TENRA BANSHO ZERO

GAME RULEBOOK

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

WELCOME                          3

INTRODUCTION

                     9

BASIC ACTIONS                       24

THE KARMA SYSTEM                    41

BASIC COMBAT                       62

WHAT IS THE ZERO SYSTEM?                84

ZERO ACT AND THE EMOTION MATRIX         108

SCENARIO CREATION                   121

ARMOUR                         144

ONMYOJUTSU RULES                    160

SAMURAI ABILITY                     182

BUDDHIST MAGIC                    185

KIJIN AND MECHANICA RULES              192

KONGOHKI                         203

NINJUTSU RULES                      214

KUGUTSU AND THE BUTTERFLY DREAM         225

ANNELID RULES                      227

ONI RESONANCE                     235

SHINTO RULES                      238

THE AYAKASHI                      241

THE ART OF WAR                     252

ONE TENRA: AGAINST THE TIDE              266

TENRA GLOSSARY                     284

MEDIA RESOURCES                     291

ADVICE                          296

INTRODUCING THE WORLD OF TENRA         306

222 THINGS TO DO IN TENRA               310

NAMES                           318

ARCHETYPES                       325

CREATING NEW ARCHETYPES              349

WEAPON AND WEAPON CREATION RULES        351

SAMPLE CHARACTERS                  359

EMOTION MATRIX                     378

Directed and Produced By

Andy Kitkowski

Translated By

Andy Kitkowski

Bryan Thogerson

Scott Blow

Ewen Cluney

Keith Perhac

Shawn Burke

Additional Research By

Orie Hiromachi

Andy Kitkowski

Additional Writing By

T.S. Luik art

Andy Kitkowski

Graphic Design and Layout

Radek Drozdalski

Luke Crane

Kyle Lisk

Additional Graphics By

Ben Morgan

Tony Dowler

Mark Quire

Orie Hiromachi

Jose Jimenez

Primary Editors

Grant Chen

Craig Judd

Edited By

Andy Kitkowski

Adam Dray

Mark Causey

Matthew Gandy

Supreme Thanks To

• Everyone at FEAR for their effort and

cooperation, Kei Kitazawa

• Sho Tomono from Group SNE for their constant

encouragement.

Tenra Bansho Zero: Tales of Heaven and Earth

Edition is dedicated to Satoru Hosono (1973-2006),

for without whom I would never have been

introduced to the wonderful world of Japanese-born

role-playing games or the people who play them.

Inoue/Far East Amusement Research

Co, Ltd and ENTERBRAIN, INC.

Tenra Bansho: Tales of Heaven

Industries, North Carolina, USA.

First Printing | Winter 2013

ISBN: 978-0-9836458-1-8

WELCOME

Welcome to the world of Tenra, a vast land of

endless feudal war, a land of incredible

tales that you and your friends will create.

WHAT IS THIS BOOK?

This book takes us behind the scenes of Tenra,

a “Hyper-Asian” setting of fantasy, swords,

technology and magic introduced in the world

guide. This book is a tool for you and your friends

to use to create thrilling tales within the world of

Tenra. It is a tabletop roleplaying game: A rulebook,

informational resource and play guide. This book

and some friends are all you require to play the

game.

WHAT IS A ROLEPLAYING GAME?

A role-playing game is a form of creative

entertainment that you engage in with your friends.

It’s an ancient form of entertainment given new

form. Behind all of the gloss, dice, and rules this

game simply comes down to telling stories with your

friends.

Together with a group of friends, you will create

a tale. The story will have a backdrop, the world

of Tenra. It will have unique and interesting

characters, which you will roleplay: You will pretend

to be those characters, guiding their actions and

speaking through them. Using some rules and a

little creativity, a story will develop. There will be

crises and climaxes, and the characters will change

as you pass from chapter to chapter in the story.

By the end of one session of about 4-6 hours, you

and your friends will have an original story, a

unique tale which you have created together. That’s

the kind of

entertainment that role-playing provides.

That’s what a role-playing game is.

CONSOLE RPGS ANDTABLETOPRPGS

Many of us are familiar with the idea of video

games known as Role-Playing Games or RPGs.

Final Fantasy and Mass Effect are the kind of

games that you play on a video game console. The

difference between console RPGs and tabletop

RPGs is a basic one: In console RPGs, the author

has the story written from beginning to end. You

may be presented choices throughout the

game, but you still must follow the plot of the

pre-determined story. You are the sole player of the

game.

With tabletop RPGs, several friends play at once.

Almost like a theatrical play, they serve as both the

actors and the audience. The player choices matter

in tabletop play: The game will shift and change,

grow and develop, all as the players make choices

throughout the game. The players—by role-playing

their characters’ actions—write the story in real-

time. There is no pre-determined path and no

“correct way” to do anything. The players make it

up as they go along.

HOW IS TENRA BANSHO DIFFERENT

FROM OTHER RPGS?

If you are familiar with tabletop role-playing games

in general but are not familiar with Tenra Bansho

Zero, after you look through the world and setting

sections to get an idea of how the world works, you

will want to carefully review the rules sections.

While characters and combat work in similar ways

to other popular role-playing games, the flow of

the game operates in some small but fundamentally

different ways than many RPGs you are familiar

with: The Karma system and Zero System will have

rules which are surprisingly different from other

tabletop RPGs. Please familiarize

yourselves with them, as Tenra Bansho has some

interesting things that set it apart from similar

fantasy games, and take a while to get used to.

Things like:

WELCOME

• The Emotion Matrix, which determines what your

character initially thinks of other characters when

they first meet.

• Aiki chits, which are a mechanism for

players outside the scene rewarding good role-

playing and adherence to character background.

• The Karma system, which reflects how

your character’s personality grows and changes

throughout the game.

Familiarize yourself with these unique

bits before your first game, and your game

session will flow much more smoothly.

WHAT DOES TENRA BANSHO ZERO

MEAN, ANYWAY?

• In short: “ All Things in Heaven and Earth”

• It is a play on the Buddhist expression shin-ra-ban-

shou, a concept which connotes “The Universe”,

“Nature”, “Heaven and Earth”, “Everything that

Exists”. It originally hails from the Dhammapada,

a Buddhist scripture written in Sanskrit and later

translated into Chinese. Th e Chinese character for

Shin (nature; forest) has been replaced with Ten

(heaven; sky) to make a unique word that plays on

this expression.

• Tenra is the name of the land featured in the game

(both the planet and the string of continents). The

hidden Sanskrit meaning of the word is “eternal”.

• “ZERO” is the moniker for this newedition of the

game, which features tightened rules for Karma,

drama and story.

Tenra Bansho is the original name of this role-

playing game, originally published in Japan in

1997. The game was redesigned, re-conceptualized,

and republished in a new edition in the year 2000.

This new edition was called Tenra Bansho Zero.

The “Zero” referred to a new beginning in the year

2000, and the system that made all the drama and

action happen was labeled the Zero System. This

English version of the game comes directly from the

Zero edition of the game. Since Zero referred to a

new beginning for the game, we thought it would

be fi tting to keep that title as Tenra Bansho Zero

finds a new beginning in the English-speaking

Western world.

TENRA RULES

LEXICON

Here we will introduce the special words used in the

rules sections of Tenra Bansho Zero. Throughout

the rest of this book, the words here will be used

without explanation. If you know the meaning of

the words below beforehand, you’ll eff ectively pick

up the rules of the game.

GAME MASTER OR GM

Th is is the person in the group who is in charge

of the game. She is responsible for the flow of the

game, setting the stage and creating scenes, and

creating the adventure scenario in which the other

players will play. She also creates conf licts for the

characters, and describes what happens when the

players react to those confl icts. The GM is also the

referee and judge of the rules.

PLAYER OR PC

The rest of the participants in the game aside from

the GM are players. Each player is in charge of a

Player Character (PC), which they guide through

role-play. Players who take part in a scene are called

“acting players”, and a player who takes the role of

an important character for that scene is called the

“scene player”.

Player Character or PC

Th ese are the heroes and characters that the players

use to tell a story, as opposed to the background

characters that the heroes meet, which are called

NPCs.

WELCOME

Non-Player Character or NPC

These are the various story characters that the Game

Master controls, such as townspeople, leaders, and

villains. They interact with the PCs. Sometimes the

players will take on the roles of these NPCs as well.

Acts

Acts are units which show the passage of time, just

like acts in a play, movie, or anime. Think of acts as

chapters of a novel. Normally, one game session is

organized into 3-5 acts.

Scenes

An act is further broken down into scenes, just

like a TV show or anime. Scenes are the where the

actual role-playing happens. They are small chunks

of time or space in which the story, drama and

action occurs. Strings of linked scenes become an

act.

Intermission

Intermissions are the phases of rest between two

acts. During an intermission phase, Kiai becomes

replenished, character Fates and Destinies may

change, and changes to the characters are recorded

on character sheets.

Zero Act

The first act of the game is called the Zero Act,

and is meant to introduce the characters, introduce

major NPCs, and for the GM to assign each

character a Destiny. Each character gets one single

scene in the Zero Act.

Aiki, Aiki Chits

Aiki (pronounced: Eye-Key) means harmony or

kinship. Aiki chits are rewards that the players

or GMs give to players who are role-playing

well. Whenever someone has their character do

something cool, or something that is interesting in

the context of that character, that player will receive

an Aiki chit from the other players. Aiki is later

converted into Kiai. It is recommended that the

players use poker chips, coins, colored stones, paper

strips or other physical artifacts to represent Aiki

chits.

Kiai, Kiai Points

Kiai (pronounced “Key-Eye”) is literally a “fighting

spirit” or a yell used in martial arts. It is a symbol of

character power. Spending Kiai lets the character do

incredible acts of skill and grace, usually in the form

of rolling extra dice, or gaining extra successes.

Power comes with a cost, though: Whenever Kiai

is used, it will turn into Karma. The word “Kiai” is

made up of the same two Japanese kanji pictographs

as “Aiki”, only reversed—They are two sides

of the same coin.

Karma

Karma is gained when Kiai points are spent. They

represent the pollution of the character’s soul or

show the strength of the character’s ties to the world

of flesh and suffering. Karma is strongly tied to the

108 Buddhist Defilements or “Sins”, the afflictions

caused by human suff ering that afflict the mind

and body. Only through cutting ties to the

physical world can these defilements be reduced or

eliminated.

Fate

Fates represent the PC’s relationships and

connections with the world. Each Fate can be an

emotion towards another character, a thing the

character did in her past, a motivation, a belief, and

so on. Fates are the beliefs that move the character

to act day to day. A character’s Fate could also be a

trauma, a reason to continue living, or even a sin

that they committed.

Destiny

Destiny is a special kind of Fate which the GM

assigns to each PC at the beginning of each gaming

session. It is a goal that the player should try to act

out through their PC during that session. It is the

character’s mission in that scenario.

Asura

When you crave for unattainable things, when

you’re plagued by the loss that you feel when you

realize you cannot change or let go of attaining

your goals, and when you cannot forget the pain of

wanting things out of your reach, you lose the part

of you that makes you human. You either actively

WELCOME

or inadvertently destroy everything that you once

loved. You become an Asura (pronounced Ah-

Shur-Ah)—also known as a Lost Soul—a demon

in human guise. You reveal yourself to be evil, and

your PC becomes an NPC under the GM’s control.

Audience

In each scene, the GM and a few of the players

will participate, role-playing their characters. Th e

players who are not actively taking part in the scene

are the audience, just like the audience of a Kabuki

or Bunraku play. They have a role in awarding good

role-play and character expression with Aiki chits.

Scene Judge

This is an optional rule for beginning players. The

role of the scene judge is to give Aiki chits to the

other players. As other players role-play well, they

should be encouraged as well as given Aiki chits by

the GM or scene referee. The scene referee changes

from scene to scene. In normal games of Tenra

Bansho Zero, the scene referee is not used and all

players reward each other with Aiki chits.

THE BASIC RULES OF

ROLE-PLAY

Tenra Bansho Zero is like a play or story that

everyone participates in creating. The goal of the

game is to engage in the fun process of creating that

story through their characters, and enjoying the

story as it unfolds.

THE GM’s POWERS AND ABILITIES

For the player who participates as the GM, there

are some additional powers and abilities that come

with the job. Of course, they should stick to the

rules as much as possible. Moreover, they should try

their hardest to apply the rules impartially to all the

players.

If the GM makes a mistake in the application of a

rule, they should apologize immediately and use the

correct rule from that point on. Don’t try to “rewind

time”, as it were, and try to reapply the correct rule

to the situation. Think of it like a referee’s call in a

sports game; it shouldn’t be undone. What’s past is

past. Just make an effort to use the correct rule or

judgment in the future.

1: Rule changes and cancellations

The GM is allowed to change rules or

decide to work around or outside of the

rules at any time.

2: Decide how to use rules to resolve a situation

In situations where the rules don’t clearly cover

how to resolve a situation, the GM can decide

which rules should be used or how to resolve that

particular situation.If the GM faces a situation

where the rules don’t apply at all or where the PCs

want to do something not covered in the rules,

please use the following criteria when thinking of a

judgment:

• Does it feel like it fits the atmosphere of the scene?

• Does it sound cool?

• Does it seem to fit inside the plans of the rest of

the adventure?

• Does it add to the fun of the players?

3: Cancelling the effect of another player’s action

If the player decides to do something that

completely counteracts the atmosphere of the game,

the GM can say that it didn’t happen, and have the

player choose their action again. Th e GM should

never have to use this power often with a focused

group of enthusiastic players, but it is there as a sort

of “emergency break”, just in case.

4: Deciding the actions of the rest of the world

The GM can control the basic actions of the NPCs

without making them roll dice. They simply

succeed or fail at tasks as the GM decides.

WELCOME

VICTORY CONDITIONS

Tenra Bansho Zero is a type of game where there

are no winners or losers. However, if the players

don’t have any goals to work for, they certainly

won’t be able to play the game well. We’ve gone

ahead to set victory conditions for the game, both

for the players and for the GM in a game of TBZ.

The more of the conditions you fulfill, the closer

you are to “victory”, as it were, in the game.

The GM victory conditions, in order of importance:

1) You helped the players have as much fun as

humanly possible.

2) You help bring the characters to life in a way that

the players say, “I want to play this character again

someday!”

3) The players tell you the session was interesting

and enjoyable.

4) You helped each of the players take the stage, and

show offor express themselves in their own ways.

5) The players thank you for your effort in doing all

the above.

6) You helped create an interesting story.

If the GM filled more than half of the above

conditions, then the GM has achieved a “victory”.

She can go ahead and tell others that she

successfully mastered Tenra. However, don’t quit

just because you’re ahead! Try to do even better!

Moreover, if you suffer a “defeat”, then regroup,

focus on the victory conditions and try again later.

Don’t give up!

The player victory conditions, in order of importance:

1) You had fun over the course of the session.

2) You helped the other players to have as much fun

as you had.

3) You get the GM to say, “That was cool!” or “That

was great!” when you do something.

4) You were able to encourage the other players and

keep them involved.

5) You took the opportunity to show off or express

yourself.

6) You helped create an interesting story.

If the player filled more than half of the above

conditions, then they have achieved a “victory”.

The player can go ahead and tell others that she

mastered Tenra as well. If you suffer a “defeat”, then

regroup, focus on the victory conditions, and try

again later. Make sure to stand tall and not to blame

the others if you are “defeated”.

THE FINE PRINT

This section just has some small elements to be

aware of when reading through the rules sections of

this book.

RULES ABOUT DICE

This game uses six-sided dice, the kind that come

with most board games. When we refer to rolling

dice or “making a roll”, we mean rolling these

six-sided dice. Usually the players will roll with

one Attribute and one Skill. You will often see

statements like “Make a Spirit: Willpower roll”

or “Roll against the opponent’s Agility: Melee

Weapons”. See the basic rules section for more

details on how to make these rolls.

ROUND UP FRACTIONS

Any time you take a fraction of a number in the

game, you will always round up to the highest

full number, no matter what fraction of a number

results. 10 / 3 = 3.3, which in Tenra rounds up to 4.

CONCEPT TEXT

In the sections of text labeled “Concept”, we will

explain the hidden meanings behind the rules, how

they affect play, and why they exist. There are rules

that give the power to the GM to make rule changes

or make decisions based on rules, and we wrote the

Concept sections to emphasize that there is often

more to the rules than meets the eye.

WELCOME

GMs should read the Concept sections, so that their

decisions take the reasons behind the rules into

consideration. Once the GM is aware of the purpose

behind the rule, it will help the GM make better

on-the-fly rules decisions in the game.

TENRA, TENRA BANSHO, TENRA

BANSHO ZERO, TBZ

Throughout the game we will make reference to

all of the words above. Tenra Bansho and Tenra

Bansho Zero refer to the game you hold in your

hands. Sometimes we use “TBZ” as a shorthand

of “Tenra Bansho Zero”. Th e world “Tenra” alone

may refer to the game, but more often than not it

refers to the game world, as the setting the stories

take place in is a land called Tenra.

GENDER, GRAMMAR AND THIRD PERSON

PRONOUNS

Throughout the text, we will indiscriminately use

ale and female pronouns (he/she) when using third

person in the rules: The Japanese printed language

simply has no regular-use pronouns, so we’ve had to

do our best to add them in to this English version.

In many sections we refer to the GM as “she” and

the players as “he”. In the rules sections, we tend to

alternate using one pronoun (she) in some chapters

(Like this one, for instance. Did you notice?) and

the other pronoun (he) in alternate chapters. In the

end, this is a game to be enjoyed by both men and

women. In Japan, for example, Tenra Bansho is a

roleplaying game that is traditionally very popular

with female players!

The game is set in a fantasy analogue of Japan

during its Sengoku period—”Warring States Era”—

of several hundred years ago. Back then, there were

traditional roles set for men and women. There is

no reason whatsoever to emulate the gender roles

of historic Japan in this fantasy game. Th ink of it

more like an anime or manga-ized fantasy world,

where women and men can (and often do) trade

gender roles and break cultural, caste and gender

stereotypes.

Play with modern sensibilities to culture and gender,

and have fun with bending or breaking those

stereotypes!

VICTORY IN A GAME WITH NO LOSERS

Tenra Bansho Zero is different than most console

and board games, as there are only winners.

Defeating a player doesn’t lead to victory for the

GM, and trouncing a GM does not make the

players winners. It’s important to understand

that in this game, “Playing in a way that benefits

everybody” usually begins with “Play in a way that

is fun for yourself, and don’t ruin the fun of the

other players”. Or, more colloquially, “Don’t be a

jerk”. Th is is a game for the kind of people who

think “If I help others have fun, I’ll probably have

fun myself ”.

Let’s aim for that kind of play. Play with friends you

trust, enjoy their company, and push each other to

higher levels of enjoyment. It’s that simple. It takes

a while to get used to role-playing games like Tenra

Bansho Zero, but we’re confident you can quickly

have successful game sessions.

INTRODUCTION

You’ve read or at least skimmed through the

world section, and have seen the kinds of people

that inhabit the volatile world of Tenra. Now it’s

time to experience it. It’s time to play the game.

This section details the methods for bringing to life

another side of you, a part of you which will live in

the world of Tenra. These are the character creation

rules.

In Tenra Bansho Zero, there are a large number

of pre-made characters available so that you can

quickly pick one and jump right into playing the

game. If all of the players each choose one of the

characters in that section, everyone will be able to

begin the game quickly.

For people who are new to playing Tenra Bansho, or

people playing at a game convention or other place

where time is limited (like a spontaneous game with

friends), we suggest you use one of the many sample

characters found in the back of this book. However,

for people who really want to get into making a

character from scratch, we have rules that explain

how to create new characters.

DECIDING WHAT TO

PL AY

The first step to creating a character in Tenra

Bansho Zero is to first understand what kind of

game you are going to be playing this time. More

often than not, the Game Master will have at least

some idea for an adventure scenario, if not an

entirely prepared adventure from start to finish. In

this situation, the GM will share with the group

some of the ideas that she had for the scenario. The

players can from there decide what kinds of

characters to play.

The best thing to do is to not decide alone what

kind of character you want to play, but to bring

your idea to the table. Share your idea with your

fellow players and see what they think. They might

have some suggestions to make your character idea

more exciting, or perhaps be inspired to come up

with a character type that complements your choice.

Sometimes the GM will have a scenario that is very

focused, where the GM will create a few characters

to be used in that scenario. Each player will pick

one of the prepared characters, and play out that

role in the game.

Other times, the GM will have a simple, short

outline of a scenario. Or perhaps the GM is going

to wing it, and have no prewritten scenario at all,

instead basing it on the role-play and choices of the

players. In these situations, the players will be given

more freedom to choose their characters. Compare

the following game introductions, and think about

the kind of character that you might choose for it:

1) Prewritten Scenario

GM: “Hey everyone, I’ve put together a ‘Ninja

Clan War’ scenario. Basically two ninja clans duke

it out for supremacy of the domain. I’d like you all

to make ninja characters, or at least character types

that will work well in a ninja village.”

2) Scenario Outline

GM: “Hey everyone, we were talking earlier about a

change of pace, and Jason was interested in a court

drama game. So I was thinking of running a game

where all the players are nobility. It’s going to be

high drama, with lots of backstabbing and intrigue.

I have some ideas for the scenario, but nothing set

in stone. So feel free to choose any kind of character

that you want, but make sure that you think about

your Station, Empathy and Willpower scores,

because there’s going to be a lot of talking and

confrontation, and maybe one fight, if

any.”

3) From Scratch

GM: “Thanks for coming. I don’t have any

prewritten scenario today, but I have a few loose

ideas. So let’s talk about what kind of game we want

to experience, and what kinds of characters you

want to play.

INTRODUCTION

When we’re done, I’ll need about 10 minutes to jot

some notes down, and we’ll be ready to play.”

CHOOSING A SAMPLE CHARACTER

When choosing characters, here are some things to

consider:

• Does the GM require that certain character types

are chosen for the scenario?

• What kind of character do you really want to play?

Is there a character type you haven’t played yet, and

want to give it a shot?

• What would work well with the other characters?

If the other three players are all playing kugutsu,

would it be more fun to play a kugutsu as well? Or

would it be more interesting to play a different kind

of character, to accentuate the difference between

your character and the others?

In the end, play what you want to play. Share your

ideas with the other players, and listen to what they

think of your idea. The final decision rests with

you, though.

There are no wrong choices in character creation.

The focus of Tenra Bansho Zero is on the

characters, their struggles, and the stories that

emerge. You don’t have to balance the party as you

might in an online roleplaying game: “We don’t

have a healer. Somebody needs to be the group’s

healer. Who is going to be a Buddhist Priest?” Don’t

consider strategic party balance for overcoming

combat challenges: Instead, consider what would

make for a more entertaining time for everyone. A

good GM will make sure to change the scenario in a

way where any character choice is valid.

Finally, do not be concerned if everyone is interested

in playing the same character type. You can have

a game with four samurai, and yet each samurai

is different, both in abilities and especially in

personalities. One might be young and rash, another

might be old and jaded. One might have Art of

War skills, while another has annelids or limited

onmyojutsu skills. Even in a group where everyone

picks the same general character archetypes, you can

still have a great range of actual characters: So don’t

be afraid to pick the character type you want to

play, even if other players are choosing similar types.

If you are a brand new player to Tenra Bansho Zero,

it would probably be best not to choose character

types like onmyoji or shinobi, as they have magic or

special abilities that take a little while to get used to.

For your fi rst game, it might be better to stick to

the character types that don’t have as many special

exceptional rules: samurai, kugutsu, kijin and the

like. Having said that, if you are really interested in

a particular kind of character for your first game,

go for it! Just be ready to spend a little extra time

learning the special rules that go with that character

type.

Copy the character sheet

Copy the sample character you chose from the back

of the book, or print out the sample sheets of those

characters from the Tenra Bansho Zero website. Just

copy the needed information like Attributes and

Abilities, Soul points, Wound Levels and the like.

Make the character your own

From this point, the players can make small changes

to the sample character templates to make the

characters their own. The players should help each

other come up with a suitable ‘Tenra-like’ character.

Come up with names and genders, perhaps a very

brief backstory for the character. Work with the

other players to make sure that the characters will

be able to interact easily.

Name

In this book and on the website we’ve provided

several tables of cool ‘Tenra-sounding’ names

for you to make use of. Most characters will not

require a last name (traditionally only lords and

other higher members of the caste system have last

names), but instead have a single name or nickname.

For characters of nobility, they will have a first and

last name, and be called almost always by their last

name.

INTRODUCTION

Nicknames in English (or Japanese) are also

very common for seasoned adult characters, too

(“Yellow Knife”; “Gonta the Weaver”; “Ayame the

Headhunter”; “ Shadow Edge”). Buddhist Monks,

Onmyoji, and samurai often have names that might

be cool (“Ten Blades”), flowery (“Red Lotus”), or

esoteric (“Symphony of Clouds”). Kongohki and

Monks (once they join the order) almost always have

descriptive, poetic names that are based on words

and not human names.

Another effect is to add a nickname to a fi rst or last

name for extra effect: “Hawk Murakami ”, “O-Ren

the Songbird ”, “Magobei the Snake”.

Gender and Age

Choose these freely. Gender won’t be an issue,

and age will rarely matter. However, the GM

will sometimes have a scenario planned where

“This is a samurai scenario; children characters

wouldn’t work for this scenario” or “You are all

going to be surviving orphans at a temple, so older

folks wouldn’t fit in this scenario”. If the GM has

prepared a scenario, listen to the description of it

and choose an age that fits from there.

Society and Social Class

Tenra is a world at war. The traditional status and

severe restrictions of a classic social position system

are not strongly enforced in this world as they were

in real Japan. It is the kind of world where the

power a person wields—moreso than their social

standing or gender—influences others. Having said

that, a loose caste system is still in effect in Tenra,

just as it was in old Japan: First vassal warriors, then

farmers, then artisans and lastly merchants.

Character Image

The player should feel free to describe the character’s

image: the clothes she wears, her looks and style,

the things she carries, etc. The color of your

kimono, the condition of your sandals, the look of

the weapon you carry, your posture, grooming or

bearing… all these are little touches that bring out

the interesting parts of your character, making

her more lifelike for the other players.

Changing Fates

For your first game, it is recommended that you

keep the Fates for the characters as-is to get used to

how they work. From your second game onward,

feel free to change the Fates written on your

character sheet to whatever you want. Some of

the Fates that automatically come with pre-made

characters might not be fitting for the scenario.

If you or the GM don’t think a particular Fate is

relevant for the scenario, change it to a Fate that

works for you.

CHARACTER CREATION FROM SCRATCH

The rules for character generation from scratch are

for those people who aren’t satisfied with using pre-

generated characters, or when your group has more

time to work together to make new characters.

It’s been suggested above that for your first game

you should choose a pre-generated character.

Making a character from scratch is not hard, but

it can be a little time consuming the first time you

try.It can take up to thirty minutes to customize a

character from scratch your first time, but in time

you will probably be able to create a character in five

minutes or less once you become used to the system.

Characters made from scratch are created from

archetypes. Essentially, you pick and choose two

to four (or more) archetypes which will determine

your starting skill levels, special abilities, equipment,

special effects, and more. All you really need to do

is choose 2-4 archetypes and you are ready for play,

though in some cases players will want to customize

their characters further.

Choose Archetypes

Archetypes are brief descriptions of elements that

make a whole character. Some describe the focus of

the character, like “samurai” or “Shinobi”. Others

give describe their jobs, or other roles or qualities

like “Weaponmaster”, “Doctor” or “Wanderer”.

The first step is to skim through the archetypes

section of the rulebook and look for the archetypes

that appeal to you. If you want a specialized

INTRODUCTION

character like a samurai, kongohki, onmyoji,

annelidist, oni or the like, you will want to first

pick the archetype that will give you those special

abilities. From there, look at the skills which the

archetypes provides, as well as the unique Fates that

the archetype comes with. Sometimes you will want

to pick up an extra archetype (“Hard Luck” is a

popular choice) because it provides your character

with an exciting starting Fate.

If you want to play a character with magic powers,

specialist abilities, or unusual equipment, it’s

necessary to select an archetype that provides those

abilities. Later on you have the opportunity to

raise your starting basic skills like Melee Weapons

or Pillow Arts, but if you want to be able to use

Ninjutsu, Wormcharm, Resonance, or Interface,

you will have to buy an archetype during character

creation that grants those abilities.

If you want to play something other than a human

like a kugutsu, ayakashi, or oni, you need to choose

that race’s archetype package, called a “species

package”. Humans do not need to take any special

packages for their race.

It is possible to combine several archetype pack

ages toget her to make unique characters. The one

exception is that you cannot take more than one of

the aforementioned “species” packages (i.e. “half-oni

andkugutsu”; “ayakashi andoni”).

Character components like age and gender are not

defined by archetypes, so you can choose these

freely. Write your chosen archetypes on a blank

character sheet (either copied from the book, or

downloaded from the Tenra Bansho Zero web site).

Karma Cost

Each archetype you choose has an associated Karma

Cost. When you calculate the total Karma for

your chosen archetypes, the total for your starting

character must be less than 108. You are free to

choose as many packages as you want as long

as their combined Karma does not exceed 108.

However, you probably don’t want to build your

character with too much starting Karma at first,

as you won’t have much room to spend Kiai points

during the actual game. A good starting place is

somewhere between 50 to 90 Karma. Less than 50

and you may have a hard time accomplishing goals.

More than 90 and you will fi nd yourself with a

powerful starting character, but one who is very

close to becoming an evil NPC, an Asura.

The total amount of Karma of your archetypes is

your character’s total starting Karma. Please write it

down on the character sheet.

KARMA COST

Starting characters have a trade-off that you

will see in play: You can choose to start off

with a potentially powerful character with a

high Karma cost, like 100 or above. You can

also choose to start off with a potentially

weak character, with a starting Karma of

50 or so. The difference is that the high

Karma character will always be walking the

line of Good vs Evil, and will not be able to

perform as many wild feats using Kiai points

at fi rst. However, the character with the

lower starting Karma may not have as many

nifty abilities, but she will be able to spend

Kiai wildly and do incredible things without

having to worry about the consequences.

For new players, we suggest a starting

Karma somewhere around 60-90. Once you

become used to the way the game works,

you’ll be able to see the long-term effects of

starting off with higher or lower Karma.

Attribute Cost

Some of the character archetypes have something

called Attribute Cost. We will explain this in detail

soon, but it means that you will have a “minus”

when it comes to spreading a number of points

(usually 40 at character creation) amongst your

Attribute scores like Body, Spirit and Station.

Skills

The archetypes list the skills the character

will receive, and the level they are set at. An

archetype that lists the skill “Movement: 3”

INTRODUCTION

can only do this with general skills (the ones that

start out at 1, or “Unskilled ”), not specialist skills.

Specialist skills can only be gained by taking the

appropriate archetype which contains that skill.

Soulgem and Custom Weapons

If you want to start the game with a soulgem

weapon, please look at the weapons section in the

appendix. If you plan to take part in a fierce battle,

soulgem weapons are very useful in the hands of

seasoned warriors.

It costs five points of Karma to purchase each

soulgem weapon. Th e weapon comes fully loaded

with its capacity in soulgems: A soulgem-katana

with a capacity of 6 soulgems starts out fully loaded

with its six soulgems. To purchase additional

soulgems to use later (ammo bags and the like), it

costs 1 additional Karma point for every 5 soulgems

at character creation. During gameplay more

soulgems can be acquired.

Some playe rs may want to create customized

weapons for their characters: Soulgem swords

or rifles with a higher capacity or rate of fire, or

perhaps an unusual wicked-looking weapon that

was inspired by some manga, anime or video game.

A player can use the weapon creation rules in the

weapon list appendix to create a custom weapon.

Custom weapons cost an additional attribute point

to take during character creation. Please see the

weapons list and custom weapon creation rules for

more information.

ATTRIBUTES

In TBZ, all player characters have seven attributes:

Body, Agility, Senses, Knowledge, Spirit, Empathy

and Station. When you try to complete actions in

the game, the attributes represent the number of

dice that you will pick up and roll for that action.

Here is what each attribute represents:

means that the character sheet will have a final

rank of 3 in movement, so they should have “Three

Dots” total filled in under the movement skill. Since

the movement skill is a generalist skill which every

character starts out with one dot already filled in,

the player will only need to fill in two more dots

in that skill for a total of three filled-in dots.

Overlapping Skills

If you pick multiple archetype packages and get

the same skill more than once, it is called an

overlapping skill. You may change either of the

overlapping skills to another basic skill on the sheet.

If the overlapping skills are Specialist skills (skills

that start at “No Skill ”/”Zero Dots”, usually magic

and special abilities like Ninjutsu, Onmyojutsu,

Etiquette, Strategy and the like), you can change

one of the skills to either another specialty skill or

basic skill. If the overlapping abilities are both basic

skills (skills which every character starts at a rank

of “Unskilled”/”One Dot”, like Melee Weapons and

Movement), you can only take another general skill

and not a specialist skill.

At this time, you are not able to increase the level

of any of these stacked skills: That is, you cannot

add them together to get a higher level of ability

(Example: If you choose two archetype templates

and get “Melee Weapons: 2” and “Melee Weapons:

3”, then you keep “Melee Weapons: 3” and pick

another general skill to set at 2 like Movement

or Evasion. You do not add them together to get

“Melee Weapons: 5”).

Impossible Archetype Combinations

In the various archetypes, there exist some packages

that cannot be combined. For example, if you

choose a kugutsu, you cannot combine that with

a samurai because of their magical bodies. Please

read the archetype description for details on possible

combination restrictions.

Trading Attribute Points for General Skills

At the cost of one attribute point (the points that

you use to spread amongst your starting attributes)

you can either gain one single skill rated at 3

(Advanced), or two skills rated at 2 (Skilled). You

INTRODUCTION

Spend all of your 40 points. Do not leave any

points unspent, as they can’t be used after character

creation. Remember that you may also spend these

attribute points to raise the level of generalist skills.

Recommended Attributes

Some of the archetypes you choose for your

character will indicate if there are attributes that you

should focus on more than others. If the archetype

lists a recommended attribute, you’ll probably want

to start that attribute off at 6 or higher (for example,

Knowledge for onmyoji characters). However,

there is no rule forcing you to do so, this is simply

guidance to help you create an effective character.

Some of the archetypes list arms or equipment that

have a minimum Station requirement. In cases

where a number is written after Station, that means

that you must take at least that score or higher in

your station attribute to be allowed to take that

archetype.

Attribute Restrictions

Kongohki, oni, half-oni and kugutsu archetypes

have special requirements for attributes. Many

require you to put one attribute higher than all of

the others. Others, like the kongohki, start out with

some attribute scores set in stone. Please follow the

specificrules listed on those archetypes.

CONCEPT: The Meaning of Attributes

Player Characters in the world of Tenra possess

attributes that are higher than most normal people.

This is a way to make the players understand that

the character is not a regular human being. She is

something much more. This is something that the

players should remember. Their PCs are not

necessarily do-gooder heroes, but they certainly

are something more than the everyday people that

populate the world, and are capable of moving and

shaking the foundations of Tenra.

SUB-ATTRIBUTES

There are three sub-attributes for each character:

Vitality, Soul, and Wounds.

Body: Muscular power, physical energy and

stamina

Agility: Pure speed, dexterity, refl exes, and

quickness

Senses: Your five senses

Knowledge: Education, reason, logic,

understanding

Spirit: Guts, fighting spirit, willpower and sixth

sense

Empathy: Sympathy, emotional control,

the abilit y to manipulate people or relationships

Station: Social standing, Eminence, social class,

and infl uence in the world of Tenra

Example Attribute Ranges:

1-3: Normal for average people. Pretty low for most

player characters.

4-6: Normal range of PC attributes.

7-8: Excellent/high range for PC attributes.

9+: Supreme PC attributes.

Assigning Attribute Points

You have 40 points to spread amongst your seven

attributes. Make sure that you take into account any

attribute cost that your character archetypes have,

or attribute points which you traded in for skills,

mechanica, or custom weapons. Divide the

remaining attribute points amongst those attributes

however you wish. The number of points you assign

to an attribute will become that attribute’s final

value.

The lowest you can have an attribute is 1, and the

highest is 10. However, it’s best to try to keep your

attributes around at least 3 or higher. That way you

will roll at least three dice for any given action.

INTRODUCTION

Vitality

This represents a character’s physical durability

and ability to take physical punishment and wear.

You can think of them as being like Hit Points

(HP) from console, online, or other tabletop role-

playing games. These decrease as the character takes

damage in a fight. When Vitality reaches 0, the

character passes out and is out of the fight, though

she does not die. The maximum number of Vitality

is the total of Body plus Spirit.

Body + Spirit = Maximum Vitality

Soul

This represents a character’s force of will and ability

to take mental or spiritual stress. They act like

Magic Points (MP) in popular console or online

role-playing games. Soul points decrease as you

use magic and other special abilities like Ninjutsu

or Buddhist Magic. When Soul reaches 0, the

character falls unconscious. The maximum number

of Soul is the total of two times the total of

Knowledge and Spirit.

(Knowledge + Spirit) x 2 = Maximum Soul

Wounds and the Wound Track

The Wound Track is a way to represent serious

injuries in a way that encourages role-playing. Aside

from Critical and Dead conditions, there’s no real

rule punishment for stacking up wounds. To see

how these work in more detail, please refer to the

Combat rules section.

You calculate your Wound Track by the method

below. Remember to always round up for any

fractional number to the next whole number

(A score of 5 in Body, divided by 4 for Critical

Wounds, becomes 2 Critical Wound boxes.) On the

character sheet for each injury value, count the

number of boxes you need to leave open (for your

Body, Body ÷ 2, etc) and blacken out the boxes left

over in pencil.

• Light Wounds: The same as Body

• Heavy Wounds: Body ÷ 2

• Critical: Body ÷ 4

• Dead: 1 (Always just one)

Characters that have a variable Body attribute like

samurai and annelidists (or the kongohki/armour

“Meikyo Bonus”) do not suddenly raise or rewrite

their Wound Track or increase their Vitality score

when they activate their higher adjusted body

score. Rather, the wound track is calculated at

their ‘default resting state’, before the effects of the

samurai shiki or annelids or Karma, and stays at

that range even when their bodies are boosted.

Equipment and Money

Equipment and starting money entirely depends on

the Station score. Station is your social status, rank,

and political power in the world of Tenra. It defines

the things you are able to use your resources to

purchase and carry with you and the social level of

equipment that you’re allowed to use.

In olden days of historic Japan, only true mono-

no-fu (samurai) or vassal warriors were allowed

to carry katana or other weapons. Anyone who

wasn’t of the correct rank who was caught with a

katana was severely punished or executed. In Tenra,

Station represents your ability to get your hands on

otherwise restricted weapons or equipment, usually

through political power and social status.

If there’s no information in the rules about the

equipment you feel want your character to have, feel

free to take it if it makes sense (“an extra kimono”,

“a pet frog”, “art supplies for my paintings”).

However, in the case of weapons, make sure you

have a high enough station to possess that weapon.

Please see the weapons list for more information on

the station score for various weapons.

Any other equipment you want to take, feel free to

look through the sample characters or check with

the GM to see if it’s okay.

INTRODUCTION

In regards to money, there are not really any definite

rules to how much you start out with, other than

what is already written in the character archetype.

Just have the characters carry as much money that

would be appropriate to that character type. If

you’re really in a pinch and need to know how much

money and resources a character would be able to

gather as per their station, around Station x 500

monworth should do. But remember, this is a game

about drama and action, don’t get too caught up in

buying stuffand worrying about what you can or

cannot buy. Money—in this game—is used mostly

for show, drama, and role-play purposes.

Special Equipment

Gunpowder pistols, soulgem spears, samurai-shiki,

magic spells, annelids, and yoroi armours are all set

and limited to specific archetypes only. Please look

at those archetypes to find out more about their

equipment. You can only get that kind of equipment

by taking the appropriate archetype.

Once you have some experience with the system,

you can choose to substitute or customize your

character’s starting special equipment. For example,

you might want to change your starting annelid

loadout from the standard one on the annelidist

archetype. Or you might want a four-legged war

platform yoroi armour with more guns and no

melee weapons instead of the standard one that is

written on the armour rider archetype. You can

manipulate your starting special equipment, but

because of the time required to read those sections,

it’s suggested that for your first few games of Tenra

you simply stick with the equipment listed on your

archetype.

Starting Fates

W hen you choose your character’s archetypes,

you’ll notice that they have Fates set in them. Write

those Fates onto your character sheet.

For starting characters, you are initially limited to

two Fates. If you choose three or more archetypes,

please just pick two of the Fates which you like the

most from your collection of archetypes and write

them on the character sheet. One Fate will be rated

at 3, the other at 2; you may freely choose which

of these two ratings applies to which Fate. If there

are any special conditions regarding Fates in the

character archetype, please take note of them.

Special Characters and Powers

There are some special archetypes that have special

rules, powers or conditions applied to them. Some

have special equipment or abilities. Please read the

following section to see which powers apply

to which character types, and what special

conditions they have.

HEALTH, SOUL, AND NEGATIVE

NUMBERS

It may be a little hard to grasp at first, but

it’s possible to get “Negative Damage” when

using Soul and Vitality. If your Vitality or

Soul goes below zero, you simply pass out;

that’s all. You’ll stay that way for however long

is dramatically appropriate (but certainly not

realistic): A few minutes, a few hours, even a

few days.

There’s no limit to the amount of Negative

Damage you can take. For example, if you

fell 3,000 meters from the sky and landed

on solid rock, and take all that damage in

Vitality (and none in Wounds or the Dead

Box) you will simply only pass out. But

eventually (a few hours? 50? GMs should

be careful not to be too easy on the players,

but don’t try to mimic reality too much, and

certainly do not bore the players) you’ll wake

up, stand up, and say, “Damn, that was a

close one. I thought I was a goner for sure!”

Or, as a player, you may think it would be

interesting or cool to take some of that

damage in wounds. That way, you can act

cool and have your character say, “Crap. Well,

there goes that arm” or something like that.

It’s always best to aim for the coolest or most

interesting result when interpreting damage.

INTRODUCTION

Meikyo, the Clear Mirror

Agents of the Shinto Priesthood, yoroi armour-riders

and some of the other archetypes start out with a

meikyo soul mirror, and have the ability to enter or

manipulate the realm of Reflection.

By using two objects called a Soulcord (which looks

like a cable that stretches from the Meikyo to the

Helm) and Interface Helm (a visor, helmet, or other

headpiece that covers the eyes and ears), these

characters can interface with the intangible

information-based world known as the Reflection.

When they do so, they can use all of their general

skills at the same level as their Interface skill.

Interface effectively replaces these skills while in the

Reflection.

For example, while interfaced with a yoroi armour,

instead of using Agility with Melee Weapons when

you are attacking an enemy with your armour, you

use Agility: Interface to make melee attacks. This

applies to Notice, Evasion, Movement, and all other

general skills as well.

The Reflection is also a means of long-distance

communication. If you acquire both a meikyo soul

mirror-disk and have ranks in the Shinto skill,

you have the ability to enter the Ref lection and

communicate messages through other soul mirrors.

This ability is usually limited to agents of the Shinto

Priesthood. However, it is possible for two soul

mirror users to form a temporary network between

them for communication, like instant

communication over the Internet. Feel free

to decide limits of meikyo use with the GM when

you’re playing.

Also, feel free to describe the mysterious Reflection

world as you explore it: There is no set appearance

of the world behind the meikyo soul mirrors.

However, it might help to consider it like a futuristic

magical Internet controlled by one agency: The

Shinto Priesthood. What it looks, feels, and sounds

like, and how you communicate within it, is up to

you.

Meikyo mirrors are special objects meant solely for

their owners: it is impossible to acquire one through

money or other means.

Karma and Soul Mirrors

Both the character and the character’s meikyo

accumulate Karma separately. When you create

your character, find the overall Karma cost of your

character. The armour-rider’s Karma will start at 10,

while all the other Karma for that character goes

into the armour-rider’s (or puppeteer’s) soul mirror.

Keep track of these numbers separately: Meikyo

users start offinnocent, with very little accumulated

Karma until they experience more and more of the

world.

For example, if you have a total starting Karma

of 80, that means that your character only has

10 Karma herself, and your meikyo soul mirror

controlling the armour has accumulated 70 Karma.

You will keep track of your meikyo’s Karma

separately, because as it increases towards 108 it

grants a bonus to the user when using the meikyo

(piloting an armour, for example). Later in the

game, the meikyo user will be able to take in the

meikyo’s Karma in order to sublimate it.

Kongohki are different. With kongohki, their

meikyo is actually part of their body. Therefore,

all of their personal Karma is the same as their

meikyo’s Karma: They are one and the same, and

do not get tracked separately.

For all meikyo users, including kongohki, there is

a type of special bonus to actions that comes from

using a soul mirror with accumulated Karma. Th

is bonus is called a Meikyo Bonus. It is described

in detail in the armour and kongohki rules section,

and again in the Karma rules section.

Konghoki Overdrive Ability

Kongohki have the ability to temporary boost their

speed, movement, attacks and the like to incredible

levels. Th is ability is called “Overdrive”. It allows

the kongohki to move at incredible speeds in

combat. Please see the combat rules or kongohki

rules for more information on the Overdrive ability.

INTRODUCTION

Annelid Implantation

Annelidists are people implanted with creatures

and control those creatures by using a skill called

Wormcharm. For starting characters, each annelid

has an ingestion/implantation/infestation cost

that must be bought in Karma.

When a character implants herself with an annelid

in the actual story, the player has to pay the

annelid’s implantation cost in Kiai points. During

the game, annelids can only be implanted during

an Intermission phase. Do not forget that the

Kiai spent to implant the annelids in this manner

immediately becomes Karma.

Oni Resonance

It is said that oni and half-oni get their mystical

powers through their magical hearts. The special

abilities that are available to them because of their

horns and hearts are called “Resonance”. For

complete rules on how to use Resonance, please see

the oni Resonance rules section.

Pureblood oni can spend extra Karma (5 points

each) to use the special Resonance abilities of Gale

and Bless. Please read the Archetype and Oni

Resonance Powers sections carefully when you

are creating your character to find out how these

abilities work.

Samurai Ability

Some of the archetypes have “samurai” listed

in their equipment sections. These are no mere

warriors; these characters have special abilities, as

they have gone through the mystical and painful

samuraization surgery. Through verbal and mental

commands, they can cause their bodies to increase

in size and even mass, growing muscle and chitin

plates all over their bodies: The exact nature and

form of the transformation is up to the samurai

player. Samurai also receive special abilities granted

by the shiki spirit which inhabits their form. They

can only receive these abilities for a certain amount

of time: The time duration and Soul Point cost to

activate the samurai abilities varies from person to

person. Write down the samurai shiki’s abilities in

the notes section of the character sheet and note the

Soul cost to activate the samurai.

While we suggest simply using the samurai abilities

listed in the archetype, experienced players who

want to try a different samurai loadout can pick

a different one from the samurai rules section.

For experienced Tenra players who want to try

experimenting with the samurai’s shiki abilities,

they can use the onmyoji Shiki creation rules

to come up with different shiki to possess their

bodies. You can find more on shiki creation in the

Onmyojutsu rules section, and various samurai

loadouts in the samurai rules section.

Dark Arts of the Shinobi

The Dark Arts is another type of soulgem-based

surgery that elite ninja use to implant gems inside

their body. This procedure allows them to stock

dark magic into their bodies that make it easier

to perform special ninja arts. When they use their

ninja arts, the amount of Soul consumed is reduced,

down to a minimum of one point of Soul per

ability.

Ninja that go through this procedure are from that

point forward called “Shinobi”. They can reduce

the cost of using their special ninja arts: Th ey

can reduce the Soul cost of activation of all ninja

abilities by one point for each five points of Karma

added to the archetype. Remember to mark down

any additional Karma cost on your character sheet.

Karma Cost ÷ 5 = Number of Soul Points reduced

from the cost of activating any Ninjutsu ability

Example: Genta the Claw is a shinobi of some renown.

Genta’s player decides to ignore the Karma cost of the

Dark Arts of the shinobi template, and instead spend

30 Karma during character creation on the Dark

Arts to make them more powerful. Th is 30 Karma,

divided by 5, means that Genta’s Dark Arts rating

is 6. This means that whenever Genta performs a

Ninjutsu ability, he subtracts 6 from the listed Soul

cost of that ability, down to a minimum cost of 1

(Ninjutsu abilities cannot be reduced to a zero or

“minus” cost because of the Dark Arts).

INTRODUCTION

One character cannot be both a samurai and

undertake the Shinobi Dark Arts. You can still

combine the archetypes to create a samurai-ninja (as

crazy-badass as that sounds) who can use Ninjutsu

abilities, but the samurai will not be able to reduce

the Soul cost of the Ninjutsu abilities like a pure

shinobi can by use of Dark Arts.

Kijin Modification

If you choose a kijin archetype, you are able to

implant more kijin robotic/cybernetic implants

(called mechanica) if you wish. Look at the

Mechanica Data section for more information. Most

mods have an attribute cost, so reduce your attribute

pool by the listed number when making your

character. Add the attribute cost to the cost listed

in the archetype. Also write down any attribute or

other benefits the mechanica bring.

The Kugutsu Butterfly Dream

Kugutsu have the special ability to use the illusions

cast upon them to affect other people: Kugutsu can

make people enter the “Butterfly Dream”, a strange

dreamlike hypnotic state.

If the person is sleeping, the kugutsu can make

them dream without any effort. If the person is

awake, they have to use their Performance or Pillow

Arts skill to affect them. The opponent rolls their

Spirit: Willpower, and if the kugutsu is successful

the opponent is pulled into the kugutsu’s dream

world.

The Butterfly Dream happens in a moment of time

outside of the normal flow of time. A dream is

acted out in a Scene, just like any other Scene in the

game. The people involved in the dream are usually

limited to the kugutsu and the person or people

that she pulls into the dream. It is possible for other

characters to enter the Dream of the Butterfly,

but they will be figments controlled between the

kugutsu and the GM.

Also, if a kugutsu pulls another PC into the

Butterfly Dream by force (or when asleep), the

kugutsu chooses one of the PCs Fates or their own

Fates. The situation acted out in the dream must

somehow involve that Fate. It would be a good idea

to discuss with the GM the details of the dream

before starting up the dream scene. For more details

of the Butterfly Dream, see the kugutsu rules

section.

Yohjutsu: Ayakashi Abilities

If you choose an ayakashi or half-ayakashi

archetype, you can gain some of the sorceries and

unearthly abilities of the ayakashi called “Yohjutsu”.

To learn about the various ayakashi powers, please

see the ayakashi rules section.

You can reduce the Karma cost of yohjutsu abilities

by taking one or more Weaknesses. The amount of

Karma reduction is listed in the Ayakashi section.

In short, a Weakness of 2 gains 5 points of Karma

back, a Weakness of 3 gains 15 points, a Weakness

of 4 gains 35 points, and a Weakness of 5 is worth

75 points. However, you cannot reduce your total

yohjutsu Karma cost lower than 0. See the ayakashi

rules chapter for more information on ayakashi

abilities and weaknesses.

Example of Character Creation

In this next section we’ll take a look at building a

sample character from scratch. Character generation

will happen in the following order:

1) Work with the group and GM to choose a general

character type.

2) Pick Archetypes.

3) Divide up attribute points.

4) Work out skills.

5) Choose weapons.

6) Calculate total starting Karma.

7) Choose and record starting Fates.

INTRODUCTION

Work with the Group

It turns out that for this example scenario, the

Game Master will be running a game about

mercenaries. All character types are welcome,

but ones that work well as mercenaries (or would

make a good contrast to mercenary characters) are

welcome. Thinking for a little, you decide to make

an armour hunter: An ex-armour rider who now has

dedicated her life to single-handedly toppling those

mechanical monsters. The GM and other players

give a thumbs up and offer a suggestion or question

or two about your character’s background (“Perhaps

you are the daughter of a feudal lord?” “Did you

turn your back on your family after you stopped

being an armour rider?” etc). With a general idea of

a character, we’re ready to fl esh them out.

Pick Archetypes

After f lipping through the archetypes

section of the rulebook, a few fitting archetypes

stand out. Armour Hunter is a given. This character

used to be an armour pilot, so Former Armour

Rider looks like a fitting archetype. Perhaps

the character’s yoroi armour was destroyed in a

rout, and nowadays because of her experience

and background, she makes a living hunting the

very armours that she used to pilot. Finally, the

Mercenary archetype looks useful, so we’ll add

that one to the mix. We can make an interesting

character with these three archetypes, so we’ll use

them for now:

Archetype Karma Cost Attr. Cost

Former

Armour Rider

30 0

Mercenary 30 0

Armour

Hunter

30 0

Tot a l

The starting Karma Cost must be less than 108.

We’re at 70 to start offwith, and that is a good

number: Not too low, and not too high. 60-90 is a

good range for starting characters.

We will now jot down the archetypes we chose on

the character sheet, as well as the total Karma cost

and attribute costs.

Divide up the Attribute Points

Next we divide 40 points amongst the various

character attributes. However, because of the

attribute cost of 1 (due to taking the Armour

Hunter archetype which includes a custom weapon,

the ZAKT-8 blade), we’ll actually begin with

39 points to spread around.

Looking at the three archetypes chosen, we see they

recommend having a decent starting Body, Agility

and Senses. It will probably be best to start out with

6 or more points in these attributes. Also, it appears

that we will start out with the fearsome armour

hunter weapon called “ZAKT-8”, a huge modified

yoroi shortsword. This weapon requires a starting

Station of 4, so we must have 4 or more in that score

as well.

There are many ways we can divide up the 39 points

amongst the attributes. For now, we will divide

them like this:

Body 7

Agility 8

Senses 6

Knowledge 3

Spirit 5

Empathy 6

Station 4

After writing the above on the character sheet, we

then look on to the sub-attributes and fill those in

as well:

Vitality: Body + Spirit = 12 points

Soul: (Knowledge + Spirit) x 2 = 16 points

Light Wounds (Body) OOOOOOO

Heavy Wounds (Body/2) OOOO

Critical Wounds (Body/4) OO

Dead (1) O

INTRODUCTION

After we’ve marked the above on the sheet, we’ll

move on to the next section.

Calculate Skills

Looking at our three chosen archetypes, we see that

they provide us with the following skills:

Former A-Rider: Interface 3

Etiquette 2

Art of Rule 2

Mercenary: Melee Weapons 3

Marksman 3

Information 3

Armour Hunter: Melee Weapons 4

It looks like we’ve got two counts of Melee

Weapons, so this is an overlapping skill. We’ll keep

Melee Weapons at 4 (from theArmour Hunter

template), and move the second Melee Weapons

score of 3 (from the Mercenary archetype) over to

another general skill. We’ll choose the general skill

Notice which is currently 1 for all characters, and

turn it into a Notice score of 3.

Choose Weapons

Because we picked the Armour Hunter archetype,

we’ll start out with a ZAKT-8 Yoroi-killer sword.

After checking with the GM, we’ll add a simple

light katana shortsword as well. It’s mostly going to

be for show or used as a backup weapon, though.

A shortsword’s Station requirement is 2, so we can

own it with no problem.

The ZAKT-8 comes fully loaded with 8 soulgems at

no cost, but it doesn’t have any extra ammo. We’ll

take 15 extra soulgems in case the character gets in

a difficult battle. Soulgems cost 1 Karma point for

5 extra soulgems, which means that we’ll have to

increase our starting Karma by 3 points: It is a small

price to pay to be able to power up one of the most

dangerous weapons in the game.

Calculate Total Starting Karma

We’ve already totaled our starting Karma for the

three archetypes we picked, making sure that they

don’t go over 108. We started with 70 points in

Karma. We added 3 points for the extra soulgems.

Therefore, our total starting Karma is going to be

73 points. We’ll record this on the character sheet,

and track the rise of our Karma over time.

Choose and Record Starting Fates

This is one of the more exciting steps of character

creation: We’re going to decide what the character

cares about at the beginning of the game! As we’ll

see, these Fates will change over time as the story

progresses. However, for now we will look at the

three archetypes and choose the two Fates that

appeal to us the most. Looking over the three

available Fates, these seem to be the most interesting

to us, so we’ll write them down. We’ll fill in three

dots for one Fate, and two dots for the other:

Emotion: Hatred of Yoroi Armours 3

Emotion: Attracted to Strength 2

The current Fate Cost of these Fates is 10 points

(A Fate rated at 3 costs 10; a Fate rated at 2 costs

nothing; see the Karma rules for details), which is

always the same for most starting characters. We’ll

write “10” under “Fate Cost” on the part of the

character sheet which lists the Fates.

Write Information on the Character Sheet

As we go through the creation process, we’re writing

in words and numbers, as well as fi lling in dots

for skills and Fates, on the character sheet. Once

we’ve come to this point all that is left to note on

the character sheet are any special rules or extra

equipment that our archetypes grant us. This is

where we would list our samurai powers or Ninjutsu

abilities in the notes section of the character sheet.

The character that we made, however, has only

her two weapons, 15 soulgems, and three coppers/

monto her name (by player choice). She’s pretty

poor, which is always a great starting motivation

to seek adventure and danger… perhaps not for

fortune, but at least to eat a hot meal.

INTRODUCTION

Finishing Touches

Since we’ve finished all the above, the last steps are

to decide a character name or nickname, as well as

personal touches.

First, let’s pick a name. We’re going to make this

character a female, in her late teens (probably just

a few years after coming of age and not being able

to resume duties as an armour rider). The character

used to be an armour rider, so she probably had a

full honorific last and first name. Now, though,

she is a rough-and-tumble mercenary, so more

likely than not she goes by her given name and has

thrown away her last name.

She might take on a nickname later once she takes

on a few more scars as a mercenary. But for now,

we’ll call her “Kirie” (KIRI-E), her first name,

and say that at this point she has no interesting

nickname (but may pick one up later). She hasn’t

told anyone her last name, and does not know if

she’ll ever speak it again.

As for possessions, we will note that she has 15 extra

soulgems. Just as a character touch, we’ll give her

some money. Kirie’s player decides that she has 3

mon to her name, about enough to pay for her next

meal and maybe a mat to sleep on. Kirie will have to

take a job soon in order to eat.

Next, we’ll think about a few personal touches,

like speech mannerisms. In Japanese there are

various different ways to say words like “I” or “You”,

depending on how casual or honorific you were

attempting to be. We don’t have this sort of variance

in English (like the polite and old-school “Wata-

kushi” and “Anata-sama”, or the aggressively, almost

threateningly, casual “Ore”, “Boku”, “Atashi”, or

“Anta” and “Omae/Omee”), so we’ll just make note

of the fact that, even in polite company, she often

talks plainly and casually with others even above

her station. She’s not so rough and uncouth to use

casual speech in front of a lord, but she sure doesn’t

use polite or honorific speech unless she needs to.

A range of speech types includes Always Honorific,

Polite, Plain/Normal, Casual, Rough and Uncouth.

We’ll call her speech “Casual”. She’s got a loose

tongue after a few years as a mercenary.

With these last few touches, we’re done.

We are now ready to get started in an actual

Tenra Bansho Zero scenario.

Other Things to Consider

In truth, your character is absolutely ready for play

at this point. You don’t have to think too much

more about the character’s past, mannerisms or

beliefs. Anything important you can bring up in the

actual game through role-playing.

However, if you want to give your character a little

more fl avor, here are some questions you can ask

yourself as if you were your character. They might

provide interesting answers that you can bring into

play:

Character Questionnaire

1) Is there a story behind your name?

2) Does your age and sex affect your personality?

3) What kind of body type do you have?

4) Hair color? (usually black or brown)

5) Skin color? (light, dark, etc)

6) Eye color? (usually black or brown)

7) What kind of lifestyle do you live?

8) Can you bring yourself to kill a person?

9) What do you think of death? What do your

personal or religious beliefs tell you about death?

10) What is your purpose in life?

11) In one word, how would you describe your

personality or self?

12) Is there anything or anyone that you love?

INTRODUCTION

13) Is there anything or anyone that you hate or

fear?

14) Is there anything that you don’t want to do, or

would refuse to do?

15) What is one thing that you would like to do

soon?

16) If you left your family to travel, why did you

leave them?

17) Do you know anything of the Shinto

Priesthood? What do you think about them?

18) Do you know anything of the oni people? What

do you think about them?

19) Do you know anything of annelidists? What do

you think of them?

20) Lastly, what is your greatest hope?

BASIC ACTIONS

You’re running through a battlefield. Swords are

clashing all around you, bullets are whizzing past,

and the screams of the fallen are deafening. Can you

make it through without being hit or fazed?

This is the kind of thing that the resolution system

behind the game of Tenra Bansho helps determine.

In media like dramas, movies, books, anime and

manga, the characters often engage in duels of

wits, challenges of the mind, physical struggles or

outright fights. In those media the outcome is pre-

decided and written by the author. The fate of the

characters is left entirely up to the author or

director.

However, in role-playing games, the players often

do not know if their characters will succeed at a

difficult challenge or not. We use cards, dice, or

other randomizing tools to help determine whether

the character succeeds or not, and then watch the

story develops based on those results. Success leads

to the next step in the scenario, and failure also

leads to progress through interesting and dynamic

follow-up challenges. Having a game system in

place of a single author amplifi es the thrill of each

conflict.

In Tenra Bansho Zero, the game system takes

the form of rolling several six-sided dice. It is

recommended that you have several dice available

during play.

When the characters in the story come upon

a challenge, the resolution system follows the

following steps:

1) The GM decides initial success or failure

2) The GM decides the skill that should be used for

the challenge

3) The GM decides which attribute should be used

with the skill

4) The difficulty number of the challenge is decided

5) The dice are rolled

6) The player counts successes

7) The outcome is determined

INITIAL SUCCESS OR

FAILURE

Characters do things. They do things because

they want to affect the world, or because situations

were forced upon them by other characters. When

the GM presents a challenge to a player, the first

step is determining if the character is immediately

successful or not.

A fun and interesting challenge is a challenge where

success orfailure could lead to exciting results. This

is important to remember, especially for beginning

Game Masters. If the challenge is one where the

result of failure simply is not fun (“Jump over a

cliff or die”), or would prevent the adventure from

continuing forward (“Find the clue: If you can’t find

the clue, you can’t proceed”), then it is not an

interesting challenge. Simply have the result be a

success for the player, and move on to the next,

more interesting challenge. Alternately, the player

and the GM might consider that failing a challenge

would be a far more fun result than success. In this

case, the GM will describe the event as an automatic

failure and move the scenario forward.

In other words, don’t even pick up the dice if the

result of failure (or success) would simply stop the

game, or bring a result that isn’t interesting or fun

for anyone (instant character death, for example).

If you have found a situation where winning and

losing are both viable, interesting options that

won’t bring the game to a halt, this is an interesting

challenge. It’s time to translate this challenge into a

die roll.

BASIC MOVES

BASIC ACTION SUMMARY

Here are the absolute basics of the resolution

system of the game:

Attribute: This is the number of six-sided dice

you roll.

Skill Level: This controls the number (or less)

needed on the face of the rolled die for

that die to count as a success: 0 (No Skill,

impossible to perform), 1 (Unskilled), 2

(Skilled), 3 (Advanced), 4 (Master), or 5

(Supreme).

Successes: The number of dice that, when

rolled, came up equal to or lower than the

Skill Level.

Difficulty, or Challenge Rating: The

number of successes you need to clear a goal

(usually “1”). Scoring a number of successes

equal to or greater than this rating means that

the character succeeded at the task.

Rolling: Roll your attribute in dice, and

count the number of dice rolled that came up

at the same rank as your skill or less. Each of

these dice are a “success”.

Example: Rolling your Agility: Melee

Weapons. If your Agility is 6 and your Melee

Weapons is “3 dots”, then you roll 6 dice: Any

die that has a 1, 2, or 3 on it is a success, and

any die that has a 4, 5 or 6 on it is a failure. If

your skill was “2 dots”, then any die with 1 or

2 on it is a success, and any die with 3, 4, 5 or

6 on it is a failure.

In many situations, two skills will seem equally

relevant to the task at hand. If two skills seem to

be equally applicable in a particular situation, then

simply let the player use the higher of those two

skills.

The GM has final say on which skill is applicable to

a specif ic situation. Remember that as a GM you’re

not out to choose a character’s weaker skills to make

them fail, rather you’re attempting to be a fair

arbiter of which skill seems to be the best fit for the

character’s action.

Regarding Skills

Skills usually represent a character’s innate talents as

well as ability learned through practice and study.

The skills are divided into several classes:

Skill Level Dots/Rank

No Skill 0

Unskilled 1

Skilled 2

Advanced 3

Master 4

Supreme/

Special

The number of the rank (the number of dots filled

in on the character sheet) that a skill has represents

the skill level of the character.

