Basic Schools

Kitsuki Investigator [Courtier] [CR]

Even among the Dragon, the methods and beliefs imparted at the Kitsuki School are unusual. Alone in the Empire, the Kitsuki believe in the importance of evidence, something that most others cannot comprehend. The sensei of this unusual School place tremendous emphasis on developing the family’s trademark powers of observation, honing them to a razor point, so much so that those trained in its Techniques possess a nearly infallible memory, perfect recall, and an almost inhuman attention to detail. Very little escapes the eye of a trained Kitsuki investigator.

Although their primary role is as the court representatives of the Dragon, the Kitsuki Investigators obviously make excellent magistrates, and their strengths lie in a gathering information both from the environment and from other people.

• Benefit: +1 Perception
• Skills: Courtier, Etiquette (Courtesy), Investigation (Interrogation), Kenjutsu, Meditation, Sincerity, any one Lore Skill
• Honor: 5.5
• Outfit: Traditional Clothing, Wakizashi, Knife, Calligraphy Set, Traveling Pack, 5 koku

Techniques

Rank 1: Kitsuki’s Method
The Kitsuki are masters of investigation and perception, noticing the most minute and telling details with merely a glance. You gain a Free Raise on all your Investigation Skill Rolls. However, while the Kitsuki are trained for investigation and diplomacy, unlike other courtiers they do not wholly neglect the ways of the warrior. In a skirmish, you add your Perception Trait Rank to your Armor TN.

Rank 2: Wisdom the Wind Brings
The Kitsuki skill at noticing small details makes it very difficult to deceive them. Anyone making a Social Skill Roll for the purpose of lying to you or otherwise deceiving you, or making a Feint or Disarm Maneuver against you in a skirmish, must add +5 to their TN for each of your Kitsuki Investigator School Ranks.

Rank 3: Know the Rhythm of the Heart
The Kitsuki study a secret methodology known as Ichi Miru, or “first look,” which allows them to size up another person in almost a single glance. After speaking with someone for a few moments, you can roll Investigation (Notice) / Perception against a TN of their Intelligence x 5. A success grants you a true and accurate, if simple, picture of their personality and motivations. For example, you might perceive that a boisterous ronin is actually a calculating man who is trying to put on the picture of being a rude, simple fellow.

Rank 4: Finding the Path
The Kitsuki has learned the art of uncovering and tracking others’ social connections and networks of alliances. By conversing with someone for a few minutes, you can make a Contested Roll of your Investigation (Interrogation) / Intelligence against their Etiquette (Courtesy) / Intelligence to identify one of their allies or enemies. Each successful Raise you make on this roll will identify another of their allies or enemies (you choose whether you learn an ally or an enemy – the GM chooses which specific person is revealed).
This technique can be used against each specific person once per day.

Rank 5: The Eyes Betray the Heart
Kitsuki’s method allows its master practitioners to see through even the most practiced falsehoods and tricks. At this rank, any knowing attempt to lie to you (as opposed to unwittingly passing on false information) will almost certainly fail. You automatically make a Contested Roll of your Investigation (Interrogation) / Perception against the liar’s Sincerity (Deceit) / Willpower, whether or not you suspect them of lying. Further, if you already known someone is lying to you, you gain a bonus of +5k0 on this Contested Roll, and my call Raises on the roll in an attempt to make them inadvertently give away more information than they intended (GM’s choice what information they reveal).

Mirumoto Bushi [CR]

Famous throughout the Empire for its unique teachings, the Mirumoto Bushi School is the lone fighting style that utilizes the Niten technique, wherein a samurai wields both the katana and the wakizashi simultaneously. This is a controversial style because it flies int eh face of the traditional style used by the other clans for centuries, although Niten was actually developed at the same time as the one-sword style. In particular, the rivalry between students of the Mirumoto Bushi School and the Kakita Bushi School, the greatest advocates of Kakita’s “One soul, one sword” philosophy, is heated even during times of peace. Many opponents, anticipating the reputation of the Dragon as erratic, are surprised to face the calm, implacable Mirumoto as an enemy, a mistake that has cost more than one samurai victory on the field of battle.

The Mirumoto Bushi School focuses on the mechanical benefits of wielding two weapons simultaneously, both in forgiving the penalties associated with doing so and improving the benefits. It also increases the samurai’s Armor TN and grants him additional attacks at an increased rate due to the availability of his weapons.

• Benefit: +1 Stamina
• Skills: Defense, Iaijutsu, Kenjutsu (Katana), Lore: Shugenja, Meditation, Theology, any one Bugei or High Skill
• Honor: 4.5
• Outfit: Light Armor, Sturdy Clothing, Daisho, any 1 weapon, Traveling Pack, 5 koku

Techniques

Rank 1: Way of the Dragon
Initiates of the Mirumoto Bushi School must master the basic principles of Niten, the two-sword technique founded by Mirumoto himself. When wielding a katana in your main hand and a wakizashi in your off hand, you suffer no penalties of any kind for dual wielding, and you gain a bonus of your School Rank to your Armor TN (This is cumulative with the normal bonus for wielding two weapons). Additionally, when you are targeted with a spell, you may raise or lower the TN of that spell’s Spellcasting Roll by 5.

Rank 2: The Calm in Midst of Thunder
In addition to their focus on the art of kenjutsu, the Mirumoto study the art of the duel as well in order to properly face their traditional opponents among the Kakita. While you assume the Center Stance, you gain a bonus to the total of your Iaijutsu rolls equal to your Kenjutsu Skill Rank.

