatures. This includes powerful monsters such as fox spirits (kitsune), kappa, and goblins (tengu).

Greater Yokai are the most powerful demons, creatures that only heroes can defeat and often lose their lives in the process of accomplishing the deed.

Great kami are the most powerful spirits in existence, holding the status of gods. Spirits of the Mountain, a large Lake, and dragons are examples of greater kami.

Interactions with SpiritsAny character with the Spirit Talker Quality may

initiate intrigues to attempt to coerce or placate spirits, but without other Qualities he holds no respect in their eyes and is just a curiosity.

Spirits that do not care for humans may modify their starting Disposition by -1 or -2 steps. As kami often do not have the Persuasion or Deceit abilities, they substitute Will instead. Consequently, nature spirits are often quite honorable, not having the capacity to deceive. Demons are often nothing but deceptive, but there are honorable demons. Knowing your target is a great help in determining the true success of a potential intrigue or combat.

Achieving success in a simple intrigue is usually enough to coerce a neutral spirit to leave an area, stop pestering people or provide useful information. A standard intrigue is required to placate an angry or vengeful spirit. Benevolent spirits are often placated for long periods of time, while malicious ones often return to cause trouble within a few months or following the first insult they perceive to their person afterwards.

Because of their place in the celestial order it is often required to use a standard intrigue to attempt to compel a yokai or Great Kami.

Attempting to perform a Sealed result via a standard Intrigue is possible, but requires an objective of Service, and the Intimidate technique. Sealing a spirit is not something that endears one to them, but sometimes is a necessary act. In this case, the spirit is so cowed that it meekly submits to the

Defeating Spirits and DemonsThe consequences for defeating a spirit are

slightly different than for defeating a human. Death is replaced with Destruction, Ransom is replaced with Sealed, Unconscious can last for days or weeks instead of hours, and even spirits can be Maimed if the opponent is lucky or strong enough.

In terms of effects, destruction is total dissolution of the being, yet certain powerful spirits and demons may come back, or be brought back by other spirits or humans.

Sealed is a condition of imprisonment, in which the spirit can sense what is going on around it, even see the events of the world, but can not affect anything, and may only speak to other spirits or Spirit Talkers. Only powerful spirits can free a Sealed spirit, and few would bother.


19

sealing ritual which causes it to be locked inside a vessel (for least or lesser kami), or a locked location (for anything greater). The sealing object or location must have an empty space prior to sealing and be closable. Great Kami can choose to hide themselves inside objects, but cannot be sealed within them.

This is the manner in which the Onmyouji commands the supernatural, spirits do his bidding through hidden negotiations. When he does battle with spirits, his spirit aura is his weapon. Feel free to describe heightened natural phenomena, or even colored auras and magic while the Onmyouji does his work, but mundane humans often don’t see non-manifest spirits or magical effects unless the confrontation is high level.

Simple Acts of MysticismSimple acts of mysticism occur throughout

Nihon, and have the same effect whether you are playing a supernatural game or not. The effects of anything besides spirit talking and direct combat with spirits is effective because of the faith of the blessed.

BlessingsPriests may bless a person. In the shinto faith

this involves actually purifying the target of base impurity through invocation of the kami. In the buddhist faith it entails a simple blessing, but some of the energy, luck, karma, what have you, of the priest transfers to the target.

Regardless of the religion of the holy man involved, the blessing confers a +1B bonus to the first Difficult or harder task a character attempts per day. This blessing lasts until a roll made with the blessing is failed. It takes no game mechanical effort to produce this effect.

CharmsCharms are often created and then blessed to

provide benefits to individuals. Charms are very specific, such as luck in love, or glory in battle. A charm, which is often obtained in the form of an elaborate paper trinket, takes some effort, but requires no game mechanics to make. The priest or bonze should hold the charm and concentrate for a few minutes. Only one type of charm may be created at once, but the priest can bless several at the same time.

It provides a bonus equal to the Dedication specialty of the one who blesses it, although anybody can make the physical charm itself. This bonus applies only to the narrow focus of the charm and adds its rating to the result of one roll once per game day.