A quick way to remember the words associated with

skill levels is through their first letters: NUSAMS:

No Skill, Unskilled, Skilled, Advanced, Master,

Supreme. If you want to remember the

skills only by their rank/number, that’s

fine too.

You will note that many of the skills listed on the

character sheet have one dot in them by default. Th

ese are general skills that most human beings have

innately. Also, many skills have no dots in them.

These are specialty skills that require specialized

training and talent to have.

DECIDE A SKILL

The GM decides which skill is applicable to the

roll in question. For assistance, please read the skill

descriptions in this chapter carefully. Just choose

the one that seems most appropriate for the task at

hand.

BASIC MOVES

“AWESOME” TRUMPS DICE

On some occasions, a player will describe

a solution or do something so cool when

presented with a challenge that the GM wants

it to happen that way. You’ll know it if you

see it: A player suggests a solution or describes

an action so fun or interesting that the other

players sit there in awe for a second before they

reply. Usually Aiki chits start flying as well.

In that case, as a GM don’t let the dice get

in the way: If you’re the GM and you think

that the player’s action was too cool not to

happen, simply let things happen in the way

described. This also rewards your players for

being creative and really pushing on making

the story as interesting as possible. Save the

dice for another future action.

Final approval of this is up to the GM.

Use this guideline in moderation, though. The

dice add a thrill to every encounter, make sure

you don’t opt out of using them too much!

There is no Unskilled Level in specialized skills; You

either don’t have it, or you are at the rank of Skilled

(or higher) in that skill.

“Supreme” represents the pinnacle of human,

or perhaps inhuman, ability. The highest most

characters will climb to is a skill level of 4, or

Master. Supreme skill represents inhuman or

magical ability, unique or unnatural training, or just

that the character is that one person in a million

at the peak of human perfection. The character

simply has a sublime Zen-like mastery of that skill

(or perhaps a skill boosted with dark magic, forged

on the fires of corruption, sacrifice and unbridled

inhuman ambition).

Decide an Attribute

After choosing a skill that is applicable for the task,

the next step in the resolution system is to pick the

attribute that fits best for this challenge.

On the character sheet, the skills are grouped under

their “recommended attribute” (Sneak is under

Agility, Information is under Knowledge, etc).

This is simply a good default attribute to fall back

upon. However, any attribute can be coupled with

any skill when creating a challenge, if it fits.

For example, going into a town and quickly

assessing where the village elder must live (without

talking to people or getting the lay of the land

fi rst) will probably be a challenge involving the

Information skill with its default attribute of

Knowledge. However, if a character comes across a

dead body in the woods littered with arrows, and

wants to determine where the arrows were made

or which group uses this kind of arrow, a fitting roll

would be Marksman with Knowledge (instead of

Marksman with the default attribute of Senses; the

challenge is testing the character’s ability to know

about the arrow or gather information about them,

not to fi re an arrow).

In cases where it is hard to decide a fitting attribute,

simply use the default attribute for that skill.

Decide the Difficulty of the Challenge

At this point, the Game Master should determine

how difficult the challenge is. Since the player is

not rolling against another character (see Opposed

Actions), the GM will have to set the difficulty at

one number, usually between 1 and 6. This is called

the “Challenge Rating” or “Difficulty”.

The player will soon roll the dice and determine

how many of their dice are successes. The GM will

have to reveal now how many successes are required

to overcome the challenge.

In most cases, simply getting one single success

means that the character succeeded at the task. One

success is all that most rolls require. However, if it

is more fitting that the task is dramatically harder,

more challenging, or requires more risk to pull

off than other challenges in the game, then the

challenge rating for that challenge will be higher.

The GM should reveal to the player how many

successes are needed before the dice are rolled. Th e

success number should not remain hidden from the

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player. This helps them understand how challenging

the task is, as well as if they want to bring in other

resources (like other characters, or the spending of

Kiai points) to assist in succeeding at the task.

The Difficulty/Challenge Rating determines the

number of successes the player needs to roll on the

dice to accomplish the task successfully.

Challenge Rating

1 You could probably do this in your sleep

2 If you have some skill in it, you probably won’t fail

3 With practice, skill and innate ability, you can do

4 People with advanced training at least have a

chance of doing it

5 Extremely difficult

6 Almost Impossible

It is not suggested that you make difficulties higher

than six, except in extremely rare circumstances

such as the player wanting to do something

physically impossible yet the GM wants to give

them some remote chance instead of saying “No”

outright.

Roll the Dice

At this point, now that the player knows the

difficulty of the task, she will roll dice and measure

success. The player rolls a number of dice equal to

the attribute score used for this challenge. The dice

are rolled in front of everyone.

Count Successes

When the dice are rolled, the player will make

use of the skill’s value and count the successes. A

success is any die that comes up with a number of

pips equal to or lower than the character’s skill level.

In other words, rolling low (“ones”) is better than

rolling high (“sixes”).

For example, a player is using her Movement skill

to leap through a forest canopy to pursue a foe. The

character’s Movement skill score is 2 (“Skilled”),

represented by two filled-in dots on the character

sheet. Any die rolled that comes up showing 1 or

2 pips is a success. Any die that comes up

showing 3, 4, 5 or 6 pips is a failure and is

not counted.

If you are rolling your Notice skill, and your notice

skill has 4 dots on your character sheet (indicating

that you are a Master of Noticing), then any die that

comes up as a 1, 2, 3, or 4 is a success. Any die that

comes up as a 5 or 6 is a failure and is not counted.

Compare the number of successes the player got

with the challenge rating that the GM set. If the

player gets a number of successes that equals or

exceeds the challenge rating, then their character

succeeds at the action. If the player gets a number of

successes which is lower than the challenge rating,

then their character fails.

It can take a little bit of time to get used to

the system, but simply remember:

• Attributes represent how many dice are rolled in

challenges.

• Skills represent the number of “pips” a die must

have, when rolled, to count as a success.

• You are attempting to roll many dice, and trying

to roll them as low as possible (ones and twos in

most cases). You then count the number of dice that

were successes.

Determine What Happens

The last step in this process is determining what

happens based on the results. The GM is the one

who usually describes what happens based on the

die roll, whether the result was a failure or a success.

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The GM can also invite player input. Or, she might

ask the player:

“You succeed. What happens?”

Or:

“You fail. What happens?”

In this case, the player can describe the result. The

GM has final say as to whether it happened that

way or not. The best thing a GM could do when

letting the player describe the outcome (success or

failure) is to let the player describe the gist of what

happens, then the GM restates that result, adding in

details and continuing forward from there.

Challenge Rating Limits

The max challenge rating is usually 6. For

extremely rare cases, you can make it higher than

this. However, remember that while all challenges

shouldn’t be easy, the object as GM isn’t to beat up

the players from game start to finish with high

difficulty numbers. In most cases, 1-3 successes

should suffice for easy to moderate tasks, and 4-6

successes should be fine for a challenge rating that is

“hard” to “impossible”.

Remember that the number of dice that the player

can roll is based on their attribute. There is a finite

limit (which can be bent or broken by spending

Kiai, more on that later) to the number of dice a

player can roll for a task.

If you want to determine the odds that

your character can beat a particular task,

you can calculate the character’s average

success rating for that skill. It’s s simple

mathematical process:

Average Success Rating =

Attributex(Skill Rating ÷6)

In the “ jump” example, Autumn Rain’s average

success rating for Movement skill tasks based on the

Agility attribute would be 8 x (3 ÷ 6), or 4.

AUTUMN RAIN’S JUMP

GM: Autumn Rain, a mercenary on the run, now

knows well the price of retreat. The tide of battle

turned against her company, and—as mercenaries

do—they dispersed and ran away. Autumn Rain

finds herself alone as she is running along a

forested mountain path. Through the bitter cold

and the rain, she finds herself talking to herself to

keep her mind focused:

Player: “Those Rasaku Clan bastards. The first

sign of trouble and they tuck tail and run…”

GM: Suddenly, the path opens up into a 4-meter-

wide pit. Must have been a stray artillery shell.

Player: “…I can make it.”

With that, Autumn Rain leaps up, her body

silhouetted against the surrounding trees for

several seconds.

After deciding that this is an interesting roll

(she decides failure means that the enemy troops

catch up to Autumn Rain and capture her), the

GM thinks about the difficulty. Autumn Rain is

running up a sloped mountain path. On top of

that, the rain has

made the ground slick. The 4 meter distance

will be hand-waved by the GM: Many characters

in manga and anime can jump that far with no

problem. The GM decides that the challenge

rating will be based on the skill Movement, and

have a challenge rating of 3. Autumn Rain’s player

uses her Agility score

with this roll. Since her agility is 8, she picks

up and rolls 8 dice, and compares the numbers

that come up against her Movement score to find

successes. Her Movement skill is 3, so any die that

comes up a 1, 2 or 3 is a success. She is looking

for 3 or more of

these successes, since the GM announced that the

challenge rating is 3.

She rolls the dice, and gets 5 successes.

GM: Autumn Rain’s form floats through the

air in a magnificent arc, landing squarely on the

opposite side of the pit and tucking into a roll.

Glancing quickly back to the enemies chasing

after her in the distance, she snorts in defiance

then turns to run the rest of the distance to the

nearest town.

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It’s a handy equation to have if you want to see if

your character has a decent chance of succeeding at

a task without the aid of Kiai points.

CONCEPT: WHY USE A GAME

SYSTEM?

For many people used to online chat-based

role-playing games where people make up

results on the fly, or computer-based role-

playing games where the results are decided

by the computer, it’s probably a good idea

to understand why this game uses dice and

“challenge ratings” and the like.

First, not knowing the outcome of a conflict,

where both winning and losing could result in

interesting results, is entertaining.

Second, it’s a way for tasks to have their

outcome decided in a non-arbitrary way. Sure,

the GM decides a difficulty rating, but from

that point on it’s up to the player whether they

succeed or fail.

Third, it interjects some chaos into play:

Watch as skilled people fail, or unskilled

people succeed, and decide how that came to

be. This chaos creates some interesting story

twists!

The GM is given a lot of power in this game:

She decides the difficulty of tasks, where the

story turns and leads after the dice hit the

table, etc. The GM has to decide what to do

when a task or conflict isn’t really covered

by the rules. Overall, the GM should strive

to remain fair and balanced. They shouldn’t

strive simply to shut the players down if they

try new things by using the rules as a wall:

Rather, they should use the rules to support

the players in their character’s acts as the story

develops. The Zero System chapter gives more

tips on how to run a fair and exciting game of

Tenra Bansho Zero.

OPPOSED ACTIONS

When one PC is working against an NPC, or two

PCs are working against each other, both players (or

the player and GM) roll dice against each other and

look for successes; the side with the most successes

wins that confl ict. It’s that simple.

There are times when both players will have the

same number of successes. When this happens,

both sides simply pick up the dice and roll again,

repeating this until one side wins. On these rolls,

the dice and bonuses do not change. If you spent

Kiai points to gain more dice, or used Kiai to gain a

temporary skill level bonus, those continue to

remain in effect until one side gets more successes

than the other. At this time, time “stops” within the

game until the roll ends with a clear winner, then

“resumes” when a victor emerges.

EVERYDAY POSSESSIONS

In the game of Tenra Bansho Zero, there’s no real

sense of keeping track of money. Even though your

character might have written down “10 mon” or “5

ryo” on the sheet during generation, that’s more

of a color item to give you some details about what

kind of character they are. Players shouldn’t worry

about how much money their characters have, or

how much they need to buy stuff. Instead of that,

use common sense and role-playing to determine

what your character might get a hold of, or how

much things cost. If you decide you need something

that’s well within your character concept, you have

it. If you need something that falls outside of your

character concept for that time, work it out with the

GM. The GM will either let you have that resource

outright, or perhaps work out details to get one.

Money shouldn’t really be treated as anything more

than color for the game. Sure, there’s the Japanese

expression “Yoh no naka wa kane ja”, or “Money

makes the world go round ”. However, how much

money you have on your sheet isn’t important. It’s

how it is used in the game that’s important. It’s not

about how much you have or lose, but how money

can make the situation more interesting:

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THE HIDDEN INFILTRATOR

Autumn Rain has infi ltrated the estate of a

noble bushi. She pulled away a ceiling board

in the entryway, and has just climbed up into

the rafters. She passes over a room containing

the lord and his highest paid ronin, talking

and drinking sake a few meters below her.

She passes over a small hole in the ceiling

tile, casting an almost imperceptible shadow

below. The ronin’s instincts flare up, and he

slowly begins looking around the room.

“…Damn. Does he sense me?”

The tension rises, thick as a fog.

The GM calls for the player to make a roll to

stay hidden, to effectively cover her presence

by remaining still and holding her breath.

This roll, the GM decides, will be based

on the attribute Spirit and the skill Stealth.

The Ronin will oppose by rolling Spirit and

Notice, to try to detect (even without realizing

it) the ki or presence of the intruder.

Autumn Rain’s player rolls and gets 3

successes. The GM rolls for the ronin and gets

3 successes, too. Since it’s a tie, it’s a do-over:

They both pick up their dice and roll again.

This time Autumn Rain gets 3 successes,

and the ronin gets 2. Autumn Rain wins this

conflict.

Suddenly, the master calls to the ronin

hile tapping his empty sake glass with his

lacquerware fan, breaking the tension in the

room and the ronin’s concentration. The ronin

nods subtly and pours more sake in the lord’s

cup. Autumn Rain continues to move forward

in the ceiling rafters.

GM: The mob boss looks you up and down. “I know I

told you ten ryo. But you botched that job up. Got one

of my men killed. Here’s five ryo, and you should count

yourself lucky I give you that much.”

Player A: “We agreed on ten. The price… is ten.

Your man got himself killed. If you’re going to back

out of our arrangement…” I say as I sloooowly lower

my hand to the hilt of my sword, looking at the other

guards with as much of a fierce glare as I can muster.



Player: Muroku needs a horse.

GM: Sure, he’s a samurai. I can imagine you have

enough money to buy one at the next town, no

problem.

—Or —

Player A: Muroku needs a horse.

GM: Hmmm. You just escaped from your bandit

captors, who took all of your possessions. You fought

your way out, and barely managed to keep your trusty

katana. You’ ll probably have to work at it. Either steal

a horse from the bandits, or perhaps find a job as a

bodyguard for a few days once you get to town.

Player B: What if Muroku has an old friend in town

who could lend him a horse?

GM: That’s a good idea, too. So which do you want

to do? Steal one from the bandits? Or get to town and

find your friend? The latter one will involve more in-

character role-playing.

Player A: Hmmm. I want to get back at the bandits.

I’ll steal one of their horses.

GM: Cool. I’ll make that the next scene, we’ll see if

you can steal that horse or not, and maybe fi nd out

more about the bandits in the process.

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EQUIPMENT REPAIR

Sometimes kijin mechanica, gemblades, and other

special equipment purchased at character creation

can become “broken”. This doesn’t necessarily mean

that they are forevermore unusable.

Instead, it is just that they don’t provide their dice

or other special bonuses anymore. The equipment is

effectively “tapped out”. Equipment only becomes

broken if it works for the story; equipment has no

hit points or wounds. Instead, the GM may simply

rule that an item needs repair. Breaking or

damaging equipment may be a result of a failed skill

roll (the GM should discuss this possibility before

the roll occurs).

For example, a gemblade would no longer provide

its damage bonus, nor would it be able to use

soulgems or gunpowder. The same is true for kijin

mechanica. Their effects are lost, their die bonuses

and the like no longer work. In cases like

mechanical eyes, it isn’t that the character

becomes blind: They can still see, but the in-game

mechanical bonuses are lost until they can be

repaired. A gemblade might be cracked in half, or

simply dulled, requiring repair to return it to its

natural condition.

Repair can happen during intermissions or at the

end of a game session. There’s no “repair roll”

or anything like that. All that is required is the

permission of the GM. Usually this means that the

character took the time to seek out a repairman, or

made the necessary repairs herself.

If it makes sense in-game, and the player agrees to

it, then a piece of equipment like a gemblade could

be totally annihilated, destroyed without possibility

of repair.

FINDING SPECIAL EQUIPMENT

During the course of a scenario, a character might

find an excellent new gemblade or stumble upon

a cache of hundreds of soulgems. During the

adventure, the character can use these as she sees fit.

However, to keep this equipment from one Act to

the next, the player has to spend the Equipment

Cost of the equipment found, as per the chart

below. The GM may rule that a player can keep

special equipment from one Act to the next, but

before the game ends the character must spend the

cost if she wishes to keep the equipment.

If the player doesn’t spend the cost (on the

Equipment Cost chart) of the newly found

equipment by the last act of the scenario, then

that equipment is lost. Your onmyoji character

might obtain thousands of soulgems at the end of

a scenario that focuses on a mining conspiracy, but

start the next scenario with that character with only

20 soulgems (4 Kiai points’ worth) in her pockets,

having left the rest, given them to someone, or spent

them all on sake and fancy kimonos. The choice is

up to the player.

Equipment Cost in Kiai

Special Weapons* 10

Gemblades 3

Gunpowder Weapons 2

Buying New Soulgems

(per 5)

Buying New Shiki

Prayer Slips (per 10)

Mechanica attribute penalty x 10

Annelids annelid cost

* Includes armour, kongohki, kijin weapons and

equipment, as well as customized weapons.

GUNPOWDER AMMUNITION

Like soulgems, g unpowder weapons require

ammunition to function. However, lead and

gunpowder bullets are not nearly as hard to acquire

as soulgems. Bullets for gunpowder weapons are

completely refreshed during each intermission phase

of the game. There is no Kiai cost for replenishing

gunpowder ammo.

BASIC MOVES

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT

Kongohki and kijin mechanica, as well as

the armour hunter’s ZAKT-8, all are special

equipment which requires an attribute cost to

initially purchase during character generation.

When these are chosen at character creation,

they are effectively a part of the character

(in both the physical and philosophical

meanings).

Damage, destruction and loss may be

interesting to portray in the game, but unlike

other equipment it can mean life or death for

the owning character.

That’s why the intermissions give the players

a chance to quickly heal any damage to

this equipment. In most cases permanently

denying this equipment from the player

would really mess up the initial character

concept. That’s why the player has so many

chances to replenish and repair her character’s

equipment. That’s also why the player has the

final say in the permanent loss or destruction

of specialized equipment: It might make the

story “cooler”, but it’s good to make sure

the character’s player is on board with that

decision as well.

While upkeep should be spent for new

equipment gained, some GMs may want to

wave away the idea of equipment damage.

Sometimes it can be interesting in a game,

other times threatening players with

equipment failure or damage can simply get

in the way of the story. If you want, feel free

to treat equipment damage and failure as

optional, unless the rules specifically call for it

(Some Arts of War require the destruction of

the attacker’s weapon).

SKILL LIST

The skills below are listed under their default

attributes. Remember that in play you can couple

any skill with any attribute, depending on what

your character is trying to do. Some examples are

provided for each skill of cases where you might pair

another attribute with the skill. Many skill usages

overlap with each other, as the skills have multiple

purposes and usages.

Skills are listed by Skill Name and Skill Type.

There are basically two types of skills: General and

Specialist. General skills are skills that everyone

starts off with as Unskilled (one “dot” filled in on

the character sheet). These are skills that anyone

can quickly raise through self-training and practice.

Specialist skills can only be bought through

choosing special archetypes which provide them.

These skills represent special training and

background that most common people cannot hope

to attain, and always start out at Skilled (2 dots) or

higher.

You can pick up a general skill at the Skilled (2 dot)

level any time in the game by spending the requisite

Kiai (5 points). You can also spend Kiai to raise a

general skill up a level any time during the scenario.

You may raise a specialist skill up one level any time

during a scenario you wish as well. However, if

you want to take a specialist skill for the very first

time (raising one of these skills from 0 to 2 dots,

or No Skill to Skilled), you must wait for the next

Intermission phase to gain that specialty skill.

A number of specialist skills are classified as elite

skills. Elite skills are specialist skills that require

special upbringing from childhood, or induction

through an intense training regimen. A character

can gain these skills like other specialist skills,

however they need a good reason (or story idea) for

how they were able to take such skills. Decide with

the GM and the other players how that might have

happened.

BASIC MOVES

BODY CLASS SKILLS

Unarmed Combat—General

This is the skill and the art of fighting unarmed, or

using special “open hand- based ” weapons. Th is

ability can also be used for spiritual or open-minded

actions like detecting an opening in the enemy’s

defenses, or feeling a “killing intent” from the spirit

power of a nearby enemy.

BODY: Attacking and defending

SENSES: Sizing up the enemy and guessing their

general strength or skill

KNOWLEDGE: Recognizing the opponent’s style

or weapon

SPIRIT: Detecting a killing intent from an open or

hidden enemy

STATION: Demonstrate your martial ability

through words or physical actions

Wormcharm—Specialist

This is the skill that is used when an action deals

with annelids in any way. Finding annelids,

knowledge of annelids, caring for them and using

them all fall under this skill. When employing

combat-based abilities, this skill is used as well:

Couple it with Body for melee worm attacks, or

with Senses for projectile attacks.

BODY: Making melee attacks with annelids

AGILITY: Catching wild annelids

SENSES: Finding annelids; making annelid ranged

attacks

KNOWLEDGE:Annelid knowledge

EMPATHY: Caring for annelids

STATION: Information about the Mushi-tsukai,

Nests and rank in Annelid-user society

AGILITY CLASS SKILLS

Movement—General

Almost every physical action falls under this skill:

Lifting heavy objects, climbing up a cliff face,

jumping over obstacles, swimming, maneuvers in

the air or while falling, leaping from tree to tree, or

riding a horse or carriage. All these things and more

fall under the Movement skill.

BODY: A hard endurance run, lifting heavy things

AGILITY: Quick sprints, falling without hurting

yourself

STATION: Riding a horse

Melee Weapons—General

This skill involves the use and knowledge of any

and all melee weapons. There’s also a mental aspect

which encompasses things like detecting an enemy’s

killing intent, or seeing through an enemy’s stance

or defenses.

AGILITY: Attack and defense actions in melee

combat

SENSES: Determining the relative power or skill of

an enemy

KNOWLEDGE: Knowledge of weapons

SPIRIT: Detecting an enemy’s killing intent, either

open or hidden

STATION: Intimidating others

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Evasion—General

This skill is used to escape dangerous situations. In

many cases it is a simple dodge, and can be used

against an opponent attacking with any kind of

weapon. However, if this skill is used you can not

make a counter-attack (see the Combat section for

more details).

AGILITY: Dodge an attack

SPIRIT: Detect the presence of others

STATION: Demonstrating your power

Stealth—General

This is the art of doing things without being seen.

Hiding in shadows, or moving without making

noise. If you are trying to do something without

someone else noticing, they will usually make a roll

to resist using Notice. This ability can also be used

to hide from armour and devices with the Soulfind

ability.

AGILITY: Moving stealthily, hiding without being

noticed

SENSES: Detecting ambushes, optionally use in

place of Notice to detect hidden people

SPIRIT: Hiding your own ki-presence, holding your

breath, blending in with the environment

Ninjutsu—Specialist (Elite)

This is the elite skill of the ninja and shinobi of

Tenra. This skill represents high-level specialist

training and Spartan-style rearing. At the command

of their clan’s leader they would quickly take part in

dangerous missions. This skill is not really used like

normal skills, but rather shows the rank and power

level of the ninja. Please see the Ninjutsu section for

ninja abilities and descriptions.

You should write your clan or style name in next to

the Ninjutsu skill (Ninjutsu: XYZ Clan). If you are

training in more than one style or under more than

one clan, then write each Ninjutsu ability separately.

Criminal Arts—Specialist

Pickpocketing, lock picking, applying or treatment

of poisons, setting up or dismantling traps, or tricks

of the hand used in criminal activities, all these fall

under criminal arts. It also represents knowledge of

crimes and their punishments, as well as knowledge

of the criminal underworld, and connections within

it.

AGILITY: Pickpocketing, springing locks or traps,

sleight-of-hand tricks

SENSES: Spotting traps, detecting poison

KNOWLEDGE: Criminal knowledge, knowledge

of the underworld society, poison lore

SPIRIT: Intimidation

EMPATHY: Finding or keeping underworld

connections

STATION: Intimidation based on social status

SENSES CLASS SKILLS

First Aid—General

This skill covers the treatment of common injuries

and illnesses. Th is is an important skill in the

world of Tenra, a world without prestigious medical

colleges and the like: Home doctoring, plant-based

medicine, bone-setting, and homeopathy are the

common tools of this skill. Please see the Combat

Section for more information of the rules usage of

this skill.

SENSES: Actually performing first aid, finding

medicinal plants

KNOWLEDGE: Herbal lore, doctoral knowledge

Notice—General

This is the skill used to find hidden people or

things. It can also be used to detect killing intent

from a hidden foe (to prevent an ambush), or a

person’s physical presence. It also involves the use of

BASIC MOVES

all five senses, including hearing, touch, and taste

(and perhaps even the sixth sense).

SENSES: Finding hidden or hard-to-find people or

things

SPIRIT: Detecting killing intent or a human’s ki-

presence

Marksman—General

The Marksman skill covers all weapons that fire,

shoot, or are thrown by hand including shuriken

and kunai, bows, gunlances, gunpowder weapons

and heavy weapons. Unlike other weapon skills, this

skill cannot be used to defend or gain a counter-

attack. The mental aspects of this skill include

repair, assembly and knowledge of missile weapons,

as well as detecting ambushes, sensing killing intent

and the like.

SENSES: Firing weapons, throwing kunai

KNOWLEDGE: Knowledge of missile and thrown

weapons

SPIRIT: Detect killing intent, sensing an ambush

STATION: Intimidating foes

Pursuit—General

This is the skill of using tracks and knowledge to

hunt down people and animals. It’s also a skill that

can be employed to shake off a pursuer by covering

one’s tracks and blending in. It can cover everything

from knowledge of animal movement habits, to

understanding the psychology of the criminal mind.

SENSES: Spotting clues, tracking downprey

KNOWLEDGE: Knowing common runaway and

refugee hideouts

SPIRIT: Covering your tracks, blending into a

crowd

Forgery—Specialist

This skill covers lots of things, including cutting

coins or counterfeiting, creating fake documents or

passes, crafting keys, or engineering small devices or

traps. This skill also covers the knowledge of all the

above (and the network of other people who do

them), as well as the ability to spot or size up the

quality of a forged work. In social situations, this

skill can be used to find forgers or other related

connections.

AGILITY: Creating a fake or forgery byhand

SENSES: Engineering, creating or setting traps,

spotting fakes

KNOWLEDGE: Knowledge of precious metals,

crafting techniques and the like

EMPATHY: Finding or keeping connections in

forgery circles

STATION: Knowledge of and connections with

fences and other people who move stolen or forged

goods

KNOWLEDGE CLASS SKILLS

Information—General

Also known as, “Ahh, I’ve heard of this before…”,

this is the general skill of trivial knowledge. It’s

also the skill of having one’s ear to the ground, of

knowing the lay of the land (both physically and

socially) of towns you visit, and hearing the latest

big news.

KNOWLEDGE: “I heard about this from a doctor

friend of mine…”

STATION: “I heard this rumor about Lord

Kagehisa when I was at court, talking to his

entourage…”

Onmyojutsu—Specialist

This skill covers all training, knowledge and use

of Taoist summoning magic. It also represents

knowledge of mechanisms, armours, samurai,

BASIC MOVES

and other objects owered by magic. Please see the

Onmyoji section of the book for more details of the

use of this skill.

KNOWLEDGE: Knowledge of magical devices

and spirits

STATION: Influencing other onmyoji, using your

reputation as a Taoist summoner

Art of War—Specialist

This skill represents one’s level of mastery in a

particular Art of War discipline. This skill is not

used like normal skills, but rather simply shows the

level of power and influence in that discipline or art.

You should write down the art studied next to the

skill name (Art of War: XYZ). If more than one Art

of War is learned, then record that instance of style

separately. For more information, see the Art of War

rules section.

SPIRIT CLASS SKILLS

Willpower—General

More a reactive skill than an active skill, this skill

represents one’s mental and spiritual fortitude, and

the ability to resist everything from persuasion,

seduction and swindling from even charismatic

people. It’s not a skill that you will roll actively

often, but it’s an important skill where you may find

yourself in trouble if you don’t take it.

BODY: Resisting torture, enduring physical stress

SENSES: Sizing up another person

KNOWLEDGE: Resisting being swindled

SPIRIT: Resisting intimidation or temptation

EMPATHY: Resisting temptation

STATION: Resisting intimidation or temptation by

virtue of your nobility or social status

Resonance—Specialist (Elite)

Resonance is the extraordinary power that oni and

half-oni call upon. Only those who have chosen

the oni or half-oni templates can make use of

Resonance. Resonance uses the power gathered in

the oni heart called “Earth ” (Dii) or the horn called

“Heaven” (Alu) to perform almost magical feats.

BODY: Using Dii power

SPIRIT: Using or resisting Resonance

EMPATHY: Using Alu power

STATION: One’s standing in oni shaman circles

Interface—Specialist (Elite)

This elite skill makes use of a meikyo soul mirror to

access the Shinto Priesthood ’s all-prevalent Meikyo

network. Typically, this skill is used by riders to

pilot yoroi armours, by Shinto agents to access and

contact others through the meikyo network, or by

KUGUTSU SKILL— SPECIALIST

(ELITE)

This skill is rare, only taken by kugutsu-

maker players or NPCs. It involves the

knowledge and history of kugutsu, as well

as how to make and train them. Since it is a

rare skill, it does not normally appear on the

character sheet. You may write it in under the

Knowledge attribute area.

AGILITY: Carving and forming the kugutsu

SENSES: Assembling the kugutsu

KNOWLEDGE: All knowledge regarding

kugutsu and their makers

EMPATHY: Training a kugutsu

STATION: Knowledge of and influence in

kugutsu-maker circles

BASIC MOVES

Shinto puppeteers to hijack control of a yoroi or

kongohki. To make this skill work, Karma should

be kept as low as possible. This is because if too

much Karma builds up, the soul mirror will cease

responding to the user and become clouded.

When utilizing the power of a meikyo soul mirror,

all general skills are actually performed using the

Interface skill. All other specialist skills cannot be

used with the Interface skill (you must rely on that

specialist skill instead).

Buddhist Magic—Specialist

This skill represents one’s ability to exercise

Buddhist Magic. Its practitioners believe in the

endless circle of reincarnation, and strive to help

save other souls through the powers bestowed upon

them. The way they go about that practice depends

on the sect they belong to. Please note that this skill

does not equal belief: One can still be a devout

Buddhist without having the ability to use or master

the rare powers of unique Buddhist monks. For

more information on Buddhist magic, please see the

Buddhism rules section.

EMPATHY CLASS SKILLS

Persuasion—General

This skill is the art of using talking, conversation

and social infl uence to move the hearts of others.

Everything from chiding someone to fast talk,

moving someone to tears or inciting a rebellion

and more, is covered by this generally useful skill.

When infl uencing another, the opponent makes a

Willpower, Persuasion or Art of Rule counter-roll

to resist. If the opponent loses, then their character

either believes in what they are told, or at the very

least gives the speaker an ear.

BODY: Physical blustering

AGILITY: Fast-talk, quickly explaining something

away

SENSES: Getting common rumors started

KNOWLEDGE: Discussion, theorizing

SPIRIT: Stopping someone in their tracks with a

commanding or powerful tone, moving someone to

action

EMPATHY: Flattery

STATION: Starting rumors in court, using social

rank instead of words to influence others

Pillow Arts—General

This skill covers everything from seduction to

using one’s sexual or sensual appeal to get things

done. Various sub-uses will be left up to the reader’s

imagination.

SENSES: Finding an attractive person in a crowd,

spotting people interested in you

KNOWLEDGE: Knowing who is seeing who in a

social environment

SPIRIT: Resisting seduction

EMPATHY: Seduction, talking, flattering, gauging

interest

STATION: Resisting seduction, or using one’s

political weight to seduce another

Perform—Specialist

Musical instruments, dramatic acting in

traditional plays, singing and otherwise entertaining

are all covered by this skill. This skill may also

provide a source of small income when performing

in a large town or city square in a pinch.

BODY: Physical performances, dance, taiko drums

AGILITY: Traditional dances, biwa, shamisen

SENSES: Acting

KNOWLEDGE: Knowledge of songs and plays,

performers and artists

EMPATHY: Singing, vocal performances

BASIC MOVES

STATION: Influence in performer circles

STATION CLASS SKILLS

Etiquette—Specialist

This is the skill of behaving in a way that wouldn’t

embarrass one’s self or others in front of people of

high status. It also includes skills or knowledge of

tea and tea ceremony, poetry, small social dances,

and the skilled use of supremely polite-form

conversation.

AGILITY: A small ceremonial or social dance

SENSES: Polite entertainment, calligraphy

KNOWLEDGE: Poetry, tea and tea ceremony

EMPATHY: Conversing with nobility, social

maneuvering

STATION: Saying and doing the proper thing

Shinto—Specialist (Elite)

This elite skill represents one’s standing within the

Shinto Priesthood. Characters that have this skill

have some relation to the Priesthood, usually a

wandering Gyoshi (Shinto priest) or Miko (shrine

maiden). Please see the Shinto section for more

details on the use of this skill and the powers

associated with it.

This skill is special: Without GM permission (and a

good explanation), you must wait for Intermissions

to raise the level of this skill. Normally you cannot

use the Skill Boost Kiai ability on this skill as it

represents rank, but GM permission may override

this (to access higher-level Shinto abilities) if there is

a good story explanation for why the player has an

affinity with local kami.

Art of Rule—Specialist (Elite)

This skill represents the schooling and training that

one receives when preparing to be a ruler. It includes

learning the Machiavellian teachings required to

gain power, politics, political subterfuge,

negotiation, diplomacy, and always showing one’s

best qualities while hiding the worst. One’s “noble

airs” are covered by this skill, which makes it useful

when resisting Persuasion or Pillow Arts. Successors

to a throne or the heirs in a noble family commonly

have this skill.

KNOWLEDGE: Negotiation, political

information, political history, famous political

works and edicts

EMPATHY: Pure charisma and leadership

STATION: Politics, the ins and outs of court,

manipulation of the court, diplomacy

Strategy—Specialist

Some people grow up studying styles of leadership,

tactics, group combat, and war formations.

Sometimes this knowledge comes from studying

classical war journals in cloistered halls, other times

this knowledge is passed down from captain or

general to son, or through grassroots knowledge

gained as a leader in times of war.

Not only limited to martial combat, well-schooled

ministers and leaders have keen insight into the

battlef ield-like conditions of social machinations,

plots, and manipulation. Classical knowledge of

great works of fi ction and political journals can

teach one to be an expert tactician in social schemes.

This skill allows one to anticipate the outcome of a

martial skirmish or even social machinations, and

maneuver one’s resources in a way which greatly

benefit their goals.

Once per act, a character may roll a Station:

Strategy roll against a difficulty of zero, and “bank ”

all of the successes made for later. In later rolls made

by themselves or their allies, they can convert some

or all of those “banked” successes into bonus dice

on a one for one ratio, which can be given out by

the strategist. Any dice left in the “bank” at the end

of the act are nullified.

This effect in the game represents that the situation

is going exactly as the strategist planned. The

BASIC MOVES

strategies must be present in the scene when rolling

this ability.

Strategy rolls can also be used against set difficulties

to remember historical records of war or politics,

recognize political or martial traps, or carefully

calculate the resources required to overcome an

opponent.

KNOWLEDGE: Military history, weapon

knowledge, knowing the size of a neighboring lord’s

army.

EMPATHY: Understanding the move-ments of the

enemy leader, anticipating an opponent’s next step.

STATION: Crafting strategies, plotting war council

machinations.

KI-PRESENCE AND KILLING INTENT

You will notice that many combat and notice skills

allow the user to detect another’s presence, detect a

person’s ki-presence, or detect killing intent.

Ki-presence (or kihaiin Japanese) is that feeling you

get when someone is watching you: Hairs stand

up on end. You feel like someone is watching you

or you feel that “someone is here, in this room” (or

house). It isn’t used like a sonar or a game of “Hot/

Cold” to zone in on enemies, nor is it used to detect

friends who are far away. Rather, it’s primarily

used to sense the presence (or hear the breathing or

heartbeat) of people who are physically near you:

The ninja hidden in the rafters making his way over

your head, or the samurai who is hiding three

meters away in the closet, ready to pounce.

Killing intent (or sakkiin Japanese) is the ki-

signature that is generated of boiling hatred, anger

and force when an assassin or other enemy makes

that fatal stab. A warrior walking into battle will

be afire with unmasked killing intent. A rifleman

will aim her killing intent at the target she fires at.

The best assassins will attempt to hide their killing

intent (and their cover) until the precise moment of

the killing blow. Killing intent might be felt right

SKILL GROUPINGS

For ease of getting into play, the skills have

been grouped into categories with their

suggested base attribute. If you want to

organize the skills in other ways

(for example, if you want to create a new

character sheet for your group), feel free if you

think it will help play. Here’s another sample

breakdown of skills into other categories:

COMBAT GROUP

Evasion/Agility

Melee Combat/Agility

Unarmed Combat/Body

Marksman/Senses

PHYSICAL GROUP

Movement/Agility

Stealth/Agility

Notice/Senses

Pursuit/Senses

Criminal Arts/Agility

MENTAL GROUP

Willpower/Spirit

Persuasion/Empathy

Pillow Arts/Empathy

Interface/Spirit

SUPREME ARTS GROUP

Wormcharm/Body

Onmyojustu/Knowledge

Resonance/Spirit

Buddhist Magic/Spirit

Ninjutsu/Agility

Shinto/Station

Art(s) of War

KNOWLEDGE GROUP

First Aid/Senses

Forgery/Senses

Perform/Empathy

Etiquette/Station

Information/Knowledge

Art of Rule/Station

Strategy/Station

BASIC MOVES

before an ambush in the woods; or perhaps you

detect almost beams of pure hatred from the eyes of

the mysterious girl in the marketplace, watching you

from afar, giving you goose-bumps or making the

hairs on the back of your neck stand up or the

candles in the hall flicker as if a slight wind was

blowing over them.

TAKING NEW SKILLS

General skills and most specialist skills can have

their level permanently increased (think of it as a

“level up”) by using Kiai at any time during the

game. You can also pick up new general skills

(starting at “two dots”) any time during the game as

well. However, new specialist skills can usually

be only gained during Intermissions. This represents

the downtime required to study and learn the ins

and outs of those specialist skills.

While it may make things interesting to bend

that rule, having a character suddenly say, “Hey

everyone. I know I kept it a secret until now, but

actually I’ve had extensive Onmyojustu training as a

child. I didn’t want to use these skills, but I see now

I have no other choice…”, it could also be

SKILLS EXPRESS THE CHARACTER

The skills in the book represent the things that

will appear most in the game. There are things

like physical skills, combat skills, mental

and magical skills. The skills that the player

chooses become what that character is about.

Things like specialist skills and especially elite

skills can really define a character’s role and set

them apart from others.

Three samurai built using the same skills

and attributes can still have very different

backgrounds, personalities and fates. However,

you may want to explore a character’s

individuality further by crafting a character

with unique skills. Pick something that you

think would express your character in a new or

interesting way.

disruptive to the feel of the game. Always work it

out in advance with the GM: The fewer random

“Oh yeah, I’m awesome at XYZ, too!” twists, the

more stable the game will be.

For those elite skills like Ninjutsu, Shinto, Interface

and the like, the downtime of the Intermission

required to gain these skills might represent the

intense short-term training, or relearning what was

once learned and forgotten, or perhaps a secret

revelation about the character: She was always a

member of the Priesthood, and just now became

“activated”.

THE KARMA

SYSTEM

Within the game Tenra Bansho Zero is a subset of

rules which focus on the psychological condition

of your character. That rules system is called the

Karma System.

The Karma System is the backbone of this game.

While these rules are an important part of playing

Tenra Bansho, they are fuzzy rules, rules that don’t

rely on hard numbers and math. For those of you

familiar with role-playing games, you understand

that the actual act or role-play is not something

that can be quantifi ed in a number or rolled on

dice. The Karma System attempts to bridge the gap

between qualitative role-playing and quantitative

character change.

The Karma System is made up of four inter-linked

concepts: Kiai, Aiki, Karma and Fate. Let’s take a

look at each element in detail.

KIAI

Kiai is synonymous with a character’s potential

power. The more Kiai a character has, the more

power and infl uence the character can exert on the

world. Kiai is represented in a pool of “points” that

the player spends. Kiai is sometimes called “Kiai

Points”.

The word “Kiai” comes from Ki (spirit/chi) and

Ai ( joining/harmony), together meaning “fi

ghting spirit”. It’s the martial yell that martial arts

practitioners scream while attacking, generating a

forceful spirit to overcome obstacles. In the game

Tenra Bansho Zero, Kiai represents the character’s

force of will, and how she exerts herself upon the

world. If the concept of Kiai is hard to remember at

fi rst, think of it as “focus”.

Kiai has two major roles in the game. The first role

is explosive power, the ability to do heroic or mythic

deeds. Many tabletop games have this kind of pool

of points: They are sometimes called “Hero Points”,

“Action Points”, or “Fate Points”. The second role of

Kiai, albeit a lesser-used one, is character

development. Just like “experience points” in

many tabletop and console games, Kiai is used to

raise attributes, skills, and gain new abilities or

equipment.

Kiai starts at 0, but there is no upper limit to the

amount of Kiai you can have. When Kiai is spent,

it turns into Karma during Intermissions (special

scenes that occur between acts of the game). Kiai

must be recorded carefully: Not only the Kiai pool

that you currently have, but every spent point of

Kiai has to be recorded as well. Make sure to note

spent Kiai carefully, as each point turns into a point

of Karma later.

AIKI CHITS

Aiki is the player currency of the game, a reward

for good role-playing. When the players receive this

reward, it is passed to them in the form of what are

called Aiki chits. Aiki chits can be pieces of paper,

coins, poker chips, or other physical, tactile counter.

Th ey are given to the players by the other players

and GM as a small reward for excellent roleplay.

Aiki is the reversal of the same characters which

make up the word “Kiai”. “Ai” and “Ki” together

mean “A Harmony of Spirit”. It represents the fact

that when you gain Aiki chits at the table, you are

receiving them because your spirit is joined to that

of the other players: You have made them laugh,

gasp, or say “Th at was cool!”, and they in turn

reward you for it with praise. If the word “Aiki” is

hard to remember at fi rst, think of it for now as

“Praise from the audience”.

Aiki chits turn into Kiai points through what are

called “Fate Rolls”. Aiki can also be spent to gain

new Fates. Finally, Aiki chits themselves may be

spent in the same way as Kiai, although they do not

generate Karma.

We will look further into the role of Aiki

chits throughout this chapter.

KARMA SYSTEM

WHAT IS KARMA?

Doing good things leads to “Good Karma”,

and doing bad things leads to “Bad Karma”:

Good things come to those who have good

karma, and bad things happen to those who

have bad karma, right?

Not really: That’s Hinduism.

In Buddhism,all karma is “bad”.

In Buddhism, there is just one kind of karma.

Karma (or “goh” in Japanese) actually means

“actions”. It represents the actions that people

do in the world. In Buddhism, as people care

more about the world, they become bound to

it. Eventually, as karma amasses, they are tied

to the cosmic cycle of life and rebirth. Karma

is such a burden that the more you gain, the

more perverse your actions and emotions can

become. You can start to love something so

much that you would destroy it, or everything

around it, in order to preserve it.

You can love your kingdom and become so

attached to it that you make brutal war on

your peaceful neighbors in order to keep

your kingdom safe from the threat you

perceive.

You can care for your wife or husband so

much that you want to protect them from the

influences of other people, seeing every friend

or neighbor as a threat.

Your love for a person, organization, activity,

object or goal can become so strong that you

cannot let it go. You would do anything, kill

anyone, even tear down the world in order to

mistakenly pursue that love.

Emotions and emotional ties to the world are

a very human thing. However, too much of

a good thing leads to pain, as well as being

trapped in the cosmic cycle of rebirth, of

which escape is the “goal” of Buddhism.

If the concept of Karma is hard to understand,

you can get by for now by thinking of Karma

as “Sin”. Although it differs signifi cantly,

especially how it is gained (caring too much

vs doing actual evil), the term makes a good

substitute at times.

KARMA

Karma is the sound of your soul tearing itself apart.

It is the act of destroying the world because you

cannot keep your strong emotions in check.

Karma starts as a number between 1 and 108, and

usually signifi es the power level of a PC. If it goes

below 0 or above 108, the character becomes an

NPC.

We will look further into the game rules of Karma,

how it is gained and lost, further in this chapter.

FATES

Fates in this game represent the PC ’s past, the

things they accomplish, their goals, beliefs, and

desires, all expressed as abilities. They represent

an event that had some sort of impact on the

character’s heart. That impact might have come

from a past trauma, or developed from a reason

for living, or perhaps from the shame of a

transgression.

Each Fate has a type, as well as an ability scale (like

other skills and abilities) rated 1-5. The higher the

Fate’s rating, the more the character feels strongly

about that particular Fate. Fates assist in the

conversion of Aiki chits to Kiai points, as well as

showing the psychological state of the character:

Essentially what they care about, and how much

they care about it.

DESTINY

A Destiny is a particular type of Fate which is

given by the Game Master to the player during

the Zero Act. It represents the character’s goal for

this particular story. By pursuing their Destiny,

the character will progress through the scenario or

adventure.

The players should take careful note of this Fate,

and are encouraged to make use of it through the

game. Mechanically, Destinies function exactly the

same as Fates.

KARMA SYSTEM

The Destiny represents the character’s role in the

scenario. If a player is new to role-playing, or at a

loss as to what to do, they should follow the Destiny

their GM gave them. Doing so will ensure that the

scenario unfolds smoothly, and that the

player character has a solid path and role-play

opportunities to follow in the game.

AIKI CHITS

Aiki chits form the core “economy” of the game. To

understand how and why they work, you need to

know a little about Japanese Kabuki theater, which

Tenra Bansho attempts to emulate in style.

Kabuki theater is similar to Western-style theater,

but there are a few poignant differences. The

makeup, the music, and the stage tricks aside, the

biggest difference is the role of the audience. In

Western theater (Shakespeare, etc), the audience

stays silent and enjoys the performance. In kabuki

theater, the audience participates: They yell and

holler during the action scenes or when the actor

strikes a classic dramatic pose. When the actor

delivers one of the famous lines within the play

(usually striking a traditional kabuki miepose), the

audience goes nuts. The serious kabuki fan

will scream out to the actual actor: “Way to go

Ichikawa!” “You tell ‘em, Nakamura!” Even if the

audience knows what’s coming up next (and the

kabuki enthusiast almost always does, being familiar

with the play before watching it), seeing the actor

play up their backstory or deliver a set line in a

certain way, is part of the dance or exchange that

happens between kabuki actors and audience.

In Tenra Bansho, the Aiki chits help replicate the

same kind of feel of the flow of kabuki theater. A

player (the “actor” in a scene) entertains the other

players (the “audience”) through cool or interesting

role-playing, great ad-lib lines, or specifi cally by

acting up their character’s Fates. The other players

will certainly smile, say “That’s awesome!” or laugh.

But they will also give the acting player a reward

in the form of an Aiki chit (“Awesome line, Mary:

Here, take an Aiki chit”). Each scene the players

will usually receive 2-3 or more Aiki chits,

depending on how much they exert themselves and

play up their role.

There are two systems of handing out Aiki: The

main method is called “The Audience”, where

all players can award Aiki chits at any time. Th

e optional method is called “The Scene Judge”,

where one player per scene takes on the role of the

audience and awards Aiki chits to the acting players.

The Aiki chits themselves can be coins, poker

chips, slips of paper, colored glass beads (such as

“ life counters” used in collectible card games) or

other physical pieces. You will need about fifteen to

twenty Aiki chits per player, including the GM. If

you have different colored chits, you could use one

color to count as a “ones” chit, and another color to

count as a “fives” chits.

The system of giving Aiki chits is a soft rule, not as

mechanical as rolling dice or adding combat modifi

ers. However, this system is the core of the most

important rules set of the game. Make sure that all

the players understand it well, and that the GM and

experienced players set an example of giving Aiki

chits for the new players of the game.

Asking “How many Aiki chits should a player

receive in a scene?” is a little bit like asking, “How

much money should I tip my waiter?” The answer

is a subjective “It depends”. However, a good rule of

thumb is this: Th e players should try to aim at

receiving about 2-3 Aiki chits per scene through

role-playing, perhaps 4-5 or more if the scene is long

or the player is simply bringing the house down.

THE AUDIENCE

In the default method of gameplay, all of the players

at the table (including the GM) can award the

acting players Aiki chits at any time. Th e role of

the audience is simple: When they are entertained,

they award the acting player an Aiki chit. There are

some things to look for when awarding Aiki

chits:

KARMA SYSTEM

• Does the acting player express their character’s

Fates? If so, give them a chit right there. Make sure

you read and understand the PCs’ Fates.

• Did the player entertain you? Did they say

something really cool or really funny without

distracting from the scene? Give them a chit.

• Did the player say or do something that pulled at

your heartstrings, something that moved you? Give

them a chit.

• Keep an eye on the player’s role-playing. Some

players are more comfortable with acting than

others. Don’t judge one player’s role-playing based

on another’s, but rather against their own skills. If a

player has a hard time coming out of their shell and

acting out their part, reward them when they make

an effort.

Each player should keep three Aiki chits in

their hand or somewhere near them on the

table. Award the chits as you see fit. When you run

out of chits, or at the beginning of the next scene,

pick up three more and repeat the process. Having

three chits at a time helps keeps the pace, making

sure that the acting players in the scene don’t receive

too few or too many Aiki chits. Once all of the

players have played a few games of Tenra, you can

just keep a large pile of Aiki chits in the center of

the table and give them to the acting players from

there.

The players should keep the Aiki chits they receive

somewhere on their character sheet to differentiate

their own Aiki chit pile from the chits they are

giving to other players.

Keep in mind that you don’t award too few Aiki

chits. When the role-playing becomes intense, it’s

easy to be moved by the action or dialogue, and in

the process forget to award the acting players Aiki

chits. You can reward players after the fact. When

the scene closes, you can award players after the fact

for their role-playing or for hitting their Fates (“Oh,

you really played up your ‘Love of the Princess’

Fate in that last scene. Here, take an Aiki chit. I got

AIKI CHITS AND SUBJECTIVITY

“What is cool” is going to be different for

each player at the table. It’s subjective. It’s the

classic “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”

expression, applied to role-playing. However,

you will see when you actually play that no

matter how much you might be wary of the

subjectivity involved in relying upon the

players to reward “what is cool”, the players

will ultimately be properly rewarded for their

role-playing and cool lines. There is no need

to worry about playing to what the audience

(or scene judge) thinks is cool over what you,

as an acting player, thinks is cool in order to

be rewarded. Unless someone actively acts like

a jerk to the others, the system of Aiki chit

giving normalizes over time and does function

as intended.

“Jason likes things that Elizabeth doesn’t

like.” That’s always going to be true. That

doesn’t mean that if Jason is the scene judge

you should roleplay your character one way,

and if Elizabeth is the scene judge you should

roleplay your character another way. In fact,

that kind of nuanced acting and

role-switching is pretty much impossible

when your head is busy just trying to stay in

character over the course of the scene.

The other players are presumably your friends,

or at least people who you respect enough

to sit together over the game table. They’ll

recognize your cool lines. They’ll give you

Aiki chits when you bring out your

character’s backstory and motivations (Fates).

They’ll reward you when you push your

limits. And you will do the same for them.

Don’t sweat subjectivity; the system works as

intended. Thousands of players in Japan and

the West have seen this truth for themselves

in play since the release of the game in Japan.

Everyone will have a good time. Try it and see

for yourself!

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CONCEPT: AIKI CHITS AND HURDLES

It takes a few minutes to get used to handing

out Aiki chits to the players at the beginning

of the game, even for long-time players of

Tenra Bansho Zero. Giving Aiki chits is a

process which is like the heartbeat

of the game, and an indicator of the game’s

pacing. During the Zero Act, the giving of

Aiki chits may be a little haphazard: Acting

players might get Aiki chits for almost every

line they say, or else the players might forget

to give out Aiki chits, even when they are

awestruck by something cool an acting player

said or did. Soon, though, you’ll see that the

Aiki chit giving begins to normalize in the

fi rst act, and from that point on the fl ow

of chit giving will rise and ebb as expected

throughout the game.

At the beginning of the game, though, it’s

very important to not keep extreme standards

for role-playing: The acting players are just

getting used to their characters. Award them

quickly for interesting/fun lines, or for acting

upon their Fates in even a small way. Don’t set

the award hurdles too high at the beginning:

Keep them low. Award early and regularly.

Over time, the hurdles will naturally rise and

even out for each player as they settle into

their character and the game

sucked into that great dialogue you had with the

GM and forgot to give you the chit then…”)

Looking at Player Fates

The players will be intimately familiar with their

own character’s Fates. However, it is important to

learn the Fates and Destinies of the other player

characters when they appear in their scenes.

Knowing them will help you, the audience,

understand what nuances of the player is aiming for

in their role-play. If you don’t know what the acting

PC’s Fates are, you won’t be able to reward that

player properly, so make sure to familiarize yourself

with the session log sheet (if you are using it) or the

Fates written on that player’s character sheet.

When you give Aiki chits to a player for role-playing

their Fates, call attention to the Fate in question you

are rewarding: “Here, take a chit” is fine. However,

“Interesting play off of your ‘Fear of Divine Wind’

Fate. Here, take a chit” will let the other players

know your reasons for awarding that Aiki chit, as

well as remind them of what the acting player has

on their character sheet.

Giving Too Many Chits

In the Audience mode, anyone (including the GM)

can give a player an Aiki chit to the players in the

scene as per the guidelines above. However, for one

cool line, or one great expression of a Fate, the

player only gets one chit. If three players are

entertained enough by the acting player’s role-

playing, and they all reach out to give the acting

player an Aiki chit, that player will only receive the

first one, and the other two players withhold their

chits: That player won’t get three Aiki for just one

single in-character line.

If you see the players giving too many chits (such

as a player receiving five or more regularly in every

scene, continuously), you can talk to them about it

during the next Intermission. However, most Aiki

chit inf lation originates from the GM giving too

few chits. If the GM makes sure to reward good

role-playing and acting on Fates, it sets an example

and pace for the other players to reward the players

as well: Not too little, not too much.

This system is pretty much impossible to “game”

to your advantage. Any attempt to do so will likely

be seen as cheesy, and you won’t get rewarded. For

example, a PC might have a Fate of “Goal: Gain

Freedom”. If the player suddenly blurts out (in

character) “I wish I had my freedom!” apropos of

absolutely no other dialogue or event in the scene,

and holds out her hand to the other players, no one

is going to reward her. But if she brings up that Fate

in an interesting way that entertains the other

players or makes them take notice, or simply ad-libs

really cool lines of dialogue, the other players will

reward her, and rightfully so. It’s nigh-impossible to

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“game the system” in unfavorable ways when the

goal of the system is the entertainment of everyone

at the table.

Beyond that, don’t worry about giving too many

Aiki chits. Too many is better than too few, and

over time you will get used to the flow of the game.

Giving Chits to NPCs

While they cannot make physical use of them, you

should also reward the GM with an Aiki chit if they

engage in some great role-playing through an NPC.

GMs need love too!

The GM will sometimes assign players to play

the roles of NPCs that appear in a scene (giving

them an Aiki chit to pull them into the scene).

These temporary NPCs won’t have Fates, but the

player may still entertain the audience through

role-playing. Th ose players can still be awarded

Aiki chits for entertaining the others while they are

taking on the roles of NPCs.

OPTIONAL RULE: SCENE JUDGE

The second method of distributing Aiki chits is the

Scene Judge method. It is an optional rule, and if

used, it completely supersedes the Audience method.

Read and be familiar with the above default method

of play before reading further.

In the Scene Judge method of gameplay, the GM

elects one player to become the scene judge at the

beginning of the scene. The scene judge gets three

Aiki chits and acts as the audience. This player pays

attention to the acting players and hands out Aiki

chits in the exact same method as the audience

gameplay method. If they are using the session log

sheet, they will also fill in a “Scene Judge” check

box next to their name, indicating that they acted as

a scene judge.

When the scene judge hands out the last of the

chits, it’s time to fi nd a new scene judge. Th e GM

will pick a new scene judge, and the new scene

judge will pick up three Aiki chits. The GM may

simply allow the existing scene judge to pick up

another three Aiki chits and act again as scene judge

for the rest of that scene.

The Aiki chits can provide a good pacing

mechanism to the novice GM. When the scene

judge runs out of chits, it’s a sign for them to start

wrapping things up (either soon or shortly). The

acting players have been rewarded, the players have

been entertained, so now it’s time to move to the

next scene. If the GM thinks that there is more

to be pulled from the scene, then they should feel

free to continue onwards with a new (or the same)

scene judge, but the last Aiki chit being spent may

become a helpful indicator of the pacing of your

scenes. Speed them up or extend them as you need.

Choosing the Scene Judge

The scene judge will usually be a player

whose character does not appear in that scene.

Additionally, the scene judge should be a player

who has the most Aiki chits. The player with the

most Aiki chits can focus on the players with fewer

Aiki chits. That way, there is less of a chance of a

lopsided distribution of Aiki chits per player, with

one player having tons of chits while the other

players have few.

Scene Judge and Scenes

Just because a player is a scene judge doesn’t mean

they cannot participate in the scene. You can have

an acting character also be the scene judge, but it

can be hard to remember to reward the other players

when you are also role-playing in that scene. That’s

why the scene judge is usually a character who is

not in the scene. However, that scene judge has just

as much right to push their PC into a scene as any

other player. When that happens, either let that

person continue to be the scene judge or pass the

role to any players left without PCs in the scene.

GM as Judge

The scene judge is one of the non-GM players at

the table, acting as the “audience” for the other

players. However, the GM always has the power to

give Aiki chits just like a scene judge does. If the

GM is entertained by the role-playing of the acting

players or sees a character’s Fate being played in a

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particularly interesting way, they always have the

ability to give them Aiki chits at any time. However,

just as the default audience rules, the GM should

not give an Aiki chit to a player at the same time as

the scene judge: They only earn one chit per “line.”

Why the Optional Scene Judge Rules?

The scene judge rules for Aiki chit distribution are

nothing more than training wheels for the audience

method. The audience method is a less structured

but more rewarding method of distributing Aiki

chits. The scene judge method is more structured,

more calculated. There is some overhead and added

handling time (passing sheets, chits etc) as the scene

judge changes from scene to scene. However, it’s a

good and simple method to get used to the idea of

rewarding your fellow players for how they entertain

you or play up their character goals. Not many other

tabletop role-playing games do this kind of thing (or

certainly not as much, or in a method as central to

the rules as Tenra Bansho does), so it might take a

little getting used to.

The scene judge rules make it easy for one person

to look over the session log sheet (or notecards, or

character sheets) to see what the acting players’

characters have as Fates. The scene judge rules also

control the distribution of Aiki chits, as the person

with the most Aiki chits will often be the next scene

judge (giving the other players an opportunity to

keep up or surpass that leading player). Over time,

and maybe a game or two under your belt, you’ll

find yourself naturally gravitating to the audience

method, because you’ll soon remember the other

PC’s Fates without being reminded, and you’ll be

constantly aware of how many Aiki chits each player

has, as well as how much effort they are putting into

their characters.

Use the scene judge rules once or twice to get the

players used to the Aiki chit system. But when you

start to fi nd yourself wanting to naturally reward

the acting players with Aiki chits (but cannot

because you are not the scene judge), then it’s time

to make the switch over to the default Audience

rules system.

USING AIKI CHITS

Using Aiki chits is not nearly as complicated as

the methods in which they are distributed. There

are two places where the players use them: during

scenes and during intermissions.

DURING SCENES

Use Aiki as Kiai

Players can spend an Aiki chit in order to use it as

Kiai (See the Kiai rules in this chapter for how to

use Kiai.) One Aiki chit grants one point of Kiai

for immediate use. It’s usually a poor trade because

Aiki chits can be used to make Fate rolls to get far

more points of Kiai. However, spending Aiki can be

helpful in a pinch.

The main benefit of spending Aiki chits as Kiai

points is that Aiki chits spent in this way do not

add to the “spent Kiai” pool, so it doesn’t increase

Karma. Th is is the only Karma-free way to spend

Kiai points.

Bring Another PC into the Scene

This is a method most commonly used by the GM

after the scene is underway in order to draw in the

other players into the scene (usually as their PCs,

sometimes temporarily to play the role of an NPC

within the scene). The GM or player gives a player a

single Aiki chit and, in return, the receiving player

jumps into the scene as their PC or an NPC.

Adjust the Emotion Matrix

When a player rolls on the Emotion Matrix, the

GM can offer them Aiki chits to move up, down,

left or right one or more spaces. One chit is given

for each single space moved. Another player can also

offer their own Aiki chits to another player to guide

them to Emotion Matrix results.

If the player rolling on the Emotion Matrix wants to

move towards an emotion that interests them, they

can spend their Kiai for each square moved. See the

Emotion Matrix rules for more information on this

action, as well as why the GM or other players

would want to adjust the matrix roll.

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DURING INTERMISSIONS

Make a Fate Roll

This is the most common use of Aiki chits. At the

end of the intermission, the players exchange their

Aiki chits for Fate rolls. Each Aiki chit is traded in

for one roll, until all Aiki chits are spent and the

player is left with a pool of Kiai. See below for how

to make a Fate roll.

A player can make a Fate roll during a scene (with

the GM’s permission), or even during combat as an

action. However, instead of using the character’s

highest Fate, the player makes the Fate roll against

the Fate which is most applicable to that scene or

situation.

Take or Give a New Fate

When it is time to take new Fates during the

intermission, a player can give themselves a new

Fate ranked at 2 for a cost of one Aiki chit. They

can offer another player a new Fate ranked at 2, in

which case (if the other player accepts) they actually

give that player the Aiki chit instead of discarding

it.

FATE ROLLS

Fate rolls are the most common use of Aiki chits.

During the intermission, a player makes a roll using

the PC’s Empathy as the attribute, and the Fate’s

rank in dots as the actual skill. This roll will result

in a number of successes. Every single one of these

successes become Kiai points, and are recorded on

the character sheet in the Kiai pool. If the player has

eight Aiki chits, they can make eight Aiki rolls in a

row and hopefully gain a large pool of Kiai in the

process.

The player chooses whichever Fate they want to use

to make the Fate roll. Of course, this means that

the player will use their highest-ranked Fate, the one

with the most dots in it (usually 3 or 4). In this way,

the character becomes stronger (or gains more

potential) through the things that the character

cares about. If the player doesn’t feel they have a

single Fate which applies to their character any

longer, they should be encouraged to spend one

Aiki chit to buy a new Fate (see the “No Self Phase”

section later in this chapter for the rules on buying

new Fates).

Fate rolls can be made during the game as well.

A player can make a single Fate roll in a scene,

or make a Fate roll as a combat action. However,

at those times the player must roll against the

most applicable Fate for that scene or situation, as

approved by the GM.

USING KIAI

The legends of Tenra are fi lled with stories of

people doing incredible deeds: Single samurai

who face off against armies of 5,000 and survive,

or Onmyoji who destroy entire cities with their

rampaging summoned shiki. Kiai represents the

explosive power that these heroes draw from to

perform these acts of legend. Kiai comes from Aiki

chits in the methods explained above. Kiai becomes

a pool of points which the players can use to have

their characters do those legendary acts or improve

their abilities. Keep careful track of spent Kiai, as

later it becomes Karma. Here are the ways in which

Kiai can be used.

DICE BOOST

The most common use of Kiai is to boost the

number of dice rolled for a skill roll. Each extra die

costs one point of Kiai. Before a skill roll is made,

you can spend any number of Kiai points to gain

an equal number of dice to roll. There is no upper

limit to the number of dice that can be purchased

in this manner: 50 points of Kiai can be used to roll

50 additional dice on a skill roll. Once. And with

monstrous karmic fallout.

SKILL BOOST

Another common use of Kiai is to raise the level of

the skill temporarily before a roll is made. This can

only be done with general skills, not specialist skills.

Three points of Kiai will raise a skill level by one

KARMA SYSTEM

level (from 1 to 2, 2 to 3, or 3 to 4). A skill can be

raised more than once in this manner (for example,

spending 9 Kiai to raise a skill level from 1 to 4

for one roll). The skill boost can raise a skill to a

maximum level of 4. This can only be done before

the dice are rolled. This can also be combined with

the dice boost or other Kiai effects. This is a

temporary effect, and the skill returns to normal

levels after the roll is made.

