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Okuma’s guide to Gaijin
This homebrew works refers to previous editions books on the Gaijin nations and updates them for 4th edition. It also refers a lot to 7th Sea, but in no way is meant to endorse the fact that Théah is in the same world as Rokugan. I just used it as inspiration for Thrane and Merenae and to allow easier references for descriptions for readers, since I’ll be rather short on those. Some of the information comes from the L5r wikia for the LBS content, as I couldn’t track down every card from this game. Everything else is based on the released books and novels for L5r. The cover art was done by the artist Shosuro Akae, done for the previous guide I did back in 2006, of 140 pages long describing the Burning Sands. This guide is a sequel of sorts. The others pictures come from Imperial Histories 1, Exotic Arms and Equipments and the LBS and L5R CCGs.
Proofreading done by Tonbo Karasu. Thanks to http://imperialblock.com/visualspoiler I was able to look through most of the LBS CCG’s cards.
Summary : - 1) Advantages / disadvantages and skills- 2) The Thrane and Merenae- 3) The Burning Sands
Due to the size of the files, the following chapters are in part 2 : - 4) The Ivory kingdoms- 5) Yobanjin and the Sand Moto
1) Advantages / Disadvantages and skills.
This chapter explains the modifications to skills, advantages and disadvantages between the normal 4th edition rules (it also refers to the LBS rpg 4th edition update http://www.l5r.com/files/2013/09/LBS4E.pdf ) and introduce new ones.
Umi no Koete covers Thrane and Merenae, Caliphatee covers Medinaat Al-Salaam, Qabal, Assassins, Jackals and Ebonites. Burning Sands covers the Caliphatee, the Ashalan, the Ra’shari and the Senpet. Yodotai, Yobanjin and Ivory Kingdoms (or Ivinda) are independent groups.
The following table explains the modifications to advantages and disadvantages. If a new name is listed under one of the columns, it is only a renaming to fit more the corresponding culture. NA means this particular faction cannot buy the following entry. The value modifications are listed if necessary, referring to the base price listed in the corresponding book. If there is no numbers, consider the price is not modified.
Advan-tages list :
Umi no Koete Ivinda Yobanjin Senpet Yodotai Ashalan Ra’shari Calipha-
tee
Gentry Max 15 pts NA NA NA
Inheri-tance
Servant
Wealthy Absolute Direction
Clear Thinker -1
Crafty -1 Daredevil
Dark Para-gon
Inner strength
Inner strengt
h
Inner strength
Inner strength
Inner strength
Inner strength
Inner strength
Inner strength
Forbidden Know-ledge
Gaijin Pepper, sorcery
Cult of the de-stroyer, Nagah
Wyrms, Great Hawks
Undeads, Jinns, Khadi.
None.
Jinns, true his-tory, Na-
gah, Khadi.
Jinns, Asha-lans,
true his-tory,
Khadi.
Jinns, Nagah, Khadi
Heartless Higher Purpose
Irreproa-chable -1 -1 -1 for
Ebonite
Languages - 1 for Ebonite
Laughing Plains Na-
tive
Military family, - 1
if social position
Re-mote village citizen
Remote village citizen
Remote village ci-
tizen
Remote village citi-
zenNA NA
Remote village citizen
Precise Memory -1
Read Lips -1 Sacred Fo-rest Native NA Devout
familyDevout family
Devout family NA Devout
familyDevout family
Devout family
Sage -1 -1 Sage of
the Sword and Fan
Higher educaton NA NA NA NA
Student of the path
NAStudent of the path
Shadowed Heart -1 -1
Soul of Artistry -1 -1
Strategist -1 Tactician -1 Virtuous
Wary -1
Watanu-Trained
Artisan back-
ground
Artisan back-
ground
Artisan back-
ground
Artisan back-
ground, - 1
Artisan back-
groundNA
Artisan back-
ground
Artisan back-
ground
Way of - 1 -1
the LandBattle
Healing -1 -1
Bland
Crab Hands
Warrior’s hands -1
War-rior’s
hands
War-rior’s
hands -1
War-rior’s hands
Warrior’s hands -1
War-rior’s hands
War-rior’s hands
War-rior’s
hands -1 for Ebo-
niteDangerous
Beauty -1 -1
Hands of Stone -1
Iron Heart Native
Peasant back-
ground
Pea-sant
back-ground,
-1
Peasant back-
ground
Peasant back-
ground, -1
Peasant back-
groundNA
Peasant back-
ground
Peasant back-
ground
Large -1 -1 Prodigy -1 -1 Quick Quick Healer -1 -1 -1
Silent- 1 si not noble or
priest -1 -1 -1
Strength of the Earth
-1
Voice -1 -1Naga An-
cestry NA NA NA NA NA
Allies (both ver-
sions)
Blackmail Blissful
Betrothal
Broken Wave Citi-
zen
Sailor back-
ground
Sailor back-
ground
Sailor back-
ground
Sailor back-
groundNA NA NA
Sailor back-
ground
Clear Wa-ter Native
Merchant back-
ground
Mer-chant back-
ground
Mer-chant back-
ground
Mer-chant back-
ground
Merchant back-
groundNA
Mer-chant back-
ground
Mer-chant back-
groundDarling of the Court NA NA NA
Different School
Fame
Heart of Ven-
geance
-1 (spi -der, rhu-mal)
Hero of the People NA NA
Leader-ship
-1 for Khas-triya
-1
Multiple Schools
Sensation NA NA NA Social Po-
sition
Spy Net-work NA NA
-1 if so-cial posi-
tionStolen
Identity
The Dai-myo’s Path
See way of the
daimyo
See way of
the daimyo
See way of the
daimyo
See way of the
daimyo
See way of the
daimyoNA NA
See way of the
daimyo
The World of the
Daimyo
See way of the
daimyo
See way of
the daimyo
See way of the
daimyo
See way of the
daimyo
See way of the
daimyoNA NA
See way of the
daimyo
Water Hammer Citizen
Craftsman back-
ground
Crafts-man back-
ground
Crafts-man back-
ground
Crafts-man back-
ground, -1
Craftsman back-
ground
Crafts-man back-
ground
Crafts-man back-
ground
Crafts-man back-
ground
Zakyo To-shi Citizen
Gambler back-
groundNA NA NA NA NA
Gambler back-
ground
Gambler back-
ground
Blood of Osano-Wo NA
Blood of Vish-
nu
Blood of the
wyrm
Blood of Sedjem
Blood of Conquest NA NA
Blood of the de-
sertChild of
Chikushu-do
NA NA NA
Chosen by the
Oracles
Chosen by the gods
Chosen by the gods
Chosen by the gods
Chosen by the gods
NA NAChosen by the gods
Chosen by the gods
Elemental Blessing NA
Enlighte-ned NA NA NA
Friend of NA Guru NA NA NA NA NA NA
the Bro-therhood
maste-ry
Friend of the Ele-ments
NA NA NA
Great Des-tiny
Inner Gift Kharmic
Tie Tie of fate Tie of fate
Tie of fate
Tie of fate
Tie of fate
Tie of fate
Tie of fate
Tie of fate
Luck
Magic Re-sistance
Applies to own ma-
gic Applies
to Sahirs -1 Applies to Sahirs
Applies to Sahirs
Applies to Sahirs
Medium NA Reincarna-
ted NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Seven For-tune’s
Blessing
Blessing of the Gods
Bles-sing of
the Gods
Blessing of the Gods
Blessing of the Gods
NA NABlessing of the Gods
Blessing of the Gods
Touch of the Spirit Realms
NA
Great Po-tential
Student of Shourido Inner will Inner
willInner will Inner will Inner will Inner
willInner will
Inner will
Well connected +1 +1 -1 -1
Ruined city sha-
dow-1 NA NA NA
Disadvan-tages list :
Umi no Koete Ivinda Yobanjin Senpet Yodotai Ashalan Ra’shari Calipha-
teeRuined
City Sur-vivor
Ruined fa-mily +1
Ruined family
Ruined family
Ruined family +1
Ruined fa-mily NA Ruined
familyRuined family
Ascetic NA Sahir +1 NA Brash
Can’t Lie +1 Compul-
sion
Consumed Perfection +1 Will +1 Strength
+1Insight
+1Determi-nation + 1
Control +1
Know-ledge +1
Contrary +1 +1 Disbelie- -1 +1 +1 NA
verDoubt Driven
Fascination Frail Mind
Greedy +1Gullible Idealistic +1
Insensitive +1 +1 Jealousy +1 +1 +1
Lost Love Obtuse +1 +1
Overconfi-dent +1
Phobia Soft-Hear-
ted +1 +1
Wanderer +1 Bad Eye-
sight
Bad Health Blind
Disturbing Counte-nance
+1 +1 +1 for Jackal
Epilepsy Lame
Low Pain Threshold
Missing Limb
Permanent Wound
Small Weakness Antisocial
Black Sheep NA
Blackmai-led
Bounty +1
Clear Wa-ter Stigma
Poor back-ground
Poor back-
ground
Poor back-
ground
Poor back-
ground
Poor back-ground
Poor back-
ground
Poor back-
ground
Poor back-
groundDark Edge Reputation
Renowned fencing school
NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
back-ground
Dark Se-cret
Dependent Infamous +1 +1Lechery
Nikesake Stigma)
Pacifism (2 pts only)
Paci-fism (2
pts only)
NAPacifism
(2 pts only)
NAPacifism
(2 pts only)
Pacifism (2 pts only)
Pacifism (2 pts only)
Obligation Rumor-monger
Social Di-sadvan-
tage+1 +1
Sworn Ene-my
Water Hammer Stigma
Country-side back-
ground
Coun-tryside back-
ground
Country-side
back-ground
Country-side
back-ground
NA NA
Country-side
back-ground
Country-side
back-ground
Zakyo Toshi Stigma
Gambling family ties
Gam-bling
family ties
Gam-bling fa-mily ties
Gam-bling fa-mily ties
NA NAGam-
bling fa-mily ties
Gam-bling fa-mily ties
Bad For-tune +1 +1 +1
Bitter Be-trothal
Cursed by the Realm +1
Dark Fate +1 Haunted NA +1 NA Momoku NA
Seven For-tunes’ Curse
Unlucky Debt +1 +1
Modifications to skills : - Calligraphy : Thrane, Merenae, Yobanjin, Senpet, Yodotai, Mekham, Rhuumal (the
Ivory Kingdoms written version of the Ivindi langage) are all different written dialects and are different skills. Some of those, like Thrane, Merenae, Rhuumal and maybe Mekham have a high language emphasis, covering the more educated version of it.
- Courtier and etiquette : Umi no Koete, Yobanjin, Yodotai, Ivinda and Burning Sands are different courtier traditions and are different skills.
- Divination : astrology is used by every culture, but Kawaru doesn’t exist. The Umi no Koete and the Ra’shari uses tarot cards, the others uses often bone reading.
- Iaijutsu doesn’t exist, but the Umi no Koete have fencing, which works exactly the same but for fencing weapons. The Ivinda have a tradition of duels for each major type of weapons, and as such, focus and assessment exists as emphasis for chain weapons, heavy weapons, swordmanship, spears and staves for the Kshatriya. The Naga have a dueling tradition known as One strike using a no-daichi. One Strike replaces Iaijutsu for the Naga and works identically to it.
- Intimidation is a bugei skill for all factions.- Games include chess, Pachisi and Moksha Patam (Ivory Kingdoms), riddles and logic
(favored by the Qabal), cards (Thrane and Merenae) and dice (favored by the Yobanjin and Yodotai).
- Locksmith (intelligence, merchant) : emphases are lock assembly and lock picking. You are skilled at fashioning locks and picking them. When crafting a lock, each raise increase the TN to pick it by 5, while picking starts at a TN of 15 and take a minute to be done.
o Rank 5 : halve the time to pick a lock.o Rank 7 : free raise to pick or craft a lock.
- Jiujutsu becomes brawling, Kyujutsu archery (but uses perception), Kenjutsu swordsmanship and ninjutsu assassins’ weapons.
- Tahaddi (agility) : the knives dueling use the same emphases and mastery as iaijutsu. Tahaddi duels works like iaijutsu duels.
- Defense : new emphases, shield, which allows you to use the TN benefits of a shield in full defense stance.
- Firearms (intelligence, weapon skill, low-skill for Rokugani) : emphases are pistol and musket. Reloading a firearm requires three complex actions.
o Rank 3 : you may ignore one 1 on your dice for misfire.o Rank 5 : reloading requires one less complex action.o Rank 7 : you may ignore one 1 on your dice for misfire.
- Canon (intelligence, weapon skill, low-skill for Rokugani) : requires 4 people to be used. The roll is made by the one leading the group.
o Rank 3 : you may ignore one 1 on your dice for misfire.o Rank 5 : requires 2 less people for a minimum of 2o Rank 7 : you may ignore one 1 on your dice for misfire.
- Oyumi become crossbow (see imperial archives page 98) and is available to all the Gaijin groups.
- Some skills, like lore : theology, have to be divided in multiple versions according to cultures, like etiquette and culture. Lore : theology Burning Sands and lore : theology Ivory Kingdoms covers too different subjects to be the same skill. See with your GM.
Special : non-spellcasting school ranks and advantages that can cast spells. Some of the mechanics below allow characters to cast spells while not having any ranks in any spellcasting school. These never requires scrolls but also can never learn others spells than those granted by the technique or advantage, and if they ever get spellcasting ranks, those spells are totally separate from those of their spellcasting schools except for the daily slots.
New advantages and disadvantages :
- Oasis finder (mental) : 3 pts, Burning Sands characters only, you can cast sense (water) like a shugenja of your insight rank without any affinity or deficiency.
- Servant of the smokeless fire (spiritual) : 2 pts, sahir only. You have the ability to summon jinn.
- Reader of the stars (mental) : 3 pts, Burning Sands and Ivory Kingdoms characters only, you can cast sense (air) like the oasis finder ability. You can use this ability to know the time of the day and rough estimate of your latitude and longitude.
- Khadi (spiritual) : 8 or 10 points. You have become one of the Heartless, the sorcerers using black magic to remove their heart and become immortal. You heal one wound per minute (during the reaction phase) regardless of the state your body is in (which can be really disturbing for those watching the process). You can only be permanently destroyed by destroying your heart, in the 8 pts version of this advantage your heart in the control of someone else. Once per month you must put your heart in someone else’s body, transforming it into a ghul. You earn the first rank of forbidden lore : Khadi, or if you have it already, are refunded the experience points for it. You lose immediately two ranks of integrity, but that cannot drop you below 3,0.
- Gorilla bodyguard (material) : 4 pts for Ivory Kingdoms characters and Caliphate characters, 3 pts for House of Dahab characters. You have a free raise on animal handling (apes and monkeys), and are considered to have 5 ranks in this skill for your personal gorilla. Use the stats of the Ape on page 10 of Enemies of the Empire with + 1 earth and modify the wounds accordingly.
- Fitfully sleeping blood (spiritual) : 8 pts. You have the blood of Jinn, one of your ancestors being of the smokeless fire or you have been seeded by the power of the Seeding discipline. You can have a minor Jinn power (see Jinn rules below) or a medium Jinn power and a blood limitation.
- Inheritance : crysteel (material) : 9 pts, Ashalan only, crysteel is an extremely hard material, that can only be shaped and created by the Ashalan sandsmithes. You have a weapon of your choice crafted in it, which grants it a + 1k0 bonus to attack and damage rolls, is as strong as a Kaiu blade and count as crystal for all invulnerabilities.
- Curse of the Grey Crone (spiritual) : - 3 pts, male assassins only (before the Awakening all male Asassins must have it, and get the points for it, after the splitting of the faction, not every male has it). The curse manifest itself either physically through deformities or internal through pain and lack of focus. You have the weakness disadvantage (corebook page 162), and increasing this trait is at + 1 experience point per rank. In exchange you earn the elemental blessing advantage for a different ring.
- Paragon of faith (spiritual) : 6 pts, Senpet or Ivinda characters only, you have one more Ka point that your Ka ring, but it can only be spent to activate Senpet or Guru schools techniques. Contrary to normal spiritual advantages, you can buy it with exp any time if you have lore : theology Burning Sands (Ten Thousand Gods) 5 or lore : theology Ivory Kingdoms (Ivory pantheon) 5.
- Defiler of the Dead (mental) : - 2 pts, Senpet characters only. You have abandoned your belief in the gods to pursue a path of personal power. You lose and cannot have the paragon of faith advantage, but you can still use all your Senpet school abilities
related to faith. You have the disturbing countenance disadvantage when interacting with Senpet characters.
- Forlorn (social) : - 1 or – 3, you have lost faith in the structure of your society. You have the antisocial disadvantage (one rank, cumulative with the antisocial disadvantage) when dealing with members of the government or the priesthood (or both if you have the – 3 pt version). This disadvantage can only be taken by characters belonging to a group with a highly structured state and faith, like the Senpet Empire, the Ra’Shari culture or the Ashalan’s organization around the Council of Twelve.
- Blood of the Hanif (physical) : 1 pt, Yodotai and Hanif only. You have a bloodline of the higher caste of the original Hanif. You cannot take the Despicable disadvantage and have + 1k1 to social rolls with Yodotai.
- Cosmopolitan (social) : 5 pts, Yodotai only, you are able to mix your cultural heritage with the Yodotai culture perfectly. You have one free language corresponding to your ancestor’s culture, the Seven Fortunes’ blessing (Benten) and + 1k0 bonus to social rolls with Yodotai. This is a denizen of advantage.
- Soul of a warrior (spiritual) : 12 pts, Yodotai only. Whenever you go into battle, you can call forth a spirit warrior to your side. It works like the Kitsu spirit legion ability (book of air page 180) with the same use of slots and Ka expense but stay only for the duration of the skirmish. The stats for the spirit warrior are identical to the spirit samurai of the technique with the modifications of page 238 of LBS.
- Despicable (mental) : - 2 pts, Yodotai only. You don’t really believe in the Yodotai credo and aren’t able to call upon some of their powers. You cannot have the blood of the Hanif, soul of a warrior and cosmopolitan advantages. You have the disturbing countenance disadvantage when dealing with Yodotai and you cannot have the magic resistance advantage.
- Illiterate (social) : - 1 point. You don’t know how to write and read.
- Favored weapon (mental) : 3 points, - 1 for warrior, you have mastered the use of a weapon to an unmatched level. Each time you get this advantage, select a different weapon. As long as you have a score of 5 + in the corresponding skill, you can spend one Ka point on damage when using this weapon. If you ever get the ability to spend Ka point on damage with the same weapon from another source, you are reimbursed the experience cost of this advantage.
- Master of styles (mental) : 4 points, - 1 for Akodo bushi and Yodotai. Through practice over the years you have mastered some particular styles of fighting. You can switch kata as a free action. This doesn’t apply to every kata, see with your GM which kata are covered by this advantage. If ever get this ability through another mean, you are reimbursed the experience cost of this advantage.
- Sacred weapon (material) : o Dhul Fiqar weapon (Caliphatee) : 6 pts, only those of the Sultan’s blood are
supposed to be allowed to use weapons made of Sultan’s steel. But they have widespread over the decades and many guards and officials can be seen with
one. Shortswords, longswords and daggers made of this steel are known to exist. + 1k1 to damage (max 3k3), unbreakable and – 2 to target’s reduction.
o Black steel sword (Ebonite) : 6 pts, this 3k2 longsword has a blade of steel darkened by adding some unknown substance through a secret ritual of the Ebonite. The blade count as obsidian for the purpose of passing invulnerabilities and reduction.
o Rod of Dahab (Dahabi) : 3 pts, a copy of the diamond-headed magical staff found in Laramun that serves as symbol of office for the Qolat masters, this 2k3 (heavy weapons) mace increased the TN to disarm you by 5.
o Qabal dagger (Qabal) : 4 pts, this 2k2 dagger is usually plain and simple, so to not be noticeable. After all, for centuries, the Qabal was hunted by the Khadi, and anything that could be seen as a symbol that their enemies could recognize conceal it and + 1 TN to be hit per insight rank when you have it in your hand and are in defense or full defense stance.
o Twisted moon (Assassins) : 5 pts, a copy of the Wicked Moon, the dagger of the Old Man, the twisted moon is a 3k2 dagger that ignore 3 points of reduction. The assassins made them to honor their founder.
o Ra’shari throwing knife (Ra’shari) : 7 pts, there is dozens of styles for those, but they are all 2k2 knives that double the range they can be thrown with the athletic skill and always return back to their owner after being thrown.
o Golden scimitar (Senpet) : 5 pts, this 3k3 scimitar is made of a mysterious bronze alloy that is way stronger than normal bronze and reflect light, giving it his name of golden scimitar. It is unbreakable and you get a free raise on disarm attempts.
o Spirit gladius (Yodotai) : 6 pts, sometimes the ancestral spirits of the fallen Yodotai came to fight alongside the legions. Sometimes they leave those 4k2 gladius to those who are worthy of them. They ignore all invulnerabilities.
o Jackal shortsword (Jackal) : 4 pts, this 3k2 curved shortsword is made to transfer poisons more efficiently, add + 5 to TN to resist poisons applied to the blade. The jackals want their targets join their undead horde, even from the smallest of scratches.
o Ensorceled longsword (Umi no koete) : 8 pts, created long ago, during a age of magic for the Umi no Koete, those 3k2 longsword that can be used like a rapier and grant the same bonuses as a rapier. As long as you have the scabbard, they’ll always appear back in it when summoned, wherever the blade could be.
o Ritual dagger (Rhumal cultist) : 6 pts, enchanted with vile magic, those 2k2 daggers will make the victim bleed of 1 wound per round in there is any exploding die on the damage. The bleeding is not cumulative and will last until healed, but any normal or magical healing will stop it.
o Blade of the Maharaja (Khastriya) : 6 pts, those 3k3 scimitars have been crafted by the swordsmithes of the Maharaja over centuries and gifted to the nobles houses of the Ivory Kingdoms. Your integrity rank is considered one rank higher as long as you carry it.
o The String of the Kingdoms (Ivinda, Mantis) : 5 pts, this ivory bow, later known as the String of the Colonies by the Mantis, is one of the many composite longbow created over the years by masters artisans. It’s a strength 4 yumi that gives no penalties when used from horseback and the double its base range.
o Staff of the Raja court (Ivinda) : 6 pts, those staves are known for carrying ancestral blessings from the Guru and Jakla, crafted from precious woods and highly decorated with jewels. Those are unbreakable 2k2 bo that ignores 3 points of reduction.
o Khadja (Ashalan) is (material) and not granted (LBS update page 4). You can upgrade it to have crysteel parts, as above, for + 6 pts.
o Six-rings swords (Yobanjin) : 6 pts, the Yobanjins do not have the masterly of blacksmithing the Rokugani have, but they can create some masterwork weapons. This 2k3 Yobanjin ring-sword (see Imperial Archives page 98) increase the number of raises required to disarm you by one.
o Crystal naga weapon (Naga) : identical as inheritance : crysteel.
- Touch of the spirit realms : Black Earth (spiritual) 5 points. You have a link to this spirit realm between others, giving you a special kharmic tie to spirits. When fighting a creature with the spirit trait, you do not halve your damage. This ability does not affect reduction and other invulnerabilities, just the effect of the spirit trait.
- Cursed by the realm : Black Earth (spiritual) 4 points. The Lying Darkness has found a way to your soul. You have -1k1 to all rolls to resist its corruption.
- Venom (physical) : naga only. You have the ability to spit and inject through biting venom (it is considered a poison), a rare but quite valued trait among nagas. To spit requires an attack roll with perception / athletics (throwing) roll with 2 raises for a called shot to be effective, while biting is done with a normal unarmed attack roll with 1 raise for a called shot to be effective. You cannot generate multiple venoms and can use it only once every 5 –your earth ring rounds.
o Acid : 5 pts, this weak acid is still dangerous to things made of organic matter, while totally useless against things like metals. It has a VD equal to your water ring when applied. It quickly oxides when in contact with air, making it unable to be applied on weapons or to deal damage over time.
o Blinding fog : 6 pts, the name came from the appearance of the venom when spit, which create a sort of small mist, but injected the poison create a dulling of all senses the same way. The target must make an opposed earth roll against your air roll or be blinded for a number of round equal to the difference.
o Blood coagulator : 4 pts, this venom provokes a slowing of the blood of the target, which leads to horrible pains. The target is considered to have one more rank of wounds for penalties for fire ring rounds. This effect cannot be stacked.
o Touch poison : 5 pts, a poison the Scorpion want to study, the target’s veins infected with the poison turn deep blue for a moment. Make an opposed earth ring roll between you and the victim, who suffers the difference between the rolls in wounds if you win.
o Neurotoxin : 8 pts, using this venom requires one more called shot raise to be used, as it requires to hit specific points on the target to be effective. Make an opposed roll of your water ring against the target’s earth ring, if you win, one ring (outside of void and similar) randomly selected is reduced by 1 for one day. This effect can be stacked, but reduce any ring to 0 do not kill the target (but, rendered helpless and comatose, she may die of starvation or thirst).