A PC can choose to save the bonus until a later time, but typically an NPC, especially a peasant, benefits from a charm as soon as the conditions are right.

Blessed ArtifactsAny priest can bless an object, turning it into a

spiritual artifact. The ritual is one taught to all miko, kannushi, and bonze, and the ritual can be used on numerous items at once. It takes an hour and requires the priest to succeed at a Routine (9) Knowledge test. After the ritual, the object remains blessed for a number of weeks dependent upon its

craftsmanship, plus one week per degree of success of the priest's result above marginal. This imbues the object with an aura of spiritual power, and in game terms allows the object to interact directly with perceived spirits. The devout can sense the power of blessed artifacts, and blessed food seems more wholesome, blessed sake more potent, etc.

Mystic ArtifactsA craftsman who creates an Extraordinary grade

item has created a mystic artifact. Over time any exceptionally well-made items may take on additional benefits and powers as the spirit of the item itself is awakened. Even a poorly made item that is used for legendary deeds can awaken, but in general assume all Superior items become Extraordinary through usage by heroes, and all

Grade Weeks of Duration

Poor 1

Common 2

Superior 4

Extraordinary Permanent, see below


20

Extraordinary items become even more special and unique.

Each item should have its own story and unique capabilities that separate it from merely Extraordinary items of the same type. A mystic lantern might shine a light towards the bearer's desired destination, while a mystic statue might heal all who touch its forehead.

Predictions and OmensOnmyouji often make predictions using stellar

charts, seasonal information and observing phenomena. Kannushi or miko will instead query a spirit, but the result is the same. When a prediction is desired, the character makes a single Knowledge (Research) check if analyzing the world, or a single Persuasion (Bargain) check if invoking a spirit. The former requires Knowledge Focus (Magic), and the latter requires Spirit Talker.

After achieving a Great or better success, the onmyouji or kannushi may make 4 statements of general or minor importance in regards to future events. With a Great success, one of the predictions is true. With an Incredible success, two of them are true. With an Astonishing success, three of them are true. The Game Master secretly decides which of these statements will occur and which will not.

The process for correctly interpreting omens is the same mechanically, but instead the Game Master decides how much truth to impart to the predictionist or spirit talker based upon their degree of success.

Example: Hayabusa is attempting a series of predictions for his lord. He states that The spring will be an auspicious time to enter into marriage negotiations with a neighboring daimyo in his clan, that the night of the new moon will be particularly good fortune for his mother, there will be a skirmish with a neighboring clan which will lead to war, and that he should not trust the man who defeats the mountain ogre that has been terrorizing his peasants. He rolls and achieves an Incredible success. The Game Master then decides which 2 of these predictions is true and which two are not.

Glossary of TermsKannushi

Kannushi, or god master, is the term for a shinto priest while Miko is the term for a priestess. In addition to serving as a medium between the kami and the people, kannushi maintain shrines, and lead worship rites for the kami they commune with.

MahouLiterally magic, is the practice of twisting kami

into hurtful creatures for the purpose of fulfilling the practitioner’s wishes. In terms of effects it focuses on curses and summoning.

MahoutsukaiPractitioner of Mahou. A mahoutsukai has the

connotations of being a witch.

OnmyoudouMystical Cosmology combining natural science

with animist philosophy. In terms of effects it focuses on exorcism and divination.

OnmyuoujiPractitioner of Onmyoudou. Has the

connotations of being a sage or wizard.

OshoOsho is the term for a revered zen buddhist

monk. Like all buddhists, japanese monks are concerned with finding enlightenment through meditation and philosophy. Their asceticism and mysticism provides a doorway to becoming an exorcist.

ShugenjaA follower of the shugendou faith, which arose

around 7th century melding aspects of buddhism, shinto and taoism. Shugenja raise their spiritual power through rough pilgrimages and personal experience. Those who succeed can function as exorcists.


Bestiary

Bestiary

22

Bestiary: Creatures and

SpiritsThere are many natural beasts in Nihon. The ones most likely to be encountered in an adventure as a help-mate, a target, or a threat are listed below.