If you use a dice boost or skill boost and roll a tie

against an opponent outside of combat, you pick up

all dice and reroll them. You keep all the effects of

dice boost and skill boost when you reroll the dice

in this manner.

SUCCESS BOOST

After the roll is made, you can buy additional

successes. You can do this to increase the level of

success on a successful skill roll, or else turn a failure

into a tie result or even a success. Each success after

the roll is made can be purchased for three Kiai

points. Any number of successes can be purchased

in this manner.

INTERRUPT ACTION

Two Kiai can be spent to take an action that

interrupts another character or NPC before they

make a roll. This allows you to take an action before

the other character can act. Another player cannot

interrupt an interruption in progress: only one

interruption can happen at a time. In other words,

if Player B declares an interrupt on Player A’s action,

Player C (or any other player) cannot say, “I will

interrupt that interruption, and do this…”

In combat, an interrupt to take a combat action

costs three Kiai points: Two points for the interrupt

action, and one for the additional action.

MULTIPLE COMBAT ACTIONS

For the cost of one Kiai, you can take another

combat action. This can be done any number of

times. These additional combat actions happen after

all of the other characters act in that round.

If you want to make an additional action in combat

before the other characters have a chance to act, you

have to couple the combat action with an interrupt

action (3 Kiai total per interrupted combat action).

Taking multiple combat actions can make combat a

little confusing, so make sure to declare your actions

with the GM in order to help keep things in order.

PROTECT

When another character is hit in combat, you

can spend 1 Kiai to have your character jump in

to protect that character. There are two types of

“Protection”, Before and After.

Before: If you declare that your character will

Protect another before the attack/counter-attack or

attack/defense roll is made, your character jumps in

and makes the defense roll for the other character. If

you succeed, your character cannot make a counter-

attack. If you fail, you take the damage as normal.

After: If you declare that your character will

Protect an ally after the attack/counter-attack

or attack/defense roll is made (and your ally

presumably failed), the damage that the ally takes

is automatically transferred and applied to your

character: Your character does not roll to defend, she

simply takes the damage intended for the other

character.

EMOTION MATRIX SHIFT

When you roll on the Emotion Matrix, you can

pick another emotion (usually near the one you

landed on). It costs one Kiai to shift the matrix one

box left, right, up or down. In other words, add or

subtract 10 to the “10s die”, or add or subtract 1 to

the “ones die”. If you land on one square of the

Emotion Matrix, and you really want to instead

take an emotion which is two boxes away (one shift

to the right, and one shift up), it would cost two

Kiai points to take that emotion.

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The GM may haggle with you, offering Aiki chits

to move to yet another emotion in the matrix. See

the Emotion Matrix rules for more information.

GAIN EQUIPMENT

Useful new equipment is purchased in Karma,

not in copper or gold. Equipment is purchased

usually during the intermission phases, but it can be

purchased in a scene with GM permission.

Soulgems cost 1 Kiai for a set of 5. Shikigami

prayer strips for onmyojutsu summoning cost 1 Kiai

for 10 strips. Soulgem weapons cost 5 Kiai, while

gunpowder weapons cost 3. Annelids require a

number of Kiai equal to their cost. Mechanica cost

an amount of Kiai equal to 10 times the attribute

cost of the equipment.

A character can receive a new weapon in the middle

of a scenario as part of that scenario, but they must

pay the Karma cost to keep it by the end of the next

intermission. Otherwise, that equipment cannot be

used. Instead, it is lost, discarded, or given away.

RAISE ATTRIBUTES

10 Kiai can be spent to raise any attribute by one

point. Th is can be done at any time. Armour

attributes can only be raised in this manner during

intermissions: It is expected that the armour was

tuned-up or upgraded by a skilled armour-maker or

onmyoji.

TAKE NEW SKILLS

A new generalist skill can be taken for a cost of 5

Kiai. Th is raises it from 1 to 2 (or Unskilled to

Skilled.) Generalist skills can be raised at any time.

A specialist skill can be taken for 5 Kiai as well

(raising it from 0 to 2), but specialist skills can only

initially be purchased during an intermission. This

represents the downtime required for a character to

be trained in an entirely new ability.

RAISE SKILLS AND ABILITIES

All skills can be raised at any time in the scenario.

Th e only issue is that GM permission is required to

take a skill at a rank of 5/Special, as those abilities

are usually game-changing. Otherwise, if you have

the Kiai, you can increase your skills and abilities on

the fl y whenever you wish.

• Raising a skill from 2 to 3 (Skilled to Advanced)

costs 10 points.

• Raising a skill from 3 to 4 (Advanced to Mastery)

costs 20 points.

• Raising a skill from 4 to 5 (Mastery to Special)

costs 40 points and requires GM permission.

STARTING KIAI

Before any play begins, each player makes a single

Fate roll to create their character’s starting Kiai

pool. Roll against the highest starting Fate (usually

with a rating of three), and take that many Kiai

points before play begins. For this roll, if you do not

start with at least a minimum Kiai pool of three

points, raise your starting Kiai to three.

KIAI AFTER THE SCENARIO

When the scenario is over, any Kiai the PC has

left disappears. It does not carry over to future

scenarios. Because it disappears without being used,

this Kiai does not become Karma.

ALTERNATE RULE: MINIMUM KIAI

Fate rolls can produce wild results. Even a character

with a high Empathy attribute could roll cold dice

and end up with few successes over multiple Fate

rolls. If the player wishes and the GM allows, they

can forfeit rolling dice for Fate rolls and instead take

a number of Kiai points equal to the number of

their highest Fate.

KARMA SYSTEM

Example: Lord Kagetora has a Fate ranked at 4 dots,

“Emotion: Hatred of the Steel Horse Clan.” This is

his highest ranked Fate. His Empathy attribute is 7.

However, the player has had a run of poor dice rolls

and is wary of getting few successes again. So during

the intermission’s Fate roll segment, Kagetora’s player

decides to cash in all of his eight awarded Aiki chits

and turn them into Kiai using the Minimum Kiai

rules. He multiplies the number of Aiki chits (8) by

the value of his highest Fate (4 dots) and takes a total

of 32 Kiai points. He might have been able to roll

many more successes if he rolled his Fate normally, but

this time, Lord Kagetora’s player doesn’t want to take

any chances.

If the highest ranked Fate is higher than the

character’s Empathy attribute, then use the Empathy

attribute as the Minimum Kiai score.

Example: Flower-of-Iron is a kongohki with a Fate

of “Sealed Memories” ranked at 5 dots. However, his

Empathy attribute score is 3. He will only be able to

receive a maximum of 3 Kiai points per Aiki chit spent

using the Minimum Kiai rules.

KARMA

All spent Kiai points become Karma at the

beginning of the Intermission.

The upper limit of Karma for all characters is 108:

Th is is the number of Buddhist “attachments,

defilements, sins”. If the character’s Karma exceeds

at 108 by the end of the Intermission, that character

becomes an Asura and the character is immediately

retired, becoming an NPC.

Karma can be reduced by sublimating (erasing) or

changing Fates.

ASURA

Asura are lost souls, people who have utterly

destroyed themselves in the pursuit of their fate.

They give up trying to change their fate and simply

resort to stopping at nothing to attain their goal.

They cannot change; they refuse to give up what

they view as their goal or destiny. They make a

decision, even unconsciously, to give up on being

human, to abandon their soul, and to simply be

carried away by their unattainable fate.

People who become Asura don’t simply snap and

run around killing people recklessly like berserk

savages. However, if normal people were to watch

the Asura’s actions, they simply wouldn’t understand

the seemingly insane connections between their

obsessive actions and their goals.

Asura are not a “species”. They are not a category

of race or creed. They are people who act in the

same manner of the Asura of ancient Buddhist

mythology. Asura are consumed by their emotions,

obsessed with violence and unable to calm their

raging spirits. The common people of Tenra view

Asura as true demons of pure evil, emerging from

the heavens and fallen to the earth, or else nefarious

inhuman monsters who happen to wear a human

skin over their own.

Asura cannot be reasoned with, nor can they be

empathized with. The only thing they care about is

the fulfi llment of their goals or destiny. Anything

that gets in the way is ignored, discarded, or

destroyed. Their goals are given preference above

everything. They did not become Asura because

they couldn’t fulfill their fate. Rather they became

Asura because it was impossible for them to let

go. Everything else is secondary to the pursuit an

Asura’s chosen fate.

Becoming Asura

When a PC’s total Karma plus spent Kiai goes over

108, they are in danger of becoming an Asura. In

the next intermission, if they do not reduce the total

of Karma to 108 or less, that character becomes

an Asura. PCs can attempt to lower their Karma

through changing or sublimating Fates, or they

could simply make the conscious decision to become

an Asura.

If a character becomes an Asura, the character sheet

gets passed to the GM. They become an NPC. If

the player of that character had any Aiki chits left

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unspent, each Aiki chit is multiplied by the PC’s

Spirit: The character gets that many additional Kiai

points, which the GM can use for this Asura in the

same ways that players can use Kiai.

In the end, the concept of Asura is a wall which

should not be breached, a line in the sand which

you should not cross, a mechanism to promote

change of one’s goals and beliefs (Fates). However,

if the player thinks it would make for a great story

to have the character lose control and become an

Asura, that line in the sand can be crossed, that wall

breached.

See the Scenario section for more details on what to

do when a player character becomes an Asura.

Voluntary Asura

The player can keep an eye on their Kiai, Karma

and Fates and make sure that they can avoid

becoming an Asura during the next intermission.

In some rare cases, the player will decide that

becoming an Asura is the most interesting option

for their character, even though it means that the

PC will be taken away from them and made into an

NPC. This sort of decision comes usually towards

the end of the scenario. If the PC has more than

108 Karma, and the player decides that this is the

best option, they should discuss it with the GM.

The GM may allow them to become an Asura

immediately.

This is an option, but ultimately a sorrowful one.

There is no return once a character becomes an

Asura. It is likely that the other characters will have

to destroy the Asura. However, on rare occasions, a

player may want to take this option if they think it

fi ts their character. Th e GM should never pressure

or suggest the player go that route.

FATES

Fates are the things that a character cares about. It’s

the relationships they maintain, the paths they walk,

the goals they wish to attain, the acts they must

never do, their backgrounds and histories. Picking

Fates and role-playing them is central to the game,

the core of Tenra Bansho Zero. The players will pick

interesting Fates to act out in character, appealing

to the audience through dramatic or cool lines, in-

character actions, and general role-play. The more

you act out your Fates, the more Aiki chits you will

collect from the other players.

PC Fates are generated from character archetypes,

created by their player, given by another player,

or assigned by a GM (these are called Destinies).

Players should put some thought into Fates they

create for themselves. When making Fates, you will

want to choose something that you find interesting

for your character, as well as something that you’ll

be able to role-play in a scenario. If a Fate is too

subtle, it will be hard for you to portray, and the

audience to spot.

DESTINIES

During the first act of the game, the Zero Act, every

player will receive a special Fate from the GM. This

Fate is called a Destiny, but rules-wise, it functions

the same as a Fate. This special Fate shows the

character’s role in the scenario, what they should do

in order to navigate or “succeed” in the scenario.

Of course, players are free to plot out their own

direction in a scenario and ignore or even sometimes

go against their Destiny. But if a player can’t decide

their next course of action, at the very least

following or playing up their Destiny will keep the

game “on track”.

WRITING FATES

Fates are written down on the character sheet. If you

are using the session log sheet, you will also make

note of your Fates on that sheet as well. The session

log sheet can be passed around to the audience

members so that they remember your character’s

motivations. Update the sheet during the

intermission when your Fates change.

If you are not using the session log sheet, a good

idea is to write down all of your character’s Fates

on a notecard. Leave the notecard in front of your

character sheet, so that any other player can grab it

KARMA SYSTEM

and look it over when your PC is in a scene. This

way, the audience can try to empathize with your

character, understand which goals or emotions

you are role-playing, and perhaps reward you as

appropriate with Aiki chits.

THE “NO-SELF” ANATMAN PHASE

The intermission phases of the game, which happen

between acts (usually 2-4 intermissions per game), is

a time for the players to rest, decide the next course

of action for their characters and the scenario, and

make deep changes to their characters. The players

will make changes to their PC’s Fates during the

intermission, in a structured method called “The

Anatman Phase” or “The No-Self Phase”. Their

character’s personality will start to change as they

begin to care about new things, become concerned

more with goals and relationships, start to change

their relationships with the things they care about,

or even stop caring about things altogether. See the

Zero System rules chapter for more information on

the structure of intermissions.

There is a Buddhist expression known as “Anatman”

in Sanskrit, which in Japanese is called “Shogyo-

Mujoh”. In English, we call it “The Impermanence

of Worldly Things” or in simple shorthand “No-Self

”. It means that the self (the body, the mind, ideals

and personality) is always changing: You are never

the same person from moment to moment. There’s a

similar expression from the Greek Pre-Socratic

philosopher Heraclitus, who expressed the same

idea in his expression, “You cannot step twice into

the same river.” The world, and the self within it,

is always changing. Your characters will change as

well.

Just as four kanji make up the Japanese expression

“Shogyo-Mujoh”, four actions make up the No-

Self Phase. Each action is done together in a group

before the next action is taken, and the order of the

actions is very important. Those actions are:

• 1 Create new Fates

• 2 Raise the level of Fates

• 3 Sublimate (discard) Fates

• 4 Rewrite Fates

Again, this order is important: Once the group gets

to the third step and start to sublimate their Fates, a

player cannot go back a step and raise another Fate’s

level, not until the next intermission.

After the four steps are complete and the No-Self

Phase is over, the players should record the changes

in their Fates on the session log sheet or Fate

notecards.

FATE COSTS

One thing that the players should remember at

every step during the No-Self Phase is that the Fates

have an associated cost which has to be accounted

for. The cost of the Fate is related to its level (the

number of dots associated with that Fate: 2, 3, 4

or 5). The total cost of all PC Fates must be less

than that PC’s total Karma score. The character

can only care about so many things, and the Karma

score represents that character’s capacity for caring

about their Fates.

Calculating the costs of PC Fates is sometimes

jokingly referred to as “Doing your Fate taxes”.

Early in the game, it is almost impossible to exceed

your total Karma score. After the second or third

intermission, though, the players have to be careful

that their total Fate costs do not exceed their Karma

score.

Fate Rank Fate Cost

2 0 points (free)

3 10 points

4 30 points

5 70 points

Here are the steps of the No-Self Phase:

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FATE BALANCE AND FATE ROLLS

You will see later that there is a limit to the

level and power of the PCs Fates. In short, you

could have many Fates ranked at “4” and “3”,

or one single Fate ranked at “5” with few other

Fates. Having a higher ranked Fate means

that you get more Kiai points when making

Fate rolls. So why not always aim to raise one

single Fate to the highest possible level, a rank

of 5, in order to increase the possibility of Kiai

payout for Karma rolls?

The reason is that this will leave you little

room for other Fates. If you have any other

Fates at all, they will be few, and be low in

rank. This means that on your character

sheet, you will only have 1-2 Fates that the

audience will be able to use to award you

Aiki chits, even though one of them is ranked

higher. You have to engage in the same

behavior over and over again to get Aiki chits,

and over time, that becomes very hard. You

will end up earning less Aiki points through

your Fates, but those that you do earn have a

much higher chance of cashing out as Kiai.

Compare that to a character with one Fate

ranked at 4, and several others ranked at 3

and 2: This character is more balanced in the

things they care about, and the player can

role-play out far more Fates. This means that

there are more opportunities for the audience

to award them for role-playing their character.

Breadth of character and higher possibility of

receiving Aiki chits, or very focused character

with less of a possibility of receiving Aiki

chits: This is a decision you’ll have to make in

play as you decide what your character cares

about.

important step of the No-Self Phase, and most

players will want to create new Fates for their

characters during the fi rst and second

intermissions. New Fates give your character new

directions, and more capacity to receive Aiki chits.

Players will roll on the Emotion Matrix, but these

do not automatically become Fates. Instead, if the

player wants their PC to have a relationship with

another character tied into a Fate, they will need

to spend the Aiki chit and write in the nature of

that relationship (or feelings towards that person)

as a Fate. However, the Emotion Matrix is a great

starting place for generating relationship-based

Fates, especially because many relationships will

change over the course of an adventure.

The player spends one Aiki chit, and writes down

the Fate (the type of Fate, and the Fate itself ) on

their character sheet. This Fate will start at a rating

of 2. Remember that new Fates do not have a Fate

cost, so don’t worry about picking up new Fates.

The maximum number of Fates a character

can have is eight: Seven Fates and one Destiny.

However, many characters hover around 4-6 total

Fates.

Fates Aimed at Other PCs

Many relationship or emotion Fates are tied to

other PCs: “Fear of Kawagoe”, “Love of the Spiral

Princess”, “Anger towards Crimson Fist”,

“Friendship with O-rin”. If you create a Fate for

yourself where the target of your emotion is another

player’s PC, give that player your Aiki chit instead

of discarding it.

Giving Fates to Other PCs

You can assign Fates to other PCs as well. Give the

PC’s player an Aiki chit, and tell them the Fate you

wish their character to have. If they accept, they

receive the Aiki chit and write down that Fate. If

they don’t want to take that Fate, you can keep your

chit.

Since you can only create one new Fate for your

own character per intermission, encouraging the

players to assign each other Fates will help everyone

increase their total Fate count.

CREATE NEW FATES

You may create one single new Fate for your

character, at the cost of one Aiki chit. This is an

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RAISE FATE LEVELS

In the second step of the No-Self phase, the players

can raise any and all of their Fates up by one single

level: Fates ranked at 2 dots can be raised to 3 dots,

and so on. There is absolutely no cost to do this

(Aiki chits, etc). Simply add a new dot to the Fates

you wish to raise by one level.

However, this is where you need to keep careful

track of your Fate costs, so that they do not exceed

the PC ’s current Karma score. Use the Fate Cost

table to calculate the new total cost of all the Fates,

ensuring that it is less than Karma. If you

accidentally exceed the Karma score, then “undo”

adding dots to Fates until their total no longer

exceeds your Karma score.

If you have a Fate on your sheet which you don’t

particularly care too strongly about, you don’t have

to raise it. You can imagine how strongly your

character cares about her Fates, and try to increase

the important ones accordingly, while leaving the

less important ones as-is. However, at the beginning

of the game, it is important to start raising Fate

levels right away. This eventually leads to having

more higher-ranked Fates (3-4 dots) which you can

later sublimate or change in order to reduce your

rapidly increasing Karma.

SUBLIMATE FATES

The third step in the No-Self Phase is the

sublimation of Fates. If there is a Fate that you no

longer care about (a goal that has been achieved, or

perhaps a Fate that you as a player never really felt

all that strongly about), you can now remove it from

play. Draw a line through it to sublimate it, but

still leave it on your sheet for now (don’t actually

erase it from your character sheet). If you want to

sublimate a Destiny, please check with the GM to

make sure that it is okay to do so.

The sublimation of Fates instantly results in a great

reduction of total Karma. When you remove it from

play, you immediately lower your total Karma score

by a number equal to that Fate’s current score: Fates

ranked at 2 do not lower Karma at all; Fates ranked

at 3 lower it by 10, Fates ranked at 4 lower Karma

by 30, and if you sublimate a Fate ranked at 5 dots,

your Karma drops by 70 points.

This is one of the two ways you lower your Karma

in order to avoid becoming an Asura. It is important

to raise the levels of Fates throughout the game so

that you can knock them out and lower your Karma

score.

REWRITE FATES

The last step in the No-Self Phase is rewriting Fates.

When you rewrite a Fate, you change one aspect

of it. For example, if you had a Fate of “Emotion:

Anger towards Crimson Fist”, you can change

the Fate to something like “Emotion: Friendship

towards Crimson Fist” or “Emotion: Undying

Hatred of Crimson Fist”. Or perhaps “Taboo: Must

not Kill” can become “Taboo: Can only Kill in Self-

Defense”.

If the Fate is a relationship (like the above example

towards a fictional monk named “Crimson Fist”),

feel free to change the nature of the relationship or

emotion, but leave the target (the character to which

the Fate is directed) unchanged.

When you rewrite a Fate, you lower that Fate by one

rank down to a minimum of 2. You also lower your

Karma by the difference between the Fate ranks:

Rank Change Karma Reduction

2 —> stays 2 0 points

3 —> 2 10 points

4 —> 3 20 points

5 —> 4

40 points

Rewriting Fates is the other way to reduce Karma

and reduce your chances of exceeding the Karma

threshold to becoming an Asura.

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WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

You will be adding Fates to round out your

character’s personality and creating new avenues to

receive Aiki chits. You will be raising Fate levels in

order to drop them later (through sublimation and

rewriting.). You sublimate Fates that no longer apply

to your character in order to lower your character’s

Karma. You rewrite Fates to also lower your Karma,

as well as to express change in your character.

One way of looking at the No-Self phase is simply

a way to manage keeping your Karma below 108.

The system can be “gamed.”: You can simply start

erasing and rewriting Fates on your character to

do nothing more than avoid becoming an Asura,

and story be damned. However, take a look at your

character after you make those changes. See what

the changes mean for your character. You will fi

nd that these changes will make sense for your

character, and you’ll start imagining reasons for why

it makes sense. No matter how you erase or rewrite

Fates, the changes will make sense in the end with a

little interpretation.

Game the system all you want. You’ll realize quickly

that no matter how you manipulate the Fates

on your character just to manage your Karma—

without thinking about your character or the

story—a story will begin to emerge anyway.

TYPES OF FATES

There are several categories of Fates. You don’t have

to actually write the category down when deciding

on a new Fate, but the categories will help you

quickly come up with an applicable Fate that works

well within the game.

Goal

A goal is one of the most common types of Fate,

next to Emotion. This is a goal that your character

has, a mission or task that they feel obliged to

complete. Once a goal is completed, this Fate can be

sublimated.Characters with their dreams or hopes

as goals can become very optimistic characters.

Characters who tell the others about their goals

through role-playing, or complain when they drift

further from their goals, will likely receive Aiki

chits.

Emotion

Emotion-based Fates are the easiest to create and

role-play, and they are perhaps the core Fates for

Tenra Bansho Zero. You choose a target of the Fate

(another PC or NPC in most cases), an emotion

towards that target, and role-play that out in scenes.

Th ese Fates can be rewritten during the No-Self

Phase to refl ect that the character’s feelings towards

that person or object change over the course of the

game.

As the game progresses, a PC might start to develop

contradictory or inconsistent emotions towards

a single target at the same time: In those cases,

instead of rewriting one Fate over and over, take

a second Fate against that same target with that

second emotion, and play them both out over the

course of the game.

Emotions are powerful, and since people are

emotional animals, emotion-based Fates are easy to

create and act out.

Secret

This type of Fate means that the character has a

Secret. Of course, this secret is known to none of

the other characters. However, this Fate type can

represent a secret that is even hidden from yourself.

For example, some kugutsu do not even know that

they are kugutsu; others do not realize that their

friend is actually their long-lost sibling, and so on.

Any time you reveal the secret, or the events in the

scene play out so that your secret is at the center of

them, you will likely receive an Aiki chit.

If you reveal—intentionally or unintentionally—

your secret to everyone, it can probably can no

longer be considered a secret: Target it for

sublimation in the next intermission.

Love

Love is an emotion, of course, but it is much

stronger than the “Emotion” Fate type conveys.

KARMA SYSTEM

In one famous real example (from a Tenra Bansho

“replay”, a presentation of an actual session of the

game in screenplay format), a samurai character

fights against a deadly opponent in the final boss

battle. The session was long, the player was lucky

with Fate rolls and role-played well, and had

amassed a huge pool of Kiai. The player looked at his

formidable opponent, then down at his pool of Kiai

points, then his Karma total. He “did the math”.

Then he attacked the enemy twice (he had to attack

twice, to fi rst break the enemy’s Dead box, then

to finish him off ), with two powerful attacks, rolling

30 bonus dice for one, 20 bonus dice for the other,

raising his melee weapons skill level, and buying

extra successes. In the end, he ended up having a

spent Kiai and Karma total of 168.

Since that was the last scene of the game, the last

intermission and epilogue began. With 168 Karma,

the player had a plan, based on the calculations he

did earlier: He sublimated all of his Fates ranked

at 4 and 3, four Fates in total. The only ones he

had left were ones Fates ranked at 2 dots. Th is

immediately lowered his Karma to 108 exactly: His

character was safe, and did not become an Asura.

Then the GM asked him, “Well, you just burned

through all of your Fates. What does that mean?”

The player thought about it for a second, then

determined that his character was struck hard by

his enemy in the battle, and almost died. When

he eventually came to a few weeks later, he had

amnesia. He couldn’t remember who he was or what

he was trying to do. In the end, the story followed

the player’s actions: Even though he was “gaming the

system” in order to be as effective as possible without

becoming an Asura/NPC, the player inadvertently

created a great story twist for his character.

In fact, a follow-up game was played, where the

still-amnesiac samurai PC was in the employ of an

onmyoji sorceress as a bodyguard. The sorceress was

evil, and the other PCs were attempting to stop her

while at the same time trying to protect the samurai,

and to help him recover his past. At the same time,

the samurai player chose the Fate “Background: Lost

Memories” in order to connect that condition to his

character.

In the end, making decisions in the game based on

reasons of rules efficiency or effectiveness can cause

real interesting twists in the stories and characters, or

even create new stories out of nothing.

Falling in love with someone, and then having your

character act on that emotion throughout the game,

will defi ne your character and possibly result in

Aiki chits for role-playing.

Perhaps you are in a loving relationship, or maybe

you love someone but have not confessed your

feelings to them yet. If your love is forgotten, or you

break up with that person, or your love becomes

unrequited, then it is likely that you can sublimate

this Fate in the next intermission… or will you?

An unrequited or unfulfilled love cannot be erased

so easily. Perhaps it would be more interesting or

dramatic to keep that love-based Fate going for a

while longer, until you can finally let it go.

Enemy

This person must be broken or destroyed. This is

a person, group or organization that you cannot

forgive or forget, and you will not stop until they

have fallen at your hand. This is a very easy Fate to

role-play, and it’s also a very easy Fate to sublimate:

When you finally reach your goal of defeating that

enemy, the Fate can be erased. Perhaps over the

course of a scenario you can learn to let those

feelings go, or come to a new understanding of the

person who you thought of as “the enemy”.

Enemy-type Fates work great as Destinies. If the

GM hands out an enemy Destiny, odds are there’s

no question of “But what should my character do? ”

It’s a pretty simple goal: Defeat that enemy!

Misfortune

Something happened in your past (either long ago,

or even something that happens in the course of the

game) that defines you. If your actions reflect the

fact that you were affected by that misfortune, you

are likely to get Aiki chits. If you forget this

misfortune, overcome it, come to terms with it, or

forgive yourself for the misfortune, you can target

this Fate for sublimation.

Taboo

There is something that you absolutely must not

do. Every time you act upon that taboo, you will

likely receive an Aiki chit, whether you follow the

KARMA SYSTEM

restrictions of that taboo or cast it down. Taboos

make for very powerful and dramatic Fates.

Just because this action is a taboo does not mean

that you can never do it. In fact, in most cases, it’s

just a matter of time until you do, or that you come

to a new understanding of your taboo. In those

cases, target this Fate for rewriting or sublimation in

the next intermission.

Background

Background Fates are rare, since most character

backgrounds worth role-playing will fall into the

categories of Emotion, Goal, Misfortune, etc.

However, there are a few characters with “set

backgrounds”, like the kongohki, where their Fate is

tied to their very being (In the case of the kongohki,

they have one Fate called “Sealed Memories”, which

represents the memories of their earlier human life,

suppressed by the meikyo soul mirror they inhabit).

While most other backgrounds will fall into other

Fate categories, if you can think of something about

your character’s past that affects them, that can be

role-played out in front of the other players and will

emerge in the scenario, then consider Fate with a

type of “Background”.

Other

You can make up any kind of Fate of your devising.

However, it’s a good idea to stick to the basic types

above. Over time, you won’t even need to write the

“type” of archetype you have, you’ll naturally create

a Fate that falls into one of the basic categories

above.

Fates and Appeal

The Fates you choose for your character are your

own. You can aim to choose Fates for your character

that will appeal to the other players, interesting

ones that will likely get a rise out of the others (and

award you Aiki chits in the process). However, don’t

aim to solely appeal to the others in ways that will

change your character in ways you don’t want to

pursue.

FATE PATTERNS

After playing the game a number of times, you

will start to notice that Fates fall into a number of

patterns. Knowing these patterns may help you pick

Fates to better serve your player goals.

Closed Fates

Backgrounds, Taboos and Misfortunes usually

fall into the pattern of a “Closed Fate”. These

kinds of Fates are great for setting your character’s

background and past, making them believable.

However, they’re not as easy to bring clearly across

through role-play, and they’re very hard to rewrite.

Usually, players have to sublimate them in order to

gain Karma from them.

Open Fates

Open Fates are easy to create and role-play. These

represent relationships with the other characters,

as well as emotions towards other characters and

organizations. They are easy to create and use in

play. They are also easy to change and rewrite

during the No-Self phase. However, they are harder

to sublimate. Once you have a relationship with

someone, it may be harder to justify completely

severing your Fate with them unless they die, leave

or otherwise stop being a part of the character’s

life. They are great for character background and

rewrites, but harder to gain Karma from than

scratch-off Fates.

Scratch-off Fates

Enemy Fates, as well as Fates that represent specific

attainable goals, fall into this pattern. Once the goal

is attained or the enemy defeated, you scratch them

offyour sheet. These Fates are easy to sublimate,

and result in a great one-time drop in Karma.

Scratch-off Fates will help keep your character

from becoming an Asura, as long as their goals

get fulfilled, or they find a good enough reason to

abandon them.

Dead Fates

The pattern to watch out for is “Dead Fates”. These

are Fates where the target simply won’t appear in

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the game. For example: “Loyalty to My Family” in a

session where your character’s family will not appear

in any form; “Love of my Sister” in a game where

your sister won’t appear because your character is

thousands of miles from home. These “Dead Fates”

might make your character seem more interesting

and give them more of a human feel, but they won’t

contribute to the game.

It will be very hard to get Aiki chits from these dead

Fates. Since the target does not appear in the game,

these Fates cannot be easily rewritten or sublimated.

They sit there on the character sheet, unused. They

won’t help your character out, and they won’t keep

the character from becoming an Asura.

As a GM, if you see a player taking a dead Fate,

or if one of the Fates from their chosen archetypes

or character sheet is a dead Fate, talk them out of

it. Let them just make that element a part of their

personality, just not codifi ed and written on their

sheet as a true Fate. Ensuring that players avoid

dead Fates will help the player in the long run as

their Karma starts to build up. Some of the Fates

that appear on the sample characters might be dead

Fates. If the sample character comes with a pre-

written Fate that is not likely to come up in play,

or you have a better idea for a Fate, go ahead and

change it.

KARMA AND MEIKYO

When a character is interfaced with a meikyo soul

mirror, like in the case of an armour rider or Shinto

puppeteer, the Kiai and Karma rules work slightly

differently. The PC has a total Karma, and the

meikyo also has its own Karma pool. Unlike the

normal rules for spent Kiai, which becomes Karma

later during the intermission, Kiai used when

interfaced immediatelybecomes Karma added to the

meikyo’s Karma pool.

Kiai spent by the PC when not interfaced is added

to the PC ’s spent Kiai pool, which will later become

Karma during the intermission as normal. In the

case of kongohki, their very existence is tied to

the meikyo soul mirror. Kongohki have a single

Karma pool just like every other character, and

Karma works exactly the same for kongohki as it

does for all other character types.

MEIKYO BONUS

Karma weighs on the soul, and it has a strong effect

on meikyo. Any machine powered by meikyo will

receive a bonus to its physical properties when it

gains Karma. The more Karma a soul mirror has,

the stronger the interfaced Body, Agility and Senses

attributes become. This effect is called the Meikyo

Bonus:

Meikyo Karma Bonus

0-20 +0

21-40 +1

41-60 +2

61-80 +3

81-100 +4

101-108 +5

109+ +6

Applying the Meikyo Bonus

The Meikyo Bonus applies to all die rolls. An

armour or kongohki with a Karma total of 70

would add three dice to every physical die roll

made.

However, note that the attributes don’t actually

increase. Even though there is a bonus generated

from Karma which adds dice to physical attribute

rolls, the Wound Gauge and Vitality Point pool

don’t increase: They will stay the same.

Your meikyo bonus can increase over the course

of a single roll. For example: An armour rider is

interfaced with a yoroi armour and the meikyo’s

Karma is 60. Th e meikyo bonus is currently +2.

The pilot spends three Kiai to gain three bonus die

on a combat roll. This raises the meikyo bonus from

+2 to +3. However, for that roll the meikyo bonus

stays at +2. From the next roll onwards, the rider

will be able to roll three dice for future rolls.

KARMA SYSTEM

MEIKYO AND ASURA

When a human interfaces with a meikyo mirror

(in the common case of an armour rider), the total

Karma of both rider and meikyo cannot exceed 108.

If a rider tries to interface with a meikyo, and the

total Karma at that moment of Interface is over

108, the meikyo will reject the rider. She will never

be able to interface with that meikyo ever again.

If the user is interfaced with a meikyo, and while

interfaced, the total Karma of both rider and

meikyo/armour rises to exceed 108, the soul of the

armour rider becomes trapped within the meikyo.

Th e meikyo user will forever be tied to that

meikyo, and effectively dies. Th e meikyo user (and

her armour) immediately becomes both an Asura,

and an NPC. This is an exception to the rules

regarding normal characters: Non-interfaced

characters have until the next intermission to

lower their Karma below 108 before they turn

into an Asura. Interfaced users like armour riders

and puppeteers whose combined character and

meikyo Karma goes above 108 will become Asura

immediately.

Remember that kongohki, whose souls are already

bound to a meikyo, work as normal human

characters. Their Karma is not divided between

“rider” and “meikyo”, and their Karma can

exceed 108. All is well if the player can reduce

the kongohki’s Karma below 108 in the next

intermission.

REDUCING MEIKYO KARMA

Karma amassed by meikyo soul mirrors needs

careful attention. As mentioned above, having too

much total Karma when interfacing with a meikyo

results in the interface failing and the meikyo

rejecting the user. Gaining too much Karma while

interfaced means that the user can become trapped

inside the meikyo forever, their armour going on

a rampage or running away, while their bodies

inside waste away and die. However, there are two

methods for reducing the Karma held by meikyo

soul mirrors:

Calling upon a Buddhist monk, or taking the

meikyo’s Karma into oneself.

Meikyo Cleansing

Some Buddhist monks are capable of performing a

limited amount of ritualized magic. One of these

rituals is called “Meikyo Cleansing”: Through chant

and prayer, they can cause the Karma amassed by

the mirror to dissipate. Please see the Buddhist

Magic rules for more details on the Meikyo

Cleansing power. If this spell is performed on a

kongohki, or an Asura armour rider whose soul is

permanently trapped within a meikyo, the meikyo’s

Karma can be reduced to 0. If that happens, the

soul is set free and passes on safely to the afterlife.

Perhaps it will eventually reincarnate one day.

Meikyo and Fates

The main way for a rider or meikyo user to reduce

the Karma held in a meikyo mirror is to accept it

into their own spirit. During an intermission, the

rider can cause the meikyo’s Karma to transfer into

her own by raising her own Fate levels. This is done

during the Raising Fate Levels step of the “No-Self

Phase”. When Fates rise from one level to the next

higher level, the rider can choose whether or not to

reduce the meikyo’s Karma at that time, taking on

that Karma herself.

If a Fate rises from 2 to 3 dots, the meikyo user

can choose to accept 10 points of Karma from the

meikyo. If a Fate rises from 3 to 4 dots, the user

can choose to take in 20 points of Karma from the

meikyo. If a Fate rises from 4 to 5 dots, the user can

choose to burden herself with 40 points of Karma

from the meikyo. The meikyo’s Karma cost can

lower with each raise of a Fate’s level, and that

amount is added to the meikyo user or armour rider.

The rider can then sublimate or change her Fates to

reduce her Karma as normal.

KIMENKYO

The kimen-style technology that has been

propagated by the Northern Court of the

Priesthood does not accumulate Karma. This

KARMA SYSTEM

means that kimen armour riders can interface

with kimenkyo mechanical mirrors without fear of

being trapped inside. Kimen technology is weaker

and thus does not gain the meikyo bonus of pure

meikyo-style technology. However, a kimen armour

rider can exceed 108 Karma while interfaced

without fear of becoming an Asura, as long as that

Karma is reduced during the next intermission.

Kimen Kongohki

Kongohki created with kimen technology are simply

not as powerful as their soul mirror-based kongohki

counterparts. They do not receive a meikyo bonus.

However, they still their Overdrive ability. That still

makes them formidable opponents and terrors on

the battlefield.

THE IMPORTANCE OF

THE KARMA RULES

In closing, the Karma rules are centered around

one thing: Creating and getting into a story that

is fun and exciting, both beautiful and sorrowful,

enjoyable and painful. It requires the cooperation

of all the players to make this happen. If the game

session is a canvas and the players the painters, the

Karma rules are the paints.

The players play the roles of their characters, and

the GM coordinates the action and flow of the

game. Together, the drama develops through play.

Fates are the players’ influence over what happens

to their character and the story. Destinies are the

GM’s “message” to the players, as to what their

role is in the story that unfolds. The Karma system

brings that out to the forefront in a way where an

entire story can be told, from start to finish, over

the course of a single session. It condenses the action

and drama into a short time period, and emphasizes

change in the player characters and surrounding

events.

When you engage with the Karma rules in Tenra

Bansho, you need to remember the mantra of the

creator of the game, Jun’ichi Inoue: “Everything

exists for the sake of the drama.” Your characters are

the tools you control to make the story more

interesting for everyone. The characters are the

resolute, unbreakable entities, the focus at the center

of the story. The story that develops from your

characters and your role-play is your story, your own

unique mark left on the world of Tenra.

BASIC COMBAT

The combat system of Tenra Bansho works very

much like the combat of any console RPG that you

may have played.

Combat is broken down into rounds. One round

lasts just the amount of time needed for all

characters to act. This can range from a few seconds

in quick exchanges, to up to a minute per round in

great battles. The length of time is an abstraction

and is rarely important. What is important is how

a round of combat plays out: What is at stake?

What will the characters gain if they win? What

will happen if they lose? With those things in mind,

combat begins.

Combat begins with the character with the

highest Agility. If two or more characters are tied

for Agility, then compare their Body scores, then

Senses, then Knowledge to determine order. Each

character takes an action, then the spotlight passes

to the next player character or enemy character.

Here is the order of actions in a combat round:

THE ROUND BEGINS

1) Declare Actions

— Rest

— Wait

— Moment of Truth

2) Move (up to Agility x 10 meters)

3) Take an Action

— Attack action

— Special ability

— Samurai form

— Start up a yoroi armour

— Fate roll

— Cheer

4) Half-action

— A quick activity, either before or after the

Action

THE ROUND ENDS

Interaction Phase

— An upkeep phase between rounds where

some record-keeping is done

Next Round Begins.

DECLARING ACTIONS

When a round starts, it is assumed that the

character will take normal actions like moving,

attacking, or using special abilities and the like. If

you want to Rest, Wait, or declare a Moment of

Truth, you have to say so now before you take any

further action.

Rest

If you declare that you are resting, your character

pauses to collect her breath, to get her bearings and

to rest (as much as possible on the battlefield). The

character gains back one point of Vitality. You may

not move or take any actions, though you may

defend yourself if attacked (and initiate counter-

attacks).

Wait

If you declare a Wait action, your character will skip

her turn, and instead act later than she would have

acted. You can later declare—at any time later that

round—that you want to take an action. If many

players declare that they are waiting, and then all of

them decide that they want to go at the exact same

time, then those characters who waited will act in

their turn order.

Movement

If a player decides to move their character to a new

location, she does so now. She can move up to her

Agility score times 10 in meters per round, if you

are keeping careful track of distance in a battlefi

eld. In most cases, battles in Tenra Bansho Zero are

skirmishes between small groups of characters.

BASIC COMBAT

In these situations, if the field of battle is not very

large (the inside of a tea house or store room, a forest

path a few meters wide, etc), simply move to a new

location, or describe moving closer to or further

from an opponent.

ACTIONS

Actions are the core of the combat round. It is

where the actual fighting occurs. Every round,

you may perform only one action. These actions

(sometimes they are called “combat action”, “full

action”, or “major action” to distinguish them from

half-actions) are the important or common actions

like attacking, using special equipment, powers, etc.

They are a separate concept from half-actions. In a

tie for time between a full action and a half-action,

the full action happens first, the half-action second.

Attack Action

An attack is the most basic action to take in a

round. Using Unarmed Combat, Melee Weapons

or Marksman skills, the attacker selects a defender

and makes a die roll to try to hit the defender. See

the Attacking and Damage section below for more

details on resolving attacks.

Optional Rule: MOMENT OF TRUTH

Once per session, one single character can use

a Moment of Truth to spend a large amount

of Kiai at one critical moment. The Type Zero

rules section has a more detailed description

of what this does. When this special action is

declared, all action stops. No one else can take

an action, and no one can interrupt nor jump

in with an action until the Moment of Truth

is resolved.

When the Moment of Truth is declared, note

that the player’s Kiai pool is at risk. They

should try to use as much Kiai power as

possible, because at the end of the round all of

that character’s unspent or unused Kiai points

disappear.

CONCEPT: THE LENGTH OF A

COMBAT ROUND

While, conceptually, a combat round usually

involves a few quick sword strikes and lasts a

couple seconds, the offi cial default length

for a combat round is one minute, unless the

GM declares otherwise. This gives the players

enough time to formulate actions without

worrying about if the action they want to take

is an Action or a Half-action. As mentioned

above, though, the concept of time is elusive

in a combat round, and everyone deciding

that each round is only a few seconds long (10,

20) by default might add a bit of cinematic

action to the game.

The GM might decide that a close-quarters

combat between one player and three

assassins might have rounds which last ten

seconds each. The GM might decide that a

full-scale battle between two warring

factions on a bloody battlefield might be one

minute or more per round.

In the end, there are tactical choices in the

combat of Tenra Bansho Zero, but time really

isn’t all that important in most games. The

only time you would really want to define the

length of a combat round might be if some

players are in the middle of a fight, while

other players are in another location trying to

do something tricky at the same time.

In either case, round length is a matter of

action and cinematic flavor: Distinctions for

Actions and Half-Actions won’t change if a

round is ten seconds or ten minutes (A ten

minute mass battle round length won’t give

the character 4 actions and 60 half-actions,

for example, even though that would be more

realistic) When all else fails, though, the

official default length for a combat round is

one minute.

BASIC COMBAT

that character somehow. It doesn’t have to be a

nice Fate (it could be things like “Hatred”, “Must

kill ”, etc), but some sort of Fate specifically towards

that target character must exist on the giving

character’s sheet. The cheering character should

roleplay out how she is cheering on the other

character (a pep talk, screaming out enthusiastic

commands, etc). The cheering character can then

give the target character a number of Aiki chits

from her own pool to the target, up to her own

Empathy attribute score.

If the giving character does not have Aiki chits but

has Kiai points, those can be traded in for Aiki chits

and given as well: Every one Aiki chit costs the giver

three Kiai points to convert. Be careful, though; the

giver must erase those Kiai points, and mark each

one spent as Karma. Carefully record the Karma

gained by spending Kiai in this manner.

Defensive Actions

A note on defending: It does not cost an action

to defend, so you do not ever have to declare a

defensive action. Using Evasion, Unarmed Combat

or Melee Weapons against an incoming attack can

happen at any time and as many times per round

as needed. However, you can only roll a defense

once against an incoming attack. For example,

you can’t fail at using Melee Weapons to parry an

incoming sword strike, then say that you’re going to

try to defend against that same attack again using

Evasion. Only one defense per incoming attack roll,

but you can defend any number of attacks aimed at

you that round.

That holds true for ideas like a single attack of one

thousand incoming arrows. It’s absolutely better for

the GM to treat that as “one 1000-arrow attack”

or”5 200-arrow attacks” instead of rolling to evade

each of the 1000 individual arrows.

Some special abilities from Buddhist monks,

onmyoji and ayakashi (like the “Possession” ability)

require a Willpower roll to resist. Th is resistance

roll is treated as a defensive action; the target does

not have to spend an action trying to defend

against mental or spiritual attacks.

A SIDE BENEFIT OF CHEERING A

COMRADE ON

A character can cheer on another character as

many times as she wishes in a combat scene.

This is a good way for a good roleplayer whose

character has a low combat ability to give a

low-Empathy/high combat ability character

a chance to beat a challenging foe. Rack up

those Aiki chits or Kiai points, and spend

them on friends!

Or, alternately, you could make that finishing

blow yourself, trading in a huge pile of Kiai

to gain a large number of dice andtemporary

skill bonuses. See the Karma section for

details on how Aiki chits, Kiai points and

Karma works.

Special Ability

Onmyojutsu, Samurai Transformation, The

Butterfly Dream, Wormcharm, Resonance,

Buddhist Magic, Ninjutsu, Arts of War, Shinto

Magic and Ayakashi abilities all usually require a

full action to perform.

Fate Roll

In combat, it is possible to make a Fate Roll,

using an applicable Fate to the situation at hand.

Sometimes the highest Fate score can be used for

this roll. At other times a lower, more applicable

Fate will have to be used instead (at the GM’s

discretion). That player should describe how the

situation affects their character’s Fate. This is

usually done if Kiai points are needed in a hurry,

or the character wants to take an action to spend on

some melodrama. See the Zero Rules and Karma

sections of the rules to learn more about Fate Rolls.

Cheer On

Most player characters will be working together

towards a common goal, and many will take

emotional Fates with each other. By taking an

action to perform a Cheer On roll, one character

can give Aiki chits directly to another character.

The cheering character must have a Fate aimed at

BASIC COMBAT

EXAMPLES OF TYPICAL HALF-

ACTIONS

• Readying a weapon

• Moving 10 meters or less

• Yelling a sentence or two

• Give a shiki spirit a command

• Call a Moment of Truth

• An exciting athletic stunt

• Anything that takes about 5 seconds or less

• A half-action can not cause damage to

an enemy

Half-Actions

When a character acts, she can perform one

action and one half-action. A half-action can be

performed either before or after their major action,

whichever the character wishes. A half-action allows

the character to take small, quick, simple actions.

Things like dropping an item, switching weapons,

yelling something, or moving a little can be

performed during the half-action phase. Also, if the

player calls a Moment of Truth, this is considered a

half-action. The GM will have final say if a lengthy

action can be performed as a half-action, or if it

will require a full action to perform. A good rule

of thumb for the GM is that if it takes about five

seconds or less, it is a half-action. No attacks or

other damaging actions can be performed during a

half-action. Also, remember that in a tie for speed,

full actions occur before half-actions.

INTERACTION PHASE

The interaction phase is the name of the period

which occurs between the end of one round and

the beginning of the next. It’s a period of quick

bookkeeping, status checks, and preparation for the

next round. Think of a potentially infinite number

of potential combat rounds: Interaction phases are

the “glue” which holds the combat rounds together.

If your character is wounded, the interaction phase

is the time where you mark down loss of Vitality

due to wounds or where your character might pass

out or die.

Here are some other things which occur during the

interaction phase:

• Environmental or special damage: Fire, acid,

poison, loss of Vitality points due to the Critical

Wound track being marked

• Passing out or dying because of wounds

• Shiki spirit appearing after a summoning, or

disappearing when dispelled

• Regaining Vitality or Wounds from shiki, annelids

or innate ayakashi abilities

Finally, the GM has the ability to declare an

Intermission if she wants. This might be used to

break up a long combat scene, or to take a much-

needed break. However, be careful: Calling for an

Intermission in the middle of a combat scene could

break the tension and mood if done poorly or too

often. We don’t recommend doing it often, but it’s

there as a possibility if it is needed.

ATTACKING AND

DAMAGE

Fighting with fists, swords and magic is a big part

of the combat system. In this section we’ll discuss

how to make attacks, take defensive actions, make

counterattacks, and deal damage. In the section

below, the person making attacks will be called the

attacker, and the target of the attack will be called

the target or defender.

BASIC COMBAT

Hitting a Target

When an attacker makes an attack against a

defender in melee or unarmed combat, both sides

roll an attack against each other at the same time!

Th e attacker and the defender roll their respective

combat skills (in close combat this is usually Body:

Unarmed Combat, or Agility: Melee Weapons)

and count the number of successes. The person with

the most successes wins: It doesn’t matter if they

were the attacker or the defender, the person with

the most successes is the one that hit, and caused

damage to, their opponent.

Unarmed Combat can be used to defend or

counterattack against Melee Weapon attacks with

no penalty: Most martial artists train themselves to

fight against armed opponents.

In a case where the attacker is using her Senses:

Marksman skill against a defender (using Unarmed

Combat, Melee Weapons or Evasion), roll and count

successes. If the attacker wins, damage is dealt

to the defender. If the defender wins, no damage

is returned to the attacker: The arrow, knife or

shuriken was deflected or caught, not fired back

against the attacker. The bullet bounced off the

blade or the samurai used her training to narrowly

take cover; she cannot fire the bullets back at the

attacker.

Remember that fire attacks, attacks which use

spiritual or magical force, explosive attacks like

mortar and bombs, and other incorporeal attacks

can only be defended against using the Evasion

skill.

If both sides roll the same number of successes and

get a tie, then neither side succeeds. In a normal

non-combat opposed roll, you would normally

“freeze time”, ignore the tie and roll the dice again

until one side simply ends up with more successes.

However, in combat, that attack simply does not

succeed and is not re-rolled. In a swordfight, one

can envision this easily: Swords clash, sparks fly,

both fighters pushing at each other to give, but

neither side can make a strike this time. That’s the

kind of thing that happens when neither side has

the advantage.

Counterattack

When the defender gets more successes when

defending against an attacker, the result is called

a Counterattack. If more than one attacker

attacks a defender, the defender has a chance of

counterattacking each attacker.

If Attacker’s Successes > Defender’s Successes

The attacker wins, and scores a hit

If Attacker’s Successes = Defender’s Successes

This is a Tie

If Attacker’s Successes < Defender’s Successes

The defender wins, and scores a counterattack.

As mentioned above, if the attacker is using the

Marksman skill, or the defender is defending

against any attack by using the Evasion skill, then

no Counterattack can occur. If the defender wins,

the attacker simply does not take a hit:

If Attacker’s Successes > Defender’s Successes

The attacker wins and scores a hit.

If Attacker’s Successes = or < Defender’s Successes

The attacker fails and misses.

Even though a counterattack does damage to the

attacker, a defending player may choose to simply

not do damage back to the attacker, and take mercy

on them. In this situation, the defender is not

injured and the attacker takes no damage from the

counterattack.

Taking Damage

Damage is easy to determine in Tenra Bansho.

However, deciding what to do then with the

damage once you take it is hard at first, and takes a

little bit of practice to get used to.

BASIC COMBAT

The damage received is equal to the difference

between the winner’s successes and the loser’s

successes. After that, the damage modifier of the

weapon used by the winner is added to that total.

This means that the more you succeed on an attack

or counterattack roll, the more damage you will do

to the opponent. The amount of success usually

adds more to damage than the damage rating of

the weapon used; a skilled fi ghter could kill with a

sword, a stick or a teacup.

Once the amount of damage is determined, the

target of the damage decides how to distribute those

damage points. Damage can be distributed in one

of two ways: on Vitality or on Wound boxes. The

target can spread the damage across these two areas

in any way she wishes.

For example, if your character receives ten points of

damage from an attack (For example, an attacker

wins by 7 successes and is using a +3 damage

katana), here are some examples of how you can

decide to distribute damage:

• Reduce Vitality by 10 and don’t fi ll in any

Wound boxes

• Fill in 10 Wound boxes and don’t reduce Vitality.

• Reduce Vitality by 4 points and fill in sixWound

boxes

• Fill in two Wound boxes and reduce Vitality by 8

Damage Points Taken = The difference between the

numbers of successes rolled between attacker and

defender, plus the damage rating of the weapon.

COMBAT EXAMPLE

”SEKISHU, YOU JUST DON’T KNOW WHEN

TO QUIT, DO YOU?”

Autumn Rain, a fire blazing in her eyes, points at

the man in ninja garb before her.

The man called Sekishu, his face covered below his

cold, narrowing eyes, doesn’t answer back.

Instead, his hand slides to the hilt of the sword strapped

to his back, inching it out of its scabbard.

That was the last time either would exchange words.

Autumn Rain, wielding a ninja sword (damage

rating: +3) makes an attack against Sekishu. She

uses Agility (8) and Melee Weapons (Advanced, Skill

3) to attack. She rolls 8 dice for her 8 Agility and

tries to roll a 3 or under to match or stay below her

Melee Weapons Skill of 3. Upon rolling the dice, they

come up with a 1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, and 6. Only the

4 and the 6 are above her Melee Weapons Skill of 3,

so everything else counts as a success, for a total of six

successes.

Sekishu is also wielding a ninja sword and uses

it to defend. He rolls his Agility (9) and Melee

Weapons (Advanced, Skill 3). Because he has 9

Agility, he rolls 9 dice instead of Autumn Rain’s 8,

though like her, he has to roll a 3 or under to achieve a

success. The dice come up 1, 2, 2, 3, 4,

4, 4, 5, and 6. Th is gives him four successes. This

means that Autumn Rain’s attack succeeds.

The difference between Autumn Rain’s successes (6)

and Sekishu’s successes (4) is 2. That is the base damage

that Sekishu receives. Autumn Rain’s ninja sword

deals three damage, which raises the damage total to

5. There are no additional damage types done (magic,

electricity, poison, etc), so the total damage to Sekishu

remains at 5.

If Sekishu happened to get seven successes there instead

of four, he would have beaten Autumn Rain. The

margin of success, or difference between their numbers

of successes, would have been 1. His ninja sword’s

damage rating of 3 would have been added to that, so

Autumn Rain would have received 4 total damage.

Next, Sekishu will have to decide how to divide up

those 5 points of damage received between his Vitality

and Wound boxes.

BASIC COMBAT

MAKING MULTIPLE ATTACKS IN THE

SAME ROUND

Every good samurai or chambara movie has

that scene: The lone hero faces off against 3-8

or more foes who end up encircling the hero.

The classic Zatoichimovies and TV franchise

were full of these great scenes. The hero

draws, the enemies advance to attack, and in

a few seconds they all go down in a flurry of

steel. Or the hero makes a few quick strikes

in the air, the enemies pause for a second,

surprised, then cry out as they all fall at once

like cut bamboo.

Looking at the rules as-is, though, with one

attack per round, this seems impossible, right?

Wrong. There are two basic ways to go about

performing one-on-many combat feats:

The not-so-smart way: You can spend Kiai

points to gain additional actions. Therefore,

on your turn you can spend four more Kiai

points and make four more attacks in that

round.

The awesome way: Simply take your

character and put them in harm’s way. Find

a group of enemies and plant yourself right

in front of them, or maneuver around so

that they encircle you. When every one of

those enemies attacks you, you are actually

attacking them back with a counterattack. 6

enemies surrounding and attacking you means

that you get to make 7 attacks that round:

Your normal attack, plus the 6 potential

counterattacks disguised as “defensive rolls.”

Be careful, though. This is a great way

to mow down weaker enemies, but being

surrounded by strong enemies will make this a

real dangerous challenge.

EVERY DEFENSE IS A COUNTERATTACK!

Well, almost every defense anyway. For those of you

familiar with other role-playing games, many set

up a chain where an attacker rolls to attack and the

defender rolls to defend. Then, the defender later

becomes the attacker, and rolls an attack against

their opponent, who rolls to defend.

In Tenra Bansho Zero, these rolls (for melee and

unarmed attacks) are collapsed into a single roll:

Both the attacker and the defender “attack”, and the

winner does damage to the loser. If the defender

wins, she effectively parried the attack and came

back with her own counterattack. Be careful of this,

as a weak character stabbing or punching a strong

enemy is effectively an invitation to get smacked

down hard by the stronger enemy’s counterattack!

However, characters using Evasion instead of a

weapon skill to defend and characters using their

weapon skills to defend against ranged attacks

(deflecting arrows, grabbing knives mid-flight,

and protecting vitals from bullets) do not make a

counterattack.

INJURY AND VITALITY

Each character has a maximum Vitality score.

When they take damage, the Vitality score lowers.

Over time, the Vitality score returns to a full state.

Once a character has received damage, it’s up to the

player of that character (or the GM, if the character

is an NPC) to decide how to split up or spread

out the damage. As mentioned, she can choose to

take all the points of damage received and use it to

reduce Vitality by that amount. All of it could be

taken in the form of filling in Wound boxes, a more

lasting kind of injury. Or more commonly, a portion

of the damage can be taken in the form of Vitality

damage, and the rest of the total taken in Wounds.

Vitality is a more fleeting area. It represents the

character’s ability to stay conscious. Points of

damage taken in Vitality represent superficial cuts,

bruises and stabs, flesh wounds, fatigue, weariness,

BASIC COMBAT

loss of maneuverability, that kind of thing. When

Vitality goes to zero or less, the character is

effectively out of the fight. She lost. She goes down

for the count. The fight is over, and the opponent

won. This doesn’t necessarily mean death, in fact

it rarely does: It usually means that the opponent

gets bragging rights over the victim or that the

antagonist can cross over the hero’s fallen body

to continue on to fulfill his goal now that the

opposition has fallen.

Every point of damage taken in Vitality lowers the

Vitality pool one point. It can go past zero to a

negative number: If a character has given up on a

fight after taking a huge amount of damage, she can

spend it all on Vitality to be taken out of the fight

without dying. When the fight is over and the

opponent has moved on, the loser wearily regains

consciousness.

Vitality is short-term damage that quickly goes

away. Under normal circumstances, a character can

regain all of her Vitality back once the combat is

over and the scene ends. Otherwise, it heals at a rate

of about 1 point per minute in the game world (as

opposed to minutes in the real world) when not

fighting in combat.

A quick note: Soul acts very much like Vitality in

combat situations, but the recovery rate is one hour

per point of Soul. Taoist sorcerers who summon

too many powerful shikigami spirits in battle will

quickly find themselves face down in a ditch.

Optional Rule: If you are playing in a long term

battle, and the GM decides to allow unconscious

character to return to the fray (this should be

extremely rare or under unusual circumstances, like

a large war) every negative point of Vitality damage

received represents a combat round, or a minute

of game world time that that character remains

unconscious before rising up to 1 Vitality and

regaining consciousness.

Wounds and the Effects of Damage

Wounds, unlike Vitality, represent long-term

damage and a more serious level of injury. Wounds

are deep cuts, painful stabs, broken bones, torn

muscles, and other gritty physical wear-and-tear that

takes a while to recover from.

In the Character Creation chapter, we looked into

how to determine the character’s Vitality score and

Wound track. Most characters have several Light

Wound boxes, about half that number in Heavy

Wound boxes, a very few number of Critical Wound

boxes (usually 1-2), and one Dead box.

Heavy Wounds have interesting effects on a

character. When you take wounds from a category,

there are usually associated die effects. If you have

one wound in that category, you gain that effect.

You can also choose how to spread your Wound

Boxes around. If you take 3 points of damage, and

you decide to leave Vitality alone and take those

3 points as Wounds, then you could take 2 Light

Wounds and one Heavy, or 3 Light Wounds, or

perhaps 2 Critical Wounds and a Light Wound, or

any other combination. You don’t have to fill in all

the Light Wound boxes before starting to fill in

Heavy Wounds, Critical Wounds or even the Dead

Box. You can fill them out in any order you desire!

It may take a little while to remember this in play,

as it seems counter-intuitive. But the player has

full control over which boxes in the Wounds area

of their sheet are checked off. Each damage that

becomes a Wound becomes a story element of that

battle, an element which the player gets to narrate!

Effects of Wounds

Light Wounds: Nothing

Heavy Wounds: +1 die to all die rolls

Critical Wounds: +2 dice to all die rolls, but every

Interaction Phase you lose 1 additional Vitality

point

Dead Box: +3 dice to all die rolls

BASIC COMBAT

If you have wounds across more than one wound

category, you gain the effects of only the most

serious of the wounds.

So what does the above mean, then?

If you take 3 points in Light Wounds, nothing

happens. You have received a nasty wound which

will take a bit to heal.

If you take 3 points in Heavy Wounds, then you

get the “ benefi t” of the Heavy Wound category:

From that point on you get to add one extra die to

every single roll that your character makes: Combat,

Non-combat, everything. It doesn’t matter if you

have one Heavy Wound box checked, or all of your

Heavy Wound boxes checked, you will only receive

one single extra die for having a one or more Heavy

Wounds.

If you take 1 point in Heavy Wounds, and 2 points

in Critical Wounds, then the Heavy Wound effect

(+1 die) is ignored and you focus only on the effect

of the more serious wound, the Critical Wound. In

this case, you get to roll 2 extra dice to every single

roll that your character makes. However, your

character will also take one point of Vitality damage

every round during the Interaction Phase between

combat rounds until you reach one point of Vitality:

When you reach one point of Vitality, the effects

of Vitality Drain stop.

A note on Critical Wounds: A critical wound will

not by itself cause your Vitality to drop to zero.

Once your Vitality is reduced to 1, it stays at 1.

However, you can always choose to take the extra

step to accept Vitality damage, push Vitality to

zero and drop out of the fi ght. When the fi ght is

over, your Vitality goes back to 1 and remains at

that level until you heal all of your Critical Wounds.

The Dead Box

The Dead Box is special. When the player checks

the Dead Box, it means the following:

• The player gets to roll those three bonus dice on

every roll from that point forward (regardless of

other boxes filled in).

• The player is signaling to the GM, “My character

is willing to die to win this fi ght, and I’m OK with

that”.

When a player received a number of damage points

and decides to take that damage as Wounds, she

must check one wound box for every point of

damage spread to wounds. However, with the Dead

Box, it can be checked to completely ignore the

effects of damage from one attack.

This means that if your character takes a hit

from a powerful foe which does 3 points of damage,

30 points of damage, or even 300 points of damage

(which won’t ever happen, but it’s a good example),

the player can wave away all of that damage, and

not have to take any of it, by simply checking that

Dead Box. The Dead Box makes all the damage

go away, but in return the character is put in a

dangerous state.

Once the Dead Box is checked, the character is

at risk of dying. She will receive those three extra

bonus dice to use on any action. However, you must

keep track of your Vitality score. If your Vitality

goes down to zero while the Dead Box remains

checked, the character literally dies. Usually this

means that she goes down and is out of the fight,

and then afterward, when the fight is over, she

can say a few words to her companions or enemies

before passing on.

When the Dead Box is checked, as explained above,

all other wound effects and bonuses are ignored. Th

is means that if the player has a Critical Wound,

then the player stops losing Vitality points every

round if the Dead Box is checked.

The Dead Box is a useful tool in a dangerous fight,

however you will want to make sure that you have

enough Vitality points and enough open Wound

boxes left in order to soak any additional incoming

damage. Only activate the Dead Box if you’re okay

BASIC COMBAT

with the possibility of your character permanently

dying.

Damage Example

Sekishu couldn’t hide his surprise at the swift strike he

received. Autumn Rain had improved her skill since

they last crossed swords, and now is much faster than

she once was.

“I see that you are indeed Oboro Enshu’s greatest work,

puppet. Prepare yourself, for I will make sure that we

put your hidden skills to the ultimate test.”

With that, Sekishu chokes back the blood welling up in

his throat, and curls his lips in a perverse smile.

THE MORE WOUNDED YOU ARE, THE

MORE POWERFUL YOU BECOME

Yes, that’s the fundamental rule of combat in

Tenra Bansho Zero. Think of all the samurai

movies or anime you’ve seen, manga you’ve

read, and video games you’ve played. The

big enemy doesn’t often go down in one hit:

Instead, they become fi ercer, stronger, more

reckless as they get hit, until they finally go

down like a ton of bricks. Sometimes, when

they appear to take that fatal hit (checking off

the Dead Box), they rise back up into the fight

with a different appearance, perhaps on fire or

surrounded by an energy halo, more powerful

than ever, screaming “This is my Final Form!”

The same thing happens in Pulp and other

Western cinema the heroic cop, superhero or

archeologist gets beaten up, only to have the

theme music play as they rise up and bring the

pain down on the enemy.

Tenra Bansho Zero combat emulates the

dramatic and cinematic ideals of combat

(in fact, a lot of these conventions are used

in Kabuki stage combat as well), and hand-

wavesthe reality of shock, trauma, blood loss

and other real combat factors.

