Oriental Classes A Supplement for B/X and LL
Edited by Ned Martell (Revised: September 2013)
This document contains a conversion of the oriental player character classes contained in other rulebooks into a format more compatible with B/X & LL. I do not take writing credit for this work, I am merely an editor. In editing this collection, I tried to keep some of the flavour of the original classes, while at the same time removing many of the fiddly details. I also generally made the Experience Points & Hit Dice equivalent to each class’ Basic counterpart, and reduced the class requirements and prime requisites to be in closer accord with the Basic classes.
TABLE OF CONTENTS BUSHI…………………..1 HENGEYOKAI…….….. 1 KENSEI………………… 2 KOROPOKGURU….…. 3 NATURE FOLK……..… 3 NINJA……….…………. 4 SAMURAI…..……….…. 6 SHUGENJA….…………6 SOHEI…………..………7 WU REN…………….…. 7 YAKUZA……...….……..8 APPENDIX I: A BRIEF NOTE ON ORIENTAL WEAPONS AND ARMOUR……… 9
The prime requisites for hengeyokai are Intelligence and Charisma. Hengeyokai whose Intelligence and Charisma are both 13 or higher gain a 5% bonus on earned experience, a 10% bonus if Charisma is 13 or greater and Intelligence is 16 or greater.
BUSHI
Bushi are wandering mercenaries or bandits. Most are of low birth. The prime requisite for bushi is Strength. Bushi with a Strength score of 13 or higher gain a bonus on earned experience.
RESTRICTIONS: Experience Points, Hit Dice, Attacks, Saves, Spells: as Elf. However, they may advance to 9th l evel maximum. Hengeyokai may use any weapon or armour (including shields), and may be of any alignment. The vast majority are Chaotic, a few may be Neutral, and only very rarely are they Lawful. Hengeyokai must have a minimum Intelligence score of 9.
RESTRICTIONS: Experience Points, Hit Dice, Attacks, Saves: as Fighter.
Hengeyokai have a reputation among humans for being Chaotic: mischievous at best and malicious at worst. Humans therefore treat all hengeyokai accordingly, if their identity is discovered. Hengeyokai are a solitary, secretive race, and have no clan loyalty or kinship; they do not attract followers, establish families, or build strongholds.
Bushi may use any weapon or armour (including shields), and may be of any alignment. SPECIAL ABILITIES: Bushi are always able to gain employment in a village, town, or city. However, the pay may only be enough to cover their basic needs (simple food & rudimentary shelter).
SPECIAL ABILITIES: Hengeyokai memorise and cast spells as a wu ren of the same level, however they know their spells innately and do not use spellbooks.
At 9th level, a bushi may become a warlord by capturing and clearing an area of land and marking its boundaries. He will then attract 30-60 1st level bushi to serve him, however they must be paid or they will desert! If he is a good and successful leader who pays well, more bushi may apply. At 12th level he will attract 1-6 1st level samurai. This will legitimize the bushi's social standing and allow him to start his own Family Clan.
At the time of character creation the player must choose one animal form for his hengeyokai character. This is a permanent choice and may not be changed at a later time. Some traditional hengeyokai sub-races are: bakeneko (cat), hebi (snake), inugami (dog), kitsune (fox), mujina (badger), okami (wolf), tanuki (raccoon dog), and tsuchigumo (spider). Other choices could include carp, crab, crane, drake, hare, monkey, otter, rat, sparrow, or another to be decided between the player and the DM. Hengeyokai may change shape between Animal, Human, and Bipedal (mixture of animal & human) forms. They may change shape a number of times per day equal to their level (note that changing into a form and then back again counts as two shape changes!) Changing form takes one full round, during which time the hengeyokai may take no other actions. Armour, weapons, clothing, and equipment do no t change form along with the hengeyokai! They retain their level, hit points, and ability scores while in all three forms. Hit points lost in any form are carried over when the hengeyokai changes.
HENGEYOKAI
Hengeyokai are a race of intelligent shape-shifting animals. They are normally mischievous, independent, and selfcentred. Many are also malicious, however some rare few may be benevolent. There are many sub-races, each a different type of animal. All use magic and trickery.