Bear (Higuma)

Bears are fairly common animals living in the mountains and forests of Nihon.

Deer (Shika)

Deer are common animals living throughout the wilderness. They are also domesticated as beasts of burden.

Horse (Uma)

Horses and ponies are animals that have been part of japanese history and culture for millennia. As soon as the people arrived and set up an empire, there were horses.

Oxen (Ushi)

Snake (Hebi)

Snakes are not terribly common, and any large snakes are considered monsters, but they certainly exist.

Wolf (O-kami)

Wolves are present in Nihon, but in the most civilized areas have been hunted extensively.

Manifest spiritsManifest spirits have the equivalent of flesh and

blood. They can easily affect the physical world, be plainly seen with the naked eye and heard with the ear, and may be slain with a mundane weapon. However, any creature killed in such a manner has the potential to return as they are not Destroyed, but merely rendered Unconscious. If a blessed or mystic weapon is used, or the opponent is a spirit talker, then a Destroyed result is possible. If a particular form of spirit being has a weakness or is known to be killable via a secret method, then even non-spirit talkers may destroy them if all the appropriate steps are taken.

All yokai and great kami can manifest themselves without help, although yokai tend to manifest themselves only near their home territory, while lesser kami can only manifest themselves at night without help. Least kami may only manifest themselves with the aid of a spirit talker. Spirits that are not manifest are immaterial, invisible, and inaudible. Powerful spirits, such as yokai, can become partially visible when attempting intimidation or using their powers without manifesting. Spirits suffer a -4D penalty to affect the mundane world when not manifest.

A manifest spirit can return to being immaterial at any time as a lesser action. To change states under duress requires the spirt to succeed at a Routine Will (Dedication) test. This roll is penalized by any appropriate distractions. If it takes no further actions in combat after becoming immaterial, only a spirit-talker can detect its presence, effectively ending the combat. Usually, only a spirit that is consumed with hatred for the living will remain manifest long enough to lose a pitched battle.

Fox Spirit(Kitsune) - Lesser Yokai

Fox spirits are mischievous and sometimes malevolent beings that love to see humans fail at their attempted achievements. When well treated, fox spirits may treat a group of people as a kami would, protecting them from outsiders, and occasionally giving advice. When challenged they attempt to humiliate their challengers. Fox spirits also tend to fall in love with holy men or women above reproach, and when they are found out brutally murder them out of embarrassment fueled rage.

Agility 5 (Dodge 2B)Awareness 4Cunning 4Deception 5 (Act 2B)Persuasion 4 (Charm 2B)Stealth 3 (Blend In 2B)Will 4Combat Defense 11 • Armor Rating 0 • Armor Penalty 0Health 6 • Movement 8 yardsClaw 2D : 1 Damage : PowerfulIllusion: Kitsune can weave illusions, primarily centered around themselves, but the most powerful can shroud an entire village or disparate areas in

Bestiary

23

false imagery. To see through these illusions requires a Formidable (12) Awareness test. Characters who fail the initial test may only test again if they are convinced by someone else that it isn't real via a Simple Intrigue, or whose circumstance requires them to check disbelief again (such as after receiving a Wound from an illusory source). Even making this check only clues the viewer into the fact that something isn't right in a big way, it does not dispel the imagery. A Superior or better success allows the victim to see the reality underneath the illusion, although ghostly images of the illusion remain.

Characters who believe an illusion can take damage from it, whether it be leaping flames, attacking animals, or falling into a ditch. Unconsciousness is the worst consequence that can befall a victim of illusory damage. Seeing through the illusion does not remove damage previously received from it. However, characters who cannot see the truth underneath an illusion can easily fall into a real ditch or fire pit. Powerful kitsune can produce real effects as well as illusions.

Shape Change: Kitsune can shapeshift into myriad convincing forms to fool victims. Kitsune can become any form they choose that is not a specific person, and they tend to assume slim angular forms as well, but this is not a requirement. Whatever convincing form the creature takes, its appearance is flawless. The demon must make a Deception (Act) test versus the character's passive Awareness.

