PC: Shosuro Reiko
Shosuro Reiko
Shosuro Reiko CR 4
XP 9,000
Male human ninja 2/magus 2 (kensai)
LN Medium humanoid (human)
Init +5; Senses Perception +6

DEFENSE
AC 19, touch 15, flat-footed 14 (+2 armor, +2 shield, +5 Dex)
hp 31 (4d8+8)
Fort +5, Ref +6, Will +4

OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee +1 keen aldori duelling sword +6 (1d8+1/17–20)
Ranged shuriken +5 (1d2/20)
Special Attacks poison use, sneak attack +1d6, spellstrike
Bard Spells Known (CL 2nd; concentration +2)
1st (2/day)—expeditious retreat, obscuring mist, true strike, vanish
0 (at will)—detect magic, light, mage hand

TACTICS
Reiko is trained in the Aldori Dueling Mastery style, he primary uses his Aldori sword in combat. He supplements his attacks with his kensai spells to ensure that his attacks hit. If needing to attack more targets his uses his focus attacks instead

STATISTICS
Str 10, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 14
Base Atk +2; CMB +5; CMD 13
Feats Aldori Dueling Mastery, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Aldori Dueling Sword), Quick Draw, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (Aldori Dueling Sword),
Skills Acrobatics +10, Bluff +9, Climb +5, Diplomacy +7, Disguise +6, Escape Artist +7, Intimidate +9, Knowledge (arcana) +6, Knowledge (local) +7, Knowledge (nobility) +3, Perception +6, Ride +7, Sense Motive +9, Spellcraft +6, Stealth +8, Swim +4, Use Magical Devices +6
Languages Common, +3 TBD
SQ ki pool (3), arcane pool (3), ninja trick - acrobatic mastery, canny defense, PC gear

Combat Gear none; Other
Gear +2 bracers of armor, +1 keen aldori duelling sword
2/05/2012 12:33:00 PM | Category: | 0 comments

PC: Kuni Ichiko
Kuni Ichiko
Insight 115 (Rank 1)
Crab Clan
Kuni Family
Kuni Shugenja School

Honor 2.5 – Glory 1.0 – Status 1.0

Rings/Traits
Air 2 - Awareness 3
Earth 2 - Willpower 3
Fire 2 - Intelligence 3
Water 2 - Perception 3
Void 2

Advantages: Absolute Direction, Higher Purpose

Skills: Calligraphy* 1, Defense* 1, Hunting 1, Investigation 2, Kenjutsu 1, Lore: Maho 1, Lore: Shadowlands* 3, Lore: Theology * 1, Sleath 1, Tessen 2

Outfit: Robes, Wakizashi, Knife, Scroll Satchel, Traveling Pack, 3 koku

Spells: Sense, Commune, Summon, Minor Binding, Jade Strike, Tomb of Jade, 2 Fire, and 1 Water

* * *

As a child, Kuni Ichiko listened to the tales of Kuni witch hunters with fascination. They seemed so noble to her - travelling lonely roads and empty wastelands, protecting the weak from the terrors of the night. She knew that one day she would join their ranks, for none but the Kuni ever became witch hunters. Ichiko studied her spells and helped her master with his experiments, preparing dilligently to become one of the chosen few. When she came of age, she journeyed to the Kuni symposium every year, praying that they would select her.

They never did.

Year after year, Ichiko passed over membership; year after year she tasted bitter disappointment. She would leave each symposium dejected, forced to deter her dream again and again. Finally, her gempukku ceremony arrived, signaling the end of her eligibility. She was a Kuni shugenja now and forever, and could never be anything more. Ichiko cried herself to sleep that night, convinced her life was no longer worth living.

But she didn't give up. Leaving her master behind, Ichiko set out alone, determined to become a witch hunter in deed if not in word. She traveled the length and breadth of Rokuganm pursuing rumors of ghosts, maho, unholy hauntings. Sometimes, she found nothing; other times, the horrors were all too real. But always, her spells and her heart more than made up for her lack of "proper" witch hunter training. She knew enough to send those terrors screaming back to their masters, and the villagers she saved were too grateful to care about her credentials.