Rank 3: Strong and Swift
As the exploration of Niten continues, the student learns to overwhelm opponents with a flurry of blows while maintaining a superior defense. Attacking is a Simple Action for you while you use weapons with the Samurai keyword.

Rank 4: Furious Retaliation
Once an opponent presents himself as a threat, the Mirumoto will stop at nothing to defeat him to defend the honor of the family’s teachings. During the Reactions Stage of Combat, you may choose one opponent who made or attempted an attack against you this Round. During your next Turn, you gain a bonus of +3k0 to all attack rolls against that target.

Rank 5: Heart of the Dragon
Masters of the Mirumoto Bushi School seem to strike from everywhere at once. If you attack twice in the same Turn while you are wielding a katana in your main hand and a wakizashi in your off hand, you may make one additional attack with your off hand as a Free Action.

Mirumoto Taoist Swordsman [Bushi] [EE]

Although the Mirumoto family are best known for following the twin-sword fighting technique pioneered by their founder (and defined most clearly in his famous book Niten), not all members of the family embrace Mirumoto’s fighting techniques. The Dragon Clan’s long association with the quest for enlightenment, not to mention the existence of a special monastic order right within its own ranks (the Togashi tattooed men) has given rise to other warrior traditions. The most notable of these are the Taoist Swordsmen, ascetic warriors who maintain a small dojo deep within the most inaccessible mountains of the Dragon lands. There they pursue enlightenment and swordsmanship with equal dedication, often praying and training alongside small groups of Togashi monks. Taoist swordsmen are seldom seen outside their own lands, though on rare occasions they have been known to embrace the tradition of the “Worldly Monk” and travel the Empire in search of both enlightenment and experience with the sword.

• Benefit: +1 Void
• Skills: Athletics, Defense, Iaijutsu, Kenjutsu (Katana), Lore: Theology, Meditation, any 1 Bugei or High Skill
• Honor: 5.5
• Outfit: Sturdy Clothing, Katana, Wakizashi, Tanto, Traveling Pack, 1 Koku
• Special: All members of this school are considered to be Ascetic, but do not gain Experience Points for it. It does not count against their 10-point limit of Disadvantages.

Techniques

Rank 1: Aligned With the Elements
Students of the Taoist Swordsman school spend their days in the rugged mountains of the Dragon lands, enduring the harsh elements with little clothing and no armor, learning the ways of the sword in complete selflessness. When wielding a sword and wearing no armor, you gain Reduction equal to your School Rank +2. Additionally, you add +1k0 to your damage with any sword.

Rank 2: Fist and Blade
The Taoist Swordsmen train alongside the Togashi tattooed men, studying their unconventional methods of combat and learning to apply those methods to swordsmanship. When fighting with a sword, you may perform the Knockdown maneuver for 1 less Raise, and if you control a Grapple while holding a sword you may inflict damage with the sword instead of unarmed damage.

Rank 3: Strike of Harmony
The Taoist swordsman is now so skilled with his sword that it functions like an extension of his body. While wielding a sword, you may spend a Void Point on your damage roll. If the sword is a katana, this ability stacks with the natural ability to spend a Void Point on damage with a katana.

Rank 4: Master of Steel
The Taoist swordsman is now completely at one with his weapon, striking with the speed of thought itself. You may attack as a Simple Action while wielding a sword.

Rank 5: Balance of Nothingness
The final lesson of the Taoist Swordsman teaches the school’s student to pour their entire soul into a single deadly strike. While wielding a sword, once per skirmish you may spend as many Void Points on damage as you wish.

Tamori Shugenja [CR]

Formed from the remnants of the Agasha family following their defection to the Phoenix Clan, the Tamori have inherited centuries of experimental studies conducted by their predecessors, and have embraced it just as they did. The most prominent among these unusual disciplines is the study of alchemy. The Tamori have mastered the abandoned Agasha secret of containing the essence of a spell within ritually prepared liquids, allowing them to be used later. Coupled with the martial training that Tamori shugenja receive, this is enough to make the family’s secret teachings unique in all the Empire.

The Tamori Technique allows for greater versatility in the use of spells, extended so far as to allow others to use them in the Tamori’s stead, if proper preparations have been made. The Technique also allows for a dramatic reduction in casting time, but again only if adequate preparation time is provided, making the Tamori particularly deadly in ambush situations.

• Benefit: +1 Stamina
• Skills: Athletics, Calligraphy (Cipher), Defense, Divination, Lore: Theology, Medicine, and Spellcraft
• Honor: 4.5
• Outfit: Robes, Wakizashi, any 1 weapon, Scroll Satchel, Traveling Pack, 5 koku
• Affinity / Deficiency: Earth / Air
• Spells: Sense, Commune, Summon, 3 Earth, 2 Fire, and 1 Water
• Technique: Flesh of the Elements – The Tamori have learned to distill the essence of magic and contain it within concoctions or objects for later use. You may expend one spell slot to store a spell you know that has an Area of effect “one target person” or “one target creature” in a potion, to be activated later. This stored spell may be activated instantly by anyone holding the potion by expending a Simple Action to drink it or a Complex Action to throw it (depending upon the spell’s target), using Athletics (Throwing) / Agility. Spells stored in this manner may be stored indefinitely, but count against your spell slots per day for each day that they continue to await activation. Creating a potion in this manner requires a number of hours equal to the stored spell’s Mastery Level. You also gain a Free Raise on any spell with the Craft keyword. GMs who wish to offer more options for alchemically-inclined Tamori and Agasha characters may choose to let them create other, Kagaku items than merely potions, spending spell slots and making Craft: Alchemy / Intelligence rolls as appropriate.