Animal Form: A hengeyokai in animal form is almost undetectable from a normal animal. She has the movement, Armour Class, and damage of a normal animal of her type (see table below for some examples). She also has infravision to 60 feet, and can speak with normal animals (although conversations will be very basic and simplistic). She may not speak any languages other than those of normal animals and hengeyokai, although she can still understand any language she knows. She may
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not cast spells in animal form, nor can she use any armour, weapons, or equipment.
Hengeyokai Forms Summary Table
Hengeyokai Animal Form Table
Special Movement? Infravision? Spoken Languages Normal Animal? Hengeyokai? Human? Spells? Equipment?
Animal Badger Cat Dog Fox Raccoon Dog Snake* Spider* Wolf
AC 6 7 7 6
Damage 1-3 1 1-4 1-2
Move 60' (Burrowing: 30') 120' 150' 150'
8 7 9 6
1-2 1-3 1 1-2
90' 90' 30' 150'
Carp Crab Crane Drake Hare Monkey Otter Rat Sparrow
7 8 9 8 5 8 7 6 3
1 1 1 1-2 1 -
- (Swim: 120') 30' (Swim: 60') 60' (Fly: 120') 60' (Fly: 120', Swim: 90') 180' (Burrowing: 30') 120' 60’ (Swim: 120’) 60' (Swim: 30') 30' (Fly: 150')
Animal Bipedal Human Yes No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No No
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
No Yes Yes Yes Yes
At 9th level, hengeyokai of Lawful alignment may choose to become the protector of a human family or village. She defends the land from outsiders and sees to the overall well-being of the inhabitants. In exchange, she receives offerings of food, gifts, and service from those she protects. These offerings are enough to meet the day-today needs of the hengeyokai, but rarely more. All hengeyokai know the following languages: Hengeyokai, Common (Trade), and the language of normal animals. However, they may not be able to speak all these languages in every form (see above). KENSEI
*poison is not strong enough to require a saving throw Kensei devote themselves to combat with one chosen weapon, their aim is to become a perfect master of that weapon.
Bipedal form: Hengeyokai in bipedal form have the appearance of a human-sized upright animal. Her body resembles that of her animal form, except that she stands on two legs (or whatever) to the height of a normal woman, and her two front paws (or wings/fins/etc.) change into hands able to hold and use normal equipment. In this form the hengeyokai may speak any language she knows, has infravision to 60 feet, may cast spells as normal, and may use any armour, weapons, and equipment as normal. Many hengeyokai may also be able to bite in this form, for up to 1-6 points of damage (exact damage range will need to be determined by the DM). However, bipedal hengeyokai may not use any of the special movement abilities of her animal form (whether it be increased speed, flying, swimming, etc.), instead she has the normal base movement rate for humans of 120', and may swim using the normal rules for humans, etc.
The prime requisites for kensei are Wisdom and Dexterity. Kensei whose Wisdom and Dexterity are both 13 or higher gain a 5% bonus on earned experience, a 10% bonus if Wisdom is 13 or greater and Dexterity is 16 or greater. RESTRICTIONS: Experience Points, Hit Dice, Attacks, Saves: as Fighter. Kensei may use any weapon, but may not wear any form of armour, shield, or magical defence. At the time of character creation, the kensei must select one melee weapon to be his chosen weapon. He may choose an unarmed martial art instead of a standard melee weapon, in which case his hands or his feet become his chosen weapon and he will inflict 1-6 points of damage in unarmed combat. Kensei gain only half XP for defeating an opponent using any weapon other than his chosen weapon (or using a magical version of his chosen weapon), even if only a portion of the fighting was done with the other weapon. Kensei gain double XP for defeating another kensei in a duel, but may only duel any particular opponent once per level.
Human Form: A hengeyokai in human form is almost undetectable from a normal human being. However, she will always retain at least one distinctive feature of her animal form (a mujina may have a silver stripe in her hair, a sparrow may have an unusually sharp nose, etc.), the choice is left up to the player (subject to DM approval). In this form hengeyokai may cast spells as normal and may use any armour, weapons, clothing, and equipment as normal. However, she does not have infravision, and may not speak the language of normal animals (although she can still understand it).
Kensei may be Lawful or Neutral alignment, but may not be Chaotic due to the self discipline required for their class. They must have a minimum score of 9 in Dexterity.
