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 Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 9:17 am
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Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 9:34 am
TYPES OF ROLLS Skill RollsA skill roll happens whenever you are asked to roll a combination of a skill and trait. For instance, a Perception/Investigation, an Awareness/Courtier, an Agility/Kenjutsu, or a Void/Meditation. If an emphasis applies, it will be listed as follows: Agility/Kenjutsu (Katana). If an emphasis applies to your roll, you add the skill rank to the result of your roll. If you have Agility 3 and Kenjutsu 2, you roll 5k3+2. If you are unsure if an emphasis applies, ask. If I don't call for one and you still think it applies, state it as part of your roll and add it anyways. I'll state if it doesn't apply in my next post, and simply subtract from your roll accordingly to figure things out. Unless you're using the WRONG emphasis, though, it'll probably fly. If I ever ask for a skill roll, and you have no ranks in that skill, it is an 'untrained skill roll'. Roll your trait as normal, and your dice do not explode. Raw Trait RollsThese are called less often than skill rolls, and apply generally only when no skills apply. Lifting a boulder is a Raw Strength Roll. Grabbing something quickly from a table before someone else is Raw Reflexes. To get a feel for someone's mood would be Raw Awareness. A Raw Trait Roll can always be rolled in place of an untrained skill roll (Raw Agility of 3k3 is the same as untrained Agility/Spears of 3k3, after all). The difference, though, is that the dice of a Raw Trait roll DO explode. The flipside of this is that the TN is always considered 10 higher if you roll a Raw Trait instead (so that TN 10 unskilled 2k2 roll might not be worth doing as a Raw Trait roll). You are always free to attempt Raw Trait rolls instead of Untrained (or even Trained) skill rolls, but you must state it before you submit your post. Raw Ring RollsEven rarer than Raw Trait Rolls, Raw Ring Rolls will sometimes be called. USUALLY as a result of something magical or supernatural, but not always. The situations will be so rare though that they will have their own set TNs, rather than something modified like a Raw Trait Roll. You only roll Raw Ring Rolls in response to something that specifically calls for it. Contested RollsWhen you roll to compete against another person or persons in an effort to outperform them, this would be a Contested Roll. In this case, whomever rolls the highest wins. If there's ever a tie whereas an in-game tie result is unfeasible, it is resolved by both players rolling off against each other (though it does not effect their standing between any other competitors). While rolling a contested roll, you might ALSO still be rolling against a TN. If three samurai are all rolling Awareness/Storytelling (Poetry) to impress a beautiful woman, they might get a 7, 8, and 11. The 11 did better than the 7 and 8, but if the TN to impress her at all was 20, no one technically wins. Cooperative Skill RollsA cooperative skill roll is made by a group when engaging in a task with danger of failure. Examples of this is Athletics (Climb) skills to climb a mountain, or Stealth (Sneaking) to avoid detection from a mob of ogres. When making rolls towards something as a group, one individual must be designated the leader. The leader makes a single Skill Roll for the entire group, and uses the average of the Traits and Skill Ranks (all rounded down) of the participants instead of his/her own. If the average Skill Rank is 0, or if half or more of the characters are unskilled, this roll is treated as though it was unskilled. For the purpose of this roll, a Void Point may be spent by any individual to count as skilled (having 1 rank) before calculating the average. Cumulative Skill RollsWhen working as a group to solve or complete a task, the efforts of each individual might help score an overall better skill result. This is different than a cooperate skill roll, which tends to have greater risk for failure; a cumulative skill roll can only enhance success. When the group engages in a cumulative skill roll, you must designate a leader. The leader declares how many raises they intend to make, and that sets the TN. Everyone else must roll vs that TN-5, and each success gains the leader a Free Raise on their roll. Each failure contributes nothing. The leader then makes their roll, with as many free raises as the group has earned. Even if everyone else succeeded, if the leader fails his/her roll, the whole thing is considered a failure. Likewise, if the leader is the only one to succeed, then the whole thing is considered a success. Characters participating in a cumulative skill roll may have underlings help them on their own roll. So, a junior magistrate with some yoriki handy may roll to help him succeed on his roll to help the Clan Magistrate which he serves. Alternatively, a group of weaker warriors may aid each other when facing a powerful one. Several ashigaru can make a cumulative attack skill roll to try and take down a single lone mounted samurai.