Ghost(Yurei) - Lesser Kami

Ghosts appear in common variations owing to the circumstance of their demise. Those who died of starvation are called Gaki, or hungry ghosts, terrorize the living for morsels of food. Jikiniki, or ghouls, are wandering spirits that cluster on battlefields taking victims where they can. If their bones are not found and given even a token burial, they return to plague the area further. The Hannya, or Hag, is the ghost of a scorned woman, often one who committed suicide for a false love. A considerable amount of yokai are yurei. Additionally, neglected ancestors can become gaki if food offerings are stopped altogether.

Athletics 5Endurance 3

Deception 3Fighting 3 (Brawling 1B)Combat Defense 7 • Armor Rating 0 • Armor Penalty 0Health 9 • Movement 4 yardsFist 3D+1B : 2 Damage : Grab, Off-hand +1Long Claws 3D+1B : 4 Damage : PowerfulAura of Death: Yurei emit an aura of otherness associated with the grave. It is capable of spooking living creatures in the area. Living creatures within 10 yards of the yurei must succeed on a Challenging (9) Will test or take -1D on all tests during the remainder of the encounter. Those who roll a Critical Failure must flee each round until they succeed on another Will save. If attempting to draw in a victim, a ghost will dampen this aura so that only those succeeding at a Formidable (12) Awareness test can sense something is wrong. Those who succeed the Awareness test do not have to test versus fear unless confronted by the yurei.

Ghoul(Jikininki) - Lesser Yokai

Ghouls are lesser monsters created from the restless spirits of warriors, or at least those who died horrifically on the battlefield. Often visible only at night, they tend to manifest in mist covered fields and turn their hateful eyes and flashing blades on those who discover them. Ghouls have horrifying features, barely resembling their human forms. Unless destroyed ghouls will haunt the field where they died for eternty.

Agility 2 (Quickness 1B)Athletics 4 (Run 2B)Endurance 3Fighting 4 (Long Blades 2B)Persuasion 3 (Intimidate 1B)Will 3Combat Defense 6 • Armor Rating 4 (Heavy Breastplate) • Armor Penalty -2Health 9 • Movement 5 yardsFist 4D : 1 Damage : Grab, Off-hand +1Katana 4D+2B : 5 Damage : Adaptable

Bestiary

24

Goblin(Obake) - Lesser Yokai

Goblins are ugly creatures, with hunched over posture that leads many to consider them short. However, their frames are roughly human sized, and any goblin is a threat because of the vicious teeth and claws they possess. Goblins are often hidden in forest glades, mountain caves, and other out of the way places, and while they can be encountered in groups are most likely to be encountered alone.

Agility 3 (Acrobatics 1B)Athletics 4Awareness 2 (Notice 2B)Deception 3Fighting 3 (Brawling 2B)Stealth 2 (Sneak 1B)Survival 2 (Track 2B)Combat Defense 9 • Armor Rating 3 (Thick Skin) • Armor Penalty 0Health 6 • Movement 4 yardsBite 3D+2 - 4 DamageClaw 3D+2 : 3 Damage : Off-hand +1Fist 3D+2 : 1 Damage : Grab, Off-hand +1

Goblin-Spider(Jikumo) - Lesser Yokai

The goblin-spider is a huge spider monster, easily four or five feet in length. Despite their unusual size, goblin-spiders also have spiky carapaces and their mandibles drip poison as they work themselves into a killing frenzy. Because of their size, goblin-spiders do not necessarily have the ability to climb all sheer surfaces, but they are strong enough to leap a decent distance and are still excellent climbers. In some legends goblin-spiders can speak, and these are the most dangerous of the breed, as they do not act mindlessly, but rather methodically and with an insidious will.

Agility 4Athletics 3 (Climb 2B)Awareness 3 (Notice 1B)Cunning 1Endurance 2 (Resilience 2B)Fighting 3Combat Defense 10 • Armor Rating 3 (Hard Shell) • Armor Penalty 0Health 6 • Movement 6 yardsBite 3D : 3 Damage : Powerful

Poison Bite: Goblin-Spiders that get a Great or better success with their bite have injected a potent poison into the victim's body. Virulence: 6, Toxicity: 3, Frequency: 1/ minute, Diagnosis: Challenging (9) - On a successful test, the poison imposes -1D to Athletics, with an additional -1D for every degree above. If the character ever has more penalty dice than ranks of Endurance, he is paralyzed. It also deals one wound for every degree above the target’s passive total on each test. Recovery - The penalty fades 2 hours after the poison is first applied and the wounds heal normally.