Sekishu takes 5 points of damage. Before this attack,

he was uninjured. Since his Body attribute is 7, his

Vitality and Wound gauge looks like this:

Vitality: 14

Light Wounds: OOOOOOO

Heavy Wounds: OOOO

Critical Wounds: OO

Dead: O

After Autumn Rain’s attack, Sekishu’s character

decides to spread the 5 damage between both Vitality

and Wounds. Sekishu’s player thinks it would be more

dramatic to take a Heavy Wound. Not to mention he

will receive that bonus die to future attacks if he takes

any Heavy Wounds. He spreads the damage around

between 2 Vitality, 2 Light Wounds and 1 Heavy

Wound, and his gauges now look like this:

Vitality: 12

Light Wounds: XXOOOOO

Heavy Wounds: XOOO

Critical Wounds: OO

Dead: O

A bloody strike, but he can manage. Sekishu reaches

for that bonus die, as he now has a Heavy Wound. He

looks at his opponent’s moves to try to find an opening

for the next strike…

Wound Dice

One thing that may help your game is to use

special brightly-colored dice for keeping track of

wound damage. When a character takes wounds

and gains dice bonuses, that player will take those

1, 2, or 3 extra dice from those bright red (or other

color) special “Wound Dice” and keep those dice

in front of them to remind themselves to use them.

It is easy to forget about the extra dice when you’re

new to playing or running the game, and having

a set different colored dice set aside for wounds

sometimes helps.

BASIC COMBAT

Armour and Two Wound Tracks

Yoroi armour riders who pilot their armour in

combat have a few special rules to be aware of.

When piloting an armour, they will use two sets of

Vitality scores and two sets of Wound tracks.

When an armour rider takes damage, she can

spread the damage between the armour’s Vitality

WHEN DO PLAYER CHARACTERS

DIE?

In Tenra Bansho Zero, the player effectively

decides when the character dies. If the player

eggs on a series of brutal and insurmountable

fi ghts, she could simply choose to lose on

purpose, running out of Vitality and passing

out each time instead of dying. Of course,

this means that they’re taken out of the fight,

perhaps demoralized, rebuked, or even taken

captive. It also often means that the antagonist

or their enemy gets to advance their plot with

them out of the way, which will probably

soon begin to affect the things that the PC

cares for (Fates). Eventually, the PC will fi nd

themselves in a fi ght that they (or their player)

wants to win, nay needsto win. That’s when

they’ll start checking off the Dead Box to stay

in the game, at least long enough to see the

fight through.

When an NPC dies, they might have a few

last words or a small speech as they pass

on. Likewise, when a PC chooses to die, it’s

probably best to give that player some time

to say a few things before the character hits

that eternal slumber. To that end, while the

character might “die” in a battle, they aren’t

totally dead until the player says so. At that

point, the battle ends, and the scene hangs.

Time comes to a standstill, and in that

eternally lasting moment, the player has time

for her PC to act out a dramatic death or have

her character say a few last words before the

scene ends.

and wound tracks, as if the armour were a separate

character. When the armour reaches 0 Vitality, it

shuts down until combat is over. If the armour has

a checked Dead Box then drops to zero Vitality, it is

completely destroyed.

If both the pilot and the armour have taken

wounds, then only count the bonuses and penalties

of the checked box which grants the highest bonus.

For example, if the pilot herself has 1 Critical

Wound, and the armour has 2 Heavy Wounds, then

the armour rider gets the two bonus dice to all rolls

that comes with having a single Critical Wound.

Finally, an armour rider can choose to spread

damage to her own wound track when her armour

takes damage. This is dangerous, but it can keep

an armour in a fight longer. When doing this, all

damage from that attack must be taken by the

character as Wounds (spread between the armour

and armour rider); if a rider chooses to take some

of the damage, that damage cannot be spread to

Vitality at all, whether to the character’s Vitality

or the armour’s Vitality. It must all be taken as

Wounds.

One thing to note for armour rider characters: Like

kongohki, their armour is not a living thing. When

the armour takes a Dead Box, it means that the

armour is irrevocably damaged. One day it will

eventually crack and break down. While characters

can eventually heal their own Dead Box after

combat, a Dead Box on an armour or kongohki

cannot be recovered during a game session: They’re

stuck with it for the rest of the game!

If an armour breaks or powers down, the armour-

rider can still leave the armour (effectively ejecting

or crawling out of the armour). Th e rider can

then fl ee or even take up arms against the enemy

without the aid of the steel giant.

Finishing Blow

A character can finish off an enemy

by declaring a “Finishing Blow”. If the

character is in range, and spends a major action on

a Finishing Blow to an enemy who has fallen (0

Vitality), that enemy is finished.

BASIC COMBAT

OPTIONAL RULE: THE DEAD RISE

AGAIN

If the GM allows this special rule, then one

character per game session can be temporarily

brought back from the dead. If a character

has checked off their Dead Box and let their

Vitality fall to zero, they die (either right

there, or stay down until the end of the battle,

at which point they die). If it would seem

appropriate, one single character per session

can be temporarily brought back from the

dead.

Make a First Aid roll to help the fallen

character (one success is required). If that

roll succeeds, then the dead character returns

to the battle for a few minutes, perhaps

for a final strike, or to block a blow for a

companion. Their Vitality returns to 1. If the

character drops to zero Vitality again, they go

down for good and cannot be re-healed.

After the battle, if the “dead” character is

still standing, that character will fall again

permanently. Perhaps they have enough time

to say a final word or two before they are gone

forever.

The opposite is not entirely true, though: The PCs

cannot be finished offif they fall (unless they had

their Dead Box checked).

Think about the action movies or anime you’ve

seen: Why doesn’t the villain simply fi nish off a

fallen enemy? Because it’s simply not interesting.

The PC has a place and a time where they are fated

to be finished off. Of course, the player may declare

that thisis the time and place by checking that Dead

Box. In that case, the GM should respect the

player’s wishes and fi nish them off if they lose all of

their Vitality and go down.

Until that time, though, the enemy will do things

that villains usually do: Walk away, not realizing

that the character still faintly clings to life. Or

realize that the PC is still alive, and simply gloat

while exiting the stage to push their evil agendas

further. Or the characters could be taken captive.

Or they could be publicly humiliated. There’s a lot

of options which the GM can employ, the default

being that the enemy simply walks off, presuming

the PC is dead:”Oh, that’s all she had in her, eh?

Humph, good riddance, I’m off to the castle/tavern/

pleasure district.”

HEALING DAMAGE IN COMBAT

There are essentially four ways to heal damage taken

during combat. The only thing to note is that, in

the middle of a combat scene, the Dead Box cannot

be healed; You have to wait until combat is over.

If you are still alive by then, the Dead Box can be

healed.

Every type wound has a number associated with

it for healing purposes. Here are the wounds, and

their associated rank:

Wounds and Ranks

Wound Rank

Light 1

Heavy 2

Critical 3

Dead Cannot heal in combat

These ranks are used in determining how easy it

is to heal a wound at that level. A warrior’s player,

familiar with how damage works, might be inclined

to make sure that they take a Heavy Wound right

offthe bat (to gain that bonus die advantage). But

looking at the chart above, in a critical situation

where they need healing to continue fighting,

Heavy Wounds are harder to heal than Light

Wounds. There is always a trade-off .

In combat, though, it is generally hard to heal

unless you have innate abilities that let you do

so. It’s much easier to heal after a battle scene, so

take care when racking up wounds in combat:

Sometimes it is better to take a fall in combat unless

the battle means a lot to you.

BASIC COMBAT

First Aid

First Aid has two functions in combat scenes. If

another character has passed out by dropping to 0

or less Vitality points, you may try to stabilize them

and return them to the battle. Make a First Aid roll

against the number associated with the highest

wound taken (0, 1, 2 or 3). In a case where the hurt

character has not taken any wounds, at least one

success is required. If the healer succeeds in this roll,

then the wounded character returns to 1 Vitality (no

higher than 1, regardless of the number of successes

made). That character has been stablized.

The other function of First Aid in combat is to

heal characters who have taken a Critical Wound.

Critically wounded characters will naturally “bleed

out” a point of Vitality every round until they reach

1 Vitality if left unchecked. Making a successful

First Aid roll against the Critical Wound ’s rank of 3

(three successes or more needed on a First Aid roll)

stops the effect of the Vitality Drain.

Buddhist Magic

The Buddhist Magic spell Iyashi (Healing Prayer)

can take away wounds from hurt characters.

Essentially, the healer will spend five Soul, roll their

Empathy: Buddhist Magic, and count the successes.

Subtract the Wound rank of the highest Wound

the hurt character has, and the remainder of the

successes can be used to restore checked Wound

boxes on a one for one basis. On top of that, all

Vitality is restored to its maximum score.

This magic does not work in a combat scene on a

character with the Dead Box checked; The nature of

Healing Prayer cannot break the fi rm lines of fate

to which the Dead player has resigned themselves.

See the Buddhist Magic section for details on the

Iyashi spell.

Annelids and Wormcharm

Rejuvenation and Immortality worms assist

their character during the interaction phase. An

annelidist does not need to take an action to

use these worms to heal their own bodies, this

happens automatically during the interaction phase.

However, if they wish to use their Rejuvenation

Worms to heal another character (a common task

for annelidists), the annelidist must instead spend

a full action to heal them. See the Annelid List for

more information on the effects of these creatures.

Shiki or Ayakashi Regeneration Ability

Shikigami powers (including Shiki-given samurai

powers) and ayakashi Regeneration powers are

activated every Interaction phase in combat.

HEALING DAMAGE AFTER COMBAT

When a combat scene is over and the fallout of

battle has been tallied, other forms of healing

become available.

Vitality and Soul Replenishment

Damage that was taken to Vitality rejuvenates

quickly. One point of Vitality returns for every

minute that the character is not in battle until their

current Vitality matches their maximum Vitality.

This usually means that by the time the next scene

starts, the character is fully healed.

The exception is if the character has taken a

Critical Wound. In this case, the character will

need treatment soon, or they will pass out (losing

one Vitality per minute, down to a minimum of 1:

At one Vitality point, the effect of Vitality Drain

ends). If losing consciousness is inevitable, they can

be healed in a future scene (assuming the other

characters or an NPC drag that character

somewhere to be healed). If nothing else, the

character can wake up suddenly in the care of a

stranger with their Vitality replenished and no idea

of how they got there. If this makes sense for the

story, go with it.

Soul requires more time, replenishing at the rate

of one point per hour. This means that if the

next scene after combat happens right away, the

characters will only have time to replenish maybe

one point of Soul. If the next scene happens several

hours or a full day later, then it is likely that all

characters will have their Soul fully restored. If the

combat happens at the end of an Act, then at the

BASIC COMBAT

beginning of the next Act (after the Intermission)

the character will be fully restored in Soul as well.

While Soul replenishes one point per hour of game

world time, a full day’s rest or relaxation (including

sleep) will completely rejuvenate Soul. It might be

interesting to act out a relaxation scene. This could

include time spent with friends at a tavern or hot-

springs resort, indulging in mindless fun, carousing,

gambling, calligraphy, painting and so on.

Recovering from Wounds

Wounds will heal much more easily once a battle

scene is over. Th e character can recuperate through

resting or medicine. If the character gets the aid

of a doctor, herbalist, acupuncturist or similar

caregiver, the healer can make a First Aid roll. She

must get a number of successes equal to or greater

than the rank of the highest wound level of the

hurt character (0, 1, 2 or 3). For every single success

greater than the highest wound rank, one wound

box can be removed from anywhere on the hurt

character’s Wound Track (wherever they wish

to have it removed from: Light, Heavy, Critical,

or even Dead). If there is no healer around, the

character can roll their own Senses: First Aid to try

to heal themselves.

Example: The hurt character has 5 Light Wounds and

1 Critical Wound. The target number to heal this

character is 3, the rank of the highest wound (Critical).

A healer rolls 5 successes on her Senses: First Aid roll,

so the healer succeeds. Th e hurt character may remove

two Wounds equal to the number of successes (5) minus

the highest wound rank (3). In this case the result is 2,

so the hurt character’s player can clear 2 wound boxes

from anywhere on her sheet. It might be a good idea for

the player to remove that 1 Critical Wound box and 1

Light Wound box.

This can be attempted one per day in the game

world, or once per act if more than one act occurs

on the same day.

If the First Aid roll fails, then the character’s

condition does not change, although this will not

cause it to get worse.

The Dead Box can be healed after combat using

this method. The Dead Box’s rank is equal to 1

(the same as a Light Wound). It’s easy to heal from

a mortal physical or spiritual wound, but only after

the battle is over. The character will still most likely

be shaken by the experience. Consider later adding

a Fate (or changing an existing Fate) that somehow

deals with that battle.

Healing Formula Summary:

First Aid: Roll the dice and count successes.

Target difficulty number: the Rank of the highest

wound taken (1, 2, or 3 for Light, Heavy and

Critical, respectively, and 1 for Dead)

Success: The hurt character can clear a number

of wound boxes equal to the number of successes

rolled over the highest wound’s rank.

Failure: The hurt character’s status does not

change.

YOROI ARMOURS, KONGOHKI AND

HEALING

Yoroi armours and kongohki are creatures of magic

and steel, not fl esh and blood. They cannot be

healed with First Aid or Buddhist Magic. They

can only be healed by onmyoji who are skilled with

repairing these technological wonders. Roll the

healer’s (or mechanic’s) K nowledge: Onmyojutsu

against the rank of the highest wound taken. Every

additional success past the wound’s rank equals the

number of wound boxes that the character can clear

from the sheet. In short, it works just like human

healing but with Onmyojutsu instead of First Aid.

One thing to note, however, is that a Dead Box

can never be healed in one game session. Once the

machine takes enough damage to be hurt in such

a way, its days are numbered. While other wounds

can be healed, the Dead Box will not go away for

the rest of that scenario. If, later, in a future game of

Tenra Bansho (not the same scenario, but a future

one with the same characters) the same kongohki or

armour returns, then it can return with a healed

BASIC COMBAT

Dead Box: The armour or kongohki was completely

retrofitted, broken down and re-crafted by skilled

machinist-sorcerers or Priesthood agents.

There are a class of rare armours called “living

armours”, made of both steel and flesh. Living

armours are healed externally like other steel-

based armours. However, if the living armour is

implanted with Rejuvenation Worms, then follow

the annelidist rules for healing wounds. This

class of living armour can be healed by and heal

themselves with annelids.

SPECIAL COMBAT

RULES

The following is a list of special rules for combat.

Some of them are special maneuvers that any player

can use, while others are unique abilities only open

to characters that take a specific archetype or

ability.

AIUCHI ATTACK

Aiuchi means “simultaneous strike”. It is a

very dangerous maneuver, but in those rare

circumstances the incredible risk could be worth the

reward. The defender drops her guard and takes on

the full weight of an incoming attack, then counters

with a deadly and unblockable attack. Both

characters will roll for damage as if their opponent

had zero successes.

Only the defending character can declare an aiuchi,

and it must be declared before the dice are rolled.

Th e other character gets to make their attack first,

against a difficulty of zero. All successes, plus the

weapon’s damage, hit the aiuchi character.

If the aiuchi character is still standing and

conscious, then the aiuchi character can return the

attack: She rolls to attack, and the opposing player

will take an amount of damage equal to all of the

successes the aiuchi player rolled plus the weapon’s

damage rating.

This is a brutal maneuver and should be used

sparingly because of the damage it inflicts upon the

initiator.

While the aiuchi attack is a classic sword maneuver,

missile or flying weapons (shuriken, arrows, guns)

can be used to make aiuchi attacks as well.

SNEAK ATTACK

Characters who use their Stealth skill, or shikigami

or ayakashi with the Invisibility ability, have a

chance of making a devastating surprise attack. To

initiate a Sneak Attack, the attacker must be hidden,

disguised or invisible. In most cases the target will

make a Notice roll against the attacker’s Stealth

roll to see if they can spot the attacker or not. If

the attacker is not spotted (or is simply magically

invisible), they can make a sneak attack.

The attacker rolls to attack and the defender rolls

to defend as normal. If the defender wins, then

the target is safe and does not get attacked (or they

parried the attack at the last second). However, they

cannot make a counter-attack on a surprise attack.

If the attacker wins, then the attacker does damage

as if the defender had zero successes to defend. In

other words, the defender takes damage equal to

the total number of successes the attacker rolled,

plus the weapon’s damage. This can be a deadly

attack strategy for stealthy characters and gunlance-

wielding snipers.

Sneak Attack: Autumn Rain vs Ashigaru

Autumn Rain slows her breathing. Although she

was crafted as a kugutsu, a beautiful creature to stand

out in society, she is doing everything in her training

to remain hidden in the tall grass. Her target, the lone

ashigaru foot-soldier pursuing her, is rustling noisily

through the grass towards her. He runs past her, almost

stepping on her prone form. Autumn Rain sees his

exposed, unguarded robe covering his back. She leaps

out of the grassto make her strike!

Autumn Rain’s player made a successful Stealth roll

against the ashigaru’s Notice roll, so she is set up to

perform a Sneak Attack. Describing Autumn Rain as

BASIC COMBAT

leaping out of the grass, knee forward, at the same time

brandishing her ninja sword, the player rolls Autumn

Rain’s Agility: Melee Weapons and gets 6 successes.

The ashigaru’s player (the GM) rolls his Agility: Melee

Weapons and gets only 2 successes. Not only does

Autumn Rain win, she won as if the ashigaru had zero

successes. With the 3 damage for the Ninja Sword, that

makes a total of 9 damage to the ashigaru.

The ashigaru falls silently backwards into the tall grass,

his face contorted into a ghastly mask of shock.

SAMURAI FORM

The warriors who have living shiki bound to their

flesh are called samurai. Samurai form is the name

of the state when the samurai activates the shiki

and changes physically: Muscles grow and enhance,

mass increases, chitin-like armor and spikes appear

on their bodies. It is a spectacle to behold.

This is the process to engage the samurai form:

1) To start the samurai form transformation, the

samurai must expend Soul. The exact amount

depends on the power level of the bound shiki spirit.

2) The samurai then immediately gains use of her

samurai abilities (attribute bonuses, special powers,

etc).

3) From that point on, the samurai form can be

sustained for a number of rounds equal to the

samurai ’s Spirit attribute score. Starting at the

beginning of the next round, start counting the

rounds samurai form is active during the interaction

phase.

4) A samurai has no limit (other than Soul reserves)

to the number of times a day the samurai can attain

samurai form.

During combat it takes one action for the

samurai transformation to be completed. The

metamorphosis occurs once that action is used, and

during that combat round all subsequent rolls that

round (like defending) use the modified samurai

levels.

Since the transformation requires one action, most

samurai will simply not make an attack action

until the next round. However, a samurai may still

attempt to attack that round by spending an extra

Kiai point to take a second action. In a pinch,

when faced with an incoming attack before the

samurai has transformed, a samurai can spend 2

Kiai as an “interrupt” action, spend 1 more Kiai

to take an action (3 total), and start the samurai

transformation in order to use the modified samurai

attribute levels to block the attack. See the Karma

section, Kiai abilities for more information about

interrupt actions.

Note that when the samurai form is activated,

from that instant onward the samurai can use the

enhanced ability scores for defense/counterattack

rolls. However, the process of transformation itself

is not instantaneous, and the samurai cannot

normally make an attack until the next round.

However, the samurai’s player can spend Kiai points

as mentioned above to take additional actions that

round, and then make attacks with those actions

using the adjusted samurai attributes, or enhanced

defense rolls by interrupting early in the round and

transforming then.

YOROI STARTUP

There is no roll required for a yoroi armour pilot to

start up an armour. However, it does require a full

action for the pilot to perform the initial startup.

Additional actions require further spending of Kiai.

SOULGEM WEAPONS

When an attacker scores a hit with a soulgem

weapon, they can then choose to increase the

damage by squeezing the soulgem weapons’ trigger.

The soulgem weapon can then fire any number of

soulgems the user wishes in that single attack up to

that weapon’s listed Rate of Fire.

For every soulgem the attacker expends, one point

of additional damage is done to the target as the

blade tears through its target like an electric knife

carves through a block of tofu.

BASIC COMBAT

The attacker can declare the number of soulgems

she is using after the attack succeeds; she does not

have to declare the soulgem expenditure beforehand.

INTERFACE SKILL

When piloting a yoroi armour (either a hand-crafted

meikyo armour, or a mass-produced kimenkyo

armour), the pilot substitutes her Interface skill for

all general skill rolls. This includes melee attacks,

marksman attacks, evasion, notice and the like.

BUTTERFLY DREAM

Kugutsu have the ability to manipulate the physical

illusion which covers their body to create hypnotic

worlds of dream. It is a kind of “brain hacking” or

forced psychotherapy which can be performed on

any single character. Once per combat, a kugutsu

character can attempt to engage a Butterfly Dream

against any single opponent as a major action.

If a kugutsu successfully brings a target into

the Dream, she instantly knows all of the target

character’s motivations (If the target has any Fates,

reveal at least one, if not all of them). The kugutsu

has instantly gotten a sense of who that person is

and what their goals are.

From there, the kugutsu can pursue the target and

engage in illusory combat, try talking to the target

as kind of psychotherapy, or break it offand return

to combat.

KONGOHKI

Kongohki have the Overdrive ability, which

lets their fearsome steel bodies move and act at

incredible speeds for a short period of time. When

Overdrive is used before an action and the kongohki

makes a roll based on Body, Agility or Senses,

they can count the number of dice that came up

successes, roll that number of dice again, then add

those successes to the total.

Kongohki can activate this ability instantly before

they take an action. They can use Overdrive for

a number of times per game session equal to their

Spirit score plus their Body score. Each Overdrive

activation will boost one single action. Keep

track of how many times this ability is used in a

session. If the kongohki increases its Body or Spirit

attributes in the course of the session, they receive

additional Overdrive actions. Overdrive activation

is instantaneous and can be performed at any time

during the kongohki’s turn.

For example: A kongohki goes into Overdrive, and

makes an Agility: Melee Weapons roll. The result of the

roll is 6 successes. The player can pick up 6 more dice

and roll those, adding them to the total. If the player

rolls 4 more successes, then the total is 10 successes for

that action.

RANGED WEAPONS

For ranged, flying or projectile weapons like bullets

(fired from soulgem or gunpowder weapons), kunai,

shuriken, or knives, there are various rules for their

use in combat.

1) They cannot be counter-attacked, only parried

with weapon skills or dodged with the Evasion skill.

2) Knives, arrows, shuriken and bullets can

be parried or dodged with the melee weapons,

unarmed combat or Evasion skill. Spiritual attacks,

flame, energy balls, explosions/mortars/missiles, and

lasers can only be dodged with the Evasion skill.

3) A character can make a number of different

attacks equal to the weapon’s Rate of Fire. However,

the attacker only rolls one time for multiple attacks.

4) There is a damage bonus for using a flying

weapon with a rate of fire to make multiple attacks

against the same defender.

See the chart for details.

BASIC COMBAT

Attacks Against Multiple Targets with Ranged

Weapons

An attacker using ranged weapons can make attacks

against multiple targets as a single action as long as

these two conditions are met:

1) All of the targets are within range

2) Th e weapon used has a Rate of Fire equal to or

higher than the number of targets selected

The attacker makes one attack roll, and each

defender rolls to defend separately.

If the attacker fires or throws a weapon more than

once against the same target, then the attacker gets

a damage bonus. The damage bonus is equal to +1

for each shot spent against an opponent.

Multiple Attacks Against a Single Opponent with

Ranged Weapons

In the case where multiple shots are taken against

the same enemy, the character simply adds a higher

damage rating to the single defender if the attack

succeeds. This happens often, as ninja are classically

fond of throwing many shuriken or kunai at an

enemy at one time.

Every additional shot spent against a target grants a

damage bonus of +1, for a maximum damage bonus

of +2 per target.

Follow the chart for easy reference. If your character

uses weapons which require the Marksman skill, it

might be helpful to reference the numbers above.

DAMAGE BONUS FOR RANGED WEAPONS

Rate of Fire Sample Weapon Number of Targets Aimed At

1 Single Shot

2 Bow, Soulgem Rifle

3 Kunai, Knives, Repeater

4 Soulgem pistol

5 Shuriken, Heavy Repeater

6 Dreadnaught Repeater

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

0 - - - - - - -

+1 0 - - - - - -

+2 0 0 - - - - -

+2 +1 0 0 - - - -

+2 +1 0 0 0 - - -

+2 +2 +1 1 0 0 0 0

If it seems too complicated, the GM can declare

these rules optional and just use the default damage

ratings for ranged weapons.

Ranged Weapons: Autumn Rain and the Shuriken

Autumn Rain is crouched on the other end of the

Red River Bridge facing two ashigaru soldiers who

have their spears pointed at her. She opens her

hands, revealing four shuriken which she sends

speeding quickly towards their targets.

Shuriken have a maximum Rate of Fire of 5, but

Autumn Rain’s player doesn’t want to waste them.

She can get the exact same damage bonus (+1)

throwing against two targets with 4

shuriken as she can with 5, so she uses the “Rate of

Fire: 4” column to determine the bonus. If she were

throwing all the shuriken against one target she

might use the maximum Rate of Fire of 5 shuriken

for a +2 damage bonus.

Autumn Rain’s player rolls 8 dice, and gets 5

successes. Not bad.

The GM rolls the ashigaru soldiers’ Evasion skills,

and gets a total of 1 success for one soldier and 2

successes for the second soldier.

The shuriken base damage is +1. The damage bonus

for using 4 shuriken against 2 opponents is +1 for

each opponent. Finally, the attack and defense roll

difference was 4 for one soldier and 3 of the other.

The total damage is 6 damage to one soldier, and 5

damage to the other soldier.

BASIC COMBAT

OTHER DAMAGE

There are other types of damage besides weapons,

such as fire or falling from great heights. When

calculating other kinds of damage, use the following

formula:

Find the damage rating.

Resist the damage with the appropriate roll.

Every success rolled subtracts one from the

damage rating, down to a damage of 0.

Here are some examples of types of damage, their

rating, and what to use to resist.

Type Damage Resist With

Falling from a

cliff

height (in

meters)

Movement

Poison/Fire/

Acid/Cold

damage rating Willpower

Explosives damage rating Evasion

The damage rating is set for each of the damage

types either by the GM, or by the power it comes

from. For example, an ayakashi might have a poison

with a damage rating of 10, or a shiki might explode

with a damage rating of 15. If there is no set rating

for the damage, the GM will decide the damage

rating.

Things like poison, fi re, cold and acid will continue

to do damage every round during the interaction

phase. Poisons have a time rating, which is the

number of rounds the character is affected by it. ire,

Cold and Acid lasts until the character’s situation

changes (she puts herself out, she gets out of the acid

pit, or she takes shelter from the cold).

Continual damage can be resisted every time it is

dealt to the character.

Example: Autumn Rain and the Poison

Autumn Rain is hit with a poison needle fired by a

hidden assassin. After taking the slight damage from

the needle, the GM determines that the poison has a

damage rating of 5 and lasts for 5 rounds of continuing

damage.

Every interaction phase, Autumn Rain will make a

resistance roll using Spirit: Willpower against a target

number of 5 to try to reduce that damage. Failure

means that she will take damage that round. Autumn

Rain better find and finish off that assassin before she

gets hit with another needle.

Arts of War

Weapon masters and some trained warriors have

access to the abilities called the War Arts. There

are many styles to choose from, each style having

its own progression level of unique abilities, attacks

and maneuvers. See the Art of War section for more

details on these abilities.

The arts of war are a unique set of skills. Like the

Shinto abilities, the character’s skill level at an art

is simply just a marker which shows the character’s

rank and knowledge of that art. The war art itself

is almost never rolled as if it were a skill. It simply

shows the player of that character what their

character’s level is in that particular style and which

abilities within that school that they have access

to. When using the war arts to perform a special

maneuver, the character will make attack rolls as

they normally do and not “Art of War” rolls. In

most cases, the weapon master uses their Melee

Weapons, Unarmed Combat or Marksman combat

rolls as normal.

A character can combine multiple techniques into a

single attack, defense or counter-attack, as long as all

of the techniques are from the same school. In some

rare cases, a character might be skilled in more than

one war art. In these cases, a weapon master can use

multiple techniques from one art in one attack, and

multiple techniques from a second art in a second

attack. However, you cannot mix techniques from

two different schools in a single attack or defense:

The arts require a distinct mindset, focus, and

movements which are impossible to stack at the

same time with a different art’s mindset.

BASIC COMBAT

For example, a character who is supremely skilled

(5) in both Crescent Moon Blade Tactics and True

Illusion Style could use the True Illusion style’s

“Light and Shadow” technique in conjunction with

the True Illusion style’s “Three Year Kill” technique,

since both techniques come from the same school.

However, she could not use the True Illusion’s

“Light and Shadow” technique in conjunction with

the Crescent Moon Blade Tactics style’s “Seal of the

Blade” maneuver in the same attack because they

come from different schools.

Strategy

A character with the Strategy skill can at any time

make a roll of Station: Strategy to build up an

advantage for their force. This can only be done

once per Act. This represents expert plan creation,

barking out orders clearly, setting up strategies to

win skirmishes and the like. The strategist should

describe, when awarding advantages to their allies,

how their actions or strategies led to this advantage.

All of the successes rolled in the Station: Strategy

roll become banked bonus dice. Later, at any time

during the Act, a strategist can award some or all

of these dice to their allies (usually for attack or

evasion rolls), or even use these dice themselves. For

every banked die spent, the character chosen by the

strategist can roll one extra bonus die. This can be

done as many times as the strategist wishes until

they run out of banked dice. Also, there is no limit

to the number of dice that can be given in this

manner: 1, 5, 10 or more for one roll is fine.

All dice that remain banked at the end of the Act

are immediately removed from play. The strategist

may attempt to roll for another advantage sometime

in the next Act.

In a future Tenra Bansho supplement, there will be

rules around using the Strategy skill to direct mass

combat battles and full-scale wars.

KIAI/AIKI TRICKS

There are a number of tricks that you can use in

combat by expending Kiai or Aiki chits. Here are

some of their combat uses. Please see the Karma

chapter for a more detailed explanation.

Attacks/Counterattacks

By spending Kiai, you can boost your Weapon or

Evasion skill up a rank or two (up to a maximum

rank of 4) for one roll, or add more dice to a combat

roll. If you don’t succeed at the combat roll, you can

spend Kiai to gain some automatic successes. These

are some techniques commonly used in combat.

Protect/Take the Blow

Spending one Kiai point lets you take an attack that

was meant for another character (even if you are

out of range). You cannot counterattack when you

protect. See the Karma chapter for more nformation

on the Protect maneuver.

Additional Action

After your action, you can spend another Kiai point

to make an additional major action. If the next

character acts afterwards, and you want to make

an additional action before the end of the round

and your turn has passed, you will need to buy an

Interrupt to go before other characters.

Interrupt

You can take your action before your turn officially

comes, or after you have performed your major

action, by spending 2 Kiai points. You can take

additional interrupt actions by spending 2 Kiai for

the interrupt, and one more Kiai for the additional

action. Th is is a good way to assume samurai form

in a hurry before you would normally be allowed

to go in order to defend with the samurai attribute

bonuses.See the Karma section for more detailed

explanations of these Kiai-based actions.

BASIC COMBAT

COMBAT BALANCE AND

NARR AT ION

As you read through the rules and begin to play,

you’ll soon learn that there’s really no major

detriment for taking Heavy Wounds or filling in

KIAI AND THE UNBEATABLE FOE

Most adventure scenarios will put the players

against strong enemies with high natural dice

pools and high levels of skill.

As you’ve seen in the rules, combat comes

down to a roll-off of dice between you and

the enemy. There are tricks you can use in

combat: things like filling in the Dead Box,

declaring aiuchi, making sneak-attacks, or

using Arts of War. But in general, many “end

game bosses” are too strong. You can roll dice

against them all day, but you’ll only win if

you’re really, really lucky.

That’s the way it’s supposed to be! Strong

enemies simply can’t be beat using normal

means. That’s where Kiai comes in. Kiai

lets players perform extreme feats of skill. A

character could easily raise their skill level one

or two levels with Kiai for a strike, then buy 5

or 20 extra dice to roll. Or break a tie against

a foe by using Kiai to buy one or more instant

successes. This is the only way players will

be able to defeat strong enemies or “boss”

opponents.

You can gain Kiai from role-playing your

character well and entertaining the other

players. The more you get into character and

play out that character’s Fates, the more Aiki

chits you will receive from your friends. This

leads to having a pile of Kiai points to spend,

the very Kiai you need to do the tricks to take

down a powerful enemy. Yes, in the end, boss

enemies can only be defeated in Tenra Bansho

Zero by role-playing well.

that Dead Box (until the character passes out, that

is). It might seem strange to have a system where

hitting an enemy for a large amount of damage can

make that enemy stronger, giving them more dice to

fi ght back in exchange for taking some wounds.

The combat rules in Tenra Bansho do not

reflect reality. They instead aim to reflect the

“fictionalized reality” of what you’ve come to see in

theatrical plays (or kabuki plays if you’ve had the

experience), manga, anime, video games and the

like.

The important thing in combat isn’t how long

a character can go before dying, but how the

characters act out the performance in those combat

scenes. What cool lines are thrown out? Dramatic

posturing? Cool wire-fu maneuvers? To that end,

the character doesn’t die until the player checks that

Dead Box and signals that she’s okay with dying.

That means if the character falls off an orbital

platform, burns through the atmosphere, and falls

several kilometers to land in a rocky crater, if the

player doesn’t want the character to die there, and

leaves that box unchecked, she doesn’t die. It might

make for some strained narration to figure out how

they lived, but it just wasn’t that character’s time to

die.

When a character takes damage, it’s up to the

players and GM to decide what that damage means.

Here are some examples to get you started:

Vitality Damage: Tears in clothes, thin cut lines,

narrow misses, running out of breath. Th is is

the kind of wound or cut where, if you saw it in

a manga or comic, in a few panels the artists will

simply stop drawing it and move on.

Light Wound: Flesh wounds, some blood or

bruising.

Heavy Wound: A bone snaps, or blood doesn’t

easily stop flowing.

BASIC COMBAT

Critical Wound: Being hit hard somewhere painful

or dangerous.

Dead: Being run through.

Also, it might be good for the GM and players to

talk beforehand about the level of “splatter/gore”

in the game. The default is a little blood, like a

cinematic movie or anime. Many players will be

squeamish with narrations of bloody rampages of

spilled organs and bloody decapitations. There’s no

need to gross out the players, try to keep the action

focus on the characters, not on the trails of blood

spatter.

WHAT IS THE

ZERO SYSTEM?

Up until now, the basic game rules have focused

on creating a character, doing things in character,

being rewarded for role-playing, and battle. The

Zero System is the collection of rules that tries to

establish a fun, fast-paced play session. These are the

rules that make playing the game feel more like a

story out of a stage or kabuki play, anime, manga,

or novel. The breakdown of the game into distinct

acts, scenes and intermissions, and understanding

the flow of the game is an important part of the

play process.

There are also other rules that all players need

to know. Learning them is just as important to

the success of a session as learning how to make

combat rolls or learning how to gain or spend Aiki

chits. Things like game preparation, scheduling,

organization, character creation and approval,

game flow and finally clean-up after a session are

important to a successful and fun session.

In this chapter we’re going to explain these Zero

System rules in detail. While this section is going

to be very important for a GM, all players are

encouraged to read this section to see how to take

part in a successful game.

GAME PREPARATION

The game of Tenra Bansho Zero, from the

beginning to end of a single story, usually happens

in the space of one single multi-hour session. To

begin a session, you need the following things:

• A place to play

• Free time

• Friends

Those three basic things are all that is

essentially needed to play the game.

Concept: The Session

While many RPGs are structured so that the story

runs on and on over the space of many sessions,

Tenra Bansho was meant to be a fast role-playing

game. The entire game, from character generation,

to adventure, to conclusion, usually happens in the

space of one session. A Tenra Bansho “campaign”

happens from start to finish in one session lasting a

few hours, usually 5-6.

This can easily be done if you plan to meet and play

with your friends on a single weekend day. In Japan,

people meet with friends far more on the weekends

than on weekdays. However, in the West, we often

make plans to meet with friends on weeknights as

well as on weekends.

Therefore, while the intent behind the design of

Tenra Bansho Zero was for all the players to meet

on one day of the weekend and together share an

epic story over the course of 5-6 hours, many of us

in the West are more fl exible with our time. You

could break this up over say two or three

weeknights of 3-4 hours each (meeting with your

friends two or three Tuesdays in a row, for example).

As long as you are able to keep the momentum

going, you can probably break those 5-6 hours up

over two or more sessions. Just don’t put too much

time in between sessions, as players will quickly

forget what happened in previous sessions.

A Place to Play the Game

Tenra is what is called a tabletop role-playing game.

You can try playing online with friends over the

internet, but the game was really meant to be played

face to face with friends in a single room.

All you really need is a table and enough seats for

four to six people to sit comfortably around it. In

Japan, you’d want to use at least a “six tatami-mat

room”, but since most of us don’t live in Japan, the

basic play area in someone’s home will be the dining

table or living room coffee table. The shape of the

table doesn’t matter, nor whether you sit in chairs

or on the floor around a coffee table, as long as

everyone is comfortable.

WHAT IS THE ZERO SYSTEM?

You will want to pick a relatively quiet place, or at

least a place where you can raise your voices without

disturbing others. A coffee shop or library might

seem like a good place to play, but when something

cool happens in a game, the players tend to get

noisy. Wherever you play, make sure it’s a spot

where a little noise isn’t going to disturb people

around you.

Free Time

Tenra Bansho Zero can usually be played in one

single four to six hour session. This assumes that

there are 3-5 players (including the Game Master).

Th is is easy to organize on a weekend, but if you

wish to play on a weekday, you might find it best to

NIFTY CULTURE POINT

In Japan, houses are often small and private

spaces, so gamers often want to play in more

public places when they meet up to play

role-playing or other games. Friends meet

up to hang out far more often somewhere in

town than at someone’s house. In Japan, there

are community centers where you can grab

some table space for a few hundred yen (a few

dollars) a day, or cafes where spaces can be

borrowed or rented.

The quintessential Japanese role-playing

experience, though, is to play RPGs in a

Karaoke club. Karaoke clubs are relatively

inexpensive, where each room is spacious and

almost soundproof from other rooms. Instead

of singing songs, though, gamers will bust out

their role-playing books, order some drinks

and snacks from the Karaoke club menu, and

play for hours. Luckily, in the West we don’t

have to go to such great lengths to find a play

space. We don’t have as many reservations

against hosting events in our houses, so most

role-playing happens at someone’s house or

apartment. Coffee houses or even local game

stores are also available when the players want

to meet in a public area.

divide the game into two or more 3-hour sessions.

You will also want to keep in mind that it usually

takes about 20-30 minutes for everyone to get into

the game after showing up, as well as another 20-30

minutes after the last scene of the session happens to

do after-game discussion with your friends.

Time to play can be adjusted if the GM organizes

the event over email: Over email the GM can

describe the game she has in mind, and together

with the players work out roughly what kind of

story and what kind of characters they wish to

make. You can save an hour or so by doing this kind

of preparation in advance before the session begins.

This also assumes that you will have friendly

chatter, but will be pretty focused on the game

and the story you are telling while you’re playing

the game. If you find yourselves taking longer

intermissions to chit-chat, that will add an hour or

two to the game time.

With a Game Master and four players, you might

find that four hours is a little too tight, and that

five or six hours makes for a more natural, fun story

without cutting out too many interesting parts. In

fact, many kabuki plays, like long-scale western

theatrical productions (Shakespeare), last six or more

hours when you include intermissions. This kind

of session is best held over a Saturday or Sunday

afternoon. However, if you play on the weekdays

you might have to split the session up into two

or more 3-4 hour sessions.

You probably don’t want to be spending any more

than seven or eight total hours on one game of

Tenra. More than six hours in one play session can

be really tiring, especially if everyone is really role-

playing and acting aggressively. The players will

probably want to wrap up the story in six hours or

less, so that they can plan other events for the

weekend.

In four to six hours a story will be told. The game

will start and come to a close. The ending will be

dramatic, especially as the characters deal with their

Fates. But at the end of that session, the story is

WHAT IS THE ZERO SYSTEM?

over, and it is time to move on. Your next game of

Tenra might focus on an entirely different situation,

with all-new characters. Or, you may bring some

or all of the characters back together again to tell a

new story with them. However, each session, from

beginning to end, is a complete story. Unlike

some other games, the same story with the same

characters does not get dragged out for days, weeks,

or even years.

Friends

You can play a game of Tenra Bansho Zero with

one Game Master (GM) and two or more players.

The best stories tend to come out in games where

there is one GM and 3-4 players. It’s very likely

that games with 6 or more players will not take

off: You have to spend an incredible amount more

time on the story to include all of the characters,

and that estimate of “4-6 hours” of play will start

to expand exponentially and look more like “10-12

hours” in order to include all of the characters in

a meaningful way. The game looks more like an

Epic than a Story. Normally, that wouldn’t be a

problem, but in an RPG like Tenra that means that

a character will be onstage for a while, and after that

there may be a long downtime before they can take

the stage again. This will increase the play time, and

may be boring for players who are fired up and want

to act out the role of their character but have to wait

longer for scenes focused on them.

There are other options with larger groups, though.

If you have six friends who want to play, you could

run a game for three of them one day, and the other

three at another time. Or, if your players are up for

the challenge, you could run a game with 6 players

but only 4 player-characters (PCs): The other 2

players will assist the GM in playing the roles of

the other characters (NPCs, both minor and major

NPCs) that the PCs interact with.

Finally, it’s important to note that everyone is

responsible for making the game a success. The

GM is the one who plans the session, sets the story

spinning, and plays the role of many of the NPCs

that appear in the game. The players are there to be

entertained, and to entertain each other:

They should be willing to act out their roles and

have a hand in helping shape the story. If all of the

players show up to be entertained as if they were

passively watching television, lack enthusiasm, or

don’t help entertain the other players and GM,

then the game will flop. It will fail as if it were a

theatrical play where the actors are not interested in

performing that day. Bring your Game Face to the

table.

The Game Scenario

When the game comes together, at least the GM has

to have an idea of what they want to have happen.

Th e GM usually writes down a “scenario”, or story

outline, of the events which will happen in the

game, the characters that will appear, and perhaps

the stats of major villains and other major NPCs.

Some GMs, especially beginning GMs, want to

script out many events in a way where they expect to

have the players move their characters in a line from

Act to Act, Scene to Scene, following the GM’s

carefully-made story. Other GMs come up with just

a basic concept of what they want to have happen,

maybe writing a single line or two for their entire

scenario, and ad-lib or improvise everything from

the beginning of the game to the end.

Probably the best way to prepare (until you get used

to the game and how your friends play the game) is

to be in the middle of those two extremes, perhaps

writing down some ideas for the character’s Zero

Acts, some NPC names and roles, plan out a few

encounters (and jot down some villain stats), and

in the end have a general idea of how they imagine

the fl ow of the game to take place from act to act,

scene to scene. That way, if the players take the

horns and steer the game in exciting and interesting

ways, the GM can ditch his notes and make up

new ones on the fly (which is very hard if the GM

structures the scenario too much). At the same

time, they have already prepared some interesting

NPCs (including their names, personalities and cool

character lines) and solid events ready to fire off at

any time.

WHAT IS THE ZERO SYSTEM?

ITEMS USED IN THE GAME

While the basics of the game require simply a place,

players and time, in truth some other supplies are

also required to play the game. For example, it’s

hard to write up characters if nobody brings any

writing utensils. Here are the items required to play

the game, as well as who is responsible for bringing

them.

Writing Materials (Everyone)

In the game, the players write up their characters,

keep track of Wounds and Health, and erase old

Fates while writing in new Fates. To that end, all

players will need pencils and erasers. It’s probably a

good idea to have some spare pieces of paper laying

around so that the players can take notes (writing

down the names of major NPCs or place names so

they don’t forget, for example). The Game Master

will also probably want some paper or a notebook

to write down things as his scenario plans change.

The GM may have to make up new characters,

places, events or update villain stats on the fly.

Dice (Everyone)

When deciding if a character succeeds at a task or

not, that character’s player rolls normal six-sided

dice to determine success or failure. A six-sided die

is sometimes called a “d6” for short.

Each player should bring about 10 dice with them

to the game session. If one of the players or the GM

forgets their dice, you can pool the dice together

and use them as needed. In this case, 20-30 dice per

group is a good number. You can bring more if you

want, especially if you tend to play more powerful

characters. Regular old dice can be bought in

almost any pharmacy or grocery store. You can buy

pretty sets of dice online or at your local gaming

store, or dig them out of popular board games.

Rulebook (Everyone, or At Least One)

You need at least one copy of the rules to play the

game. However, it’s always a good idea for the GM

and players to have their own copies of the rules so

that any player can reference the rules at any point

without having to take it from someone else.

Having only one copy of the rules during character

generation make it take longer for the game to

start, since each player will need to jot down their

character stats from the pre-made characters or flip

through the Archetypes section to make character

choices. At least two or more is recommended.

Aiki Chits (GM)

The GM should bring something to use as Aiki

Chits, or else have another player bring some. You

can use anything as Aiki chits, like coins, colored

glass beads, or strips of paper. Poker chips, especially

colorful clay 11.5g or 14g chips (or even the cheap

plastic poker chips you can buy anywhere) make

excellent Aiki chits (you can call them “Aiki coins”

in play). You will want to bring either a lot of

chips in one color (100), or else smaller amounts

in two colors: one coin representing 1 Aiki coin,

another color representing 5 or 10 Aiki coins. Clay

poker chips are very inexpensive these days, can be

purchased at almost any thrift store, and can be

used for other games as well.

Edible tokens like chocolates or cookies are

generally not good for Aiki chits. It’s very

hard to resist the temptation to consume all

of your delicious power.

The GM and players may also wish to have a plastic

cup available to dump a lot of Aiki chits or coins

into. This will be the pool that the GM or players

use to give to the other players, as opposed to the

Aiki coins they have received (which they can place

on their character sheet or in front of them).

Character Sheets (GM)

The GM should have enough copies of the

character sheet or other reference sheets (like the

Emotion Matrix) ready for the players. Th ey can be

photocopied from this book, or downloaded online

and printed out from the official English Tenra

Bansho Zero website (www.tenra-rpg.com). Bring

enough sheets for all the players in case they forget.

If there is a cost associated with printing or copying

the sheets, all of the players should help pitch in

evenly to mitigate that cost.

WHAT IS THE ZERO SYSTEM?

CONCEPT: GAME PREPARATION

“The Zero System”. You might be wondering

why such specifi c “common knowledge”

things like “bring snacks”, “where to sit”, “help

clean up” etc are written here under the game

preparation section. The thing is, these “rules”

are just as important (and possibly even more

important) than the actual game rules.

When you run an RPG, there are a lot of

unspoken assumptions about how they’re

supposed to play out. Normally, this is fine,

but if they’re unspoken, it’s a little harder

to learn them if you’re new to role-playing and

a lot easier to forget if you aren’t. This section

will cover those basic assumptions. If you’re

familiar with tabletop role-playing games,

go ahead and give this section a quick read

anyway. There might be something new that

you would have otherwise missed.

Snacks and Drinks (The Players)

The players should all bring maybe a drink or

a snack or two, especially if you are playing at

someone’s house. Bring something that the other

players will enjoy as well. You might want to

avoid snacks that have too many empty calories or

stufflike really greasy potato chips which can stain

books and sheets. Be sure to clean up the play area

when you are done with the game.

The GM should feel free to reward any players who

bring quintissential Japanese snacks like Pocky

or Ramune to a Tenra game session. Particularly

“Men’s Pocky”.

GAME DAY PREPARATION

Usually the person who owns a copy of the game,

or else the Game Master, is the person who will

contact their friends and make arrangements to

play a game of Tenra Bansho Zero. Luckily, due

to technologies like email and text messaging,

planning for a game session is extremely

uncomplicated in this day and age. Just contact

some friends, set a tentative date, place and time,

and get confirmations as to who can come and who

can’t.

Everyone should try to be on time. You can plan

for everyone to come a little early (or set the meetup

to happen at 11:00AM but plan on the game

beginning promptly at 11:30) so that everyone can

catch up and make small talk. However, please

try to be on time: If you’re late to the game, it will

mean less time for everyone to have fun.

If someone gets sick or has to cancel, please let

everyone else know as soon as possible so that other

arrangements can be made. In some cases, one

missing player means that the other players can still

meet and complete a Tenra Bansho story. However,

folks can always choose to reschedule to another

weekend or weekday. Just don’t leave everyone

waiting for you to show up if you aren’t going to be

there.

THE ACTUAL GAME SESSION

Tenra Bansho is normally played out in its entirety

in one session (or sometimes split over 2-3 shorter

sessions). This includes the three high-level stages of

the game: Setting the Stage, the Production, and the

Curtain Call.

The rest of this section is written with the GM

in mind, but everyone is encouraged to read this

section and understand how the flow of the game

works.

The Role of the Game Master

Every session of Tenra Bansho Zero has a Game

Master. The term might sound high and mighty,

but it’s a basic role. The GM is the one who scripts

out an adventure or scenario and is usually the one

who gets everyone together to play.

The GM is the person who creates the world. They

describe the scenery and setting. They provide

challenges to the characters. They make things

happen, and ask the players “What do you do?”

then describes how the world reacts to whatever

WHAT IS THE ZERO SYSTEM?

the PCs do. The GM also acts as the referee for

the rules parts of the game. The GM also takes on

the roles of many of the background non-player

characters (NPCs).

This seems like the GM is responsible for a lot of

things. Th at’s because she is, but it’s a very fun

and interesting role to take on. We suggest that all

players give a shot at being the GM at some time.

Some role-playing groups have one person who

regularly assumes the role of the GM. Shake it up

by calling for the other players to run the game

next time. The game only lasts one session, so

there’s no harm in giving it a shot!

Here is a summary of the GM’s responsibilities:

1) Starting the Session

2) Storytelling

3) Rules Judgments

4) Role-Playing

5) Combat Scene Handling

6) Drawing the Session to a Close

Starting the Session

Once everyone is together and ready to play, the

GM is the one who calls a start to the session.

The GM could simply say, “OK everyone, let’s

get started!” Or, if the GM is feeling a little more

poetic, we suggest that the GM call a start to the

session with the following set phrase:

“Toki Wa Sengoku: It is an age of warring

countries. The world is stained by hundreds of years

of continuous war, with no end to the in sight. This

is but one tale of the land of Tenra…”

From that point, move on to the first act, called the

Zero Act, and begin the first character’s scene.

Storytelling

The GM is responsible for the pacing and flow of

the session. They react to the actions of the players,

adjusting and creating the story as the players

perform their roles.

The GM should take what she knows from atching

movies, anime, and TV dramas to help maintain

tension, to create good scenes, and to keep the plot

moving like a roller-coaster ride. Setting scenes,

closing scenes, skipping over boring scenes and

extending interesting scenes are all techniques

which the GM can employ. The goal here is to

create events that will keep the players engaged,

that will present dramatic moments or challenges

for their characters, and to react to the events and

ctions proposed by the characters.

However, one huge place where Tenra Bansho and

other RPGs differ from scripted plays, movies and

anime, is the way the story is made: In anime,

theatrical plays and movies, the story is already

predetermined from beginning to end. The players

read their parts, and act out their roles in an

entertaining fashion, but they have no control over

how the story develops or ends. Instead, the writer

is the person who controls where the characters go,

what they do and what happens next.

In Tenra Bansho, the GM only has about half or

less of the story “written” (usually just the “setup”

portions, and a few notes for what will likely happen

later). The GM might have ideas for events that

may take place, and may guess at how the players

might react, but the story is not written in stone. Th

e players are the ones who define the story and for

most of the game the GM must simply react to the

players, putting forth challenges, monitoring scenes

and pacing, until it is time to draw the story to

a conclusion.

The most important thing to remember about

creating the story is this cardinal rule: “Make sure

the players are having fun.” It is important for the

GM to engage the players and make their characters

shine. The GM should not be writing a story from

beginning to end, forcing the players to dance

WHAT IS THE ZERO SYSTEM?

through it without being able to change events or

what happens, much like puppets on a string. If

the players have no input into what happens over

the course of a session, and the GM controls every

aspect of the game (perhaps by creating powerful

NPC characters who tell the PCs what to do, save

them in combat or challenges, etc), then there’s

really no reason for the players to be there.

Rules Judgements

Another important role of the GM is to make fair

rules judgments. When rolling to succeed at tasks,

the GM is the one who has the final say on which

attributes and skills are appropriate. At times where

it looks like the character could use either of two

attributes or skills, let them use the higher ranked

one. Make sure the players are having fun, as

always, but make sure that the rules apply fairly in

all situations.

It’s also up to the GM as to when to ignore or

hange the rules. For example, if a character’s Zero

Act nvolves a fight which they are destined to lose

(like when role-playing out the last fight before a

downtrodden warrior destined to become a kijin

or samurai), then there’s no reason to engage in

lengthy combat rolls. Simply declare that the player

will lose, but describe the fight dramatically with

the player. Other times, the PCs might be following

clues in some sort of investigation (the whereabouts

of the assassin, the location of the kidnapped

princess, etc).

At times when it’s simply uninteresting or silly to

make the players fail (especially if the game cannot

proceed unless the player succeeds), then simply

have them succeed. Ignoring, bending or breaking

the rules with a mind towards the story is left up to

the discretion of the GM. The GM can always talk

with or seek the advice from the players if she can’t

decide how to judge a rule.

Finally, when the GM makes a judgment based

on the rules, treat it like a referee call at a sports

game; the GM’s authority on the matter of rules

interpretations and the like is final. You can talk to

the GM about a decision, but don’t derail the

game by arguing rules semantics. Also, like a

referee call, if later on in the game a player or the

GM realizes that they were forgetting a rule, or

did something wrong, then that correction stands

from that point on. Don’t go back and “rewrite” or

“replay” what happened earlier in the game because

an incorrect rules call was made; what’s done is

done, just be mindful of the correct rules going

forward.

Role-playing

The GM will also play the roles of many major

NPCs or inconsequential NPCs. The GM is a

player himself, but instead of one character he plays

the roles of several characters. The GM should

create motives and possibly even “NPC Fates” for

major NPCs, and remember them when playing

that character’s role. All of the characters that

appear in the game, except for the player characters,

are offi cially owned by the GM, but the GM

should encourage players who do not have their PC

in a particular scene to pick up the role of a new or

established NPC. Remember to tell the player all

the applicable motives and Fates. It’s a great way for

them to have something to do, it’s a fast free Aiki

chit for bringing them into the scene, and it gives

them more opportunities to entertain the other

players (and, incidentally, potentially be awarded

more Aiki chits)

Combat

In almost every game of Tenra Bansho there is

combat. In the grand tradition of most dramatic

period dramas, theatrical plays and the like, most

sessions do have at least one or two combat scenes.

It is the GM’s responsibility to make combat fast-

paced and thrilling. There are a few components

of making combat scenes exciting which the GM

is responsible for. These components are also

applicable to elements outside of combat as well:

1) Teaching the Rules

The GM will need to explain the combat rules

the first few times battle scenes occur. Things like

“counterattacks”, “ damage calculation” and “sneak

attacks” take a few tries to learn. Make sure to fill

the players in as you go along, and explain combat

actions as they happen.

WHAT IS THE ZERO SYSTEM?

2) Checking the Power Levels of PCs

Player characters in Tenra Bansho are special. They

are almost superheroes. Make sure to treat them as

characters that can change the destinies of entire

nations and give them appropriate challenges and

battles. Before going into battle make sure you

know the characters’ skill and attribute levels in

general, or you may overpower or underpower the

enemies by accident.

3) Making the Enemies Intriguing and Powerful

Pick enemies that will push the buttons of the

characters. Connect them to a PC’s back-story

and give the player characters reasons to want to

defeat these enemies. Also, make sure to give them

appropriately high skills and attributes, so that some

teamwork or Kiai spending is required to defeat the

“boss enemies”.

THE GM MAKES A MISTAKE

A group of friends are playing Tenra Bansho

for the fi rst time. They get to right near the

end of the scenario, the Last Act. Suddenly,

one of the players realizes that they had been

doing combat incorrectly this whole time.

GM: Uh oh. I just realized that in our

previous two combats, we’ve been forgetting

to add the weapon’s damage to our attacks.

We have just been using the difference

between the winner and the loser as damage.

Player: Oh man! That means that I would

have finished off the renegade shikigami in

two hits instead of three. Before my third hit,

the shikigami hit me for 12 damage points

which I took mostly as Wounds. If we knew

that rule, I wouldn’t have taken that damage.

GM: Sorry, yeah that was my bad for

forgetting that. We won’t reverse that

damage you took, but we know the right way

to do things going forward. I’ll make sure to

keep an eye on that next time.

4) Turning up the Heat

Don’t linger on battles against waves of countless

“zako” enemies (weak enemies to be mowed down,

also known in RPGs as “mooks”) unless you’re

demonstrating the combat rules. Make the fights

climactic and meaningful against enemies that

matter to the PCs. Make sure not to stop role-

playing or saying cool lines once the swords come

out. If the characters are rolling over an important

enemy who you accidentally didn’t make powerful

enough, adjust their abilities on the fly to

compensate, but be careful not to go overboard in

the other direction. Put effort into describing the

combat scenes, using scenery as detail. Turn up

the heat, and bring the players to the edges of their

seats.

Calling the Session to a Close

The GM’s last responsibility is to call the session to

a close. When the story is over, and the players fi

nish the last act, perform one last intermission, and

possibly discuss possible epilogues, the GM should

call the session to a close: “That brings us to the

close of this session”. After that, the players can all

discuss the game, what they thought was cool or

interesting, and perhaps start planning for a future

session.

If it looks like you’re running out of time and the

last act has not started yet, end the game a few

minutes early at the next intermission. Th is will

give the GM some time to plan out the events of

the next session, and maybe discuss things that may

happen in the second half of the story.

SETTING THE STAGE: GAME

PREPARATION

Setting the Stage, the period before the actual game

play occurs, happens in four sections.

First, the GM must decide on a situation or

problem. Before the GM can start planning out the

adventure, the GM needs to have an idea of what

the adventure is going to be about, where it is going

to take place, and what it is going to involve. See the

scenario creation section of this chapter for more

WHAT IS THE ZERO SYSTEM?

details on this step.

Next is scenario creation. Once the GM comes up

with an idea of a situation, it’s time to start writing

down notes to start to develop it into a scenario. Th

ese two steps are usually performed before the day

the game happens.

After that comes character creation. This is where

characters will be made to go through the scenario

and play out that situation. Major background

NPCs may also be created at this time if they

weren’t created by the GM in advance when

planning the scenario.

Finally, the preparation for the actual game session

has to be done. You have to find a place to play and

make sure the players are ready to play.

Talk About the Scenario

The GM should describe the scenario in general

detail to the players, so they have an idea of what to

expect. This will help them come up with character

concepts compatible with the GM’s scenario idea.

Here are some examples:

• “In this scenario, you’re going to be exploring the

ocean ruins of the old capital city of Jinrai. There’s

going to be a lot of action in the ocean and in port

towns. Any character concept is fine. Just make sure

that if you choose an armour or kongohki that it’s

capable of going underwater.”

• “In this scenario there’s going to be a war between

two provinces, and you want to make sure your

side wins. Buddhist monks might not fit into this

scenario well. Also, at least one of the players should

be a samurai, as that’s going to be important later.”

• “The scenario will take place entirely within

the capital city, so make sure your characters are

comfortable in a city environment. Most of them

will have lived in the city most or all of their lives.”

• “This scenario is all about a fallen ninja clan

trying to raise itself up and take revenge on the

people that tried to wipe it out. You should all be

ninja, shinobi, or other characters that regularly

interact with shinobi. In fact, everyone should take

at least one of the ninja-themed archetypes.”

• This scenario is set on a far away continent

outside of the reach of the Priesthood. Imagine The

Road Warrior, but with katana and kimen-armour

motorcycles. It’s mostly a desert wasteland of scarce

resources. There’s going to be a tribe of oni which

will be important to the scenario, so at least one

or more of the characters should be an oni or

sympathetic to the oni people.”

Talk About the Scenario

For new players, it’s important for the GM to give

a little background of the world of Tenra, and the

particular corner of the setting where the game

scenario will be set. Don’t go into too much detail

about the setting before the game starts, or players

will be overwhelmed. Just give enough relevant

information to help the players understand what the

world is like. Make sure they understand that the

world is essentially feudal era Japan with 1600s-era

buildings of wood, peasants gathering rice, etc, but

with high-technology magical weapons (the default

world is not fi lled with futuristic skyscrapers, metal

buildings and the like). Letting the players flip

through the colorful introductory section of the

book should give them enough background to jump

into a game. There is also a summary of the world

of Tenra in the appendix which the players could

read to understand the basics of the setting.

If the setting of your scenario is different than the

standard Tenra setting, or there are unique features

of the world which will be relevant to the game

(deep magical forests, under the ocean, on a far

away hidden continent, in space on the Bridge of

Heaven, on top of a mythical mountain, etc), make

sure to describe that to the players as well.

Player Knowledge

A player may ask, “Does my character know that

heartgems are the actual living heart of oni people?”

Well, that’s entirely up to the player. It’s totally

fine for the characters to know things that normal

people in the world may not. What they do with

WHAT IS THE ZERO SYSTEM?

that information is the interesting thing. If it turns

out to be more interesting for the player to pretend

that their character doesn’t know something about

the world that the player knows, then that’s fi ne

too. Just don’t let it hamstring or derail the game,

and everything will be fine.

Sometimes a GM will need to have the characters

know something about the world in order for

the game to progress: Th e role of the Demon

Mask Faction, how a soul mirror works, etc.

Keep explanations brief and to the point. There’s

no use explaining the intricacies of the struggle

between the Northern and Southern Courts of the

Priesthood if they aren’t going to appear anywhere

in the game. However, if a first-time player chooses

an armour-rider, it would be good for the GM to

explain the basics of armour, meikyo soul mirrors,

and the fact that most pilots are children.

Finally, let the players take responsibility for fi lling

out the world as well. Nothing about the setting

is set in stone, although the GM usually has final

approval just to make sure that things don’t get too

out of hand. If one of the characters has a question

about the way the world works, then as long as it

doesn’t contradict the setting material in the book

or in the scenario in a way that would cause a huge

disruption, it might be good from time to time to

let the players invent the specifics of the setting,

especially as it relates to their character. If a player

asks, “How many other samurai are in this city?”,

the GM could let the player of the samurai character

decide that.

CHARACTER CREATION

The next step is for the players to make characters

together. For players who have never played Tenra

Bansho Zero before, the best thing to do is to

choose one of the sample characters listed in the

back of the book. There are dozens of pre-made

and ready-to-play characters there that need only

a player-supplied personality to be brought to

life. Sample characters are even recommended for

experienced Tenra players as well, if you want to

jump straight into playing the game.

Sometimes the GM will prepare characters for

the scenario, or simply choose a few of the sample

characters that fit the best within the scenario, and

ask the players to use those. The players can also

work together to choose character types that will

work well with each other.

Character creation f rom scratch by assembling

archetypes and crafting weapons can be a fun

activity for experienced players. In those situations,

the GM should give a few guidelines for the kinds

of characters that work best within the scenario,

and leave the rest to the players to come up with

together. The GM may recommend or require

certain archetypes to be taken for the scenario to

run smoothly.

One Character Type, Many Characters

The classic role-playing game standard of character

creation is to make characters of various different

roles or classes, and have them work together in

a scenario. This is often the case of many Tenra

scenarios as well. For example,a cyberized Buddhist

monk, a samurai, a shinobi kugutsu and a

Priesthood armour-rider could join together and

fi ght an evil overlord. However, having most or

all characters come from the same background (all

armour-riders, all shinobi, three onmyoji and one

samurai, etc) can make for very tight, interesting

scenarios as well.

Three players can choose to take the same sample

character, with the exact same abilities, and each

play the character in a completely different way.

For example, the GM decides to make a scenario

about onmyoji demon-hunters who have to clean a

haunted city. He requests that three of the players

use the onmyoji sample character and one of the

players use the Buddhist priest sample character.

The players decide amongst themselves who chooses

which, and this is what they come up with:

Player A’s onmyoji is a cloistered young adult, gifted

with power and not a lot of experience, who is

confused by the world around him.

WHAT IS THE ZERO SYSTEM?

Player B’s onmyoji is a world-weary female in her

mid-20s, lusty but strong of heart. She is quick to

anger, and seems to have friends and enemies in the

shadows everywhere.

Player C’s onmyoji is an elder sorcerer. He is more

interested in calligraphy and poetry these days than

the principles of magic. But he holds the others

of his order as if they were younger siblings to be

looked after and educated.