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Strength and Wisdom are also particularly important, but have no minimum.
The prime requisites for koropokguru are Strength and Dexterity. Koropokguru with a Strength score or Dexterity score of 13 or higher gain a bonus of 5% on earned experience, a 10% bonus if both Strength and Dexterity are 13+.
SPECIAL ABILITIES: Kensei gain a bonus to initiative, Armour Class, “to hit”, and damage (given in the table below). The bonuses given below for “to hit” and damage only apply when the kensei is using his non-magical chosen weapon in melee combat! (The initiative and Armour Class bonuses apply to all normal situations.) Kensei must also apply the normal combat modifiers from Strength or Dexterity if applicable, and those modifiers apply to all normal situations as they do for any other character. If the DM does not normally use th e individual initiative optional rule, it is highly recommended that the kensei be allowed to add his initiative bonus to the group roll (although only applying to himself), allowing him to act before the rest of the group. Note that the kensei's “to hit” bonus will also allow him to hit creatures normally only damaged by magical weapons.
RESTRICTIONS: Experience Points, Hit Dice, Attacks, Saves: as Halfling. However, they may advance to 10th level. Koropokguru may use any weapon, armour, or shield which has been "cut down" to their size ... thus they may not use two-handed weapons or long bows, but they may use normal swords and short bows (for example). Koropokguru may be of any alignment, and must have a minimum Dexterity and Constitution of 9 each. SPECIAL ABILITIES: Koropokguru have a 4-in-6 chance to identify any normal animal or plant. They are difficult to spot outdoors, having the ability to seemingly vanish into woods or underbrush, and will only be spotted 10% of the time in this type of cover. Koropokguru gain a +1 bonus to their initiative rolls in addition to any Dexterity adjustments. Due to their small size, koropokguru have a -2 bonus to their Armour Class when being attacked by creatures larger than mansized. All koropokguru speak the following languages: Koropokguru, Common (Trade), Nature folk, and Hengeyokai. However, they may not learn any further languages, even if they have a high Intelligence score. Koropokguru may be of any alignment.
Kensei Table
Chosen Weapon Initiative AC “To Hit” Damage Lvl Bonus Bonus Bonus Bonus 1 0 -1 0 0 2 0 -1 0 +1 3 0 -2 +1 +1 4 0 -2 +1 +1 5 +1 -2 +2 +2 6 +1 -3 +2 +2 7 +1 -3 +2 +2 8 +1 -3 +3 +3 9 +2 -4 +3 +3 10 +2 -4 +4 +4 11 +2 -4 +4 +4 12+ +2 -5 +5 +5
At 9th level, koropokguru may build a village in a remote forest: whether it be a dense jungle, a snowy mountain forest, or anything in between, so long as it is far from the prying eyes of humans. At this time, he will attract a whole community of koropokguru and start his own Family Clan.
At 9th level, kensei attract 1-6 1st level kensei pupils, all with the same chosen weapon as their new master. If a kensei master ever loses a duel to a lower-level kensei, each pupil has a 3-in-6 chance of leaving him. If a kensei master wins a duel against a higher-level kensei, he will gain 1-2 new 1st level kensei pupils. Each time a pupil gains a level, there is a 1-in-20 chance (per level of the pupil) that he will leave his master to make his own way.
NATURE FOLK
Nature folk are descended from humans and nature spirits, and they have strong ties both to human society and to nature. They look like humans with delicate features and pale, smooth-shaven, golden complexions. All have a lust for life and nature. There are three distinct varieties of nature folk: Bamboo, River, and Sea.
KOROPOKGURU
Koropokguru are a race of nimble, forest-dwelling dwarves averaging up to 3 feet tall. They have large heads, large flat noses, and the men often have bushy beards. They prefer to live in small villages or camps, away from human contact. Their dwellings are crude huts, or even simply leaf-covered pits in the ground. They exist on a much more primitive level than humans, although they have family clans much as humans do. They are generally backwards, rude, pugnacious, and boastful.
The prime requisite for nature folk is Strength. Nature folk with a Strength score of 13 or higher gain a bonus on earned experience. RESTRICTIONS: Experience Points, Hit Dice, Attacks, Saves: as Dwarf.