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Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 10:41 am
RAISES What is a Raise?A Raise is something you make to gain a more solid success. Meeting the TN of a roll is a minimal success. Beating the TN of a roll is a minimal success. Rolling 100 over the TN of a roll is a minimal success. If you ever want more than a minimal result, you'll want to make raises. However, Raises don't come easy. Each Raise increases the Target Number of your roll by 5. So it's a safer gamble when you know the TN, but you won't always (especially if it turns out to be a contested roll; each raise effectively subtracts 5 to your roll). When you call a Raise, you should generally state what it's for, unless it said what you'd be raising for before your roll (such as hitting a bullseye with kyujutsu). Here is some examples of what a raise can get you, in different situations: Courtier - Make a better first impression. Make your argument more persuasive. Help put a rival on the spot. Insinuate someone else specifically as the source of gossip. Investigation - Find an additional clue. Learn a piece of useful information unrelated to the investigation. Find information subtly/unnoticed. Find information quickly. Lore: History - Know about the specific skirmishes of a famous battle. Know the names of several key but lesser known samurai involved in an event. Know some trivial additional information about that era. Recalling how current events might be similar to historical ones. Meditation - Commune with an ancestor while meditating. Be keenly aware of your surroundings during meditation. To meditate during otherwise chaotic surroundings. To 'rest' yourself if you plan on staying up later without sleep. Certain situations, advantages, skill mastery abilities, or school abilities can grant you Free Raises. A Free Raise can be used in one of two ways: To gain the benefit of a normal raise WITHOUT increasing the TN, or to add +5 to your roll. The maximum number of raises you can make is limited to either your Void Ring, or your Skill Rank, whichever is higher. Free Raises do not count against this maximum. You may not raise on an unskilled roll. To be able to do so, requires you to spend a Void Point to gain a rank in the skill for one roll (see Void Points).
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Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 2:26 pm
VOID POINTS Access to VoidWhat is Void? It is man's connection to the world, to the universe, to the spiritual realms, and to the limitless potential of humanity. Every day, you have a number of void points equal to your Void Ring, which may be used to give yourself a winning edge in an engagement or challenge. Uses of VoidYou may spend a single void point to enhance a single roll. You must declare the use of Void prior to the roll, and unless any ability allows you to do so otherwise, you can never spend more than one void. Here are possible options for you: Enhancement: +1k1 to any roll except damage.
Enhancement: Gain a Free Raise (which may not be used to lower the TN/add +5 to your roll)
Enhancement: Gain one Rank in a Skill for one roll
Encouragement: Spend 2 void points to give a comrade 1 void point to enhance his/her next roll (which does not count as their own void point expenditure for enhancement). An individual may not receive more void points in this manner than their own Void Ring. Iaijutsu duelists may not benefit from Encouragement, due to their level of focus.
Final Strike: If you are reduced to Down or Out wound levels, you may spend 3 void points to perform a single action before you fall. You suffer an ADDITIONAL +30 TN penalty for this action. If you are actually killed, you must spend 5 void points instead.
Gain an Action: You may spend 2 void points to gain an additional action this turn, which may not be used to attack.
Persistence: You may spend 1 void point at the start of an action/skill roll to ignore all wound penalties during that roll, except those from Final Strike.
Speed: You may spend 2 void points before rolling initiative to gain +1k1 to the roll.
Switch Initiative: Immediately after rolling initiative, you may spend a void point to exchange your initiative result with any other willing comrade who also spends a void point to do so.
Take Downed Action: If you are reduced to the Down wound level, you must spend a void point to take any action at all, in addition to the wound penalty normally suffered to your roll.
TN Increase: You may spend a void point to increase your TN to be Hit by +10 until your next action.
Wound Reduction: You may spend a Void Point to reduce the number of wounds you take from a single attack by 10. This negate the Wounds before they affect you, so it may save you from death. This may be done once per round. Recovery of VoidThere are several ways to regain Void Points. First and foremost, a full night's sleep will restore ALL void points. Second, use of the Meditation or Tea Ceremony skills will allow you to spend a Rokugani hour to regain void points. Note that there are only 12 Rokugani hours in a day. Finally, if you have three or more dice explode on a single roll, you regain a void point from your burst of inspiration. You may not regain more void points in this fashion than your Void Ring. If you go over a day without food, water, or restful sleep, then you cannot recover Void Points.