The Togashi Tattooed Order [Monk] [CR]

The monks of the Togashi order, known as ise zumi, are the most recognizable and well known members of the Dragon Clan, due in large part to their highly unorthodox appearance. The Togashi monks embrace a strange philosophy that includes as part of its doctrine extensive tattooing of their bodies with ink crafted from diving blood of the Kami Togashi. These tattoos confer incredible, supernatural abilities that defy explanation even by the most powerful shugenja. Due to their behavior, which tends to be unusual even for a monk, the ise zumi are both revered and feared by the people of Rokugan, who never truly know what to expect from these mysterious figures.
Togashi monks specialize in unarmed combat and supernatural feats of athleticism, which a wide variety of other abilities thrown in for good measure. Generally speaking, a Togashi monk can lend support to other characters in whatever capacity is necessary, and usually bring unique abilities to the table as well.

• Benefit: +1 Void
• Skills: Athletics, Artisan: Tattooing, Defense, Jiujutsu, any one Lore Skill, Mediation, any one non-Low Skill
• Honor: 4.5
• Outfit: Robes, Bo, Traveling Pack, 5 koku

Techniques

Rank 1: Blood of the Kami
The blood of the Kami is barely diluted in the ruling line of the Togashi order, and the brothers chosen to serve the Dragon as Togashi vassals receive the mystical blood of a god in the form of unique tattoos. You gain two Tattoos at this rank.

Rank 2: Body of Stone
Master of the body is the first essential step of a monk’s journey toward enlightenment, and martial arts are the perfect tool to bring the body and spirit into harmony. You gain a bonus of +1k1 to the total of all unarmed attack and damage rolls.

Rank 3: Blessing of the Kami
As an ise zumi continues his journey of self-discovery, accumulating new experiences along the way, he will eventually be judged worth of additional insight in the form of new tattoos. You gain two additional Tattoos.

Rank 4: Will of Stone
Perfect mastery of the flesh is an indication that a soul’s journey is nearing its end. You may make unarmed attacks as a Simple Action rather than a Complex Action.

Rank 5: Touch of the Kami
Insight into the true nature of the universe is the reward for a soul that seeks true mastery of the spirit. You gain two additional Tattoos.

The Hoshi Tsurui Zumi Order [Monk] [IH]

The monks of the Tsurui Zumi order are a sub-group of the Togashi Tattooed Order, created in the Hidden Emperor era when Togashi Hoshi rebels against Hitomi and begins tattooing his own followers. In contrast to the Togashi Ise Zumi and the Hitomi Kikage Zumi, and Tsurui Zumi are less focused on direct physical action and more on the mystical ways of the spirit; although they still study the mystical arts, their focus is on ki techniques and other such mystical fighting fighting abilities, rather than on the more straightforward combat favored by the Togashi or the brutal aggression of the Hitomi. Many Hoshi choose to eschew combat altogether in favor of meditation, contemplation, or strange and whimsical behavior which they consider important to the path of enlightenment. However, when they time comes to fight in defense of the Dragon Clan, they do so readily enough.

The Hoshi family is introduced in the Hidden Emperor era, but the Tsurui Zumi tradition predate the Tsurui Zumi tradition predates the family and continues after it is gone, so this school may be used (with a name change) in many different eras of play.

• Benefit: +1 Void
• Skills: Athletics, Defense, Etiquette, Jiujutsu, Meditation (Void Recovery), any 2 Skills
• Honor: 4.5
• Outfit: Robes, Bo, Traveling Pack, 2 koku
• Special: Though the Tsurui Zume is a Dragon affiliated School, mechanically this School is treated as a Brotherhood of Shinsei School.
• Technique: Swift Fist, Subtle Heart – The Tsurui Zumi searches for enlightenment on many different paths, but does not shy away from physical action when it is needed. You may spend a Void Point as a Free Action to activate this Technique for a number of Rounds equal to your School Rank. While this Technique is active, you may either add +1k1 to the total of your unarmed attack rolls or +1k0 to the total of your unarmed damage rolls. You choose which bonus to apply at the beginning of the Turn. You begin the game with one Tattoo. You also begin the game knowing 2 Kiho. You must meet all prerequisites in order to use these Kiho. You may purchase additional Kiho normally as per the rules for a Brotherhood of Shinsei monk. At School Rank Four, you gain one additional tattoo.

The Hitomi Kikage Zumi Order [Monk] [IH]

Where the monks of the Hoshi family embrace the tsurui path of mystical power and deep contemplation, those of the kikage zumi order – especially the Hitomi – embrace violent physical action as their path to enlightenment. Kikage zumi are most prominent during the reign of Lady Hitomi, but remain a prominent element of the tattooed orders all the way to the Race for the Throne.

It should be noted that while the kikage zumi order dominates the Hitomi family, it is not exclusive to it. Violent and martial tattooed men appear from time to time for centuries before the reign of Lady Hitomi. Thus, much as with the tsurui zumi, the kikage zumi school may potentially be used in almost any era of play if the GM permits it.

Benefit: +1 Reflexes
Skills: Athletics, Defense, Jiujutsu, Lore (choose one), Meditation, any 2 Non-Low Skills
Honor: 4.5
Outfit: Sturdy Clothing, Traveling Pack, 4 koku

Techniques

Rank 1: The Gift of the Lady
The tattooed men all receive the mystical blood of a good in their unique tattoos, but the warriors of the kikage zumi often manifest their tattoos spontaneously through the gifts of their divine patron. They spend less time in the house of the tattoo masters and more time in their dojo practicing the martial arts. The art of Kaze-do teaches the Kikage Zumi to move as swiftly and unpredictably as the wind, confounding their opponents. You gain 1 tattoo at this rank. You may add your Reflexes to your Armor TN, and when rolling to control a Grapple you may choose to use your Reflexes instead of your Strength.