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Nature folk may use any weapons and armour (including shields), and may be of any alignment. Nature folk must have a minimum Charisma score of 9.
due to drought will weaken the character, lowering his hit points and ability scores temporarily; major flooding will make him wild and uncontrollable; damming and other engineering changes to the river will make the character progressively weaker until he finally dies. River folk speak the Language of Fishes, Common (Trade), and Nature folk.
Nature folk belong to a family clan on their human side, but are also responsible to their spirit lord on their nature side (Lord of the Wood, Lord of the Rivers, or Lord of the Sea). If these two loyalties conflict, nature folk are expected to side with their spirit lord. Refusing their spirit lord in anything can lead to natural disasters affecting both themselves and/or their human family clan.
Sea Folk: Sea folk are the most numerous of all nature folk, and usually live near the ocean. They may breathe normally in any type of salt water, and may swim in any type of water at their normal movement rate (reduced for encumbrance). When swimming, all items they carry remain perfectly dry even if submerged. Once per day, they may attempt to predict the weather for the next 24 hours with a 3-in-4 chance of being correct. Once per year they can receive one favour from the sea: a violent storm, fair sailing winds, rain, the recovery of a particular item from the sea bottom, etc. Sea folk must choose the particular favour, but if two sea folk ever have conflicting requests then neither are granted and the favour for the year is still lost. At 9th level, a sea folk will receive one gift from the Lord of the Sea. This may be valuable treasure from the bottom of the ocean, a special service, or a magical item (likely with a suitably marine theme). This gift is given freely with no conditions or expectation of repayment. Sea folk are not affected by changes in the sea, nor are they healed by it. Sea folk speak Common (Trade) and Nature folk.
SPECIAL ABILITIES: Bamboo Folk : Bamboo folk normally live near forests. They have a 3-in-4 chance to identify normal plants, and a 2-in-4 chance to identify normal animals. They have a 75% chance to hide in shadows and to move silently when in forests or woods. When travelling alone through forest, woodland, or grassland, they leave no trail. Even when travelling with others through these areas, the chance of evading pursuit is increased by 20%. The life force of a bamboo folk is tied to a bamboo grove deep within a forest. When the bamboo folk enters his grove, he is cured of all wounds and disease. However, if the bamboo grove is damaged, the bamboo folk takes equal damage! If the grove is destroyed, the bamboo folk dies instantly. This grove can never be moved, nor do shoots sprouted from the grove have any special effect. Bamboo folk speak Common (Trade) and Nature folk. In addition, for every level of experience the Bamboo folk has he may learn to speak the language of one particular forest animal species, chosen by the player.
At 9th and 12th level, all varieties of nature folk may become warlords in an identical manner to bushi of the same level, capturing and clearing an area of land, attracting human bushi and samurai, and starting a Family Clan.
River Folk: River folk are associated with one particular river or stream, and usually live near it. They may breathe normally in any type of fresh water, and may swim in any type of water at their normal movement rate (reduced for encumbrance). When swimming, all items they carry remain perfectly dry even if submerged. Once per day they may lower the water level of a river or stream by up to 10 feet for up to 5 rounds, allowing others to cross safely. The life force of a river folk is tied to a particular river (chosen by the player and subject to approval by the DM) as it runs in its natural banks (water drawn or diverted from the river is no longer considered part of the river). Bathing in this river cures the river folk of all wounds and disease. However, changes in the flow of the river will change his characteristics: lower water level
NINJA
Ninja are spies and assassins, trading in secrecy, trickery, and stealth. The prime requisite for ninja is Dexterity. Ninja with a Dexterity score of 13 or higher gain a bonus on earned experience. RESTRICTIONS: Experience Points, Hit Dice, Attacks: as Elf; Saves: as Thief, +2 bonus. Ninja may use any weapon or
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armour (except shields). However, Move Silently, Tightrope Walk, and Pole Vault may not be used while wearing metal armour; Climb Walls and Fall may not be used while wearing metal armour other than chain mail. Ninja must be Neutral in alignment (Lawful characters are too law-abiding, and Chaotics are too disloyal and disobedient). Ninja must have a minimum Intelligence and Dexterity of 9 each.
the pole (up to a maximum distance of twice the value given on the table). Tightrope Walk: Ninja may walk upright with hands free along narrow ropes, beams, ledges, etc., providing it is angled at 45 degrees or less (up or down) from the horizontal. The ninja may move at 20 feet per round, and a check must be made for each 60 feet (or portion thereof) walked. Using a balancing item (such as a pole) gives +10% success; any but light winds will lower success by -10% to -30% depending on their severity. The ninja may attempt combat while balancing, but with a -5 penalty to hit, and with no bonuses to his AC (such as from Dexterity).