- Scent (physical) : 1pt, nonhuman only, you have a sense of smell improved contrary to other nagas or members of your species. You have + 2k1 on all perceptions rolls involving scent. This stack with the natural scent ability of your race, if any.
- Student of the past (spiritual) : Naga only. The Naga equivalent of ancestors, they works like ancestors but a naga can have more than one. That because they are past lives, not actual spirits contacting you (hence the lack of demands). Some works like human-only advantages, see their entry for prices and effects.
o Duty of the scout : 3 pts, one of your past lives was a talented scout, and you remember the Great Lessons of this role. You get + 1k0 to all perception rolls.
o Duty of the warrior : 7 points, one of your past lves was a devoted warrior. Select one bugei skill from the naga warrior starting school skills. You have + 1k0 to your rolls with it.
o Duty of the vedic, child of the Bright Eye : 3 pts. Through your experiences as Vedic devoted to the sun, you have mastered contact with the Akasha and medicine techniques. Meditation requires only 15 minutes for you to recover an Akasha point and you can add your akasha rank to the number of wounds you heal when using the medicine skill.
o Duty of the vedic, child of the Pale Eye : 7 points, you have been a skilled vedic. Select one high skill from the naga vedic starting school skills. You have + 1k0 to your rolls with it.
o Duty of the Jakla : 10 pts. Through your past lives as a jakla, you found ways to use the Akasha for magic. You have one more Akasha spell slot available than normal.
o Duty as a hero of the bloodline war : 4 pts. Through your experiences during this war, you are filled with a sense of virtue. All caste losses are reduced by 1with a minimum of 1 and all gain are increased by 1.
o Duty as a malcontent of the bloodline war : - 3 pts. Your inner shame for siding with the Shahismael shaken your resolve. All caste gains are reduced by 1 to a minimum of 1 and all caste losses are increased by 1.
o Duty as a follower of the Shahismael : 6 pts, Dark Naga only. You followed the future Dark Naga in his previous life and now that you are both reincarnated, you have joined together again. You have + 1k0 to your attacks rolls against nagas.
o Duty of legionaries of the Qatol : equivalent of enlightened advantage. You were a member of the Qatol’s legion and served valiantly.
o Cobra soulbinder : equivalent to chosen by the oracles advantage. You were among those who were taught the secrets of the Cobra reincarnation.
o Oseuth, warrior of the Pale Eye : 8 pts, rare are those who were once the warrior of the Pale Eye. You have ranks equal to your Ashaka in the advantage magic resistance, but this resistance only applies to human magic.
o Shakarash, wife of the Qatol : 6 pts. Her tricks created the first pearls, giving you a powerful link to them. You are considered to have an emphasis when you cast spells, allowing you to reroll “1” on spellcasting rolls.
o Syba : equivalent of the Seven fortune’s blessing (Bishamon) advantage. The Syba stood and faced waves after waves of creatures of the Foul, defeating them one by one, and your memories of this life help you fight.
- Water snake (physical) 3 pts, 4 for chameleon and Ningyo : naga only, you have to take a one hour bath every day or all your TN increase by 3 for every day you haven’t spent one hour into the water.
- Tales (spiritual) : the tales are the Burning Sands and Ivory Kingdoms’ equivalent of ancestors, and they follow the same rules. But instead of being actual ancestor spirits guiding you, they are archetypes born of stories that are dwelling in Yume-do. Having a tale means you are inspired by it and try to emulate it, which means they are not linked to groups but to personalities. Each as examples of what is required to follow one, and names are examples (Ivory Kingdoms could have a tale of two houses fighting for the tale of the Moto and the Senpet for example). Ra’shari characters pay tales 1 less point while Yodotai cannot have any. Yobanjins can have them too.
o A dying sahir’s tale : 7 pts, as the tale says, he was proud and powerful, but he couldn’t escape the Khadi forever. It’s a tale of fighting against all odds.
Requirements : driven (proving you are the best duelist), dark paragon (perfection) and everything about performing better in duels. This tale is for talented duelists.
Inspiration : the tale give you the strength to improve your dueling style. You have + 1k1 to all your tahaddi rolls.
Demands : you cannot refuse a duel.o Dark journey home : 7 pts, the tale of travelers who fought through the desert
to get home, his tale is all about survival and determination. Requirements : dark paragon (will), dark paragon (determination),
strength of the earth and everything about survival and stamina. Inspiration : when calculating your movement, your water is considered
1 rank higher. The starting TN for meditation (fasting) is 5 for you and not 15. You are considered to have the touched by the realm (Yume-do) advantage. If you have it already, you need half the normal sleep time.
Demands : unless at your home, you can never sleep two nights in a row at the same place.
o The Tale of Selqet and the eye of night : 4 pts, the tale take the name of the ronin Dairya’s story of meeting with Selqet, the name the Senpet gave to Bayushi Kachiko, but it is a tale of victory. Many stories have the same ending of a victorious hero defeating all his opponents and conquer all odds.
Requirements : dark paragon (determination), daredevil, quick, Seven fortunes’ blessing (Bishamon). It’s a tale for warriors devoted to a cause, to a goal to achieve and willing to face everything for it.
Inspiration : whenever you put an opponent to the down wound level or lower, you heal 4 wounds immediately.
Demands : you must always give a chance to your opponents, never taking the easy option in fights. It involves waking sleeping opponents, never using ranged attacks on unaware opponents and so on.
o The tale of Selqet’s capture : 3 pts, a tale of spying and seduction, this tale is all about the people working in the shadows to achieve their goals. Again, it is now named from the story of the Scorpion Thunder, but they have been spies since the birth of society and storytellers to use them as villains.
Requirements : silent, ruined city shadow, a high rank in the stealth rank, low glory. This is a story for those who do things out of sight.
Inspiration : whenever you spend void points on skills used to seduce, lie and do things without being seen, you get + 3k1 instead of 1k1.
Demands : you must share with someone else, once per month, a secret that this person do not know. Doing it for money count.
o The tale of the 4 goddesses : 7 pts, the scroll tells of 4 goddesses who will awaken the moon, the story of the awakening itself. It’s a story about knowledge and magic, favored by scholars and sahirs.
Requirements : dark paragon (knowledge), sage, fascination for stuff like Naga. This tale is for those who seek knowledge above all.
Inspiration : + 1k0 to all lore rolls. Demands : to avoid destroying knowledge and sharing knowledge.
o The tale of the fourth avatar : 6 pts, a tale of devotion and loyalty, it is part of the stories of the Awakening, a prophecy wrote hundred years ago. This one took the shape of the sacrifice of Shosuro Tage to bring back Shinjo. This tale is about sacrifice, loyalty to country, gods or love. It is about devotion.
Requirements : obligation to a group, true love, high integrity... Inspiration : whenever you spend Ka points on actions toward
protecting those you are devout for, you add + 1k1 + rank in your highest ring instead of the normal + 1k1.
Demands : to never betray those you sworn loyalty to.o The tale of the last raid : 6 pts, there is many tales of raiders harassing towns
and caravans. The tales of the last raid end either with the raiders rich enough to retire or they completely exterminated, depending who the storyteller want to emphases the story on. It’s a story for those who live from fighting.
Requirements : high weapon skill, seven fortune’s blessing (Bishamon), paragon of bushido (courage)… this tale is devoted to those who lives through their fighting skills, whatever the reason.
Inspiration : whenever you spend a Ka point to reduce damage, you reduce 10 + highest ring rank instead of the normal 10.
Demands : your last Ka point of your pool can only be spent to reduce damage.
o The tale of the Moto and the Senpet : a tale of armies fighting each other, counterattacking and harassing each other, this tale is for the strategists, the leaders of men, from army commanders to bandit leaders.
Requirements : tactician, leadership, high battle rank… Inspiration : during mass battle, you can add twice your highest ring
rank to your result and gain reduction equal to your highest ring rank. Demands : as long as you have troops, you shouldn’t leave them.
o The tale of the stolen heart : 6 pts for shugenja, 7 pts for Sahir. To quote the tale “A sahir’s heart spark with lightning, spreads like plague, burns like fire. It shines like the first moment of the cosmos. To steal a man’s heart is to steal a piece of the universe.” This tale is about the lure of magic and of power.
Requirements : high spellcraft, many spells, magic-related advantages. Inspiration : once per day, you can transform one spell slot of one
element into an universal spell slot if you are a [shugenja] or have one more spell slot per day if you are [sahir].
Demands : never spend a day without casting a spell.o Vendetta : 3 pts, there is more stories of blood feuds that anyone except the
Ra’shari can remember. Integrity and honor calls for people to swear loyalty to groups which in turn need to be avenged if their enemies win.
Requirements : heart of vengeance, obligation to a group. This tale is for those who lost something important to them or an honor-bound to avenge something, forgetting their own personal goals for vengeance.
Inspiration : whenever you are fighting someone of the faction who wronged those you fight for, the target considered you as a nemesis (see the Sworn enemy disadvantage, corebook page 162).
Demands : never pass an occasion to act upon your vengeance.
- Rebellious : this disadvantage is removed. Dark secret : Yodotai rebel, despicable and forlorn do the same job.
School tags :
[Sorcerer] are the magical users of the Umi no Koete.[Sahir] are the magical users of the Burning Sands. They can use kihos like shugenjas.[Warrior] regroup all the warrior classes. They can use katas like bushis.[Guru] are mystical people searching enlightenment. They can use kihos like [monks][Diplomat] are the social classes.[Artisan] are the crafting schools.[Rogue] are scouts, assassins and others people working in the shadows.
Contrary to [bushi] schools unable to combine with [shugenja] schools, [sorcerer] schools can be combined with any schools. [sahir] and [warrior] : Sahir characters cannot have ranks in a [warrior] school, with two possible exceptions (the Ashalan and the Khadi because they are long-lived).
Magic outside of Rokugan :
Shugenja have reported that the kami act differently outside of Rokugan. While it doesn’t seem to be much a problem in the Yobanjin lands, it does changes things when they reach the Ivory Kingdoms or the Burnings Sands. Magic works normally in the High Steppes and the Yobanjin territories.
Shugenja spellcasting in the Burning Sands itself, the Senpet Empire, the Western Wastes, the Great Void and the Yodotai Empire suffers a + 5 TN penalty. But as the kami there are slow to answer to the call of a shugenja, which makes it harder to cast a spell, it has also a small beneficial aspect : failed spellcasting rolls do not cost a spell slot.
Shugenja spellcasting in the Ivory Kingdoms and the Demon-infested swamps and jungles that border the Shadowlands suffers an increase of one complex action of spellcasting time. This is because the kami are sluggish and somewhat different from those in Rokugan. This penalty can be ignored for shugenja who have spent time in the region as they get used to understanding the subtle differences between the local kami and those from their homeland. However the kami of the Ivory Kingdoms are primal forces and stronger than those of Rokugan so that, once per day, a shugenja can make three raises on a spellcasting roll to cast it without spending a spell slot.
Spellcasting in the White Lands, the Nothing-corrupted lands south-west of the Great Void suffers a + 10 TN penalty. Also failing a spell due to the TN penalty (so, making a roll good enough to cast the spell originally but not good enough for the + 10 TN) make the caster earn
one Shadow point (not a Shadow rank, see the optional rule in the Lying Shadow chapter of Enemies of the Empire).
The Shadowland taint outside of Rokugan :
Some says the Taint does not exist outside of Rokugan, but there is proof otherwise : the Ma’Ghul, the ambassador of Jigoku assisted the Jackals in Medinaat al-Salaam, ghuls are tainted; free ogres roam the Western Wastes, trying to rebuild their former kingdom; the oni known as the Destroyers were summoned in the Ivory Kingdoms. Some say that the Taint does not affect Gaijin, yet Garen Hawthorne was tainted.
So the Shadowlands taint has spread as far as the Burning Sands, at least. But the people of those lands are seemingly unaware of its existence and the Rokugani who have been there didn’t see many tainted people or creatures. Blood magic in Rokugan became tainted when the released kansen, Jigoku-tainted kami, where released with the fall of Fu-leng from Tengoku. In truth, the kansens have spread past the frontiers of Rokugan, but so far from the Festering Pit, they are not as strong or as quick to react as those from the Empire.
As such, the Taint exists in those lands, but acts a bit differently. When using maho in those lands, the number of Shadowland points earned is lowered by your insight rank, to a minimum of 1. Non-Rokugani characters cannot use the Embrace the Taint ability until they have learned about the Shadowlands Taint, but in exchange the Taint display no symptoms. They do not gain Shadowlands powers or mutations, and outside of mental troubles (and for the most advanced infection like level 3 or 4, some minor physical changes formerly associated with level 2 : active infection, but really discreet), shows nothing that a Kuni witch-hunter could recognize as symptoms of the Taint. But as soon as theyEmbrace the Taint, the Taint manifests like for Rokugani.
Whatever your level of infection or the use or not Embrace the Taint, Shadowland Taint progression is the Burning Sands is one check per month with a TN of 5. In the Ivory Kingdoms the TN is 10.
The Lying Shadow and the Burning Sands :
Outside of Rokugan, the Lying Shadow works exactly like in the Empire, with two exceptions : the White Lands, in which the power of the Shadow is magnified (see the entry in the location sub-chapter of chapter 3) and the Burning Sands. The same magic that turns the Nagas into the Naar Teban changes those who bear the mark of the Lying Darkness.
As such, consider the Shadow ranks of characters to be one rank lower for the use of Shadow powers and drawbacks (for example, a character with a Shadow rank of 1 is considered to have a Shadow rank of 0 in the Burning Sands, while one with 4 is considered to be only 3). As such, it can break the control of the Shadow over someone as long as he stays in the sands. Weapons containing sands of the Burning Sands (for example, forged from metals coming from the lands burned during the Day of Wrath) round damage up from the partial invulnerability of Shadow-tainted creatures and add + 2 to the damage result after dividing due to the invulnerability. Not every metal used in the Burning Sands come from the area infused with the Sun’s magic, 95% of those made by the Mekhem are, 50% of the Senpet’s and about 5% of the Yodotai, for example.
Half rokugani :
The creation myth of the Rokugani and their ability to use the Void, a more encompassing element than Ka or Panache, make that if one of the parents had a Void ring, all the kids will have a Void ring, no matter which ring the other parent had.
2) Thrane and Merenae (Umi no Koete) :
Thrane and Merenae characters use drama instead of void. For a character, drama works exactly like void. For interactions with effects that target void, refers to the rules described in 4th edition core book and book of the Void. Otherwise, a character built from there is created exactly as a character from Rokugan, barring the following changes below. Note that this system is only meant for NPC creation.
Merenae : + 1 awarenessThrane : + 1 intelligence.
Little is known about those two cultures, except that Merenae seems to be inspired by Spain (Castille in 7th sea) and France (Montaigne) while Thrane seems to be inspired by English (Avallon) and Dutch (Vesten). They first meet Rokugani in 439 (Isawa Calendar) in the port of Aqahab, in the form of Moto and Ide scouts of the Ki-rin clan.
They have a religion, which involves an entity named Kharsis. It seems many are devote followers of this belief. They also have magic, which is often called blood sorcery. Not because it involve blood, like maho, but because bloodlines carry the power of magic. All of those bloodlines are nobles, so technically being able to use magic makes you a noble, but in truth, the shame of a bastard using magic often led to them being hidden or executed. Magic is rare and feared by most people, who don’t understand it. Even the nobles are wary of those few who can use the magic of their ancestors.
The Umi no Koete have faced the Yodotai at times, meetings that didn’t go well. Wars were fought, but the Yodotai never pushed toward the island regions of the Thrane and Merenae, and so never threatened their kingdoms. But what threatened and brought them down was a plague from the Senpet. Explorers from the kingdom of Thrane met with the Senpet empire, and a plague was brought back. This illness was not dangerous to the Senpet, but for the unprepared Thrane, it was deadly. 80% of their population died during the 10th century (Isawa Calendar) and the plague struck the neighboring countries in the same way (except Merenae), bringing a dark age.
The Umi no Koete lost many technological advancements and resources, forcing them to revert to older techniques. Whatever they could hold on to was preserved but it all became rarer. Advanced firearms became less common; armies had to go back to older muskets, canons and pistols. Swords were brought back as the main dueling weapon as not every noble could afford a pistol anymore. Magic became more common as a resource, people practicing it again more often and overtly.
Thrane and Merenae characters have their own version of honor. While it is called honor where they come from, to avoid confusion with the Rokugani honor system, it has been renamed Panache. The Panache system works exactly like the honor system, with the
exception of the values it supports. I could make an entire file explaining a complex honor system with many examples about how depending of what you do, you win or lose panache, but I’ll just explain the key virtues linked to it. The base for it is the code of Chivalry, but it’s an antiquated thing for most of the nobles class of those two countries, which explains their tendencies to emphasize only some virtues and not having such a great panache (also, it doesn’t apply to non-noble). Remember that panache works like honor for bonuses against things like intimidation.
- Courage : I shall protect the weak. You should not fear when you have to fight. You should not show that you are afraid. This virtue doesn’t force you to fight impossible odds, so sneaking away is possible, as long as you have done everything you could before coming to it. You are a noble warrior and shall act like one.
- Justice : I shall hold a passion for justice in my heart. A true gentleman believes in a justice that punishes the wrongdoings. The thieves, the liars, the cheaters should be punished according to their crimes.
- Generosity : I shall give aid to any man, woman, child, friend or foe, without though of reward or compensation. Being the strong and the riche, the noble class should be providing protection and guidance to the lower casts.
- Mercy : I shall show mercy to a defenseless foe. Fighting someone unaware of the battle, or unarmed, is not honorable. Duels should also be one against one. Alongside generosity, mercy is usually the virtue most modern noble forget.
- Modesty : I shall show humility before the Creator and his work. Bragging isn’t really welcomed at the court. One shall be proud of his accomplishments but not boast them at every occasion.
- Temperance : I shall keep guard against treason in my own heart and in the heart of others. Etiquette separate the man from the animal, and one should be always mindful of the complex social system. Uncouth warriors are unwelcome in court.
Panache values : - 0-1 : Honorless scum.
You are without honor. Like the thugs living on the streets, you are a selfish coward. You are anathema to all the virtues of the code of Chivalry.
- 2-3 : Villainous.Cruelty and selfishness is rife. Barbaric warriors have this rank. They sometimes have a sliver of honor (eg not killing women) but that is about it.
- 4-5 : What is expected.You follow the basic rules of the code, but barely. You mostly pay lip service to it or are too weak-minded to live by the higher standards of it. Most nobles have this rank.
- 6-7 : Gentleman.You are the type of hero the romantic speaks of. You try your best to live by the code in everything, but sometimes you falter or one virtue is too hard for you to follow.
- 8-9 : Heroic.You embody the virtues of the Code. You are a shining example to live by.
- 10 : Paragon.
This level is nothing but a faltering moment, for such a rank of panache is too hard to maintain with the difficulties of life… or led to your death due to you refusing to bow.
Status and glory works like they in the L5R corebook, just that they mostly work only for the respective country and their neighbors. Social position starts with noble (1,0), with military grades / Navy grades going as following : corporal / sailor (1,5), sergeant / mate (2,0), lieutenant /petty officer (3,0), captain / lieutenant (4,0). There is also magistrate and religious positions, which follows a complex structure only expert understands.
Molinero school (Merenae, Warrior) : + 1 awarenessThis school is a famous fencing school that teaches espada (swordsmen) a more defensive style than the other well know schools. It uses a parrying dagger in its left hand, often named a main-gauche. Through parrying with it, the fencer can block enemy attacks, which are frequently rash ones, as the second most famous aspect of this school is the habit of teasing and insulting the opponent. This is done so that the enemy loses focus and makes impulsive attacks, offering openings in his defense when doing so. One variant style uses a triple dagger to increase disarms in addition to parrying, but make it harder to parry.
Starting panache : 5,5School skills : defense, knives (dagger), swordsmanship, fencing, etiquette Umi no Koete, intimidation, any bugei or high skill.Starting outfit : dagger, rapier, nobleman or woman’s clothing, travelling pack, 8 gold coins.
1st rank : Molinero’s defense.The first lesson of this school is how to use the dagger in their left hand. You ignore all dual-wielding penalties when you have a dagger in your off-hand. Your TN to be hit increase by your school rank when you have a dagger in your off-hand and a sword in your main hand. You have +1k0 to intimidation rolls.
2nd rank : Molinero’s sarcasm.The school is known for the constant insults and sarcasm of their students. As a free action, you can make an intimidation (control) / awareness roll with a TN equal to your opponent’s willpower X 5 (+ bonuses against intimidation). If you succeed, your opponent suffers a – 3 to all his attacks rolls for a number of rounds equal to your school rank. Each raise on this roll increase the penalty by 2. You cannot use this technique on a particular opponent more than once per skirmish. It can be used in a duel.
3rd rank : Molinero’s strike.Like the 3rd rank of the Kakita Duelling school.
4th rank : Molinero’s speed.More than many other fencing schools, the Molinero is fast. Their students are often dancing around with their two weapons. You can make attacks with knives and swords as simple actions.
5th rank : Molinero’s dance.
You have mastered the perfect art of dancing to the tune of combat. When using a dagger and a sword and after making two attacks during the same round, you can make use the extra attack maneuver with the dagger for three less raises.
Morriston school (Thrane, Warrior) : + 1 reflexes.An antiquated school for many, this fencing school is popular among soldiers for the use of a buckler to increase defense while making attacks with a more common sword than the rapier. It offers a wide range of attacks, but tends to have a repetitive pattern to it. With the plague which led to the fall of civilized combat in Thrane, the Morriston school returned as a major school among soldiers and poor nobles.
Starting panache : 4,5School skills : defense (shield), swordsmanship, fencing, battle, etiquette Umi no Koete, firearms or archery or crossbow, any skill.Starting outfit : small shield, rapier or longsword, travelling pack, warrior or officer outfit, 6 gold coins, appropriate ranged attack weapon and ammunition.
1st rank : Morriston’s apprentice.While you have a sword or a gun in one hand and a shield in the other hand, you ignore all penalties for dual wielding. You can add your shield bonus to your TN to be hit whenever you are not in full attack.
2nd rank : Morriston’s journeyman.When using a shield, you gain reduction equal to your drama ring.
3rd rank : Morriston's thrust.A soldier school, the Morriston teaches the mastery of melee weapons. You can make simple attacks with melee weapons.
4th rank : Morriston’s master.Your focus on your defense offers you opportunities when you decide to strike. When you are in defense stance, you are also considered to be in center stance.
5th rank : Morriston's twist. This difficult move to master is a tell-tale of the school. While parrying with the shield, the swordsman makes a series of short thrusts before making a slash attack. Once per round, when in defense or full defense stance, you can spend a drama point to make an attack, as a free action, against one opponent who is attacking you, before the resolution of his own.
Torvo style, new path (Warrior, Merenae) :A dueling school that makes the duelist keep his left hand behind his back while fighting, it is, contrary to the Molinero, all about silence and focus. The school teaches to fight on your side to make a narrower target and allows you to make quick forward thrusts, forcing yourself into
the opponent’s stance to disturb it with feint like disarm. It make it a really efficient technique in duels, since it is all about observing your opponent’s dance and stance.Replace : Molinero rank 2Requirements : fencing 3, swordsmanship 3, defense 3
Technique : Torvo’s strike.Your mastery of the sword allows you to need one less raise to do the extra attack, disarm, called shot and feint maneuver. You learn two additional pieces of information during the assessment stage of a duel. You have + 1k0 on focus rolls.
Cornejo school (Warrior, Merenae) : + 1 intelligence / Hapworth school (Warrior, Thrane) : + 1 reflexes.The mastery of the longbow was already dying by the time of the battle of White Stag because of firearms being seen as more modern and efficient. The Hapworth school taught how to use crossbows efficiently at the time. But after the plague ravaged the land and resources dwindling, people returned to the cheaper longbow and the hunting skills of this school to help them survive. On the other side, the weapon created by Espada Cornejo led to the development of flintlock weapons that spread quickly. While created by the Merenae, the school for mastering firearms was taught in every neighboring country, especially in Thrane where the last rank was created. You have to select your favored weapon when entering this school and apply the corresponding bonuses per technique.
Starting panache : 5,5School skills : brawling, craft : bowmaking (Hapworth), craft : crossbow (both) or craft : polvora (Cornejo), firearms (Cornejo) or crossbow (both) or archery (Hapworth), athletics, any bugei or low skill, stealth, hunting.Starting outfit : appropriate good quality ranged weapon, tools necessary for the craft skill, corresponding ammunitions, sturdy outdoor outfit, dagger, 5 gold coins.