Rank 2: Strike the Base
As the Kaze-do student grows more proficient, he is able to focus the power of his mind, soul, and body into punishing strikes of the hands and feet. You may spend a Void Point on damage rolls for unarmed attacks, including damage inflicted in a Grapple.

Rank 3: Moving the Wind
The Kikage Zumi now strikes with the swiftness of Air itself, the true path of Kaze-do. You may attack as a Simple Action when making unarmed attacks. You gain one additional tattoo.

Rank 4: Strike the Center
The Kikage Zumi learn to strike with speed and terrible force, while also using the swiftness of the wind to hurl their opponents to the ground. When fighting unarmed, you may perform the Knockdown maneuver for 1 less Raise, and gain a bonus of +1k1 to the total of all unarmed damage rolls (including damage inflicted with a Grapple).

Rank 5: Strike the Summit
Final mastery of the ways of Kaze-do allows the tattooed man to deliver strikes and throws that deprive his enemies of Air itself. Any time you perform a Knockdown maneuver, you may call 2 additional Raises; if the Knockdown succeeds, your opponent is automatically Stunned. If you elect to throw an opponent during a Grapple you control, he must roll Earth at TN 20 or he is also Stunned. You gain 1 additional tattoo.

Advanced Schools

Mirumoto Master Sensei [Bushi]

High atop the mountains of the Dragon lands, in remote dojo and obscure strongholds, dwell the Master Sensei of the Mirumoto family – a tiny elite group of men and women who have attained true mastery of not only swordsmanship but also of their bodies and souls. Their primary home is Morning Frost Castle, but they also have several lesser dojo scattered through the most remote and inhospitable corners of the Dragon lands. The Master Sensei are very few in number, seldom exceeding two dozen in total, and those who would join their company must meet with their personal approval. Some Mirumoto samurai have spent decades struggling to prove their worthiness to the Master Sensei, while others have been admitted on their first application. Although the nature of the Master Sensei is more amenable to those who have followed the ways of the Taoist Swordsmen, they do not play favorites and more than one Swordmaster or Niten practitioner has joined their ranks.

The Master Sensei are isolated even by Dragon standards, and rare indeed is it for one of them to leave their remote dojo and visit the rest of the Dragon Lands, let alone the Empire as a whole. However, on the few occasions they do emerge to influence the world outside, their impact is always profound.

Requirements:

• Rings/Traits: Air 5, Earth 4, Void 5
• Skills: Kenjutsu 5, Mediation 6
• Restrictions: Must be chosen and taught by other Master Sensei, and cannot be Brash or Proud.

Techniques

Rank 1: The Sword and the Soul
The Master Sensei has learned that the sword ban bring moments of perfect harmony, just like art or meditation. When fighting with a sword, any time you reduce an opponent to Down, Out, or Dead, you regain 1 Void Point. This can temporarily increase your total Void Points above your Void Ring, although any such “extra” points disappear at the end of the current skirmish.

Rank 2: The Body is Illusion
The Master Sensei has studied mediation and enlightenment to such an extent that he can transcend the limitations of the flesh. You may take a Simple Action to spend a Void Point to ignore Would Penalties (including Down, but not Out) for the remainder of this skirmish, or for ten minutes when outside of a skirmish.

Rank 3: Sword of the Sensei
The Master Sensei knows that a true teacher can share his greatest power with his students. Once per day, you may take a Simple Action to roll Meditation / Awareness at a TN of 25 plus 5 for each ally fighting alongside you. If you succeed, your allies gain the benefits of your Rank One technique for the remainder of this skirmish.

Swordmasters [Bushi] [CR]

The two-sword style of Niten was founded within the Dragon Clan’s borders and the evolution of that martial art remains the heart of the Dragon Swordmaster school. The Swordmasters attempt to learn every aspect of this fighting style so they may adapt to any situation they can face on the battlefield. While the Crane Clan’s Kenshinzen focus on the art of the iaijutsu duel, the Swordmasters focus on the pragmatic use of the swords in the thick of combat.

Requirements:

• Rings/Traits: Fire 4, Void 4
• Skills: Iaijutsu 5, Kenjutsu 5, Lore: Theology 4

Techniques

Rank 1: The Silence of Two Strikes
The Swordmaster’s connection to his blades is nearly supernatural, allowing him to tune out the rest of the world. While wielding a katana in your main hand and a wakizashi in your offhand, you may spend Void Points twice per Turn.

Rank 2: Mirumoto’s Strength
The Swordmaster feels the calm of the world when he stands before his opponent. In an iaijutsu duel, you always gain a +1k1 bonus to your Focus roll as though you had beaten your opponent with the Assessment roll, regardless of the roll’s actual result. (Your opponent can still gain the +1k1 bonus for having a higher Assessment roll, but this does not impact your bonus.)

Rank 3: Harmony and Precision
The Swordmaster fells an opponent with each swing of the blade, striking exactly where he needs to devastate his enemies. While wielding a katana in your main hand and a wakizashi in your off hand, you may ignore your opponents Reduction (if any).