In time, it no longer mattered what she was trained in, and the sting of rejection soon faded. It no longer mattered whether they had accepted her or not. Ichiko is a hunter in almost every sense of the word, and the battles she fought were as breathtaking as she imagined. Destiny, it seems will not be deterred - not even by the Kuni.
9/02/2011 10:48:00 PM | Category: | 0 comments

Soshi Magistrate
Soshi Magistrate (Basic School, Bushi)
Benefit: +1 Agility
Skills: Athletics, Defense, Intimidation (Control), Jiujutsu, Kenjutsu, Lore: Underworld, any Bugei skill
Honor 2.5
Outfit: Light Armor, Sturdy Clothing, Daisho, any 1 weapon, Traveling Pack, 5 koku

Techniques
Rank 1: The Face of Justice
You gain a +1k0 bonus to the Intimidation skill; when you use it against someone of lower Status Rank than yourself, the bonus is +2k0 instead. You also gain a +1k0 damage bonus with melee attacks.
Rank 2: Rise to Meet the Challenge
Any time your are Prone, you may take a Free Action to roll Athletics/Agility at TN 20 to regain your feet. You gain a +1k1 bonus to any roll made to control a Grapple.
Rank 3: The Magistrate's Cut
In a skirmish, once per opponent, by successfully making three Raises for a Called Shot on a melee attack you may temporarily Blind a foe. They are considered Blinded until the Reactions stage of the following Round.
Rank 4: Certainty of Purpose
You may make melee attacks (including unarmed attacks) as Simple Actions rather than Complex Actions.
Rank 5: Relentless Resolve
Once per skirmish, you may gain extra unkept dice equal to your Intimidation skill rank on your attack rolls for one Round. This technique cannot be used in the Center Stance.
5/20/2011 09:32:00 AM | Category: | 0 comments

The Topaz Championship (backgrounder)
Every year, there are a lot of gempukku ceremonies going on in Rokugan. These serve as the Coming of Age ceremonies for a lot of young samurai as they officially separate themselves from childhood and start the road of manhood. And the most prestigious of all of these ceremonies is the Topaz Championship.

Sanctioned by the Emperor himself, the Topaz Championship gathers the best and brightest students from all the Clans, and allows them to compete in a Tournament for honor and glory for themselves and more importantly, for their Clan. It is a three-day event with all manner of contests that will test the skills and maturity of all the participants. The Championship is traditionally held in the village of Tsuma in the Crane Clan lands where the famous Kakita Dueling Academy is located.

This year, you have been chosen by your Clan as one of its representatives. Your player character will have ample opportunities to reach greater heights of glory, or die trying.

******

The Topaz Championship is a three-day competition that tests young men and women in all the skills that a samurai is expected to know. It is a rigorous, exhausting whirlwind of activity that can overwhelm even the most stalwart soul. Points are awarded to those who receive the highest marks in each contest, and the competitor who achieves the most points is declared the Topaz Champion. While the Topaz Champion receives no set reward or accolade, because it is an official jeweled champion of the Emperor, the prestige associated with the position ensures that the competition is fierce, and Topaz Champions are typically offered a number of different assignments, each coveted by young samurai.

Individual competitions during the Championship take the form of a match, wherein two contestants compete directly with one another, or tests, in which elder samurai ask questions of the contestant. Each competition completed successfully grants the contestant a single point. In the case of a match, only the victor receives the point. A competitor must attain a total of five points to pass.
10/25/2010 10:33:00 AM | Category: | 0 comments

The Topaz Championship (prologue)
Sitting lotus-wise in the middle of your favorite garden, you are lost in meditation with the voidness of the universe. Suddenly, you feel an intrusion into your finely shaped reverie, but in a moment you relax your senses as you recognize the footsteps of the intruder. Indeed everyday for the past many years have you heard those familiar footsteps. The intruder stops at the very edge of your periphery, patiently waiting for you to finish your meditation.

A few moments later, you draw yourself out of your communion and return back to the real world, thoroughly refreshed and ready for the challenges of the day ahead.

"Sensei," you begin, bowing and greeting your lifelong teacher. "To what do I have the honor of your presence today?"

Your teacher returns your bow. "I wish it would have been a casual visit between an old sensei and a former student, but..." His voice becomes gravely serious. "There is an important matter that has come up concerning you. Would you please follow me immediately?"

"Hai!" you respond. Quickly fixing yourself up, you follow your teacher out of the garden and into the twisted labyrinth of corridors of the large palace. You gather your thoughts in silence as you try to keep up with the surprisingly pace of your teacher. What could be this important matter that your sensei is keeping from you? There is both excitement and fear pumping in your blood.

You end your short journey in front of the closed door of a guarded audience chamber -- you notice that this is a little out of the way than the normal ones, and is bewildered why there would be armed honor guards in front of it. The guards curtly bow to your sensei, as if expecting his arrival. Before opening the door, your sensei turns to you and whispers, "Your questions will be answered when you step in there."