1st rank : Point-blank mastery.You have +1k0 to your attacks rolls when in attack stance. The base range of your firearms (Cornejo) / archery (Hapsworth) / crossbow (both) weapons increase by 1’ for each rank in this school.
2nd rank : Short-range mastery.You can increase the damage of your favorite weapon by crafting it (for bow or crossbow) or refining yourself the power (for firearms). As long as you use those homemade products, your VD is increased by 1k0.
3rd rank : Two shots, two kills.You have mastered the reload of your weapons. You can now make simple action attacks with bows (Hapsworth), or reload a firearm with one less complex action (Cornejo). For the crossbow (both schools), you reload with one less complex action, unless you have the mastery rank 5 of crossbow, in this case you reload as a simple action and can shoot with crossbows as a simple action.
4th rank : Medium-range mastery.Making raises with archery (Hapsworth), crossbows (both) or firearms (Cornejo) isn’t limited by your Drama ring. You have a number of free raises equal to your school rank to use for the called shot maneuver only when using the favored weapon of your school.
5th rank : Long-range mastery.Your mastery of your weapon has few equals. You ignore 3 points of reduction on your target and your damage dice explodes on 9 and 10 when using your school’s favored weapon.
Tytus style (Thrane, warrior, new path) : Mastery of the horse is a skill which nobles of Thrane and Merenae are supposed to excel at, since owning a horse and a sword are the distinctive traits of nobility. As long as he has both, the poorest of nobles has little trouble proving his status. As such, techniques were created to fight with a horse, using his speed, agility and strength to allow fast attacks with the spear and sword. This is not seen as the most noble of styles as it offers the chance to flee to avoid counterattacks, it is a really efficient one that became more common after the plague. This school is the only one still teaching the use of the broadsword (Seibore).Replace : Morriston rank 2Requirements : horsemanship 3, swordsmanship 3
Technique : centaurus.When riding a horse, you can use its strength value instead of yours for your damage rolls and use its reduction in addition to yours. You cannot use a shield when using the reduction of the
horse.
Sicaire school (Rogue, Thrane and Merenae) : + 1 agilityIn a civilized society like those of the Umi no Koete, you cannot solve every problem with a duel. You need to sometimes use more discreet means, or sometimes your main resources are finances instead of skill with a sword. For those, the sicaire are here. A talented guild of assassins, everybody publicly despises them but that nearly everyone wants to be able to afford their services. They are the response to many problems, even if sometimes all they do is sneak in and deliver a paper. Knowing that the sicaire
could enter your home can make you change your mind. They tend to work independently of nations and families, but some are bound by oath or money to a group and works exclusively for them. Sicaire can be found in many positions of power, sometimes hidden as cortesano / cortesana (courtier) or consejero (advisors) of those who make the courts dance. Starting panache : 3,5School skills : stealth, athletics, knives (dagger), craft : poison, temptation, sincerity (deceit), any skill.Starting outfit : 5 daggers, crafting materials and tools, 3 different outfits, travelling pack, 6 gold coins.
1st rank : one poison.The sicaire works first with poisons, even if most of the poisons he uses are non-lethal. You have a + 2k0 bonuses to your rolls to resist poisons and illnesses and also to your craft : poison and medicine (antidotes) rolls. You have + 1k0 to your stealth rolls.
2nd rank : 2 hands.
When using two knives, you may ignore the penalties for dual wielding. When using knives, you ignore an amount of reduction equal to your school rank.
3rd rank : 3 kisses.Distraction, confidence and efficiency are what the sicaire is about. When spending a void point when making a roll with a school skill, you add 2k2 instead of 1k1.
4th rank : 4 daggers.While the sicaire are more about infiltration that actual fighting, sometimes they have to. You can make simple action attacks with knives. When using throwing weapons, you can throw 4 of them during one complex action.
5th rank : 5 moves.After spending 5 hours studying someone thoroughly (these need not be consecutive, but each session needs to be at least an hour, and no more than a week can pass between sessions), you get + 3k0 to all your temptation, sincerity, investigation and stealth opposed rolls with this person. The bonus expires after a week, although the duration can be extended by studying the target for one hour before that week end. You can have this ability active for a number of targets equal to your Fire ring at any one time.
Hawthorne school (Warrior, rogue, Thrane) : + 1 stamina.A sailor school, which contrary to most schools listed above, accepts mostly commoners. But they are no less deadly, especially on a ship. They are talented with improvised weapons and uneven ground and use as main weapons a pistol and a cutlass. They are a more rounded school than most swordsman schools, teaching non-combat skills. More than conventional fighting, the school is based on tricks to distract the opponent. Starting panache : 3,5School skills : athletics, brawling, sailing, firearms, swordsmanship, intimidation, any bugei or low skill.Starting outfit : pistol, 6 doses of powders, 36 bullets, sailor outfit, 5 gold coins, travelling pack, short sword and 2 daggers.
1st rank : Hit’m hardSailors have to be adaptable to survive the difficulties of a ship and deter people with their reputation. You suffer no penalties to movements or attacks whenever you are prone or an uneven terrain. You have a + 2k0 bonus to rolls to resist alcohol effects. You can add your intimidation rank to your damage rolls. You do not have any penalties when using improvised weapons.
2nd rank : Quick tack.You know when to move against the flow and when to move with the flow. During mass battle, you can reduce the damage you suffer by your school rank and increase your mass battle roll by the same value. You suffer no penalties for dual wielding if one of the weapons is a small weapon. You can draw a small sized weapon as a free action if both your hands are free.
3rd rank : Fancy swordplay.
You have impressive fighting skills. You can now make an attack as a Simple action with firearms, swords, improvised weapons and daggers.
4th rank : Spit in death’s eye.You have been to the brink of death and come back from it over and over. Reduce your wounds penalties by your school rank.
5th rank : Ancient training techniques.You know all the best tricks. Whenever you spend a drama point you get the benefits of two. Once per day, you can spend a full round drinking something invigorating (in defense stance if you want) to recover all your drama points.
Forlani style (Warrior, Merenae, new path) : + 1 reflexes.A more socially accepted variant of the Hawthorne school is the Forlani style, using a sword cane and its scabbard. The scabbard is an improvised weapon, and the sword cane requires a TN 20 investigation / perception roll to see it’s a weapon, but otherwise works like a rapier.Starting panache : 5,5School skills : athletics, stealth, etiquette Umi no Koete, fencing, swordsmanship, brawling (improvised weapons), any high skill.Replace Hawthorne rank 1Starting outfit : sword-cane, rapier, nobleman’s outfit, 7 gold coins, travelling pack.
Technique : Fancy Footwork.You suffer no penalties to dual wielding if you have a sword cane and its scabbard as weapons. You do not have any penalties when using improvised weapons. During the stance selection phase, you can either add your panache to your TN to be hit or to your damage. The Fancy swordplay technique do not applies to firearms and daggers for you.
Magic of the Umi no Koete :
Their magic is called blood sorcery because for some unknown reason, only some bloodlines can cast spells. You need the forbidden knowledge : sorcery advantage (one rank minimum) to be able to enter one of the [sorcerer] schools of the Thrane and Merenae. Sorcerers start with three spells and, when they increase in school rank, they immediately learn two new spells of any mastery level which they can cast. They can learn others spells through research for an xp cost equal to the mastery level of the spell (with a maximum of 5 X current school rank spells). They can forget some spells to learn new ones.
Casting a spell requires a spell casting roll of school rank / ring (determined by the school) at a TN of 5 + (5 X mastery level of the spell). As for normal spells, casting requires a number of complex actions equal to the Mastery level to be cast, with raises reducing the number of complex actions as usual. Sorcerers have a number of spell slots equal to the school ring X 3.
Backlash : if you fail a casting roll, you suffer a number of wounds equal to the master y level of the spell (for example, small flesh wounds appears on their face) unless another backlash effect is listed.
Those rules replaces those of the spells themselves : for example, bend name do no require bleeding when cast by a Levenslot magic user.
Levenslot (sorcerer, Thrane) : + 1 awarenessThis magic is all about the tapestry of destiny and predicting the future. Those blessed with this rare magic can see patterns in the Void (which they call fate) and try to weave and unweave some outcomes to increase or decrease the chances of those happening. It doesn't allow a complete control of the future, with even the best masters of this art not achieving total prediction, but only a little control of the probabilities. Mostly women are able to access this magic, but the rare males who are blessed (or cursed) with the ability are able to reach the same level of mastery. The Ziener (seer) can see the strands of fate in tarot cards (a divination deck), coins being money, cups passion, swords conflicts and staves authority. Based on the symbols on the cards, the Ziener can see which strand of fate can be altered to which result and focus on altering those. But as each strand supports the pattern, playing too much with fate can create backlash for the sorcerer.
Starting panache : 4,5School skills : divination (tarot), etiquette Umi no Koete, calligraphy Thrane, knives, courtier Umi no Koete, lore : omens, any high or low skill.Starting outfit : good quality tarot deck, writing tools, dagger, nobleman or woman’s outfit, 7 gold coins, travelling pack.
Technique : Measure, tug, weave and unweave.You can see the treads of fate and alter them. Your casting ring is drama. You have a + 1k0 bonus to your divination rolls and lore : omens.
Spells : sense (air), sense (water), commune (air), commune (water), all the spells with the divination keyword and all the void spells, and the following name spells (See Enemies of the Empire page 118) : bend name, bless name, mend name and name talent.
Fuego (Sorcerer, Merenae) : + 1 intelligence.The magic of Fuego (fire) is all about exciting the threads of the tapestry (the elements) to create damage. Burning through the tapestry, a Fuego master is seen as dangerous to everyone, including his allies. The use of this magic tends to burn everyone around, which explains why they are often showing traces of burns. Practitioners of the trade tend to be feisty and flamboyant, favouring fire-related colors.
Starting panache : 5,5School skills : etiquette Umi no Koete,
calligraphy Merenae, any bugei skill, stealth, defense, medicine (wound treatment), craft : polvora.Starting outfit : travelling pack, first aid pack, dagger, craft materials and tools, good quality craftsman’s outfit, writing tools, 5 gold coins.
Technique : to burn the tapestry.You can excite the threads around you, setting them alight with your power. Your casting ring is fire. You have + 1k0 to your medicine rolls due to your habit of healing your burns.
Spells : sense (fire), summon (fire), command (fire), all the spells with the thunder keyword and all the fire spells.
Kata : Kata work the same way as for Rokugani characters but applied to warriors schools instead of bushi schools. Don’t forget void is drama for the Thrane and Merenae, and that some paths change the faction tag of the school like the Forlani style. I haven’t listed every kata available in 4th edition, but that selection should give you ideas to adapt the remaining ones.
- Striking as air, striking as fire, striking as earth, striking as void and striking as water are unchanged and available for any warrior school.
- Balance the elements style is available for the Molinero school.- Breath of the wind style is available for the Forlani style, sicaire and Morriston
schools.- Disappearing world style is available for the Molinero, Hawthorne and sicaire schools.- Hidden blade style is available for the Hawthorne and Molinero schools.- Indomitable warrior style is available for the Hawthorne and Tytus style schools.- Reckless abandon style is available for the Hawthorne school.- Spinning blades style is available to the Hawthorne, Forlani style, Sicaire, and
Molinero schools.- Veiled menace style is available to the Sicaire school.- Strength of the Crab is available to the Hapworth school.- Son of the storms is available to the Sicaire and Hawthorne schools.- Strength of the Mantis is available is to the Hapworth, Hawthorne and Cornejo
schools. - Strength of the Scorpion is available to the Sicaire, Molinero and Morriston schools.- Strength of the Unicorn is available to the Tytus style.- Art of Ninjutsu is available to the Sicaire school.- Strength of the Spider is available to the Morriston school.
Weapons :
The pistol, the musket and the canon are described on page 97 of Imperial Histories 1. You will notice that I modified the firearms and canon skills as I apply the misfires rule featured on the same page. For the purpose of the supernatural effects of firearms, consider that a firearm ignore one point of supernatural reduction per 5 damage point the roll did and that they can bypass invulnerability.
- Ashi-kyu : (kyujutsu or archery : ashi-kyu) this Thrane and Merenae composite longbow requires 3 strength to be used. The bow's strength is the archer's strength – 1 and the range is archer's strength + 2 X 100'. Keywords : large, Thrane and Merenae.
- Seibore : (swordmanship : seibore) this heavy and long knight's sword, sometimes called a broadsword, was already antiquated when the ships arrived in Rokugan. Using it requires strength and stamina 3, DR is 0k4 and it reduces reduction by 4. Keywords : large, Thrane and Merenae.
- Gunpowder pistol : (Firearms : gunpowder pistol) is identical to the pistol except for the following : range 33', it ignores the armor part of the TN of the target and every “1” rolled count double for the misfire rule. Keywords : small, firearm, Thrane and Merenae.
- Gunpowder shotgun (usually called blunderbuss) : (firearms : gunpowder shotgun) is identical to the musket except for the following : range 66', it ignores the armor part of the TN, reduces reduction by 4 and every “1” rolled counts double for the misfire rule. Keywords : large, firearm, Thrane and Merenae.
- Rapier : (swordsmanship : rapier) DR 3k2, you can uses awareness instead of strength for damage rolls. Keywords : medium, Thrane and Merenae. The sword-cane is identical except the Dr is 2k2 and grants a raise to sleight of hand rolls to hide it.
- Triple-dagger (knives : dagger) : this 1k2 modified dagger allow for better disarm maneuver, as you need one less raise to do so, but your insight rank for the TN bonus granted by two weapon wielding is reduced by 2 and this dagger cannot be thrown accurately with strength (double opponent’s armor TN bonus and reduction).
Creatures : - Gaijin horses uses the Unicorn riding horse rules, corebook page 322.
- Nekomata / Caith SithThe fairy cat of the Umi No Koete is not unknown to the Rokugani. Named the Nekomata in the peasant folklore, this cat with a ghostly fur and a really long tail divided in two is known as a trickster. It is a shapeshifter from Chikushudo with a link to meido, which shows in his macabre humor : his tricks are often painful, sometimes even deadly, to his targets. Legends says that a really old cat turns into a nekomata for having lived many normal cat lives, and as such they are nicknamed elder cats and normal cats tend to show some kind of reverence to them. His powers are often seen as maho and the Umi no Koete sees them as monsters. (The Nekomata was introduced in the
official Oriental Adventures / L5R scenario Treachery’s Reward).
Air 2 Earth 2 Fire 2 Water 2Initiative : 3k2 Attacks : claws 3k2 (complex)Damage : 2k2 (claws) Armor TN : 10Réduction : 5 Wounds : 10/+5; 20/+10; 30 /dead
Skills : defense 4, acting 3, sincerity (deceit) 5, sleight of hand 3, stealth 3, temptation (seduction) 3.
Special abilities : - Shapeshifter : Nekomata is a shapeshifter and can take the shapeshifter abilities and
penalties as per page 244 of Enemies of the Empire.- Spirit.- Eyes of the owl : the Nekomata has the Eyes of the owl shapeshifter ability.- Puppeteer : the Nekomata is known for its ability to raise the dead. It works like the
spell summon undead champion (corebook page 269) cast the same way (Nekomata is considered to be insight rank 2) with the same wound cost (but there is no actual blood spilled, just a loss of energy) but duration is concentration. There is no kansen involved in the raising of the dead, as it is just a marionette animated by magic (hence the concentration duration) and the Nekomata can have only one active at a time. But in Rokugan, Ivory Kingdoms and Burning Sands, kansen usually come quickly to the animated body and find a home in it. That means as soon as the undead isn’t controlled anymore by the Nekomata, the kansen can use the body as he wants. Kansen as such are really happy to find those corpses already turned undead that the Nekomata leaves behind them. However the shapeshifter can take back control of a previously raised undead with his puppeteer ability (treat it like the spell Puppet Master, corebook page 271, with the same rules modifications as summon undead champion earlier).
- Ventriloquism : the Nekomata can talk through the undead he is puppeteering as he wants, and can also talk to all felines.
- Ancestral protector / Mokumokuren : The Umi no Koete have many legends of ancestral protectors, ghosts of heroes of the past protecting their homes long after their deaths. They are usually bound to some kind of grave, and as such can only fight to defend the land around it. The Rokugani have a similar story in the shape of the Mokumokuren, the ghost of a minor 11th century Phoenix shugenja named Hagakure, which after his death became the protector of the Emperors. His funeral stone is kept in their bedroom so the ghost can fight anyone who would try to threaten the Child of Heavens.
Air 2 (reflexes 4) Earth 3 Fire 3 (agility 4) Water 4Initiative : 7k4 Attacks : 9k4 (simple)Damage : 7k3 (spectral sword) Armor TN : 30Reduction : 7 (bypassed by jade, crystal, obsidian). Wounds : 80/dead
Skills :
Special abilities : - Spirit.- Fear 2.- Immortality : as long as his grave symbol is intact, the ancestral protector will come
back to (un)-life one hour after being killed.- Invisible : without the use of a sense air spell or any similar ability, Mokumokuren is
invisible at will as long it doesn’t attack. - Incorporeal : the ghost can became intangible or not during the reaction stage of a
round. While he is intangible, only spells can affect him and he cannot attack.
-
Burnings Sands :
Characters from the Burning Sands uses Ka in place of the Void, but it works otherwise in the same way. . For interactions with effects that target void, refers to the rules described in 4th edition core book and book of the Void.
Family bonuses :
- The Mekham : the native people of the Jewel descended from a collection of tribes who founded a farming community that later extended to house a cosmopolitan population coming from multiple neighboring countries and tribes, under the rule of the Sultanate and its executive power, the Caliphate (which became more important under the immortal Caliph and gave the name to this overall faction). Often named after the philosopher who founded their culture, they tend to have a dark tan skin and black hair, and some unifying facial traits, but it is nowhere a rule. Their social culture is known as the Caliphate, and is both not a faction and the biggest of them all. It is the common name of all the people not belonging to the major factions, including the Askaree (the royal guard) and the Qadi (the Caliph’s magistrates). They are nowhere as unified under the Sultan as the factions are under their champions, but they do have their own organization. For the purpose of schools, the soldier of the city guard (LBS update page 2), the free sahir (LBS update page 3), Alley thug [rogue], scholar [artisan] and street rat [rogue] (LBS update page 11) are considered Caliphate schools.
o The Jewelers : + 1 willpower. The Jewelers are the common people of Medinaat al-Salaam, the various thugs, merchants, artisans and so on that many wealthy totally forget they ever existed. Despite not members of the factions, they form the biggest part of the population of the Jewel of the Desert, which has a population said to exceed one million.
o The Aqahbaians : + 1 awareness. Aqahba is a port up north, at the frontier of the Senpet Empire and the Yodotai empire. This is where the Thrane and Merenae first met with the Ki-rin clan and heard of Rokugan and later brought back a plague from the Senpet. Part of the region known as the Great Void, it is an independent city-state but its commercial ties to the whole region and especially the Jewel make his population really similar to the Caliphate. The Tortoise clan has agents here, keeping tracks of the contacts between countries.
o The Nahr’umarans : + 1 perception. They live alongside the river that gives them their name, and is the lifeblood of most of the Burning Sands region. The farmlands here feed most of the population of the Jewel and the neighboring areas. They are sturdy, hard-working people who tend to have darker tone of skin. The most southern tribes have even black skin.
o Nomads : + 1 stamina. The nomads are the numerous tribes that live in the desert, going from oasis to oasis. They are sturdy, hard-working but really friendly people for those who do not anger them. They have strong traditions of inviting guests and saving people in the desert but can also raid the same people if they are rich and safe.
o The Hanif : + 1 willpower. Light skin, sometimes blond hair, the Hanif looks quite different from the others ethnic groups of the Burning Sands. They are parents of the Yodotai : long ago, they left the region after the Day of Wrath, and were known as the Hanif because of lack of gods. In the now Yodotai empire, Conquest came to them and the Yodotai were born. Those who didn’t follow this new god decided to be named the Hanif and return to their homelands. They split into 14 tribes and were enslaved by the Senpet. Only the 11th tribe, following Mekhem (Shinsei’s name in the Burning Sands) escaped this fate. The 11th tribe and the escaped slaves of the Senpet and some remnant of the Sheel Kingdom (see Yodotai) are now living in farming communities or nomad tribes in the deserts around Medinaat al-Salaam.
o The Qadi and Caliphate guards : + 1 perception. This new faction is born from the new Caliphate that Adira built after the battle of the Shattered Jewel. They are the new police force of the city of peace, using the intimidation of their assassins technique to keep peace. The name Qadi means servants or judges. They can use assassin keeper and (for some talented few) assassin slayer schools as Caliphate schools but their only other available school is soldier of the city guard.
- The Houses of Dahab : the houses of Dahab are a powerhouse in the Jewel, a cartel of merchant houses that seat at the council with the Sultan and the Caliph. They rule most of the trade in the region and schemes their own secrets plans. They are the most numerous factions in numbers in the Jewel, being second in numbers to the Jewelers. Dahabi schools can be found page 4 of the LBS update.
o House Asmari : + 1 strength. The closest thing to ambassadors the Houses have, their official job is to rule the trade with others countries.
o House Basiri : + 1 intelligence. They are specialized in luxury items and can levy taxes, a privilege that they are the only ones to hold in the Houses.
o House Enour : + 1 willpower. This house primary interest is mining, and is losing ground because of the lack of workers, afraid of the work conditions.
o House Haffit : + 1 agility. The house in charge of water base her prices based on the income of the one wanting to buy, which give her a strong support from the lower classes and great power over everyone not living near the river.
o House Hazaad : + 1 awareness. The youngest and most hated house had won the right, trough blackmail and bribery, to use magic while everyone else in the Jewel outside of the Caliph’s forces are forbidden by law. Many magic-users flocked to the rising house to be allowed to use their powers.
o House Mendadi : + 1 reflexes. This house controls the blacksmiths.o House Menjari : + 1 perception. Banks and moneylenders are her purview.o House Rashid : + 1 stamina. Construction workers and carpenters, and some
related jobs, are under his control. She overprices her work for the riches but she is fair for the poor, seeing no reason to overpressure them.
o The Order of the Blood-red tiger : + 1 agility. Haroun’s enforcers, known as the Qadaam, are the Qolat assassins created during the events that led to the Awakening. Contrary to the others houses, all the members of this family are
members of the Qolat, even if they may not be totally aware of it. They work for Haroun and are supporting his attempt to get control of the organization. They can use assassin slayer and assassin duelist schools as Dahabi schools, as also any other Dahabi schools but not the Dahabi bargainer school.
- Qabal : the Qabal is a secret organization of sahirs who fight the ban on magic. They are a divided group only united for their beliefs in the use of magic. Qabal schools can be found page 4 of the LBS update.
o The Traditionalists : + 1 intelligence. They believe knowledge should be hoarded and only shared after the student has proved himself.
o The Progressivists : + 1 willpower. A young generation believing that magic should be shared and calling upon sorcerers of all nations to work together.
o The Celestial Alliance : + 1 awareness. A secret organization of free Jinns, Qanon (human fused with Jinns) and sahirs, they have been working since the original Day of Wrath to promote Jinns and sahirs working together as equals. They were living in a floating hidden citadel but many members of their group were also members of the Qabal, a secret society in a secret society, hiding their double affiliation. Most members of this group sacrificed themselves to defeat the Lying Darkness after their victory against the Jinn Kaleel.
o Seed of Qanon : you cannot have the fitfully sleeping blood advantage, you are a fusion of a Jinn and a human, the ultimate power of the Seeding path, the secret of the Celestial Alliance. You aren’t human anymore and follow the shapeshifter creation rules (enemies of the empire page 244). In addition to shapeshifter abilities you can take Jinn powers (minor as minor abilities, medium powers as major abilities) and blood limitation as penalties of equivalent level. You are an orphan who has been raised by the Qanon in the City of Orphans in the Black Earth, and your memories of it have been removed once you were of age and brought back to Ningen-do. As such, you can take touch of the spirit realms for 1 less point and cursed by the realm for one more point, but you cannot have any advantage or disadvantage that relates to your life before returning to the mortal world.
Blood limitation : through the Seed of Qanon, it is possible to mix jinn powers with human blood. Those have a price, which are often called blood limitation.
Blood limitation : minor- You must drink 1,5 times the normal amount of water.- You must wear flamboyant clothing- You speak with an otherworldly voice.- All shapeshifter minor penalties.- Phobia (1 pt, brass)
- You need to eat fire regularly.- You must dress in clothing of the other gender.
Blood limitation : major- All shapeshiftter major penalties.- You have inhuman eyes.- Phobia (3 pt, brass).- You need to always sleep on sand.