Tamori Master of the Mountain [Shugenja]

The Great Wall of the North is a treacherous mountain range that kills those who are unready for its sudden, vicious changes in weather. Despite its dangers, the range is admirable to those who can see the beauty of its cold violence. Mountaineers who brave the fierce peaks are forged into powerful men. The Tamori Masters of the Mountain learn to harness the power churning within their own souls, a violent echo of the strength of the Elements themselves. It is an old tradition, dating back to when the Agasha family first explored the mountains and studied their secrets. The name may have changed over the years, but the traditions remain true.

The Master of the Mountain is a loose organization with few sensei and fewer regulations. The Masters induct shugenja into their ranks when they spot one with the proper potential. The elders tend to choose impetuous and brash shugenja who trust only their own strength, a preference those outside of the school often question (albeit usually under their breaths). They worry the Masters of the Mountains will be influenced by the impatient natures of their young recruits. However, usually the opposite is true, as the wild students are taught proper methods of venting their anger through their powers, making them wiser as well as more powerful.

Requirements:

• Rings/Traits: One chosen Ring at 4, two other Rings at 3
• Skills: Spellcraft 5

Techniques

Rank 1: Integration of the Gods
The Master of the Mountain knows flexibility is the only way to survive in the harsh wilderness of the mountains. When casting a spell, you may choose to spend 2 spell slots of another Ring rather than a single spell slot of the appropriate Ring. (This cannot be the Ring of the opposing Element from the spell’s Element, e.g. Air/Earth, Fire/Water.) For example, this means that you may spend 2 Earth spell slots to cast a Fire spell instead of a single Fire spell slot.

Rank 2: Inner Fortitude
The Master of the Mountain draws power from within his own body as well as the Elements outside. Your Shugenja School Rank increases by one. Additionally, you may spend a spell slot as a Free Action to gain Reduction 2 and +10 to your Armor TN. This effect lasts for a number of Rounds equal to your Earth Ring, ending during the Reactions Stage of the final Round. You may choose to end the effect early as a Free Action. For the purposes of casting spells, your School Rank is increased by 1.

While this effect is active, you find it more difficult to tap into the Elements around you. You must call one Raise to no effect every time you cast a spell.

Rank 3: Power in Need
The Master of the Mountain can coax power out of the most contrary kami by confronting them with his own strength and willpower. As a Simple Action you may spend a Void Point and a spell slot from any Ring. Choose a spell keyword. You gain a bonus of +4k1 to the total of all Spell Casting Rolls while casting spells with that keyword. This effect lasts until the end of the encounter (in combat) or for an hour (outside of combat).

Alternate Paths

Dragon Clan Overseer

With the wholesale relocation of the Spider Clan to the Colonies, the Empress had need of trusted vassals to oversee the unstable Spider while they operated so far from her supervision. For this most dangerous task the Empress turned to the clan of her origin, the Dragon. The role fit them well given their traditional nature as teachers, and they have undertaken the duty with great devotion. Indeed, the Spider have found their oversight somewhat more stifling than they expected, and while the Dragon treat the Spider with genuine consideration (something few other clans are willing to do), many among their ranks find the Dragon’s hands-on style of supervision quite frustrating

• Technique Rank: 2
• Replaces: Kitsuki Investigator 2, Mirumoto Bushi 2, Taoist Swordsman 2, Togashi Tattooed Monk 2
• Requirements: Lore: Shadowlands 2, Lore: Theology 3
• Technique: The Empress’s Guiding Hand – Those tasked with oversight of the Empress’s most malevolent vassals, the Spider, have a penchant for using philosophy to manage their charges. When interacting with those who have a lower Honor Rank than you, if your Lore: Theology Skill is higher than your Courtier or Etiquette Skill, you gain bonus rolled dice equal to the difference on all Contested Social Skill Rolls with those individuals. If your opponent possesses the Shadowlands Taint, they suffer a penalty of -2k0 to their roll as well. Additionally, if you impart a theology lesson to a willing target (represented mechanically by a conversation lasting at least one minute, followed by a Lore: Theology / Awareness roll at TN 25), they gain a bonus of +2k0 to any rolls made during the next 8 hours to resist gaining the Shadowlands Taint. This ability may not be used on the same person more than once per day.

Dragon’s Flame [Bushi]

The Tsuruchi family of the Mantis Clan is universally considered to possess the foremost archers of the Empire. Crane archers are celebrated for their accuracy and the Shinjo horsebowmen are known for their speed and unique style. The average samurai may know all of these names, but far fewer know the name of the Dragon’s Flame. The warriors of the Dragon’s Flame do not specialize in any one aspect of archery, choosing in true Dragon fashion to approach archery in a more individualistic manner. Some have distinguished themselves as excellent horsemen while others gain fame for accuracy over great distances. All of the Dragon’s Flame share one important passion: they dedicate their lives to defending the mountains of the Dragon from anyone who might dare threatened them.

• Replaces: Any Dragon Bushi 4
• Requirements: Kyujutsu 5
• Technique: Rain of Death – The Dragon’s Flame knows accuracy comes from finding tranquility within. You gain a +1k0 bonus to attack rolls or +2k2 while using a bow.

The Dragon’s Wind [Bushi]

The Dragon Clan maintains a small force of cavalry archers known as the Dragon’s Wind, a force known for suddenly arriving on the battlefield, striking with powerful arcing volleys of fire, and then withdrawing just as suddenly. Unlike many specialized cavalry and archery forces, the bushi of the Dragon’s Wind are also quite capable on foot or when fighting with other weapons, exhibiting the flexibility and lethality which always characterize Dragon soldiers. The unit is small, due to the clan’s poverty and its difficulty in acquiring strong horses, but its battlefield impact is often well out of proportion to its size.