Ninja belong to an adopted ninja family clan, from whom they receive orders and to whom they owe loyalty. All missions come from the head of the family, although instructions will most often be transmitted by others. Disobeying the head of the family (including, but not limited to, refusing to complete any mission) will lead to never-ending assassination attempts against the character (unless he manages to kill the head of the family and take over!) If a character fails a mission, he may attempt it again (if applicable), and this does not count as disobedience (unless of course he deliberately failed).
Ninja Table
Level Disguise Escape Fall 1 20% 10% 0 2 25% 15% 5' 3 30% 20% 10' 4 35% 25% 15' 5 40% 30% 20' 6 45% 36% 25' 7 55% 45% 30' 8 65% 55% 35' 9 75% 65% 40' 10 85% 75% 45' 11 95% 85% 50' 12 96% 90% 55' 13 98% 95% 60' 14 99% 99% 65'
SPECIAL ABILITIES: Ninja may use the following abilities as thieves of t he same level: Open Locks, Find or Remove Traps, Move Silently , Climb Sheer Surfaces , Hide in Shadows, and Backstab. They also gain the following new abilities: Disguise: The ninja may disguise himself as any general class of person, of similar height, weight, and age as himself, such as a merchant, peasant, etc. He may attempt to disguise himself as the opposite sex, but at half the given percentage chance. He may also attempt to impersonate a specific person at half the given percentage rate, but on a failed roll he may never attempt to impersonate the same person again. If he has a chance to study the target for at least one month, his % chance is normal instead of half.
Pole Tightrope Vault Walk 8.5' 20% 9' 25% 9.5' 30% 10' 35% 10.5' 40% 11' 45% 11.5' 55% 12' 65% 12.5' 75% 13' 85% 13.5' 95% 14' 96% 14.5' 98% 15' 99%
A ninja may use his ki (spirit energy) to hold his breath for a number of minutes equal to his level. He may use this power once per day. Starting at 5th level, the ninja may use his ki to walk across smooth water. He may travel a maximum of 5 feet per level, moving at the rate of 10 feet per round. This use of ki requires concentration, which will be broken if the ninja is injured. This usage of ki may be done a number of times each day equal to the ninja's experience level.
Escape: Ninja may contort, wriggle, and twist their bodies in an attempt to slip free from bindings such as ropes, chains, and the like. The attempt takes 1-10 rounds, and if the ninja is observed during this time he is easily foiled. The attempt may only be made once. Fall: Ninja may fall the given distance without taking damage, providing he is near enough to a vertical surface against which he can slow his fall. If he falls farther than the given distance, he takes full damage.
At 12th level, the ninja learns how to pass through walls. This uses up all the ninja's ki power for the day, and in addition the ninja may not have used any ki previously that day. The use of this power requires 3 rounds of unbroken concentration before the attempt, during which time no other action may be taken. If he is disturbed in any way the power is broken but the ninja still loses all his ki power for the day. The power lasts 1 round, and the ninja may travel 1 foot per experience level. If he does not make it completely through the obstacle, he will die inside of it.
Pole Vault: To attempt this, a ninja requires a springy pole at least 4 feet longer than the character, and a run of at least 30 feet. The pole must also be at least as long as the vertical distance the ninja wishes to jump. The maximum obstacle height is given on the table below. If the ninja wishes to land on top of the obstacle, reduce the maximum height by 1 foot. If the ninja wishes to vault horizontally, the maximum distance is twice the length of
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daimyo intervenes. Although he does not own the property, he may keep the stewardship in perpetuity, so long as he does not grossly mismanage the land and turns over the daimyo's portion of the taxes. He need not accept the offer of a jito, in which case he will be offered a home in the city or bakufu (camp off ice) instead.