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Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 3:40 pm
COMBAT BASICS The Combat RoundThere are 6 steps to every combat round. Once combat begins, steps 4 and 5 will often cycle and repeat, whereas all the earlier steps are resolved then and there. Step 0: Roll for SurpriseOn occasion, one side of a battle might try to get the upper hand on the other side without them knowing it. One character or side may try to roll Agility/Stealth (Ambush) if they are hiding, or Awareness/Deceit (Lying) if they are concealing their intentions. Everyone else present rolls Perception/Investigation (Notice) or Perception/Battle (Skirmish) vs the TN set by the aggressor's roll. Those that fail suffer a -20 penalty to their initiative roll (down to a minimum of 0). Step 1: Roll InitiativeEveryone rolls Reflexes/Insight Rank for initiative. Their roll will determine initiative throughout the entire skirmish. Characters that join later and are caught off guard by the battle roll vs the Surprise Roll TN as normal before rolling initiative. Step 2: Initiative ChangesSome school abilities, advantages, or void point expenditures might effect one's initiative result. Everyone gains one initiative-changing effect for combat. Starting with the highest initiative order, anyone who can make an initiative-changing effect must either do so, or pass. If everyone passes, then combat proceeds to Step 3. If someone has made their initiative-changing effect, then it proceeds down the cycle again (skipping those who have made the effect). Step 3: Full Defense MasteryAnyone who has Defense 3 or higher, or a relevant school or advantage ability, may make an Agility/Defense roll to go into a Full Defense stance for the first round of combat, before combat begins. This is a player's Stance declaration for the first turn of combat, even though their initiative hasn't happened yet. If there was a Surprise roll, the individual must have either made or detected the ambush to benefit from this step. Characters with reason to be wary and believe they might about to be in combat may start in Full Defense as well, if they have sufficient grounds. Step 4: TurnsStarting with the highest initiative, a character must start their turn declaring their Posture or Stance (unless they are already in Full Defense). After that, they activate any Kata he/she has prepared. Once this is done, they may take their actions. For the most part, you will only get one action to take during your turn (this will be covered later). Once your turn is over, the next person in initiative order goes. You may choose to delay, and this will not effect your initiative. If you delay, you must wait for another character's turn/action to be resolved before taking your action (so no interruptions occur). The exception to this is if you win a contested Perception/Battle (Skirmish or Specific Enemy), in which case, you can act after an opponent declares a stance/activates a kata, but before they take an action. If more than one character delays, the one with the highest normal initiative gets the right to take their action first. If you get more than one action (through void points or some other effect), you must take all your actions at once, and cannot delay some until later. Once everyone has taken their actions normally, the delaying characters get one last chance to take their delayed actions before the current combat round ends. Step 5: Tides of BattleOnce a full round is complete and everyone has taken their turn or passed, any participants who have not suffered any wounds since their last turn get to make a Tides of Battle roll. Roll one die (which does not explode) and either add it to your own initiative, or subtract it from the initiative of any enemy against whom you have successfully attacked with a roll and/or dealt damage. Any techniques or abilities that inflicts damage upon the user (such as maho) does not count against them for this purpose. At this point, new participants in skirmish join normally, starting at Step 0 or 1. Once any newcomers are resolved, everyone gets their next set of Turns, as per Step 4.