New shapeshifter powers : - False shadows (minor) : you can cast way of deception (corebook page 168) like a
shugenja of your insight rank. - Improved animal form (minor) : you can alter your animal and human form so to
shapeshift partially : half human half animal, talking animal, human with tail…- Kami tongue (major) : you can cast commune like a shugenja of your insight rank void
ring times per day.- Spirit fire (major) : Ryu and Fuschicho only, you can cast the fires from within
(corebook page 182) like a shugenja of your insight rank. Each casting inflicts you 3 wounds.
- Reincarnation (major) : insight rank 5 only. Whenever you die, lower all your rings by 1, and adjust your insight rank and school rank accordingly. If none of your rings is reduced to 0, you are brought back to life, healed to the crippled rank. Fuschicho are fully healed by this ability.
- False self (major) : you can cast gift of the wind void ring times per day like a shugenja of your insight rank. You suffer 3 wounds per minute in this state, 2 if you are a Saru or a Tanuki.
New shapeshifter penalties ;- You cannot enter a building where someone lives unless invited to do so. But you
consider places with open doors as inviting everyone. Minor.- If someone drops something, you must immediately pick it up and return it. Minor. - You can never own more than you can carry, if you exceed this limit, you must give
the excess at the first people you meet. Minor.- You must eat living flesh every day, mice and insects count. Major.- There is an item that you must always have with you. You break the taboo everyday
you do not have it, unless someone has it and tells you. In this case, you must obey his commands. Major.
- Ashalans : the immortals Ashalans are not humans, given powers by their creators the Jinns and infused with some of the magic of the Sun. They have blue skin with markings that looks like tattoos and share 12 souls for their whole race.
o Immunity : Ashalans are immune to all magical and mundane poisons and diseases.
o Light sensitivity : all Ashalans have phobia (sun, 2 ranks), which applies to being at the surface and start losing rank of stamina at the speed of one per month spent at the surface. The loss stop if the Ashalan spend at least a week per month underground, and recovery of lost stamina ranks is one rank per additional week.
o Shadow cloak : the ability of controlling the shadows around them give +2k0 when immobile, + 1k0 when moving to stealth rolls.
o Tattoo of domination : works like page 141 of LBS but it is considered an intimidation effect for bonuses like honor ranks.
o All Ashalans have + 1 Ka and Momoku.- Half Ashalan : only a few of those have ever been born, only one in 700 years before
the Awakening. After this event, the Ashalan scattered around the world and more may have been born since. They are identical to Ashalans except that they do not have the tattoo ability, that their shadow cloak is + 1k0 all the time but their light sensitivity is reduced to 1 rank and stamina loss is stopped and recovered after only 3 days. Their skin tend to have a more flesh-like color than the blue-grey ones of the full-blooded Ashalans, which can sometimes make them pass for tattooed slaves.
- The true daughters and sons of the Mountain : + 1 reflexes. Once they were the only assassin faction and were just known as such. After the death of the Old Man of the Mountain, the faction split and got divided and some of their knowledge was used by others groups like the Kolat assassins and the new Qadi police force. Assassins’ schools can be found page 6 of the LBS update.
- Ra’Shari : once followers of Vishnu, living by the tripartite blessings of Provider, Preserver and Pervader, the Ra’Shari have abandoned their ties to the gods of the Ivory Kingdoms to follow the mission given to them by the Ashalans : to preserve the knowledge of what was before the Day of Wrath. Ra’shari schools are page 6 of the LBS update and page 190 of LBS for the Diviner school.
o The great caravan of commerce : + 1 willpower. Richly attired, they deal with bringing exotic goods from across the world to local bazaars.
o The great caravan of entertainment : + 1 awareness. Focusing first on surviving, second on making a profit and third on saving the world, those brightly colored caravans are what most people imagine the Ra’shar as.
o The great caravan of memory : + 1 intelligence. Knowledge is power, and this caravan deals in that, first and foremost.
o The great caravan of mysticism : + 1 perception. Those trades in fortunes and secrets, always being one step ahead of everyone.
- The Senpet : + 1 Ka. The Senpet are highly religious and revere the Ten Thousands Gods. Senpet schools can be found page 7 and 8 of the LBS update.
- The Yodotai empire : the forever expanding and conquering Yodotai empire is a power coming from the west no-one has found a way to stop once it has brought his full strength against a kingdom. It has so far only pushed forward in the Burning Sands against the Senpet to punish them from the enslavement of the Hanif.
o Yodotai : + 1 strength. Fully assimilated Yodotai only differs by their physical appearance and some few reminding trinkets of their former culture. Everything else has been assimilated in the huge empire. All Yodotai characters can buy ranks of Magic Resistance at any point at – 1 exp cost. Contrary to others characters, this advantage applies to all magical effects. Yodotai characters cannot have ranks in spellcasters schools.
o The Sheel Kingdom : + 1 willpower. The Sheel was a splinter group of the Hanif who build a country hundred of kilometers west of the Jewel of the Desert. The Yodotai warlord Piron conquered it in 1110 without bloodshed, recognizing them as cousins of his own people. He contacted the disappointed nobles houses of the kingdom, and after ten years, they united to overthrown their king and join the Yodotai Empire. Freed Hanif, their slavery put to an end after the Yodotai conquered the Senpet empire as punishment for enslaving their long-lost cousins, can also use this family bonus. Both groups aren’t fully incorporated in the Yodotai’s culture of conquest and tend to be administrators and others support functions to the legions.
- The Jackals : the Jackals have suffered many setbacks after the Awakening, which they attempted to stop. The Celestial Alliance fought them for allying with Kaleel, then it was the Ebon Hand for allying themselves with the Rhumalites, and after that, the Ivinda and the Rokugani for allying themselves with the Spider clan and their failed attempts at taking over. Before that, they were a small and discreet faction, trying to stop the Awakening from happening and revering the Sayel (the entity known as the Lying Darkness) hidden in the Ebon Stone while being allied to Jigoku through its ambassador, the Ma’ghul (a powerful undead Akutenshi). Due to the practice that created them, those who survived the test of the Ebon Stone have usually one rank of Shadow Taints, long-term agents who didn’t go through it have one Shadow point and
many necromancers have a few points of Shadowland Taint. But the power of the Lying Darkness is balancing everything in them like in the former cult of Onnotangu : those Taints progresses slowly, if at all. After the Destroyer War and the fail of Daigotsu’s forces, the Jackals found allies in the Black Chrysanthemum court, the real Spider clan, and used Daigotsu’s followers as sacrifices. The objectives of the leaders of the real Spider clan forked from those of the Jackals and they parted ways, but they still sometimes share resources and information, often using Daigotsu’s false Spider clan as patsies in the process. Alley thug, street rat and scholar paths are new paths of rank 1 for non-Sahir Jackals schools.
o Jackal raised : + 1 agility. The Jackals often adopted urchins and raised them in the beliefs and cultures of their organization.
o Rejects of the Burning Sands : + 1 awareness. The Jackals accepted many rejects from the population and were built from survivors of the Ebon stone test. Those had been through have learned to blend in with normal people.
o Recruits from the Ivory Kingdoms : + 1 willpower. Survivors Ivinda have joined the rebuilding Jackals once they have turned them back on the weak Spider refugees. The Jackals offer them a structure to rebuild.
- The Ebonites : playing an Ebonite is a complex matter. Ebonites tend to be members of the Caliphate or the Ivory Kingdoms, sometimes even more foreign groups who are united in their beliefs of protecting the world from the Darkness hidden in the Ebon Stone. The group itself was nearly completely wiped out during the Destroyer War by the Ebon Daughter, a servant of Kali-Ma, a powerful champion of Jigoku the Rhumalites believed to be linked to the Ebon Stone itself. So, there is no Ebonite born, you have to create a character of another group and buy the different school or multiple schools advantages to enter the order. With some exceptions, before getting the third rank of your Ebonite school, you have to pass the test of the Ebon Stone. See Enemies of the Empire page 139 for resisting Shadow corruption. Characters must have an integrity rank of 6,0 at least, once becoming an Ebonite, the character cannot progress anymore in any non-Ebonite school.
Status does exist in the Burning Sands, but mostly refers to your place in your faction (even if you do have some influence overall through your position in it in respect of others factions). It is a much less complex and important value as in Rokugan, but still is important. The Khesir are the local equivalent of the Hinin (there is no real eta equivalent, as blood isn’t as taboo here as in Rokugan), the domestics, artisans and farmers are the equivalent of the Heimins, the city guard is the equivalent of military positions, the factions are equivalent to the clans. Money being important in the Burning Sands, merchants have a high status based on their successes and wealth. The Quadi, the Caliph’s police force and enforcers, are equivalent to the Emerald Magistrate for status. See page 77 of Burning Sands for more details.
Reputation is the name for the equivalent of Glory used in the Burning Sands. It works the same way (with some little differences, like both bride and groom gains reputation equal to the father’s reputation rank when marrying). Infamy tends to be much more common than in Rokugan, while news tends to travel not as fast between some factions. See page 78 of Burning Sands for more information.
Integrity is the Burning Sands equivalent of honor. Integrity is described page 80 of Burning Sands, but this version was made for 3rd edition. I’ll be then explaining quickly how integrity works for Burning Sands characters. Integrity gives the same benefits as honor against temptation and fear (see Honor rules in the L5r corebook for more details).
Integrity values : - 0-1 : Unreliable traitor.
You are known to be only out for yourself. You have betrayed your superiors, accepted bribes and have accomplished crimes like kidnapping and murder on a regular basis.
- 2-3 : Coward.You are a criminal, but you tend to have still some loyalty to your faction. Violence and lies are your day-to-day life, and your loyalty last only until you are really threatened.
- 4-5 : What is expected.You are the usual member of society. You can sometimes do minor crimes like theft and espionage, flee from battle or disobey an order, but you tend to show kindness to others, protect your faction’s interests and avoid violence as much as possible.
- 6-7 : Trustworthy.You are a role model for many, knowing compassion enough to help a wounded enemy, facing clearly superior foe on behalf of your faction and avoiding lies.
- 8-9 : Exemplary.Rare as those who reach this level. You are a shining example of what integrity means. Compassionate, honest, loyal and avoiding violence unless necessary.
- 10 : Legendary.Only in tales someone has this level of integrity, for humans can’t maintain such hard demands on themselves.
Spellcasting : The TN is same as for shugenja spells of the same Mastery Level and raises works the same. The normal Sahir spells casting time is one action. Ra’Shari can cast at max 6 spells of one cokoloi per day while others Sahirs uses normal spell slots (see below to find the correspondence between cokoloi and disciplines and elements).Ring Sahir discipline Ra’Shari CokoloiAir Summoning and Sand DuskEarth Black Magic and PurityFire Blessing /curses and Blood DawnVoid/ Ka Celestial and CreationWater Control and Night NightSee full magic rules in LBS page 117 for sahirs and cokaloi are LBS page 190.
New magic disciplines :
Night discipline (water) : The Night discipline of magic is a discreet, barely known overall and often seen as sinister. In truth, this magic is not different from any other and do not have anything really foul like the Ghul discipline of Black Magic. It’s just a magic of mystery and stories, the rare assassins’ sahirs are often specialized in this magic that favors stealth and misdirection.
Mist magic : The Nahr’umar river create mist during the coldest hours of the day. It’s a troubling sensation for the people of the Burning Sands to feel the water being around them like this. Mist magic call upon the water in the air
to create temporary effects. It’s a really difficult and rare magic, since water isn’t that common in the most desolate areas of the Burning Sands.
- Mastery level 1 : you can conjure a small mist to protect you from attacks by misdirecting them. The diluted water can hydrate plants but is a bit short for drinking. You can cast the equivalent of extinguish (corebook page 181), cloak of the miya (corebook page 188) and conjure smoke (enemies of the empire page 120).
- Mastery level 2 : despite the difficulties, you can summon a bigger amount of water and create a real, if temporary protection. You can cast the equivalent of summon fog (corebook page 170), sanctuary of the waves (book of water page 182) and Blood of Darkness (but made of normal mist, without blood, corebook page 269).
- Mastery level 3 : your control of water is impressive and you can create a real wave of water to attack and a rainbow shield. You can cast the equivalent of Typhoon’s surge (book of water page 182) and of the shining shield of Akhim (see Moto section)
Shadow Magic : The night is full of shadows and the Sahir that follows this path can create shadows to obfuscate and create things out of it. As such, it makes it a perfect magic for assassins.
- Mastery level 1 : you can summon shadows and make them shape, creating cloak, hoods and weapons out of the darkness itself. You can cast the equivalent of cloak of night (corebook page 167), netsuke of wind (corebook page 171, but the item is made out of shadows and disappear if it is not in contact with you) and hidden visage (corebook page 168, but your visage is covered of shadows, not actually altered)
- Mastery level 2 : your mastery over the darkness allows you know to create more solid shadows that make better weapons and protections. Through your mastery you can create complex and lasting objects, you can cast the equivalent of yari of air (corebook page 168, but it is made of shadows), reach through the void (corebook page 195) and shelter of the earth (but only works in shadows, book of earth page 199).
- Mastery level 3 : you can be one with the shadows, turning into a shapeless near invisible entity. You can cast the equivalent of essence of air (corebook page 169), gift of wind (corebook page 171) and steal the air dragon (corebook page 263).
Dream magic : A really rare magic, not many people believe it exists. They see more as a manifestation of the skills of the best storytellers than the works of a sahir.
- Mastery level 1 : you have the power to make people sleep and transmit messages through dreams, as also get some insight from dreams in your life. You can cast the equivalent of dream messages of Yume-do (enemies of the empire page 188, but the message is only delivered when the target sleep, waiting until then), reversal of fortunes (corebook page 188) and wind-born slumbers (book of air page 190).
- Mastery level 2 : you have the power to heal those who sleep. You can cast the equivalent of Jurojin’s balm (corebook page 174) and way to inner peace (corebook page 187) together as one spell but only on a sleeping target.
- Mastery level 3 : through dream, you can reach the power of the Void, in a limited way. People believe that dreams can be made real with power. You can cast the equivalent of drawing the void (but this spell is cast before going to sleep, and grants the void points when waking up after 8 hours), fill the emptiness (corebook page 196, but the target sleep one hour) and dream walk (enemies of the empire page 120).
Sand discipline (air) :The Wind-bound, the free sahirs of the sand pirates, are specialists of this discipline, which calls upon the power of air and earth to protect and destroy. While not exclusive to them, rare are the sahirs outside of the Wind-bound to use it by fear of being considered a sand pirate.
Tornado The sheer power of the winds of the desert is feared. The magic of the path of Tornado call upon this power to attack, blind and protect the user. It is not a discreet magic, car sometimes calling upon it can be seen from miles away, or can’t be mistaken with a normal weather event when sand start to pill up in the streets of a city.
- Mastery level 1 : you can summon sands and control it, mostly to protect you but can use it to push away people. You can cast the equivalent of blessed wind (corebook page 167), tempest of air (corebook page 167) and Blood of Darkness (but made of sand, not a blood red mist, without blood, corebook page 269).
- Mastery level 2 : the power of the sand winds can now transport you or you can make a shelter out of the sands. You can cast the equivalent of shelter of the earth (book of earth page 199) and call upon the wind (corebook page 168).
- Mastery level 3 : you have mastered the power of the dangerous winds of the desert, able to summon them to strike your enemies. You can cast the equivalent of striking the storm (corebook page 170) and strike of the tsunami (corebook page 190).
HeatThe power of the desert’s sun is unmatched, a constant reminder of Shilah’s wrath. The few sahirs who dare call upon her power are feared for they can bring destruction to many. Even their allies fear them for calling upon the power of heat can leave scorched earth and destroy food supplies around the target of their spells due to the heat generated.
- Mastery level 1 : you can call upon the nergies of the sun to improve the abilities of your items. It’s a limited effect, but you can also protect yourself in a warm bath of heat. You can cast the equivalent of biting steel (corebook page 180), channel the fire dragon (corebook page 264) and purge the weak (enemies of the empire page 27 but no wound required but the area of effect is divided by 5).
- Mastery level 2 : you are now mastering the control of heat to a much better degree, able to use it to burn things and to create hallucinations and mirages to befuddle your
enemies. You can cast the equivalent of relentless heat (corebook page 183), conjure dream (enemies of empire page 118) and envious flames (corebook page 181).
- Mastery level 3 : you are the stuff of legend, the master of the desert’s heat and suffering. You can create local drought and burn people alive, while provoking mortal hallucinations through the shimmering wall of heat surrounding you. But you have to remember you aren’t Shilah’s equal or you’ll be burn by her wrath while trying to use her power. You can cast the equivalent of your heart’s enemy (corebook page 171), shining light (corebook page 184), hungry blade (corebook page 184)
TravelThe most common of the spells from the Sand discipline are those of travel. Many sand Sahirs only know the spells of travels and live as guides among the nomads and caravans. They are really useful and discreet, and a Sahir using those to help a travelling group may find them willing to lie about him being a magic user as long as he stays discreet and helpful.
- Mastery level 1 : the basics of travel magic is about being able to survive the sand, either by passing through it or by increasing your speed or endurance to survive it. You can cast the equivalent of hands of clay (corebook page 176), speed of the waterfall (corebook page 188) and stone’s endurance (book of earth page 200).
- Mastery level 2 : the sahir can now improve on his spells to help travelling but also summon food. You can cast the equivalent of embrace of Kenro-ji-jin (corebook page 176), spirit of water (corebook page 188), and Inari’s blessing (corebook page 188).
- Mastery level 3 : rare are those who reach the ability to cast this spell, despite Travel being the spell category the most common in the Sand discipline. It grants you power on those who travel with you and to reach through the Black Earth. You can cast the equivalent of the ties that bind (corebook page 189), sharing the strength of many (corebook page 177) and teleportation (see Moto section).
Blood discipline (fire) :The power of blood is often linked to Kaleel, the moon god, and the madness that come with. The blood discipline isn’t considered something Sahir should use, like the Ghul spells. Anyone knowing the spells of this discipline is considered a criminal by those who see its effects, due to the sheer horror of what they bring. Blood has only two series of spells, madness and pain, which tells about the evil that come with it. Calling upon the power of the Blood spells may bring Shadowland Taint, like
maho spells, but in a really limited way. I tend to consider learning a new spell has worth earning one Shadowland Taint point.
MadnessThere is tales about the power of the dark curses turning people into animals and worst. Some is through the use of curses and blessings spells, but madness spells are the most feared of them all (even through the discipline itself is really rarely known). They are the stuff of legends, and many believes those spells don’t exist, but Khadi and Jackals have hunted down secrets tombs and repositories in hope of bringing the power of madness down on their foes.
- Mastery level 1 : you can bring fear into those who face you, through subtle curses or powerful images. You can cast the equivalent of curse of the clan (without blood, enemies of the empire page 28), curse of the kansen (without blood, enemies of the empire page 28) and inspire fear (without blood, corebook page 269).
- Mastery level 2 : the madness you can summon now overtake the mind of those who are cursed with it, making them unable to control themselves. They charge into battle
without considering their life or can never find sleep. You can cast the equivalent of haze of battle (corebook page 184), bloodlust of Toshigoku (enemies of the empire page 188) and curse of the unblinking eye (without blood, corebook page 270).
- Mastery level 3 : the power of nightmares is yours now. You can cast the equivalent of Yume-do’s horrific nightmares (enemies of the empire page 191) and Hate’s heart (without blood, using replacement stat for honor, corebook page 272).
PainA simple thing, the power of the pain spells is to make it difficult for those who fall to it to focus and fight the caster. Many Khadis tortures their victims with it for the sheer moment of control it bring, long after their victims have already tells everything their interrogator asked.
- Mastery level 1 : your control over pain is limited, but you can make it difficult for your target to focus or to control his limbs. You can cast the equivalent of disrupt the aura (corebook page 182), disrupt the limb (corebook page 269, without blood), pain (without blood, corebook page 271).
- Mastery level 2 : you are now mastering the limits and working of the human body. You can cast the equivalent of bonds of blood (enemies of the empire page 123, DR is 1k0 per 2 wounds, max equal to fire ring + raises), agony of Toshigoku (enemies of the empire page 190 but with only one target, damage 1k1 and cannot be raised), suck the marrow (without wounds, enemies of the empire page 28).
- Mastery level 3 : you can create an unimaginable pain in someone, as you are a master of pain. You must make an atemi attack on your target and spend a Ka point. Every hour, the target will lose one point in one of its ring, always the highest left (tie are GM’s choice) until they have lost your insight rank ranks. The rings cannot be reduced to less than 1, but if all rings are lowered at 1, traits over 1 are lowered like rings.
Purity discipline (earth) :The spells of purity are a secret only the Sahirs of the Ashalan and the Celestial Alliance know, even if sometimes a powerful free sahir discovers some of them. The spells of purity are a counterpart to the Blood discipline in many ways, the dark reflection also showing in the fact both disciplines have only two paths. The power of purity is meant to fight the Jinns and the creatures from the Spirit Realms, including Khaleel’s legion and Sayel (Lying Darkness).
WardThe protective spells of ward are really powerful; helping the rare fighters of the Celestial Alliance and of the Ashalan faces those supernatural menaces and surviving.
- Mastery level 1 : the first spell of ward is all about simple protection, but really efficient. Many warriors have thought themselves dead but keep on fighting due to the power of those spells. You can cast the equivalent of armor of earth (corebook page 173), elemental ward (corebook page 174) and force of will (corebook page 176).
- Mastery level 2 : the ward spells are just ways to use Hakhim’s seal in more powerful ways that a normal Sahir. You can cast the equivalent of earth’s protection (corebook page 177, only applies to sahir spells) and ward of purity (corebook page 183)
- Mastery level 3 : you are aware of the powers of the Spirit Realms and ways to stop it with Hakhim’s seal. Such knowledge is rare among the Burning Sands, blissfully
unaware of the others realms. You can cast the equivalent of strength of the crow (corebook page 177) and Earth dragon’s ward (book of earth page 197). You also know have mastered the power of Umar’s mirror (you can now practice counterspelling, see book of fire page 182).
BindingThe way of binding is hated by the Jinns, for it binds them into servitude more than any other Sahir power. The powerful enchanters of the Celestial Alliance can create magic items from bound Jinns, a process even willing Jinns will always be resentful of. Free Jinns of the Alliance may still negotiate with you, but most Jinns will see you as one of their most hated enemy if you call upon the power of Binding. But with it, you can force Jinns to do your bidding, for a short time and with consequences. You cannot have the summoning discipline and loose the Servant of the smokeless fire advantage when you take a level in this discipline.
- Mastery level 1 : the Sahir can call upon Hakhim’s seal, making it appear around the target and immobilizing it, or call upon the power of Heaven itself. You can cast the equivalent of jade strike (corebok page 174, but the spell affect all creatures with the spirit trait as if having taint), minor binding (corebook page 174, also affect every creature with the spirit trait) and grasp of earth (corebook page 176).
- Mastery level 2 : you can now summon a more powerful seal upon your enemies, but also are aware of the power of Sayel and how to bring the power of the Heavens down on it. You can cast the equivalent of be the mountain (corebook page 175), bonds of Ningen-do (corebook page 176, modified like minor binding) and smite the nameless (enemies of the empire page 121).
- Mastery level 3 : the feared Banes of Jinns of the Qabal have such level of mastery in the way of Binding ,allowing them to force Jinns summoned by enemies to works for them. You can cast the equivalent of major binding (corebook page 179), wall of earth (corebook page 178), and draw closed the veil (corebook page 196).
Creation discipline (Ka) :Rare are those who can call upon the power of the Creation discipline, even among the
Celestial Alliance and the Ashalan, who keep its secrets. Even with a teacher and all the books written during centuries about this discipline, rare are those who can actually cast a spell from it. They call upon the energies of the creation of the universe itself, the powers from before the Day of Wrath. You cannot learn a spell from creation before you are rank 3 in a [sahir] school, and you must have lore : theology Burning Sands (Spirit realms) 5
NameDuring the First Age of the world, Shilah (the sun) and her husband Kaleel (the moon) named everything but a sliver of Nothing that would be later known as the Sayel (the Lying Darkness). The spells of the way of Name calls upon the power of the originals words that were used to name things. It is a power really similar to the Name magic of the Nezumi, and it also relates to the Meishodo, the Unicorn magic, that also calls upon the names of things.
- Mastery level 1 : you don’t use Hakhim’s seal for the spells of Name, you directly calls upon the names of all things. With this level, you can reach for simple names and pronounce them to temporary alter it. You can cast the equivalent of garbled tongue (Book of air page 185), mend name (don’t need the true name, but you need to bleed as many wounds as the number of full wound ranks the target has, enemies of the empire page 120) and name talent (enemies of the empire page 122, but ring is Ka).
- Mastery level 2 : you have mastered more names, allowing you to alter things that you couldn’t target before, like people from outside the Burning Sands. You can also now cast the equivalent of Tenjin’s ear (book of air page 188)
- Mastery level 3 : through the power of names you can read knowledge by looking at things, seeing the names of everything through the kamis that compose them. You can cast the equivalent of knowledge of Yomi (enemies of the empire page 190).