SAMURAI
At 8th level, the samurai is offered the position of shugo (constable of a province). If he accepts, he must oversee the protection of an entire province, administering justice and overseeing the jito. As shugo, there is a 2-in-10 chance that a ninja will infiltrate his household. He will also attract 10-100 bushi as followers, loyal to the samurai as long as they are given pay, food, shelter, and their future does not look too bleak. A samurai is a high caste warrior who serves a daimyo (lord), even to his own death. He lives and dies by his sword, and by his honour.
At 9th level, the samurai attracts 2-20 1st level samurai who are loyal to the player character. He will also attract 2-7 specialists (armourers, smiths, etc.), and there is a 1in-10 chance that a ninja will infiltrate his household at this time (no more than one ninja will ever operate in any one household, however).
All ability scores are equally important to samurai, hence samurai have no Prime Requisites and do not gain a bonus on earned experience.
SHUGENJA
RESTRICTIONS: Experience Points, Hit Dice, Attacks, Saves: as Fighter.
Shugenja are priests or monks; having left their temple or monastery, they live a wandering life of poverty and service to the gods. They are respected by all classes of society. (There are no organised churches, each temple is more or less independent of all others. All religions are respected and venerated in daily life, their teachings intermingled by the peasants.)
Samurai may use any weapon or armour (except shields). A samurai's preferred weapons are normally his katana (sword) and his daikyu (long bow). Samurai must be Lawful in alignment. Samurai follow the code of bushido (the way of the warrior), which stresses loyalty, honour, and courage. Some examples are: ! ! !
! !
! !
The samurai is obedient to his daimyo There is no failure, only success or death Dishonour to the daimyo or family is dishonour to the samurai No dishonour may go unavenged All debts, both of vengeance and of gratitude, are repaid Mercy is not due the enemy Cowardice is dishonourable
SPECIAL ABILITIES: A samurai is adept at horsemanship and etiquette, as well as courtly arts such as calligraphy, painting, and poetry.
The prime requisite for shugenja is Wisdom. Shugenja with a Wisdom score of 13 or higher gain a bonus on earned experience.
At 7th level, the samurai is offered a jito (stewardship) over one of his daimyo's properties. The jito must collect taxes in addition to protecting the property, settling disputes, quelling rebellions, and so forth. He may keep 1/4 of all the taxes he collects. He need not remain on the property, and may assign his duties to an underling (for a portion of the tax). He will be under the supervision of the daimyo's shugo (constable of the province). He will also be given 10 bushi and 1-4 samurai, all of whom are loyal to the daimyo but will serve the character unless the
RESTRICTIONS: Experience Points, Hit Dice, Attacks, Saves: as Cleric. Shugenja may use any one-handed weapon except swords & daggars [also may not use scimitars if using LL rules], and they may use a staff. They may not use bows or crossbows. They may wear only leather armour and may not use shields. Shugenja must be Lawful in alignment.
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Shugenja are expected to provide aid (physical and spiritual), advice, and healing to all who require it (particularly the weak and helpless). They must refrain from violence of all kinds (especially killing), the exception being against evil monsters, ghosts, and spirits, which shugenja are sworn to fight! They may not eat meat, nor may they eat or drink immoderately.
the monastery which they serve, and must always act in the cause of their monastery. SPECIAL ABILITIES: Sohei gain and cast spells as a cleric 2 levels below his current level (for example, a 4th level sohei gains and casts spells as a 2nd level cleric) [or 3 levels below his current level if using LL rules]. However, his spell list is much more limited [spells in brackets indicate additional spells available if using LL rules]:
SPECIAL ABILITIES: Shugenja gain cleric spells as a cleric one level higher than their shugenja level (so a first level shugenja gains spells as a 2nd level cleric). [Or, as a cleric of equal level if using LL rules.]
! ! !
1st level spells: Resist Cold 2nd level spells: Bless, Resist Fire 3rd-level spells: Striking, [Dispel Magic] 4th level spells: Neutralize Poison, [Detect Lie] 5th level spells: Dispel Evil, [Flame Strike, True Seeing] [6th level spells: Blade Barrier, Find the Path] [7th level spells: Holy Word, Symbol]
Shugenja may perform purification rituals. These have a 1-in-20 chance per level of the shugenja to remove curse. They may also purify an area to ward off evil: everyone within a 10 foot diameter circular area gains the benefit of the spell protection from evil against evil ghosts, spirits, and monsters, as long as the shugenja does not leave the area. (Once set, the purified area does not move with the shugenja, and the shugenja may not purify a second area without leaving the first area.) The purification ritual in both cases takes 1-4 turns, and multiple purifications have no additional effect.