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Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 6:46 pm
COMBAT POSTURES & ACTIONS Combat PosturesThere are four possible stances or postures which one can take in battle, though one only applies to duels. For the most part, unless declared otherwise, it is assumed that any individual will be in the Attack Stance. Attack Stance - The normal, default combat posture. You can move and attack normally. Certain skills, techniques, and abilities might negate this. Full Attack Stance - Where you throw caution to the wind for an all-out attack. You gain 2 Free Raises on melee attacks until your turn in the next round. These Free Raises must be spent to add +5 to your roll or to increase damage. However, any enemy who attacks you before your next turn gains 3 Free Raises, which they can use in any manner they like. Full Defense Stance - Where you hunker down and attempt to tough it out, dedicating your full attention to protecting yourself. Make an Agility/Defense roll each turn you declare this stance, and use that result in place of your Reflexes x 5 for your TN to be Hit (this roll may explode even if untrained). This bonus may only be used against a number of opponents each round equal to your Insight Rank. You may allocate these opponents as you are attacked, but you cannot allocate them against opponents of which you are unaware. Dueling Stance - Since this stance involves so much focus, your TN to be hit from attacks (not Focus rolls) is 5 + Armor. Bonuses to your TN to be Hit from any source does not apply, unless the bonuses specifically mentions that it can be used in a duel. In most formal iaijutsu duels, the duelists tend to remove even their armor. Actions during CombatFor the most part, you get only one action in combat, with some exceptions. Not every action is available to you, depending on your stance. A will indicate if it can be used with the Attack Stance, FA will indicate if it can be used with the Full Attack Stance, and FD will indicate if it can be used with the Full Defense Stance. Focus A FD - You may spend a round focusing on a specific opponent, preparing yourself for a perfect strike later. Your opponent must be in range of your attack when you begin, and if either you or your opponent move before the attack, the benefits of Focusing are lost. For every round you Focus, you gain a Free Raise that may be used only to increase damage. You may Focus for a maximum number of rounds equal to your Void Ring. You may Focus on either melee or ranged attacks. Melee Attack A FA - You make a single melee attack. In Attack Stance, you may move up to half your normal movement either before or after the attack, but not both. You may instead move your full movement by declaring a raise for this purpose on the attack roll. You do not need to make this raise in the Full Attack Stance. Having more than one weapon does not automatically entitle you to an additional attack. Miscellaneous Complex Action A - A complex action is any action that requires a Skill Roll to perform or that takes some amount of care and precision. Issuing orders via a war fan with the battle fan, or picking up and storing a fragile glass object, are respective examples of this. You can perform one complex action per round. If you are forced into making a Skill Roll, trained or untrained, this counts as your action for the round and thus your action is wasted. You may move half your speed and perform a complex action, but you must Raise on the skill roll to accomplish this (and thusly, you cannot move and make untrained skill rolls without spending a void point to be allowed to raise). Miscellaneous Simple Action A FA FD - Simple actions are what they sound like: ones with no risk and require no skill roll. Drawing or sheathing a weapon, falling to the ground, loading a ranged weapon, moving half your movement, taking out or putting away a spell scroll, tossing an item to a nearby comrade, and opening a door are all examples of this. You may perform ONE simple action per round for free. Performing a second simple action counts as a complex action. Only one simple action can be used for movement in a round. With GM approval, you might be able to pull off more simple actions in a round, as long as it can be reasonably done within 6 seconds. Move A FA - You can move up to your Water x 10' in a single round. Actions that allow you to move count against your total maximum movement for your turn. If you are in the Full Defense Stance, you cannot make such rapid movement, though you can move half this distance as a simple action. Ranged Attack A - You may attack once per round with a ranged weapon. You cannot make a ranged attack while in the Full Attack stance, due to the precision required. Loading a bow while performing this action does not use a Simple Action. Ride a Horse A - You may move the horse's speed in place of your own. Without proper training with Horsemanship, however, you cannot use any Postures except for the Attack Stance. A rider without any ranks of Horsemanship cannot even fight on horseback (as making the unskilled rolls to remain in the saddle would be a complex action). Run A - You may move up to 3x your normal movement. You cannot perform this action if you have performed any other actions this turn, and may not perform any other actions after this one during this turn. Speak A FA FD - You can always speak during any action without penalty, assuming that you can be heard and speaking does not interfere with whatever you are doing (such as sneaking up on an opponent or casting a spell). Stand Up A FA FD - If you are knocked to the ground, rising to your feet again takes your action for the round. You may stand up and still perform one Attack Action if you make 2 raises on the attack. You may not move during that Attack Action.