Hag(Hannya) - Lesser Kami

The hag is a demon born from the festering, smoldering hatred of a dead woman. This is usually a woman who was abused, murdered, or mistreated and died not only with a purpose unfulfilled but sheer hatred on her lips. A hag often pretends to be a hapless woman, going so far as to disguise its hideous features beneath an illusion, and lies in wait for a human to appear. It then works its way inside that person's guard, transforms back into itself and murders them as soon as they are alone. Hags are cunning creatures and are not above poisoning their prey, to facilitate the murder or simply to thin out numbers so she may assault a master without the interference of retainers.

Athletics 3 (Strength 2B)Deception 3 (Bluff 1B)Fighting 4 (Brawling 1B)Will 3Combat Defense 7 • Armor Rating 2 • Armor Penalty 0Health 6 • Movement 4 yardsClaw 4D+1B : 2 Damage : Grab, Off-hand +1Frightening Appearance: Hags are so ugly in their natural form that they gain a +2D for intimidation purposes, and the first time a character sees the hag as she really is, he must make a Challenging (9) Willpower (Courage) test or be frozen with fear.Shapeshift: Hags can effortlessly choose to look as they did in life, assuming a fully normal human appearance. They can affect a creepy half-dead appearance as well, which gives them +1D to intimidate their prey.

Mountain Goblin(Tengu) - Greater Yokai

Bestiary

25

Tengu are potent spirits that have unnaturally long noses and comically exaggerated features in their natural form. They are often classified as demons because they are highly magical. Tengu have great balance, and great power, being able to land on structures that should not bear their weight, and being able to summon storms over time from clear skies, and possessing supernatural strength and endurance. Tengu are often considered wise as well, and many travel with the customary ringed staff of a bonze. However, Tengu tend to persecute monks and priests, rather than engage in discourse with them. As such they carry these staves as either a visible mockery of monks, or as weapons. Given that they have the strength to destroy a tree with a single blow from their staff, it is a formidable weapon indeed.

Agility 5 (Quickness 3B)Athletics 5 (Strength 4B)Awareness 3 (Notice 3B)Deception 4Endurance 4Fighting 5 (Bludgeons 5B)Will 6Combat Defense 13 • Armor Rating 2 • Armor Penalty 0Health 12 • Movement 4 yards, Fly 6 yardsStaff 5D+5B : 5 Damage : Fast, Two-handedShape Change: Tengu can choose to appear as any species of bird, as a human (usually a monk), or as a winged, bird-headed humanoid hybrid. Their capabilities are not different in any form.

Summon Storm: Tengu can create storms by flying in a particular manner for an extended time. The storm impairs visibility and slows travel. A guideline is that each hour a character is in the storm they must make a Routine (6) Endurance test. Each failure results in an injury or a level of fatigue, player's choice.

Night Stalking Beast(Nue) - Lesser Yokai

Night Stalking Beast are potent mountain spirits, and like most spirits have the ability to appear as something other than themselves to mortals. The natural form of the night stalking beast resembles a large pale tiger, with dark stripes, the head of a monkey and a snake for a tail. They can fly in any appearance, so whether as a human, a dark cloud, or a more common animal it is important to note

that the night stalking beast's capabilities do not change. These creatures are associated with misfortune and projecting nightmares.

Agility 3Athletics 4 (Strength 3B)Awareness 4 (Notice 4B)Endurance 3Fighting 3 (Brawling 3B)Stealth 3 (Sneak 2B)Will 4Combat Defense 11 • Armor Rating 2 • Armor Penalty 0Health 9 • Movement 8 yards, Fly 6 yardsBite 3D+3B : 4 Damage : PowerfulClaw 3D+3B : 3 DamageAura of Misfortune: If the Night Stalking Beast stays near a structure overnight, the owner of that structure will have horrible nightmares, preventing them from attaining restful sleep, as if they stayed up instead. Affected characters begin to take injuries and then wounds instead if the beast continues to haunt them.