• Replaces: Mirumoto Taoist Swordsman 3, Mirumoto Bushi 4
• Requires: Horsemanship 5, Kyujutsu (Dai-Kyu) 5
• Special Note: Joining this Path adds a steed (Rokugani pony) and a bow (Dai-Kyu) to your Outfit if you did not already possess them.
• Technique: Way of the Horse and Bow – The Mirumoto horse archers train with their mounts in the rugged lands of the Dragon, allowing them to ride through territory where other cavalry forces do not dare to tread. While you are mounted, your steed treats Moderate terrain as Basic terrain, and Difficult terrain as Moderate terrain. You may attack with a bow as a Simple Action while you are mounted.

Hojatsu’s Legacy [Bushi] [BoF]

The final technique of Mirumoto Hojatsu was developed late in life as a result of his rivalry with Kakita; unwilling to concede defeat to an opponent who could strike faster, Hojatsu instead devised a way to disrupt his opponent’s rhythm and thereby win regardless of speed. It is believed this technique was used for the first time in the final duel between Hojatsu and Kakita, in which Hojatsu died and Kakita was mortally wounded.

• Replaces: Mirumoto Bushi 4 or Mirumoto Taoist Swordsman 5
• Requirements: Iaijutsu 5
• Technique: Strike When You Cannot – The student of Hojatsu’s last technique learns how to use intellect and aggression to disrupt an opponent’s rhythm in an iaijutsu duel. During the Assessment stage of a duel, you may take a Free Action and spend a Void Point to force a contested Kenjutsu/Fire roll with your opponent. If you win the roll, your opponent cannot spend Void Points on the Focus roll for that duel.

Kaze-Do Fighter

The ancient techniques of Togashi Kaze, which formed the basis for almost all modern Rokugani martial arts, still survive in a somewhat abbreviated form among the Dragon Clan tattooed monks. The technique is rare and those who know it usually pass it down privately to a few select students, preserving its secrets from the samurai who Kaze opposed.

• Replaces: Any Rank 2
• Requirements: Jiujutsu (Kaze-do) 3
• Technique: The Way of Air – The students of Kaze’s ancient techniques learn how to use the speed of their opponents against them while evading enemy weapons. When you are fighting unarmed, any opponent attacking you with a melee weapon suffers a penalty of -Xk0 to his attacking Skill Roll, where X equals his Air Ring. This penalty cannot apply to more opponents within the same Round than your Insight Rank.

Kitsuki Debater [Courtier]

The Kitsuki are best known as the Dragon Clan’s premiere magistrates, but they also serve the clan in the courts. Kitsuki excel at an argumentative approach to the social battlefield of court, learning to refute every aspect of an opponent’s position by destroying its logic. Every detail, no matter how small, must agree or be revealed as lies. This method can be extremely surprising to those not accustomed to it, flustering even experienced courtiers. Most samurai hide behind masks of courtesy; losing that defense can disorient a courtier long enough for the Debater to make his move.

• Replaces: Kitsuki Investigator 3
• Requirements: Courtier 3, Etiquette (Conversation) 5
• Technique: The Ebb and Flow of Deception – The Kitsuki Debater represents his clan in enemy courts across the Empire, fighting for every small advantage he can win for the Dragon. You can see the flow of conversation and discern what topic may force your opponent to tell a lie. make an Etiquette (Conversation) / Awareness roll at a TN 20, plus any Raises you wish to call. (The base TN of this roll may be modified at the GM’s discretion, based on the opponent, the nature of the conversation, and other applicable circumstance.) If you succeed, you switch the topic of conversation to something uncomfortable for your opponent. He must roll Sincerity / Awareness at a TN of 20 plus 5 for every Raise you successfully called. (Again, the GM may apply circumstantial modifiers as needed.) If he fails the roll he is visibly discomfited by the conversational trap, and suffers a -1k1 penalty to his next Social Skill Roll against you.

Kitsuki’s Eye [Courtier]

The men and women of Kitsuki’s Eye are the true elite of the Kitsuki family, and only those who have both a very keen ability to pick out minute details and a near-perfect recall of everything they see are selected for membership. It is said the Eyes are to the average Kitsuki courtier what the average Kitsuki courtier is to the rest of the Empire.

• Technique Rank: 6
• Replaces: N/A
• Requirements: Must attain Rank 5 in the Kitsuki Investigator School and be recruited into the Eye by its sensei.
• Technique: The Eye Sees All – Your ability to perceive details and recognize their significance has been refined to the point of seeming preternatural. Any time you enter an area (room, courtyard, garden, etc), you may spend a Void Point and take a minute to observe the area, after which you make a Perception Roll at TN 25. With a success, you spot any tracks, handprints, out-of-place items, or other such visual clues in the area. You may call a Raise on the roll to gain additional clues (GM’s choice as to what they are) from other senses, such as hearing and scent (one Raise per sense). You may call two Raises to know if there is anything physically hidden in the area (although you will not know exactly where it is). You are also extremely difficult to surprise. You gain a bonus of +2k2 to any rolls made to avoid being surprised.

Kitsuki Justicar [Bushi] [IH]

The justicar tradition is an old one, one that has its roots in Imperial history that predates the establishment of the magistrate system by the Emerald Champion and his associate, Soshi Saibankan. In Rokugan’s earlier days, communication among the clans was less extensive and the lands between their holdings were wilder and more dangerous. This often resulted in criminals from one region fleeing to another and completely escaping prosecution. The lack of a strong Imperial network for the exchange of information only exacerbated this situation. However, Bushido demanded a solution to the problem, for a criminal fleeing the Lion lands might prey upon the Crane, bringing great dishonor to the Lion Clan (even though the Crane were hated enemies). The Dragon were thus not the first to establish a tradition of justicars, but they were the only ones to develop and maintain a fighting technique built on the tradition.