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Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 6:47 pm
COMBAT MANEUVERS Raises in CombatThere are certain Maneuvers which you can attempt in combat. Like normal raises, these are limited to your Skill Rank/Void Ring as normal. Disarm (3 Raises) Make an attack roll to hit as normal. If you hit your opponent, make a contested roll of your Trait/Skill vs their Strength/Weapon Skill, or Strength/jiujutsu if not wielding a weapon. If you win, your opponent has dropped the object in question. This may not be done with a Ranged Attack. Called Shot (1-4 Raises) Make an attack roll to hit as normal. Hits do not deal any additional damage, but might have additional effects. Hitting someone in an arm might double wound penalties to attack with a two-handed weapon. Hitting someone in the face might enrage them. The targets are as follows: 1 = Torso; 2 = Arm or Leg; 3 = Hand, Foot, or Head; 4 = Fine detail (eye, finger, clasp, etc). Extra Attack (4 Raises) Make a standard attack roll verses your opponent's normal TN to be hit. If it hits, then you can make an additional attack with the 4 raises. If the second attack is successful, you deal damage for both attacks. If the second attack misses, both attacks miss. Both attacks must be made against the same target, unless you are wielding two weapons. You can only make this maneuver 1/round. Feint (1 Raise) Make an attack that deals no damage. If you hit, you gain 2 free raises on your next attack roll against the same opponent, as long as that attack is not another Feint and is made before the end of the turn following the one you made your Feint in. Guard (1+ Raises) If you are standing next to an ally, you can attempt to guard that ally against a specific enemy. When attacking that enemy, you increase your ally's TN to be hit by +5 against that enemy per raise called. If you attack more than once, the attack with the greatest number of raises applies to this effect (though you can use multiple attacks to target multiple enemies for this effect). You can always make an attack roll against them and opt to roll no damage for this benefit (though this counts as an action as if you had attacked). You can also opt to take a defensive stance (read: Attack Stance without taking any action, NOT Full Defense Stance) and declare that your ally is under your protection against a specific target; thus making you the target's focus instead.Increased Damage (1+ Raises) Make an attack roll as normal. You gain a benefit to your ensuing damage roll in the following pattern, determined by how many raises you called: +1k0, +1k1, +2k1, +2k2, +3k2, etc. This is effectively a called shot for damage. Knockdown (3+ Raises) Make an attack roll as normal. If you hit, make a contested Strength + Insight Rank roll vs your opponent's Earth + Insight Rank. If you win, your opponent is knocked Prone and THEN damage is applied. Each raise beyond the 3 required gives you a free raise on this contested roll. If you are fighting unarmed, you instead Throw your target a number of feet equal to 2x your Jiujutsu Skill, in addition to the other effects. Takedown (3+ Raises) This works exactly like a knockdown, except you ignore your target's armor bonus to their TN to be hit, and deal no damage. Grapple (0+ Raises) This attack ignores your target's armor bonus to their TN to be hit, and deals no damage. If you hit, you start a grapple with your opponent. Each raise on this maneuver grants you an additional die on the initial Contested Roll. If you are unarmed, your opponent's TN to be Hit is increased by the Weapon Skill of any weapon they are holding. GrapplingUpon hitting with a Grapple maneuver, make a contested Strength/Jiujutsu (Grappling) roll to gain control of the grapple. Each turn, as an Attack Action, the character in control of the Grapple may automatically inflict their normal unarmed damage, plus a free raise for being in control; hold the target still; or terminate the Grapple. In situations with multiple grapplers, cumulative skill rolls apply. Characters in a grapple but not in control cannot perform actions. A new Contested Strength/Jiujutsu (Grappling) roll is made after each of the controlling character's actions each round. If you were in control at the start of the turn, you gain a free raise on this roll. Characters wielding weapons may use Strength/Weapon Skill (Type) instead of Jiujutsu when making control checks. They also deal weapon damage instead of strength damage when in control of the grapple.
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Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 7:14 pm
HONOR What is honor? Honor is the measure of one's ability to uphold Bushido, the tenets that will lead one to an honorable and ultimately, enlightened existence. Honor is measured by Rank. Characters can range from Rank 0 to Rank 5, with an exact honor of 0.0 - 5.9. In short, they can be summarized as follows: Honor Rank 0: "Honorless Dog" Honor Rank 1: "Untrustworthy" Honor Rank 2: "What Is Expected" Honor Rank 3: "Exceptional" Honor Rank 4: "A Soul Above Question" Honor Rank 5: "Strength Of A Thousand Ancestors" The higher one's honor, the better perceived they will be by the samurai caste. However, trying to maintain such strict standards for your own conduct can prove trying. It is harder to gain honor and easier to lose honor with a higher rank, because you are already perceived positively and have little to gain with an untarnished reputation. Likewise, characters with low honor ranks find it difficult to lose honor, but their honor gains are substantial. Since they are already perceived so poorly, it's not surprising when they act accordingly; however, it is impressive when such an individual rises above their nature and truly act honorably, and will always leave a positive impression upon others. Ultimately, honor is measured most accurately by how one carries themselves. No one can really convince another samurai how honorable you are - only YOU can do that! Determining HonorWhen you meet someone, first impressions are important. To get a good gauge of another's honor, you