!
SOHEI
At 9th level, the sohei is commissioned by the head of his monastery to build a new monastery. At this time he becomes leader of the sohei of the new monastery, gaining command over 40-60 1st level sohei. He must escort the priests and monks to the new location, clear the land, defend the site, and build the new monastery. He gains command over an additional 10 sohei for every level above 9th. Furthermore, additional sohei will arrive to replace those who fall in combat (on a 1-for-1 basis), providing the entire command is not slain. The new monastery (including the player character sohei) is still subject to the orders of the head of the parent monastery. If the new monastery rebels, the parent monastery will send a force of sohei to correct t he situation.
Sohei are warrior-monks (more warrior than monk) who defend a monastery and advance its ambitions in the outside world.
WU REN
! ! !
If a sohei is in a fight and he is reduced to 0hp or less, he may continue fighting! He must continue the current fight without pause. He will continue fighting until he reaches -10hp, or until the enemy is defeated, whichever comes first. In either case, he collapses and dies immediately thereupon.
Wu ren are hermits, they live alone in the wilderness and are able control the invisible forces of nature, spirits, and the elements.
The prime requisites for Sohei are Strength and Wisdom. Sohei whose Strength and Wisdom are both 13 or higher gain a 5% bonus on earned experience, a 10% bonus if Wisdom is 13 or greater and Strength is 16 or greater.
The prime requisite for wu ren is Intelligence. Wu ren with an Intelligence score of 13 or higher gain a bonus on earned experience.
RESTRICTIONS: Experience Points, Hit Dice, Attacks, Saves: as Cleric. Sohei may use any weapon or armour (except shields). They must be Lawful in alignment.
RESTRICTIONS: Experience Points, Hit Dice, Attacks, Saves: as Magic User.
They may not eat meat (except fish), or display any excessive behaviour. Sohei are obedient to the head of
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Wu ren may use the following weapons: Club, Daggar, Staff, Short Sword, Short Bow, Sling [+ Darts if using LL rules]. They may not wear any armour (including shields).
Yakuza belong to an adopted yakuza family clan, led by an oyabun (family head), from whom they receive orders and to whom they owe loyalty. As a yakuza advances in level, he is given responsibility over larger and larger areas of his family's territory. Yakuza mark their rank with tattoos, gaining one tattoo for each level they gain (including first level). These will eventually cover the arms, back, and chest (but never hands, feet, or face). Although yakuza are often tolerated or condoned by the authorities, they are still criminals and are at risk for arrest and punishment for their crimes, so they must be wary of the law at all times. For this reason, the family likes to keep all of their operations running smoothly and quietly; all activities are controlled and supervised. If anyone creates trouble (yakuza or otherwise) the offender will be hunted down, betrayed to the police, or chased away.
Wu ren may be of any alignment, but they must abide by taboos. They have one taboo at first level, and gain an additional taboo every level. The player may choose the taboo from the following list, or suggest any other (subject to DM approval). ! ! !
! ! ! ! ! ! !
May not eat meat May not keep more treasure than he can carry Must make daily offerings (food, flowers, incence, etc.) to spirit powers May not bathe May not cut hair May not touch a dead body May not drink alcoholic beverages May not wear a certain colour of cloth May not light a fire May not sit facing a particular direction (West, East, etc.)
SPECIAL ABILITIES: Due to their skill in dealing with people, Yakuza gain a +1 bonus to all reaction rolls (except situations where law or social status is involved). This is in addition to any bonus they may receive from high Charisma.
SPECIAL ABILITIES: Wu ren cast spells as a magic-user of the same level. Instead of a single large spellbook, they typically have a collection of smaller scrolls and books, one for each spell they know.
Yakuza may use the following abilities as thieves of the same level: Open Locks, Pick Pockets, Move Silently, Hide in Shadows, and Hear Noise. They also gain the following two new abilities: Contacts and Investigate.