PassageThe spells of Passage are limited, but are powerful in the aspect that they open through spirit realms. In Rokugan, the knowledge of Spirit Realms is limited, but it is even more in the Burning Sands. Like the lower classes of the Empire calling nearly every spirit realms Jigoku, 90% of the people of the Sands calls the Spirit Realms the Blighted Lands or the Black Earth. In truth, the Black Earth is a desolated Spirit Realms that exists between others realms, and the magic of Passage allows you to connect to it and travel there or close doors to it.
- Mastery level 1 : passage spells are limited in what they can do, but have unique effects as you can reach through dimensions. You can now open limited portals to the Black Earth for mundane purpose. You can cast the equivalent of the marvelous Furoshiki bag (see Moto section) and the door that lead nowhere (see Moto section).
- Mastery level 2 : you can now close portals and send back people to their spirit realms, against their will. You can cast the equivalent of close the door (enemies of the empire page 124, without needing the true name) and + 2k0 to lore : spirit realms rolls.
- Mastery level 3 : you master the magic of portals, you can now cast sense (element decided by GM, see enemies of the empire page 188 for the corresponding ring to a spirit realms. Black earth is earth) to detect portals (see sense, universal spell corebook page 164) and the equivalent of opening the veil (book of water page 184, but by default this spell open on the Black Earth, one raise get you to Chikushudo, Meido and Yume-do, 2 raises to Sakkaku, Gaki-do and Toshigoku, 4 raises to reach Yomi).
SeedingThe name of this path come from the main spell of this series : the seed of Qanon. It’s a magical act that link a Jinn into the flesh of a human, allowing him to survive the lingering effects of the Day of Wrath and avoid being banished to the Black Earth. The ritual that creates the Qanon, those humans with Jinns in them, is only the purview of masters of the art.
- Mastery level 1 : the sahir can call upon the energies of the seal that pertains everyone and ties them together. You can cast the equivalent of rebuke the heavens (book of void page 192), share cunning (enemies of the empire page 122) and share name (enemies of the empire page 122, with duration of a month and no death backlash).
- Mastery level 2 : you are able to put fuse a Jinn and a human enough so that the human can use some of the power of the creature. You can cast the equivalent of primal senses of Chikushudo (enemies of the empire page 189)
- Mastery level 3 : the sahir can now fully put a Jinn into a human through a ritual, allowing to cast the equivalent of seed of Qanon (wrongly written as Qanan, book of water page 183) and bestial nature of Chikushudo (enemies of the empire page 190). You can also grant the benefits of the Fitfully sleeping blood and Seed of Qanon advantages through a 24/48 hours ritual that reduce permanently your Ka ring by 1 or 2 and reduce the Ka ring of the target permanently by 1. Doesn’t work if the target doesn’t have a Ka ring and if any of his ring is lower than 2 (including after the Ka expense), but the target doesn’t have to be willing (or even awake) during the ritual.
Schools :
The Heartless Khadi (sahir, advanced school, Caliphate, Senpet) : Using the forbidden sorceries of the Senpet book of the dead, the Heartless Khadi have practiced a ritual to become immortal. The simple but long and horrible ritual done, the undying Khadi slowly loose all humanity and crave only for power. The Caliph, the most famous of the Khadi in the Burning Sands (Iuchiban and Yajinden being more famous in Rokugan), created a few dozens
of Khadi to serve as her enforcers. Contrary to normal [sahir] schools, you can have ranks in [warrior] schools before joining this school, but cannot gain anymore ranks in a [warrior] once you have taken a rank in this school. Please understand this school is a NPC school and isn’t meant for players, ever.
Requirements : Khadi advantage, forbidden lore : Khadi (two ranks), intelligence 5, earth 4, lore : theology Burning Sands (senpet) 5, spellcraft (black earth) 4. If you are one of the Qadi, the Khadi enforcers of the Caliph, you only need one rank of Forbidden lore, intelligence 4 and lore 4, but also investigation (interrogation) 3 and intimidation (control) 3 and lore : law Burning Sands 3.
Rank 1 : Judge of the Jewel.You are mastered the infamous powers of the undying Heartless. Ranks in this school count as ranks in your [shugenja] or [sahir] school with the most rank when you joined. If you have no spellcasting school, ranks in this school count as a Qabal summoner ranks. You receive a free raise when bargaining with Jinns. You reduce all taint acquired for maho spells by your school rank in this school and + 1k0 to rolls for lore : Shadowlands.
Rank 2 : Ceremony of the Hidden Heart.You have learned how to practice by yourself the ceremony of the Hidden Heart. You gain one rank in the Forbidden Lore : Khadi, if you have already the maximum rank, you gain one rank in the Forbidden Lore : Jinns. You gain one rank of Magic Resistance advantage, even if you have the maximum rank. This version applies to all magic.
Rank 3 : Heartless Moon.The Senpet linked the Khadi ritual to the Moon in the Book of the Dead. You can now make simple attacks with daggers. You can now spend as many ka points as you want on spellcasting. You have + 1k0 to spellcasting for one of your sahir discipline.
Ashalan schools modifications (from LBS update page 4 and 5) : - Blood-sworn (warrior) : school skills are athletics, battle, defense, swordsmanship,
polearm, lore : theology Burning sands and investigation. You get one emphasis of your choice in either swordsmanship or polearm.
- Children of midnight (sahir) : school skills are divination, lore : history Burning Sands, medicine, meditation, spellcraft, lore : theology Burning Sands (Lady Fate), any lore or weapon skill.
- Heart-seekers (warrior) : battle, defense, investigation, lore : Khadi 2, spellcraft, stealth (ambush) and any one weapon skill.
Ashalan violators (new path, Ashalan, warrior) :The Ashalan have long studied many techniques and secrets on how the human and others creatures’ bodies work. Through their mastery of physical and spiritual energies, the violators have learned how to distract and counter their foes. In a really supernatural way, they can prevent someone to use his knowledge of combat for a limited time.
Requirements : Ka 3, any weapon skill 5, intimidation 3, lore : anatomy 3Replace : Sun-riders 5, Blood-sworn 5 and Heart-seekers 5
Technique : disrupt the rhythm.When fighting a skirmish, you may spend a Ka point to prevent one targeted opponent in melee range from using his school techniques for his next two turns. This technique can be used in duels.
Sun-riders (diplomat, rogue, Ashalan) : + 1 agility.Integrity : 4,0Starting skills : athletics, defense, horsemanship, hunting (survival), stealth, swordsmanship, etiquette Burning Sands. Outfit : see LBS page 146.
Rank 1 : Show the Lady no fear.Your sun phobia is reduced by one rank. The time length between stamina losses is increased by your insight rank days. You get a free emphasis of etiquette.
Rank 2 : The sun has no mercy.When you are in center stance, your TN to be hit increases by your insight rank. This technique works in duels. You can now spend Ka points to reduce damage and increase sun-riders school skills rolls.
Rank 3 : The ever-shifting sands.You have now + 1k0 to all your school skills rolls.
Rank 4 : Dawn does not come twice.You can now make simple attacks with [ashalan] weapons and scimitars.
Rank 5 : sirocco of steel.You need three less raises to make maneuvers (with a minimum of one) with [ashalan] weapons and scimitars.
Ashalan Foe-hunters (new path, Ashalan, Warrior) :
The Ashalans are immortals, and they face immortals foes since the Day of Wrath. While the Heart-seekers track down the Heartless, there are others immortals enemies of the Council of Twelve, the in shape of the Jinns and the Nagas. The Foe-hunters are specialists of eliminating those through decades of training and century-old techniques.
Requirements : lore : Jinns or lore : Nagahs 3, any weapon skill at 3, agility 3Replace : Heart-seekers 4, Blood-sworn 4, Sun-riders 4
Technique : Immortal hatred.You can make simple attacks with [ashalan] weapons of one skill of your choice between knives, polearm or swordsmanship, the skill being the weapon skill used in the requirements to enter this path. When fighting any non-human entities for which you have a relevant lore skill of 3 or more, you can spend Ka on damage rolls with any weapons you can make simple attacks with. You cannot spend more than one Ka point that way per turn.
Ashalan sandsmith (artisan, special, Ashalan, advanced school) : The Ashalan have discovered techniques to turn sand into the powerful crysteel, replicating the powerful magic of Shilah’s Day of Wrath, albeit in a limited way. When you join this school, you have to decide which keyword you’ll give it between [rogue], [diplomat], [sahir] and [warrior] in addition to its [artisan] keyword.
Requirements : being an Ashalan, Ka 4, craft : weaponsmithing 6, lore : theology Burning sands (crysteel) 3.
Rank 1 : Crystal of the sands.With a two weeks long ritual, you can turn normal crystal into crysteel and shape it into a weapon. That is the basic of the crysteel art. Depending of the keyword you gave this school, you get one of the following bonuses :
- [sahir] : ranks in this school count as ranks in one of your sahir school.- [diplomat] : you can cast voice of the wind (book of air page 188) like a shugenja of
rank equal to your rank in this advanced school.- [warrior] : you can cast path to inner peace (corebook page 187) like a shugenja of
rank equal to your rank in this advanced school.- [rogue] : you can cast commune (earth) like a shugenja of rank equal to your rank in
this advanced school.
Rank 2 : A friends of the sands.You are now a full Ashalan sandsmith, for you can now create from sand and fire crysteel through a month long ritual (for one weapon).
Rank 3 : Undying sands.Even among immortals, rare are those who have reached the ability of master sandsmith. You can now use the power of crysteel to the level of legends. You can now make two weapons at a time, and can cast hungry blade (corebook page 184) like a shugenja of rank equal to your
rank in this advanced school on any crysteel weapon.
Senpet priest (sahir, senpet) : + 1 to any trait.This school is a rework of the Senpet sahir school. The Senpet are a devout people, and through rituals, astrology and sacrifice they can call upon their powers and accomplish
miracles. But Senpet magic turn a lot around things people would consider black magic, like creating undeads. Through their powers call kansens to do their bidding, they do it through their gods and as such do not get Shadowland Taint. But a Senpet priest stopping to consider himself an intermediary of the divine would pay the price as his protection would disappear. They tend to the way of one or more gods, one of the most common being Re the Keeper, god of truth. “Ours is not the way of lies, but is neither the way of honesty. We lay our faith upon the altar of fact and allow the rest to take its proper course.” But others gods existed like Sedjem the silent, Ebe goddess of adultery or Toth.Integrity : 5,0Skills : medicine, meditation, spellcraft, lore : theology Burning Sands (ten thousand gods) 2, divination, any high or bugei skill.Outfit : as per the school, LBS page 214
Technique : by the grace of the gods.You can cast your spells through the Ten Thousands Gods instead of Hakhim’s seals, but the game effects are the same. Once per day per school rank, you may spend any number of Ka points up to your lore : theology rank on a spellcasting roll. You automatically have the first rank of Ghul creation (Black magic discipline), the spells sacrifice for the gods and voice of ten thousand (LBS page 216 and 217) and the first level of power in any other path of any discipline available to you. Every time you increase rank, you can learn the first level of a power of a new spell or increase the level of power in any type of spell you already possess.
Ghul destroyer (new path, sahir, Senpet) : With the power of creating and controlling undead at the base of a lot of Senpet rituals, it is no surprise undead uprising is a problem the Senpet empire has to deal with. The Ghul destroyers are talented priests tasked with keeping the undead population under control. Replaces : Senpet priest 2Requirements : lore : theology Burning sands (ten thousand gods) 3, lore : undead 3
Technique : holy devastation.You have learned to face the horrors of the unliving. You have a + 2k0 bonus to your fear rolls. When casting a spell that damages of impedes an undead creature, you have 2 free raises on your spellcasting roll.
Ghul Hunter (warrior, Senpet, new path) : The undead invasions are not a common threat, but one worth having specialized warriors ready to face. The number of Ghul destroyers being rather limited, Ghul hunters train alongside them and are more common, forming teams when the need arise. Many are members of the brothers of the Black Shield, the elite infantry forces.Replaces : any non-sahir Senpet school 2Requirements : lore : theology Burning Sands 2, lore : undead 2
Technique : holy strike.Fighting undeads trained you to fight creatures that do not know pain. You have a + 2k0 bonus to your fear rolls and you ignore your school rank in reduction when fighting undead, half your school rank (rounded up) if you are fighting other creatures. You can spend a Ka point to make your target loose invulnerability for your school rank rounds.
Avatar of Ten Thousand (warrior or sahir, Senpet, advanced school) : Those who are part of the elite group known as the Avatars of the Ten Thousand aren’t bragging : their faith and devotion allowed them to reach such a level that part of their gods’ essence is at times invested in them and allows them great feats of power. They pray to the 85 Senpet Gods of war usually. While most of those end being military leaders, some become courtiers (Tjatey) or even Vezir/Vezira (diplomat) but are always powerful figure in the Senpet society.
Requirements : lore : theology Burning Sands 6, Ka 4, weapon skill at 4, paragon of faith advantage.
Rank 1 : power of the devout.You are a zealot follower of the gods. When you join this school, it has the sahir keyword if you have any rank in a Sahir school, if you have no Sahir school is has the Warrior keyword. If this school has the Sahir keyword, you can now make simple action attacks with one [Senpet] melee weapons of your choice, selected with this rank. If it has the warrior trait, you can now cast the following spells as a shugenja with affinity for earth of your insight rank in this school : armor of earth (corebook page 173), courage of the seven thunders (corebook page 173, Senpet characters count as great clans and others as samurai), tetsubo of earth (corebook page 175, base shape is of a khopesh) and be the mountain (corebook page 175).
Rank 2 : might of Ten Thousand.Your presence inspires others to greatness. You may spend a Ka point during the reaction stage of any turn. You and all your allies at 15’ earn + 1k0 to attacks and damage rolls. This ability can only be used once per skirmish and the effect last until the end of the skirmish.
Rank 3 : we carry the gods.You can now become temporary an avatar of a god, your body being at the center of a manifestation of the god of pure elemental energies that covers your body like an armor. Once per skirmish, during the reaction stage of a skirmish, if you have any wound, you can spend a Ka point to have invulnerability for Ka rounds.
Senpet taskmaster (Senpet, diplomat) : + 1 willpower.The Senpet, the people of the Scarab, are violent people. Even their Tjatey (courtier) are dangerous as they keep in check a population of slaves. They often follow the teaching of Toth, the Senpet god of deception. Toth delights in toying with the simple truths of the universe. His greatest joy is derived from the torments of others, whose reliance upon the substance of facts he twists beyond measure. The taskmaster applies that to his training of slaves. The Senpet have a keen sense of justice, to ensure the stability of their society : some of their punishments include chaining people upside down
over braziers. They have open wounds dripping blood into the fire, turning it into thick vapor that dried the organs of the victim.Integrity : 3,5Skills : courtier Burning Sands, investigation, sincerity, peasant weapons (whip), etiquette Burning Sands, intimidation, engineering.Outfit : whip, sandals, tunic, traveling pack, dagger, 9 copper.
Rank 1 : position is power.The Senpet Tjatey are all about their social position. They learn to use and abuse it to control their slaves, as a courtier of such level only deal with administrative work and ordering slaves. You can add your status rank to your intimidation rolls, you can use willpower for intimidation, get a free emphasis of intimidation and any time you would be using your integrity, you can use instead your void + insight rank instead.
Rank 2 : trials of desperation.You are now a high ranking taskmaster. You are called upon to take of slaves only if an example is needed or to lead them into battle. If your status is lower than 4,0, you earn a status rank, otherwise the xp equivalent of one rank of the social position advantage. The DR rating of whip is increased by +0k1 for you and you can make called shots to increase the wound penalties of your target. This technique can only affects creatures who have wound penalties and requires a number of called raises equal to the target’s willpower – 2 (minimum 1) to activate. If the attack succeed, for water ring rounds, the target is considered to suffer the wound rank penalty of the next wound rank (+ 3 become + 5, + 5 become + 10) and so on.
Rank 3 : never look back.You are seasoned Tjatey and don’t deal with slaves at all anymore. You are in charge of higher administrative and judicial work, and your underlings deals with them. You have earned your position through intimidation and torture, and you can use it to ensure your position. After talking with someone for one hour you can make a willpower / intimidation (control) contested roll against their willpower / courtier. If you win, the target cannot spend void points on rolls targeting you for a number of days equal to your status rank. You can have only insight rank people under this effect at a time and someone cannot be targeted more than once by an attempt, successful or not.
Rank 4 : blood calls to blood.You are a powerful administrator in the Senpet authoritarian society. As a successful Tjatey, you have been able to impose your view through intimidation but also less savory means. Those who cross you have to pay in blood their actions. You can now make simple attacks with a whip and can use it to create a fear 1 effect by making an intimidation (bullying) / willpower roll contested roll against their willpower + bonuses against fear and intimidation. It is a complex action that requires the target to be able to hear and see you, but not to understand you if you have something to show your intent (like a whip).
Rank 5 : meeting your destiny.Thanks to the support of the ten thousands gods, you are now among the highest cast of the
Senpet administration. Your words are power and can kill thousands. You have achieved your place in your society, and enjoy the benefits of it. As long as you do not attempt to thwart your destiny, you’ll be buried with honors according to the rites of your people and rise in the
underworld at a place of power. Whenever you are dealing with someone of lower status rank than you, you have + 5k0 to your courtier and intimidation rolls. You have + 3k0 to your etiquette rolls with someone of higher status rank than you.
Heirs of the Ivory Kingdoms (Ebonite, new path) : The Ebonite haven’t forgotten all their ties to the Ivory Kingdoms, and the Ivinda refugees after the Destroyer war brought back some of their techniques. This technique is the Rajya ke Varisa (second city the people page 103) but replaces the Ebonite templar rank 4, cost a Ka point instead of a void point and you use your integrity rank instead of your lore : theology Burning sands or Ivory Kingdoms rank.
Ebonite principle (Ebonite, advanced school, diplomat and sahir or warrior) : The Principles are officers, their leaders, their priests. Each has surrendered part of their soul and personality to the stone and replacing with some of the power of the stone. By giving up this part of humanity, they get a supernatural power allowing them to resist evil’s temptation. If you ever let yourself be tempted by those anathemas to your code, all your ranks in this school are immediately removed with all the benefits they granted you. If you have any sahir ranks, this school has the sahir and diplomat tags, otherwise it’s warrior and diplomat.
Requirements : One weapon skill at 3, lore : Lying Darkness (Ebon stone) 3, integrity 6,0 +, great destiny advantage, Ebonite templar 5 or rank 6 with Ka 5 and at least two advantages that show willpower and devotion to the Ebonite cause.
Rank 1 : Soul of the Ebon Stone.Sharing the power of the stone transcend those who can survive the test. You are immune to any form of corruption, including the Shadowland Taint and the power of the Lying Darkness, but also the Taint of the Spirit realms and so on. You are immune to fear and you can add your integrity rank to the TN of any hostile spell cast against you, of any hostile technique against you and to the result of any roll means to resist an effect like manipulation. You have to select a virtue which embodies your personality and your advantages. Your status is now of 6,0 as you are now one of the head of the Order of the Ebon Stone.
Rank 2 : Incarnation of a Virtue.You immediately earn 10 exp points that must immediately be spent to get you powers related to the virtue you are embodying. Those can be any advantages or kihos (bought at normal cost, consider you are a Brotherhood monk of your insight rank for requirements) or even spells (cost is twice the mastery rank, you don’t need a scroll, you can cast them as a shugenja of your insight rank and have your integrity rank spells slot in total). There are no conditions to those, since you don’t actually have them, just the technique copying the effects. Example :
- Duty : paragon of bushido (duty), wary. - Judgment : to seek the truth (air 1) and know the mind (air 4).- Truth : to seek the truth (air 1), whispering winds (air 2), clear thinker.- Wrath : touch of the spirit realms (Gaki-do), fiery wrath (fire 3).- Balance : drink of your essence (void 2), witness the untold (void 1), altering the
course (void 2).- Valor : leadership, courage of the 7 Thunders (earth 1) and strength of the earth.
- Vengeance : heart of vengeance (Enemies of the Ebon Hand), Seven fortunes’ blessing (Bishamon).
- Will : dark paragon (will), dark paragon (determination).You also gain the touch of spirit realms (Yomi).
Rank 3 : Joining the Brotherhood. This rank can only be learned if you have an integrity of 8,0+ but is learned immediately when you fit the conditions and forgotten as soon as you don’t anymore. It can be learned just after your death if your death makes you reach the requirements. At the moment of your death, you will rejoin the ranks of the virtues (27 known at the time of the Awakening). As a Virtue, you are an entity with the same stats and skills, the spirit trait, and you are a native of Yomi (you have the appropriate Taint instead of the mortality taint of Ningen-do). You can manifest to help the brotherhood of the Ebon Hand in their times of need.
Sand pirate school (rogue, caliphate, warrior) : + 1 agility.Based on the use of the scimitar to make fluids movements to keep the enemy at bay until an opening is offered, this school is a really defensive school. As such, it has become a basis for the Sand Pirates and many groups of sailors and bandits all over the Burning Sands, to keep themselves alive (and keep the guards busy while their comrades take the loot) before making an hasty escape. Maybe group leaders make their members take a blood oath, an oath that makes those who take it brothers of blood by bleeding their hands together so the blood mix and drip into a pool of water. Jana Barakah, the sultan of the sands, is the most famous of the Sand Pirates, and own a flying ship
built by the people who lived before the Day of Wrath.Integrity : 3,5Skills : athletics, swordmanship, sailing, stealth, investigation, games : dice, sleight of hand.Outfit : dagger, scimitar, light armor, desert outfit, sandals, 1 copper.
Rank 1 : run for your life.Before you can claim to be a bandit of any worth, you have to survive. That implies learning first to escape your rivals. You earn the daredevil advantage (if you have it already, you are reimbursed the experience cost), your TN to be hit increase by your total rank in [rogue] schools and your water ring is considered one rank higher for the purpose of movements.
Rank 2 : diving through the crowd.You have survived your rivals long enough to get noticed by the authorities. You have a + 1k0 bonus to all your athletics and stealth rolls. Your speed is not reduced when going through groups or difficult terrain.
Rank 3 : rogue’s fortune.Leaving the small fishes, you can now swim among the sharks. You can now make simple attacks with the scimitar and any daggers. You suffer no off-hand penalties when you have only such weapons in your hands.
Rank 4 : a handful of sand.A fair fight is not the type of fights a sand pirate prefers. You have learned how to use dirty tricks to increase your chances in combat. When you are in the defense stance, you can target an opponent in melee range. If you pass successfully a feint maneuver on this target within
school rank rounds after selecting it, you can make an awareness / sleight of hand (prestidigitation) roll TN opponent’s insight rank or air ring (whichever is higher) X 5. If you succeed, the target is dazed. You can have only one target selected and under the effect of this technique at a time, and the TN to daze the target increased by 5 every time you attempt again to daze, even if the attempt was not successful.
Rank 5 : desert ambush.The bandits of the desert usually don’t kill their targets, only threatening them until they give them between 25 to 50% of their fares. But sometimes, looting and fleeing doesn’t work, and they have to fight to escape. When attacking a target under the effects of blinded, dazed, entangled, fatigued, grappled, prone or stunned conditions or if you are mounted or beneficing of the higher condition, your raise for damage give you +1k1 instead of + 1k0 and you have a free raise toward the feint maneuver.
Wind-bound sahir (rogue, sahir, caliphate) : + 1 awareness.The free sahir of the nomads inhabitants of the desert don’t learn their magic the way the students of the Qabal does, with lots of books. They learn it by harnessing under the supervision of a mentor or by summoning storms in the empty desert until they can control the elements. As such, their techniques all are based on the sand discipline, and usually summoning is their second discipline. But they are dangerous in the way they can call upon things feared by men.Integrity : 3,5Skills : calligraphy, divination (bone reading), spellcraft, lore : theology Burning Sands, sailing, knives, any one skill.Outfit : staff, knife, clothes, cloak, travelling pack, sandals, 5 copper.
Technique : A coming storm.Master of the power of the desert, you progress by one rank at each school rank in the Sand discipline. You start with one rank in the Summoning (primal elements) discipline and one rank in a discipline of your choice that cannot be Night. In addition to your rank in the Sand, you earn one rank in any two disciplines for each of your rank in this school after the first. You get + 1k1 when casting spells of the Sand discipline.
Assassin seductress (assassins, diplomat, new path) : The Daughters of the Mountain often have to deal with males on a regular basis, and uses their weaknesses to accomplish their missions. In time, they had to learn how to use easily concealable weapons to defend themselves when they are operating out in private places. This path teaches them how to uses small knives effectively to distract and wound their opponents so to let them escape after their mission. The members of this path often pose as Safeer/Safeera, the local term for
courtier, but they had others less savory covers.