All of the above have the exact same attributes and

the exact same skills, but through role-playing they

can become quite different and exciting characters.

Pre-made characters

If the player has a copy of the Tenra Bansho

rulebook, then he could simply make a character

at home and bring it to the game session. Th is is

a possibility which saves some time, however the

character will be made “in a vacuum”, without the

direct input of the GM or the other players. This

can be avoided by discussing the characters or

scenario by email before the day of the game session.

The important thing to be careful about when

allowing pre-made characters are the character’s

Fates. These will dictate the character’s starting

goals. The GM should make sure that they can

actually happen or be used within the confi nes of

the scenario, and that they are not too unique or

specific: This could result in a character that won’t

be able to interact well with the scenario, the story,

or the other characters.

It might be worthwhile for the player creating a

remade character to write potential Fates on the

character sheet in pencil, and to not assign them

ranks yet. For example, a character made up of 5

archetypes could have 5 potential starting Fates.

When the players sit down to play and the GM

approves the character and describes the scenario,

the player can then choose the two starting Fates

from the potential Fates and rank them.

Approving the Characters

The GM has final approval of the characters. The

GM should look over each character and decide if

it will work for that session or not, and if not, make

suggestions for ways that the character would better

fit with the scenario or the other characters.

In general, most characters will be fine. However,

there are two patterns that can emerge when

selecting characters (particularly pre-made

characters) that players and GMs should be aware

of.

Characters Which Don’t Fit Within the Scenario

A skilled GM will take the input from the players,

look at the characters, and adjust the scenario to

make those characters stand out. Other very skilled

GMs will simply have the barest of game notes for

the scenario, and create the scenario on the fly based

on the characters and how they interact with each

other. However, most of the time a GM will prepare

at least an outline of a scenario, and have certain

ideas about where it takes place, the people involved,

and so on. If a character has Fates which put them

too far outside of that scenario, they won’t be able to

do much, or won’t really care about what happens.

For example, a player may create an oni character,

with Fates that focus on oni-centric ideals. However,

the GM’s scenario really doesn’t focus on the oni at

all. Perhaps a few minor details could be changed

(an oni NPC introduced here or there), but even so

the game will not be oni-centric. The GM should

simply say, “Well, there really aren’t going to be too

many oni in this scenario.” The GM may still allow

the player to make an oni character, but request

that the player changes the Fates to ones that will

work better with the scenario or the other players.

Otherwise, those oni-centric Fates will be wasted;

the GM won’t have opportunities to bring those

issues up in the game, so the player won’t have solid

opportunities to role-play them.

If you leave these characters unchanged,

the scenario could fall apart. A character

has no tie into the story, has no motivation

to interact with it, and the player has no

opportunity to role-play those Fates.

WHAT IS THE ZERO SYSTEM?

Characters Whose Fates Focus Too Much On

Themselves

As soon as the game begins, the players should be

creating new Fates for themselves and the other

players that describe the relationships between their

characters, so there’s no need to be worried too

much about self-centered characters at the start.

However, it’s important to note that Tenra Bansho

Zero is a game where the stories focus on all of the

characters, not just one. If a player chooses Fates

that focus only on their own Destiny or future, and

don’t tie themselves to other characters or NPCs,

then that could result in a character that is separated

from the other characters. Those characters tend

to wander off, to explore, to find their own story.

Meanwhile, the other players and GM are left

with a constant struggle to keep the story moving

forward because they are all on the same page,

interacting with NPCs and each other, while the

lone PC is off on their own, ignoring the story and

the other characters.

This is usually remedied by the players being aware

of this kind of potential hazard. At the intermission

at the end of the Zero Act, the players should

quickly create Fates that involve the other PCs or

major story NPCs in order to keep themselves tied

to the story.

Creating NPCS

The GM should create some NPCs for the scenario

as well. With experience, the GM can make up solid

adversaries that aren’t too weak or too powerful on

the fly, but starting GMs can make some competent

NPC enemies by simply taking one of the sample

characters and adding +3 to all of the attributes, and

+1 level to some of their skills. Th ere are tricks in

the Scenario chapter of this book which may help

fine-tune NPCs for a scenario as well.

SITTING AT THE TABLE

In the West, we don’t have small Japanese-style

kotatsu tables to sit around. You’ll want to make

sure that everyone can hear everyone else. If you

have a rectangular table, rather than having the

GM sit at the end of the table, it’s probably better

for the GM to sit at the middle of the table in order

to clearly hear and see all of the players. The actual

order of seating of the players around the GM is

not important. You are free to give the comfortable

chair to the person who brings the best snacks to

share with the group.

Clever GMs can make good use of how the players

sit around the table. There are also sorts of “hidden

techniques” that you may discover through play. For

example, you may encourage strong inter-character

Fates or Destinies to the characters of players who

are sitting next to each other. In fact, the GM might

encourage a seating order where the GM encourages

people with stronger inter-character Fates/Destinies

or relationships (good or bad) to sit next to each

other. The kind of subtle behaviors that occur

through the use of organized seating can really fuel

the drama of a game session!

The Session Log Sheet

If you wish to use the Session Log Sheet, either

make a copy of the one found at the back of the

book, or print one of the copies that are online on

the Tenra Bansho Zero website. This sheet is used

for tracking the general flow of the session. The

GM will hand it to a player for record-keeping (if

you are using the optional Scene Judge rules for

handing out Aiki chits, the scene judge will hold on

to this sheet). Write in the character names, player

names, and all of the characters’ starting Fates.

Throughout the game, as the Fates and Destinies

of the characters change, the player with the log

sheet will update the Session Log Sheet with that

information.The Session Log Sheet is used not only

for tracking Fates, but for also reminding the other

players about the Fates that your character has. That

way they can bring those Fates up through role-play

or take note when you role-play a focus on one of

your own Fates.

Players can use notecards instead of the session

log sheet to copy down their fates, then place that

notecard in the center of the table when their

character is in that scene.

WHAT IS THE ZERO SYSTEM?

CHARACTER INTRODUCTIONS

Starting from the GM and going clockwise,

the players will all give a brief character self-

introduction “in-character” (as if they themselves

were that character, talking about themselves). At

that time, they’ll describe their characters in brief

detail: Name, sex, age, a few small details about

what they look like and what sort of role/job they

do. This should be less than a minute or so per

character. Remember, the players will be role-

playing the description of their characters as if they

were the characters themselves: “My name is X. I’m

a young samurai of some renown…” and so forth.

FIRST FATE ROLL

Before the first scene begins, have all the players

make their first Fate roll. This is a good opportunity

for GMs to teach the players how dice rolls function

in the game. Have them roll their Empathy ability

in dice against their highest-ranked Fate (which will

have a rating of Advanced/3), and all successes will

form their first small pool of Kiai points which can

be used in the Zero Act. Mark down the starting

Kiai on the character sheet. All characters will start

with at least three Kiai points.

ADDITIONAL FATES

Each character starts out with two Fates, usually

determined by their archetypes. However, the

player can remove one of these Fates and replace it

with a Fate of their choosing, as long as it ties them

directly to one of the other characters at the table.

The GM may also request that the characters start

the game with a third Fate before play begins, one

that specifically describes their relationship with one

of the other characters. One suggestion is to have

every player write in a Fate which describes their

feelings towards the character owned by the player

sitting to their immediate left. That way, all the

characters are tied together and no one is left out. If

the GM does not request this third Fate, then the

players should be ready to create an additional Fate

with one of the other characters at the table when

the first intermission comes.

The GM will also soon assign each character a

Destiny in the Zero Act.

CHOOSING FATES

Most characters will start the game in Act One

with four Fates: Two will be already written on the

character sheet (or picked from the archetypes when

creating a character from scratch), a Destiny (which

is a kind of Fate) will be given to the character by

the GM either before the game starts or at some

point during the Zero Act, and likely one optional

relationship-based Fate connected to one of the

other player characters created in the intermission

after the Zero Act. More Fates are gained during

later intermission phases of the game.

The Emotion Matrix

The Emotion Matrix is a great way to determine

new character Fates. There is more detail about the

use and purpose of the matrix later in the Emotion

Matrix rules section, but it is simply a chart that

can be used for determining what your character

initially thinks about another character when they

first meet. It can be used before the Zero Act to

prime all the player characters’ relationships with

each other, or it can be used in the game when one

PC interacts with another PC for the fi rst time. It is

also used on major NPCs.

For the character’s first relationship-based Fate, the

player can simply write the result of the Emotion

Matrix as a Fate, or perhaps reword it to be a little

more fitting. An Emotion Matrix result of “Blood

Relative” could result in Fates like “Emotion: I

love X as a brother” or “Goal: Protect my brother

X at all costs”. Additional Fates (for example,

Fates purchased during the intermission phase by

spending Aiki chits) can be created in this way as

well.

One suggestion is to write down the results of all

your Emotion Matrix rolls somewhere on your

character sheet, perhaps in the Notes section, or in

the margins. Later, once you decide to take a Fate

towards that character, you can use those notes to

help guide your decision.

WHAT IS THE ZERO SYSTEM?

Not all rolls on the Emotion Matrix will turn into

Fates, not even with all the other PCs! You can still

care about other characters without writing it up

as a Fate. Just because your character has a strong

initial reaction about another character, it doesn’t

mean that this reaction is required to lead to a Fate.

Creating Fates from Scratch

Another way for a player to create new Fates for

their own or other characters is to utilize what just

happened in the game. Sometimes in play, a player

will find a new direction, goal or purpose for their

character, or perhaps meet new characters and create

new relationships. The player can then create new

Fates that fit well within the shared story.

Remember to pick Fates which keep you engaged in

the story and engaged with the other characters. If

your character becomes too unbalanced with Fates

based on personal goals that don’t require the aid of

the other characters, then your reasons for working

together could fall apart. Sometimes this creates

interesting character drama between your character

and the others. However, a lot of the time it simply

means that the GM and the other characters are

engaging in an interesting drama, while you are

offin your own little world doing not much at all.

Split off too far from the goals of the scenario and

the relationships with the other characters, and it

will be hard to rejoin the game.

Picking Easy-to-Use Fates

Some players like the challenge of role-playing

the character’s subtle or difficult Fates. However,

all characters should have at least a few easy-to-

use Fates. The most simple and easy to use Fate

is a favorable Emotion Fate taken against another

player’s character: “Emotion: Camaraderie with X”,

“Emotion: Childhood friend of X”, etc. These are

easy to role-play and make use of in a game. Even

if a character has complex motivations, they should

have some easy-to-understand characteristics and

emotions in the form of easy-to-use Fates. When

you want to create a new Fate, but are unsure of

what to take, go with creating a favorable emotional

Fate towards one of the other PCs.

STAGE PLAY: THE PRODUCTION

Game setup is complete. Now it’s time to actually

play the game. The stage is set, and it is time to raise

the curtain. We will take on the roles of various

characters, and through them tell a fantastic story

set in the land of Tenra.

In this section we will describe the system of Acts,

Scenes and intermissions which make up the game.

First, let’s look at these elements in brief, before

exploring them in detail.

Act

The Act represents a period of time within the

game, just like the acts of a stage play. The act

takes place over a period of time set by the GM. In

the acts, the players will role-play their characters’

actions. They will talk, fight, get into conflicts, and

go on various adventures. The GM should clearly

separate the action in one act from another, and

label them “Act One”, “Act Two” and so on. Th

ey can be separated from each other by time (each

act representing a day, a week or a month), or by

theme (one act could be held entirely within one

city, another act could focus on the action within a

castle, etc.). In one session of Tenra Bansho Zero,

expect to play through 3-4 acts.

In Tenra Bansho Zero, there is also a special

starting act called the Zero Act. This is the first

act of the game, which introduces each character

(one quick scene per character) and establishes the

character’s role in and connection to the scenario.

This is the act where the players receive character

Destinies from the GM. The Zero Act is incredibly

important, and as such it has a chapter devoted to

the organization and play of Zero Act scenes.

Scene

An act is divided into smaller chunks called Scenes.

Or one could say that a string of scenes makes up

one act. Think of them as scenes in a play, movie or

anime: The characters are set, the location and time

are set, and in each scene we see the characters take

action. When the characters change location, time

passes, or the GM introduces action that happens in

WHAT IS THE ZERO SYSTEM?

a different place or between different characters, the

scene will change.

Each scene usually lasts just a few minutes of real

time, and most involve drama or role-play between

some of the characters in the game.

Intermission

The space between one act and another act is

called an intermission. Th s is a brief period of rest

where the players see how their characters change

over time. Kiai is spent, Karma is recorded, Fates

increase and change, and characters grow and

develop during the intermission phases. While

intermissions generally happen only in the space

between acts, the GM can introduce an intermission

in between scenes of an act as well, especially if one

act has a large number of scenes. In general, one

intermission should occur every hour or so, and

should be a brief break that lasts about 10 minutes.

In general, most people have an attention span of

about one hour. Intermissions serve to help people

relax and keep the game focused. Make good use of

intermissions to keep the players recharged and the

game lively.

Now let’s look at these three elements in greater

detail.

ACTS

The GM decides when the next act begins. Each

act is made up of a string of scenes. Normally, play

progresses in the following manner:

1: Start of an act

2: Begin a scene

3: Decide which players are in the scene

4: Optional: Choose a scene judge

5: Role-play through a scene

6: End the scene

7: Return to 2 for the next scene, or proceed to 8 if

the act is at an end.

8: The act ends

9: Intermission

10: The next act begins

There’s really nothing special to starting an act.

Th e GM simply announces that the first (second,

third, last, etc) act is beginning, and immediately

transitions into creating the first scene.

There is no set number of scenes in an act. Some

acts may have just a few (2-4), other acts may

have several (5 or more). It all depends on what is

happening in that act. The GM will usually have

a general idea of the number of scenes in an act,

but the GM is free to create new scenes as the plot

develops or changes.

The GM will decide when to end the act. In many

scenarios, each act will have a goal of some kind

which the players attempt to achieve. When that

string of scenes and that goal is complete, it is time

to end one act and move to the intermission phase.

In general, an act should last about one hour of

real time. If it goes on too long, it would probably

be best to break it up with intermissions. Usually

4-5 scenes will play out in an hour, if the players

are concentrating. If you plan to have more than 6

scenes in one act, consider interjecting intermissions

in order to keep the players refreshed.

When the act ends, the next intermission begins.

After the last act, the GM should provide an

epilogue to summarize what happens to the

characters after the scenario ends.

WHAT IS THE ZERO SYSTEM?

woman, notices you and gestures for you to come

speak with her. Autumn Rain, we’ll have you be

the scene player and take the lead here.”

GM: “You’re all in a tavern. It’s night, and the

place is noisy due to the nearby mine workers

spending their salaries for good food, drink and

conversation. Let’s have Genta the Claw and

Spring Refl ection discuss their plans for the next

season. Jason, since you’re not in this scene, I’d

like you to play the role of the barkeep. Also,

Elizabeth, you’re going to be a townie who

doesn’t like strangers, and will try to pick a fi

ght with Genta.”

GM: “Dusk falls in the Floating Palace. A while

back, Empress Genshi Daigo invited Spring Refl

ection to discuss what should be done about the

recent assassination attempt from the Southern

Court, so let’s do that scene. I’ll be the Empress.

Jason, you’ ll be her over-protective advisor. The

Empress speaks…”

GM: “This Act is drawing to a close. Any of

you want to have one last scene before moving

on to the intermission? If so, let me know in

brief what you want to do or who you want to

interact with, and we’ll make that scene happen

now. Anyone? Alright Jennifer, you want a scene

with Autumn Rain and Spring Reflection at

an outdoor hot springs at night, discussing the

previous battle? Sounds good, let’s do it!”

SCENES WITH FEWER ACTING

PLAYERS

One thing to be aware of, for experienced

role-players and GMs of other role-playing

games; most games don’t set scenes in such

a strict fashion as in Tenra Bansho Zero. It

might take a little bit of time to get used to

this structure. In most games there is a natural

tendency to create all of the scenes so that all

of the characters appear and interact at the

same time. This is great at times, but creating

a lot of focused scenes where only two PCs are

involved allows the players more opportunity

for in-character role-playing.

The default method in Tenra Bansho Zero

is to have scenes with only some of the

characters in them, usually two or three.

There can be one PC in a scene (maybe bring

a few other players come into the scene to

take on the role of NPCs), and of course you

can have scenes with all the players in them.

However, remember that when opening a

scene as a GM, you need to pick the PCs,

location and time. Make sure you go through

that exercise each time you open a scene to

limit the number of players within the scene.

You’ll see that relationships between characters

are formed quickly and change

drastically when the GM sets the scenes for a

limited number of PCs. In general, if a GM

realizes that the last few scenes have involved

all of the PCs, it would be good to force a

scene between just two of the characters, even

if it lasts for just a minute or two. Make up an

excuse for those characters to be away from

the others, and see what direction the players

take their characters.

Examples:

GM: “In this next scene, we see the outside of the

mountain temple at dawn. Some students are

practicing meditations in the courtyard. Autumn

Rain is here, as well as Genta the Claw. The

master of the temple, an elderly, kind-looking

10 0

WHAT IS THE ZERO SYSTEM?

SCENES

The scenes are where all of the real action of Tenra

Bansho occurs. It is where the players role-play

the actions of their characters. Think of scenes in

terms of stage plays or movies: A point of time, at

one place, where a few of the characters do things.

When that scene comes to a close, the action moves

on to the next scene. When planning out a scenario,

the GM should record the scenes by number: “Scene

One”, “Scene Two”, and so on.

Picking Characters to Appear in a Scene

While some scenes will feature all of the characters

together, many of the scenes should feature just a

few of them, perhaps two. The scene will focus on

those characters. When their scene ends, it will be

the other characters’ turns. It’s important to give

everyone a chance to role-play their characters, so

keep careful track of who appears in which scenes.

The GM might have ideas for scenes written down

(“OK, next we’re outside the castle, and the samurai

is talking to the NPC princess. Go!”), or she might

decide the next scene based on game factors, like

making sure that a character who did not appear

in the last scene appears in the next scene. Another

common practice is to have a scene that features a

character whose player has the fewest Aiki chits,

giving them more chances to role-play. There are a

lot of factors to weigh when picking the characters

for the new scene.

The GM might call for an open scene, allowing

any player who wishes to appear be allowed in.

Or she might declare a set scene where only 1-2

characters are allowed (usually for purposes of focus

or advancing the plot). In scenes where the GM

wishes to have other NPCs present, she may request

volunteers from the other players whose characters

are not participating in those scenes to take on

those roles. This is a great opportunity for players to

step up and take the role of interesting background

characters, as well as be rewarded with Aiki chits for

doing so.

Acting Players and Scene Players

Everyone sitting around the table is a player,

although we commonly make a distinction between

the players and the GM. The players that are

currently in the scene, taking on the role of their

own player characters, are called “acting players”.

If the GM is focusing on the story, plot or drama of

one single PC for that scene (a few acting players,

but one of them with clearly a major role in the

scene) than that acting player is sometimes referred

to as the “scene player”. They’re the “star” of that

scene. The rules don’t change for that PC, but the

GM will give their character’s story more of a focus

on that scene.

Introducing the Scene

The GM will introduce the location and the time

of the scene, as well as a brief rundown of the

situation, to give the players an idea of what is going

on. This is the place where you might also introduce

some NPCs to the scene. The GM determines

which players will be the acting players for that

scene. The GM may also decide which of the acting

players is the scene player, the player whose PC will

be the focus of that scene.

Choose a Scene Judge

If you are playing the game with the optional scene

judge rules (see the Karma rules section for more

details), before the scene begins the GM or players

determine the next scene judge here.

ACTION!

The action begins. The acting players role-play

their characters’ actions and words, and the scene

progresses from there.

While there are many kinds of scenes that can

possibly happen in a game of Tenra Bansho, most

scenes that the GM starts will follow one of these

two basic patterns: scenes where the characters have

to take action to overcome some kind of event or

challenge, and scene where the characters meet with

or talk to an NPC, and react to the information

gained from the NPC. While these are effectively

both called “scenes”, the kinds of things that would

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WHAT IS THE ZERO SYSTEM?

happen in each of these scenes, or the kinds of role-

playing that will happen, are quite different.

Event Scenes

In event scenes, the GM takes the initiative to set up

in advance some kind of challenge for one or more

of the PCs to overcome. The longhouse catches fire.

The merchant leaps at you with a fierce expression,

katana drawn. The Bright Lotus monk is singing a

song that is clearly insulting your regent. The path

to the town is blocked by three members of the

ninja clan who have been hunting you, and they

look ready for action. The person in the gambling

house sitting across from you looks very much like

the kugutsu you were paid to find.

The players must act. In these situations, if the

players don’t start describing their actions right

away, the GM should ask, “OK, what do you do?”

There is usually a lead-up to the event of the scene,

but the scene usually focuses on whatever even the

GM planned (or came up with on the fly). When

that event is overcome, the scene will usually wrap

up and end.

Reaction Scenes

Reaction scenes are where a GM presents an open

choice to the players. This often takes place in a

scene with another NPC. The NPC will present

new information to the characters, and the players

decide how their characters react. The lord tells

the PCs to find a priceless kugutsu, but leave it up

to the characters as to how they go about finding

her. The monk tells the characters that a monk in

another temple is performing evil acts, and leaves

the means and methods of punishment up to the

character.

Depending on those reactions, the game may

proceed down a different path than expected. It’s

also expected that the GM is open to any choice the

player comes up with as well, and won’t simply force

the player to choose one single option anyway.

Reaction scenes can be excellent ways to show off

the personalities of the characters when they make

their choices. However, sometimes a player will have

a hard time choosing what they want their character

to do. In those situations the GM could give them a

prod towards action by giving them a binary choice:

Something like, “If you want to do X, you might

want to do this. If you would rather do Y, you

might want to say that.”

For example, the characters fight their way through

an evil merchant’s fortress, and beat him into

submission. The GM sets up a reaction scene where

the merchant pleads for the characters to let him

go, perhaps even pleading that he will change his

wicked ways. “The decision is totally up to you,”

the GM says, “You can do whatever you want at

this point.” If the players seem to stall, or aren’t

sure what they should do next, the GM can offer

suggestions like, “If you want to bring him to

bloody justice, you are well within your right to

do so. Your lord will permit any action here. If you

think that he might be capable of changing his ways

if you let him go, and you want to look the other

way if he promises to behave, that’s fi ne too.” The

important thing to remember for the GM is not to

make any “correct answers”. If the GM sets up a

truly open reaction scene, she should be prepared for

the players to make unexpected decisions. If it

makes sense within the story, make sure not to

instinctively say “no” simply because the GM didn’t

make any plans for that contingency.

In the above scene, we can see that the GM has

presented a situation for the players to engage in.

The GM here (unlike normal scenes) didn’t set who

would appear in the scene, simply leaving it open for

now. As the players step forward and describe their

characters actions, they are taking part in the scene

without specifi cally being called on to participate

in the scene. The GM should set up situations to

pull in the players and the players should try hard

to jump in and start doing things in-character.

The more dangerous the scene seems, the faster the

players will tend to jump in and start acting.

A GM should also open up the framing of the scene

from time to time, and turn it over to the players. If

the next scene is not set in stone, the GM might ask

the players if anyone has an idea for a situation

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WHAT IS THE ZERO SYSTEM?

in the next scene. If a player’s suggestion sounds

exciting, then go with it. If the player’s suggestion

sounds out-of-place with the scenario or strange,

either offer a compromise or simply say no and

move along to a new scene.

Entering a Scene

A GM lays down a scene and declares the

participating characters in the scene, or simply

leaves it open for any player to join. If a character

is not explicitly in a scene, they can still join. The

player can spend a point of Kiai to allow their

character to enter the scene.

SETTING UP A SCENE

GM: New scene. Nightfall washes over the path

like a thick blanket. The moon, as bright as it

has been in weeks, illuminates the forest path

in front of you. The forest night is as quiet as

death, and not even the forest insects dare make

a sound, for fear of attracting the attention of

the eerie silence.

This is where the characters find themselves.

Let’s see them enter the scene.

Player A: So I don’t see anyone else nearby?

GM: It doesn’t appear that there are others

here. And yet, the thick, cloying smell of blood

hits your nostrils. It feels like the air itself in

this forest wishes to do evil upon you. It doesn’t

feel like you’re being watched… it feels like

something is marking you for death.

Player B: Ugh, I’ve got a bad feeling about this.

I yell out quickly, then listen for movement

or try to sense any attackers. Kind of like

echolocation. Actually, I’m just trying to get any

danger to present itself now rather than later.

GM: OK. Use one of your combat abilities like

Unarmed Combat, Melee Weapons, Marksman

or Evasion, and roll using your Spirit

attribute…

Spending a Kiai point is a good way to force your

character into a scene where they might normally

not be there. Your character happened to be nearby,

or happened to overhear the other characters

talking, that sort of thing. However, if having your

character enter the scene later was something that

works for the GM, he may waive the 1 point Kiai

fee and allow your character to enter at no cost.

Calling a PC or Player into a Scene

Sometimes a GM wants to suddenly bring another

player character into the scene after that scene has

already begun. By giving that character’s player one

Aiki chit, he can have that player jump into that

scene. When the GM does this, that player does not

spend a Kiai point to enter the scene, because they

were pulled in by the GM.

Calling a player into a scene does not always mean

having them bring in their character. For example,

sometimes the GM will want the players (whose

characters are currently not in the scene) to take on

the roles of important background NPCs. The GM

can offer an Aiki chit to the player if they come

into the scene and play the role of an NPC during

another character’s scene.

The player can resist if they really don’t want to be

in that scene, in which case they do not receive the

Aiki chit.

This example scene just sort of began from nothing.

Th ere were no set players or characters, just the

GM beginning a scene through role-playing, and

offering an Aiki chit to a player to join. If the GM

doesn’t care who is in the scene, she might simply

hold up an Aiki chit, encouraging any player to

jump into character into the scene (and thus receive

the chit).

One thing to note is to not start offscenes this way

too often. Sometimes they provide an explosive rush

of cool role-playing. Doing it too often, though, and

rewarding players who join into “player-less” scenes

all the time, could encourage the players not to step

forward when the GM is creating the scene, creating

a situation where the players will only step forward

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when they will be rewarded with an Aiki chit. Keep

that in mind, and strike a balance between crafted

scenes with set players, and open scenes with

rewards for player who jump in.

Leaving a Scene

A player can leave a scene with the GM’s permission

any time they wish, in any way they want to.

When NPCs Leave a Scene

NPCs are for the most part totally controlled by

the GM, so they will leave the scene when the GM

says so (even if another player is temporarily taking

on the role of that NPC for a scene). Sometimes the

GM will have a combat scene where they wish to

have a major NPC run away before they are killed

(as they plan to have them face the player characters

again, perhaps as a “final boss” for the scenario);

this kind of thing happens in plays and movies all

the time.In a combat situation, a player can spend

two Kiai to make an “interruption action” (see the

Karma rules for details), perhaps to jump at the

NPC and defeat them before they can run away. In

that kind of situation, where the GM has definite

THE GM PULLS IN ANOTHER PLAYER

It’s best to bring in players using at least a little

acting or role-play. Here’s an example:

GM (Role-playing a Regent): “Anyone? I say,

is anyone here?”

GM: …is what the regent says as he calls to you

from his chamber.

(the GM passes an Aiki chit to a player, gives

that player a knowing nod indicating that she’s

putting that player on the spot to take action)

Player: “My lord, I am here!” I say, presenting

myself before him.

GM: “Oh!” says the regent, gladly surprised at

your sudden entrance…

plans for that NPC in a future scene, simply tell the

player that the NPC runs away before they could

react, and the player does not lose the Kiai spent.

Just let the players know that the NPC will get

away this time but will return later, and the players

should be okay with that.

Ending the Scene

The GM can call for the scene to end at any time.

From that point, the GM can either introduce

the next scene or call for an intermission phase if

appropriate.The GM should call an end to the scene

after one of the following conditions:

• The time changes

The scene was played out, and the next events will

naturally occur at a different time.

• The location changes

The characters end their interactions in one place,

and the action moves to another place. “Meanwhile,

back at the castle…” is an appropriate way to end

one scene and begin another.

• The scene is played out

When the players have nothing more to say or do,

or nothing further to react to, it is time to close the

scene.

In order to move the story along, it is important to

make sure that play doesn’t linger on unimportant

things. If the players are in the middle of an exciting

role-play moment, then the GM should let that

conversation or role-play conclude and then end

the scene there. If the scene goes on too long, or

the GM doesn’t cut the scene when the action

winds down, it will take longer to get to the more

interesting scenes of the game.

As a GM, you will soon spot times when the players

will come to a gradual standstill, unsure of what

steps their characters should take next. That’s when

you should cut the scene so that it doesn’t linger,

and then jump forward a bit to the next scene,

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WHAT IS THE ZERO SYSTEM?

perhaps a few minutes or hours in the future, in a

different place.

It’s important for the GM to keep the action moving

forward. But the GM will also have to balance this

with not pushing too hard or too fast. If the GM

keeps cutting forward any time there’s no “Extreme

Action”, that may lead to scenes that feel disjointed,

with no opportunities for the players to role-play the

nuances and subtleties of their characters. The GM

should try to find that balance.

• Combat ends

If the scene featured a combat, the scene will usually

end right after combat concludes. In the next scene,

we will see all of the characters at their full Vitality

points again.

Intermissions

Intermission phases are just as the name implies:

they are a period of rest between acts. While the

GM may want to break up an exceptionally long act

with an intermission, the GM should always put an

intermission phase between two acts, even if the acts

run quickly.

The intermission is a period where the players

think about the changes that their characters

went through in the previous act, and prepare

their characters for challenges in the next act. It

only needs to last for a few minutes. It is also an

opportunity for the players to go to the bathroom or

eat a snack.

The GM is the one who calls for the intermission.

The GM decides when the intermission begins, and

when it ends.

INTERMISSION EVENTS

The following are the things that happen

during each intermission.

Preview of the Next Act

The GM provides a preview of the events of the

next act. This is similar to the preview or the “On

the Next Episode of…” segments which we see at

the end of an episode of an anime or TV drama.

Some previews will be very matter-of-fact (“You

will go to the castle and stand off against the evil

Regent’s army”). Some previews will be more poetic.

Some GMs will have a few pre-written sentences to

use as their preview, while other GMs may wing it

as events in the story change the events of the next

act.

The preview is important, as the players will

use it as a jumping-offpoint to think about their

characters and what they wish to accomplish in the

next act. This will lead to some players increasing

the abilities or skills of their characters, or more

often, changing or increasing appropriate Fates that

they think will be addressed in the next act. The

GM shouldn’t give everything away, but like a good

anime or drama preview, she should describe in

vague details a few possible key events that are likely

to occur.

The preview should also have a certain amount

of impact. “Three years have passed since the last

act…” How’s that for the beginning of a dramatic

preview? While most scenarios will feature events

that happen in roughly the same time period and

location, having huge changes in time or location

will certainly create a memorable tale. Make sure

that if you go that route that the changes make

sense to the players. They could step on a boat at

the end of one act and start the next act in a foreign

land several months later. How this is handled is

up to the GM. And the GM, as always, is expected

to balance “impact” with “utter craziness” when it

comes to previews and following acts.

Increase Karma

All of the Kiai spent in the previous act becomes

Karma at this time. Record the new Karma total

on the character sheet. Unspent Kiai remains in the

Kiai pool, which can be used later.

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WHAT IS THE ZERO SYSTEM?

ACTS AND INTERMISSIONS

As explained before, the intermission offers a

period of rest for the players. As the span of

concentration for humans is about one hour,

breaking up the game into roughly hour-long

acts and inserting intermissions will let the

players recover and refocus on the game.

However, think of the events of a game of

Tenra Bansho Zero as a story. A story has

chapters: That’s what the acts are. Each

chapter contains multiple scenes where the

action and drama occurs. Chapters exist in

a book to prevent the reader from feeling

the need to power from one end of a novel

to the other. They offer periods of rest and

reflection, so that the reader can think about

the events that just occurred. The same thing

happens in many stage plays and kabuki

theater as well. Breaking up the story cleanly

with acts and intermissions will push the

story forward and keep it focused.

The GM can insert intermissions wherever

they are needed, but the GM is encouraged

not to use intermissions too often (more than

once an hour, for example). The players play

their characters through the acts, and the

intermission is where we see the characters

change; creating too many intermissions

and not long enough acts means that the

characters do fewer things in play, and thus

hardly change at all during the intermission.

A POETIC PREVIEW

(GM reads the following intermission she

prepared the day before, which consists of

seemingly random lines of dialogue and poetic

descriptions using diff erent intonations) (in a

soft voice) ”My father… the Regent doesn’t care

whether I live or die!”

(in a calm narrator’s voice) The great gears of

Fate slowly grind forward, crushing everything

that gets between them.

Four assemble in the mountain village of

Haruyama. The shadow that forms behind

them, at a glance, looks like the outline of a

serpent.

Blades will cross at the mountain pass. War

seems imminent.

(in a rough, noble voice) “Th ose who won’t

stand with us against the tide, they will be

crushed underneath it.”

(back to the narrator voice) An attack at the

mountain threatens to unravel everything. Not

even the great kami know who will emerge

victorious.

Tenra Bansho Zero, Act Three: Renka and the

Assassins

A STRAIGHT FORWARD PREVIEW

GM: Okay guys, the next Act… Let’s see…

We’re going to start off in that Haruyama town

where we ended the last Act. We’re going to

spend most of the Act in this town. There is

going to be some investigation, we’ll see what

happens to Renka the kugutsu, and finally the

boss fight against the samurai warlord Garoku.

Get ready for Act Three, “Renka and the

Assassins”.

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WHAT IS THE ZERO SYSTEM?

If the character wishes to replenish their pool of

soulgems, it is done at this time. New mechanica,

annelids, and new skills can also be taken, or old

skills increased at this time. Anything that requires

the expense of Kiai to attain is taken here, and

the Kiai spent immediately becomes Karma. The

character cannot gain new skills or equipment that

require more Kiai than the character has in stock:

Sometimes a player must wait for the next act,

and accumulate more Kiai, in order to gain more

powerful equipment and skills.

The Anatman/ “Doctrine of No-Self” Phase

“The Doctrine of No-Self ” is a Buddhist doctrine

that says “All things are impermanent and change

from moment to moment, never staying the same”.

This phase is probably the most important in the

intermission for the characters; it is where the

characters’ Fates change.

The players will have an opportunity to create

new Fates, to raise up the rank of existing Fates, to

sublimate or erase Fates, and to rewrite Fates. Please

see the Karma rules for a breakdown of how this

process works.

One important thing to note is that at the end of

this phase, if a character has more than 108 Karma

points, then he immediately becomes an Asura

(demon or “lost soul”) and is removed from play.

This No-Self phase is where the player attempts to

lower Karma to prevent that from happening.

Make Fate Rolls and Gain Kiai

This is where the players exchange all of their

accumulated Aiki chits for Fate rolls. For each

Fate roll in the intermission, the player takes their

character’s Empathy attribute score in dice, and rolls

against their highest-ranked Fate. One Fate roll is

made for each Aiki chit owned: If the player has

twelve Aiki chits, then she makes twelve Fate rolls,

building up a nice pile of Kiai to use later. Each

success grants a Kiai point which can be added

under the Kiai point total. Role-playing well in the

previous act will give a player more Kiai points to

spend in the next act.

GM and Players Discuss the Game

The GM and players should discuss in brief what

just happened in the last act. If a player has certain

ideas that he thinks might be cool for his character,

he can tell the GM here and discuss the possibilities

of making that happen in the story. If the players

have suggestions for the GM, or the GM has

suggestions for the players, those would be discussed

here as well. In general, this is where the GM and

players talk about what they think of the scenario so

far, and what they are imagining will happen in the

next act.

Take a Break

Take a breather. Clear your mind, grab a snack

or drink, stand up and stretch your legs, hit the

bathroom. Check those phone messages, talk with

your friends about some cool anime or movie you’ve

seen recently, and let offsome steam. A ten minute

break should bring all the players back on track and

keep them focused through the next act.

THE GAME PLAYS OUT

The group goes through acts, scenes, more scenes,

intermissions, and so on. The game moves in that

fashion until the scenario draws to a close. We’ll

take a look next at what happens towards the end of

the game.

Curtain Call and Epilogue

After everyone has enjoyed their tale in a game of

Tenra Bansho Zero, it’s time to bring the session to

a close. Here’s what happens after the last act has

concluded.

Scene Judge Bonus

If you are playing with the optional scene judge

rules, check the Session Log Sheet to see how many

times each player has been a scene judge. Each

player is awarded with a number of bonus Aiki

chits equal to the number of times they acted as a

scene judge. If one of the players declared a Moment

of Truth, they do not receive this bonus (see the

Moment of Truth rules for an explanation).

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WHAT IS THE ZERO SYSTEM?

The Final Intermission

It’s probably better to call it an Epilogue, as the

game has reached its conclusion. However, one final

intermission phase begins when the last act ends.

We will see how the characters have changed in

the last act, as well as see if any have become lost as

Asura.

Improving Your Character

If the character has enough Kiai points, the player

can spend them to increase the level of attributes

and skills or gain new skills. Remember that this

spent Kiai will immediately become Karma. You

can spend Kiai and bring your character to a total

higher than 108. However, make sure that by

changing and sublimating your Fates during the

No-Self Phase you can lower your Karma back

down again. See the Karma section for the details

on changing Fates.

Players do not need to improve their character if

they don’t want to. It’s common for a player to play

a new character in a new adventure rather than

playing a previous character again: That character’s

story is done. If a player wishes to play this character

again later, though, now is a good opportunity to

improve that character’s attributes and skills if they

want to.

Sublimate Destinies and Make Final Adjustments

After the character spends Kiai improving their

characters, the last “Doctrine of No-Self ” phase

begins. The players should sublimate (erase) their

Destiny if it has been achieved. As per normal

Fate rules (see the Karma rules chapter for details),

this will lower the character’s Karma. The players

probably won’t need to create new Fates or raise the

level of existing Fates, but they are welcome to do

so if they really want to. It might be a good way to

show how their character will live out the rest of

their life after the session is concluded.

If the character has more than 108 Karma at the

end of the last No-Self phase, their character is

lost forever. Th at character becomes an Asura, or

simply dies. See the Karma rules for more details on

Asura.

Epilogue

The GM should spend the last few moments

talking about the results of the characters’ actions

and discuss in brief what happens to the characters

after the curtain closes. Perhaps each player could

describe a quick one-minute “scene” in the life of

their character, days or even years after the events of

the scenario. This is the kind of scene we might see

as the credits roll on the last episode of an anime,

movie or TV drama.

Cleaning Up

The table is a mess, so help clean it up. Throw

garbage away, and do your part to leave the play-

space cleaner than when you started. Th is is, in

fact, a rule of the game which must be followed by

all of the players.

After-Game Discussion

Many games of Tenra Bansho happen on a

weekend day, or are broken up over a series of a

few weeknights. After the curtain falls and the

players clean up, don’t just split. Instead, take a few

minutes to discuss the game with your friends. Talk

about what they liked, what they thought could use

improvement, and just refl ect on the fun moments

of the scenario. Make plans for when to play next,

and who will act as the GM. Feel free to move to

another location for the after-game discussion if you

want. Unfortunately, there are no good Japanese-

style taverns (izakaya) outside of Japan, but a family

restaurant, fast-food joint or other place to eat and

talk would work fine.

The after-game discussion is an important part of

the game, so don’t forget to do it. There are many

players who consider the after-play discussion of

the game events an integral part of the game, so if

possible schedule some time for this discussion.

That concludes the play of a session of Tenra

Bansho Zero. Hopefully, everyone has had fun, and

is interested in playing again.

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ZERO ACT AND

THE EMOTION

MATRIX

THE RULES WHICH

BRING CHARACTERS TO

LIFE

In this section, we will explore some of the rules

central to the beginning and the end of the game.

The Zero Act, Destinies, Emotion Matrix and

Moment of Truth.

Zero Act

The first act of the game is not Act One, but the

Zero Act. In it, each PC has their own scene where

they are introduced. We discover a little bit about

the character, and the GM gives the PC’s player a

Destiny.

Destinies

Destinies (capitalized) are a special kind of Fate:

They are a Fate that the GM assigns to the player. It

represents the PC’s role or goal in the scenario. The

rules for handling Destinies are otherwise the same

as Fates.

Emotion Matrix

The Emotion Matrix is a six-by-six grid of 36

dramatic emotions. It is used to determine what

your character initially thinks about major NPCs

and other PCs. The Emotion Matrix is used

primarily in the Zero Act and initial scenes of the

first act.

Moment of Truth

Towards the end of the scenario, a player can call

for a Moment of Truth: This optional rule (with

GM permission) is a last-ditch effort that allows

the other players to give them their Aiki chits. The

player uses the last of this Aiki for Fate rolls, and

amasses a large amount of Kiai which they can then

use.

Let’s take a look at each in detail:

THE ZERO ACT

The very first act in the game is a special act called

the Zero Act. It sets the mood, image and feel for

the rest of the game, and it is where the characters

are given their Destinies. If the Zero Act goes well,

it is very likely that the rest of the game will proceed

smoothly as well. For this reason, the first act is a

very important set of scenes.

SCENES IN THE ZERO ACT

Scenes in the Zero Act are created and happen

very similar to other scenes in the game. Th e only

difference is that usually each scene will focus on

only one single player character.

The Zero Act is essentially a way to introduce the

player characters which will appear throughout

the rest of the adventure, as well as give them an

opportunity for their players to get used to role-

playing their actions and personalities. What

happens in the Zero Act comes down to equal parts

of character introduction, scenario introduction and

player warm-up. The scenes of this first act push

these goals.

Which Characters Take Part in the Scene

It doesn’t matter which PCs are introduced in their

own scenes first. The GM might choose to start by

giving a character a particular Destiny which best

demonstrates the point of the game. Or the GM

might have an idea for a scene with a lot of impact

for a particular character, and decide to start out

with that scene first. Go with whatever method

works best. If the GM isn’t sure, she should begin

with the player on her left. Or perhaps begin with

the player who is the most veteran role-player, or the

most veteran Tenra player.

Making an Entrance in the Zero Act

Unlike the other scenes in other acts, the Zero

Act scenes focus on each character, each scene

highlighting and introducing one character. For the

sake of the story, the GM might have two player

characters in one scene (one with a minor role in

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ZERO ACT AND THE EMOTION MATRIX

another character’s focused scene). More commonly,

the GM will have the character interact with other

NPCs (the PC’s lord, friends, family, peers, etc),

whose roles can be given to the players not in that

scene. In any case, unlike other scenes, the players

cannot spend Kiai points to appear in a scene: The

GM is the sole person who determines who appears

in a Zero Act scene.

Aiki Chits and the First Scene Judge

If you are playing with the optional scene judge

rules, then the scene judge will be the person sitting

to the right of the player whose character is the

focus of the scene. Explain the role of the scene

judge to that player. After that, the next scene judge

will become the player whose scene just ended.

If you are playing by the normal audience rules,

this is where the GM describes the importance of

handing out Aiki chits to the players, as well as

fi nding the balance between giving too few and

giving too many. Each of the players should pick up

and ready a few Aiki chits to give to the scene

player.

What Happens in a Zero Scene?

The GM will hand the Destinies to the characters,

one Destiny per character per scene.

The scene should introduce the major NPCs of the

scenario to the characters. These NPCs will affect

the outcome of the story. If there is a noble lord who

gives a PC a secret mission, it should happen in the

first act. If there is an evil general who is planning

to destroy the nation, one of the PCs should meet

him in this first act. If there is a good opportunity

or story reason for the PCs to meet, this will happen

in the first act as well.

This is where all the major Emotion Matrix rolls

happen. Th ere should absolutely be at least one

matrix roll per character per scene, either against a

major background NPC or against one of the other

player characters. This places the player’s character

in the events which will unfold through the rest of

the game. The character will encounter one of the

other major characters in the story (NPC or PC), in

an almost fated encounter. The GM then hands the

player their Destiny.

Combat in the Zero Act

Combat can slow down or derail the scene in a Zero

Act, so it’s best not to have combat at all. If having

a scene with fighting in it is important to the story,

simply narrate the victory (or, more commonly, the

defeat) of the PC and move on with the story.

If you want to quickly demonstrate how combat

works, or all the players are experienced players of

Tenra Bansho, then the GM could set up a single-

roll Sneak Attack, or perhaps roll through one

round (at most) of combat. More often than not,

though, it will be better to simply talk through what

happens in the combat instead of rolling, let the

GM make any final decisions, and introduce real

combat sometime in Acts One or Two.

Making Emotion Matrix Rolls

At least one Emotion Matrix roll is made per scene

of the Zero Act. Just like regular Emotion Matrix

rolls, the player has the opportunity to spend Kiai to

change the result (using any Kiai gained with that

single Fate Roll made during game set-up), and the

GM and other players have the ability to infl uence

the player with Aiki chits. You should talk through

this process, to make sure that you either go with an

emotion that will favor the events of the scenario:

favorable results for major “good” NPCs,

unfavorable results for major “bad” NPCs and so

forth.

Don’t forget that it might make for a great tale to

have an unfavorable reaction towards a “good ”

NPC or PC, and a favorable reaction towards an

“evil” NPC. Just talk it out when the Emotion

Matrix roll is made and decided. If a player

chooses an unfavorable reaction towards another

PC and from that point on never tries to role-play

a reconciliation, that will be problematic for the

scenario and the other players. This often leads

to one single player taking their character off in

another direction, creating a “tale for myself ”

instead of working with the other players. Talk

about it as a group so that the player understands

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ZERO ACT AND THE EMOTION MATRIX

that they should aim to overcome that initial

unfavorable reaction, and quickly.

Passing Out the Destinies

In most cases, the GM will pass a Destiny to the

player, either writing it in advance on paper and

physically passing it to the player, or simply telling

the player to write the Destiny on their character

sheet at the end of that character’s scene. However,

if an opportunity presents itself in the middle of

the scene, the GM should be free to hand out the

Destiny in the middle of the scene as appropriate.

Also, don’t change the pre-crafted Destinies due

to events in the Zero Act scenes. For example, a

GM sets up a scene where a PC samurai will meet

a princess. If they interact favorably (driven by the

Emotion Matrix roll) the GM could hand out the

Destiny “Goal: Protect the Princess: 2” to the

player as they are talking to each other in character.

However, if they do not interact favorably (the

player chooses an unfavorable reaction to the

NPC) the GM should simply pass the Destiny

to the character at the end of the scene anyway.

The character might not be getting along with the

princess now, but it is his Destiny to protect her;

over time, this will hopefully drive the samurai’s

player to change how he feels towards the princess

in the game. This makes for a great story.

Ending the Scene

The GM calls for the end of the scene, and hands

out a Destiny to the character spotlighted in

that scene (if he hasn’t given the player a Destiny

already).

Ending the Zero Act

When all of the characters have one introductory

scene, it’s time to call the Zero Act closed and move

on to the first intermission.

THE ZERO ACT INTERMISSION

The first intermission phase in the game, the Zero

Act intermission, is very similar to most regular

intermissions. There are some slight differences to

how the Zero Act intermission works from

PLAYING IN THE PAST

An interesting technique that is often used in

the Zero Act is to show what happened to the

character in the past. It could be a few weeks

or even several years, but an event in the past

should be a pivotal point in the life of that

character, involve another PC or major NPC,

and show us what drives that character.

A common example is for the excellent “Loss

of your Most Important Thing” Fate which

comes with the archetype “Hard Luck”. This

could be an object (a sword, an heirloom) or

more commonly it is a person. The first scene

could show how the character had that thing:

An idyllic lifestyle living with this person, a

covetous samurai who demonstrates his most

prized sword, a king ruling over his kingdom.

The scene could also show us how that thing

was lost, which will absolutely shed some light

upon that character’s motivation. Bandits

attack and kidnap or slay a loved one, a lord

demands the samurai give him an heirloom

katana, a king is exiled or forced from his

kingdom.

Other times, we see what made that character

who they are now, in much the same way

as a flashback scene in a superhero movie

or comic: the fight lost to a major NPC,

which convinces an otherwise common

warrior to become a gem-studded samurai;

the conditions which cause the annelidist

to implant his most dangerous bug inside

of his head to serve under an NPC lord, the

grueling training of a lunatic kugutsu-maker

which leads to the kugutsu running away

from her home and soon meeting another PC.

Playing a pivotal character scene from the

past is an excellent way to start the story in

the present, but make sure that each scene

includes a major NPC or PC who will appear

later in the game, and at least one Emotion

Matrix roll.

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ZERO ACT AND THE EMOTION MATRIX

other intermissions. Review the rules for

intermissions, then take note of the following

examples and exceptions for this first intermission.

The Preview

The first preview is very important, more so than

any other preview in the game. It’s the prologue.

In console video game terms, this is the “opening

movie” where we get a picture of the world and the

opening credits roll. Something explosive should be

happening, driving up the players’ interest or

involvement in what is about to come in Act One

and the rest of the game.

Doctrine of No-Self Phase

Use this first intermission to create new Fates or

raise the level of existing Fates (or the Destiny). At

this point, if there is any player that has not created

at least one Fate in relation to another character

(especially another PC), have them do so now. If the

GM determines that the game will basically start

with all of the characters knowing each other, the

players could make their inter-character Emotion

Matrix rolls at this time and create a Fate or two

based on the results.

The intricacies of how Fates work can be confusing

to new players. So simply tell the players to raise

most or all of their Fates up by one level or dot (and

only one, not two or more), and not to think too

hard about it. Tell them that raising the Fates they

want to focus on for now will be important later in

the game, and leave it at that. Also, there is no need

to balance the Fate cost with the character’s Karma

level (see Karma Rules for more details), because at

this point even if a character raises all of their Fates

by one level or dot, they will still not come close

to that limit: There’s no need to bother calculating

it until the next intermission. Make sure that all

players raise at least one single Fate or Destiny up by

one level.

You will not sublimate or change Fates in the first

intermission; your Karma will not be reduced at this

time.

Fate Rolls and Kiai

Aiki chits can carry over from one act to the next.

However, it’s important to have the players spend all

of their current Aiki chits on Fate rolls and convert

them into Kiai. Explain that unless they do this,

their character won’t have the power to accomplish

the kinds of wondrous feats that you can do by

using Kiai. Kiai is power, so try to accumulate as

much as possible, even if you don’t end up using it.

Game Discussion

This is a great opportunity to answer the player

questions about the rules or the game in general, or

discuss some things that happened in the Zero Act.

Don’t dally too long on game discussion, though.

The point is to play the game, not to talk about

playing the game.

Take a Break

At this point, everyone should be ready to move

on to Act One. Feel free to skip the first break and

move right into the next act. However, if you’ve

spent 40 or more minutes in the Zero Act, maybe a

5 to 10 minute break first would be best to get

people ready for action.

DESTINIES

The GM will later assign the characters a special

kind of Fate called a “Destiny”, either before play

begins or in the first act.

Destinies are Fates that deal directly with the

scenario, and are usually the

character’s goal for that scenario. Another way of

describing Destinies are “Scenario Fates” which

the GM specially creates for the characters, as

opposed to all the other Fates, which players create

themselves. The GM will usually hand the Destiny

out at some point during the Zero Act, but he might

also hand it out before the game begins.

The Destiny is something that must happen in the

session. It is usually a goal or mission that is directly

tied to the scenario that the GM created. It could

also be a strong motivation with no goal, as long as

the character has plenty of opportunity to express

11 2

ZERO ACT AND THE EMOTION MATRIX

that motivation. You could think of a Destiny as

a personal victory condition for that character for

the game. Work towards it or fulfi ll it, and your

character will usually be considered to have a “good

ending”.

The Destiny will always involve the scenario in

some way. If the GM plans on having a super-

powerful samurai NPC named Blazing Sky in

the game, then he might create a Destiny called

“Emotion: Loyalty to Blazing Sky” in a game where

Blazing Sky gives the PC orders, or “Mission: Find

Blazing Sky” in a game where the object is to find

out what happened to this legendary figure. Of

course, if Blazing Sky is an antagonist from the start

of the scenario, a Destiny like “Mission: Destroy

Blazing Sky” might be expected. The GM would

give this Destiny to the character whose story is

closely related to Blazing Sky, possibly a samurai

character.

THE PURPOSE OF DESTINIES

Destiny is a rule which creates the story-based

motivation for player characters. As human

beings, we strive for meaning in our

actions. In much the same way, we want our

characters to have a purpose to passionately

work towards. A purpose makes the

character’s actions make sense.

Destinies are a call to action. If a player is

struggling to fi nd a way to role-play his

character, the Destiny provides a simple,

clean outlet. An inexperienced role-player,

or a veteran role-player who gets temporarily

overwhelmed, can rely on Destinies to drive

their character through the scenario. If all else

fails, focusing on the Destiny will help the

game go smoothly. For that reason, Destinies

focused on scenario goals or Destinies that

focus on a major NPC in the scenario often

work best.

GETTING INTO CHARACTER

The Emotion Matrix is an important part

of the game. It is basically a syringe which

injects drama into the game right from

the get-go. It tells the players what their

characters feel towards other characters upon

their first meeting. As such, it requires a bit of

explanation to really understand its function,

especially since most tabletop RPGs do not

have these kinds of rules.

It can take a while to “get into character”,

and decide as a player how your character

feels about the other characters. The Emotion

Matrix helps get right down to business.

It basically is a way of setting how your

character feels about another character at first

sight. Using the results as cues, even without

the game master forcing a story along, the

players can create drama simply by interacting

with each other in scenes. In the end, Tenra

Bansho is a character drama game, with the

trappings of katana, ninjas and badass mecha.

The important thing to remember about the

Emotion Matrix is that these emotions are

simply a “flash of emotion” or first impression

in their character’s eyes. It is the first thing

that their character thought when she first

met (or started in a scene with) another PC or

major NPC. It is not a straightjacket forcing

them to adhere to a relationship for the course

of a game.

Some people might be uncomfortable with

the idea that they don’t have full control

over how their character feels. In this case,

it’s important to remember that this is just

that first “jolt” of emotion that a character

experienced. If they’re not feeling it, the player

can simply change their attitude towards the

other quickly, brushing off that first emotion

as a fluke (“It looks like I misjudged her. I felt

a killing intent from her when tour eyes met,

but she must have mistook me for someone

else. I wonder who…”). However, it

can be fun to roll with that emotion for a

while, to see how it plays out over the course

of the game.

11 3

ZERO ACT AND THE EMOTION MATRIX

Each character will have a unique Destiny

throughout the scenario. Here are some examples:

• Mission: Protect the princess

• Emotion: Loyalty to the Ten Thousand Knives

Clan

• Mission: Defeat General Fujiwara

• Emotion: Hatred of Kogarashi the Axe

• Mission: Help Master Gen attain freedom

• Mission: Save the city of Sun’s Edge

• Mission: Prove to yourself that your skill is greater

than (name of another PC)

And so on. The possibilities are limitless, even

within a single scenario.

Raising Destinies

Destinies, like Fates, can be raised during

intermissions. The player raises Destinies exactly

like Fates. They should not be erased or sublimated.

With the GM’s permission, the player can rewrite

a Destiny as the game progresses if there is a good

reason to. For example, a character learns that

Blazing Sky is the enemy working behind the

scenes. The player gets permission during the next

intermission to change the character’s Fate from

“Emotion: Loyalty to Blazing Sky” to “Emotion:

Hatred of Blazing Sky” or “Mission: Confront

Blazing Sky”.

Destiny Techniques

In a game where there are new players and

experienced players, a good GM technique is to have

the Destiny of the new player’s character support

one of the veteran players. It could be tied to one

of the other characters at the table, in a supportive

way: “Protect Character X”, “Loyalty to Character

X’s Clan”, and so on. Or it could be a very similar

goal to the more experienced player’s character,

giving the two characters good reason to travel and

work together, and perhaps become strong allies and

companions.

THE EMOTION MATRIX

The Emotion Matrix determines how a player’s

character feels about other characters—both major

NPCs and other player characters—when they

first meet.Whenever a player character fi rst meets

another player character, an Emotion Matrix roll

is usually made. Whenever a player character fi rst

meets an important NPC within the scenario, an

Emotion Matrix roll is also made. The GM calls for

the Emotion Matrix, and the players roll. Th e GM

will roll for the NPCs. The Emotion Matrix tells

the players what their character feels towards that

other person the first time they meet.

Players should only be making Emotion Matrix rolls

at maximum once per scene. Eventually, by the first

or second act, there will be no new important NPCs

encountered: Most of these Emotion Matrix rolls

occur during the first quarter or third of the game.

The player rolls “D66” (two dice, one representing

“tens” and the other “ones”) then checks the result

against the Emotion Matrix chart in the back of the

book. This determines the starting point for their

character’s feelings towards the NPC or other PC.

From there, adjustments can be made. If a player

is not satisfied with the result, they can spend Kiai

points to shift up, down, left or right one space on

the matrix. Every Kiai point spent allows one shift

on the matrix to a new result of the player’s choice.

For example, spending three points of Kiai will

allow a player to move the result up two boxes,

then left one box to their desired result. Mark Kiai

used in this way as spent Kiai, because it will later

become Karma.

The GM also has the ability to make adjustments to

the player’s roll. The GM can offer the player Aiki

chits to move to a different place on the matrix.

Perhaps the GM wishes for the player to choose

a more challenging result for their character, or

perhaps the GM wishes the player to choose one of

the favorable results for their character that works

better for the GM’s concept for the scenario. The

GM can suggest a new result for the character,

11 4

ZERO ACT AND THE EMOTION MATRIX

and offer that player a number of Aiki chits equal

to the distance in spaces from the original result to

the GM’s desired result. If the new result is down

one box and to the left one box of where the player

rolled on the matrix, the GM can “ bribe” the player

with two Aiki chits to take that new result. Th e

other players may get involved and offer their own

Aiki chits (not Kiai) to move along the matrix as

well. If the player accepts the GM’s or other players’

suggestions, she receives those Aiki chits

immediately.

There is a bit of interplay that can happen between

the player and GM when it comes to the Emotion

Matrix. A GM might come out and offer two Aiki

chits immediately if the player makes a particular

choice. Or a player might spend a Kiai point or

two to shift around on the matrix. Sometimes, the

player will shift to a new position, and the

GM will offer 1-2 Aiki chits if the player shifts

from the new position to yet another position. And

then from there, from a position far away from

the starting point, the player could spend more

Kiai to shift further. While this interplay can be

fun, try to keep it simple; try to aim at something

close to the initial Emotion Matrix result, rather

than wandering all over the matrix on every single

Emotion Matrix roll.

In the end, the player has the final say in which

result they want for their character. If they would

EMOTION MATRIX

1 2 3 4 5 6

Unsettled

Mind

Aquiaintance Desire Pursuer Nostalgia Annihilation

Loyalty They Hate You Like Your Child Dark Dreams Admiration Hmmm...

Hatred I Am Salvation A Warning! Deep

Impression

Rival Companionship

Purity/

Innocence

Killing Intent Love at First

Sight

Fear Like a

Brother/

Sister

Unstable

Emotions

Soulmate Master Shock Goodwill Chains of

Fate

Strange Interest

Deja Vu

Chaos

Worthy Rival Thirst for

Your Blood

Blood

Relative

A Dark Flame

rather spend Kiai to pick a matrix result which they

prefer and ignore the GM’s Aiki chit offer, that is fi

ne. The GM shouldn’t force the player to take a

result that they are not interested in role-playing.

Once the player decides on a result, they begin

treating the other NPC (or PC) in a manner in

which the Emotion Matrix describes. Quickly, or

over time, the reaction can change, but the result of

the Emotion Matrix dictates their character’s first

initial impression of other major characters in the

game.

d66

When rolling on the Emotion Matrix, you should

pick two dice of different colors. Announce which

color (usually the darker) will represent the “tens

place”, and which color die (usually the lighter) will

represent the “ones place”. Roll both at once and

look up the results.

Scene Judge and Audience

If you are playing with the optional scene judge

rules, a scene judge can also offer Aiki chits from his

pool of three chits to encourage the player to move

along the Emotion Matrix. If you are using the basic

audience rules, the other players at the table can

encourage the player making the Emotion Matrix

roll by offering their own Aiki chits.

11 5

ZERO ACT AND THE EMOTION MATRIX

THE EMOTION MATRIX IS NOT A

STRAIGHTJACKET

For experienced players of other role-playing

games, the concept of Tenra Bansho Zero’s

Emotion Matrix is very unusual. “But

I control what my character thinks and

feels!” is a common reaction. However, just

remember that the Emotion Matrix simply

dictates that “initial spark” that happens

when two major characters meet. It does

not mean that for the rest of the game the

character will not be able to change their

relationship with the other character. In fact,

many times the nature of the relationship

(especially between PCs) changes quickly. Do

not think that Emotion Matrix results are

permanent. They change all the time.

Many character relationships in popular

media begin with mistrust or unease, but

soon (potentially through undergoing

trials together) lead to friendship and

camaraderie. This is the spark that the

Emotion Matrix provides.

Emotion Matrix Roll Timing

Sometimes it is important to establish how the

PC feels about a major NPC as they are about to

interact in a scene. In those situations, the player

should roll as soon as they meet the NPC in-scene.

However, this might disrupt the flow of the game.

If the GM wishes, he may simply tell the player at

the beginning of the scene that they will soon meet

a major NPC (“You are about to meet your domain’s

Regent.”) and make the player roll on the Emotion

Matrix before the scene begins, so that when the

meeting occurs they can role-play the scene without

the interruption of the dice. Other times, it might

make sense to role-play the scene first, and then roll

the dice when the scene ends (as long as the NPC

will appear in the game again) to determine how the

player character really feels about the NPC they just

met, and how they will approach the NPC the next

time they meet.

As noted earlier, not every NPC requires an

Emotion Matrix roll. Most of the time, the first few

scenes of the Zero Act and maybe the fi rst act will

have Emotion Matrix rolls between the PCs and

maybe one to three NPCs, after which they tend to

stablize unless a major NPC is introduced later in

the game.

Also, making too many Emotion Matrix rolls in

scenes can really disrupt the flow of the game. If

there is one new major NPC introduced to several

PCs at once, consider only make Emotion Matrix

rolls for one or two of the PCs only (perhaps the

PCs who would naturally have a stronger story tie to

that character).

The Emotional Matrix and NPCs

When meeting major NPCs for the first time in

the game (nobles, mentors, family members and the

like), it is a good idea to have the player roll against

the NPC on the Emotion Matrix. This gives some

inspiration for the relationship between those two

characters. It also offers an opportunity to be steered

by the GM into an interesting relationship with that

major character, allowing the players to build up

a few extra Aiki chits.

Only the very few major NPCs—the ones which

the scenario focuses on—should be rolled against

in this manner. You shouldn’t roll on the Emotion

Matrix for “bit part” merchants, courtesans and

the like. Many times a character won’t make an

Emotion Matrix roll against an NPC at all during a

scenario. Other times, in scenarios where there is a

lot of room for social interaction with major NPCs,

a character might roll against one or two NPCs over

the course of a scenario.

The Emotion Matrix and PCs

Emotion matrix rolls amongst PCs are far more

common. This creates a lot of inter-character drama

that develops and changes over the course of the

story.

A popular option in Tenra Bansho games is to

have the players all make their Emotion Matrix

rolls against each other after the Zero Act, in the

11 6

ZERO ACT AND THE EMOTION MATRIX

EMOTION ROLL MATRIX VS NPC

GM: Before you stands a young vassal warrior.

He looks at you with anger-filled eyes as he

unloosens his katana. His words are cold. “I’ve

fi nally found you. I’ve waited so very long for

this moment”.

Player: Uh, who is this guy?

GM: Well, roll on the matrix and let’s find out.

Player: OK. The red die will be the tens, the

white will be the ones. 20 and 5, so 25 total.

GM: “Admiration?” Well, that might work if

you knew what drove his conviction. Let me

see… How about I give you two Aiki chits to

move up one and over one to “Pursuer”?

Player: Pursuer? That’s pretty straightforward.

OK, that works for me, I couldn’t think of

anything there I wanted more (takes the two

chits). “So, you’re the one who’s been following

me through town. Well, we’re here in this

abandoned section of town, just as you wanted.

What do you want from me, then?”

Player 2: Oh, that was pretty good. I give him

one Aiki chit.

GM: The youth lifts his sword over his head.

“Kudoh Gensai, I hereby claim my revenge for

what you did to my father. Die!”

Player: (looks to the GM) Um, that’s not me…?

GM: Yep, sure isn’t.

Player: “Hold your steel, boy. You have me

confused with someone else…”

GM: “Excuses won’t save you now, demon

samurai!” he screams. Fight time!