A justicar is essentially a magistrate trained in the art of dueling. The duty and purpose of a justicar is to travel in search of fugitives, sometimes hunting specific individuals and other times merely generally searching for anyone who may have escaped the justice of his clan. When he locates such an individual, the justicar challenges him to duel to the death. The death of the criminal retroactively proves his guilt and thus eliminates all problems. Of course, the possibility that the justicar may be killed (and thus the criminal exonerated) is somewhat of a problem but even in this case the clan is freed from any dishonor since the victor was clearly not a criminal before he arrived at his new home.

Since the Kitsuki family’s founding, their strong emphasis on justice has led them to embrace the justicar tradition and they have developed a technique to support it. Kitsuki justicars typically hold a post as a Dragon Clan magistrate, and the clan often goes to considerable effort to get them appointed as Emerald Magistrates as well, though success in this depends on the relationship between the Kitsuki family and the Emerald Champion at the time.

• Replaces: Kitsuki Investigator 3
• Requirements: Iaijutsu 4, Investigation 4
• Technique: The Purity of Justice – A justicar is a master of both the hunt and the kill. You may add your Investigation Skill Rank to the total of any Assessment roll made as part of an Iaijutsu duel. You also gain a bonus of +1k0 on all Focus and Strike rolls made against an opponent who has been decreed guilty of a crime by an Imperial or Dragon Clan authority higher than you. Finally, you gain a bonus of +1k0 to any Hunting or Investigation rolls made to hunt such guilty targets.

Mirumoto Mountaineer [Bushi] [CR]

The mountains of the Dragon Clan have served the clan for thousands of years as a natural defense against invasion. However, the warriors of the Dragon must face the same difficulties the mountains pose for an attacking army. The Mirumoto Mountaineers are hardened warriors, born from the treacherous cliffs, fickle weather, and dangerous predators that menace their home. The Mountaineer has found his balance with the elements, a skill that proves useful in the middle of combat

• Replaces: Mirumoto Bushi 2
• Requirements: Athletics (Climbing) 3
• Technique: Heart of the Mountains – The Mountaineer is a rugged warrior whose constant dealings with the unpredictability of nature makes him ready for anything that may await him in battle. When you are surprised during a skirmish due to failing your Investigation (Notice) / Perception Contested Roll, you may immediately make a second roll using Athletics / Agility. If you are successful, you are not surprised. You may also add half your Athletics Skill Ranks (rounded up) to the total of all your ranged attack rolls.

Mirumoto Sentinel [Bushi]

In any mountainous region, such as the region in which Water Hammer City is located, the security of the Dragon Clan’s vassals can be difficult to secure. In order to address this issue, the Mirumoto have trained a cadre of elite warriors known as the Sentinels to oversee such locations. The Sentinels are deployed in surprisingly small numbers to secure large sections of sparsely populated land in the Dragon mountains, and are remarkably effective at their duties. Before being assigned, Sentinels are extensively trained in the geography of their provinces, until they are familiar with every square mile of it, almost literally down to every tree and boulder. In addition to their prodigious level of skill in using the terrain to their own advantage, Sentinels are well known for hindering the movement of their enemies in any number of ways, exploiting the local terrain to the greatest advantage possible and reducing an opponent’s mobility considerably; leading them into bogs, unsure footing, and pitfalls are particular favorites among these hardy warriors. Many Dragon Clan magistrates look upon the Sentinels as something like embarrassing cousins, but no one can deny their effectiveness as a unit.

• Replace: Mirumoto Bushi 4 or Taoist Swordsman 3
• Requirements: Way of the Land Advantage
• Technique: Master the Land – A Mirumoto Sentinel is intimately familiar with the land he is tasked with patrolling, and can use its every resource to his advantage. When you are in a province for which you possess the Way of the Land Advantage, you may select any three Bugei Skills you possess. While in the selected province, you gain a bonus of +1k0 to Skill Rolls using those Skills. You may select different Skills for each province for which you possess the Way of the Land Advantage. Additionally, you may make a Contested Void Roll against one opponent at the beginning of a skirmish, before Initiative is rolled. That opponent’s Water Ring is considered one rank lower for the purpose of determining Move Action distances for the remainder of the skirmish.

Tamori Warrior Priest [Shugenja] [CR]

The Tamori family has been brave and combative ever since its inception. Tamori shugenja often train alongside their Mirumoto brothers to improve their coordination. The yama-bushi (Warrior Priest) consider his martial training equally as important as his connection to the kami. The Warrior Priest can use his bond with the elements to increase his observation of the field of war, allowing him to perform awe-inspiring feats of prowess.

• Replaces: Tamori Shugenja 4
• Requirements: 1 weapon Skill at rank 3
• Technique: Strength of the Soul – The Tamori are the most martially inclined of all Rokugan’s shugenja families, often training alongside their clan’s bushi. You can expend a spell slot as a Free Action to gain a bonus of +1k0 on any Bugei Skill roll. You may not expend more spell slots per round in this manner than your School Rank. You may make melee attacks as a Simple Action when using a weapon created by one of the following spells: Bo of Water, Tetsubo of Earth, Katana of Fire, or Yari of Air.