The audience chamber opens and as you step in, for a moment you are aghast at the person sitting on the main dais -- it is your Clan Champion! A shuffle to your side returns you to your senses -- you follow your sensei, kneeling and bowing lowly in front of your daimyo.

A court attendant announces your arrival. "Master and Student have arrived!"

There is a hush before your Clan Champion speaks, "Sensei, is this the student you have talked about and highly appraised?"

"Yes, milord," your sensei answers. "The most insightful student of this year's class."

Your Clan Champion nods, and you feel the attention turn to you. "Young one, I will make this brief. For this year's Topaz Championship, I have chosen you to be a representative of our Clan."

You are momentarily stunned! Of course you have heard of the Topaz Championship, and the prestige it brings to its participants and most of all, to its winner. Your heart pounds rapidly and it takes all of your will to maintain your composure, as you try to stammer out a response your daimyo is waiting for.

"Daimyo-sama, I am honored by your choice, but surely there are students more qualified than I in the Clan to choose from."

"No," answers your daimyo. "After consultations with the Senseis, you have been deemed to be the best our Clan has to offer for Tournament."

"Daimyo-sama, this honor overwhelms me, but surely there are others above my station who are more qualified for the Daimyo's reckoning."

"In dispensing service to the Clan, all are equal in the eyes of the Daimyo. And for this particular service, I have deemed you are most suited for the interests of our Clan."

"Thank you milord," you reply exuberantly. "I will represent our Clan with the best of my abilities."

Your daimyo nods once more. "Yes, I know that you will. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way."
10/25/2010 09:30:00 AM | Category: | 0 comments

PC: Shosuro Reiko
Shosuro Reiko
Insight 126 (Rank 1)
Scorpion Clan
Shosuro Family
Soshi Magistrate School

Honor 2.5 – Glory 1.0 – Status 1.0

Rings/Traits
Air 3
Earth 2
Fire 2 - Agility 3
Water 2 - Perception 3
Void 2

Advantages: Benten's Blessing, Dangerous Beauty
Disadvantage: Dark Secret, Lost Love, Bad Fortune (Yogo's Curse)

Skills: Athletics* 2, Battle 1, Defense* 2, Etiquette 1, Iajutsu* (Focus) 2, Intimidation* (Control) 3, Investigation 1, Jijutsu* 1, Kenjutsu* 2, Lore: Underworld* 1

Outfit: Light Armor, Sturdy Clothing, Daisho, any 1 weapon, Traveling Pack, 5 koku
10/17/2010 09:57:00 PM | Category: | 0 comments

PC: Hiruma Zai
Hiruma Zai

Crab Clan Scout. Samurai.

Insight 122 (Rank 1)
Hiruma Bushi

Honor 4.5 – Glory 1.0 – Status 1.0

Rings/Traits
Air 2 - Reflex 3
Earth 3
Fire 2 - Agility 3
Water 2 - Perception 3
Void 2

Advantages: Strength of the Earth
Disadvantage: Ascetic, Driven (Reclaim Homeland), Gullible

Skills: Athletics* 1, Hunting* 1, Kenjutsu (Katana)* 2, Kyujutsu* 1, Lore: Shadowlands* 1, Stealth* 1, Etiquette* 1, Investigation 1, Iaijutsu 1, Meditation 1, Defense 1

Born in a small outlying Crab village near the borders of the Shadowlands during a goblin night raid, Zai’s newborn cries rang across the village and woke up the residents, allowing them to organize arms and repel the impending threat.

Zai has spent his entire childhood growing up along the Carpenter Wall, watching family and friends battle against the Shadowlands. Trained in the art of stealth, more as a matter of survival in the Crab provinces, Zai works as a scout for the Crab clan army, traveling to and fro the Shadowlands in order to bring news about oni or goblin sightings. He is considered one of the more promising young students of the lost techniques of the Hiruma.

Zai is on the shorter side of the average Rokugani height, but compensates for that with better speed and agility than most samurai of his age. He has shown good talent with sword and bow, and has an uncanny aptitude with ranger skills. The blood of the Crab is also strong within him, and he is able to continue functioning despite pain from wounds.

Like most of his Hiruma comrades, Zai yearns for the day the fallen castle of the Hiruma is reclaimed from the Horde. This terrible loss is engrained upon him, and he trains diligently everyday to be ready when the opportunity comes to strike back. He is very pragmatic, all of his extra worldly acquisitions he donates to the cause of the Crab. He figures he only needs his sword and bow in order to serve his Clan, all his other resources would be much better utilized when pooled to his Clan.

10/15/2010 11:08:00 PM | Category: | 0 comments