Player: Oooooh. I’ll make sure to just beat

him into unconsciousness and settle this

misunderstanding over drinks afterwards

intermission before the first act begins. This is great

for games where the characters are assumed to have

known each other directly or have heard of each

other before the game begins. If characters are

actually meeting for the first time in the fi rst act

(or in the Zero Act, an uncommon but possible

occurance between a pair of characters), feel free to

roll then instead.

This method helps both get past the initial Emotion

Matrix rolls quickly to jump into the game, as well

as provides an opportunity for the players to write

new Fates regarding their relationships with the

other PCs before the first act begins.

In a game with 2-3 players and one GM, it is best

to have each character roll against every other

character. In games with 4 or more players, it

might be better to move the game along quickly

by suggesting that the players pick just one other

character to roll against. When two players are

rolling against each other, they should talk it

through so that they both get complementary or

interesting results.

Another easy solution is to have each character roll

against the characters sitting directly to their left

and right. Or perhaps the GM can assign pairs or

sets of people to roll against: In a scenario, a GM

might be planning for three PCs to be traveling

companions, and one PC to be an outsider who

joins them at the beginning of the scenario. In that

case, the GM might have the three PCs in the group

roll against each other on the Emotion Matrix, and

then everyone roll against the outsider (and vice

versa) when they fi rst meet. There are a lot of ways

to use the Emotion Matrix in a game, depending on

the scenario. Feel free to experiment!

When another player is rolling against your own

character, you can spend your own Aiki coins to

change their results with their permission, just as

they can spend Kiai to change their own results. If

two other players are rolling against each other’s

characters and you are not involved, you can still

offer your own Aiki chits and make suggestions to

the players involved.

11 7

ZERO ACT AND THE EMOTION MATRIX

EMOTION MATRIX ROLL VS NPC 2

GM: Suddenly your attention is drawn back

towards the town’s main path. A young girl

wearing the robes of a miko shrine maiden is

running towards you. “Help me, please help!”

Player: I look at her. Do I sense a trap?

GM: Go ahead and roll on the Emotion

Matrix.

Player: OK. The red die is the tens place. 40

and 3, so 43.

GM: “Love at fi rst sight”. Well, that works for

me.

Player: Hmmm. Interesting! … Hmmm.

Actually, I think that my character wouldn’t

be one to fall in love so easily. How about I

spend one Kiai to shift up one space to “33:

A Warning!”. All I see is a loyal dog of that

bastard Priesthood running towards me, so I’m

on the edge for an attack of some kind.

GM: Hmmm. That’s probably not going to

work too well here, because she’s being attacked

by something worse than some Priesthood spy.

Do you think a favorable matrix result would

work? I’ll give you three Aiki chits to move

down two and over one from that result for a

result of “54: Goodwill”?

Player: I’d rather stick with my choice of

“A Warning”, since my character hates the

Priesthood. I’ll still come to her aid, because

I do help people in need, but I’m not gonna

trust her.

GM: OK, that works for me. Just don’t stab

her or anything. And be prepared for your

relationship to change with her later.

Player: OK! (spends one Kiai)

Emotion Matrix and Fates

The Emotion Matrix is a great way to determine

new character Fates. The matrix is simply a chart

that can be used for determining what your

character initially thinks about another character

when they first meet. It can be used before the first

act begins to prime all the player characters’

relationships with each other, or it can be used in

the game when one PC interacts with another PC

for the first time.

For the character’s first relationship-based Fate, the

player can simply write the result of the Emotion

Matrix as a Fate, or perhaps reword it to be a little

more fi tting. An Emotion Matrix result of “Blood

Relative” could result in Fates like “Emotion: I

love X as if he were my brother” or “Goal: Protect

my brother X at all costs”. Additional Fates (for

example, Fates purchased during the intermission

phase by spending Aiki chits) can be created in this

way as well.

One suggestion is to write down the results of all

your Emotion Matrix rolls somewhere on your

character sheet, perhaps in the notes section of the

sheet, or in the margins. Later, once you decide to

take a Fate towards that character, you can use those

notes to help guide your decision. Remember, not

every Emotion Matrix roll has to result in a new

Fate: Many do not.

The Emotion Matrix and the Power of the Dice

Why use the Emotion Matrix at all? It would seem

easier to just let the players choose an emotion they

prefer for their characters from the matrix rather

than rolling.

While that is true, the Emotion Matrix injects a

spark of chaos that can charge a game, or take the

players in new unexpected directions. This small

spark of chaos is a key feature of this game!

Rolling on the chart opens up new possibilities for

thinking about your character, even more so than

simply picking from the chart (as you’d be choosing

something that you would expect for your character,

something “normal ”). Being able to choose “love

11 8

ZERO ACT AND THE EMOTION MATRIX

EMOTION MATRIX ROLL BETWEEN

PCS

Player 1: So this is the first meeting between

my samurai and your armour-rider.

Player 2: Go ahead and roll first.

PL 1: This blue die is the tens place. 60 and 4,

so 64: “Th irst for Your Blood”… is this armour

rider out to get killed, perhaps?

PL 2: No killing, I promise! How about I spend

one of my own Kiai to move you over to 65:

“Blood Relative”? Heck I’ll even call you “big

brother”!

PL 1: How about you don’t call me “big

brother”, and I spend one more of my own Kiai

to move over to 66: “Dark Flame”?

PL 2: Hmmm, looks like you want to start us

off as enemies one way or another. Sure, I’ll go

with that. Initial mistrust can lead to awesome

relationships.

at first sight” from the Emotion Matrix is a very

different experience from landing on the “love at

first sight” space based on a roll of the dice. When

you roll the dice and hit that first square, it provokes

a reaction in the player. “This is what the chart

says. Does this work for my character?” The player’s

mind will naturally try to make it work, to make

that result fit. This is the kind of spark which can

ignite a very interesting role-playing experience.

Or perhaps the player rolls the idea around in her

head for a few seconds: “Hmmmm, any way I look

at it, I simply can’t see that kind of relationship”, she

says, and proceeds to spend Kiai to move to another

nearby space on the Emotion Matrix. That’s okay.

The goal of the chart isn’t to force you to role-play

a random emotion. The goal of the chart is to put a

spark in the player’s mind generated from the chaos

of a roll of the dice. Whether the player sticks with

that option or chooses another (or is bribed by the

GM to choose another space), the player’s mind has

already begun exploring that possibility. Even if the

player chooses another result for their character, that

player has thought about their character in a new

way.

The Emotion Matrix can result in forcing emotions

that are impossible for the players to ignore, which

will in turn drive their role-playing. Th is will lead

to more Aiki chit rewards, but more importantly

it ultimately leads to a more interesting story. As

players, we are all well aware that the heroic players

will very likely overcome the evil lord by the end

of the scenario: But what’s really interesting is

what happens on the way to that destination. The

Emotion Matrix sets the characters in motion on

an emotional collision course. Used well, it can

help run an interesting and fun character-focused

scenario.

THE MOMENT OF TRUTH

There are a few times in one’s life where the next

few moments, the next choice, is the dividing line

between life and death, or between achieving your

life’s goals and failing to attain anything. Th is

moment is an optional rule called the “Moment

of Truth” in the game. When a player calls for a

Moment of Truth, time comes to a standstill, the

player amasses as many resources as possible, and

their character takes one final action that will

determine their Fate forever.

Only one player can call for a Moment of Truth

(also known as “MoT”) in a single game. If the

other players agree, then it happens. The other

players role-play how their characters support the

MoT character, either by physically helping them,

or by offering encouragement or moral support.

The other players then hand their own Aiki chits,

as many as they want (or simply all of them) to the

player who declared a MoT. Only Aiki chits can be

given, not Kiai points.

119

ZERO ACT AND THE EMOTION MATRIX

If you are playing with the optional Scene judge

rules, then the MoT player is given an extra number

of Aiki chits equal to the number of scenes in which

they were a scene judge. If you are playing by the

normal Audience rules, the player receives no extra

Aiki chits.

Time stops. The player will take this large mass of

Aiki chits and make one final Fate roll and convert

all of the successes gained into a pool of usable Kiai

points. Action resumes, and the player spends this

pool of Kiai as they see fit. Once the scene ends

(usually the last scene, or one of the last scenes,

in the game), all of the remaining Kiai that the

character has will disappear. Take note of this rule

exception. Normally a character can carry their

unspent Kiai from one scene to the next, but if the

player declares a Moment of Truth, all unspent

Kiai that player has at the end of the scene simply

vanishes. The spent Kiai will eventually become

Karma. The unspent Kiai will vanish without

becoming Karma.

Roleplaying the Moment of Truth

The player is role-playing out a critical moment.

The player finishes talking and declares a Moment

of Truth. That player role-plays out the actions he

wishes to take, and the other players role-play their

characters in assisting him. The other players

give him their Aiki chits, and the roll is made.

Sometimes this default method can cause a long

pause in play because of all of the Fate rolls made

(sometimes up to 20 or more rolls are made to

generate the MoT Kiai pile), and role-playing

momentum is lost. Sometimes the GM will have to

have the players repeat the last few lines of role-play

in order to pick up where they left off.

Another option for the Moment of Truth is for the

player to declare the MoT at some point in the scene

before the majority of the role-playing occurs. The

player senses that this next conflict is going to be

the final one of the game, and the results could go

either way. The player could simply declare a

Moment of Truth before the role-playing in the

scene actually occurs. Aiki chits are given, a

number of Fate rolls are made, a stockpile of Kiai

is amassed… and then the player role-plays their

encounter with the major NPC or “last boss”. This

method ensures that there’s no break in action

between the role-playing, die-rolling, and results.

The GM should decide which is more appropriate.

Converting Kiai Back to Aiki Chits

By the end of the game, many players will have

some Aiki chits in their hands. However, most

of their power will have already been converted

to Kiai, which is sitting there unspent on their

character sheets. This method lets players convert

their unspent Kiai back into Aiki chits, which

they can then give to the player who declared the

Moment of Truth.

During a MoT, a player can convert any amount of

their unspent Kiai back into Aiki chits at a rate of 3

Kiai points for 1 Aiki chit. These Aiki chits are then

given to the player who declared a MoT. The player

chooses how much of their character’s unspent

Kiai they wish to convert to Aiki chits and give to

the MoT player. Finally, this converted Kiai is not

“spent”, it is shared; Kiai converted back into Aiki

chits for the Moment of Truth does not become

Karma.

Moments of Truth

Many games will put the PCs head to head against

a nearly unbeatable foe. The Moment of Truth

mechanic allows one character to focus the group’s

energy into a carefully made final attack (or series of

attacks), at great risk to that character. It is an

exciting conclusion to an action-packed session.

However, not all games require a Moment of Truth.

It’s up to the players if they want to use the MoT

mechanic. Some foes can be beaten by a team of

players who carefully manage their Kiai pools or

combat options and skills without declaring a MoT.

A Moment of Truth is dangerous. It may be possible

for a single character to amass a huge pool of power

in the form of Kiai, and still not have enough to

defeat an opponent. Or, more often, they have more

than enough raw power to defeat an opponent, but

in the process of spending all of that Kiai they will

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ZERO ACT AND THE EMOTION MATRIX

raise their Karma far beyond their limits. They will

win that battle against the major NPC enemy, but

in turn they will permanently lose their character as

it becomes an Asura. This is something to be careful

of when declaring a Moment of Truth.

121

SCENARIO

CREATION

Scenarios are the foundation of the Tenra Bansho

Zero game, and require the most thought for

the game to succeed. Each scenario represents

the adventure in which the characters engage. A

scenario might begin with nothing more than a few

loose notes, or it could be an extensive scene-by-

scene breakdown of every planned event, complete

with elaborate descriptions and prepared segments

of NPC dialogue.

Between one session and the next, the game master

creates the scenario. Creating a scenario might seem

like a daunting task, but in the end there’s only a

few things needed to create a good “Tenra Bansho-

esque” adventure:

1) A problem

2) Dramatic situations

3) Fast pacing

Let’s look at the above elements in detail, then talk

about some tips and tricks you can use to run an

exciting scenario.

PRESENTING A

PROBLEM: DESTINES

AND THE ZERO ACT

Each player, or the group as a whole, has a problem

that they must resolve. Instead of “problem”, one

could call it a “situation that needs to be addressed”.

In the first act, the Zero Act, the GM hands each

player a special Fate called a Destiny. That Destiny

is, in essence, the problem that the player character

is presented with. It represents a situation that

must be addressed or resolved, or a problem to be

overcome. Destinies are things that PCs have to

think about, wrestle with, and eventually put to

rest.

Of course, there is no one correct solution to the

situation the Destiny addresses. Each player will

look at a problem in a different way and try to

resolve it in their own way through various means.

It’s important for the GM to remember that the

Destiny is a question that the PC must answer, a

question that has no single solution. “Goal: Defeat

the Enemy” could mean so much more than just a

combat beatdown.

In the Zero Act, the GM gives the players their

Destinies. Each scene in the Zero Act focuses on

that player’s purpose in the adventure, and often

clearly shows off the problem or situation which

needs to be addressed. It also tells us a little about

what that character is like, who they are, how they

act, and what might be in store for them.

This is why the Zero Act is so important; it creates

the image of the game to come in the mind of each

player, and demonstrates each player character’s

place within the game. If the GM does a good job

of crafting the scenes of the Zero Act, the players

will know what to do through the rest of the game.

CHOOSING THE DESTINIES

Destinies are the elements that set each character

into their role in the game. It’s a purpose or problem

that the player has to effectively role-play in order

to move the scenario forward. As mentioned above,

there is no one correct answer for each Destiny.

However, at first the Destiny should refl ect or hint

at an ideal goal to the situation (“Goal: Destroy the

Falling Leaves Clan”, “Hatred: Magobei the Snake”,

“Goal: Come to terms with your new powers”, etc).

Without that suggestion, it won’t give the players a

good starting direction for role-playing. Over the

course of the game, the Destiny might change.

The goal will shift slightly or a lot; hatreds might

turn to friendships, and vice-versa. However, it is a

good idea to imagine the player characters as toys:

wind them up and point them in a direction. Over

the course of the game, as scenes are role-played, the

direction of each individual character may start to

change but they need some sort of direction at first

in order to get into the game as quickly as possible.

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Make the Destinies usable by the players. A good

Destiny will feature PCs or NPCs which appear

often in the game or a goal which will have

implications in many of the scenes. A bad Destiny

will feature NPCs that don’t appear that often in

the game or goals which the PCs really can’t do

anything about. Whatever is written on the Destiny

that the GM gives to the player, make sure it is

something that can come up in the adventure often.

Don’t turn a Destiny into a straightjacket, though.

The Destiny should guide the player’s role-playing.

Like Fates, Destinies can change over the course of

the game. The Destiny shouldn’t be something used

against the player or to force them to role-play

in one defined way from the start of the game to

the end. However, this isn’t so much a concern in

writing the Destiny. Simply make sure that the

players understand that while they should step up to

address the situation the Destiny presents, it should

not be used to artifi cially force the player to make

role-playing decisions they don’t like.

Let’s look at a sample Destiny: Say that there will

be an NPC princess who will journey with the

players for most of the adventure, and one of the

PCs will act like her knight or bodyguard. What

would be a good way to turn that relationship into

a starting Destiny? Th e GM wants to write the

Destiny up in a way so that it clear to the player

that the PC should want to protect the princess (in

the beginning of the game, at any rate). However,

something like “Romance: You are in love with

the princess” is probably a little weak. It will most

likely lock the player into one single kind of role-

play towards that character and make it very hard

to change the nature of the relationship between the

two. It also leaves no room for player interpretation;

it’s a straightjacket of role-play that the player can’t

get out of.

Let’s make the situation more interesting. How

about if the princess reminds the PC of his or her

younger (or older) sister, a sister who died years

ago? A Destiny of “Misfortune: Loss of your sister”

would sound good at first. However, this too is a

little difficult. There’s nothing actually pointing

this at that princess character. It also means that the

player will have to role-play their PC in some kind

of relationship (once the emotional baggage is dealt

with) that will be a familial relationship; it would be

hard to turn this into a romance or a hatred. While

not as much of a straightjacket as the first example,

this Destiny represents a lot of excess stuff that has

nothing to do with the princess.

In this situation, something like “Emotion: Deep

feelings towards the princess” might work well. The

feelings are undefined, so they are left up to the

player to define where the feelings come from. This

gives the player a direction and the ability to openly

interpret what the emotions are and how they will

change over time. This is a good emotionally-ripe

Destiny. Of course, something simple like “Goal:

Protect the princess” or “Goal: Return the princess

to her kingdom” are also solid beginning Destinies

because they push the characters together and also

give the player leeway on how they will role-play

in relation to that character. However, you can

probably guess that “Feelings towards the princess”

will most likely lead to a game that focuses on the

emotions between those players rather than the

character’s simple mission.

Just one last thing to note when assigning Destinies

to players: You want to give Destinies which will

allow the players the chance to role-play their

characters in new ways. But make sure to get a

sense of what your players want. If you know from

experience that one of your players hates role-

playing romance, then give the Destinies (and roles)

with romantic possibilities to other players.

DESTINIES AND ARCHETYPES

Each sample character has some ready-made Fates.

All of the archetypes include one sample Fate as

well. Make sure you look over the characters before

assigning Destinies to the PCs. This will make

sure that you don’t accidentally give a PC a Destiny

which totally conflicts with the Fates they already

have. For the samurai who wants to know “What

is true strength? ” (based on their pre-written Fate),

or a kongohki who has sealed memories (another

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archetype-determined Fate), a Destiny which

focuses on defeating the bad guy may be better than

one that focuses on emotional elements. However,

some players might be up for that additional

challenge!

RECOMMENDED ARCHETYPES AND

DESTINES

As a GM, you may want to make a list of

recommended archetypes for the game, then pair

the Destinies up with them. If you plan out a

scenario for two ninja characters, a samurai, and an

armour-rider (rather than having a free-for-all where

the players choose any character type they want),

it might be good to pair up each Destiny with an

archetype that is compatible. For example, if there is

an enemy to be defeated in a combat-heavy scenario,

it might make more sense to tie “Goal: Defeat

the Evil Overlord ” to an archetype that excels in

fighting like a samurai or armour-rider. This is just

a recommendation for getting things offthe ground

quickly: Ultimate authority in which PC gets which

Destiny is left to the GM.

BEING CAREFUL WITH SCENARIOS AND

DESTINIES

Most Tenra Bansho Zero stories have elements

of tragedy in them. While the endings may be

“happy”, more often than not—just like the kabuki

theater they are based upon—the events or the

character backgrounds often have tragic elements

behind them.

While it is important to remember that, it’s also

important to remember that TBZ is a game, and

games are supposed to be fun. To that end, be very

careful of the comfort level of your players. Don’t

force Destinies or plot lines upon them that are only

there to push their buttons or evoke bad feelings

in the players. Your role as a GM is to set up the

foundation of an interesting story and let the players

play it out. Your role is not to push them into an

uncomfortable place just to create something artsy.

If a player becomes uncomfortable or isn’t happy

with one of the tragic elements (or even the

direction of the story), she should immediately feel

obliged to tell the GM right then and there. Th

at way, the GM can help “re-play” the scene, or

“do-over” the last few lines of dialogue in order to

lighten or change the tone.

Again, because the original authors of the game

say it as clear as the summer sky: Tenra Bansho is

a game, a form of entertainment between you and

your friends. It should never be used to hurt the

players of the game.

DRAMATIC SITUATIONS

Hopefully by now, you understand that setting up

Destinies is an important part of creating a scenario.

The Destiny is the direct link which ties the

character into the game during the Zero Act. When

used well, they’ll help kick-start the players into

role-playing and bring the characters alive.

Example

Let’s look at the Destiny mentioned above, “Emotion:

Deep feelings towards the princess”, and a quick Zero

Act introduction.

GM: It was a hot day then, long ago. That day,

your sister’s last quick, oh-so-quick breath escaped

her lips in your arms. Th e same sister who followed

you everywhere you went: “Kennosuke! Brother

Kennosuke!” She would always be the fi rst to greet

you when you returned home: “Hey Kennosuke! Guess

what I did today! Guess!” That energetic spirit is

gone forever.(to the player of Kennosuke’s character)

“Kennosuke! Kennosuke, are you listening to me?”

The GM gives the player of Kennosuke a few seconds

to respond. If he responds at all, the GM gives him an

Aiki chit for quick-thinking and jumping in.

GM (continues): “Geez, why is your head always in

the clouds? Whenever I, Chisa, address you, you never

respond in kind,” Princess Chisa pouts, while honoring

you with polite speech.

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The GM gives another opportunity for the player to

jump in, perhaps rewarding him with an Aiki chit

for quick-thinking and role-play. By this time, the

player should be engaged. If the player is stymied or

doesn’t seem to reply quickly, don’t stop and don’t point

attention to it. Simply move along in the conversation.

Even if it’s one-sided at the beginning, give a few

pauses to let the player jump in. The player will jump

in soon enough.

GM: “Anyway, guess what I did today, brother

Kennosuke! Guess!”

At this point, it’s probably a good time to call for

an Emotion Matrix roll to see what Kennosuke

thinks about Princess Chisa. The GM in this case

should try to steer the results towards a favorable

relationship (offering Aiki chits as per the Emotion

Matrix rules, as needed), and steering away from

neutral or unfavorable/hateful relationships. The GM

then reveals that this is Princess Chisa, entrusted to

Kennosuke’s care as bodyguard, and since she was

young she’s thought of him as almost a real older

brother, even addressing him as “brother” in private.

GM: “I visited my father! He was inspecting the latest

yoroi armour our family received for service to the

regent. He said, ‘Chisa, it looks like the lines of battle

are shifting and war is upon us again.’ Can you believe

it? Now I’m of age to ride an armour myself, so I bet

he’s going to take me along on his next war campaign!

Isn’t that great? I bet I’ll even get to fight alongside

you! You better watch out. I just might overcome more

enemies than you!”

GM (continues): With that, Chisa holds her hand to

her mouth and smiles at you. For a brief moment,

it reminds you of someone’s smile, a smile from long

ago…

The GM hands Kennosuke’s player the Destiny,

“Emotion: Deep feelings towards the princess”. The

scene wraps up quickly after that.While most Zero Act

scenes will have more back-and-forth dialogue with

the player and role-play, the above is basically an

abbreviated and boiled-down view into what a fast

Zero Act scene looks like. The GM had two things that

she wanted to make clear in this scene, and was able to

hit on both of them:

• That Princess Chisa looks or feels like your younger

(deceased) sister.

• That there is a war happening now.

The interesting point is that the GM was able to

convey both of these points clearly without actually

coming right out and directly saying either one.

CREATING A STRONG

SCENARIO

There are two elements to track when creating a

good scenario for Tenra Bansho Zero: Overall story

and character story.

Even if the players pick pre-generated characters and

do not create their characters from scratch, they’ll

quickly start to identify with them. They’ll think

about the Fates and the character issues that the PC

will have to face.

Before the game begins, you’ll create the overall

story (either completely, or in an simple outline

format) of the struggle that the PCs have to

overcome together.

The important thing is to tie these two together.

Having a strong , exciting background where

the PCs just drift through it like ghosts without

addressing or resolving their personal issues may

leave the players bored: They have an interesting

character in their hands, but they’re suppressing it

in order to jump through the hoops of the scenario.

Likewise, focusing totally on character issues at the

expense of coming up with an overall threat or story

to throw at the players will turn the game into a

slow-paced “soap opera” style game that lingers on

without resolving. Neither of these extreme outcome

is very interesting.

Make sure to balance both; keep the character issues

in mind as you run the game, and have concerns

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related to the PC Fates appear regularly. Don’t

simply treat the player characters as puppets used

to tell your pre-written story. That will bore the

players, as it will be transparent to them that their

actions and choices don’t matter. Balancing both

the overall story and the characters’ stories is the

foundation of a strong Tenra Bansho Zero scenario.

USING TIME

To create an interesting TBZ scenario, the GM

should really use the elements of situation and time

in changing from one act to the next act.

For example, in a scenario that follows a war

between two domains, the character’s domain could

win a great battle against the enemy domain in

the first act, be completely destroyed in the second

act, and in the third act, the characters could join

forces with a neighboring domain to fight once

again against the enemy domain. Each act might be

separated by several months of time in the process.

This could create an exciting story with a real sense

of a large scale.

Another example might be to have two or more

years pass between the first and second acts, and

three years between the second and third acts.

Focusing on change of the situation (one minute

your country is victorious, the next you are running

for your lives as refugees) between acts will really

keep the story interesting. In the end, that’s all that

matters: Getting a positive reaction from the players,

and together telling an interesting drama or epic.

Climax and Finale

A climax is a dramatic end to each act, while a

finale is the final climax of the game.

Every act should end in a climax. This is usually

a fierce combat, but it could also be a powerful

dramatic moment as well (the PCs convincing a lord

to change his ways; a duel through combat, magic

or skill; grand social conflicts resolved through role-

play). It’s also a good idea to keep the finale of the

scenario within its own act. That way, the GM has

plenty of leeway to change the time and situation to

make it that much more dramatic. That pre-climax

act intermission is always welcome, too, in order

to ensure that the characters pool enough Kiai to

(hopefully) overcome any final challenge.

CHARACTER DEATH

Character death happens in TBZ, and it is entirely

up to the player to manage when their character

dies. If a character dies in the finale or a climax,

there is no problem at all; it should be easy for the

GM to keep that death dramatic and appropriate

for the game. However, if a character dies during

any other scene, that’s a problem. If a player starts

to check the Dead Box, or leaves it checked and

jumps into a potentially fatal challenge outside of a

climax or finale, it’s a good idea for the GM to just

straight-up warn that player, “We’re not currently

in a climax or finale, so you might want to wait on

that until the next climax.”

Once a character dies, the next step is up to the

GM. If it’s the fi nale, there’s no problem at all,

since the story is at a close anyway. If it happens

during a climax (usually near the end of the game),

the GM can keep the player involved through the

rest of the game by:

• Making that player a permanent Scene Judge

(handing out Aiki chits to the other players)

• Handing that player a new character at the

beginning of the next act, a secondary character

who appeared earlier in the game.

• Having the player quickly create a new character

during the next Intermission, perhaps keeping

the same Destiny as the previous character, or a

variation of that Destiny.

• Handing the player the role of a villain, and

letting the player role-play the villain (as a character,

as well as controlling them in combat).

• Having the player play several major NPC roles for

the rest of the game, as a kind of “assistant GM.”

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BENDING THE TENRA

SETTING

This book is filled with information on the world

of Tenra, from oni customs to onmyoji summoning

constraints. As you go through the book, you will

likely find some inspiration here and there, elements

that you will want to pull into your scenario. Go for

it.

In the process, you may have some ideas that

directly contradict the setting material. Samurai

that can give birth, zombies, onmyoji that can

summon spirits in areas with no residual Sha energy,

time travel, a warrior coming back to life because of

her intense hatred, and so on. Go ahead and bend or

break the setting to create your own Tenra setting.

Perhaps these “impossibilities” were that way

because no one ever succeeded. In your own game,

legends can be born from doing the impossible.

When bending or changing the setting, just make

sure to do it in subtle ways that the players can

accept. Don’t feel constrained to never break any

“setting rule”, and likewise don’t break every rule

as the players won’t know what is happening to the

Tenra setting they’re familiar with. Sprinkle some

impossibilities into your game from time to time to

keep things interesting.

CHOICES AND CONTRADICTIONS

A game isn’t written in stone. As a GM, one thing

that you have to try to remember when planning or

running a scenario is that there should be no single

correct answers to any encounter in the game.

Say, for example, you introduce a princess to the

characters at some point. You can pretty reliably

assume that the players will try to help her, perhaps

by having her travel with them. However, the

players might move in another direction that you

don’t expect (Not that they’re being jerks, but

just that, for the game and their characters, other

options seem more realistic). Maybe they decide

to help the princess by asking relatives to let her

stay with them incognito. Or maybe they’re all

mercenaries, so they give the princess a few gold

coins to help her out and continue onwards, not

realizing that she was an integral part of events to

unfold. As a GM, you will have to be prepared for

the players to go in unexpected directions.

Beyond that, you will actually want to try to set

up contradictory choices, complications for the

players to deal with, making sure that they know

there is no correct answer, and that the scenario will

continue along its own unique path no matter what

the players end up deciding to do.

These kinds of contradictory choices and dilemmas

really help make a scenario interesting, exciting,

and complicated, even without throwing in combats

and cyborg ninjas. Choices that pit emotion against

reason make for very Tenra-like games.

Say, for example, the PCs are fighting on the front

lines of a war in their own domain. The superior

enemy troops are advancing, and they have two

options: Meeting the enemy in the fields outside

of the city will save the inhabitants of the city who

have not yet fled, but the PCs armies will be at

such a disadvantage that they may be annihilated,

and the PCs themselves will likely die. Steering the

enemy to come fight them in the city means that

the PCs will have the home advantage, and the

battle will be on a much more even ground, but

the city will likely be utterly destroyed, and

certainly any innocents left in the city will be cut

down in the battle as collateral damage.

Which option will the players decide? Neither

option is “correct.” The GM will need to be

prepared with the players choosing either option,

or come up with their own alternative. The GM

could paint a vivid picture of the possibly good and

undoubtedly bad effects of choosing one path or the

other. This may help the players choose the option

that is right for them, or it might stymie them

further as they try to choose between the lesser of

two evils.

A third option is for the players to do nothing, wait

it out, and leave it to fate. (Perhaps they cannot

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decide which is better.) That, too, is a valid option.

Let the next scenes play out from that point on, the

GM deciding what happens due to the players not

making a solid decision. In many cases, the outcome

will be worse, but the PCs may be able to engage

again if the situation changes.

Making the choice between two difficult options,

and then role-playing the characters living with the

results, is a strong element in Tenra Bansho Zero

scenarios. Try to include at least one or two good

hard choices in your game.

For Example:

Player: “The attacks, the spies, all of those

freakish monstrosities… This is it. This castle

holds the answers to all of those riddles,” I say

as I point at the dark castle on the rock. I sling

my katana over my shoulder and start walking

towards it.

Another Player: Hah, excellent. Have an Aiki

chit (tosses the chit to the player)

GM: Okay, this brings this scene to a close. Next

scene, we’ll start with you. You’ve infiltrated the

castle, and have reached the tatami-lined throne

room of the lord of the castle…

Player: Woah, wait a minute there, I figured

that we could first maybe get some more details

about the castle before…

GM: (ignoring) Above you, the lord of the castle

begins to speak…

You can see in this example that care is needed

when jumping ahead in time and focus using

scenes. Careful jumps can keep the game focused

on interesting scenes and great role-playing

moments. But jump too far or change the pace

too quickly, and the game will quickly become

disjointed, random, and start to fly apart.

SCENES

Tenra is a game of acts, each act containing a series

of events. Th ose events are played out in scenes.

Scenes tell us what sorts of actions the characters

will take, and what kinds of things will happen

in response to those actions. The GM’s job when

setting up and looking at scenes is to determine

what would make for a good following scene. It

takes some strategy and thought to keep the action

strong and exciting, advancing the game to the

interesting parts, without jumping too far ahead.

For example, the characters decide that they must

enter into enemy territory, sneak into the enemy

army camp and find information on their next

plans. In many games, the next scene would involve

the PCs discussing a strategy to infiltrate the enemy

camp, doing some investigation to determine the

best way to sneak in. A Tenra Bansho Zero-esque

scene would be simply bypassing all that and

starting with the players already in the middle of

sneaking through the enemy camp.

This is a great way to get right to the important

actions. Just make sure you consider well the best

next scene, and not jumping too far ahead of the

players’ expectations.

NPCS

Non player characters, or NPCs, are game elements

which exist to provide opposition or support to the

player characters, or role-play opportunities for the

player. Remember this when creating NPCs.

NPC ROLES

When you look into non-player characters that

appear in the game, there are very few overall roles

they play in the story. Most fall into one of four

categories: Sponsor, Innocent, Exposition and

Enemy.

Sponsor

These are powerful NPCs of rank, ability, or

meaning. They are the life of the game, the

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characters that the PCs are loyal to and serve

unquestioningly. They give orders to the PCs

(expressed as suggestions, requests, demands, or

even flat-out orders), and often help start off or

guide a scenario.

When creating a major sponsor-style NPC, be it a

noble lord or a sweet mother, it’s important to guide

the Emotion Matrix rolls with these NPCs towards

favorable results. Over time, the PC may become

disloyal or view a sponsor as an enemy, but if they

don’t start offwith a favorable reaction (or at least a

reaction that would make the PC willing to follow

a request), then that will often mean that the game

can’t start. Take care on Emotion Matrix rolls.

Innocent

These characters are the ones the PCs want to

protect. Be careful when choosing emotions from

the Emotion Matrix when it comes to Innocents.

Start off wrong, and it may be hard for the player

to care about or protect an NPC you brought in to

play an innocent role.

Exposition

These are the background characters who exist

to provide information to the PCs or simply add

flavor to the scenes. Most of the time they are

not important enough to the scenario to use the

Emotion Matrix with them. However, if you create

what you feel to be an important exposition-based

NPC important to the scenario, then feel free to use

the matrix more freely with these exposition-based

NPCs.

Enemy

These are the people who want to stop the PCs

from accomplishing their goals, through force or

subterfuge.

When bringing in major NPCs, try to think about

what motivates them. That will help you determine

what their next actions would be, how they speak,

and how they would react to player characters.

Don’t forget to role-play them with passion,

adopting different types of speech or mannerisms

to really give the players a striking image of the

character.

NPC ACTIONS

When an NPC performs an unopposed action

which a PC would normally roll against a set diffi

culty, the GM can simply determine success or

failure based on the events in the scene. There is no

need for the GM to roll dice for simple NPC skill

and ability checks that are not against other player

characters. When one NPC takes an action upon

another NPC, the GM should also determine the

results without rolling dice. However, when other

PCs become involved and confl ict with the NPCs,

follow the rules normally. Make skill or ability rolls

as you would for a player character.

A GM can have NPCs suddenly enter or leave the

scene without spending Kiai points to do so, as they

don’t follow the same rules for entering scenes as the

PCs. This does not count for enemy NPCs in boss

fights: The GM should not have the NPC suddenly

disappear or fly away unharmed in the middle of

the final combat of the session.

NPC STATS AND ABILITIES

When determining non-player character abilities,

skills and attributes (of ten referred to as “statting

out NPCs”, as you are assigning their statistics),

decide them freely. There is no need to create them

as if they were player characters, using archetypes,

assigning attributes from a set pool, and so on.

However, there are some guidelines for making

NPCs, either when crafting the scenario or on-the-

f ly.

Detailed NPCs

Detailed NPCs are the major non-player characters

you determine will play a major role in the game.

Certainly, boss-level enemies will be created

beforehand as detailed NPCs, but you might stat

out critical sponsor NPCs as well. There is certainly

no need to have every NPC encountered by the

players written up in such a detailed format.

• Decide Attributes and Rank. Write down

all seven attributes. Normal humans have

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an attribute range of 2-3. Exceptional people have

a range of 3-5. Heroes, paragons and others will

have higher attributes, including 10 or more. Major

enemies may have attributes ranked up to 20! Write

down the attributes and their rank.

• Decide Skills and Rank. Write down the skills the

NPC has, and a skill level you think is appropriate

for them: Unskilled/1, Skilled/2, Advanced/3,

Mastery/4, Special/5.

• Determine Special Abilities. Arts of War,

onmyojutsu shiki, oni powers, mechanica, etc.

Familiarize yourself with them, or copy down their

descriptions and mechanical effects in your scenario

notes.

• Choose equipment and weapons.

• Choose some Fates to use as character motivation

when role-playing them.

• Determine Vitality and Soul ratings normally.

• Detailed NPCs will not have wound gauges

(Light, Heavy, Critical). Instead, look at the NPC’s

Body stat, double that rating, and add that number

to the Vitality pool. This gives the NPC the

equivalent of wound boxes in power, but in a format

that doesn’t need to be tracked as closely.

• Add a Dead box. Most detailed NPCs have the

Dead box, which works in the same way for NPCs

as it does for PCs (allowing them to eliminate all

damage from one incoming attack and roll three

extra dice for all further rolls). This ensures that, if

there is a fight, that the boss can stand up to more

than one single lucky (or powerful) blow.

Modifying Enemy NPCs

After you have the framework of the detailed NPC,

you will want to make some adjustments for major

NPC enemies and boss characters in order to have

battles happen smoothly, particularly boss battles

against powerful villains. Without taking other

factors into consideration, you may have villains

that are knocked over quickly without a sweat, or

accidentally so powerful that the players cannot

make a dent in them even when spending tons of

Kiai. It’s best to set the enemy’s abilities rather than

changing them on the fly, unless you totally

underestimated or overestimated their effectiveness.

Here are some guidelines for adjusting major enemy

NPCs, final bosses and the like:

• If the enemy is not a final boss, but is sort of a

mid-boss character, or strong henchman who is in

the fight with the final boss, consider simply using

one of the PC sample characters. Raise its primary

combat skill by one rank and most of the attribute

scores by 2-3 points. This creates a quite balanced

enemy to use against two or three PCs.

• If the boss battle pits all of the PCs against one

single NPC villain, then multiply the number of

player characters by 5 and add that number to the

villain’s Vitality pool.

• If the boss battle pits all of the PCs against

two NPC villains, multiply the number of player

characters by 2 and add that number to each

villain’s Vitality pool.

• If one of the player characters has an Art of War,

add 10 points to the villain’s Vitality pool.

• If there is a PC with healing abilities (like

Buddhist monks, annelidists or ayakashi), either add

a second Dead box to the NPC (This just grants a

second chance to “erase all damage”; it won’t grant

them a doubled “+6” Dead Box bonus), or double

the NPC’s original unmodified Vitality pool.

• Most NPCs will not have skill in Evasion, simply

relying on other skills to parry attacks. Only very

agile enemies like ninja and samurai will have

Evasion as a skill. It is best to keep their skill at a

ranking of 2 or 3 for these fearsome opponents (if

they have the skill at all), perhaps 4 for master ninja.

Never give an NPC an Evasion skill rating of 5.

• If one of the PCs has an attack which can only be

defended against using the Evasion skill and can not

parried with a weapon (annelidist electrical blasts,

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monk spirit attacks, shiki fire attacks, etc), make

sure the enemy has an Evasion skill of at least 2.

Otherwise, it will be a very short battle.

• The final boss’s main combat skill should be as

high as the skill level of the PC most skilled at

combat (usually 4, on very rare occasions 5).

• The final boss’s main attribute used in combat

should be higher than the highest modified physical

attribute between all of the PCs, usually by 3

or more points. If the samurai PC can achieve

an Agility rating of 12 when in samurai mode

compared to its normal value of 9), and this is

the highest physical attribute in the group, then

consider statting the final boss’s primary combat

attribute at 15.

• Be careful with NPC combat skills rated 5:

Most PCs will have to burn at least 9- 12 points

of Kiai each strike to even slightly damage NPCs

with a combat skill ranked at 5 if they have a large

attribute pool used in combat. If you absolutely

want to have a combat rating of 5, then you will

likely want to lower the NPC’s attribute ratings a

few points for such a character, as almost all of their

dice will roll successes.

• Come to a balance between attribute level and

skill level as compared to the PCs. If the final boss

NPC has a skill ranking of 5 and a high combat

attribute as per the guidelines above, consider

lowering the combat attribute by a few points, or

raise the attribute a few points more but reduce the

combat skill down to 4.

Keep an eye on the player characters’ Kiai and Aiki

chit pool. If there are lots of unspent points and

chits, the above guidelines will likely work fi ne. If

for some reason the PCs have run low on Kiai and

have little left, going up against a final boss with

a combat skill of 4 or 5 and a high attribute pool

means that none of the players will be able to amass

the power to hit the enemy at all. Consider lowering

the boss’s combat attribute a few points if the player

characters’ total Kiai pool looks low.

You can try to telegraph the enemy’s power a

few scenes or acts in advance in order to help the

players make a choice between skipping character

improvement or saving up Kiai for the final battles.

You can also set goals throughout the scenario,

complications where if the PCs achieve various

difficult side-goals, the final boss becomes slightly

less powerful.

In the end, though, the goal is to create a detailed

enemy NPC who will provide a threat to the

characters in combat: A threat that is not so

unchallenging that the PCs will bowl it over in the

first round of combat, but not a threat that is so

powerful that there is no statistical way for the PCs

to ever win against it (except for every single

character sacrificing themsleves with the Aiuchi

technique), even when amassing Kiai and calling for

a Moment of Truth. It may take one or two sessions

to find that balance.

Simple NPCs

Simple NPCs will provide simple adversity for the

player characters. It is recommended that sponsor,

innocent, and information NPCs be made in this

fashion when you are making an NPC on the fly.

You won’t need to stat them out until a PC actually

tries to do something against them. Simple NPCs

only have attribute and skill levels, nothing else.

Instead of the normal seven attributes, simply use

three attributes: Physical (instead of Body, Agility

and Senses), Non-Physical (instead of Knowledge,

Spirit and Empathy), and Station. Normal humans

have an attribute range of 2-3. Exceptional people

have a range of 3-5. Heroes, paragons and others

will have higher attributes, including 10 or more.

Pick an attribute range for Physical, Non-physical

and Station attributes based on what you imagine

they would be: A legendary samurai in the service

of your lord might be 15-6-8 (Physical, Non-

physical, Station). A shrine maiden might be 3-7-9.

Feel free to boost the attribute a few points if you

want to give the PC a challenge, but make sure

that if the attribute is much higher than the PC’s

own attribute, that they get the sense that they are

outclassed.

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Next, only write down the skill which is being

contested with a PC. Base the skill level on the level

that you think the person might have, considering

that NPC’s background (Unskilled=1, Skilled=2,

Advanced Skill=3, Mastery=4). A shrine maiden

would have a Shinto rank of 2; a legendary warrior

would clearly have a 4 or possibly even a 5 in Melee

Weapons; a young ninja might have an Evasion skill

of 2.

If a simple NPC gets into a combat encounter with

a player character, you will likely want to quickly

take a minute to turn them into a detailed NPC.

You will definitely want to stat out major enemies

and antagonists as detailed NPCs rather than simple

ones. However, if a PC is determined to get in a

fight with a simple NPC, simply do the following:

• Double the Physical attribute: That is the number

of Vitality points the simple NPC has. Simple

NPCs do not have Light, Medium or Heavy Wound

Gauges.

• Equip the simple NPC with a weapon

• Take another look at the Physical attribute level

and make adjustments up or down.

“This samurai is a legend, so I would bet he’s skilled

with an Art of War. Instead of picking out which Art

and tracking the Art’s special abilities, I’ll instead

bump up his Physical attribute by 4 points to reflect his

skill with combat.”

Or “This shrine girl might be physically fit and have

good senses, but she’s not skilled with fighting. I’ll

lower her Physical attribute to 2 points.”

• Add a Dead box. If you are statting out a mass

of individual small-beans enemy types as a small

combat challenge (“zako”, in Japanese), you may

want to skip giving them a Dead box in order to

keep combat fast and exciting. If there are more

than 4 enemies on the battlefield, most of them

should not have a Dead box. Save the Dead box for

the major boss NPCs.

NPCS AND FATES

As a GM, you will likely want to assign Fates to

major NPCs, especially major NPCs who support

the PCs, and the main enemies (and certainly the

“ boss enemy” if there is one). You can put them at

whatever rank you see fit. NPC Fates are not rolled

and have no mechanical weight, but they provide

motivation to make their personalities and goals

more understandable and perhaps realistic.

ASURA

One final thing to consider when making Tenra

scenarios is the role of Asura in your game. Most

enemies will be villainous, evil, and corrupt;

however, they will still be human in body and

rotten soul. Few will be as obsessed and crazy as

true Asura. Asura enemies, including NPC Asura

and PCs who turn Asura, are extremely formidable

opponents to be used sparingly.

When PCs Become Asura

During an intermission, at the end of the No-Self

phase, if a PCs Karma score is still above 108,

that character becomes an Asura forever, an NPC

controlled by the GM.

By managing Fates and their Kiai/Karma balance

throughout the game, the player is never forced to

become an Asura. In fact, it’s better to say that the

only way for a PC to become an Asura is for the

player to make the conscious choice to become one.

It does not happen by accident.

Once a PC becomes an Asura, the GM and player

should discuss how and why it happens. At that

time (either in a special scene right there, or in a

scene to happen early in the next act), the GM will

set up an Asura scene for the player. The focus of

the scene will be the events or emotions that drive

the character to become an Asura. Role-play out the

mental transformation from a normal human into

an evil, twisted, and obsessed shell of a human. Th

is will be the last performance for that character

before it is turned over to the GM to play in further

scenes.

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Asura as Enemies

Asura can be introduced as extremely powerful foes.

They are enemies under the control of the GM who

can make use of Kiai in the same manner that PCs

can.Asura start out with three times their Spirit

score in Kiai, and cannot receive more. If you allow

a player to continue playing their character as an

Asura, then they will receive a number of Kiai equal

to the number of Aiki chits the player currently has,

times the Spirit attribute rating of the character.

THE CAMPAIGN GAME

A “campaign” in tabletop RPG-speak is a series

of adventures strung together one after another,

where the players use the same characters in each

adventure scenario until they die or move on

somehow. This is very much a standard way to play

most tabletop role-playing games. The PCs gain

experience and ability throughout their adventures,

and as the campaign of interlinking adventures

continues, the heroes complete larger and larger

goals.

Campaign play is not the default mode of play for

Tenra Bansho Zero. Normally, at the end of each

scenario, the game moves focus to another set of

characters, another location, and another story.

Sometimes, a few of the PCs from the previous

return to the next game, but usually not all of them

at once. While campaign play is not the default

mode of play for this game, by keeping a few things

in mind you can certainly enjoy TBZ as a campaign

game.

THE TENRA-STYLE LONG CAMPAIGN

One scenario of Tenra Bansho Zero, from

beginning to end, lasts about 4-8 hours of play.

Usually, this occurs over one single session of play,

but can stretch to 2-3 sessions depending on the

length of your game sessions. (Playing all day on a

weekend grants more time than a few hours on a

weekday evening, so adjustments have to be made

to accommodate session length). Within that period

of time, the characters come alive, their roles are

played out, and by the end of the session they have

usually changed in signifi cant ways. An entire

“campaign arc” of drama, action, and change

emerges over the course of a single session of play.

This element of character change is important to

remember if you decide to run TBZ as a campaign

game. More than other tabletop RPGs, the

character you begin the session with is often quite

different than the one remaining at the end of the

scenario. If you keep this in mind, plus the fact that

character change is inevitable in the game, you can

play TBZ as a series of linked scenarios using the

same (or mostly the same) characters.

When it comes to campaign play, there are some

kinds of settings which are ripe for this kind of

linked-scenario game.

Senki-Mono: The War Chronicle

Some wars are so great that they leave scars that

echo in history. The war chronicle campaign

details the events of a war through the eyes of key

characters in a chosen kingdom. This campaign is

similar to the kinds of campaigns we see in

computer or console RPGs, or tactical/simulation

RPGs. They are the focus of tales like the Chinese

Romance of the Three Kingdomsor strategic

tales of the ambition of the Japanese warlord Oda

Nobunaga.

Other tales focus on the people driven to rebel

against unscrupulous rulers, or perhaps the leaders

of a kingdom who have to quash a chaotic rebellion.

Classic tales like Houshin Engi(Fengshen Yanyiin

Chinese) or the Nanso Satomi Hakkenden aka

The Tale of the Eight Dogsare virtue-filled tales

of families and companions on both sides of a

revolution within a great dynasty.

To make these kinds of stories into campaigns,

remember to make them big. And while the scope

of the war is huge, the PCs will most likely be

completing small but valuable goals in the corners,

rather than taking center stage in the front lines of

battles against armies of 10,000 warriors.

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This kind of campaign takes a bit of planning.

The GM has to plan the successive events of the

following scenarios, all the while taking into

consideration the changes that are happening in

the world around them and bringing those changes

into setting material into the next scenario: How

will taking over a soulgem mine, or defeating a

legendary enemy samurai, or taking a capital city

change the events in the scenarios ahead? It’s a

bit more work than a single session game, but the

campaign can become that much more exciting and

epic because of the effort put into it.

When planning out a war chronicle style of game,

you should determine how many sessions of play the

game will last. In other words, break up this large

campaign into a set of interconnected scenarios.

Setting the number of sessions or scenarios (4 is a

good round number for this kind of campaign.) is

a good idea, because it gives the players an idea of

the scope of the campaign and allows them to plan

ahead. It’s easier for them to make decisions like

when their characters die or if they become Asura

if they have an idea of the length of the overall

campaign.

Destinies in the War Chronicle

When planning Destinies for characters of a war

chronicle, it’s probably best to aim for Destinies

that the character can carry from one scenario

to the next, goal-based Destinies which are both

exaggerated and grandiose:

Goal: Create an ideal kingdom

Goal: Bring peace to the land

Renzoku-mono: Serialized Stories

Another style of campaign that works great is

where a group of character companions stick to

one location and perform “missions”, or where the

companions travel from place to place. The Japanese

classic TV series Mito Komon, as well as the more

popular (outside Japan) TV/movie series Zatoichi

are great examples of a traveling tale. The TV series

Baian the Assassinis a serialized story about an

assassin acupuncturist and his close friend as they

take up jobs in old Edo and smite evil; even though

they don’t often leave Tokyo for travel, they find

trouble in all sorts of places with all sorts of new

people in their adventures and dustups within the

old capital.

In a serialized story, there’s no set number of

sessions. While there is usually a core stable of

player characters, some characters can change

from session to session. However, there is no solid

connection or progression of an overall plot like in

the war chronicle. Instead, the companions often do

the same kinds of missions or scenarios, just with

different NPCs and backgrounds.

This can be a strength, though. The serialized

campaign style is perfect for gaming clubs or social

gaming groups where you expect to have some

members not able to attend every session. Some of

the player characters will form a stable, and if the

player attends, their character can be in that session.

If someone cannot attend, there is no loss as their

character is simply not used for that scenario. And fi

nally, if a new member wants to join in for a session,

there’s no problem in introducing a new character to

the bunch.

Destinies in Serialized Stories

Destinies in traveling tales-style campaigns

(serialized stories where the same characters travel

from place to place) will be pretty much the same

as individual sessions of Tenra Bansho Zero:

Each scenario will have the same crew of player

characters, but will feature all new adventures,

NPCs, goals, and enemies.

SCENARIO ADVICE

Up until now, we’ve broken down the acts of

creating scenarios and campaigns for Tenra Bansho

Zero. In this last section of this chapter, we’re going

to look at some advice, mostly for the game master,

that may help you when running TBZ for your

first few sessions. Some of the advice may seem

contradictory, but everything is a little lesson you

can choose to use or ignore as you build your own

style of GMing. There is more GM-centric advice

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in the Advice section of this book, and some of the

important bits here are restated and emphasized.

You don’t have to use every piece of advice, but

some of it may make your games exciting and

memorable.

THE GREAT TENRA CONTRADICTION

As you are reading this book, you’ve probably

noticed the heavy influence of Zero Acts, scenes,

acts and intermissions in planning a scenario.

Creating a scenario for Tenra Bansho is an exercise

in contradiction. The game requires players to make

choices and steer the direction of the game, yet the

game needs to have at least that initial framework in

order for the GM to plan what happens next.

If you create a scenario from the Zero Act scenes

and carefully outline each scene in detail from

beginning to end, planning out the game rigidly,

then the players will be doing nothing more than

playing the role of puppets. You might as well tell

them their lines to say on top of that.

If you don’t start with any preparation and let

the players run the game completely, you’ll have

a meandering mess with no punctuated breaks,

dramatic flow, or likely even a fulfilling ending.

You’ll want to try to balance these two extremes

when you plan out your games. Creating ideas for

strong Zero Act scenes, then a light outline of what

you would imagine happening from there (as well as

a few NPCs with stats and some ideas for cool

things that you want to have happen), is probably

the best way to go. If you are new to creating

scenarios, then you might want to write your

scenario outline in more detail, but be willing and

ready to eject, dismiss, and throw away entire scenes

or sections from your plan if it doesn’t fit with the

players’ choices.

Ad-Libbing

Once you get used to the feel of the game, you

can begin stepping away more and more from

pre-written scenario notes, and create the game

as it happens. After you get a feel for the balance

mentioned above in crafting a completely planned-

out scenario, then you can start to ad-lib your

scenarios with little preparation.

Ad-libbing is not simply “running a game without

preparing anything.” Instead, you come up with

some ideas, do a little preparation, and focus on

the situation at the table. You can try to determine

where the players will head next, and plan in your

head for the next reaction, event or scene. It is still

recommended that if you decide to ad-lib a scenario,

you should still design good Zero Act scenes and

plan the Destinies out in advance.

However, once you give the Destinies to the

players, you will see them try to reach those goals

themselves, driving the adventure forward without

you having to pull it along. The skill of the GM

can be seen in watching what the players do,

anticipating their next moves, coming up with

challenges and events to react to those moves, and

keeping this back-and-forth action continuing

smoothly and naturally throughout the session. It

will take some practice.

Don’t Sweat the Scenario Details

Often, you’ll create a scenario and think of possible

ways for the players to progress through the story.

The players will surprise you. They always will.

Perhaps they want to make friends with the villain,

or go to the next (undefined town) to do something

you hadn’t planned for. You will almost always find

yourself changing the scenario as it happens. About

half the material you think of may go unused, while

another half of the scenario will be written on the

fly from creating new paths when reacting to the

players’ actions.

This quick thinking and reacting to the players’

actions is part of the surprise and fun of being a

GM! Make sure that you don’t force the characters

down the roads you paved in your story. You should

be worried if you have gotten to near the end of

the session and you have not changed any of your

session plans. Th is is usually (but not always) a sign

that you are likely forcing the players back on track

to walk through your prepared thought-out story,

rather than finding their own paths.

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Finally, don’t get upset or mad if the player

characters do something unexpected! It’s your

responsibility to react to the players and let them

create the adventure. It may take some practice, but

weaving a story as the players create events is part of

the challenge and excitement of being the GM.

Limiting Character Choice is Okay

It’s tempting to keep the game open as much as

possible, allowing the players to step in from the

beginning and make up characters from scratch.

Letting players make their own characters is fine,

but it can put some stress on the GM up front. If

there’s some time (as in, a few days or a week) in

between the time where the players make their

characters and the GM creates the scenario, then

allowing players to make their own characters is a

great way to get the GM’s brain thinking of a good

scenario for them.

However, if the GM has a scenario planned ahead

of time, it’s probably best to tighten the reins

on character creation by forcing the players to

create specifi c types of characters, if not outright

providing premade characters from the start. Some

of the more focused stories can come from the GM

planning out the scenario situation in advance,

and putting limits on player characters. “Okay, this

scenario calls for one ninja, a samurai, a kugutsu,

and either a kijin or kongohki”, or “This is going to

be an oni-focused scenario, so at least three of you

need to have oni archetypes of some kind” are both

acceptable ways of setting up character creation.

One thing to keep in mind is that if you limit

character choices, that you should still allow the

players freedom in their actions. In other words, if

you insist that there is a samurai character, but the

samurai’s player is making decisions and playing in

ways that you didn’t expect, then as the GM, you

should try to go with the flow. Don’t try too hard

to force them into the decisions that you expected

them to make. Just something to be mindful of.

When in Doubt, Start with the Situation

Coming up with a scenario idea from scratch can be

hard work. Sometimes you’ll want to get feedback

from peers on the internet or use friends as a

sounding board for your ideas.

The best place to start is with some kind of

situation. From here, you can come up with the

details of the situation like NPCs, “sides” of the

confl ict, events which may occur, and things

like that. For example, a simple situation is “Our

domain is under attack.” That implies that there’s

at least two sides of this battle, “our domain” and

“the other guys”. It also implies some NPCs are

involved, like the lord of the domain, the enemy

lord or shogun, and a few allies and enemies. Throw

in some minor goals, and you’re just about ready.

After the Situation, Throw In Some Memorable Scenes

While you’re probably not going to create the

scenario from the ground up and plan out every Act

and Scene in minute detail (which wouldn’t allow

much wiggle room for the characters), it’s important

for the GM to at least plan out a few memorable

scenes that she wishes to see happen in the game.

For example:

• “Four samurai attack the players inside the multi-

tiered pagoda, and there’s at least one swordfight on

the roof.”

• “The enemy onmyoji summons a terrible

shikigami which immediately begins to rampage

through the town. Th e PCs have to choose

between stopping the shikigami and chasing down

the onmyoji, or coming up with a clever way to do

both”

• “The oni chieftain gathers the PCs around a

campfire. While he talks in hushed tones about the

past, he shares a conversation through telepathy

with the other oni, telling them that the tribe is

going to revolt against the humans.”

• “The ninja PC meets the enemy ninja boss in the

woods, where the boss reveals that he is the PC’s

brother.”

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• “A yari-wielding armour falls out of the sky and

lands in front of the PCs.”

• “The prince of the domain invites the PCs for tea.

They have to try to get the information they need

from him all while being polite and formal.”

• “There’s a battle over the hovering Priesthood

capital of Genshikyo, where the combatants are

riding on the backs of ferocious shikigami spirits.”

Having little ideas like this planned out makes

them likely to happen and will certainly spice up

the game a little. If the scenario moves away from

your planned events in new directions, try to come

up with another cool scene to replace the one that

you planned out (or make it happen, but in another

location or in a slightly different way.)

Remember the Hard Choices

Like the above, when planning out memorable

scenes, remember to include a few hard choices as

well. Planning out the events surrounding the hard

choices in advance (You can always change the

details on the fly as the scenario changes through

the players’ actions.) will help you remember to

include those choices, even if you don’t use them all.

• You can chase the nefarious ninja clan members

as they assault the castle, which may give the ninja

leaders a chance to escape—Or you can leave the

castle to its fate and instead go to the undefended

ninja clan’s village and attempt to kill the

unguarded leaders, effectively destroying the clan.

• This scoundrel has lied to you at least three times.

You can help free him from the corrupt local police

who have captured him for stealing and plan to

execute him (a punishment far more severe than the

crime warrants)—Or you can leave him to his fate

and stay out of the way of the regent-backed police

force: After all, he did lie to you and steal from you

earlier.

• You can accept the prince’s offer of marriage and

risk your new status and honor when you try to

leave the fortress to help your friends (but at least

you will be able to requisition the equipment and

troops that your friends need to bring down the evil

wandering monk) - Or you can snub the prince to

continue journeying with your companions, but

you won’t be able to ask for the resources that you

need to defeat the evil monk, meaning that it is very

likely some or all of you will die.

• You can bring the orphan with you, putting her at

risk to the assassins that want to kill you - Or you

can leave her in the ruins of her home with a little

money, hoping that she’ll be able to fend for herself

(but be free from potential harm’s way aimed at the

PCs).

Split the Player Characters Up

In many classic role-playing games, the characters

travel almost every where together. In Tenra Bansho

Zero, there’s a bit of emphasis on inter-character

drama and relationships: Th e PCs usually will have

character Fates pointed at each other. The best way

to push this hard is for the GM to make sure to

force a few scenes where there are only two player

characters (or one player character and a major

NPC) in the scene.

If the GM feels like the PCs haven’t done enough

inter-character talking, a great thing to do is to call

for a scene. Declare that only 2 (or 3) PCs are in it

to start, set the location and time, and give them

a brief rundown of what’s going on and what they

should do. Th is is great for characters who have

Fates with each other. Even though these scenes

won’t last too long (usually a minute or two), they

are a great way to allow the players to develop their

characters a little more. It’s also a great opportunity

for the players to get some Aiki chits through role-

playing in character. Finally, it’s also a great way

to exercise the “Spend one Kiai point to enter the

scene” rule; eventually, you’re going to have a scene

between two PCs, and a third player will want to

have their PC enter that scene to either take part in

the discussion, or else simply be present to listen to

what the other characters are discussing.

For example: Given the characters Princess Rin and

Kenzaburo the Edge (where one of these characters

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has a Fate with the other):

• “Okay, next scene. You guys were traveling to

the next town. In this scene, you’ve stopped at a

roadside tea house. Rin and Kenzaburo are drinking

tea and eating while the others are elsewhere.”

• “Everyone is exploring the haunted town at night.

Let’s see… let’s have Rin and Kenzaburo offby

themselves at the town’s well. Rin, you just watched

Kenzaburo the Edge kill four presumably bad

people without remorse. Let’s see you tell him what

you thought of his actions. Go!”

• “You’re about to fight your brother, Rin; you know

he’s behind all this and you’re about to confront

him. As you try to get yourself calm and prepared

for this task, Kenzaburo finds you. He’s got a few

things to say before you go. What do you say,

Kenzaburo?”

Putting a question to one of the players, or giving

them a starting place to role-play, is a great way to

kick off these kinds of split-party scenes. It gets the

role-playing started, so that it doesn’t stall as the

players hem and haw at something to talk about.

Look around the table: If you see players who have

managed to play through an act for a long time, but

don’t have that many Aiki chits in front of them,

then it’s a good idea to get them into their own

scenes by themselves so that they have a chance to

share the spotlight in front of the others.

Let the Players Play the Roles of NPCs

The GM traditionally plays the roles of all the

non-player characters that come into the scenes.

However, not every player character will be in every

scene. This usually means that the players are sitting

out a scene or two (or acting as scene judges and

passing Aiki chits) while the other players role-play

with each other and the GM.

One thing the GM can do is turn over the control

of major or minor NPCs in the scene to players

whose characters are not in the scene. Be it a small

role like the master of an inn, a guardsman, a

performer, or a passing child; or even a large role

like the lord of the domain, an enemy samurai,

another PC’s lover or friend, or even the scenario’s

main antagonist; giving these roles to the players

gives them an opportunity to play someone different

than their own character. It also adds a little

randomness or chaos to the game that would not

have been there if the GM took on all the NPC

roles. The GM can harness that chaos to advance

the story.

Minor roles are great to hand out to the players,

because the things they say and do will offer

background for the scene and give it more color.

Major roles are great to hand out for the reason

of the randomness/controlled chaos as described

above: Since the player doesn’t know specifically

what the GM had in mind for that character, the

player might say something cool or different as an

NPC that sets offa spark in the GM’s imagination

or catches her off guard, leading to a new direction

for the scene, the character relationship, or even the

scenario. This happens quite a lot in actual play.

If the GM has something specific that she needs

to have an NPC say or do, she can of course step

in, momentarily take control of the NPC from the

player, do or say what is needed, and then either

keep the role for the rest of the scene or else turn the

role back over to the player character. Sometimes

the GM will want to have a particular NPC do or

say a very specific thing at a specific time (like offer

a clue, give valuable information, or say something

that will change their relationship to a PC). In

those cases, it’s totally fine for the GM to take back

control of the character and continue forward.

Remember to award an Aiki chit to players who

take on minor or major NPC roles for a scene. Even

though their own PC did not enter the scene, the

player did, and thus they should be given an Aiki

chit in accordance with the rules for being brought

into a scene, as well as further Aiki chits if they

entertain the other players as per the normal Aiki

rules usually associated to role-playing their own

character.

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Failure Shouldn’t Break the Game

There are many times in a game where a GM may

call for a Senses: Notice roll to spot a clue or a

Spirit: Persuasion roll to convince someone to do

something for you. One thing to be very aware of

is that you don’t create a task where a PC’s failure

stops the game cold.

If there is a clue that needs to be found, simply have

the characters in the scene make a Senses: Notice

roll, and the PC with the most successes fi nds it.

If there is an NPC who needs to be convinced to

do a task essential to the scenario, simply have the

PC roll for it, where success or failure comes down

to “Does this NPC willingly help you, or does

he grudgingly help you then quickly alert your

enemies?”, and not “Does he help you or not?”

There are many ways for the GM to describe a task

that will keep the story moving even if the character

fails.

• You are in the hut of the Ashen Ninja. You need

three successes on a Senses: Notice roll to fi nd the

Ultimate Arts scroll (the object the PCs need to

continue the scenario) before the ninjas return. If

you fail, they’ll spot you and attack.

• The swordsmith crosses his arms and refuses to

bind your shiki prayer strip into the blade of his

masterwork sword (the object the PCs need to

continue the scenario). You need two successes on

a Spirit: Persuasion roll to convince him to do it.

Otherwise, he will refuse, and you’ll have to do a

hard task for him first.

• The regent is adamant in his position to continue

the war (the condition needed to end the scenario),

despite the fact that you dispatched the assassin who

was aiming for his life. You’ll need to roll Station:

Art of Rule to convince him to negotiate peace and

call offthe war. It will be a contested roll against the

Regent, who has a Station of 15 and an Art of Rule

skill ranked at Master (4), so get ready to spend that

Kiai. If you succeed, he’ll realize the folly of the

war and immediately call for negotiations with his

enemy. If you fail, he’ll call for negotiations in an

attempt to personally assassinate the enemy regent

when they meet (presumably the PCs will be there

to try to stop him from doing so).