Tamori Weaponsmiths [Shugena][Artisan]

The Tamori are an intensely pragmatic family, far more so than most shugenja families, and have a number of ideas that more conservative groups view as almost heretical. In particular their embracing of martial traditions, taking the field not merely in support of the bushi but as actual weapon-wielding combatants, has earned them the ire of many other families. Similarly, their desire to craft their own weapons, which they consider necessary to ensure proper quality, is something many others find distasteful.
The Tamori shugenja who take up the art of practical weaponsmithing (as opposed to the more artistic smiths who work in Water Hammer City) seek to marry the design of the blade with the power of Earth, attuning their weapons to their magic.

• Replaces: Tamori Shugenja 2
• Requirements: Craft: Weaponsmithing 3, the ability to cast at least one spell that creates a weapon (such as Tetsubo of Earth or Katana of Fire)
• Technique: Soul of the Stone – A Tamori smith can mingle his spirit with that of stone and steel, creating blades that borrow the very soul of the mountains. When you make a successful Craft Skill Roll to finish creating a Samurai weapon, you may expend all your Void Points to instill within the weapon a number of Free Raises equal to your Earth Ring. These Free Raises may be used on any roll made using the blade. Free Raises which are expended refresh after thirty days. A Tamori weaponsmith may never have more of these weapons in existence at one time than his Earth Rank.

Togashi Defender [Monk]

The Togashi ise zumi dedicate their lives to chasing the ephemeral goal of enlightenment. The journey is unique to each person, so the monks of the tattooed orders tend to be a highly unique and varied lot. Some choose to focus on physical exertion over mental strength, honing their bodes through an emphasis on martial arts and hard labor. The Togashi Defender becomes adept at pushing his body to its absolute physical limits… and beyond. The Defender often chooses to stay within the Dragon provinces to protect villages from bandits and other predators. Defenders are also more likely than other Tattooed Men to be seen fighting side by side with Mirumoto samurai and marching in the Dragon armies. The Defenders lose one of the quirks that define the Togashi family, but strike out with vicious strength against any who dare oppose Dragon might.

• Replaces: Togashi Tattooed Order 3
• Technique: Power Within and Without – The ise zumi knows the kami cannot aid any man if he proves himself an unworthy physical vessel. While unarmored and with no Kiho or Tattoos active, you gain Reduction equal to 3 plus your Void Ring. You gain one additional Tattoo.

The Transcendent Brotherhood [Monk]

The often-maligned Transcendent Brotherhood embraces a strange philosophy that pain tempers the body and the mind, making it easier to attain a transcendent state that approaches Enlightenment. Although the sect is regarded as dangerously eccentric by the Brotherhood of Shinsei and has been excommunicated from that organization, the Dragon have offered them a home within the Tattooed Orders. It seems there is some degree of validity to their claims, and those who have embraced their philosophies have demonstrated they capable of impressive feats of clarity when touched by the agonizing kiss of fire. neW alTernaTe paTh:

• Rank: 2
• Replaces: Any Tattooed Order 2
• Requires: Fire 3, Earth 3, Meditation 3
• Special: GMs who wish to show the Transcendent Brotherhood as gaining greater success and acceptance within the Empire may do so by expanding access to the Path to encompass any Shugenja or Monk School.
• Technique: Apotheosis of Fire – Members of the Transcendent Brotherhood seek to use pain as a means of achieving clarity of thought and spirit. Once per day, you may spend at least one hour in deep meditation and make a Meditation / Fire Roll against a TN 20. With a success, you harden yourself against the physical harm done by fire and heat, although you still feel all the pain of being burned. (GMs may opt to impose partial or temporary TN penalties to represent the effects of the pain.) For a number of hours equal to your Fire Ring, you are immune to damage from normal, mundane fires and heat (not magical fire or extreme natural heatsources such as molten lava). One Raise on this Meditation roll will make you immune to magical sources of fire; two Raises will make you immune to damage from any source of fire, even a volcano. While experiencing the pain of being burned, and for ten minutes afterward, your intense focus and clarity of thought grant you a bonus equal to your Fire Ring to the total of all Awareness, Perception and Intelligence-based Trait and Skill Rolls.

Water Hammer Smith [Artisan]

The men and women who make Water Hammer City their home are almost without exception obsessed with the idea of crafting. Some believe that the prevalent obsession is a result of being in close proximity to the sacred forge, while others think it is merely an oddity that has developed within the city as a result of its nature and function; other cities focused on the arts and production of specific resources tend to have similarly narrow views about the world, after all. Even the peasants of Water Hammer City are fascinated by crafting, and virtually every home contains any number of sculptures, paintings, or other creations happily worked on by the denizens of the estate during their free time. Among all these individuals, however, none are more skilled, more respected, and more famous than the Water Hammer Smiths. These individuals come from all walks of life, as anyone can gain an apprenticeship if their level of skill or even their potential is sufficient enough. Each individual smith chooses his own apprentices, meaning that traditions vary wildly from one to another. The vast majority of them are Dragon, however, and although apprenticeships are often offered to students from other clans, it is rare for any of said students to gain the title of master smith.

• Replaces: Any Dragon School at Rank 2
• Requirements: Any one Craft Skill at 3 or higher
• Technique: Child of the Water – You have studied the secrets of the Water Dragon found in Water Hammer City, and the path of the smith has been made open to you. You may spend a Void Point to add double your Water Ring to the total of all Craft Skills you make for the rest of the day. If you are a shugenja, you may instead pay this cost by spending a Water spell slot. You may only benefit from a single use of this Technique at a time (i.e. you cannot spent two Void Points at different times during the day and gain two bonuses equal to three times your Void Point).