Replaces : any Assassin school 2Requirements : acting 3, sincerity (deceit) 3
Technique : just business.You are extremely talented at seducing your target. You have + 2k0 to all your temptation rolls. You also know how to pin an opponent so you can catch up to him or flee quickly. You can make a feint maneuver with a thrown or [small] weapon. If your attack passes, you can decide to make it do no damage, if you do so, the target is entangled as you have used your weapon to pin him to something. You can make called shots maneuver to increase the TN of the entanglement by 5.
Ra’shari scimitar dancer (Ra’shari, warrior, new path) : The dancing sword style offers a great spectacle to those who watch it, with the scimitar dancing around the user as he keeps spinning on himself. Once developed for dancers to impress the crowds, it has later developed into a full combat style, which uses the speed to attack multiples targets, but only true masters can accurately pinpoint anything. Replaces : Ra’shari knife-fighter 3.Requirements : swordmanship 4, perform (dance) 5.
Technique : sudden strike.When using two scimitars, you don’t have the off-hand penalties and the extra attack maneuver requires one less raise. The technique two knives, two wounds now applies to knives and scimitars instead of knives and unarmed attacks for you.
Dahabi house guardian (Dahab, Caliphate, new path, warrior) : The houses of the wealthy in the Jewel are often victims of thieves. As such, the Dahab houses have started to train professional guards to ensure their security. The technique they are used has been originally developed by the eunuchs protecting harems, and who still use it to this day. As such, two groups can teach those techniques to a wide area of students.Replaces : Dahabi enforcer 2, soldier of the city guard 2Requirements : intimidation 3, swordmanship (scimitar) 3, defense 3.
Technique : dark alley.This style uses primarily the curved edge of the scimitar to make powerful attacks using the full force of the swordsman, but also the straight part near the guard to push all of this force in an attempt to disarm their opponents. The disarm maneuvers requires one less raise for you and you get + 1k1 to all your contested strength rolls. If you disarm attempt work, you can immediately create a fear 1 effect on the victim as free action. The target suffers a penalty to this willpower roll equal to the difference between the two rolls during the strength contest.
Master marksman (Caliphate, Dahabi, Ra’shari, Jackal, Ashalan, Assassins, Ebonite, Senpet, Ivinda, Yobanjin,
Naga, Thrane, Merenae, Yodotai, new path, warrior) :
Every nation has its own master marksmen, specialist of ranged weapons. All of them uses a different shooting style, but they are based on aiming, what the Rokugani calls Yomanri. Despite their different weapons, they are all dangerous killers at a distance. You have to select one favored weapon among those available to your school based on your faction when taking this path.
- Caliphate, Ebonite, Ivinda and Dahabi : bow, crossbow- Ra’shari : bow, thrown weapon.- Jackal, Naga and Ashalan : bow.- Assassins : assassins weapons, bow.- Senpet : sling, bow.- Thrane and Merenae : firearms, bow, crossbow.- Yodotai : sling, crossbow.
Replaces : any warrior school 4.Requirements : perception 4, agility 3, weapon of choice 5
It is the same technique as the Unicorn Yomanri archer, book of air page 173, but it applies to the favored weapon selected when entering this school.
Horse raiders (Caliphate, Ra’shari, warrior, new path) : The people of the Burning Sands had a cavalry tradition long before the Day of Wrath, and kept it after it, even if it evolved to include camels too. Those cavalry units are mostly light cavalry forces, they are specialized in disrupting opponent’s plans in battle by harassing its flanks and killing their officers. As such, they are also talented archers and scouts. Moto Kagibe, once known as Ma’rhadi of the 7th chronicle, brought friendship between Unicorn and Ra’shari and helped developed to a higher level of mastery the techniques for his people.
Replaces : soldier of the city guard 2, Ra’shari knife dancer 2, Ra’shari trader 4Requirements : horsemanship 3, archery or crossbow 3, battle 3.
Technique : Al Ashwa.Al Ashwa is a traditional battle cry of the people of the sands. You get + 1k0 to your archery or crossbow rolls, you can add your school rank to your mass battle rolls. If you are in an army, you can reduce the opponent’s general mass battle roll by your school rank.
Jackal undead master (Jackal, new path, rogue)After abandoning the weak Spiders to their fate, the Jackal united with some of the Chuda in an attempt to rebuild their organization after the Awakening. While their bases and political power was nearly all gone, their mastery of the arcane arts only increased. Pillaging resources from Daigotsu’s followers, the Jackal have found Ivindas willing to join their causes and opponents to the new regime. They then developed this new technique.Replaces : Janir 4 or Kabir 4
Requirements : lore : undead 5, spellcraft 4, willpower 4, intelligence 4.
Technique : lurking shadows.The Jackals are the masters of the ghulls, the dead left to dream of lives they cannot live in the sewers of the Jewel. Even those who aren’t sahir can master some of the necromantic magic
of their order. You can cast spells of Ghull 1 and 2 (Discipline : Black Magic) like a rank 4 sahir. You cannot do anything else as a sahir, like learning new spells.
Yodotai pratician (diplomat, Yodotai) : + 1 awareness.The Yodotai are a religious society and a civilization of conquerors, but to support that they need Sectorem (courtiers). They have to take care of the logistics, justice system and overall assimilation of culture through educa-tion. They form a sort of learner cast, and most of those are members of the practician, the noble cast that give the name of this school. Many commoners join this school to actually rise through it to this noble cast, a shown of inte-gration, or to serve as Legatus (ambassadors) to newly dis-covered countries.Integrity : 5,5Skills : knives, etiquette Burning Sands (bureaucracy), courtier Burning Sands, lore : theology Burning Sands (Yodotai), investigation, commerce, any high skill.Outfit : pugio, sandals, tunic, toga, traveling pack, 9 copper.
Rank 1 : a new perspective.The first lesson a new practician learns is all about understanding things from a new perspective. They have to understand what make ticks others countries, master the ways of their cultures, and find bridges between their traditions and the Yodotai’s so to influence them and control them when they are added to their empire. Devotion, goddess of Love, is the goddess that emphases the most the first missions of a new practician (usually, a Nuncio, an envoy) trying to ensure that new cultures are absorbed and loyal to the Empire. After talking
with someone for one hour, you can make an awareness / etiquette (conversation) roll against your target’s awareness X 5. You learn one of his social or material advantages, the one with the most point value. You can take raises to learn more advantages. You can use this technique once a week on someone and over weeks can learn new advantages without raises.
Rank 2 : you’ll join us.The second thing that a practician must master is the use of intimidation : he after all represent the biggest conquering empire of the known world. Sometimes, threats work better than gifts. Yodotai bearing gifts is a saying people use to refer to deception, as practician
often seek the help of Shadow, their god of deceit. You get a number of free void points equal to your status rank every day that you can spend on any of your social rolls.
Rank 3 : Call to arms.You can call now upon agents and military forces, like saboteurs, legionaries and others diplomats to support your course of action to bend people to your will. Fidelity, goddess of Loyalty, is the one that emphasizes this aspect of the practician’s life, which usually as reached the rank of Legatus. After talking with someone for a day, you can make an
extended courtier (manipulation) roll over a week against the target Awareness + status X 5. If you succeed, your agents and forces have been able to cut off the target from one of his social or material advantage (like gentry) for a number of weeks equal to your insight rank. You cannot use this technique more than once a week on a target.
Rank 4 : rule through order, fear or friendship.Between the terrible Conquest and the mighty and merciless Sea (goddess of fear), the Yo-dotai gods aren’t about compassion and friendship. But a true practician need to know when to use fear and when to use friendship so that the order wanted by the Empire is brought to ev-eryone. As the rank 3 Doji courtier technique.
Rank 5 : assimilate. A scion of the council, the political power that rules when the Yodotai Emperor or Yodotai warrior aren’t in Octavion, the capital city, you are the symbol of the Yodotai’s reach and control. Justice, god of law, has given the Empire a strict system that a talented Sectorem know how to use to further the goals of the Yodotai. You have learned to use your advantages to bring disparate groups together, through order, fear and friendship. You have +5k0 to your social rolls against someone who has accepted gifts from your rank 4 technique.
Sicarius (rogue, warrior, Yodotai, new path) : Sometimes, Praefectus (military leaders) are forced to resort to less direct means of actions that battles or diplomacy. Such would cost a lot of resources to the Yodotai empire, in either troops and supplies on their side or salted lands on the other side; or be doomed to failure. That why the sicarius (assassins) exists : to remove some problematic enemy leaders by any means necessary. Inspired by the acts of Caelus (god of the skies) who killed the 10 sons and daughters he had with Terra (goddess of earth) and led to the creation of the Yodotai empire and religion, the Sicarius are forced to poison, murder and sabotage to create order.
Replaces : Yodotai pratician 3 and Yodotai mercenary 3.Requirements : knives 4, stealth 4, craft : poison 3, investigation 3, sincerity (deceit) 3, silent or ruined city shadow advantage. You can waive the silent or ruined city shadow advantage by increasing three of the skills requirements by one.
Technique : Attack at dawn.
You have mastered the gifts of Shadow and Caelus, making you the underhand of the Yodotai warlords, their secret weapon. You have abandoned much of your honor in the name of Conquest and will have again, but your actions will be forgiven in the name of success. When you spend Ka points to enhance stealth and sincerity (deceit) rolls, you get + 2k2 instead of + 1k1. You can make simple attacks with knives.
Yodotai artisan (rogue, artisan Yodotai, new path) : + 1 intelligence.Under the name of artisan can be found a wide bunch of people : blacksmiths, bow-makers, but also alchemists and inventors. They are the supporting units of the Yodotai legions, furnishing the soldiers with the technological advances collected over the year. They forge weapons and armor, maintain and use the siege weapons and create J’li’lu’s fire (greek fire). They have the combined knowledge of many nations assimilated in the empire to understand to maintain the arsenal of weapons the legions
uses, but some invent new weapons based on the needs of their forces, which give them the nickname of inventors.
Replaces : Yodotai mercenary 1, Yodotai practician 1Integrity : 5,5Skills : crossbow, engineering, commerce (mathematics), any one craft skill, investigation, etiquette Burnings Sands, defense.Outfit : toga, oyumi, 20 crossbow bolts, dagger, craftsman’s tools, 12 copper, light armor and travelling pack.
Technique : every man’s army.La Bellis Yoditarium tells that you have to use every weapon available to succeed, and it is the job of the artisans to supply the weapons, armors and others technologies that the Prafectus may require. Each Yodotai artisan is a master in his own specialty but is also talented in logistics and building to support the advancing armies and building camps. Whenever you are making a crafting roll, you can work with someone else. The other(s) participant(s), up to one per 20 points of TN required (eg, 1 for TN 5 to 20, 2 for TN 21 to 40…), must have at least 3 in the corresponding craft skill. For each helper you have, you earn + 1k1to your roll and you can take one additional raise over your max limit. You can reduce time and costs by 1 % per school rank of any helper which has this technique.
Unearthly child (same as original school, Qabal, Shapeshifter, new path) + 1 awareness.Some people says you can’t choose your family, and you are a perfect example of it. You are a shapeshifter, either one the hengeyokai (animal spirits of Chikushudo) or have been seeded with a Jinn, a child of the smokeless fire. As such, your body can change to fit your inhuman nature, and you have decided to explore your heritage and master the power of your ancestors.
Requirements : be a shapeshifter, a Seed of Qanon or a Qabal member with the Fitfully Sleeping Blood advantage. If you don’t take this school as your first rank, you need to have lore : spirit realms 3 and sincerity (deceit) 3.Starting honor / integrity : same as original school.Skills : same as original school.Outfit : same as original school.
Technique : reverence to Chikushudo.Through meditation, research or just sheer luck, you have discovered that you could increase your supernatural abilities. You gain one minor shapeshifter abilities and one major or two minor additional shapeshifter abilities.
Kata : Kata work the same way as for Rokugani characters but applied to warriors schools instead of bushi schools. Don’t forget void is ka for Burning Sands characters. I haven’t listed every kata available in 4th edition, but that selection should give you ideas to adapt the remaining ones.
- Striking as air, striking as fire, striking as earth, striking as void and striking as water are unchanged and available for any warrior school.
- Balance the elements style : the Blood-sworn, Heart-seekers, Sun-riders, Yodotai Legionnaire, Senpet Legionnaire and Senpet Charioteer.
- Breath of wind style : Sun-riders, Sand pirate school, Sicarius, Assassin slayer, assassin keeper, Ra’Shari knife-fighter, Jani.
- Disappearing world style : Sun-riders, Sand pirate school, Soldier of the city, Ra’Shari knife-fighter, Jani.
- Hidden Blade style : Senpet Taskmaster, Sand pirate school, Sicarius, Dahabi enforcer, Assassin Slayer, Assassin Keeper, Ra’Shari knife-fighter, Jani.
- Indomitable warrior style : Soldier of the City, Dahabi enforcer, the Blood-sworn, Heart-seekers, Senpet Legionnaire, Senpet Charioteer, Yodotai Legionnaire, Ebonite templar.
- Iron Forest style : Soldier of the city guard, Senpet Charioteer, Yodotai Legionnaire, Yodotai mercenary and Ebonite templar.
- Iron in the mountains style : Senpet Taskmaster, Soldier of the city guard, Dahabi enforcer, Yodotai Legionnaire, Yodotai mercenary and Ebonite templar.
- Reckless abandon style : Soldier of the city guard, Assassin slayer, assassin keeper, Jani.
- Strength in arms style : Dhabi enforcer, Senpet legionnaire, Yodotai legionnaire, Ebonite templar.
- Strength of purity style : Senpet warrior schools, Yodotai warrior schools, Ebonite templar.
- Spinning blades style : Sand pirate school, Sicarius, Assassin slayer, assassin keeper, Ra’Shari knife-fighter, Jani.
- Veiled menace style : Sun-riders, Sand pirate school, Sicarius, Assassin slayer, assassin keeper, Ra’shari knife-fighter, Jani.
- Strength of the Crab : Ebonite templar.- Strength of the Crane : Senpet warrior schools, Yodotai legionnaire, Ebonite templar.- Strength of the Lion : Soldier of the city guard, Yodotai legionnaire, Senpet
legionnaire.- Son of storms : Senpet taskmaster, Sicarius, Dahabi enforcer, Assassin slayer, assassin
keeper, Ra’Shari knife-fighter, Jani.- Strength of the Mantis : master marksman.- Dance of the winds : Senpet warrior schools, Yodotai warrior schools, Ebonite
templar.- Strength of the Phoenix : Soldier of the City Guard, Dahbi enforcer, the Boold-sworn.- Strength of the Scorpion : Sun-riders, Sand pirate school, Sicarius, Dahabi enforcer,
Assassin slayer, assassin keeper, Ra’Shari knife-fighter, Jani.- Strength of the Unicorn : Sun-riders, Horse raiders, Senpet Charioteer, Soldier of the
City Guard.- Art of Ninjutsu : Sicarius, assassin schools.- Strength of the Spider : Senpet taskmaster, Dahabi enforcer, Jani, Ebonite templar.
Equipment :
- Senpet dagger (knives : dagger) : the Senpet used bronze daggers for a long time during their early history, making it a primary weapon for their forces until better weapons were developed. It's a 1k2 weapon [Senpet][small] that breaks if more than one exploding die is rolled for damage.
- Senpet mace (heavy weapons : mace) : the Senpet used maces since before they started recording history, moving from a simple stone on a stick to a modern metallic cone on a club. While not a common weapon since the creation of modern swords, it is still considered a useful weapon against armored opponents. It’s a 3k3 [large][Senpet]
weapon that ignores 3 pts of reduction from its target and that after each attack reduces the TN bonus of the armor by 1 until the armor is repaired.
- Yodatai legionnaries shield : the Yodatai have a wide variety of weapons due to the numerous cultures they absorbed. The basis of the Yodatai defense tactics, those shields are really sturdy and can reflect light to make it harder for archers to target them. [large][Yodotai], armor TN + 7, reduction 3, TN increase by 2 against ranged attacks, but all agility related rolls by the bearer are increased by 3.
- Plumbata (athletics : thrown weapon) : 2k2 [small][Yodotai], do not had user's strength. Large hand-held lead weighed darts that are thrown by hand, this weapon is used only by the Yodotai. The shape and weight of this weapon give him more range than most thrown weapon and its barbed edge make it difficult to remove. The legionaries use it at the start of a battle before using their main weapons.
- Whip (peasant weapon : whip) : 0k1, [small][Senpet][Yodotai][Caliphate][Jackal] [Ra’shari][Ivinda]. Usually used to bring compliance to groups of animals and humans, the whip is mostly used by the Senpet as a weapon.
- Magic carpet : book of air page 127. One of the most common, if not the most common, nemuranai in the Burning Sands, there is even an unit trained to fight using those : Lakeisha’s sky raiders.
- Crystal Wind’s crystals : the enchanted crystals created by the Ashalan Crystal Wind can be found in many places all over the Ivory Kingdoms, the Burning Sands and Rokugan. While the Ashalan himself dies during the Age of Conquest by the hands of
a ratling, Br’nn, using one of his own creation against him, the crystals can still be found, looted from his realm in the Frontier region of the Ruined Kingdoms. They are highly detectable by shugenjas and jaklas when there are more than a few fingers of it at the same place, as the kami are swirling all around the area. A spellcraft roll TN 25 or lore : crystal TN 20 will identify the origin of it as a multi-elemental item with a powerful enchantment. If someone touch such a crystal or attempt to commune or sense it
will get into contact with Crystal Wind (if he still alive) or his left-over spirit. If someone has touched it before, you’ll also see the spirit of the previous bearer, in this case Crystal Wind will have the appearance of the previous bearer but covered of Ashalan tattoos. Crystal Wind will attempt to parlay with anyone who get into contact with him, while then attempting to take over his mind. The first Round that a PC is in contact with the crystal, he must succeed at a Willpower Trait Roll (TN 15) or become Dazed. If the PC succeeds at the roll, the TN increases by 5. A new Willpower Trait Roll must be made each Round the PC remains in contact with the crystal. If contact is broken, the process begins again at the TN where it left off if the character comes into contact with the crystal once more. A character who is Dazed as a result of contact with the crystal must continue making the Willpower Trait Roll, including any relevant penalties. A second failed roll results in the character becoming Stunned, and then a third failed roll results in the PC falling unconscious for a number of Rounds equal to his Earth Ring. Upon recovering from unconsciousness in this manner, a PC is completely dominated by Crystal Wind and will be under his mental control until
the crystal is destroyed or the character is rendered unconscious and exorcised of the Ashalan’s control. There is no recorded ways to break this control, but some people escaped it. If someone breaks from the control of Crystal Wind, the crystal will grant him the effects of the item without penalties. Those crystals will grant a + 1 to attack rolls per round of battle to the bearer, the bonus is not cumulative if the bearer wore more than one crystal but each piece of crystal will increase then TN of the willpower roll by 3. Weapons made of those crystals are considered crystal for all purpose. After Crystal Wind’s death, the crystal keeps their powers, but the willpower rolls for control are once per week. What is left of Crystal Wind’s personality, or from a previous bearer, will be attempting to take over the character.
- The potion known as the Blood of Jinn is actually what its name suggest : it’s the blood of a Jinn magically bleed (spellcraft 30 or lore : jinn 20 can identify it, creating a dose requires a Jinn, some supernatural blade like one made from obsidian and a ritual know only to those with lore : jinn 5+). Due to its supernatural nature, it was only sold on the black market. It could heal any wound (it cast on the drinker the spell peace of the kami, corebook page 192) but the soul burned in trade (the drinker loose all his Ka points and suffers from curse of the realm : Yume-do for a day per wound rank healed).
- Another famous magic potion mentioned in the storytellers’ tales is the water from a mirage. Mirages are created by reflecting something that exists on a wave of heat, making it looks closer that they are in reality (people often mistake hallucinations due to dehydration with mirages), a combined action of fire and air kami. As such, people talented in calling upon those (Sand discipline, Mist discipline, or summoning : five primal elements) can convince the air kami to turn themselves into a liquid. Anyone who drinks it will be considered under the effect of the spell gift of the wind (corebook page 171) with a duration of 15 minutes.
- Alim’s charm of protection : forged centuries ago by the Qabal sahir Alim from an unknown metal and a Jinn’s tear, this amulet looks like a ruby in the middle of a silver circle. The bearer is considered to have three additional ranks of the magic resistance advantage, which applies to all sources of magic.
- Ntzoke’s amult of night : a golden torque with a gem as black as the darkest night, it is says to reflect the darkest recess of the human soul and turn men’s deepest lies against them. The amulet cast every hour to seek the truth (corebook page 168) like a shugenja of rank 3 with air 4, is permanently under the effect of the spell wolf’s proposal (corebook page 169) and can cast air rank of the bearer times per day know the mind (corebook page 717) cast in the same way as to seek the truth but this time on the bearer’s commands.
- Raliraq’s mystical lute : this impressive lute is made of a wood that has a copper shade and has the ability to raise the spirits of those who listen to it. Ra’shari have been seen using it over millennia, but others have been known to use it, making specialists believes that there is more than one. Works like the Shakuhachi of air (book of air page 128).
- Bronze lantern : book of fire page 133. The famous magic lanterns that capture jinns and forces them to obey the commands of the one who rubbed it.
Creatures :
- Camel, cat of many tongues, roc are in the LBS appendix page 286, ghuls in Enemies of the Empire page 268, Nuppeppo (known as mass of corrupted flesh here) are in Enemies of the Empire page 272, ghosts (shikko-gaki, Enemies of the Empire page 275), horse (Unicorn riding hose corebook page 322), lion, ox and wolf (corebook page 323), zombie (corebook page 331), golem (second city the campaign page 100), Vata’s herd (see chapter 4 of this guide).
- Giant :(use Daidarabochi, book of earth page 210 but with intelligence 1 and Shadowland Taint 3,5). Giants don’t goes into the desert itself but lives in the mountains chains that surround it : the Yobanjin ones and the one west of the Badger clan lands. They tend to be really stupid, but legends talk of smarter ones leading bands of ogres, those would have a fire ring of 3 and some of the Ogre bushi techniques.
- Ogres :Known sometimes as the Shadow Horde, there are roaming bands of ogres warriors in the Burning Sands, mostly near the Badger clan lands but some have been known to live south in the Western Wastes. They are free ogres (see Enemies of the Empire page 230) and are organized small tribes contrary to the lone creature of most Rokugani stories. They are raiders that sometimes allies themselves with the Sand Pirates, but those alliances end as soon as the loot has been shared.
- The efreet :Created by the Monkey Man using the dark magic of the Mummified Jinn skull and the undead creation spells of the Jackals, those entities looks like jinns, but corrupted by the power of the Shadowlands. Which is exactly that : they are jinns corpse animated by kansens, and while their power is really limited compared to real jinns, they are powerful if stupid servants. Mechanically, create minor mighty jinns with the undead trait in addition to the normal rules for jinns, but they loose shapeshifting and the ability to talk, are limited in spells to black magic (death), intelligence is lowered to 1, Shadowland Taint of 3,0 (they cannot transmit Taint through damage or blood, but the better crafted Efreet can have Shadowland powers) and have invulnerability (partial, to wood and unarmed attacks) and fear 3. Due to their limited intelligence (on par with bakemonos), they are really limited in what skills they can have (they still have an instinctive understanding of commerce, but cannot raise this skill), they are basically limited to bugei and low skills.
- Lizard of water and fire :
Known as the salamanders, those strange desert lizards have been turned into magical beings when Shilah burned the land. They have now the ability to generate fire like a ryu while retaining their amphibious abilities. Since they tend to be dangerous and highly territorial, travelers thanks the gods that they are rare and in groups only during the mating season. The fact they have been hunted by th Assassins (their scales are used to create the poison known as the Blood of the Caliph) also diminished their number. They uses the rules for the Komodo dragon (book of earth page 211) but can turn its scales on fire a number of times times per day equal to his fire rank. Anyone engaging them in melee combat while on fire suffers 2k2 damage. Water can quench the fire on part of the creature for a time.
- The desiccated : The Rokugani knows the desiccated as the creation of Chuda shugenja as a by-product from the harvest of blood from the location in the Shadowlands known as the Fields of Blood : victims were made to bleed there for days at a time, creating bodies that look completely dehydrated (hence their name). Zombies created from those bodies are more intelligent and have more tactical skills than normal zombies. In the Burning Sands, the desiccated do exist too, but are really rare. They are created from travelers who died of thirst in the desert and are found by a wandering kansen to animate. The Jackals have learned from the Chuda how to create such creatures, and have used it to serve the true Spider clan (who hides in the Shadow of Daigotsu’s false clan) in the Ivory Kingdoms and in the Burning Sands until their alliance felt apart as their goals didn’t coincided anymore.Air 2 Earth 3 Fire 3 Water 4 (strength 6)Initiative : 3k2 Attacks : claws 5k3 (complex), ono 5k3 (complex)Damage : 6k3 (claws), 6k4 (ono). Armor TN : 22Reduction : 5 Wounds : 72 / dead.Shadowlands Taint : 4,5Skills : battle 3, jiujutsu 2, heavy weapons 2.