At 10th level, wu ren attract 1-4 1st level wu ren pupils. They will faithfully serve until they reach a level one-half of their master's, at which point they will leave and be replaced by another 1st level pupil.
Contacts: A yakuza gains one contact every two levels. Contacts need not be chosen by the player right away, they may be saved until a particular contact is needed and the player may choose the required contact for his character at that time (subject to DM approval), recording the contact's name and position/occupation on his character sheet for current and future use by the yakuza. Contacts are NPCs who provide the yakuza with information or aid, but they will not do anything wh ich will put their own lives in danger (such as adventure with the yakuza)! Their assistance is only guaranteed so long as they are well treated by the yakuza and not implicated in any crimes due to their involvement with him. Some examples of contacts could be a gate keeper of a city ward, a ship captain, a minor samurai, a district magistrate, or a wealthy merchant.
YAKUZA
Yakuza operate in urban areas; they are extortionists, thugs, and thieves, who direct and control illegal activities. Yakuza often act as an unofficial police force, getting rid of troublemakers in the areas they control. They are both respected and despised. All ability scores are important to yakuza, however their prime requisite is Charisma. Yakuza with a Charisma score of 13 or higher gain a bonus on earned experience. RESTRICTIONS Experience Points, Hit Dice, Attacks, Saves: as Thief.
Investigate: By questioning people in the area, this ability allows yakuza to gain information about anything in his region, such as floorplans, knowing where someone hides something, guard's schedules, who stole a particular item, who is a police informer, who will buy stolen goods, etc. Its use has restrictions (see t ables below).
Yakuza may use any weapon, but may only wear leather armour [and padded armour if using LL rules] and may not use shields. Yakuza must be Neutral in alignment (Lawful characters are too law-abiding, and Chaotics are too disloyal and disobedient).
At 2nd level, a yakuza may summon his yakuza brethren to help him in an enterprise. The maximum number of brethren he may call is equal to his experience level, and they will be no higher level than one less than his own level (and furthermore will never be higher than 8th level).
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He need not summon the maximum number. Brethren may only be called once per level, even if less than the maximum number were summoned. The oyabun (family head) must still approve any major enterprises. Yakuza Investigate Ability (Table 1)
Type of Time Information Required to Sought* Investigate
Cost of Investigation
Common Uncommon Confidential Secret
4-40cp 4-40sp 4-40gp 40-400gp+
1 day 1-3 days 2-12 days 3-18 days
Chance to be Inaccurate 0% 10% 25% 40%
*Definitions: ! COMMON: known to a lot of people ! UNCOMMON: known to only a few people, but not secret ! CONFIDENTIAL: known to only 1 or 2 people, and told in confidence ! SECRET: known to only 1 or 2 people, and highly sensitive
APPENDIX I: A BRIEF NOTE ON ORIENTAL WEAPONS & ARMOUR
Yakuza Investigate Ability (Table 2)
Oriental weapons and armour will give a unique flavour to oriental adventures, however no new game mechanics are strictly required. Simply use existing mechanics for equivalent items.
Level Investigate Area Covered* 1 20% 1 block 2 25% 1 block 3 30% 2 blocks 4 35% 2 blocks 5 40% 3 blocks 6 45% 3 blocks 7 55% 1 ward 8 65% 1 ward 9 75% 2 wards 10 85% 3 wards 11 95% 1 district 12 96% 2 districts 13 98% 3 districts 14 99% province
For example: ! katana = sword; ! daikyu = long bow; ! kama = hand axe; ! shuriken = daggar [or dart if using LL rules]; ! nunchaku = club; and so forth. If you wish to use piece armour, you may simply choose an equivalent existing Armour Class. Depending on the size/amount of pieces worn, the character could be: !
*Definitions: ! BLOCK: The area within one block of the yakuza's base of operations ! WARD: An area of a city with its own police and local government, composed of many blocks. Sometimes separated from other wards by walls and gates. ! DISTRICT: Often an unofficial designation, covering many wards. Usually identified by a particular feature, such as the type of businesses, a temple, or a geographical feature. Cities with walled wards will also normally have organised districts with guards and officials. ! PROVINCE: The yakuza may gather information from the entire province.
! !
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lightly armoured (= leather/AC7); medium armoured (= chain mail/AC5); or heavily armoured, for a full o-yori (= plate mail/AC3).