Shape Change: A night stalking beast can appear to be almost anything, but its capabilities do not change. The demon must make a Deception (Disguise) test versus the character's passive Awareness to fool a character with its disguise.

Object Spirit(Tsukumogami) - Lesser Yokai

Object Spirits, or awakened objects are usually discarded items that have gained enough anger at being abandoned to wake up and take action in the world. In other words, their inner spirit becomes active. In terms of dangers, object spirits move of their own accord, and may perform poltergeist type activities. They often seek to frightened humans as revenge for their fate, but rarely are they truly murderous.

Because they are so average, all of their Abilities are 2, which means a Combat Defense of 6 and a Health of 6, if they are engaged in physical combat. Object Spirits that cease to manifest are not particularly safe, as the object itself houses the existence of the spirit. If the underlying object is destroyed the spirit ceases to be.

Bestiary

26

Ogre(Oni) - Greater Yokai

Oni are large humanoids, often with fanged teeth, and horns. Their hair is usually wild and unkempt and their skin coloration is often black, red, blue, green or some other non-human shade. Specific oni may take up residence in a mountain cave, under a bridge, or in some other out of the way place. Groups of oni are rare, but so are oni operating under the authority of other yokai or kami.

Agility 4 (Quickness 2B)Athletics 6 (Strength 5B)Awareness 4 (Notice 1B)Deception 3Endurance 4 (Resilience 1B)Fighting 6 (Bludgeons 2B)Will 5Combat Defense 14 • Armor Rating 2 • Armor Penalty 0Health 12 • Movement 4 yardsMaul 6D+2B : 7 Damage : Bulk 1, Shattering 1, Slow, Staggering, Two-Handed* Claw 6D : 5 Damage : Grab, Off-hand +1Ferocious: Oni have the ability to take Injuries from damage in combat.

* Oni are strong enough to wield a maul one-handed with only a -1D penalty.

Shapeshifting Demon(Obakemono) - Lesser Yokai

Shapeshifting Demons, known as Obakemono, or hengeyokai, are creatures that have grown dissatisfied with a mundane existence, and through great desire have learned the art of transformation. This ability to transform gives them greater locomotion, and a capacity for great mischief. Obakemono often walk on two legs, even when not pretending to be human. Examples of obakemono include Bakeneko (devil cat), Tannuki (raccoon dogs), and Kenku (bird-men). The most well known and most powerful are Kitsune and Tengu.

Agility 4 (Balance 2B, Quickness 1B)Athletics 3 Awareness 3 (Notice 1B)Deception 4 (Act 2B)Fighting 4 (One Specialty 2B)Knowledge 3

Will 3Combat Defense 10 • Armor Rating 0 • Armor Penalty 0Health 6 • Movement 4 yardsFist 4D : 1 Damage : Grab, Off-hand +1Shape Change: Obakemono can shapeshift into convincing forms to fool victims. Weak obakemono can assume only one or two forms, while powerful demons have an unlimited repertoire to work with and can easily assume the form of a victim's loved ones. Whatever convincing form the creature takes, its appearance is nearly flawless. The demon must make a Deception (Act) test versus the character's passive Awareness. Most yokai don't have the patience to study a particular human for longer than a few hours to learn how to impersonate them, thus positive modifiers are often unnecessary for this test.

Snow Woman(Yuki-Onna) - Lesser Kami

A snow woman is a spirit created when a woman passes away in the frigid cold. She is often returned to a wandering existence where she seeks to lure victims to a similar fate. Snow womwn are extremely beautiful, and tend to be pale. They often appear wearing white, or light colored clothing as they do not stand out strongly against the snowy backgrounds they haunt. In the presence of a snow woman, the temperature drops, and those who fraternize with one find their fingers beginning to freeze soon enough.