Special abilities : - Beheading (see zombie, corebook page 331).- Fear 3.- Undead.- Breath : can breathe a cone of dust one per day which has the same effect as breath of
the Fire Dragon (but only last one round) and the make everyone in the cone considered to be fatigued until the reaction phase of the next turn. They cannot be in full attack stance while fatigued.
- Naar Teban : Under the loose authority of the Nagah abomination warlord Rashima, the Naar Teban are the nagas (called here nagahs, a term who came from the Ivory Kingdoms) of the Burning Sands. They are nothing like their counterpart of Rokugan, or even the Dark Nagahs from the Ivory kingdoms. Sometimes known as the Fire Salamanders, the Naar Teban are the remnants of the naga who lived in the half of the Shinomen that was destroyed during the Day of Wrath. The powerful magic of the sands changed them forever, and any nagas that cross the limits of the Burning Sands will undergo a transformation into one, falling into a deep slumber and being filled with nightmares that send waves of pain through the Akasha. They have golden scales, powerful legs in place of a tail and the ability to spit out a toxic substance called “the consuming flame” which sticks to their target and make it melt away. Not many of the original inhabitants of the burned Shinomen are still around; most of the recent Naar Teban were abominations casted out from the surviving nagas. They bear no ill-will to their cast-out cousins, only hunting them down when they re-enter Rokugan because of the pain they create through the Akasha and that affects their entire race.
The Naar Teban, under the orders of Rashima, participated in an event known as “the culling” during the events of the Awakening, but no-one knows what really happened. Based on the ability of the Dark Naga to contact abominations throughout Rokugan and the Ivory Kingdoms, it’s possible that he contacted the Naar Teban in hope they would trade the secrets of the naga cities buried under the sands. They had a surge of activity during the War of Serpents, threatening the Ki-rin’s path that crossed their territory.
Naar Teban are created like a normal Naga character (see Enemies of the Empire page 79 and chapter 4 on the Ivory Kingdoms) but get 20 additional experience points, loose all advantages and disadvantages linked to the Akasha (like divine focus, student of the past…) when they transform and gain the following new abilities :
- Breath attack : for one Akasha point, the Naar Teban can spit venom on a cone area extending 15’ from his mouth. Everyone in the area of effect must make a reflex roll TN 25 or suffer a DR equal to the Naar Teban’s earth ring.
- Strong scales : reduction 3.- Link to the Akasha : each time a Naar Teban spend an Akasha point, every non-Naar
Teban naga within 60 miles must make a willpower roll TN 20 or be dazed. Even if they succeed, they are in agony and suffers + 3 to all their TN.
- Strong legs : Naar Teban lose their tail (if they had one) during the transformation, and get strong legs that grant them + 3k0 to all athletics (jump) rolls and swift 1.
- Claws : the Naar Teban have claws with a DR of 0k2, skill : jiujutsu (claws).- Linked to the Sands : every month spent outside of the Burning Sands, the Naar Teban
must make an earth roll TN 10 (+ 5 per month spent away of the Burning Sands) or lose a rank of earth that cannot be recovered until he spent a week in the Sands.
- Jinns : Jinns are powerful creatures which predate humanity, and for humans of the Burning Sands, created their ancestors. There is hundred of different Jinns, which many strange abilities. There is no official classification, as the otherworldly creatures never explained how to differentiate them and categorize their powers. A jinn could be classified as belonging to a particular element (despite their general name of child of the smokeless fire) : Flame (smokeless fire), River (salt less water), Wind (cloudless air), Sand (weightless earth), or Ka (shapeless shape). This classification is mostly based on the elements they are able to control through their magical powers. While the same elements as those of Rokugan, they are culturally different in some aspects, which can create troubles for samurais. Another classification was Elder Jinn, who were able to command several elements, and Smaller Jinn, who only commanded one element. But again, this consideration is based just on observation from mortals and may not relate at all to the actual ages of the beings. Others than the humans had deals with the Jinns, the Nezumi called the jinn as "evil spirits that should be dead", and avoided the Burning Sands fearing them (and the lack of resources to scavenge), while the Ashalans have a long history of dealing with them. Some Jinns were brought to service in Rokugan and the Ivory Kingdoms, meaning they aren’t linked to the magic of the Sands. Free Jinns are Jinns who have the ability to walk Ningen-do as they wish contrary to their brothers who need summoners or special magic like the seed of Qanon to do so.
Those rules are an expanded version of those in LBS page 291, which are required to use the following rules.
- All Jinns have the spirit trait, the following abilities : shapeshifting (can change shapes at will) and invincible (cannot be killed by mortal means), and skills in brawling and commerce. They can speak perfectly every language of the humans and of some of the ancient races.
- Determine the power of the Jinn : minor, medium or major. Those are unchanged.- Determine type of Jinn : mighty, sly, hardy, mystical or labor. Those are unchanged.- Jinn trait bonuses (except an error made the hardy jinn trait bonuses are to be switched
with the mystical jinn’s ones), Jinn protections and Jinn combat bonuses are unchanged, with one exception. Results 3 to 7 are now reduction equal to highest ring.
- Notice that Jinns have advantages and disadvantages combination not allowed for PC. That because they are inhuman creatures and some is used only as mechanical effects instead of copying and pasting the text.
The Jinn abilities tables are changed : - A minor Jinn can have max one medium Jinn ability but as many minor Jinn abilities
as allowed by the ability creation bonuses.- A medium Jinn can have max one major Jinn ability and as many medium Jinn
abilities as allowed by the ability creation bonuses. He can trade some medium abilities for two minor abilities.
- A major Jinn can have any abilities as he is allowed, and can trade a major ability for one medium and one minor ability.
- The creation and purity disciplines are limited to major and mystical jinns.
- Specialized spellcasting : some Jinns seems to be incarnation of one particular mystical attribute. As a minor ability, the jinn is a qabal Sahir of rank 1 who considers all his spells bought with this ability to be his discipline, and has 4 ranks of spell mastery to spend. As a medium ability, rank pass to 2 and he has 8 ranks of spells, as a major ability it’s 3 and 12 mastery ranks to spend.
Minor Jinn abilities comprises of discipline levels of 1Medium Jinn abilities comprises of discipline levels of 2Major Jinn abilities comprises of discipline levels of 3
- Shadow-jinn : A Jinn can be a Shadow-jinn. Those are part of a group named the Quest that are tasked to face Kaleel’s legion, the reason they entered a pact with the Sayel (Lying Darkness). All shadow-jinns share their memories, making dealing with one a complex matter, but the weaker ones (mostly the unnamed) are so consumed by the Shadow they are like Shadowbeasts. But they tend to be smarter, but phlegmatic and slow to find interest in anything, spending time waiting for something to spark finally a reaction in their emotionless mind. Being a Shadow-jinn is a minor ability that grants them a shadow rank of 2 (Minor Jinn) or 3 (Medium Jinn). There is only one Major Jinn that is a Shadow-Jinn and it is Israk, brother of Kaleel the champion of the Jinns. Shadow-jinn are a type of jinn barely anyone knows about, so only the most knowledgeable sahir can directly summon one. They are notoriously difficult to summon, making that a day worth of service is only + 0 for table a2.11 (LBS page 295) and others values are modified accordingly. Their nature also make difficult for them to stay in Ningen-do, and as such they can never been summoned for more than a week.
The following section describes every official Jinn (with the exception of Kaleel) ever published with a short bio on what they did during their time since the Jinn war. You are free to use them as sample Jinns or as inspiration for your games.
Saqr Al Fediq : This major mystical jinn pretended to be an human and joined the Celestial alliance, selling his service as a sahir specialized in a crossroad spell (a transport spell). Traits bonuses : + 1 air, + 2 water.Protections : suffer no wounds penalties, cannot be affected by spells.Abilities : sand (travel 3), creation (passage 3, seeding 3), specialize spellcasting X 3 (various [travel] spells).
Combat bonuses : bonus to TN to be hit and extra wounds at each rank equal to higher ring.Skills : brawling 6, commerce (appraisal) 5, acting (human) 5, lore : Lying darkness 2, lore : Jinn 5, courtier Burning sands 3, etiquette Burning sands 2, sincerity (deceit) 5, investigation 1, defense 1.Advantages / disadvantages : forbidden knowledge (Lying Darkness), forbidden knowledge (Jinn), sage, read lips, perceived integrity (3 ranks), true love (Sahlah).
Ayna, jinn of the brutal harvest :A Qanon medium mighty jinn, Ayna was seeded in a human female but she was in the control. She joined the Celestial Alliance to fight Kaleel’s legion, a force of nature rushing into the fight. She is fast and powerful, and uses it to keep her targets from reacting.Traits bonuses : + 1 fire,+ 1 water, + 1 reflexesProtections : suffer no wounds penalties, + 10 TN to be hit.Abilities : blessing and curse (blessing 3), purity (ward) 2Combat bonuses : bonus to total of attack rolls, damage rolls and initiative equal to highest ring.Skills : brawling 7, commerce 4, etiquette Burning sands 3, acting (human) 3, defense 2.Advantages / disadvantages : dark paragon (strength), quick, heart of vengeance (Khaleel’s legion).
Ajbar Ibn Kaleel, jinn of malignity :A brother of the Jinn Kaleel, who took the name of lord Moon, Ajbar was a member of Kaleel’s legion. A hardy medium jinn, his title came from his habit of turning people mad.Traits bonuses : + 1 earth, + 1 fire, + 1 strength.Protections : add highest ring to wounds to each wound rank, reduction equal to highest ring.Abilities : blood (Madness 3).Combat bonuses : bonus to total of attack rolls, damage rolls and TN to be hit equal to highest ring.Skills : brawling 7, commerce 4, defense 7, battle 1.Advantages / disadvantages : dark paragon (strength), large, strength of the earth.
Akhad Ibn Kaleel : A major hardy free jinn, this member of Kaleel’s legion used his powers and skills to intimidate and force others Jinns to work for the Legion. Traits bonuses : + 2 earth, + 1 water, + 1 air, + 1 strength.Protections : suffer no wound penalties, cannot be knocked down, reduction equal to highest ring.Abilities : summoning (Jinn 2), purity (binding 3).Combat bonuses : extra wounds to each wound rank, bonus to attack rolls, damage rolls and and TN to be hit equal to highest ring.Skills : brawling (martial arts) 10, commerce 5, intimidation (bullying) 5, courtier (control) 3, lore : Jinn 3.Advantages / disadvantages : dark paragon (will), great potential (brawling), forbidden knowledge (Jinn), large.
Gathriq :A minor hardy jinn, the gatherer of Kaleel’s legion was in charge of finding and reuniting the members of the legion. He was a sneaky and sly despite his nature, a creature of shadows.Traits bonuses : + 1 earth, + 2 fire, + 1 perception.Protections : + 10 TN to be hit.Abilities : none.Combat bonuses : bonus to TN to be hit and initiative equal to highest ring.Skills : brawling 2, commerce 3, stealth (sneaking) 5, investigation 5, lore : Jinn 3, courtier Burning sands 1.Advantages / disadvantages : silent.
Jinn of a thousand midnights : A minor mystical Jinn, he is a perfect example of magical items created by binding a jinn. He was trapped for centuries by a Qabal sorcerer in a cloak, giving the bearer the ability to fly.Traits bonuses : + 1 air, + 1 intelligence.Protections : none.Abilities : sand (tornado 2, travel 1).Combat bonuses : none.Skills : brawling 2, commerce 3, lore : Burning Sands 3, spellcraft 3, lore : Qabal 2, etiquette Burning Sands 3, hunting (trailblazing) 3, investigation 2, defense 2, sailing 2.Advantages / disadvantages : quick.
Jinn of decay :While being a minor mighty unnamed jinn, this jinn is one of the most famous of them all. His powers are the stuff of legends and storytellers have dozens of stories featuring sahirs calling upon his destructive abilities. The jinn himself as little personality, as an unnamed jinn, he is more a force of nature than a conscious entity.Traits bonuses : + 1 strength, reflexes and agility.Protections : + 10 TN to be hit.Abilities : black magic (death 2) .Combat bonuses : bonus to attacks and damage rolls equal to highest ring.Skills : brawling 5, commerce 3, defense 3, art de la guerre 3, hunting 3, investigation 2, stealth 2.Advantages / disadvantages : dark paragon (strength).
Asifet of the fleet, jinn of desert tempest :This minor labor jinn is all about travelling through the desert at the speed of the wind. He usually carry a chariot behind him to transport his summoner, but as the wind, he can never be bound for long. Summoners usually avoid summoning him for more than a trip at a time.Traits bonuses : +2 perception, + 3 strength.Protections : none.Abilities : sand (travel 2).
Combat bonuses : none.Skills : brawling 2, commerce 3, investigation (notice) 3, athletics (running) 9, hunting (trailblazing) 3, defense 1.Advantages / disadvantages : way of the land (Burning Sands).
Jinn of desire : The medium mystical jinn is known to offer power and wisdom to those who summon it. All too many beginning sahirs assumed those gifts would be everlasting or free, only to discover the blessings quickly fade as the Jinn is liberated from his service.Traits bonuses : + 2 air, + 1 intelligence.Protections : cannot be affected by spells.Abilities : blessing and curses (blessings 3, curses 2, fortune 2), celestial (farsight 2, divination 2).Combat bonuses : bonus to TN equal to highest ring.Skills : brawling 4, commerce 4, calligraphy Mekham 3, divination (astrology) 5, lore : jinn 5, lore : Khadi 5.Advantages / disadvantages : inner gift (foresight), inner gift (lesser prophecy), forbidden knowledge (Khadi).
Jinn of Destruction : Storytellers often mix the power of the Jinn of Decay with those of the Jinn of Destruction : both are unnamed mighty jinn, but the Jinn of Destruction is a major jinn and brought his powers as a force of nature to a whole different scale. The Jinn of Destruction destroys buildings, sometimes entire city blocks, while Decay only kills a few humans at a time. Many summoners of the Jinn of Destruction have died by his hands as he destroyed the target they designed… and the collateral damage killed them and dozens of people around.Traits bonuses : +1 fire, + 1 earth, + 1 water, + 1 strengthProtections : suffer no wound penalties, cannot be affected by spells and reduction equal to highest ring.Abilities : specialized spellcasting major X3 (summoning gale air 3, slayers’ knives air 5, wrath of kaze-no-kami air 6, earthquake earth 5, fiery wrath fire 3, the fist of Osano-wo fire 3, defense of the firestorm fire 4, destructive wave fire 5) Combat bonuses : extra wounds per rank, bonus to damage and attacks rolls equal to highest ring.Skills : brawling 6 , commerce 5, intimidation (bullying) 7, engineering 5, battle 3, defense 3, temptation 1
Advantages / disadvantages : consumed by strength, compulsion (destruction), dark paragon (determination), friend of the elements (fire), large, blessing of the seven fortunes (Bishamon), touch of the spirit realms (Gaki-do).
The Jinn of Eternal Beauty :This medium labor jinn is not a combatant, she is all about social interactions. She helps her summoner to deal with humans and jinns through her appearance and mastery of the etiquette. She spent 400 years hidden in the human known as Kurrat al Ayn before being released and becoming one of the Celestial Alliance and meeting her fate alongside them.Traits bonuses : +3 air, + 1 intelligenceProtections : none.Abilities : summoning (Jinn 2), control (influence 3).Combat bonuses : none.Skills : brawling 4, commerce 4, etiquette (conversation) Burning Sands 5, courtier Burning Sands (manipulation) 7, temptation (seduction) 5.Advantages / disadvantages : voice, dangerous beauty, seven fortunes’ blessing (Benten), soft-hearted.
Jinn of infinite eyes :There are things even the Jinns fears, and the Jinn of Infinite Eyes is one of them. This powerful major mighty jinn is feared by his kind for he has hunted and destroyed many of those who opposed Kaleel’s legion in the name of his master. It has no mercy or remorse in doing what he does, even enjoying being such a powerful supernatural horror.Traits bonuses : + 2 earth, + 1 fire, + 1 reflexes.Protections : suffer no wound penalties, reduction and bonus wounds per rank equal to highest ring.Abilities : purity (binding 3), creation (passage 2), special (fear 5).Combat bonuses : bonus wounds per rank, bonus to TN to be hit, attacks and damage rolls equal to highest ring.Skills : brawling 6, commerce 5, hunting (tracking) 7, battle (skirmish) 5, defense 3, lore : Jinns (weaknesses) 3.Advantages / disadvantages : heart of vengeance (Jinns), wary, inner gift (foresight), large, quick, brash, cursed by the realm (Toshigoku).
Jinn of Reflection :The Jinn of Reflection is a minor sly jinn with one power : the ability to create doubles of the summoner, either through spells or by shapeshifting himself depending the level of control and role the sahir ordered him to play.Traits bonuses : + 1 air, + 1 perceptionProtections : none.Abilities : specialized spellcasting (can cast Divide the soul void 5 on the summoner, mists of illusion air 2)Combat bonuses : bonus to TN to be hit, initiative and extra wounds equal to highest ring.Skills : brawling 2, commerce 3, acting (male, female, summoner) 5, etiquette Burning Sands (conversation) 3, sincerity (deceit) 3, temptation (seduction) 3.Advantages / disadvantages : jealousy (summoner), touch of Yomi (acting)
Jinn of the Dark Hour : Twice the size of a man, this minor mighty Jinn has a coal black skin and a mouth that looks like a shark. He is known for his skills as a warrior, especially with his bronze scimitar.Traits bonuses : + 1 reflexes, strength and agility.Protections : reduction equal to highest ring.Abilities : black magic (death 2).Combat bonuses : bonus to attack and damage rolls equal to highest ring.Skills : brawling 2, commerce 3, swordmanship (scimitar) 5, defense 5, battle 3.Advantages / disadvantages : large.
Jinn of the New Moon :
Maybe the strongest Jinn outside of Kaleel and his first siblings, the Jinn of the New Moon cannot be summoned by normal means. It can only be summoned when the stars align and cost the lives of those who summons him. He fought to save the Moto during the Awakening.Traits bonuses : special, see abilities.Protections : special, see abilities.Abilities : New Moon (the Jinn of the New Moon is a major Jinn. His nature, sly, mighty, … and the nature of all his rings, skills and so on are decided when summoned by the summoner to fits his mission. He can, during the reaction phase of any round, spend a Ka point and changes all of those within the limits of the Jinn creation rules).Combat bonuses : special, see abilities.Skills : special, see abilities.Advantages / disadvantages : special, see abilities.
Jinn of virtue :The Jinn of virtue, a free medium mystical Jinn, is behind a lot of the Celestial Alliance’s actions, working as a mediator, a strategist and a well of knowledge for the organization.Traits bonuses : + 1air, + 1 water, + 1 intelligence.Protections : cannot be affected by spells.Abilities : summoning (Jinn 2, implements 2), creation (seeding 3, passage 2), binding 2.Combat bonuses : bonus to TN equal to highest ring.Skills : brawling 4, commerce 4, etiquette Burning Sands (courtesy) 3, sincerity (honesty) 3, courtier Burning Sands 3, defense 3, battle (mass combat) 3, lore: Jinn (Celestial Alliance) 3, lore : history (true history) 3, investigation (notice) 3.Advantages / disadvantages : clear thinker, dark paragon (knowledge), forbidden knowledge (Jinn).
Tahir :This minor mighty Jinn keep telling people he had lived 6000 years, but who can tell if he saying the truth or not ? What is sure is that his appearance as a giant man made of fire truly classes him among the child of smokeless fire and shows his passion for fiery infernos.Traits bonuses : + 1 fire, + 1 agility.Protections : + 10 TN to be hit.Abilities : summoning (primal elements 2).Combat bonuses : bonus to attack and damages rolls equal to highest ring.Skills : brawling 5, commerce 3, intimidation 5, defense 2, hunting 3. Advantages / disadvantages : large, overconfident.
Alakrai, elder jinn trickster :Many sahirs warns their apprentices about Alakrai, for while he is a useful medium mystical jin, his tricks are known to also affect their summoners. He has an odd speech pattern, speaking so fast all words are tied together and repeating some likes an eager goblin.Traits bonuses : + 2 air, + 1 perceptionProtections : + 10 TN to be hit.Abilities : control (influence 2, illusions 3, transformation 2), specialized spellcasting (2X medium, various [illusions] spells).Combat bonuses : bonus to TN to be hit equal to highest ring.Skills : brawling 4, commerce 4, acting 3, investigation (search) 3, defense 3, intimidation (control) 3, sleight of hand (prestidigitation) 4, stealth (spellcasting) 4Advantages / disadvantages : crafty, daredevil, quick.
The Arbiter of the Qanon : A powerful medium sly jinn, not due to his mystical supernatural powers, but to his position and nature. Hosted in the body of the Senpet sahir Hekau, the leader of the secret Qabal, the Arbiter is the leader of the Qanon, the Jinns seeded in human bodies. They became the frontline warriors of the Celestial Alliance during their war against Kaleel.Traits bonuses : + 1 air, + 1 water, + 1 awareness.Protections : suffers no wound penalties.Abilities : Combat bonuses : bonus to TN to be hit, wounds, attacks rolls and initiative equal to highest ring.Skills : brawling 4, commerce 4, etiquette Burning Sands (courtesy) 5, courtier Burning Sands (manipulation) 4, investigation (notice) 4, sincerity (deceit) 5, lore : Jinns (Khaleel) 3.Advantages / disadvantages : leadership, strategist, voice, obligation (major, Qabal and Celestial Alliance).
Kai, jinn of hungry dreams : This medium mystical jinn is the sworn enemy of the Nightmare Devourer, as his job is to help the dreamers to have a restful night. This is not altruistic, for he feeds on the energies of their dreams in Yume-do to fuel his existence in the spirit realms and avoid as such being sent to the Black Earth like the rest of his kind. He will be helpful to people who summons him to put a stop to nightmares and sleepless curses, as long as they respect him.Traits bonuses : + 1 air, + 1 water, + 1 willpower.Protections : cannot be affected by spells.Abilities : Night (mist 2, dream 3, shadows 2), child of Yume-do and forge of dreams (like Baku, page 257 of enemies of the empire)Combat bonuses : bonus to TN to be hit equal to highest ring.Skills : brawling 4, commerce 4, spellcraft 3, lore : spirit realms (Yume-do) 7, meditation 3, investigation 3, divination 2Advantages / disadvantages : touch of the spirit realms (Yume-do), soul of artistry, silent
The Jinn of the Tempest : This minor hardy Jinn worked for a Senpet Sahir that found a way to get his hands on the Black Heart, the Immortal Caliph’s own heart removed through the ceremony of the Black Heart. The Jinn is a great protector of treasures, keeping enemies at bay and enduring attacks.Traits bonuses : + 1 air, + 1 earth, + 1 reflexes.Protections : reduction equal to twice his highest ring.Abilities : sand (Tornado 3).Combat bonuses : bonus to attack, damage rolls and extra wounds per wound rank equal to highest ring.Skills : brawling 4, commerce 4, investigation (notice) 3, athletics 3, battle (skirmish) 4, defense 4, hunting (tracking) 3, stealth (ambush) 4.Advantages / disadvantages : wary, strength of the earth, touch of the spirit realms (Toshigoku).
The Jinn servant :The Jinn servant is a major labor Jinn who found the way to permanently kill his brethren during the Day of Wrath. He used his knowledge against his kin for his summoners, but when the war ended, his brothers found and punished him. His name was removed and he was cursed to serve humans for all eternity. He was later contacted by Qolat, a survivor from Laramun, a city destroyed by Shilah during the Day of Wrath, and was offered a position as a Qolat master in the organization that was also known as the Servants of Laramun.Traits bonuses : + 1 air, +2 earth, + 1 water, + 1 perception.Protections : none.Abilities : black magic (life 3, death 2), blessings and curses (fortune 2).Combat bonuses : none.Skills : brawling 6, commerce 5, lore : Jinns (secret to kill a Jinn) 10, lore : Qolat 5, spellcraft 3, lore : history (Day of Wrath) 3, divination 3.Advantages / disadvantages : bad fortune (cursed to serve), obligation (major, Qolat), sworn enemies (all the Jinns), forbidden knowledge (Jinn), forbidden knowledge (Qolat), great destiny.