can make an Awareness/Lore: Bushido vs TN 30 to determine their Honor Rank*. *House rule, based on 4th editionUses of HonorThere are some abilities that key off of honor, and those will not be covered here. There are a few options that are available to everyone, though. The Honor Roll is an option available to high honor characters. Once per session/chapter, when you fail at any roll, you may use your Honor Roll to reroll the failed roll, using your Honor Rank in place of a Skill, Trait, or Ring of your choice. If you succeed on the roll, then everything is fine; if you fail, you lose 10 points/1 rank of Honor! Tests of Honor is a type of special Honor Roll. When you have to make a roll that will result in Honor loss if you fail, you can call for a Test of Honor (which works functionally just like a regular Honor Roll). If you fail, you still lose 10 points of Honor as normal, plus any additional honor loss. However, if you succeed on a Test of Honor, you gain 2 points of honor! This is not limited to once per session. Honor Rolls and Tests of Honor can be rerolled through class features (such as Lucky) normally. When you are the target of a Deceit (Seduction) roll, you may add your Honor Rank to each die of your Awareness/Etiquette (Sincerity) roll when resisting seduction. Some beings often radiate an aura of Fear - the biggest example of this is the undead. When confronting something Fearful, a player is offered an option to flee (and suffer honor loss) or face their fear. If they choose the latter, they must make a Willpower Roll vs TN 5 + 5xFear Rating (which ranges from 0-10). You add your Honor Rank to each die of this roll. Failure by 15 or more forces the character to flee as quickly as possible from the source. Characters that fail by less than this instead each die he rolls for skill checks are reduced by the Fear rating, and they cannot spend Void until the source of Fear is removed or fled from. You only need to roll a single Willpower roll against Fear Effects in any one given situation, and only against the highest source.
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Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 8:06 pm
GLORY What is glory? It is the measure of the tasks and deeds that one has completed in their lifetime. A samurai of high glory has seen much battle, created famous works of art, or completed some task that gave them empire-wide recognition. A samurai of low glory has done little beyond completion of their lord's tasks, and has not made an effort to make a name for themselves. If Honor is a measure of another's soul, Glory is a measure of their deeds. A character of high Glory is bound to be more highly respected by his/her peers. Ultimately, Glory is the trait that will be used to see if you are recognized by fellow samurai. Glory is measured from -10 to 10, from great infamy to great glory. Infamy is a measure of one's despicable behavior, rather than their glorious deeds. It is not inherently wrong to be infamous, but you will generally be more poorly received by others, and not trusted. Infamy is effectively 'negative glory', and functions almost identically, except in reverse. Determining GloryIf you wish to see if you recognize another samurai, roll Intelligence/Lore: Heraldry vs TN 60. The TN is reduced by the person's Glory Rank x 5. The TN is reduced by 10 more if they introduce themselves. The roll is automatically successful if they are introduced by a mutual acquaintance, or present legitimate proof of their identity. Most major courts will have an official herald ensure that everyone is recognized. There are situational glory modifiers which may help in this roll, and affect a samurai's Glory so long as they are in effect: Wearing an official prersonal mon (+0.5)
Has lived in the area for more than one year (+0.5)
Accompanied by retinue of servants/sycophants (+2.0)
Was born, raised, or trained in the area (+1.0)
Has performed heroic acts in the area (+1.0)
Ruler of local castle, city, or province (+2.0) Once you know a samurai, you will never 'forget' them, even if their Glory decreases. Uses of GloryOnce you are recognized, you may add your Glory Rank to the total of any social skill rolls. In addition, you may apply your Glory Rank to the total of intimidation rolls against characters with infamy. Likewise, characters with infamy are recognized the same way. They add their Infamy Rank to the total of any rolls meant to intimidate or coerce someone's aid, and to any social rolls against other characters who also have Infamy. Gaining GloryThere are many ways to gain glory or gain infamy. Only Glory gains will be listed here, but if one does so in a criminal or dishonorable manner, the gains will be infamous rather than glorious, as per GM approval. Acknowledgement - If a character's actions are publicly acknowledged as heroic, honorable, or extraordinary by another character with Status 7+, he immediately gains a full Rank of Glory. If the character's actions are publicly acknowledged by the Emperor, he gains two full Ranks of Glory. Only the largest Glory gain in this manner wtihint he last year counts. Avenging a Blood Feud - If the character fairly and publically defeats an individual who has wronged his family, he gains Glory Points equal to his enemy's Status or Glory (his choice). Completing a Quest - If a character is assigned to an important quest and returns successfully, he/she gains Glory Points equal to 1/2 the Glory or Status of the person who gave him/her the quest (round up) as a bonus to any other gains he may have accumulated for his actions along the way. A character gains no Glory for completing a quest for his own lord or for completing a quest that would have fallen within his normal duties. Craftsmanship - A character who creates a work of lasting beauty (a poem, a sword, a well-made tool) gains a Glory Point for each Raise he made while creating the item. Certain crafts are seen as particularly honorable and grant twice this amount. Once a character has gained Glory in this manner, he/she may not gain Glory for the same Craft Skill again for one month per Raise, unless he makes a