Aura of Cold: A snow woman generates a field of cold on her own. In the frigid climes she is likely to be found in, this heightens the danger of any Endurance tests against extreme cold by requiring rolls every 10 minutes, rather than every hour.

Spider-Queen(Kumo-Onna) - Greater Yokai

Goblin-Spiders pay homage to rulers, and these rulers, known as Spider-Queens, are truly massive monstrosities. They are more dangerous than their minions because their poison is more toxic, and they have the ability to throw webs onto enemies or target to immobilize them. Perhaps the most frightening thing is their appearance, a demonic woman’s torso attached to the body of a truly gigantic spider, easily 10 feet long.

Agility 4 (Quickness 2B)

Bestiary

27

Athletics 4 (Climb 2B, Strength 2B)Awareness 4 (Notice 2B)Endurance 5 (Resilience 2B)Fighting 4Will 5Combat Defense 12 • Armor Rating 5 (Thick-Shell) • Armor Penalty 0Bite 4D : 2 Damage : PowerfulClaw 4D : 1 DamagePoison Spray: Spider-Queens can expel a stream of poison at will that affects a small area. Targeted characters must succeed at a Challenging (9) Agility (Dodge) test or be subject to the poison’s effects. Virulence: 6, Toxicity: 3, Frequency: 1/ minute, Diagnosis: Challenging (9) - On a successful test, the poison imposes -1D to Athletics, with an additional -1D for every degree above. If the character ever has more penalty dice than ranks of Endurance, he dies. It also deals one wound for every degree above the target’s passive total on each test. Recovery - The penalty fades by one die per day after the poison has run its course and the wounds heal normally.

Web casting: A Spider-Queen can throw webs at targets which must succeed at Challenging (9) Agility (Dodge) tests or be entangled. Escaping is an Formidable (12) Athletics (Strength) test, or another character may use a greater action using a blade to free you. Once entangled the character is considered pinned and therefore helpless.

Tree Spirit(Kodama) - Least Kami

Tree Spirits are an example of a standard kami. They do not manifest without help unless enraged, and they can affect the world for a skilled spirit talker or provide local information. Tree Spirits in general arise or arrive in favored old trees, and resemble diminutive humanoids with large heads and eyes. Priests often put ceremonial markers on such trees to warn woodcutters not to chop them down. Enraged tree spirits don't gain much in terms of Abilities, but their malicious actions continue until dealt with by a spirit talker. Tree Spirits often band together, and when one is enraged, an entire group of them may gather and share in the anger. As they often act with a single purpose, they are often summoned by spirit talkers to act together.

Athletics 4 (Strength 2B)Will 2 (Coordinate 2B)

Combat Defense 8 • Armor Rating 0 • Armor Penalty 0Health 6 • Movement 4 yardsFist 4D : 1 Damage : Grab, Off-hand +1

Water Demon(Kappa) - Lesser Yokai

Kappa are water demons that make their homes in ponds, swamps, and under bridges. They are known to be expert bone setters, and can easily serve as a doctor if a local doctor is too far away. The trick is convincing the demon to help. They are often proud and demand sacrifices of cucumbers to be left for them in baskets near their domain, or given for services rendered. They are also competitive and may demand a wrestling or unarmed fighting contest.

All of a Kappa's unnatural strength comes from it's bowl shaped head being filled with water. They are easy to scare or best in combat without the top of their head being moist, but they are extremely conscious of this fact and it is impossible to tip the water out of their bowl without physically overpowering them. However, considering themselves the soul of politeness, a Kappa often will return a bow in greeting, forgetting the consequence and causing the water to spill from their heads.

A Kappa without a moist head has -2D to all actions which is cumulative with any other penalties they may suffer.

Athletics 4 (Strength 3B)Awareness 4 (Notice 2B)Endurance 5Fighting 4 (Brawling 2B)Healing 5Knowledge 2 (Education 2B)Persuasion 4 (Intimidate 2B)Combat Defense 10 • Armor Rating 0 • Armor Penalty 0Health 15 • Movement 4 yardsFist 4D : 1 Damage : Grab, Off-hand +1

Documents

Blades and Cherry Blossoms