Nightmare devourer :The enemy of Kai, Jinn of hungry dreams, the medium mighty jinn known as the Nightmare devourer is a predator of Yume-do. Like his sworn foe, he lives in Yume-do to avoid the fate of his brethren to be cast out in the Black Earth, where he feed on the energies of people’s nightmares. He found pleasure in the thrill of hunting prey through the nightmares, using his powers to make them worse for them and more pleasurable for him. He also uses his knowledge of people’s dark secret to torment them or make them do his bidding. Traits bonuses : + 1 air, + 1 water, + 1 strength.Protections : suffer no wounds penalties, cannot be knocked down.Abilities : forge of nightmares and hypnotizing sleep (like Baku no oni, enemies of the empire page 257)Combat bonuses : bonus to attacks, damages and initiative rolls equal to highest ring.Skills : brawling 4, commerce 4, intimidation (bullying, torture) 7, stealth 5, lore : spirit realms (Yume-do) 2.
Advantages / disadvantages : touched by the realm (Yume-do), quick, blackmail (many).
Afshin, the Jinn of earthly pleasures :A minor labor jinn, Afshin has only one skill : summoning food and cooking it. But he is great at it, able to feed many people with whatever they wish. They just have to describe what they want, and he will make it. Powerful sahirs like to call upon him to make life comfortable.Traits bonuses : +3 awareness, + 2 intelligence.Protections : none.Abilities : specialized spellcasting (blessing of Inari, but can cook it up to be nearly anything, and path to inner peace and Jurojin’s balm, both casted automatically and at the same time on anyone eating his food. He cannot cast those spells otherwise).Combat bonuses : none.Skills : artisan : cooking (magical food) 7, etiquette Burning Sands (conversation) 3, sleight of hand (prestidigitation) 3, stealth 3, sincerity (honesty) 2.Advantages / disadvantages : prodigy (all his skills are considered school skills), soft-hearted, phobia (3 pts, violence).
Israk Ibn Kaleel :After his brother took the name of their father and became Kaleel, the champion of the Jinn, and wage war against their parents, Israk didn’t side with him. After the Day of Wrath, Israk scoured the spirit realms for his brother, and met the Khayel (the Lying Shadow). After making a pact with it, Israk became the first of the Shadow-Jinn. At the head of the Quest, he joined the Celestial Alliance, which was lead by his agent Lurza, and disappeared alongside the others members of the Alliance at the end of the Awakening. He is a major sly free Jinn.Traits bonuses : + 2 earth, + 1 air, + 1 willpowerProtections : suffers no wound penalties, reduction equal to highest ring.Abilities : shadow-jinn, Combat bonuses : creation (name 3), purity (ward 2), control (transformation 2).Skills : brawling 6, commerce 5, lore : Jinns (Kaleel) 5, lore : spirit realms (Black Earth) 3, lore : Lying Darkness (Shadow-jinn) 3, investigation (search) 3, defense 3, hunting (tracking) 3.Advantages / disadvantages : driven (find Kaleel), obligation (major, the Quest), forbidden knowledge (Lying Darkness), magic resistance (Sahir, 3 ranks), sage
Nim, the 999th Jinn : After the Day of Wrath and the creation of Harik’s ruby, only 999 jinns were still alive, and Nim was the 999th. A free medium sly jinn, he loved the cats of Medinaat al-Salaam and they loved him in return. He played with them a lot, and pretended if a Jinn died, one of them would too. After finding a reanimated talking head, a chain of events led to him joining the Celestial Alliance in their war in the heavens, during which he joined their final fate.Traits bonuses : + 2 air, + 1 perception.Protections : cannot be affected by spells.Abilities : control (influence 1, illusions 1, transformation 1), black magic (life 1), blessings and curses (blessing 1, fortune 1) and summoning (primal elements 1).Combat bonuses : bonus to TN to be hit, initiative and extra wounds to each wound rank equal to highest ring.Skills : brawling 4, commerce 4, animal handling (cats) 5, stealth (shadowing) 3, sleight of hand (escape) 3, investigation (notice) 3, defense 3, athletics 3, lore : Jinns 1.Advantages / disadvantages : way of the land (Medinaat al-Salaam), touch of the spirit realms (Chikushudo), small, silent.
Al Amaq, the jinn of Lost Hopes.Another member of the Qanon, this major labor Jinn joined the Celestial Alliance in their war against Kaleel and lost his life during their final battle alongside the others members of the Alliance. His name comes from his special power of taking the appearance and skills of someone which has been targeted by the summoner. Through some blood or some item of value to the target using in the summoning ritual, the Jinn become a copy of such target. The main goal of summoning Al Amaq is to kill the target, who lose all hope of victory since he is fighting a supernatural version of himself, with all his skills and abilities and not his flaws.Traits bonuses : see abilities.Protections : see abilities.Abilities : lost hope (when summoned, Al Amaq takes the appareance of a target designed by the sahir during the ritual. Use the Jinn creation rules to have him as close as possible to the stats of the copied target, knowing that he’ll not lower his base rings or skills to match. He may not have enough points to copy all the skills, and he can’t copy all advantages. For example, he can copy prodigy but not allies. But he will try to be as close as possible to those and when facing the target, will take its appearance and use the same weapon as it. Al Amaq can copy school techniques as abilities, and can skip some : for example, he could have Moto
bushi 1 and 3 and not 2. He can only copy one rank 4+ technique, and the trade is one ability = one technique).Combat bonuses : see abilities.Skills : see abilities.Advantages / disadvantages : see abilities.
Keeper of the Marble Flame :The mad black medium hardy jinn known as the Keeper of the Marble Flame has been trapped for centuries in the temple of the White Tiger by the enchanted gold chains the ancestor of the Ra’shari crafted. Since now the city of Pahatan is in ruins, he has turned mad because of the imprisonment and seeks revenge on any living being. He is known to have cursed people into giving birth to minor Rakshasa.Traits bonuses : + 2 earth, + 1 agility.Protections : reduction equal to highest ring, do not suffer wound penalties.Abilities : specialized spellcasting (dancing with demons, enemies of the empire page 29, but an improved version that can create the rakshasa curse or turn someone into an animal, and permanently)Combat bonuses : bonus to TN to be hit and extra wounds per wound rank equals to highest ring.Skills : brawling (tiger style) 4, commerce 4, lore : spirit realms (Jinn) 3, lore : Ivory Kingdoms (Ra’shari) 3, defense 3, battle 3, investigation 3, hunting 3, stealth (ambush) 4.Advantages / disadvantages : dark paragon (perfection), quick, heart of vengeance (Ra’shari), lord Moon’s curse.
Locations :
- Aqhaba : a wealthy commercial port that deals with the Senpet Empire, the Caliphate and the Yodotai, Aqhaba has seen people from far-away lands like the Thrane, the Merenae or allies of the Tortoise clan. It’s a neutral location because of his economical importance to many countries, something it has worked hard to preserve. Most of the
population is little different from caliphate, either in appearance or culture, except for the huge percentage of the population made of fishermen and sailors
- Fields of roiling grain : a really fertile area that the Nahr’umar river floods at least once a year, it’s the main food supply of the Jewel and the surrounding areas. The black soil left after each flood is cultivated, and the harvest feed the region. But some is left to lady Shilah and her children after harvesting, as thanks. Olive gardens, like Menhir’s famous grove, are cultivated on the southern part of those fields.
- Crimson stronghold of the Khadi : the secret citadel of a group of heartless sorcerers, that were Iuchiban learned their secrets and much later another Hantei came to learn them. Magically hidden and protected by wards and jinns, rare are those who heard of it. Hidden in the middle of the desert, magic provides to those who dwells here.
- The city of bronze : the formerly flying city of the Jinns, protected by Kaleel’s legion, is nothing but ruins crashed in the sands of the Great Void after the Awakening. Magical buildings, secrets and artifacts still lie there, but no-one has found it, yet. Legends says that there still a couple of Jinns of the Legion protecting it.
- The Hidden Mountain is a remote place in which hermits known as the Yogui studies mysterious arts through meditation and fasting. The Old Man of the Mountain, which founded and ruled the Assassins, learned their mysterious ways centuries ago. Their techniques evolved into the Assassin schools but also the Guru techniques of the Ivory Kingdoms.
- The city-states of J’li’lu are one of the first conquest of the Yodotai Empire. An advanced civilization with the beginning of a democracy, they were known for their masteries of sciences and art. Independent city-states, each with their own story and
culture, they united against the invaders but quickly recognized defeat. They were rapidly absorbed into the Yodotai empire due to the similarities between their cultures. It is said Mekhem learned the craft of road-building from them. Their advances in alchemy and architecture served the empire over the centuries.
- Pahatan : the ruins of the “Golden City” of the Ra’shari, who were forced to abandon it after the Day of Wrath. The Temple of the White Tiger still stands, dedicated to Vishnu’s aspect of the Preserver (when he blessed the earth with rain), protected by the mad Jinn known as the Keeper of the Marble Flame.
- White lands : the origins of this area is lost to time, and rare are those who saw it and survived. During the return of the Unicorn, the followers of Shinjo passed through it and lost many of their numbers to the odd things that lived there. Alabaster trees with tentacles branches capturing riders and monsters stealing memories were the main dangers of this area, but the Unicorn didn’t spend enough time in this place to notice that despite different shapes, they were the same entities. In truth, they were animals and plants transformed into Shadowspawns.
The White Lands is an area who is the Lying Shadow’s equivalent of the Shadowlands : some scholars among the Jinn have suggested the portal linking it to the Black Earth allowed the Nothing to corrupt both areas, but which felt first is an unanswered question. It’s a bleak area, a white desert like a salt lake with no water left. There is really little terrain of any sort, just a flat white sandy area with a few alabaster trees here and there. Magic here is twisted as the kami have been nearly all swallowed and undone by the Nothing (see 1st chapter) and those who stay too long, if they avoid the Shadowspawns, starting hearing voices and having nightmares (consider they have the cursed by the realm : Yume-do disadvantage) unless they accept the help of a loved one in their dreams, which is only a manifestation of the Shadow. They offer help for memories at first, even if the character doesn’t know he is losing them, and shortly
after they start earning shadow points (see Enemies of the Empire page 138).
- The doomed city of Laramun : once one of the biggest cities of the region that will become the Burning Sands, it was entirely destroyed during the Day of Wrath. Contrary to all others locations listed here, it is in the Empty Plains, the northern
limits of the Ivory Kingdoms, but its importance in the history of the Burning Sands put it in this section. In 152 Iuchi found there books that led to the creation of Meishodo. A brotherhood of Khadi took it over and rebuilds it using slave’s labor after that, and when the Otaku found it again in 298 they were forced into slavery by the Heartless sorcerers. Otaku Kunami allied herself with the talking horses, led by Vata,
held too prisoners, and freed everyone. Tales says that later the city felt to a civil war, but when the Ashalan explorer Hojyn found it, he discovered that all the inhabitants had all been wiped out by some sort of powerful magic. It is known that the Qadi used this place as a stage point for their operations but never actually occupied the city itself, just the outskirts, and so weren’t affected by the curse despite pillaging it.
- Ten miles canyon : here, Wajahd the wise stopped with the staff of Sumarkhan and one hundred soldiers an invading army from the Ivory Kingdoms of one thousands soldiers, summoning jinn after jinn to support his forces. This canyon serves as the main trading road between the Burning Sands and the Ivory Kingdoms.
- Stairs of Samarrat : one of the few buildings which survived the Day of Wrath, they were built by ambitious men wanting to see the sun for themselves. This huge hollow tower with external stairs survived through magic and fate, but now rare are those courageous or foolish enough to climb it. It is said that climbing the hundred thousand stairs is an experience that changes a man. From here you can see for hundreds of miles around, including the Jewel on clear days.
- The Great Eye of the Desert : the Senpet capitol city has a sight on every great pyramid ever built to honor its pharaohs. The town increased its size from its founding to their conquest by the Yodotai without pause, but the sands had started to cover some of its majestic buildings before the Awakening, forcing the Pharaoh Hensatti to call for help from the Jewel of the Desert to advert the terrible prophecy who announced its end. Sadly, siding with the mad Immortal Caliph left the Senpet without resources and many enemies. Once conquered by the Yodotai, the sands found much less resistance and the glorious buildings of the Pharaoh are slowly swallowed.
- City of the dead : a huge Senpet funeral city built to bury the first Pharaoh. Huge mausoleums and temples pave the roads to the pyramids themselves. Once the secret repository of the Book of the Dead, many of those tombs have been pillaged over the year. But for one successful looter, a dozen joined the immortals undead guardians of the City itself. Still, that never stopped the greedy from trying to get rich.
- Jandaq caverns : for decades, slaves were used by the Senpet to mine the minerals from those caverns, mostly copper to create the bronze of their weapons. The Hanif were quite numerous in those slave camps, which led to the Yodotai invasion of the Senpet empire, and those caverns were one of their first target. The taskmaster attempted to use the slaves as cannon fodder, which only infuriated more the Yodotai.
- The River Valley : just south of the Fields of the Rolling Grain, this valley is known for its production of fresh fishes and some fruits, making it an important food source, especially for the wealthy who want something different. Under the supervision of the regent In’am, the commercial crossroad as bloomed into an important commercial hub as a road used by the Ivory Caravans started to pass through it.
The Jewel :
Medinaat al-Salaam, which means in mekham the city of peace, is also known Kala Jahir, the city of a thousand stories or Aliquet-Ra the jewel of the desert. A sprawling capitol, she has outgrown her walls more than once and is divided in quarters, but the lifeblood and center of the city is still the Nahr’umar river. The commerce of water is the most important of the city, with wells spread all over the town and water-bearers transporting to those who can pay. But the town thrives on commerce of all kind and markets of all sort covers a good part of it.
- The quarter of the portals of delight and fancy is one of the entertainment districts of the town. Most of the establishments here are considered den of iniquities, like Abdul-Rafi’s inn or Ghassan’s gambling house. The houses of Dahab control most of the activities here, but the Assassins have, to no-one’s surprise, agents and contracts there too. The festival grounds, the more honorable entertainment area, spread through most of the inner quarters from the Casbah to here and border the portals of delight and fancy, making it easy for people to go from the nicer areas to the darkest.
- The merchant quarter is the commercial district of the city, as the name says, and is the beating heart of the Jewel. The common name of all the commercial areas of it is the bazaar and it is said that anything your heart’s desire can be found here, for a price. Caravans of spices and copper from the Senpet lands meet here with caravans of food and river fishes from the south. Gold and silver is traded here alongside stories (Ra’shari and Caliphatee storytellers are quite famous) and sweet water (water from secret wells, which taste better than the water from the river), and about every public entertainment and legal goods. The Thoroughfare is the most important commerce
area of the merchant quarter, and the houses of Dahab are in charge of it, they used their influence to kick the Ra’Shari out of this place (they settled in Peddler’s row). The presence of items from outside of the Burning Sands is left to the houses, which enforces as they say fit the desires of the Sultan and the Caliph (always officially maintaining the orders of the Sultan, but with the help of the Immortal Caliph, unofficially it wasn’t always the same). The Hoshi trading house, built under Hoshi Wayan, is in this quarter, serving as a teaching place where the Dragon samurai try to teach the Tao to the locals and studying, as they learn about Mekhem’s teachings (Shinsei’s name for the Caliphatee). When the Ivory Kingdoms caravans are welcomed in the city, one part of the quarter is known as the Ivory Market for that is where the Ivinda come to sells their fares. The merchant quarter has some small ports as it builds alongside the river, but most of the ports are in the river quarter.
- The maze is the poorest quarter of town, located north of the residential quarter and east of the Casbah. It has many streets and is really cramped, hence it’s name. Peddler’s row, where the Ra’Shari merchants create temporary stands to sells their goods, is the most famous part of it and the closest to the residential quarter. The thieves quarter is the nickname of the most dangerous part of it, where the haraam, the forbidden (the local equivalent of the eta) are also the most numerous. Despite the overall wealth of the city, and public services working on ensuring everyone within its walls are fed, plagues and malnourishments are common among those who dwells here. The pious often goes to give help to the destitute, but sometimes the quarter has been blocked by the authorities (to no avail, tunnels and others secret passageways exist) to prevent riots and maladies to spread.
- Located north-east of the center of the town, the Royal Quarter is named from the royal palace of the Sultan, the palace of Wonders, the center of power of the city. Its host the famous halls of reflection, a gallery of expensive mirrors, the residence of the Caliph and the sultan, the administrative center of the city and the residence of the houses of Dahab, the harems protected by eunuchs or the fabled 9 rooms of golden wonders, forbidden to anyone but the Sultan’s immediate family and protected by an Ebonite, the guardian of the 7 keys. Heavily protected by the Askaree, the courts rule from here the entire city and most of the neighboring lands. It’s from the wide open area in front of it, near Lady Sun’s temple, that the Sultan spare one criminal on the third day of the 7 days festival of fasting, that celebrate the sparring of humanity by Shilah. Close to it was the great Library, one the numerous libraries of the city, but
this one was open to all students of sciences and arts for most of its existence (until the immortal Caliph closed the doors to prevent Sahirs to learn magic). The name great library was due to its huge size compared to the private libraries of the houses.
- The temple quarter is dominated by the grand mosque of the house of the Heavens, devoted to the all the gods recognized by the sultanate, but most of its surface is devoted to Shilah, the all-merciful lady Sun, where the rhumans (priests) beg for her continued mercy. Smaller mosques are spread throughout the city, the name temple quarter only referring to the houses and shops near the house of the Heavens (some selling religious related items). The razed library of the Qabal, destroyed by the Caliph’s khadi, is under reconstruction in this quarter, near the famed Duqaq’s school of astronomy. At least one prison well, in which people found guilty by the Khadi were trapped for everyone to insults and harass, is still present in this quarter.
- The Khesir quarter, known as the Last Stop by those who lived there, is north of the Maze and is the oldest and poorest part of town. It is surrounded by a wall to protect the rest of the city from the filth of the criminals who lives here and want to hide. On the northern exit of this quarter were the ancient pillars of Qaharaba, a place of trading protected by magical pillars. Those were created by the Jinns before the Day of Wrath, when Qaharaba was a trading town for the children of the Smokeless fire and the ancient races. Their ancient magic still prevents much hostility between those who come to trade here (everyone wanting to attack someone suffers the effects of your heart’s enemy, corebook page 171). Redemption court, on the opposite side of the quarter, is a place where those who wanted to join the faceless hidden here could show their guilt and be “judged” by the renegades living in the Last Stop. Only those wanting a new life or an early end would come through this place. Without surprise, much of the immense sewer system of the town ends here, allowing secret organizations like the Jackals to enter in and out of the sewers discreetly.
- The barracks of the Janissary, the Sultan’s troops, and their elite archer unit, the Nessid (“the forgotten”) are near the Senpet (and later Yodotai) garrison, the biggest of the embassy of the Jewel, located west of the Palace and south of the Merchant Houses’ luxurious estates. This make this quarter the military quarter of the town, but not the safest : corruption and racket were common under the Immortal Caliph’s rule.
- The residential quarter is the northest quarter of the city, where the lower and middle classes lives. Kyuden Rojin, a place owned by the Unicorn group known as the Wanderers, is one of the residential houses here. This group forms talented scouts and explorers who have been to the unexplored reaches of Rokugan, the Colonies and the Burning Sands. Originally funded by Moto Chagatai to find resources for the Unicorn, they became important (while still not well-known) to their clan when they found the Ki-rin’s path connecting Rokugan to the Colonies by the land. But the most famous is the House of Enour, known for its white palm tree that grows on the tomb of the first ebonite, Al-Ameer, who was buried under it.
- The river quarter : east of the merchant quarter, the river quarter is where most (and the biggest) of the ports of the town are located, and where most storage facilities are. As many riches are stored here, it is one of the most patrolled area of town and one of the safest one, much more than the military quarter. It doesn’t protect the buildings from the flooding that happens once every ten years, as the river rebels against the sun’s madness as the poets says. At the limit of the merchant quarter is Jenna’s shop of wonders, the only magic shop officially still open. While a supporter of the Qabal, the Khadi have never proved it and uses her talents to locate magical artifacts and lost lore too, so for now they let her be. The only thief who attempted to steal from her is trapped in a crystal ball in view of everyone. The famous Qasbah, an inn that is the most common first stop of travelers and visitors to the city, is known to denies no-one in its walls (even if sometimes, this policy was nearly changed).
- Sentinel Point, the Ebonite area, is a fortified structure and training area near the western limit of the city. It surrounded the temple of the Black Stone, which suffered a lot during the Awakening. The building itself is adjacent to the Prophet’s wall, that surrounds the city, which the legend says the prophet rebuilt entirely by himself with only one word. After the Awakening, the Ebonite used it as a police station of sort.
The Black Earth :
The Black Earth is a strange spirit realm, a world between worlds, the space between the other Spirit Realms. It is possible Maigo no Musha actually took over some of it to create itself. Is it a bleak unforgiving land, a desert of blackened earth like scorched by the sun for millennia, so inhospitable that it is also known as the Blighted Realm. Contrary to the White Lands, who had been reduced to a flat landscape, the Black Earth does have buildings, hills and mountains. The Black Earth looks like the lands of the Burning Sands before the Day of Wrath, but ruined by centuries of unforgiving drought and abandonment. That is what the world could have been if the Nothing had been able to become powerful enough to destroy nearly everything, leaving a shell maintained by the few spared kami.
The Black Earth doesn’t seem to have any purpose in the overall cosmology, but some suggest it may have been a Spirit Realm linked to the Jinn and the world before the Day of Wrath. The citadel of Kaleel’s legion was stranded there for centuries, alongside the Kami Shinjo after she was kidnapped by the Nothing. The Awakening opened a door to this realm, freeing the Kami but also the jinns of the legion. But even after this event, this realm was from the Day of Wrath to now just a place for the Lying Shadow to survive, to evolve, to study the world. Some scholars have theorized that it may be here that the entity survived the naming by Hitomi at the end of the War against the Shadow.
The realm has little denizens : shadow-jinns, some Jinns and shadowspawns have been spotted roaming those wilderness, but they are really little for a huge area. It is rumored the Naar Teban have been crossing over to this realm to use it as a base of operation, but it would mean their Jakla have found a spell to reach it, something the Khayel (the Nothing) has never been able to, nor the Jinn themselves.
Control in this realm is the corruption of the Lying Darkness, but do not affect people fast. It only starts after the feeling of helplessness and desperation starts sinking in. Then, it starts
affecting them like in the White Lands, but items with an important sentimental value do protect. Consider them like fingers of jade, and as they protect you, the memories that correspond to them fade and the items seems to dull and weaken. Both things will stop and reverse (naturally for memories, through an easy fix for items) once they leave the realm, with the exception of any Shadow points.
The realm has little relationship to others realms, if any at all. It seems it’s through here that the invading armies of Yodotai spectral legionnaires invaded Maigo No Musha, giving credence to the fact the realm took over some of the Black earth, and the gate of Meido, held by Ryoshun, seems to have one time linked to here, but there is no definitive proof. There is a portal in the White Lands, that is rumored to be in the last building standing in this area, and a portal beneath Medinah Al-Salaam protected by the Ashalans. The portal known as the Oasis of Spirits, where Shinjo disappeared and met her children’s father, may have opened to the Black Earth, but likely opened on Chikushudo. It is an oasis that constantly changes of location among the Burning Sands.
Mechanical effects of the Black Earth : outside of the corruption, consider it like the White Lands for spellcasting. The constant troubling effect of the Nothing makes memories difficult to access, so characters need to take a raise with no effect on lore rolls or fail automatically.
The 47 sayings of Mekhem (the order is not official, it’s just to number them) :
1) Never hesitate. All animals fight to the death when cornered … even the human ones.2) Women are charmed by bold, audacious men. Lady Luck is no different.3) When all you have is a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail.4) When you cannot seduce your enemy, seduce the ones he loves.5) Fear and respect are the same. Lady Sun provides to those who understand this truth.6) Always face the weak while standing beside the strong. The former will either fall or
improve, and the latter will either remember your loyalty or be vulnerable to your sword.
7) The majesty of nature is not meant to be imprisoned. The longer it remains docile, the more ferocious it will be when released.
8) Trust not the slumbering giant.9) If you have wounded your enemy but he has not wounded you, you have done enough.
Let him bleed and he will die.10) One copper to a man who has thirty is just another copper. But to a man who has noth-
ing, it is all the world.11) Rich men, powerful men, crafty men, wise men, witty men, handsome men and cun-
ning men. Without water, they are all dead people.12) A man who cannot watch and wait sees beauty in nothing …13) Those who voluntary put themselves under the heel of a tyrant get exactly what they
deserves.14) If you can’t sabotage your enemy’s plans, sabotage his men.15) When stranded on an island in a sea of adversaries, put your most trusted friends upon
the shore.16) A hero has the wisdom to awaken the courage that sleeps in the heart of the common
man.17) Vengeance is the purity of purpose without remorse.18) Whenever there is light, there must be Shadow.