greater number of Raises than the previous instance (in which case, he only gains Glory points for the difference). Death and Glory - If a character dies, his Glory immediately ceases to change, except as follows. If a character dies heroically, he immediately gains one Rank of Glory. If a shrine is built to the character's memory, he gains a further Rank of Glory while the shrine stands. Duels - Upon winning a fair duel with an opponent, a character gains Glory Points equal to 1/3 of his enemy's Status or Glory Rank (winner's choice, round up) if the enemy was lower Insight Rank, or equal to his enemy's Status or Glory Rank if the enemy was of equal or higher Insight Rank. A character gains an additional 3 points of Glory for killing an opponent in a fair duel. Only the largest Glory award gained int he last month counts. Gifts - A character who gives or receives a gift gains Glory Points equal to the other character's Glory or Status Rank if either is higher than his/her own Glory. If both are lower than his own Glory, he gains one Glory Point. Only the largest Glory award gained within the last week counts. Immortality - If the character is known to be the inspiration for a work of poetry, sculpture, or literature he immediately gains Glory Points equal to the highest Glory or Status Rank of those who have enjoyed the work. This Glory reward continues to bestow itself every year that the work is still enjoyed. Only the largest Glory reward gained in this manner within the last year counts. A character can indeed be the inspiration for his own work, assuming he can convince others to appreciate his self-aggrandizing creation. Learning - It is glorious to be honored by one's own sensei. Each time a character gains a new Insight Rank, he also gains a rank of Glory. Marriage - Upon marriage, the spouse with the lower Glory becomes one Rank lower than the partner's Glory (if that is an increase). In addition, both bride and groom gain Glory Points equa tot he Status Rank of their spouse's father (or mother, in case of matriarchal families). Public Bragging - Samurai are well known for bragging about their exploits. Any time you gain Glory, you can gain 1 more point of Glory by bragging about your actions publicly at some point within the next year. You may make one attempt to do so, making an Awareness/Storytelling (Bragging) roll vs TN 20. You can also brag on behalf of someone else you know, gaining a Glory Point for that person. This act is not generally seen as arrogant or dishonorable if it is done in good taste and not exaggerated excessively (some embellishment is expected). It is a samurai's duty to let others know the glorious deeds he has performed in the Emperor's name, so that theyw ill be inspired by his example. Romance - Love is a rare thing in Rokugan, and those who walk its treacherous path might find that others honor them as heroes. A samurai who publicly proclaims his love for another gains a point of Glory. Note that Glory is only gained so long as a samurai proclaims his love in an honorable and discreet manner. Many do so by concealing the identity of their love within a poem. Glory may be gained in this manner once a week. Skirmishes - A character gains 1 point of Glory (total) for defeating bandits, ronin, Shadowlands beasts, or other enemies outside of open warfare. Glory may be gained in this manner once a week. Particularly dangerous encounters award 3 Glory Points. Status - Any time a character's Status increases, he gains a number of Glory Points equal to the number of Status Ranks gained. Multiple status promotions gained within one month count as a single promotion. Stealing Credit - Perception is everything where Glory is concerned. Thus it is entirely conceivable for someone to gain Glory for an action he did not perform. If a character claims credit for some heroic act and others believe him, then he gains Glory as if he actually performed that act (though he loses Honor for the lie). Warfare - A character gains 3 points of Glory for each battle he survives and 6 points of Glory if his army won. If he played an unexpected instrumental part in winning the battle, he gains an additional 5 points of Glory. Losing GloryLosing Glory (which also might result in infamy gain) only occurs when one's actions are known. A ninja who assassinates someone but completely covers their tracks loses no honor, or does a losing duelist who denies his defeat. Caught in a Lie - If a character is proven not to have been responsible for an act that granted him Glory, he immediately loses twice as much Glory he originally gained fo that act. A character who can later prove that he actually performed the deed regains the lost Glory, and his accuser loses Glory as if he had been caught in a lie for this same action. Defeat - A character leading an army that loses a battle or who is defeated in a duel loses one full rank of Glory. This Glory is lost only if you survive the incident, leading many samurai to hurl themselves into a desperate, glorious death when all seems lost. Family Dishonor - If a character is related to another person who has committed a deeply shameful, criminal, or dishonorable act (including being cast out as a ronin) the character loses a full rank of Glory. If the shamed character redeems himself in some manner (including honorable seppuku) the lost Glory is immediately regained. Idleness - The easiest way to lose Glory is by simply doing nothing. Each week that passes, a character loses one point of Glory. If he/she has done nothing to gain Glory within that week he/she loses 3 points of Glory instead. If the character's Glory is less than or equal to his Insight Rank he ceases to lose Glory in this manner until it is higher again. Indifference - If a character has showed poor manners, lost face in public, or is a guest in the home of his enemies, he might find that other samurai may choose to punish him by ignoring his behavior (good or ill). A samurai who is being ignored in such a manner has all his Glory gains reduced by one point, and all his Glory losses increased by two points. If his hosts choose to cease ignoring him this effect end.