As a GM, your main task is to make sure the game

proceeds smoothly, and part of that is ensuring that

no single die roll can stop a game dead. The best

way around those situations is to, in the cases where

the PCs need to complete a task in order to

move the scenario forward, make success a given,

and simply change failure to include a future

complication for the PCs at some point.

Creative Task Rolls

Once you’re familiar with the basic rules of Tenra

Bansho Zero (and maybe have played a scenario or

two), as a GM, you are free to play with the rules

- even bending them or inventing new rules - to

come up with unique tasks with creative success and

failure conditions.

• You are in the hut of the Ashen Ninja. You’re

looking for the Ultimate Arts scroll. Everyone in the

hut roll Senses: Notice. The one with the highest

score f inds the scroll. Anyone with two successes

is unaffected. If you have less than two successes,

you get hit with a trap for 5 damage, minus the

successes from your Senses: Notice roll.

• The swordsmith crosses his arms and refuses

to bind your shiki prayer strip to the blade of his

masterwork sword. You can certainly convince him

to do it, because it’s for the good of the domain

and all. Roll your Spirit: Persuasion or Station:

Persuasion against his Spirit: Willpower. You’re

trying to convince him to put all his effort into this

task. For every success you get over him, add +1 to

the damage of the sword (starting from 0) up to

a total of +6. If the blacksmith wins, he crafts the

sword anyway but without putting his heart into it,

and the shiki spirit curses the sword: Its damage will

be -2, meaning that you have to get at least three

successes over the enemy in combat rolls to do any

damage at all with it.

• The regent listens to your plea for peace with open

ears, especially since you dispatched the assassin

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SCENARIO CREATION

who was aiming at his life. He’ll quickly arrange

a meeting with the opposing regent and negotiate

peace. Roll your Station: Art of Rule against his

to see how much pressure you can put upon him

to do so right away. If you succeed, he’ll meet the

neighboring regent without delay. If you fail, every

success the regent had above your total represents

1,000 soldiers and townspeople who died in the war

while the regent made the arrangements. Out of

those thousands of deaths, there will be some who

will have heard of what transpired today, and hold

you directly responsible for the loss of their loved

ones…

Be careful with these more advanced examples,

though. They actually don’t relate to any rules in

the book. Even though they kind of make sense,

they’re the result of some improvisational GM

creativity. This is great, but it also means that the

rules in the book that the players are familiar with

don’t apply as written. Make sure to state rules

changes clearly, indicating the results of success and

failure beforehand in those cases. See the “bending

rules” explanation below for more examples of

coming up with GM rulings on the fly.

In most cases, you don’t need to creatively bend

the rules. Simply sticking to normal tasks (as per

the rules) will create scenarios that are exciting and

varied. These alternative GM-created tasks are best

suited to situations where one roll (with creative

success and failure results) would prevent a string

of linked “success/fail” skill tasks in a row which

might be otherwise boring.

Make Failure Exciting

The player characters are competent, heroic people

who are better than most common people at most

activities. However, failure happens, and when it

does, be prepared to describe the results.

An easy way to describe failure is with a “whiff ”.

• “He evaded, so your sword swing missed.”

• “You can’t convince the monk to let you into the

cloister.”

• “You failed at healing the samurai’s wounds.”

• “You tried to forge a security pass, but don’t

succeed.”

The above failures are all fine: Sometimes a failure

is just a failure. However, don’t get stuck in the trap

of thinking that all failures represent some failing of

the character’s ability or skill. Through describing

the failure, you can create failure events that take

into consideration the character’s skill, but in the

end the task failed because of some event outside of

the character that the character can’t control. For

example, to re-describe the above four failures in a

way that doesn’t involve simple “whiffing”:

• “Your sword strikes true, impaling his throat on

its sharp tip… or wait? What is this? For any other

man, he’d be skewered at the end of your sword

as you just saw in your mind’s eye. But because of

his superior training, he threw himself backwards

out of harm’s way just as your blade pierced the air

where he stood just a moment ago.”

• “You seem to get through to the monk, expressing

your urgency. He seems to hesitate for a moment,

and that’s when the head abbot appears behind him

from the courtyard and clears his throat. Feeling the

abbot’s glare on the back of his neck, he slowly turns

back to you, a tear of sweat rolling down his cheek,

and firmly tells you that no one is allowed in the

cloister.”

• “These wounds… that bizarre annelid has some

kind of rending mandible you’ve never seen before.

You’ve never seen wounds like this, and your

traditional healing skills haven’t prepared you for

treating this kind of wound. You do what you can,

but you fear it’s not enough.”

• “You successfully forged your pass the day before

and are now in line at the Gate of Lions, awaiting

inspection. As your hand moves over the folded

paper in your pocket, you happen to glance over

your shoulder at the family in front of you: Th eir

pass seems to have a different format than yours.

You glance back nonchalantly and happen to see the

pass of a merchant behind you, which confirmed

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SCENARIO CREATION

your nagging suspicion. Damn, they must have

recently changed the format for the security passes

in this district. If you walk to the gate holding this

forged piece of paper, you’ll be arrested for sure.”

The characters still fail, but the failures can be

more interesting, lead to more detail, and allow

the characters to fail for reasons outside of their

character, rather than “their skill wasn’t good

enough”. Still, a “real failure”/”whiff ” every now

and then can also keep the characters grounded in

reality: They don’t have to be Awesome, All The

Time.

Let the Players Describe What Happens

Describing the events of success or failure when

the dice hit the table is great fun, and adds a lot of

flavor to the game. In many tabletop role-playing

games, the GM is encouraged to interpret the

results of the character’s successes and failures. It is

often exciting to instead let the players describe their

successes or failures from time to time, especially

during combat. The players have a good grasp of

their character, and what they would like to see

happen when they succeed or fail at a task.

So turn the description of the success or failure over

to the player:

• “You hit him with your sword. Tell me what

happens.”

• “You succeed in your Station: Etiquette roll

against the princess. What do you say to her that

causes her to clamp up?”

• “He hits you with his sword for 12 damage.

Where does he hit you, and what do you do?”

• “You fail to see the ninjas lying in ambush for you

in the forest. This is something you normally would

have noticed, but not this time. Why were you

distracted?”

The last question to the player is, as an example,

a little more “out there” than the others. Still,

consider it the “advanced form” of letting players

describe their success or failure, even if it’s a little

esoteric.

Players Should Make Stuff Up on the Fly

Encourage your players to help bring the world to

life by adding little details to the world, usually

through their characters. Don’t have them rely upon

you all the time to bring the setting details to life.

Remember, there is no single “World of Tenra”; the

only Tenra that exists is the one that you and your

friends create together.

The GM will certainly have elements that will be

brought into the scenario to set the backdrop of the

game. However, the parts that don’t relate directly

to the scenario should be introduced by the players.

Here’s an example of relying on the GM for

background information:

PLAYER: Princess Rin comes from a capital city

near the ocean. What’s the name of a capital city

near the ocean in this domain?

GM: Hmmm… How about “Ocean’s Hollow”?

PLAYER: Okay. Also, she has some kind of weapon.

In the culture of Tenra, is it okay for princesses to walk

around with daggers openly? Also, who would have

given her a dagger? Some kind of vassal lord?

GM: (thinking) Sure. In this domain, which is rather

infamous for its warlike tendencies, even princesses and

ladies carry weapons openly. If someone gave you a

dagger… Hmmm, let me look in the vassals section of

the rulebook for an appropriate type of person to have

given you that dagger…

Here’s an example of the player taking

control of the setting:

PLAYER: Princess Rin comes from Sea Edge.

GM: Sea Edge?

PLAYER: Yeah. It’s a lesser capital city of the domain

which sits on the ocean. It’s the launching station for

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SCENARIO CREATION

the ship fleets of the domain. Oh, and I figure that Rin

is the daughter of some vassal warlord who earned his

status through naval combat.

GM: Sounds fine (writes down a few notes). What’s the

father’s name?

PLAYER: …hmmm…

GM: Oh, that’s okay, it’s not important now. Let me

know if you think of something later.

PLAYER: Also, Rin carries a wicked shortsword

around.

GM: What’s it look like?

PLAYER: It’s in a red lacquered sheath, and has gold

and ivory etchings on the handle. It’s a prized weapon

that her father handed down to her, and was given to

her father by the shogun of the domain.

GM: Hmmm… The shogun? That’s pretty impressive.

Like, almost “too impressive”. Not sure if knowing the

shogun would really work here, that seems a little too

much…

PLAYER: Well, she doesn’t know the shogun personally

or anything like that, she can’t call on him for aid or

whatever. I was just thinking that maybe there might

be some high lords of the domain that recognize the

quality and origins of this ancestral gift. I figure it’s a

tool that shows off her high Station attribute.

GM: Oh, that totally works then.

The GM jots down some notes.

Both examples are excellent examples of using

setting in play, and creating it as the game

progresses. You don’t have to turn over the reins to

the players to create all of the setting, but the GM

should not have to be the single player who controls

the setting: Th e players can and should step up and

be creative.

If the player takes this creative invention a little too

far and it starts to interfere with the scenario, the

GM should absolutely feel free to reel things back

in, ask for clarification, or suggest alternatives. In

most cases, though, such narration is just a way for

the player to add some cool descriptive spice to the

game. Sometimes, those descriptions can even help

the GM push the scenario forward or give her new

ideas for things to bring into the game.

Fishing for Ideas

“Fishing”, aka “Prompting , is the nickname for

a technique used by GMs that’s similar to what’s

called “reflection” in psychological circles. It refers

to the GM “fishing for ideas” from the players. It’s a

great technique that a GM can use to get a player

to come up with a cool background, description, or

reasoning that the GM can then incorporate into

the game. It’s excellent for less structured games,

but if a GM is running a very structured game,

she should be prepared, as it could change the

plot or events of the scenario around (usually only

temporarily, or to provide color, but sometimes

more.)

Basically, the technique is this: The GM sets up an

event, an item, a person, or a scene, and then tells

the player to finish describing it, usually using very

open-ended questions:

• “As you walk through the graveyard, you come

to a dead stop. The marker on this gravestone has

your full attention. Whose name is written on the

gravestone?”

• “The swordmaster hands you his katana for

inspection. There’s something odd about this

katana, though. What do you find strange about

it?”

• “As you walk through the crowd, you come

upon an old monk playing the shamisen in

front of a small crowd of onlookers. But wait…

there’s something familiar about this monk, or

that instrument, or the music that he’s playing.

Something that’s right on the tip of your tongue,

something that bothers you. What is it?”

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SCENARIO CREATION

• “You get to the inn before nightfall, and soak in

the hot springs around the back. You close your

eyes as you take in the sounds and smells of the

winter forest. As you’re relaxing, you hear footsteps

approach the outdoor bath. You can tell who it is

without even having to open your eyes. Who is it?”

• “Before the lord leaves the room, he says

something under his breath that catches your

attention. What does he say?”

You should not overuse this technique: About once

per player per session should be more than enough,

and even then, it might be too much. While it can

inject some great creativity into a scenario and give

the GM material to work with to reincorporate into

the game, it puts a lot of stress on the players to

come up with something creative on the fly. If the

player is able to react and come back with a good

reply, they might even be given an Aiki chit. One

thing to be wary of: Fishing can derail the game

a little if the player comes back with a totally

unexpected or intriguing response. It can in

turn stymie the GM, who might have difficulty

reincorporating the player’s description and

continuing on with the scene properly. It can make

the scenario too chaotic, and overusing fishing as

a technique will make your scenario start looking

more like a series of psychological experiment

questions for the players than an adventure scenario.

Fishing is a great technique, but we recommend that

you start using it slowly and get used to it over time,

and don’t over-use it.

Bending the Rules for the Sake of the Scenario

The setting of Tenra is huge, and there are no

limits to the potential things that can happen in

the game. If the GM understands the rules and

knows their purposes, then she should have no

problem changing them as needed to create exciting

scenarios.

For example:

• The GM crafts a shikigami that will serve as a

suitable “boss fight” for the player characters. An

evil onmyoji will summon it and it will attack the

PCs. However, when she does the math, she realizes

that the shiki is too powerful: It would cost too

much Soul to cast, and there’s no way that the

onmyoji would have the skill alone according to the

rules to summon this monstrous creature.

Solution: Do it anyway. Feel free to keep the players

in the dark as to the power level, or simply describe

the onmyoji as having “tapped into forbidden

power” or some other way that he was able to

summon such a creature.

• The GM creates a scenario where one of the goals

is to capture a special interface helm in order to

hijack a conscious enemy kongohki. There are no

rules as written which give miko agents, puppeteers

or armour riders the ability to use an interface helm

to hijack a conscious (that is, not just a shell) enemy

kongohki.

Solution: The GM creates the rules. She says

that this is a special interface helm, and tells the

players that when they wear it they can make a

Spirit: Interface roll against the kongohki’s Spirit:

Willpower. Every success the player gets means a die

penalty to that enemy kongohki in combat.

• The GM writes down the stats for the game’s

single “final boss” ahead of time, a powerful

samurai. As the battle begins and the samurai takes

damage, the GM realizes suddenly that the final

boss samurai is in no way powerful enough to cause

much of a threat to the PCs, and will certainly die

in two rounds without putting up a struggle.

Solution: The GM could have other enemies

appear (“ninjas attack as well!”), or simply boost

the abilities of the samurai a little: Add 20 Vitality

points. Add a second Dead Box. Boost his melee

weapons skill from 4 to 5. Have him suddenly

unleash an annelid electrical strike or produce

mechanica arms and weapons f rom underneath his

kimono.

While it’s totally acceptable to make changes to

the rules on the fly, make sure to be aware of

the consequences, especially when changing the

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SCENARIO CREATION

difficulties of enemies on the fly. If you are too

quick to lower an enemy’s skills or attributes if the

enemy looks too tough, then the players will never

gamble their Kiai points or put their characters at

risk for death. If you decide to raise an enemy’s skills

or attributes if an enemy looks too weak, then the

players might not have the Kiai or resources left to

put up any resistance whatsoever.

With the combat power of enemies and boss

characters, it’s always best to try to set the attributes

and skills ahead of time and stick with them. You’ll

get used to how to balance an enemy after a scenario

or two. However, mistakes can happen, so as a GM,

you should feel free to make adjustments on the fly

using your common sense.

Get Out and Play

Hopefully you’re ready at this point to give the game

a shot. Remember that there’s no such thing as a

perfect session. Your GM skills, and the role-play

skills of your players, will develop in time through

practice. If you have a cold session that doesn’t run

smoothly, try running again later. Over time, you’ll

become comfortable with playing the game.

So stop reading this book now, and start organizing

your first session!

144

ARMOUR

Yoroi armours are the products of generations of

Priesthood-backed technological innovation. They

are the terrors of the battlefield, and even one is

enough to make an army of men flee. Meikyo

armours are carefully crafted works of art of high

quality, while kimen armours are mass-produced

of lesser quality. Subtle differences arise between

meikyo and kimenkyo versions, so take care to learn

those differences.

KARMA AND THE

MEIKYO MIRROR

Any Karma gained by a pilot while interfaced with a

meikyo soul mirror is absorbed by the meikyo. That

total gets added immediately to the meikyo’s Karma

pool: When the rider spends Kiai while interfaced,

it immediately becomes Karma.

A side-effect of the spiritual nature of the meikyo

soul mirror is that, the more Karma builds up inside

a meikyo, the more powerful it becomes. At certain

levels of meikyo buildup, a bonus in dice is added

to every single roll using the armour’s body, agility,

or senses while piloting the armour. The deeper

the Karma level of a meikyo mirror, the stronger its

reactions become. They become more powerful the

closer they are to the edge of breaking and turning

into an Asura. Eventually, meikyo-driven armours

will seem to react quickly and powerfully at the

slightest exertion of will.

MEIKYO BONUS

Karma Additional Dice

0-20 + 0

21-40 + 1

41-60 + 2

61-80 + 3

81-100 + 4

101-108 + 5

109+ + 6

The only way to reduce a meikyo’s Karma without

Buddhist intervention is for the rider to accept the

meikyo’s Karma as her own, then try to reduce her

Karma by changing or erasing Fates if necessary. See

the Karma rules section for more details on how to

do this. There is also a Buddhist magic spell called

Mitama-Gaeshi which can be used to reduce the

Karma of a meikyo mirror. See the Buddhist Magic

rule section for details on this spell.

When determining the starting Karma for an

armour-rider, the split is simple. 10 points of that

total Karma belong to the rider herself, and all of

the rest belong to the armour’s meikyo.

KIMEN ARMOUR

Kimen armours are mass-produced, but they too

rely on onmyojutsu magic and high technology

to function just like their meikyo counterparts.

However, they operate on lesser kimen calculating

devices instead of meikyo soul mirrors.

This means that kimen armour and kimen

kongohki do not benefi t from the Karma bonus

that their meikyo counterparts receive. This fact

accounts for the high difference in quality and

operational functionality. Meikyo devices crafted by

the Shinto Priesthood are always superior because

their devices run on more natural, human urges that

reside in the human soul.

However, there is merit in not having a meikyo:

There is no accumulation of Karma in a kimenkyo;

all Karma gained while in a kimen armour goes to

the pilot. This means that the pilot will never be cut

off from the armour, and that the armour will never

trap the pilot inside.

Since there is no chance of rejection from the soul

mirror during Karma buildup, it is common to see

more teenagers and adults piloting kimen armours.

When their armour eventually rejects them due to

their maturity and worldliness, many children go on

to become kimen armour pilots.

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ARMOUR

ARMOUR AND KONGOHKI REPAIR

Yoroi armour repair happens in a way that is very

similar to how the skill first aid helps people recover

from wounds. However, instead of fi nding a medic

to roll Senses: First Aid on their body, the pilot

needs to find an onmyoji to perform a Knowledge:

Onmyojutsu roll to repair the wounds taken by the

armour.

ARMOUR-SPECIFIC RULES

Entering and Exiting Armour

A pilot must possess the Interface skill. The

combined Karma of the rider and the armour’s

meikyo mirror must be less than 108. If these

conditions are not met, then the armour’s meikyo

will not be accessible, even with an interface helm.

The pilot will be locked out, and the armour will

reject any further attempt for them to interface. It

takes a pilot one major action to enter or exit an

armour in combat. As per the rules of spending Kiai

in combat, an armour-rider can spend a point of

Kiai to perform more actions the same round they

enter an armour.

Outside of combat, an armour can be entered or

exited as they see fit. Most pilots will leave their

armour outside of a village or in a designated

stable when traveling in one of the great cities. The

armour is locked using a code or key held only by

the pilot. Only higher-ranked Priesthood agents

have the skill or ability to hijack a pilotless armour,

so armour pilots never worry about someone

stealing or messing with their ride.

Piloting Armour

When piloting armour, the armour’s stats for Body,

Agility and Senses are used. The pilot uses her

Interface skill for every single physical-based roll

while piloting the armour: Attacking, shooting,

spotting, climbing, evading, and so on. Remember

to add the meikyo bonus to all rolls in an armour.

If the pilot is skilled in an Art of War, they can use

their skills while piloting their armour. However,

since those arts are steeped in physical training,

they must use the appropriate skill (Melee Weapons,

Marksman, Unarmed Combat, etc) instead of

Interface when performing maneuvers with Art of

War. The meikyo bonus still applies while piloting

the armour.

If the combined Karma total of the pilot and

armour meikyo goes over 108 while piloting the

armour, the pilot’s soul becomes trapped inside the

meikyo and cannot wake up or escape, forever.

ARMOUR CREATION

RULES

These are the rules for creating new yoroi armours.

For beginning players, we highly recommend simply

using the armour loadout for the archetype you

choose. However, these rules will permit you to go

further, either customizing your choice or creating

one from scratch.

ATTRIBUTES FOR ARMOUR

All armour have the following three attributes,

which represent the physical frame of their bodies:

BODY: This represents the pure physical power and

stability of the frame. Just like human characters,

body also represents the Vitality and Wound levels

for an armour.

AGILITY: Agility represents the pure speed and refl

exes that the frame is capable of. In combat, a frame

can move 20 times its Agility score in meters every

round. Outside of combat, a frame can move up to

10 times its Agility score in kilometers each hour.

SENSES: Senses are a representation of the strength

of the sensors and sense-amplification equipment

that the frame contains. Armour can effectively see

up to a range of 100 times its Senses score in meters.

They also have an innate ability called Lifepulse,

which is a kind of sonar that detects all living things

human-sized and larger within its normal field of

vision. It quickly allows the unit to detect the

approximate size and number of people moving

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nearby (including kugutsu and shikigami spirits).

The range of the Lifepulse is equal to a radius of

Senses times 10 meters.

Yoroi armours have no soul of their own, so they

only have the above three attributes. The armour

rider provides the rest of the non-physical attributes

(Spirit, Station etc) when they are connected.

CHOOSE A FRAME

The first step in the creation of an armour is

choosing a frame. There are four basic frame types

for armour. Each frame has a point total called an

attribute pool. This attribute pool is a pool of points

which you can later spread amongst the unit’s three

physical attributes: Body, Agility and Senses. For

now, just write the pool point total down, because

choices made later on during the creation of the

armour can raise or lower this pool.

Every armour type has a required Station score to

equip or operate. During character creation, the

pilot must have the required Station. In a game

session, the pilot may come across equipment of a

higher Station level: that equipment may be used

for a limited time, but they will have to let the

equipment go unless they raise their Station to the

required level. Th is could represent anything from

the armour requiring a key given only to clan or

vassal members of a higher status, or the character’s

lord demanding (or simply taking) the armour in

order for it to be used by another child of a trusted

lord of sufficient Station.

Armour has two Station ratings: one for traditional

meikyo armours, and one for mass-produced

kimenkyo-based kimen armours. Meikyo armours

are rare gifts used only by trusted family lines.

Kimen armours, however, can be used by almost

anyone with enough military rank and expertise.

While the kimen armour does not grant a meikyo

bonus to die rolls, they don’t require nearly the same

amount of Station to operate.

Armour

Attribute Pool: 16 points

Meikyo Station: 8

Kimen Station: 4

This is the basic armour type. This type is very

customizable.

Suit Armour

Attribute Pool: 12 points

Meikyo Station: 6

Kimen Station: 2

Long ago, experiments with a pilot-able kongohki

called “suit armour” produced limited results, so the

projects were scrapped.

However, once kimen technology began to produce

armours, experiments began again on a kind of

small highly-maneuverable armour. Unlike basic

armour where the pilot rests entirely in the chest

cavity of the armour, suit armour is little more than

a very responsive suit of metal armor worn by the

pilot.

Stronger nations have begun to requisition

large quantities of suit armours. Once a child is

permanently rejected from a meikyo armour, she

can be put on the battlefield again with limited

training thanks to the qualities of the kimen suit

armour.

The only limitation is that suit armours cannot

use normal armour weapons or equipment.

They can only be configured with kongohki or

humanoid weapons, equipment and mechanica.

See the kongohki creation rules for more details

on kongohki equipment (much of it is the same as

armour equipment, with some deviations).

Living Armour

Attribute Pool: 14 points

Meikyo Station: 7

Kimen Station: 3

Unlike other armours which are mostly made of

steel and scarlet, the living armour is made with

a significant quantity of living tissue, usually

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ARMOUR

harvested from animals. While this produces

armour that are easier to repair, the armour often

looks quite unsettling compared to its all-metal

counterparts.

Since the outer frame of these armours is mostly

flesh, annelids can be implanted and used in them.

Great Armour

Attribute Pool: 26 points

Meikyo Station: 13

Kimen Station: N/A

Great armours are legendary meikyo armours

crafted for the use of multiple riders. Th ere are few

on Tenra because of the amount of resources and

risk required to make them, but each colossus could

easily take on an army single-handedly.

Great armours require at least two meikyo soul

mirrors (and pilots). Some armours have both

meikyo and kimenkyo mirrors. Often, the meikyo

will control the armour’s movement, while the

kimenkyo control weapons. However, there are no

all-kimen great armours. The kimen technology

simply lacks the ability to link mirrors or control a

creature of such size.

A great armour can take a number of actions each

round equal to the number of pilots controlling it.

Each pilot gets a turn and uses her own skills when

making attacks or maneuvering. Karma gained

spent while piloting the armour goes directly to the

mirror of the pilot who spent it.

DECIDE APPEARANCE

The second step in creating an armour is choosing

its appearance. Their frames come in a variety

of shapes and forms, and things like the number

of arms, legs, or the shape of their head can be

customized. The attribute pool will be adjusted

depending on the configuration chosen.

After that, the number of arms and legs

will decide the number of equipment

slots that the yoroi starts with. Each piece

of specialized armour equipment has occupies a

number of slots.

The appearance tables and armour gear

appear later in this section.

CALCULATE STARTING KARMA

After crafting the armour and adding equipment,

that equipment must be paid for. Additional

weapons, meikyo mirrors and mechanica can be

purchased as well. All of these items have a cost

in Karma which must be paid during character

creation.

Each armour has one soul mirror (meikyo or

kimenkyo) and heart engine at no additional cost,

but more can be bought for at the prices listed

below.

ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT COST

Equipment Karma Cost

Meikyo Mirror 25

Kimenkyo Mirror 10

Heart Engine 25

Armour equipment 5

Kongohki equipment 5

Mechanica 5*

Basic weapon 5

Unique armour weapon 10**

Customized weapon Varies

5 additional soulgems 1

Shikidan ammo 3

Annelids Normal cost x2

* Mechanica which require a combat scanner or

mechanica arm/leg cost 10 Karma

** Unique weapons cost 10 Karma, and the rider

must pay a 1 point attribute penalty. See the

Unique Weapons section of the Weapon List for

details.

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What does my armour or

kongohki look like?

You can choose head and helmet type from

a quick list, but beyond that your armour or

kongohki’s appearance is entirely up to you.

Each meikyo armour is crafted individually

by someone who is both an engineer and an

artist, so each one will look different. Size,

shape, style, color, affects, all those details are

up to you. Feel free to use pictures in the book

or other anime and manga as inspirations for

your design.

Kimen armours and kongohki tend to be

more blocky and steampunk-ish, but even

then there are no universal models. One

kingdom may rely on armours of a uniform

appearance. Another kingdom may have

several model types for different purposes.

Again, the appearance of their own particular

armour is up to the character.

Some things to get you started:

Color: A basic quality. What color is it? Is it

a uniform color (white) or a combination of

colors (white with red trim).

Size: Armours and kongohki tend to have

the same approximate height. However, some

might have longer legs, wider arms, smaller

torso and the like.

Shape and Style: One humanoid armour

may look like a thin, naked, metallic person

while another looks like a bulky hulk with

defensive plates of armor covering it. Some

will be sleek and fast like a runner, others will

be bulky and powerful like a rugby player.

This is a good place to define if the armour

or kongohki has any animal-like or inhuman

qualities to its shape or style.

Affects: The little touches: house mon

symbols,

cosmetic touches, additional equipment like

pouches or packs, banners or symbol marks.

Weapons: “Twin Blades” for one armour

may look like sword-like spikes which extend

from the forearm. For another, it may look

like a permanently extended chainsaw blade.

Another might have retractable tined blades

like a fork or trident, and yet another might

have a high-speed rotating drill assembly

permanently attached to the outside of its left

hand. Decide what your weapons look like,

and how they appear when they fire.

Annelids

Armours of the “living armour” type can have

annelids implanted within their living flesh. Please

see the Annelid section for the description and cost

of available annelids. A living armour pilot should

either have the wormcharm skill, or travel regularly

with someone who does.

Like all annelids, the worms implanted in living

armors require food to function. Annelids

implanted into these large living armours require

double the food that they normally do when

implanted in humans. For this reason, living armour

riders have to take great care. There are stories of

armour riders being digested in part or in full by

their armour when they could not find enough food

to sustain the annelids in its flesh.

Mechanica

Armour can have mechanica devices added to

their frames. In most cases, one equipment slot is

required for each additional mechanica added.

In cases where a mechanica combat scanner, arm or

leg is required, additional work is required to graft

the necessary interface to the native armour frame,

doubling the Karma cost of that equipment. For

example, a cyclone Gatling repeater mechanica

does not require a mechanica arm because it is an

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ARMOUR

arm replacement, so it can be equipped for 5 Karma

and a penalty of 2 attribute points. Ikari blossom

drills and vajra claws require a mechanica arm, so

each of those mechanica will cost 10 Karma.

In the above cases, the armour doesn’t actually

receive a new mechanica limb, but rather simply the

ability to use limb-specific mechanica.

The attribute cost for mechanica can vary for

armours. Since suit armours are approximately the

same size as humans, mechanica which have an at

tribute penalty are calculated normally. However,

mechanica being installed in normal armour have

to be retooled and repurposed for the larger armour

frames, doubling the attribute penalties.

This attribute penalty does not come out of the

armour’s attribute pool, but from the rider’s attribute

pool. A GM may allow an alternative; multiply the

attribute penalty total by 10 and add that amount to

the character’s starting Karma.

Weapons

Suit-armours use normal-sized human weapons.

However, they can use customized or original

weapons as per the weapon creation rules in the

Weapon List.

Armour can use any weapon in the Weapon List

(usually large firearms). For heavy damage armour-

sized melee weapons, add +4 to the damage rating

of any listed melee weapon. However, the weapon

will still cost 5 Karma.

Custom weapons are often created for armour (for

higher ammo capacity, rate of fire, and so on). They

will cost 1 attribute point (for the rider, not the

armour), and at least 10 Karma. See the weapon

creation rules in the weapon list section for more

details on how to increase the damage, ammo

capacity and rate of fire for customized weapons.

Calculate Starting Karma

At this point, the armour is almost ready for play.

Calculate the Karma total and add to the pilot’s

Karma total. This number cannot exceed 108. If

it does, return to the creation process and adjust

equipment until the total cost is less than or equal

to 108.

Remember that in play, all meikyo-based frames

receive a die bonus to all rolls involving physical

attributes in accordance with the meikyo bonus

table.

FINISHING FRAME CREATION:

DISTRIBUTE ATTRIBUTE POOL

Once appearance and all additional equipment have

been decided, it is time to split up the attribute pool

across the three physical attributes: Body, Agility

and Senses. Each attribute must start with at least

three points in it. After appearance adjustments

have been added, attributes can be lower than

three. If an attribute drops to 0, the armour cannot

function.

Calculate Vitality and Wounds

Armour have a Vitality score and Wound tracks,

although Vitality is calculated slightly differently

than normal human characters. Vitality is equal

to two times the frame’s Body score. The Wound

track is calculated in exactly the same way as it is for

humans.

Armours have no Soul. Armour characters do not

adjust Vitality or the Health track as their meikyo

bonus increases.

ADDING ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT IN-

GAME

Once the game has started, yoroi armour

equipment can be added or exchanged. If adding

new equipment, calculate the amount of Karma

required. The player must spend an amount of Kiai

equal to that amount to take the new part, after

which that Kiai becomes Karma.

If exchanging old equipment, calculate the

difference in equipment Karma costs. If the new

equipment costs additional Karma, then that

difference must be spent with Kiai.

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Kimen armours can go through an entire frame

adjustment given the proper preparation and time;

mass-produced armour are able to interchange

their parts far more easily than their meikyo

counterparts, so they can change the number of

arms and legs during the Intermission phase if they

have access to a factory. Raise or lower attributes

for the new appearance as needed. If an attribute

drops to zero, the frame can no longer function.

These changes generally only happen during an

Intermission phase.

In the case of mechanica, new mechanica with an

attribute cost is purchased in the same way as kijin

in a game session; multiply the attribute cost by

10 and pay that cost in Kiai (which immediately

becomes Karma). Remember that mechanica added

to suit-armour doesn’t cost any additional Karma,

but regular-sized armours cost double the normal

amount. Mechanica without a listed attribute cost

require 10 Kiai for implantation.

ARMOUR GEAR

Each piece of equipment comes in three different

sets: head, upper torso/arms, and lower torso/

legs. The number of slots available for equipment

depends on the number of slots available for the

head, torso and legs chosen. Next to each piece of

equipment in parentheses is listed the number of

open slots that equipment requires.

HEAD TYPE

There are two types of heads for these steel

creatures: a human-looking face or a skull. Neither

has a mechanical effect, but they are the two

standard types of head for humanoid-form armour.

Humanoid

The frame is built with a face that it unmistakably

human-like. It can be a scary visage or a peaceful

expression, or anything in between. This is the most

common head type for armour.

Skull

For a scarier effect on the battlefield, some armour

crafters have been experimenting with skull designs.

HELMET TYPE

Armour almost always come equipped with a

headdress or helmet of some kind, just like the

noble warriors of myth and legend. Neither type has

a mechanical/rules effect, they are simply the two

most common styles.

Kabuto

The kabuto is the classic samurai helmet worn

in battle: curved, usually featuring the clan or

domain’s crest prominently on it.

Plume Helmet

This helmet features a line of elaborate bird feathers

in spikes above the helmet which trail behind the

armour.

HEAD EQUIPMENT

All armour heads have two open equipment slots.

Th e following is a list of equipment native to yoroi

armour frames.

Battlefield Mastery (1)

This vision extends the range of sight to Senses

times 200 in meters. It also gives a graphical display

of visible allies, enemies, formations, and ratios of

success for various battle engagements. This grants a

bonus of +2 dice for all Strategy or Art of Rule rolls.

Dark Vision (1)

Night looks like day with this vision enhancement.

The user receives a bonus of +2 dice to all Senses

checks at night or in a dark environment.

Eyes of Distant Death (1)

This vision increases the steadiness of zoomed vision

while projecting a HUD and probability tables for

distance attacks. All ranged attacks based on the

Marksman ability are granted +2 dice.

Lifepulse Extend (1)

This increases the range of the Lifepulse ability to

Senses times 100 meters.

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Motion Detector (1)

This is a limited-range passive detection unit which

tracks all movement within a 10 meter radius. It

makes the armour harder to target for sneak attacks

from behind, granting the pilot a bonus of 3 dice to

use against sneak attack maneuvers.

Sha Sensors (1)

This allows pilots with the Onmyojutsu skill to

see the very fabric of the gossamer-like Sha power

around it. Using this ability, the pilot makes a

Senses: Onmyojutsu roll against 1/10 of the creation

point cost of a target shiki. If successful, the user

can determine all of the shiki’s abilities and power

levels of those abilities.

Mechanica (1)

Mechanica based on the head region can be added

to the armour head. Each mechanica requires one

equipment slot.

UPPER TORSO AND ARMS

While most armours are built with a basic human

shape to facilitate the interface between pilot and

armour, some are built with more sets of arms for

various tasks.

No matter how many sets of arms an armour has,

they all have an upper torso. An upper torso has

4 equipment slots available and each pair of arms

grants 2 additional equipment slots.

UPPER TORSO AND ARM

ADJUSTMENTS

Arms Body Agility Senses Total

Equip.

Slots

2 +1 +1 0 6

4 -1

+2 -1 8

6 or

-2 +4 -3 4 + # of

arms

Back Personnel Transport (4)

This is a specialized personnel carrier for armour

use. It can carry up to six passengers, and it has

a special chamber for carrying a general or other

important battlefield leader. The personnel carrier

also comes with a great cannon, heavy repeater or

scatter gun at no additional Karma cost.

Brilliant Flower of Destruction (0)

This explosive device is installed in armour when

there are fears of the soul mirror or armour from

falling into enemy hands when the armour is

destroyed. The pilot can activate this device while

inside the armour or from a safe distance away.

A charge is rigged inside of the heart engine,

which gives additional energy to the bomb. The

armour erupts in a massive explosion, completely

obliterating the armour and soul mirror within

it. Every person within a 15 meter radius takes 30

points of explosive damage.

Heaven’s Fire (2)

These are special gunpowder rocket boosters which

allow the armour to leap up to 20 meters at once.

The boosters may be fired up to 3 times per scene.

If the unit is also equipped with thruster wings or

rotor blades, Heaven’s Fire may be used to double its

speed for a round instead.

Rotor Blades (2)

This is a detachable and extendable set of propellers

that allow limited flight. The armour can travel in

the air at a speed of Agility times 20 kilometers per

hour. In combat, the unit can travel Agility times

300 meters per round. The propeller blades allow

the armour to hover and stop in midair as well.

Storage Compartment (2)

This is a special armored compartment. It is a

hollowed compartment which can fit 4 cubic meters

of material. This can be only taken once.

Thruster Wing (2)

This set of turbines and wings allows the frame to

fly at high speeds. The armour can fly at a speed

of Agility times 30 kilometers per hour. In combat,

the unit can travel at a speed equal to the armour’s

Agility times 500 meters per round.

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Mechanica (1)

Mechanica based on the arm and torso region can

be added to the armour body. Each mechanica

requires one equipment slot.

Arm and Upper Torso Weapons

There are specialized weapons for armour. See the

weapons section for details and equipment slot costs.

LOWER TORSO AND LEGS

Like arms, most armour are crafted with two legs

in order to ease the interface between human soul

and machine. However, more or fewer legs can be

equipped for various effects.

No Legs

Lower Torso: 2 Slots Legs: 0 Slots

This could represent a snake-body, or a chariot,

wheeled, or tank-style lower body. An armour

possessing no legs has a better grounded body, but it

is less maneuverable.

Two Legs

Lower Torso: 2 Slots Legs: 2 Slots

This is the most common armour style. Because

of its human shape, riders have the easiest time

adapting to this kind of armour.

Four Legs

Lower Torso: 4 Slots Legs: 4 Slots

While the top half of the body might look human,

the bottom half has four legs like a horse or other

quadruped. The movement speed of the armour is

doubled.

Six or More Legs

Lower Torso: 2 Slots Legs: # of Legs

This option allows 6-legged or 8-legged

armour, with an appearance of a centipede

or other insect. Each leg adds an additional

leg equipment slot. Riders fi nd it harder to

initially adapt to a multi-leg form, which

instills an initial penalty to Senses.

LOWER TORSO AND LEG

ADJUSTMENTS

Legs Body Agility Senses

0 +1 -1 0

2 +1 +1 +1

4 +2 +1 0

6+ +1 +2 -1

There is a limited amount of special equipment

for armour legs. Unlike the head and torso based

equipment, the leg-based special equipment

completely replaces the leg units and leaves no

free leg slots. They also do not cost any Karma:

The normal 5 Karma for additional equipment

is dropped, as they are complete replacements of

normal legs.

Gale Speed Rollers

These are extendable wheels that are attached to

the backs of the legs. The gale speed rollers triple

movement speeds on the ground when deployed

(deployment is instantaneous and requires no

actions in combat). They also grant Evasion skill

rolls 2 bonus dice. These may be equipped on only

the 2-legged and 4-legged units, and the rollers only

work on flat surfaces like fields, plains and roads.

Heaven Roller Legs

Instead of legs, the unit has huge wheels or treads

that roll over any surface. Movement is multiplied

by 4 and Evasion skill rolls get a +1 die bonus.

Heaven roller legs can be used with any number of

legs.

Hover Replacement

Usable only on units with 4 or more legs, this

replacement converts the legs into hover-jets. Th e

unit can travel over land or water. Movement speed

is doubled, and Evasion skill rolls are each granted 1

bonus die.

Legs of the Water Dragon

This modifi cation converts the legs into fins.

It allows the armour to swim underwater. This

conversion is usable on 0 and 2-leg models, and

grants 2 bonus dice to all physical action rolls made

underwater.

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Personnel Transport

This leg modifi cation converts the armour into a

specialized personnel carrier with nearly unlimited

storage. It can carry up to ten passengers. Th e

personnel carrier also comes with one great cannon,

heavy repeater or scatter gun at no additional

Karma cost.

Mechanica (1)

Mechanica based on the lower torso and legs can be

added to the armour body. Each mechanica requires

one equipment slot.

Leg and Lower Torso Weapons

There are specialized weapons for armour. See the

weapons section for details and equipment slot costs.

ARMOUR DAMAGE

Type Damage

Unarmed armour +5

Rolling/Crushing* +Body Attribute

*Rolling/Crushing attacks are only for armour with

no legs. However, their unarmed attack damage is

set at +4.

Unarmed attacks are made with the Body: Interface

or Body: Unarmed Combat skill.Armed attacks

are made with a melee weapon and the Agility:

Interface or Agility: Melee Weapons skill.

Most armour specialty weapons already have a +4

damage adjustment added to them, including all the

weapons listed in the armour rider templates and

armour weapon list. When in doubt, if an armour

wields an “armour-sized” weapon, take the normal

damage for a human-sized weapon and add +4.

Armour Creation Example

Yoko is an armour rider and miko shrine-girl for the

Shinto Priesthood. Coming from a long and established

family line, she has been chosen to pilot one of the yoroi

armours given to her lord.

Before the game begins, Nathan, Yoko’s player, decides

to craft a new armour rather than using the one that

comes with the Armour Rider template.

Nathan decides to create a meikyo suit-armour, which

grants 12 points to the attribute pool. He decides that

he wants to make a relatively humanoid-looking suit

armour based on a design he saw recently in a cool

anime. He chooses a frame which has two arms and

two legs. Th is will grant a bonus of +2 to Body, +2 to

Agility and +1 to Senses.

Nathan then chooses a humanoid face and a kabuto

helmet, but declares that Yoko’s hair flows freely out of

the back of the armour’s kabuto helmet.

The armour has two head slots. Nathan likes the idea

of that bonus to projectile weapons, so he chooses Eyes

of Distant Death. Dark Vision sounds useful as well, so

those are added.

There are 6 open upper body/arm slots to work with.

The thought of leaping high sounds cool, so Nathan

adds Heaven’s Fire. There are 4 slots remaining, but

instead of taking another piece of equipment or more

rocket thrusters, he decides to stop here for now.

Next, Nathan decides to add Twin Blades to each of

the armour’s legs. Th is will not increase the number

of attacks, but it looks cool, and protects against the

possibility of one of the blades breaking or being

destroyed by a special attack. This fills the open leg

slots. On the lower torso, he decides to take a projectile

weapon. Looking over the general weapon list, he settles

on a standard human-sized soulgem rifle.

Next, Nathan adds up the total cost of this armour

to see how he stands. The first meikyo soul mirror

and heart engine which power the armour do not

cost anything. He has 6 pieces of equipment (Eyes

of Distant Death, Dark Vision, Heaven’s Fire, two

Twin Blades, and the soulgem rifl e), which comes

to a subtotal of 30 Karma. Nathan wants 25 extra

soulgems for the rifle, so that will cost an extra 5

Karma. The final Karma total is 35.

Finally, it’s time to spread the attribute pool around.

Suit armours get 12 points, and because of the human

frame there are an extra 5 points (+2 Body, +2 Agility,

+1 Senses) for a total of 17.

He decides that for this mecha concept, he wants an

armour that is light, fast, and very competent with

ranged weapons. He decides on a final spread of Body

4, Agility 7 and Senses 5. The armour’s meikyo starts

off with 35 Karma, and requires a station of 6 to pilot.

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SAMPLE YOROI

ARMOURS

The following is a list of sample yoroi armours

with their Karma a lready calculated. Beginning

players should simply use the armour listed in their

archetype template, but the armour presented here

are a good starting point for creating your own

armour. Feel free to change the name as you see fit.

PROWLING LION

Shikiami

Ty pe: Armour

Frame: 2 Arms, 2 Legs

Head: Humanoid Kabuto

Required Station: 8

Karma Cost: 35

Attribute Penalty: 1

Attributes

Body: 7 Agility: 7

Senses: 7 Vitality: 14

WEAPON Dmg RoF Range Ammo

Yoroi

Gemblade

+9 6 — 12

Roaring

Dragon

Mortar

+9 4 1km 6

Explosive

Spiker

+7 (+9) 1 — 9

Equipment

Gale Speed Rollers, 50 Soulgems

Notes

This is a traditional armour type, made to look

vaguely human. It excels in close combat on the

battlefield. The Yoroi Gemblade is a customized

gemblade large katana, which costs 15 Karma total.

STEEL DEMON MK II

Tekki: Nikishi

Ty pe: Kimen Armour

Frame: 2 Arms, 2 Legs

Head: Humanoid Kabuto

Required Station: 5

Karma Cost: 20

Attribute Penalty: 0

Attributes

Body: 5 Agility: 8

Senses: 8 Vitality: 10

WEAPON Dmg RoF Range Ammo

Yoroi

Greatsword

+9 — — —

Heavy

Repeater

+3 5 50m 30

Great

Cannon

+10 1 120m 1

Equipment

Gale Speed Rollers, Eyes of Distant Death

Notes

A modern kimen-style armour, standardized and

deployed in many kingdoms under the influence

of the Northern Court of the Priesthood. Clunkier

than its meikyo counterparts, it still demands

attention on the battlefield. It does not gain a

Karma adjustment.

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FLOWER OF THUNDER

Raika

Ty pe: Suit Armour

Frame: 2 Arms, 2 Legs

Head: Humanoid Kabuto

Required Station: 6

Karma Cost: 35

Attribute Penalty: 0

Attributes

Body: 4 Agility: 7

Senses: 6 Vitality: 8

WEAPON Dmg RoF Range Ammo

Soulgem

Rifle

+5 2 100m 8

Twi n Blades +2 2 — 4

Equipment

Dark Vision, Eyes of Distant Death, Heaven’s Fire,

25 Soulgems

Notes

A meikyo suit-armour crafted for reconnaissance

and light combat. It is a model especially adept

at ranged fire, and used in many of the southern

kingdoms.

WHITE RIVER

Hakuryu

Ty pe: Living Armour

Frame: 2 Arms, 2 Legs

Head: Humanoid

Required Station: 7

Karma Cost: 55

Attribute Penalty: 0

Attributes

Body: 7 (8) Agility: 7 (6)

Senses: 5 Vitality: 14

WEAPON Dmg RoF Range Ammo

White Heat

Palm

+(x/2)

— — —

Yoroi

Shortsword

+6 — — —

Equipment

Dark Vision; Annelid: Rejuvenation Worms (2);

Annelid: Blood Hulker (1)

Notes

White River is a living armour from the domain

of Utsuro in the Iron Ridge. Because this living

armour moves much more quietly and is more

flexible than most armours, it is very useful for

night and close-range encounters. Unlike many

armours, it does not make an appearance on the

battlefield as a symbol of might and power. Instead

it is sent to work from the shadows.

156

ARMOUR

CRIMSON SPIDER

Benigumo

Ty pe: Armour

Frame: 4 Arms, Multiple Legs

Head: Beast-like

Required Station: 8

Karma Cost: 30

Attribute Penalty: 1

Attributes

Body: 4 Agility: 6

Senses: 8 Vitality: 8

WEAPON Dmg RoF Range Ammo

Armour

Piercing

Rifle

+11 1 400m 8

Heavy

Repeater

+3 5 50m 30

Double

Shikidan

Howler

Cannon

12 1 2km 2

Equipment

Hover Replacement, Eyes of Distant Death, 15

Soulgems

Notes

The kingdom of Ryuko is always engaged in battles

over the border with its neighbor Kikoku. Crimson

Spider is deployed in areas where there are trenches

that stop or stymie other armour and ground forces.

Its multiple legs simply walk over obstacles that

stop other units, making it a particularly effective

armour in these circumstances. Kikoku has no

armours of its own, so Crimson Spider can turn the

tide of battle when deployed.

Due to its effectiveness, Ryuko and other

neighboring lands are experimenting with kimen

armours of the same spider-like shape.

SKYFANG

Kuuga

Ty pe: Kimen Armour

Frame: 4 Arms, 2 Legs

Head: Humanoid, Double-

horned

Required Station: 5

Karma Cost: 35

Attribute Penalty: 1

Attributes

Body:

Agility: 6

Senses: 8 Vitality: 8

WEAPON Dmg RoF Range Ammo

Longspear +8 — — —

Long Cursed

Lancer

+9 1 400m 10

Heavy

Repeater

+3 5 50m 30

Equipment

Eyes of Distant Death, Heaven’s Fire, Lifepulse

Extend, Thruster Wing, 10 Soulgems

Notes

Skyfang is a flying armour, committed to

reconnaissance and aerial fi ghting over the skies

of Ouga in the Dragonscale Territories. Few

flying armours exist, so Skyfang is particularly

effective. Other fl ying armour like Skyfang are also

commonly called Godspears, and their sky battles

are terrible to behold.

They say that the first flying armour was developed

from the plans of a regent named Kodou Sunami.

The details are lost to history, but he assuredly

had support from the Shinto Priesthood in its

development and manufacture.

157

ARMOUR

EARTH KING

Riku-Oh

Ty pe: Kimen Armour

Frame: 2 Arms, No Legs

Head: Humanoid, Single-

horned

Required Station: 4

Karma Cost: 10

Attribute Penalty: 0

Attributes

Body: 9 Agility: 4

Senses: 5 Vitality: 18

WEAPON Dmg RoF Range Ammo

Wheel Crush +9 — — —

Great

Cannon

+10 1 120m 1

Equipment

Heaven Roller Legs, Storage Compartment

Notes

Earth King is the most popular model of

kimen armour in the domain of Inao. They are

capable of a wide range of tactics when there are

several in a group, from combat maneuvers to

the transportation of necessities to outposts or

battlefields.

Because of their mobility and speed, they are very

useful for maintaining supply lines and supporting

other armour units, or bringing samurai, kijin or

kongohki quickly to deployment areas.

MOUNTAINSONG

Kasen

Ty pe: Kimen Armour

Frame: 4 Arms, No Legs

Head: Humanoid, plumed

helmet

Required Station: 2

Karma Cost: 30

Attribute Penalty: 2

Attributes

Body: 2 Agility: 7

Senses: 6 Vitality: 14

WEAPON Dmg RoF Range Ammo

Burning

Scourge

(+10)*

— 5m —

*+10 damage is due to the Combat Arm bonus

Equipment

Battlefi eld Mastery (1.2km), Sha Sensors, Combat

Arms (Otsu-Class), Kairen Fingers, Mechanica

Torso (Otsu Class)

Notes

A legendary Taoist sorcerer named Nasu Ittou

brought an intact yoroi armour from Ujima and

reverse-engineered it. From its design, he was able to

manufacture a line of kimen armour specializing in

supporting onmyoji summoner-riders. These models

can be seen in the southern and eastern continents

of Tenra.

Nasu Ittou is currently being pursued by the

Southern Court for his actions, and because he still

possesses the meikyo mirror from the armour he

captured.

158

ARMOUR

ARMOUR WEAPONS

Armour can use additional weapons from the

general Weapon List section of the rules. The

weapons in this chart are available only for armour.

Each weapon costs 5 additional Karma.

UNARMED AND MELEE WEAPON NOTES

Explosive Spiker

This fires a spear-like projectile with incredible

force, extending from the arm or leg during strikes

or kicks for devastating damage. It contains a

number of gunpowder charges; the damage in

parentheses indicates the adjusted damage when

one of the gunpowder charges is expended. Th e

explosive spiker is used with the Unarmed Combat

skill.

Twin Blades

Single blades which extend from the frame’s

forearm. They can be used with Unarmed Combat

or Melee Combat skills. They are called “twin”

because both sides of the blade are sharpened.

Vajra Claws

Ultra-sharp steel claws that are attached to (or

spring from) the fingertips. They are used with the

Unarmed Combat skill.

White Heat Palm/Leg

A soulgem-implanted gauntlet which glows white-

hot when activated. Expending points of Soul

causes the soulgems to heat the hand or leg, causing

additional damage for each single attack the more

Soul (“X”, where “X” is “as much Soul as you wish

to spend ”) is consumed. The kongohki version,

being more condensed, is generally more effective

than the armour version.

Weapon

Name

Location Slots Damage Rate of

Fire

Range Ammo

Explosive

Spiker

Arm/Leg 1 +7(9) 1 — 9

Twin Blades Arm/Leg 1 +6 3 — 9

Varja Claws Arm 0 +5 2 — 4

Varja Claws Leg 0 +6 2 — 4

White Heat

Palm

Arm 0 +4 + (x/2) — — —

White Heat Leg Leg 0 +5 + (x/2) — — —

Cursed Lancer UT/LT/Leg 1 +7 1 400m 6

Repeating

Cursed Lancer

UT/LT 1 +6 10 150m 30

Peerless Cursed

Lancer

UT/LT 2 +8 12 250 20

Fury of the

Kami

UT 3 +15 1 4km 6

Roaring

Dragon Mortar

UT/LT/Leg 1 +9 4 1km 6

Shikidan

Howler Cannon

UT/LT/Leg 1 12 1 2km 1

Twin Shikidan

Cannon

UT/LT 2 12 1 2km 2

Raiden Mortar UT/Leg 1 +10 1 4km 1

Location: UT = Upper Torso; LT = Lower Torso

159

ARMOUR

RANGED WEAPON NOTES

Cursed Lancer

This is a massive rifle or cannon which fires

soulgem-propelled large steel bullets at an incredible

speed.

Repeating Cursed Lancer

This cannon has multiple barrels capable of a greater

rate of fire, but at a shorter range.

Peerless Cursed Lancer

The latest in soulgem mass-driver technology, this

fires bullets at even higher speeds than previously

attained, resulting in more damage and a longer

range.

Fury of the Kami

The Fury of the Kami is a massive cannon,

indisputably the most powerful armour-carried

weapon available. It unleashes pure hell on any

single target on the battlefield when fired. It has an

extremely long range, but requires quite a bit of time

to reload.

Roaring Dragon Mortar

This is a high velocity mortar which fires a soulgem-

steel crafted shell, exploding on impact. Everyone

within 4 meters of the impact is affected, although

they have an opportunity to evade the attack.

Shikidan Howler Cannon

The Shikidan cannon fires pinpoint-targeted guided

shells with unerring accuracy at an incredible range.

Simply pick the target, and the target will take

the exact amount of damage (this damage can be

reduced by making an Agility: Evasion roll. Each

success lowers the damage taken by one). It fires

expensive shikidan shells. Each shell contains a shiki

spirit which guides the projectile to its target. The

shiki spirit yells out an unnerving scream as it sends

the payload to its intended target.

Raiden Mortar

This is a long range, high-power version of the

Shikidan Howler Cannon. It is a high-prep single-

shot weapon, and its shells explode in a fireball

when they hit their targets. Everyone within a 5

meter radius (4 meter for the kongohki model) must

make an Evasion roll or take damage. It can only be

used once per scene.

OTHER WEAPONS

See the Weapon List for more weapon possibilities

for armour and kongohki. For armour, simply add

+4 damage to the rating of any listed weapon and

leave all other stats as-is for a simple armour weapon

costing 5 Karma. Armour weapons can be

customized as per the customization rules in the

Weapons List.

SUIT ARMOUR NOTE

Suit armours are roughly human-sized, so they can

only choose kongohki weapons and equipment.

They can’t use normal armour weapons. Th ey also

do not get the +4 damage bonus to other weapons

that the other armour types receive.

160

ONMYOJUTSU

RULES

In the world of Tenra, magic is synonymous

with summoning. Taoist sorcerers called onmyoji

don’t fly or throw bolts of fire at their enemies.

Instead, they summon creatures called “shiki ”

or “shikigami” to do these things for them. This

section covers the background and technique of

onmyojutsu, as well as provides a number of sample

shiki for summoning.

RULES FOR CREATING

SHIKIGAMI

Onmyojutsu is the art and science of controlling

the invisible universal force known as sha. Between

practitioners of Taoist sorcery, there is a word called

“shiki”. This word shiki generally refers to three

things: The power of sha put into a state of control

by some kind of practitioner, devices that use the

force of sha to empower and control human muscles

and mechanica, and finally the proto-lifeforms

summoned from magical seals, often written on

prayer strips.

However, the onmyojutsu summoners generally

focus only on the latter kind of shiki. The greatest

power of an Taoist sorcerer is to summon and

control protolife, drawing them from the sha by

use of prayer strips and force of will. Between

sorcerers, these protolife creatures are usually called

shikigami. The people of the world of Tenra,

however, refer to these creatures as shiki, and know

them as demons, monsters and evil spirits which

sorcerers bind and control.

The Taoist sorcerers who use the power of

onmyojutsu to summon and bind these shiki are

called onmyoji or summoners.

CREATING SHIKI

Even for onmyoji, the path of using shiki is a path

which leads to vast unexplored territory; it is not an

exact science and it is clouded in much mystery. The

laws and rules behind the study of summoning are

consistent, but individual onmyoji know that the

nature of sha grants greater weight to skill, intuition

and sense than consistent patterns.

Even within the same practiced, measured

recorded laws of summoning shiki, the variance of

possible results is wide, and the exact same shiki is

almost never produced twice. Because of the wide

possibilities that abound when drawing upon sha to

summon shikigami, onmyoji commonly view

summoning as more of an art than a science.

Creation Points

The amount of creation points available to use

to summon a shiki depend on the onmyoji’s

Onmyojutsu skill and Knowledge attribute. These

creation points will determine the abilities and

powers of the shiki.

SHIKI CREATION POINT CHART

Shiki Level Creation Points

Skilled (2) Knowledge

Advanced (3) Knowledge x2

Master (4) Knowledge x3

Supreme (5) Knowledge x4

Shiki Creation Procedure

Shiki are created in the following manner:

1) Write out a summoning seal

2) Soul points are consumed

3) The prayer seal gathers sha energy

4) The shiki takes form

5) The shiki begins to act on its own

Drawing the Summoning Seal

The onmyoji writes the abilities and powers of

the shiki in what is known as a summoning seal

or summoning glyph. A summoning seal is a

written combination of pictures and words of the

161

ONMYOJUTSU RULES

summoning language, used to craft and tune the

paper or object that it is written on. To the passerby,

it appears to be squiggles and ordered marks, but to

the onmyoji it will appear to be the quick blueprint

of a shikigami to be summoned. This summoning

seal doesn’t always have to be written on a piece of

paper. Any place that is possible to write on can

have a prayer seal written on it, although it can

increase the difficulty of the summoning. In a

pinch, one can write on water, or even in the air.

More often than not, writing a summoning seal is

done on a strip of paper, often called a prayer strip,

using a brush and black ink. Writing a seal usually

requires a minute of time (or one full action when in

the middle of combat).

Prayer Strips

Prayer strips, also commonly known as “summoning

strips”, or “shiki paper”, are specialized rectangular

strips of paper used for shiki summoning and

creating magical charms. The creation of these

strips, and the making of the paper itself, is done by

sorcerer apprentices. It is often the first job learned

by a young onmyoji apprentice in the path of study.

In the game, onmyoji characters can spend one

Kiai point to pick up 10 prayer strips during

intermissions.

Brush

For shiki-summoning seals, it doesn’t matter if you

use the tip of your finger to write with. However,

as expected, most onmyoji have a fondness for a

fine brush. Lately, some onmyoji have been spotted

crafting shiki on kimenkyo and abacus. Old-style

onmoyji look upon this uncouth newer generation

with unreserved scorn and refer to them as “Shiki-

slingers”.

Ink

There are many ingredients to use for drawing shiki

summoning seals. The most commonly-used ones

are charcoal ink or pigmented water. In rare cases,

even blood is used, as some onmyoji maintain the

theory that sha tends to concentrate in blood.

Often, onmyoji choose an original kind, style or

color of ink that becomes their trademark, though

there are no rule-based effects for using different

liquids for drawing seals.

Soul Consumption

There is no die roll required to summon a shiki.

However, in the summoning process a certain

amount of the onmyoji ’s Soul points will be

consumed. The sorcerer first uses her will to awaken

the summoning seal. After that, the seal will

automatically begin to gather sha energy and form

into a shiki.

The amount of Soul consumed depends on the

complexity of the shiki seal. The more shiki creation

points used to create the shiki, the more Soul

is consumed to awaken it. The amount of Soul

consumed is equal to half the creation point cost of

the shiki, rounded up.

At this time, if the amount of Soul consumed

exceeds the sorcerer’s Soul reserves, taking it to

zero or less, the sorcerer passes out. The shiki will

still form, but it won’t be able to take orders or

act. In most cases, it will simply wander away and

disappear. In the case of more dangerous shiki, it

may attack people around itself—including the

sorcerer—before disappearing.

In any case, it is at this point where Soul points

are consumed, and the Soul score of the onmyoji is

reduced by the appropriate amount.

The Seal Accumulates Sha Energy

The summoning seal, having consumed Soul from

the sorcerer, pulls the surrounding sha into itself

and starts to form the body of the shiki. A crackle

similar to electricity or distant thunder can be

heard, and the seal gives off a glow like electricity.

The time required then for the formation of the

shiki depends upon the amount of latent sha energy

in the area that the seal can draw upon. However,

for the purposes of the game rules, most shiki

require about one minute to form. In a combat

situation, the shiki forms in the interaction phase

162

ONMYOJUTSU RULES

that takes place at the beginning of the combat

round. In normal cases, the sorcerer draws the

prayer seal in the fi rst round. At the beginning of

the second round the shiki takes form, and by the

action phase of that second round the shiki can

move, act and attack.

The Shiki Takes Form

Once the seal has enough sha, the shiki takes form

and awakens. Often, the shiki lets out a scream not

dissimilar to a scream of animal ’s birth cry. For this

proto-life creature, taking form is literally the birth

of the shiki.

The formation of the shiki looks like a ghostlike

substance which gradually and slowly takes form

and becomes more and more substantial.

As mentioned above, in a combat situation this

formation and awakening takes place at the

beginning of the round after the seal was drawn and

Soul spent.

The Shiki Begins to Act on Its Own

From this point, the shiki fully awakens, and begins

to act in accordance with the orders of the onmyoji.

The shiki acts on the intent and desires of its master.

A shiki does not accidentally or intentionally fi nd

loopholes in wording to twist a master’s commands

into something undesirable. A shiki will always do

as the summoner commands in accordance with her

desires and intentions to the best of its abilities.

BASIC SHIKIGAMI

ABILITIES

A shiki has a number of basic abilities. The abilities

will vary depending on the amount of points spend

in the shiki’s creation, the form that the onmyoji

chooses for it, and the powers that the onmyoji

grants it.

SHIKI ABILITY SCORES

The ability scores that the shiki starts out with and

the number it uses for its skills is decided based

on the total amount of points used to create the

shiki. The more points used to create the shiki, no

matter what its purpose or special abilities, the more

powerful the shiki will be.

The ability score number isused for all shiki actions

normally resolved using Body, Agility and Senses

attributes. However, a shiki cannot use Knowledge,

Spirit, Empathy or Station attributes or rolls.

As for skills, a shiki uses its set skill number as the

value for all basic skill rolls. A shiki cannot use

specialist skills (Forgery, Ninjutsu, and the like).

Finally, a shiki has no will or personality of its own;

attempts at communication, or mental or spiritual

attacks will not affect a shiki.

SHIKI ABILITY SCORE TABLE

Creation

Pts

Attr Skill Vit

1-6 1 1 1

7-12 2 1 2

13-18 3 2 3

19-24 4 2 4

25-30 5 3 5

31-36 6 3 6

37-42 7 4 7

For every 6 points spent above 42, add +1 to both

Attributes and Vitality

Shiki Lifespan

After a shiki is summoned, it can act for a number

of minutes (or rounds in combat) equal to its

summoner’s Spirit score. If the shiki is defeated in

combat, the appointed lifespan time has passed,

or the summoner tells it to, the shiki will either

disappear into nothingness or return to its seal to be

enveloped. In both cases, the shiki is gone from the

scene. If the shiki is in combat, it will disappear in

the round’s interaction phase.

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ONMYOJUTSU RULES

Physical Appearance

The form, shape, and other characteristics of the

shiki are entirely determined by the summoning

onmyoji. She determines what the shiki looks like,

and that’s how it appears. However, no matter what

its appearance is, it will not gain extra abilities

or powerful attacks just because the summoner

described it as having them. An onmyoji can

describe her shiki as having great wings, but it

cannot fly unless the summoner specifically pays for

that ability.

Onmyoji who summon shiki with the shapechange

abilit y can change the appearance of the shikigami

again and again after it takes form.

A Shiki Always Obeys

A shikigami always obeys the commands of its

master. No matter what abilities or form the

shiki takes, it always retains the ability to hear

and understand the desires of the onmyoji that

summoned it. As stated earlier, it always acts on the

will and intent of the summoner, and never uses

creative interpretation or willful misinterpretation

when it comes to orders.

In combat, it costs no actions for the summoner

to give orders (even new orders) to shiki that have

the Sense Link ability. For other shiki without

Sense Link, it requires a half action (see the combat

section for more details on “half actions”) for the

summoner to issue an order to the shiki.

Destruction of the Shikigami

If the shiki is attacked and takes enough damage

to equal or exceed its Vitality score, then it does

not pass out: It is destroyed. Even if the prayer strip

or summoning seal still remains intact, it cannot

be reused, and the destroyed shiki does not return

unless it is summoned again.