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Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 9:49 pm
STATUS What is status? It is formalized recognition by your superiors. For some samurai, status is a justified reward for years of loyal service, allowing for them to live long, fruitful, relaxed lives. Status is the most difficult to come by of the three traits. It can never be 'earned' by your actions, like Honor and Glory. Status can ONLY be granted, and by those whom you serve. Your lord can grant you status, while one from another clan cannot. When dealing with samurai of your Family and Clan, a samurai must obey anyone of higher rank than them. When dealing with more than one individual, the orders of the highest ranking member takes precedence. Guests in another lord's home, even outside their Clan, also tend to follow orders, not because they are required to, but due to polite manners (else, they mind find the lord's hospitality revoked). Imperial Families have control over anyone they outrank, and extremely high-ranking individuals in the empire, such as the Emerald Champion, have authority over anyone of lower rank (the Emperor has the highest status and has authority over EVERYONE). When dealing with samurai to which you hold no allegiance, you are under no obligation to obey them. A high ranking Crane bushi cannot order around a low ranking Lion bushi. However, the Lion should still show respect to the Crane, because he is technically his superior. Disobeying your superior can lead to Honor loss (from 1 point to 1 rank, depending on the severity). Whether or not the superior's orders are dishonorable is not a factor here; disobedience is disobedience, and can also lead to demotions of status by one's lord. If you have conflicting orders from two superiors, there is no honor or status loss for obeying the higher ranking one. If both superiors are of equal rank, obey one of them as best you can. This might create a personality conflict between you and the slighted one, but there will be no punishment for your duty. Gaining StatusStatus can only be given to you by samurai of higher Status than your own, and is always indicative of a promotion of some sort. This can only be awarded to you by someone who has some sort of authority over you. Some high-ranking Imperial Family samurai, as well as the highest governmental figures (the Emperor, et al) can award Status to anyone, but rarely do so as to not step on the toes of the various Clan Champions. Though given to samurai as a form of "promotion", Status increases aren't always a reward; sometimes, they can be a punishment, sticking someone with trivially 'important' duties that squanders their abilities. Losing StatusStatus can be revoked by anyone of higher rank, and indicates a demotion. There is no limit to how much Status can be taken away, but can never be reduced below 0.5. If a samurai feels that they have been unjustly stripped of Status may plead his case to someone with higher Status than the one who demoted him/her. If the demotion was, in fact, unjust, then the one who demoted loses one point of honor for every 5 points of demoted Status. However, if the claim was found justly warranted, the accuser loses the same amount of honor and is publicly shamed. The accused superior who made the demotion may also seek further retribution to the insult. One may voluntarily try to lower their Status, though they must get permission from a Superior. Generally, this is viewed as a cowardly dishonorable act, and Honor and Glory are reduced by an equal amount as the Status reduction. Even if the claim is denied, Honor and Glory are still reduced. If the request is for honorable reasons/conditions, however, no loss of Honor or Glory if the request is denied.
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Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2013 6:31 pm
MISCELLANEOUS HOUSE RULES Updated 1/13/13: When using Medicine (Wound Treatment), any dice for wounds healed that roll beneath the target's Stamina or your Ranks in Medicine (whichever is higher), round up to that number instead (i.e., with Stamina 2, when you roll 1k1 for treated wounds, if you roll a 1, it rounds up to 2 instead. If the Medicine rank used was 3, round to 3 instead).
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