SHIKIGAMI ABILITY CHARTS

There are two methods for creating a shiki:

random and crafted. Crafted shiki tend to have the

exact abilities that the onmyoji summoner wants

it to have. However there is less freedom in the

expenditure of points, and these shiki can be a little

weaker. Randomly created shiki tend to be more

powerful than crafted shiki, but if the summoner

wants a particular ability set in a shiki, it may be

harder to build.

For example: A summoner wants to create a shiki

whose only task is to carry the onmyoji and her

comrade to the top of a cliff face. It would be too much

of a gamble to try to create a random shiki hoping that

it gets infused with the one power the sorcerer needs.

However, in a fight against a powerful enemy, it

might be worth taking the gamble to create a shiki at

random to be able to get abilities more powerful than

its creation cost would normally allow.

Random Creation

The onmyoji must roll for the abilities of the shiki

on the shikigami ability chart in this chapter. Two

dice are rolled to determine the gained ability, then

one more die is rolled to determine the power of

that ability. Th is determines the ability, the power

level of the ability, and the shiki creation point cost

for that ability level. The shiki gets that ability and

the point cost must be paid.

In the random creation method, if at least one

creation point remains unspent, the summoner’s

player can roll on the chart again to get more

abilities. If there is one ability point left, and the

player rolls and gets an ability that normally costs 15

points, that ability can still be taken; it’s okay to go

over the mark once in the random creation method.

Eventually, though, the creation points will be

reduced to zero or less, and at that point no further

abilities can be purchased.

If the same ability is rolled twice, then the two

power levels are added to each other for a more

powerful ability.

Example: A player rolls and gets “combat ability” at a

power level of 2 and a cost of 6 creation points. Later,

“combat ability” is the result of another roll, this time

at level 4 at a cost of 12 creation points. The player

adds them together for a final “combat ability” of level

6, for a total of 18 creation points.

164

ONMYOJUTSU RULES

Making Shikigami with Fewer Creation Points

An onmyoji can summon a shiki with a creation

point cost determined by the summoner’s

Knowledge attribute score and Onmyojutsu skill.

As mentioned above, during a random creation

summoning, more points can be spent on abilities if

the last Shiki Ability Chart roll goes over this point

cost. However, an onmyoji can also choose to create

a weaker shiki made with fewer creation points,

stopping the creation process any time she wants to.

During random creation, the chart must be rolled

on at least once. The onmyoji can choose to roll

again or stop anytime. Once the summoner decides

that the shiki is ready and wishes to summon it, the

fi nal point cost is calculated. This determines the

attribute, skill and Vitality scores of the shiki. It also

determines the final Soul point cost to summon the

shiki (half of the shiki creation points used, rounded

up).

Going Over the Shiki Point Cost

In the random creation method, there is that chance

that the final roll on the chart will exceed the point

cost that the summoner is usually limited to. This

is fine and represents the accidental summoning

of a shiki that was more powerful than intended.

At this point, though, the chart cannot be rolled

upon further, as the shiki creation points have been

exceeded. The shiki creation process ends and the

shiki will be summoned.

When the player over-allocates points in this way to

a shiki, there are two extra rules to consider:

• The final point cost of all the abilities bought

becomes the final shiki creation point total. This is

used to determine the shiki’s attribute score, skill

score and Vitality points.

• The Soul point cost is determined by the

summoner’s original intended creation point cost.

If the onmyoji did not specify how many points she

was intending to use, then her Soul score drops to 1.

EXAMPLE: An Onmyoji Summons a Shiki

A sorcerer has a Knowledge of 7 and an Onmyojutsu

skill of 4. According to the shiki creation point chart,

a summoner with an Onmyoujutsu skill of 4 has three

times her Knowledge score, so the character has 21

shiki creation points. Th e player rolls a few times on

the shiki ability table to create the shiki. Eventually,

the shiki has 19 points spent and 2 points left. Th e

summoner makes one more roll and gets the crazy-

powerful Combat Ability at level 10, at a cost of 30

shiki creation points. The limit was supposed to be 21,

but this shiki was “overcharged” to 49 points because of

luck on the random creation.

For purposes of determining this shiki’s attribute scores,

skills and Vitality, the summoner uses the total shiki

point cost of 49 (which results in an attribute score of

9, skill score of 4, and Vitality score of 9). However,

to determine the shiki’s Soul cost for this one-time

summon, the original shiki point limit of 21 is used

instead. Halving this and rounding up, the caster gets

to summon this very powerful shiki - just once - for the

rather low Soul point cost of 11 Soul.

Crafting Shiki

The second method of creating a shiki is called

“Crafting”. The onmyoji carefully decides which

abilities she wants the summoned shiki to have. Th

is is especially useful when using shiki like a “utility

belt” to accomplish specific tasks or help in specific

ways. The summoner chooses which abilities from

the Shiki Ability Chart she wants the shiki to have,

and from there decides the exact power level that

she wants the ability to be set at.

The only drawback in the crafting method is that

the shiki tends to be weaker than one summoned

using the random method. This is because a player

using the crafting method cannot over-allocate

shiki creation points. The shiki creation point total

determined by Knowledge and Onmyojutsu level

becomes a hard limit which cannot be crossed. You

can always use fewer points to craft a shiki than the

summoner’s shiki creation point total, but you

cannot use more.

More importantly, when totaling up the shiki’s

point cost, the shiki’s skill level is lowered one step

on the shiki Ability Score Table. In other words, if

165

ONMYOJUTSU RULES

28 points are used to craft the shiki, this normally

means that all skills are ranked 3. However, moving

one step down brings the skill rating to 2. If 34

points are used to craft the shiki, this normally

means that all skills are ranked 3; and moving one

step down means the skill rating is still 3. See the

shiki Crafting vs Skill Level table for the appropriate

skill level when using the crafting method.

SHIKI CRAFTING AND SKILL LEVEL

Creation Points Skill Rating

1-6 1

7-12 1

13-18 1

19-24 2

25-30 2

31-36 3

37-42+ 3

Talisman Creation

A talisman refers to a shiki bound to an inanimate

object: Any user (not just an onmyoji) can use it to

summon and control the shiki bound within it.

To create a talisman, or a shiki to be bound into an

object or even a samurai, the shiki must have the

Possession ability. The best method for creating a

talisman is the shiki crafting method.

If you use the random method and happen to roll

and hit the Possession ability, it means that this

shiki may be bound into a talisman or samurai if

the summoner wishes to do so.

Runaway Shikigami

The first result of the Shiki Ability Chart used

during the random shiki creation method (if double

1s are rolled) is “Runaway”. If this result is rolled,

the shiki becomes frenzied and pulls itself from the

onmyoji’s control. At this point, the shiki almost

always turns on its master at the point where it takes

form. One of two things happens from that point:

If the shiki is a “Runaway” (if the player rolls double

1s on the shiki Ability Chart), then the shiki comes

to life, sustaining itself on area sha for sustenance.

A similar effect can also occur if the shiki is a

“Chimera” (double 4s on the shiki Ability Chart). In

this case, the shiki comes out twisted, malformed,

full of pain and rage, and looking for something

to destroy. A chimera is a malformed half-creature

half-spirit that wanders the land in the shadow. For

the moment, it begins to act on its own as soon

as it is summoned. Many chimera run away to

terrorize faraway settlements, while others stalk their

summoners, waiting for an attempt to strike.

Since this shiki had the power to create itself and

pull itself from the sha without the summoner’s aid,

the summoner loses no Soul points when a runaway

shiki or chimera is created But the GM, not the

player, immediately takes control of this shiki.

Normally, the runaway shiki or chimera

immediately attacks the nearest living creatures.

Most commonly, this includes the onmyoji which

summoned it. Sometimes the runaway shiki or

chimera chooses another target. Shiki almost always

stay and fight, but in rare cases, a chimera will run

away. If the chimera runs away, it will usually return

again later to consume the flesh of the summoner

who brought it to life, wreak havoc in nearby

communities, or pursue strange or unknowable

goals until it crosses paths again with its summoner.

Sometimes it returns inexplicably far more powerful

than when it was summoned.

Once the player of the summoner gets a “Runaway

Shiki” or “Chimera” result, stop rolling: Th e shiki

is immediately and obviously out of the summoner’s

control and fully forms itself at that moment. No

further abilities are added to the chimera. If the

shiki has become a chimera, please look at the

ayakashi section for more details on their nature.

Use the attributes for that Chimera and add all of

the abilities which the summoner gave the shiki up

until the point it became a Chimera.

Runaways and Chimera

A Runaway shiki is a shiki spirit which the

summoner loses control over. The only abilities it

has are the ones that the summoner’s player rolled

for it before the 1-1 was rolled.

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A Chimera is a monstrous entity accidentally

summoned forth from the sha. It has all the abilities

of a standard Chimera in addition to the abilities

which the summoner’s player gave it before the

4-4 was rolled.

Chimera Statistics

BOD 6 AGI 8 SEN 7 KNO 4

SPI 5 EMP 2 STA 4

Vit: 10 Soul: 18

All non-Specialist abilities ranked at 3

Additional Ayakashi Abilities:

Regeneration: 5, Living Weapons: +6 Damage,

Flight: 10, Incorporeal

Note: When a Chimera is accidentally summoned,

it retains all the abilities and skills you rolled for the

shiki summoning as well as the ones above.

Fun Cultural Fact

Why does a roll of 4-4 mean the onmyoji loses

control of the shiki? Four, in Japanese is pronounced

“shi”. “Shi” is also the word for “death”. Four is a

very, very unlucky number in Japanese culture.

THE SHIKI TAKES FORM

To bring a shikigami out of the ether into a physical

form and make it come alive, the Soul energy of the

summoner is consumed. The Soul cost of a shiki is

equal to one half of the shiki points used to create it,

rounded up.

The process of summoning a shiki, from the start of

writing out the prayer strip to the shiki being fully

formed, usually takes one full minute.

In a combat situation, it takes one full action in a

round to write out the shiki, and the shiki comes to

life at the beginning of the second round during the

interaction phase. In the second round ’s interaction

phase, the summoner can order the shiki to act

(“Fight my enemies!”), and the shiki will start acting

during that second round’s full action phase.

In the Case of Talismans

If the shikigami is tied to a talisman or other vessel

(like a samurai), the shiki’s pattern is already written

and defi ned. All that needs to be done is to use it

to bring it to life. It comes to life at the end of the

user’s full action phase at the end of the round.

The shiki cannot actually take actions or

counterattack in that fi rst round, but it can defend

itself . If the user is a samurai who is has begun

the process of samuraization, or summoning the

power of this shiki within it for combat prowess, the

samurai will get to defend that round by using the

higher defense bonus that the shiki grants her.

The advantages of using talismans or vessel-bound

shiki, aside from the fact that anyone (not just an

onmyoji) is able to use them, is the defense ability it

can use on the first round and the fact that the shiki

may act normally in the second round.

SHIKI-SLINGING

When bringing shiki to life the summoner can work

as fast as they can, but they will always require time

to harness the surrounding sha energy and bind it to

the prayer strip or summoning seal. The amount of

time required to draw upon the sha is random, but

most summoners can pull together sha within about

a minute under pressure.

As written in the rules above, it usually requires

a full round to summon a shiki under normal

circumstances. However, a full round can be a very

long time in a desperate situation.

The summoner can reduce the amount of time

required to summon a shiki through a process

called “Shiki-slinging”, also called “Spell slinging”

or “quick-draw”. By drawing faster and furiously

on the surrounding sha, and saying incantations as

fast as their mouth can sound out the words, they

can cut the time required to summon a shiki. When

shiki-slinging, the summoner finds the shiki point

cost of the shiki they wish to summon and divides

that point cost by 5 (rounding up). That number

becomes the shiki-slinger’s difficulty. The slinger

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has to make a roll of Agility and Onmyojutsu to

successfully summon the shiki.

If the summoner’s roll succeeds, the shiki is quickly

formed. The shiki’s summoner can command it

in the first round to take action, and the shiki will

take that action at the end of the first round after

all other participants have acted. A summoner can

use shiki-slinging to summon multiple shikigami

at the same time. For multiple shiki, the total point

costs of all the shiki are combined, and they are

summoned in order from the one with the lowest

ability scores to the highest ability scores.

The dangers of shiki-slinging are found when

the summoner fails the Agility: Summoning

roll. It means that somewhere in the process, the

summoner made a mistake: A brush stroke was left

out, a word mumbled, the prayer strip or writing

surface was disturbed, or the sha energy surged in

too fast. Every failed summoning roll produces a

runaway shikigami. This runaway shiki will always

aim for the life of the caster, stopping at nothing to

kill or devour her.

In cases where multiple shiki are summoned at

once, count up the number of successes. If the

number of successes beats the weaker shiki ’s

difficulty, then those weaker shiki are summoned,

and only the ones whose diffi culties weren’t beaten

become runaways.

Since shiki-slinging requires the caster to write and

draw the shiki and magic sigils, this method cannot

be used by a samurai to speed up the samurai

transformation process.

EXAMPLE: The Terrible Mistake of Chihaya

Chihaya the onmyoji makes an attempt at quick-draw

summoning. The total shiki cost for the battle-heavy

shiki she wishes to summon is 17 and the Soul cost

is 9 points. Since the shiki point cost is 17, her shiki-

slinging diffi culty is 4.

Chihaya’s Onmyojutsu skill is 3, and her Agility is 5.

She rolls fi ve dice for her Agility, and they turn up 1,

3, 4, 4, and 5. Th e diffi culty was 4, but her total

number of successes is 2 (only the 1 and the 3 were

equal to or under her summoning skill of 3). She fails.

“The shiki births into existence in front of Chihaya.

It lets out a blood-curdling cry, and turns towards its

summoner.”

Type of

Summoning

Round

Action

End of

Round

Action

End of

Round

NORMAL Summon

Shiki

Forms

Shiki

Acts

TALISMAN

Shiki

Forms

Shiki

Acts

SHIKI-

SLINGING

Shiki

Forms

Shiki

Acts

Shiki

Acts

SENSE SHARING

All of the things that the shikigami senses can be

shared with its summoner. That is because the

summoner has the ability to create a connection

between herself and her summoned shiki. When the

shiki is summoned, the onmyoji decides whether or

not to forge this connection to the shiki.

This connection is called “Shared Sense” (or “Sense

Sharing”/”Sense Bonding”). With shared senses,

there is no distance limit between the summoner

and her shiki. Nothing can “ jam” or interfere with

this connection. The shikis’ sense-link cannot be

“tapped into” or intercepted by a third party or

another onmyoji summoner. A shiki with bonded

senses makes for an excellent reconnaissance

creature or even a spy if the shiki is humanoid.

There is a drawback to shared senses: The

summoner feels pain when the shiki is injured. As

a result, when the shiki is killed or destroyed, the

summoner will take damage as well. When a sense-

bonded shiki is destroyed, the amount of damage a

summoner takes is equal to half the amount of Soul

that was spent to summon the shiki, rounded up.

It’s up to the onmyoji whether or not to allow sense-

sharing with summoned shiki. There are benefits

and drawbacks to each choice. However, once the

shiki is summoned, you can’t change your mind.

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Spending Kiai through Shiki

An onmyoji who summons shiki with shared senses

can spend spend their own Kiai through their

summoned shiki. She can add bonus dice to shiki

rolls, raise shiki skill levels temporarily, etc for the

shiki’s actions. The only thing that the onmyoji

cannot do is use Kiai to permanently raise or level

up the shiki’s attributes or skill levels.

CRAFTING TALISMANS

When a shiki spirit is summoned and bound to an

inanimate object, that object is called a talisman (or

jufu). Usually the object will be in the form of an

amulet or charm. This is also the principle behind

how samurai are created; a shiki is bound to the

inanimate soulgems and frame, which happen to

exist within a living human.

Since talisman-based shiki do not require time to

have their sigils written on them, and since they can

be summoned again and again, the creation and use

of talismans is becoming quite popular in certain

circles.

There are a few rules that apply to shiki that are

to be used for talismans. They must have the

Possession ability in order to bind (possess) an

object. Only one shiki can be stored in each object.

THE CREATION OF SAMURAI

The samurai are those people who have surrendered

their physical bodies to become a vessel for binding

a shiki spirit. The shiki possesses their body and at

the command of the user, it erupts into action. The

possessed samurai is like the rider of a wild bull; the

shiki obeys the samurai’s will and acts exactly as the

samurai wishes, but the relationship always teeters at

the brink of the limits of control.

The process begins with the samuraization surgery.

This is where the warrior trades a large amount of

money (and some would say their souls) in return

for the surgery to implant the shiki. This allows

the user to activate and dismiss the shiki without

requiring an onmyoji to be there each time to

manually cast the shiki into their body.

At the time of surgery, the samurai has an onmyoji

summon and bind a shiki into their body. The

onmyoji summons a shiki normally as per the

summoning rules. The only difference is that

the shiki possession ability is required in order to

bind the shiki to the samurai (at least one point

of possession). Since the samurai’s body is a single

container, only one single shiki spirit can ever be

bound to it.

Skill, Attribute and Vitality ratings for the shiki

(based on creation point total) do not apply to shiki

once implanted into a samurai. They no longer have

meaning.

Samurai power and attribute increases are based

upon the special shiki abilities like Combat Ability

and Regeneration.

The Price of a Samurai

The power gained by a samurai is enormous, but the

consequences of such a transformation are weighty

as well.

The first is that the samurai is no longer regarded

as human. In the world of Tenra, the only proof of

humanity is the ability to bear children. After the

surgery is complete, they lose that ability. There

is not one recorded instance of a samurai, male or

female, siring or bearing a child. Their vessel is no

longer human, but at the same time, it is not exactly

a shiki either. Adopting the power of a samurai

means removing yourself from the human race.

The second consequence sits with the onmyoji who

performs the surgery. A huge amount of money is

paid for well-documented yet extremely dangerous

and experimental surgery. In the process of that

surgery, there are few onmyoji who bind the shiki

to the samurai in exactly the manner the samurai

wishes. The onmyoji often creates a secret backdoor

command to control the shiki when they implant it

in the samurai. Sometimes this is for self-defense, as

there are cautionary tales of onmyoji killed by their

samurai creations once the surgery was completed

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ONMYOJUTSU RULES

and paid for. At other times, the onmyoji has more

sinister goals in mind when creating these secret

keywords.

Controlling the Samurai

Samurai are living shiki spirits which are activated

mentally by the will of the samurai they inhabit.

However, onmyoji also often create a secret keyword

to activate or deactivate a samurai, known only

between the onmyoji and samurai. If this keyword

is known by another, they could use it to activate,

deactivate, or perhaps even control the samurai.

Onmyoji use these keywords so that they are not

attacked by their own creations. Samurai can

also use these keywords to activate or deactivate

their shiki if they feel they are losing control of

their bodies. Some samurai simply request that no

keywords are created, as they loathe the possibility

of another person being able to control them…

However, whether the onmyoji actually omits a

keyword—or creates one anyway and simply doesn’t

tell the samurai—is up to the individual summoner.

Samuraization Surgery

A character can choose to take on the samuraization

surgery in the game. The GM’s approval is

required, as this could affect the story significantly.

Samuraization surgery, including recovery time,

requires three months to half a year to complete. For

that reason, the surgery will probably be taken on

during an intermission, where such a length of time

can pass freely (if the story permits it).

To undergo the surgery, the potential samurai must

find an onmyoji capable and willing to perform

the surgery. She must bring the onmyoji the

soulgems that will eventually be implanted in her

body. She must also bring a mountain of money

(or sponsorship from a lord); expect to pay 4-5

ryo (gold) for each shiki creation point used. The

onmyoji then summons a shiki with the abilities

the samurai requests and binds it to the soulgems in

the host’s body. The onmyoji can choose any shiki

ability she wishes, but the shiki must have at least

one point of Possession ability in order to bind itself

to the samurai’s body.

When a samurai undertakes the surgery her Karma

increases dramatically. When the Soul cost for the

shiki’s activation is determined (one half of the

shiki creation points, rounded up, as normal for

shiki summoning), multiply that Soul cost by 4

to determine the total Karma cost for having that

shiki bound to the samurai’s body. Most samurai

will want to implant more soulgems into their

body in order to lower the Soul cost to activate the

shiki. Every five soulgems implanted into the body

reduces the summoning cost by 1 Soul point, but it

raises Karma by five points. See the samurai rules

for more details on soul and Karma cost for samurai

shiki.

To get the most out of samuraization surgery, it

would probably be best for the samurai to have a

lot of high-ranked Fates ready to be sublimated or

burned away (see the Karma rules for more details).

That way, Karma can be lowered significantly to

counteract the incoming large Karma gain from

the samuraization surgery. If a character spends too

much Karma during the intermission without a way

to reduce it, there’s a chance that she will become a

lost soul, an Asura. Alternatively, she may simply die

on the operating table.

REUSING A TALISMAN

When a shiki spirit is summoned from a talisman,

it operates for a set amount of time then returns

to its container. This is also the case if the shiki is

“killed”: It dissipates, returning to the talisman that

contained it. However, there are a few conditions

which will destroy a talisman shiki permanently,

making it impossible for the shiki to return to its

talisman:

• The shiki has the Explode ability and uses it.

• The shiki has the Transmutation ability and uses

it.

• The shiki has the Shiki Destroyer ability and uses

it.

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ONMYOJUTSU RULES

Using Multiple Talismans

As long as a user has the requisite amount of Soul

points to expend upon each summoning, any

number of shiki can be summoned and controlled.

In a combat situation, each summoning requires

a full action, usually meaning that only one shiki

can be summoned via a talisman each round. Lastly

(though rarely a concern, given the high amount

of Soul cost per summoning), if the shiki have the

Shared Senses ability, only a number of shiki equal

to or less than the summoner’s Knowledge attribute

score can be summoned and controlled at one time.

Using Soulgems

Summoning shiki from talismans places a burden

on the summoner: They have to expend Soul in

order to bring them forth. Binding soulgems to the

talisman (or the body of the samurai) helps reduce

that burden to a manageable amount.

Every five soulgems embedded in a talisman reduces

the Soul cost for the summoning by one point.

Using soulgems in this manner can bring a casting

cost down to a minimum of 1 Soul.

The soulgems glow with a red light when Soul is

consumed, and the shiki comes forth from there.

In the case of samurai, soulgems are bound to their

bodies before the shiki is summoned and bound to

them. While this reduces the amount of Soul points

required to activate the shiki, it increases the overall

Karma cost. The Karma gained during this surgery

is quite high. First, the samurai gains Karma equal

to 4 times the shiki’s base Soul activation cost. On

top of that, every five soulgems implanted (to reduce

the overall base Soul activation cost) require an

additional 5 points of Karma. This is also the case

for normal shiki talismans.

It should be noted that the notion of simply “adding

more soulgems to a samurai” is perhaps said too

lightly: Since the samuraization surgery must be

done without anesthetic, the pain required to

implant each and every soulgem is immense and

possibly unbearable. This unimaginable pain is

why the failure rate of the surgery is so high, with

fatalities even amongst the strongest of patients.

Starting the Game with a Talisman

Any character with the Onmyojutsu skill can either

choose a shiki bound to a talisman before the start

of a game, or simply purchase one later in the game

during an intermission. For every shiki talisman

chosen, add 10 Karma to the character’s starting

Karma total. If a shiki is found, earned or received

in-game, there is no additional Karma cost.

PERMANENT

SUMMONING

Sha is the power that brings the shiki out of

nothingness and gives it form. It is the energy which

keeps it alive and moving. When sha no longer is

available to the shiki, it destabilizes and disappears.

This condition is a fundamental hurdle in the

summoning of shiki spirits. Onmyoji sorcerers can

expend greater amounts of Soul in order to bind the

sha energy and keep the shiki manifested for longer

periods of time, but in the end it will run out of

sustaining energy and dissipate.

However, with the use of a heartgem (also known

as a heart engine), a summoned shiki is given an

unending supply of sha energy to feed from. It takes

permanent form, and will not disappear unless it is

destroyed. The heartgem is also the source of the

great amounts of energy constantly consumed by

the yoroi armours and kongohki.

When a heartgem is used to bring a shiki into

being, the Soul energy of the summoner is still

expended to manipulate the sha required to give

the shiki form. However, the shiki is then bound

to the heartgem, which continues to fuel the shiki

indefinitely. For this reason, shiki spirits that are

given permanent form must have the Possession

ability. Finally, talisman-based shiki cannot be given

permanent form, as they are already physically and

spiritually bound to their talisman.

THE SIDE EFFECTS OF PERMANENCE

Creating a permanent shiki isn’t as carefree a process

as simply binding it to a heartgem. There are some

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ONMYOJUTSU RULES

very special and even dangerous considerations to

remember.

First, the shiki cannot be unsummoned like a

normal shiki. Normally, an onmyoji can dismiss a

shiki once it has performed its task (before it runs

out of sha). However, a heartgem-bound shiki will

not disappear. The only way to permanently get rid

of it is to kill the shiki.

Second, there is a huge risk of a shiki rampaging.

Since heartgems are the actual hearts of the oni

people, sometimes a fragment of their soul remains

attached to the heartgem. When such a heartgem is

used in a binding, the onmyoji unwittingly provides

this soul (usually an Asura) with a new body to

inhabit.

In rules terms, when binding a shiki permanently

to a heartgem, roll D66: On a roll of doubles (11,

22, 33, 44, 55 or 66), the result will be the same

as if an 11 was rolled on the shiki power chart; the

shiki immediately becomes a rampaging spirit and

viciously attacks any living creature in the area

beginning with the summoner.

If this occurs, there is a chance that the shiki

can still be controlled. Whenever he decides it is

appropriate, the GM may allow a chance for the

onmyoji to recapture the rampaging spirit. A Spirit:

Willpower roll is made, and the diffi culty number

(the number of successes required) is the shiki’s

attribute value plus three.

If the roll succeeds, the onmyoji captures the will of

the shiki, and the shiki operates as usual from that

point on. However, at times of particularly high

stress or violence, the shiki (at the GM’s discretion)

may become aware again and resist the onmyoji.

Another battle of wills is required to maintain

control over the shiki. This should not happen any

more than once per session, if at all.

MAKING USE OF A

KIMENKYO

The lesser, mass-produced form of a meikyo soul

mirror, the kimenkyo, has found recent use in

some circles of onmyoji. Coupling a kimenkyo

mechanical mirror with an abacus, shiki patterns

and properties can be calculated and stored within

the databanks of the kimenkyo mirror. Making use

of a kimenkyo allows a skilled summoner to conjure

shiki in a new way, one where they can control

which abilities a shiki is given when formed.

However, the kimenkyo summoning method is

a hybrid of both the benefits and drawbacks of a

random shiki summoning and a shiki crafting.

A summoner can choose which abilities the shiki

has. Unfortunately, she cannot choose the power

level of the ability. Instead, the player must roll a

1d6 on the shiki Ability table to determine both

the rank of the ability and the amount of creation

points required for that ability. If she is unsatisfied

with the result, she can try rolling again for the

ability level, adding its value (and creation point

cost) to the first value rolled. Unlike the crafting

method, there is no reduction of the shiki’s skill

for using the kimenkyo when summoning: Th e

normal shiki ability table (and skill rating) is used

when determining attribute and skill ratings.

The player cannot go over their creation point limit

as is possible in normal summoning. If the creation

point limit is hit, simply stop there: The last ability

added (the one which broke the creation point limit)

is ignored and removed from the summoned shiki.

Finally, the Possession ability cannot be chosen

when using a kimenkyo. The shiki born from the

computations of a kimenkyo, for unknown reasons,

always lack the ability to bind to other objects and

creatures. Therefore, a kimenkyo cannot be used

to craft shiki for use in samuraization surgery or be

bound to talismans.

Kimenkyo come with unusual limitations, but

they allow summoners familiar with the ways of

kimenkyo technology to fine-tune the shiki they

summon. Certainly elder onmyoji turn up their

noses to the use of this newfangled technology to

practice this centuries-old art, but some newer

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ONMYOJUTSU RULES

onmyoji are keen on using new technologies and

new ways of thinking with this very traditional

practice.

USING A MEIKYO

There are so very few onmyoji who use meikyo soul

mirrors for summoning that it is almost not worth

mentioning. However, some gifted onmyoji who

directly serve the Shinto Priesthood are presented

with soul mirrors which they can employ in the

use of their onmyojutsu. Using a meikyo mirror

and interface helm allows the summoner far more

control over the experience of shiki-summoning. It

is like the difference between programming a script

with a keyboard versus creating a virtual computer

landscape using only your mind.

When using a meikyo soul mirror, an onmyoji

can summon shiki in exactly the same way as with

a kimenkyo mechanical mirror. However, when

calculating the maximum points allowed for shiki

creation based on Knowledge and the Onmyojutsu

skill, the onmyoji can add the meikyo mirror’s

Karma adjustment bonus to her Knowledge score

when calculating available shiki creation points.

Multiple Summoners

Although it is a rare occurrence, onmyoji are known

to work together on large projects like building

yoroi armours and kongohki. When onmyoji work

together, use the normal rules for summoning

shiki or creating samurai. For the creation point

total, simply pool all of the summoners’ creation

points together. However, the actua l activation and

command (or ownership) of the shiki will always

reside with one single person.

SHIKI ABILITY LIST

The following is the list of the basic abilities which

shiki can have. After the name of each ability is the

ability’s cost in creation points (“CP”) per level of

ability.

Additional Damage

2 CP per level

Every level of the Additional Damage ability grants

a +1 bonus to the shiki ’s damage for melee attacks.

This ability also sets the base damage for the

Ranged Attack ability if the shiki has that ability.

For shiki implanted into samurai, every level of

Additional Damage gives the samurai +1 damage

to all melee weapons and thrown weapons while in

samurai form.

If a shiki with the Additional Damage ability

is bound to a talisman weapon, the Additional

Damage ability becomes the new base damage

for that weapon; you replace the original damage

rating, you do not add them together.

Note: The base damage for attacks by shiki which

do not have this ability is +1 (claws, bite, etc).

Combat Ability

3 CP per level

Combat Ability allows the summoner to boost

the Attribute Rating of the shiki and make it

more powerful. Every additional point in Combat

Ability taken adds an additional point to the shiki’s

Attribute Rating (which is originally determined by

the number of CP used to create the shiki). Vitality

also increases one point for every point of Combat

Ability taken.

In the case of shiki used in samurai, every level

of Combat Ability increases the samurai’s Body,

Agility and Senses score by one point each while in

samurai mode; a Combat Ability at level 4 would

grant +4 to Body, Agility and Senses. However, do

not adjust Vitality or Wounds; these do not change,

even though the Body score increases.

Explode

1 CP per level

With this ability, the shiki itself explodes violently.

The shiki dies, and everything around it takes

damage.

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ONMYOJUTSU RULES

The damage of this attack is equal to the level of

the Explode ability. The range is equal to a radius of

[power level ÷ 2] meters. This ability is not usually

crafted into samurai. At least, not of the samurai’s

own volition…

Flight

1 CP per level

This ability allows the shiki to fly. A shiki can fly at

a base speed equal to its level of Flight x 200 meters

per minute. A shiki can carry an amount of weight

equal to 10 times its level of fl ight in kilograms

before slowing down. A shiki does not add its own

weight, but in the case of a samurai, the samurai’s

normal body weight counts towards that total.

Please see the additional chart for restrictions on the

Flight ability.

FLIGHT ABILITY CHART

Weight Speed (per minute)

FL x 10kg FL x 200m

FL x 20kg FL x 100m

FL x 30kg FL x 50m

More weight: cannot fly, can only slow-fall

FL = Flight Ability Level

Gaseous Form

3 CP

The shiki has the ability to turn into a gaseous form

(vapor, ether, mist, ectoplasm, or other gaseous

substance). In this state, it may be seen but it cannot

be attacked. Likewise, it cannot attack others while

in this state. In a gaseous state the shiki can pass

through cracks in buildings. When it reforms, it

requires enough empty room for its full body to

reform; it cannot reform in small spaces or inside

another living thing.

Shiki with the Gaseous Form ability cannot

dissipate or reform parts of its body, but rather the

whole body at once. Because of its ties to its host,

shiki for samurai creation cannot take this ability.

Phantasm

3 CP per level

This ability only works when there is a Sense Link

between the onmyoji and the shiki. The shiki must

also have the Possession ability of at least one rank.

Phantasm allows the shiki to target a humanoid

and force them to see an illusion. The illusion is

controlled by the onmyoji, and allows the onmyoji

to manipulate all of the target’s five senses. The

illusion can be used to do simple things like make

the onmyoji “disappear” to the target, or take on the

appearance of a friend or companion. It can also be

used to subject the target to horrible hallucinations;

while no injury can be done to the target, the

onmyoji can cause them to feel some pain, nausea

and the like.

While the shiki must have the requisite Possession

ability to gain the Phantasm ability, the shiki does

not actually have to possess the target as per the

Possession rules.

To see through the illusion, the target must make

a Spirit:Willpower roll. The target needs a number

of successes equal to or greater than the level of

the shiki’s Phantasm ability. While the target will

almost always roll Spirit:Willpower to see through

the illusion, the GM may decide that, depending

on the type of illusion, another attribute may

be suitable for the Willpower roll (like Station,

Knowledge, or Body).

Poison

3 CP per level

This ability allows the shiki to create an amount

of special poison within itself which affects any

creature that it hits in combat.

The strength of the poison is equal to the level of

the poison ability. The poison lasts for as long as the

shiki is active or alive. When the shiki is killed or

unsummoned, the poison dissipates.

174

ONMYOJUTSU RULES

During every interaction phase in combat, the

damaged character makes a Spirit: Willpower check.

The difficulty rating is equal to the level of the

poison.

Every success the character gets reduces the damage

of the poison damage taken that round by one

point.See the combat rules for more information on

poison.

Possession

3 CP per level

This ability allows shiki to bind themselves to

objects and living things.

With a greater level of the Possession ability, the

shiki can take control of the object it binds. If

bound to a person (or other living creature), the

shiki can take control of the person as if the shiki

was wearing that person’s skin. The target makes a

Spirit: Willpower roll against a difficulty number

equal to the shiki’s level of the Possession ability. If

the target succeeds, he stays in control and the shiki

is expelled from his body. If the target fails, then the

shiki moves them as if it was one with the person’s

body. This lasts until the shiki puts the target in

danger (allowing for another attempt to resist),

or until the shiki dissipates or willingly leaves the

target.

Shiki that are used to create samurai must have at

least one point in this ability in order to be bound

to the samurai’s body. Shiki that are permanently

bound to heartgems require this ability as well.

A shiki can only possess a single object at a given

time, and one object can only be possessed by one

shiki at a time.

For this reason, samurai cannot be possessed by

other shiki, and the shiki bound to a samurai

cannot possess other objects or people. Likewise,

shiki that are bound to talismans or heartgems

(permanent shiki) cannot later bind to other objects.

A shiki with the Possession ability cannot actually

possess those shiki bound to objects and people,

but they can still affect them in a way. A shiki

with Possession can interfere with bound shiki by

reducing their abilities in the following way, called

“draining”:

• The attacking shiki with the Possession ability

touches a defending shiki (or samurai). Sometimes

this means making a successful attack against the

defender in combat (but no actual damage is dealt).

• The attacking shiki forces the defender to make

a Willpower roll with a target number equal to the

level of the attacker’s Possession ability. For talisman

or heartgem-bound shiki, the defending shiki makes

an Attribute Rank/Skill Rank roll to defend.

• If the defender fails, the defending shiki’s abilities

are all reduced by a number equal to the level of the

Possesion ability of the attacking shiki.

• If the defending shiki’s abilities reach 0, then they

can no longer be used or they simply do not work

correctly (attacks always miss, etc). This situation

lasts until one of the two shikigami dissipates. If

the attacker dissipates or is killed first, then the

defending shiki’s abilities immediately return to

normal.

• This “drain effect” lasts even if the shiki does

other things like attack other characters. However,

it cannot attempt to drain or possess a second

character without letting go of the first.

• In the case of a samurai, the samurai use their

own Spirit:Willpower to defend against Possession.

In cases where the samurai’s shiki has been drained

and all shiki abilities have been reduced to 0, the

samurai can still try to regain control in future

rounds by taking an action to attempt another

Spirit: Willpower roll against the Possession score of

the attacking shikigami.

175

ONMYOJUTSU RULES

Prolonging Summoning

3 CP per level

Normal shiki stay active for a period equal to the

onmyoji’s Spirit attribute in minutes (or combat

rounds) before they lose physical substance and

dissipate. With the Prolong Summoning ability,

the shiki will remain active for a number of

minutes (or combat rounds) equal to the onmyoji’s

Spirit attribute multiplied by [the level of Prolong

Summoning +1].

Example: An onmyoji with a Spirit of 5 summons

a shiki with the Prolong Summoning ability at level 3.

Th is shiki will remain alive and active for 20 minutes

(5*[3+1]).

Ranged Attack

2 CP per level

The Ranged Attack ability requires the Additional

Damage ability to be useful.Shiki with the Ranged

Attack ability have some sort of long-range attack

that they can launch at enemies: Fire, psychic

energy, light beams, needles, demonic howl, etc. It

can make attacks using its general Attribute Rating,

using Skill Rating (as a character would use the

Marksman skill) for the skill of the attack.

The range and rate of fire for this ability are as

follows:

RANGED ATTACK ABILITY CHART

Level Range Rate of Fire

1 5m 1

2 10m 1

3 10m 2

4 15m 2

5 15m 3

For every level above 5, the range increases by 5m

on even numbers and Rate of Fire increases on

odd numbers

The damage for attacks made with Ranged Attack

is set by the level of the Additional Damage ablity.

The level of Additional Damage taken becomes the

base damage for the Ranged Attack ability.

Regeneration

3 CP per level

This ability allows the shiki to heal one point of

Vitality per level of Regeneration every minute. In

combat, this healing happens at the beginning of

every combat round during the interaction phase.

When a shiki with this ability is bound to a

samurai, the samurai gains the Regeneration ability

when in samurai form.

Sense Link

no cost

When a shiki is summoned, the onmyoji summoner

decides whether or not a Sense Link is created

between the summoner and the shiki. If it is not

created, then a shiki will move of its own volition

under the summoner’s order, obeying all commands

as normal.

If a Sense Link is created, the summoner can

actually see, hear and feel exactly as the shiki does.

A summoner can only have a number of sense-

linked shiki under her control up to or equal to

her Knowledge attribute score at the same time.

Also, if the shiki is destroyed (killed, not simply

unsummoned), the onmyoji takes damage equal to

half of the Soul cost to summon the shiki, rounded

up. This damage can be spread amongst Vitality

and Wounds like any other kind of damage.

Shapechange

5 CP

This ability also requires the shiki ability Sense

Link.

This ability allows an onmyoji to change the

appearance of the shiki into any physical form

desired, as long as the new form is of roughly equal

size as the shiki’s original form. The form must

be based on something that the onmyoji has seen

before. This transformation requires one minute to

complete.

176

ONMYOJUTSU RULES

The shiki can be made to look like a specific person,

but it will not be able to speak.

Shiki Destroyer

5 CP per level

This is the ability to unmake and destroy other

shikigami. When this shiki comes into contact

with another shiki (touch, bite, etc), make a combat

roll. The targeted shiki rolls as if making an attack,

using its general Attribute Rating number with a

skill number equal to the higher of the shiki’s Skill

Rating or Combat Ability. It must get a number

of successes equal to or greater than the Shiki

Destroyer level of the attacking shiki. If the target

succeeds, there is no effect. If the target fails, it

is permanently destroyed. Even permanent shik

i are destroyed, their heartgem consumed by the

attacking shiki.

When shiki with the Shiki Destroyer ability

successfully destroys a shiki, it dies as well. Shiki

bound to a talisman which use or are successfully

hit with this ability are destroyed and do not return

to the talisman.

Shiki for use in samurai cannot take this ability.

Samurai-bound shiki “destroyed” in this manner

are not permanently destroyed: Since they are

coupled to the samurai’s flesh and will, they are

pulled back into the samurai’s body before they are

annihilated. The samurai will have to spend the

full Soul cost and an action to perform the samurai

transformation again.

Soulfind

1 CP per level

With this ability, a shiki can detect all lifeforms

around it. It can detect living creatures like humans,

oni, ayakashi and other shiki that are rabbit-sized

or larger within a 10 meter radius per level of the

ability taken. Th is ability will not detect creatures

with nonexistent or weak souls like kongohki and

yoroi armours. However, if an armour contains a

pilot, it will be able to detect the living pilot inside

the armour.

Transmutation

6 CP per level

When a shiki is summoned with this ability, the

summoner chooses and sets a physical substance

(water, trees, rock, etc). When the shiki eventually

activates this ability, it transforms itself and every

nonliving thing within a number of cubic meters

equal to its power level into that substance. The

shiki effectively dies during the transformation.

Shiki imbued with the Transmutation ability for

water or stone can be very useful in a battle or siege

situations, as well as for construction projects.

If this shiki is bound to a talisman, the shiki

will not return to the talisman once it activates

Transmutation. This ability cannot be taken by

shiki that are implanted into samurai.

As much as some onmyoji have tried to research the

ability to do so, the Transmutation ability cannot

turn objects into precious metals like gold, silver,

soulgems and scarlet steel. It also cannot transform

objects into living things beyond simple plants and

trees.

SHIKI LIST

An onmyoji can summon or craft just about any

kind of shiki they desire. The following is a quick

list of ready-to-go shiki for ease of reference. A

character with the Onmyojutsu skill can begin the

game with one or more of these shiki bound to

a talisman object of their choice. For every shiki

talisman the character owns, they gain 10 Karma.

SUMMONING SHIKIGAMI

The following shiki are prepared for on-the-fly

summoning (a Agility: Onmyojustu roll is still

required when shiki-slinging). Their appearance

and style is decided by the onmyoji. Make sure the

onmyoji has a high enough Onmyojutsu skill and

Knowledge attribute score to summon the shiki: It

must be higher than the creation point cost for the

shiki.

177

ONMYOJUTSU RULES

COMBAT SHIKI: RANGED

Creation Points: 22

Soul Cost: 11

Ranged Attack: 3 (10m, RoF 2)

Combat Ability: 3

Additional Damage: +3

Flight: 1

Attribute Rating: 7

Skill Rating: 2

Vitality: 7

Sense Link: No

COMBAT SHIKI: MELEE

Creation Points: 21

Soul Cost: 11

Combat Ability: 5

Additional Damage: +3

Attribute Rating: 9

Skill Rating: 2

Vitality: 9

Sense Link: Yes

COMBAT SHIKI: WEAK

Creation Points: 14

Soul Cost: 7

Combat Ability: 2

Additional Damage: +2

Poison: 1

Attribute Rating: 5

Skill Rating: 1

Vitality: 5

Sense Link: Yes

FARSIGHT SHIKI

Creation Points: 12

Soul Cost: 6

Flight: 7 (1400m/minute)

Soulfind: 2 (30m radius)

Prolong Summoning: 1 (Kno x2 minutes)

Attribute Rating: 2

Skill Rating: 1

Vitality: 2

Sense Link: Yes

STRATEGY SHIKI

Creation Points: 19

Soul Cost: 10

Transmutation: 3 (3m3 of material)

Flight: 1 (200m/minute)

Attribute Rating: 4

Skill Rating: 2

Vitality: 4

Sense Link: No

INFILTRATOR SHIKI

Creation Points: 23

Soul Cost: 12

Poison: 3

Prolong Summoning: 3 (Spirit x 4 min)

Shapechange: Yes

Attribute Rating: 4

Skill Rating: 2

Vitality: 4

Sense Link: Yes

178

ONMYOJUTSU RULES

NIGHTMARE SHIKI

Creation Points: 27

Soul Cost: 14

Flight: 1 (200m/minute)

Gaseous Form: Yes

Phantasm: 6

Possession: 1

Prolong Summoning: 1 (Kno x 2 minutes)

Attribute Rating: 5

Skill Rating: 2

Vitality: 5

Sense Link: Yes

TALISMAN SHIKIGAMI

The following shiki are prepared for binding into

objects as talismans. They all have the Possession

ability required to do so. They can also be

summoned and controlled normally if an onmyoji

wishes. As with the summoning shiki above, the

onmyoji decides the appearance and style of the

shiki.

COMBAT SHIKI

Creation Points: 19

Soul Cost: 10

Combat Ability: 2

Additional Damage: +5

Possession: 1

Attribute Rating: 6

Skill Rating: 2

Vitality: 6

Sense Link: Yes

BOMBER SHIKI

Creation Points: 8

Soul Cost: 4

Explode: 5 (3m radius, 5 dmg)

Possession: 1

Attribute Rating: 2

Skill Rating: 1

Vitality: 4

Sense Link: No

KAMIKAZE SHIKI

Creation Points: 20

Soul Cost: 10

Soulfind: 4 (40m radius)

Prolong Summoning: 2 (Spirit x 3 minutes)

Flight: 1 (200m/minute)

Explode: 6 (3m radius, 6 dmg)

Possession: 1

Attribute Rating: 5

Skill Rating: 2

Vitality: 4

Base Damage: +1

Sense Link: Yes

ASSASSIN SHIKI

Creation Points: 27

Soul Cost: 14

Flight: 1 (200m/minute)

Gaseous Form: Yes

Phantasm: 6

Possession: 1

Prolong Summoning: 1 (Kno x 2 minutes)

Attribute Rating: 5

Skill Rating: 2

Vitality: 5

Sense Link: Yes

179

ONMYOJUTSU RULES

RECONNAISANCE SHIKI

Creation Points: 16

Soul Cost: 8

Flight: 1 (200m/minute)

Gaseous Form: Yes

Soulfind: 6 (60m radius)

Possession: 1

Prolong Summoning: 1 (Spirit x 2 minutes)

Attribute Rating: 3

Skill Rating: 2

Vitality: 3

Sense Link: Yes

ESPIONAGE SHIKI

Creation Points: 17

Soul Cost: 9

Possession: 1

Shapechange: Yes

Prolong Summoning: 3 (Spirit x 4 minutes)

Attribute Rating: 3

Skill Rating: 1

Vitality: 3

Sense Link: Yes

SAMURAI/SHIKI-KILLER SHIKI

Creation Points: 20

Soul Cost: 10

Shiki Destroyer 3

Flight: 2 (400m/minute)

Possession: 1

Attribute Rating: 4

Skill Rating: 2

Vitality: 4

Sense Link: Yes

SHIKI WEAPON

Creation Points: 20

Soul Cost: 10

Additional Damage: +6

Shapechange: Yes

Possession: 1

Attribute Rating: 4

Skill Rating: 2

Vitality: 4

Sense Link: Yes

Weapon Damage: Yes

Notes: When this shiki is activated, it remains

inside of its talisman weapon (usually a sword).

While it is active, it grants a +6 damage rating to

those who use it in battle. On top of that, the

sword itself will make one attack each round using

its own attribute/skill ratings.

180

ONMYOJUTSU RULES

SHIKI POWER CHART

Roll Ability 1 2 3 4 5 6

11 The shiki becomes a runaway

12 Prolong Summoning 1/3 2/6 3/9 4/12 5/15 6/18

13 Regeneration 1/3 2/6 3/9 4/12 5/15 6/18

14 Ranged Attack 1/2 2/4 3/6 4/8 5/10 6/12

15 Transmutation 1/6 2/12 3/18 4/24 5/30 6/36

16 Combat Ability 1/3 2/6 3/9 4/12 5/15 6/18

21 Possession 1/3 2/6 3/9 4/12 5/15 6/18

22 Roll again, and double the ability and cost rolled

23 Poison 1/3 2/6 3/9 4/12 5/15 6/18

24 Flying 1/1 2/2 3/3 4/4 5/5 6/6

25 Possession 1/3 3/9 3/9 5/15 5/15 10/30

26 Shapechange -/5 -/5 -/5 -/5 -/5 -/5

31 Prolong Summoning 1/3 3/9 3/9 5/15 5/15 10/30

32 Phantasm 1/3 2/6 3/9 4/12 5/15 6/18

33 Roll once more and stop

34 Poison 1/3 3/9 3/9 5/15 5/15 10/30

35 Regeneration 1/3 3/9 3/9 5/15 5/15 10/30

36 Ranged Attack 1/2 3/6 5/10 5/10 10/20 15/30

41 Shiki Destroyer 1/5 2/10 3/15 4/20 5/25 6/30

42 Additional Damage 1/2 2/4 3/6 4/8 5/10 6/12

43 Soulfind 1/1 3/3 5/5 5/5 10/10 15/15

44 The shiki becomes a chimera

45 Gaseous Form -/3 -/3 -/3 -/3 -/3 -/3

46 Phantasm 1/3 1/3 3/9 3/9 10/30 10/30

51 Explode 1/1 2/2 3/3 4/4 5/5 6/6

52 Flying 1/1 3/3 5/5 5/5 10/10 15/15

53 Shapechange -/5 -/5 -/5 -/5 -/5 -/5

54 Transmutation 1/6 3/18 3/18 5/30 5/30 10/60

55 Roll again, and halve the ability and cost rolled

56 Explode 1/1 1/1 3/3 3/3 10/10 15/15

61 Combat Ability 1/3 1/3 3/9 3/9 10/30 10/30

62 Shiki Destroyer 1/5 3/15 3/15 5/25 5/25 10/50

63 Gaseous Form -/3 -/3 -/3 -/3 -/3 -/3

64 Additional Damage 1/2 3/6 5/10 5/10 10/20 15/30

65 Soulfind 1/1 2/2 3/3 4/4 5/5 6/6

66 Roll three more times and stop

181

ONMYOJUTSU RULES

USING THE CHART

1) How to use the Shiki Power Chart

• Determine the maximum number of shiki

creation points you can use.

• Roll d66: Choose one die for the tens place, one

die for the ones place in advance. This determines

the power or effect.

• Roll 1d6: This determines the power level for the

power you just rolled.

• Add the creation points to the total. If you’ve gone

over your total, stop here (you receive the ability you

just rolled, though).

• If you roll the same ability twice, simply add the

totals of the rolls together. A roll of 3/9 and later

5/15 becomes 8/24 for that ability.

• If the chart tells you to roll more (66:”Roll three

more times, then stop”), and you exceed your point

total, continue to roll anyway as the chart describes.

You can continue to go over the total in this way,

accidentally creating powerful (and dangerous)

shiki.

• If you have points remaining, roll again. You can

stop any time.

• For Chimera and Runaway Shiki, stop rolling and

refer to the rules on Runaways/Chimera.

2) The number before the slash is the power level,

the number after the slash is the creation point cost.

Notes

You can only roll Gaseous Form or Shapechange

once. If you roll this ability a second time or more,

roll the dice again.

182

SAMURAI ABILITY

Some of the archetypes have “Samurai Shiki” listed

in their equipment sections. These are no mere

warriors; these characters have special abilities, as

they have gone through the mystical and painful

Samuraization surgery.

CREATING A NEW

SAMURAI SHIKI

For experienced Tenra players who want to try

experimenting with the samurai’s shiki abilities,

they can use the Onmyoji Shiki creation rules to

come up with different shiki to possess their bodies.

Please keep in mind that all samurai-enabling shiki

must have the “Possession” ability (at least at a

score of 1) so that they can inhabit the body of the

samurai. You can find more on shiki creation in the

onmyojutsu rules section.

When the samurai meets with a sorcerer to start

the samurai surgery process, the samurai brings

several soulgems to be implanted into their bodies.

The soulgems are where the shiki actually resides.

A samurai can choose to implant many soulgems

into his body; the more soulgems implanted now,

the easier it will be to activate the samurai abilities

later (the Soul cost will go down as more soulgems

are implanted). However, there’s a trade-off: Adding

more soulgems means that the body will accumulate

Karma. Add too many soulgems, and the Karma

cost for the surgery will become too much for the

samurai to bear. Most samurai will have 10 to 20

soulgems implanted: That tends to strike a good

balance between Karma cost now, and Soul cost

later.

The number of points used to build the possessor-

shiki and the amount of gems imbedded in one’s

body determines how much Soul is consumed when

the samurai character activates his power.

Soul Points Consumed During Transformation =

(Shiki build points ÷ 2, rounded up) - (The number

of imbedded gems in increments of 5 /5)

Of course, there is also a Karma cost associated

with becoming a samurai. This cost is four times

the number of Soul consumed during samurai

transformation (as calculated above), plus the

number of soulgems implanted in the samurai’s

body. Remember to recalculate the amount of

Karma needed on the samurai archetype if you

choose to create a new shiki for your samurai

character.

Additional Karma Cost = (samurai activation cost

in Soul x 4) + Number of implanted gems.

SHIKI ENHANCEMENT

Shiki cannot be “enhanced” over time like

characters can. You cannot spend Kiai to raise levels

of shiki abilities. Instead, to improve a samurai shiki

in play, a character will have to have a large pool of

Kiai and a lot of time. The samurai’s existing shiki

will be removed and destroyed, and a new shiki

(with the new ability scores that the player desires)

will be summoned and implanted into the samurai,

forcing the samurai to go through another round of

excruciatingly painful and long samurai surgery. In

most cases this is a foolhardy task; in other cases,

it is an action which smells of attaining personal

excellence, or else reeks of desperation.

To pay for the shiki implantation, the samurai’s

player must spend Kiai equal to the Karma cost of

the implantation during an intermission phase. This

spent Kiai immediately becomes Karma. The player

can then manipulate his character’s Fates in order to

lower his total Karma to a more manageable level.

SAMURAI LOADOUTS

The various samurai templates in the book already

come equipped with samurai-shiki. Here are a few

sample samurai loadouts for use in the creation of

samurai characters. You can swap out the archetype

loadout for one of the loadouts below with the GM’s

permission, or you can attempt to craft your own

samurai shiki as per the onmyojutsu rules.

183

SAMURAI ABILITY

Blue Hawk ’s Samurai Surgery

Blue Hawk is a warrior with enough money and

soulgems to purchase the samurai surgery. He

works with a trusted onmyoji, whom he gives the

specifi cations of the shiki he wishes implanted.

Th e onmyoji summons this shiki.

It turns out that the shiki is quite powerful. The

onmyoji uses 24 shiki creation points to craft the

samurai’s shiki. Blue Hawk is prepared to take

on this powerful shiki, and has 10 points worth

of soulgems implanted in his body. Th e samurai

surgery takes days, but Blue Hawk emerges,

miraculously alive and even in good spirits.

The amount of soul that Blue Hawk will have

to spend every time he transforms is 10: 24 shiki

creation points divided by two is 12; 10 gems

implanted divided by 5 is 2. 12 minus 2 equals

10.

The cost for Blue Hawk to undergo this surgery

is 50: 4 times the Soul cost of 10 equals 40, plus

10 soulgems equals a total of 50 Karma.

The Number of Soulgems is an

Abstract Idea

The equations above say things like “number

of soulgems”, usually calculating them in

numbers divisible by 5 (10, 15, 20, etc).

This doesn’t mean that a samurai with “10

soulgems” actually has only 10 soulgems

implanted in his body (2 in his legs, 4 in his

torso, 2 in his arms, etc). No, his body will

actually have dozens, or hundreds, of small

soulgems implanted all over his body,

many of them visible through the skin. This

number simply indicates the idea of how

many soulgems a samurai character has

implanted.

A samurai with “5 soulgems” might have

barely noticeable tattoos, and perhaps the

gleam of a soulgem at the base of his neck. A

samurai with “30 soulgems” would probably

have an obscene number of large soulgems

bulging from underneath his kimono in all

places, with even perhaps a few fist-sized

soulgems clearly visible on his skin. People

will tend to be more afraid of the more visibly

altered samurai.

You can tailor the Soul cost of the samurai loadout

of your choice to get the most out of your pool

of Soul points: Every 5 soulgems added to the

samurai increases Karma by 5, but lowers soul Soul

consumption during activation by 1 point. Every

5 soulgems removed from the loadout decreases

Karma by 5, but increases Soul consumption for

the samurai activation by 1 point. For beginning

players, we suggest just sticking to the samurai

abilities attached to the chosen samurai archetype,

or at most simply replacing that loadout in full with

one of the ones here.

STANDARD SAMURAI

Karma Cost: 35

Soulgems

Implanted:

Soul Cost: 5

Combat Ability: 3 (Add to Body, Agility, and

Senses when in Samurai mode)

Regeneration: 1 (Regain 1 point of Vitality

each interaction phase when in

samurai mode)

Soulfind: 1 (Sense all life within 10m)

Possession: 1 (Required for Samurai shiki)

Samurai mode lasts for a number of rounds equal

to Spirit.

This template cost 16 shiki creation points.

Theoriginal Soul cost was 8, and Karma cost was 32.

By adding 15 soulgems, the Soul cost drops to 5, the

Karma cost before factoring in soulgems is 20, for a

total of 35 including soulgems.

184

SAMURAI ABILITY

ENHANCED SAMURAI

Karma Cost: 50

Soulgems

Implanted:

Soul Cost: 10

Combat Ability: 5 (Add to Body, Agility, and

Senses when in Samurai mode)

Regeneration: (Regain 2 point of Vitality

each interaction phase when in

samurai mode)

Possession: 1 (Required for Samurai shiki)

Samurai mode lasts for a number of rounds equal

to Spirit.

This template cost 24 shiki creation points.

Theoriginal Soul cost was 12, and Karma was 48. By

adding 10 soulgems, the cost drops to 10, the Karma

cost before factoring in soulgems is 40, for a total of 50

including soulgems.

NIMBLE DESTROYER

Karma Cost: 60

Soulgems

Implanted:

Soul Cost: 10

Additional

Damage:

5 (Add 5 to the damage of all

melee, unarmed and hand-

based marksman attacks)

Combat Ability: 3 (Add to Body, Agility, and

Senses when in Samurai mode)

Regeneration: 2 (Regain 2 point of Vitality

each interaction phase when in

samurai mode)

Possession: 1 (Required for Samurai shiki)

Samurai mode lasts for a number of rounds equal

to Spirit.

This template cost 28 shiki creation points.

Theoriginal Soul cost was 14, and Karma was 56. By

adding 20 soulgems, the cost drops to 10, the Karma

cost before factoring in soulgems is 40, fora total of 60

including soulgems.

WINGS OF CHITIN

Karma Cost: 43

Soulgems

Implanted:

Soul Cost: 7

Combat Ability: 3 (Add to Body, Agility, and

Senses when in Samurai mode)

Flight: 5 (can fly up to 100m/

minute when not carrying any

additional weight)

Regeneration: 1 (Regain 1 point of Vitality

each interaction phase when in

samurai mode)

Possession: 1 (Required for Samurai shiki)

Samurai mode lasts for a number of rounds equal

to Spirit.

This template cost 20 shiki creation points.

Theoriginal Soul cost was 10, and the Karma cost was

40. By adding 15 soulgems, the cost drops to 7, Th is is

added to the Karma cost before factoring in soulgems

(28), for a total of 43 including soulgems.

185

BUDDHIST MAGIC

Not all believers of Buddhism in Tenra practice

hat is known as Hou-jutsu, or Buddhist Magic. In

fact, there are relatively few Buddhist monks who

actually have the ability to wield these esoteric

powers. For those who can use Buddhist magic,

the following powers are available to all monks,

regardless of order or specific beliefs.

All of the powers consume Soul in their use. More

powerful effects require the expenditure of more

Soul. All of the spells require the monk to be able

to see (or hear/feel if the monk is blind or hard of

sight) the target of the spell.

Healing Prayer

Iyashi

Effect: Heal Wounds and Vitality on oneself or

another.

Soul Cost: 5

Through a voiced or silent chant, a Buddhist monk

can heal the wounds of himself or those around

him.

The monk makes a skill check based on Empathy

and Buddhist Magic. Count the successes gained

from the roll, then subtract the number of the

highest wound taken. If there are any successes

remaining, one wound box on any track can be

healed for each remaining success. The recipient of

the Healing Prayer chooses which wounds they wish

to heal. If the successes rolled by the monk total

to less than the number of highest wound of the

character, then no wounds on the wound track can

be healed this time.

If the difference between the monk’s successes

and the highest wound score is zero or greater, the

Healing Prayer will fully restore the Vitality of the

target.

Healing Prayer is effective on any living creature

regardless of race (oni, ayakashi and even kugutsu

can be healed), but it is not effective on yoroi

armours or kongohki.

It also does not work on any creature that

has the Dead Box fi lled in on their wound

track; the fate of such people has already

been written, and the monk cannot inter-fere until

their Dead Box is healed by other

means (like First Aid or after-battle rest).

WOUND PENALTIES

Wound Penalty

Light 1

Heavy 2

Critical 3

Dead —

Example: Covered Palm heals Crimson Wind

Crimson Wind is battling a determined foe, guarding

the female monk Covered Palm and the others in his

group from harm. Crimson Wind has only 2 Vitality

left and has taken 3 Light Wounds, 2 Heavy Wounds

and 1 Critical Wound. Covered Palm closes her eyes,

and gestures to Crimson Wind while reciting a sutra.

She rolls Empathy: Buddhist Magic and gets a total

of…

• …1 success. With one or two successes, the spell

effectively fails since Crimson Wind’s highest ranked

wound, a Critical Wound, requires 3 or more successes

to heal.

• …3 successes. Th is is the same score as Crimson

Wind’s highest ranked wound. Unfortunately, that

is not enough to actually heal any of his wounds.

However, Crimson Wind’s Vitality is completely

healed, keeping him in the battle for a little while

longer.

• …6 successes. Th is is three higher than Crimson

Wind’s highest ranked wound. This means that

Crimson Wind’s Vitality is fully healed, and he can

also remove any three wounds from any track that he

wishes. He decides to heal the Critical Wound, one

Heavy Wound and one Light Wound. He could have

healed both Heavy Wounds, but he wants to keep the

+1 dice bonus it grants… at least until the end of this

combat.

186

BUDDHIST MAGIC

Spirit Burst

Kidan

Effect: Build up spiritual energy in your hands, then

release it as an attack

Soul Cost: Depends on rank of Buddhist Magic

By concentrating ki energies through her center,

then channeling it out through the body in an

explosive burst in the shape of a ball (usually

through the palm or fist), the monk can make a

ranged attack on an enemy.

The Spirit Burst attack is made with a Senses:

Buddhist Magic roll. Since this attack is

insubstantial, the defender cannot parry this attack

with a weapon. Only Evasion can be used to defend

against a Spirit Burst attack.

For range, rate of fire and damage of the attack,

please consult the chart below. Replace “X” with the

Spirit attribute score of the monk using Spirit Burst.

SPIRIT BURST ATTACK CHART

Rank Dmg RoF Range Soul

Skilled (2) X / 4 1 Xm 1

Advanced

(3)

X / 2 X / 2 5+Xm 3

Master (4) X X 10+Xm 5

Supreme

(5)

X * 2 X * 2 15+X m 7

(all fractions rounded up)

A monk can use any level of Spirit Burst equal to or

below his rank in Buddhist Magic.

Spirit Burst can be fi red a number of times equal

to the Rate of Fire during a combat action, but each

additional attack made costs that attack’s full Soul

cost. For every additional attack made in this way,

add +1 damage to all spirit burst attacks made that

round.

Soulgem Creation

Oujuu Sakusei

Effect: Create soulgems

Soul Cost: None (requires a 3-hour ceremony)

When scarlet steel is mined, it can be turned into

a spiritual energy storage element called a soulgem

only through the Buddhist soulgem creation

ceremony. It takes about 3 hours of both chanting

and silent prayer to create a single usable soulgem

bead. Time and diligence (in addition to the

rounded scarlet steel pieces) are the only things

needed for the ceremony, and the strength of the

monk’s Buddhist Magic skill does not help in

reducing that time.

Summon Spirit

Tama-Gaeshi

Effect: Summon the soul of the deceased back to

this world

Soul Cost: Equal to the target’s Spirit attribute score

This special chant brings the soul of the recently

deceased into the presence of the monk, where it

can be questioned or talked to. The difficulty of the

Spirit: Buddhist Magic roll is the Spirit attribute

score of the target that they had when they were last

alive.

On normal human souls, this spell only works if the

person has been dead for less than 50 days. After

that, the soul is unreachable, presumably having

been reincarnated (what actually happens is a matter

of great debate amongst various Buddhist sects).

However, if the soul is that of an Asura, or lost soul,

it remains attached to the physical world and can be

summoned at any time.

The attitude and information gathered from the

spirit depends upon the number of successes that

the monk gets from the Spirit: Buddhist Magic roll.

187

BUDDHIST MAGIC

SUMMON SPIRIT EFFECTS

Successes Attitude Effect

0 or Less Enraged Must attempt a

subdue spell to

calm the spirit

1 Combative May attack

depending on

who the spirit

is: the spirit is

restless

2 Uncooperative Spirit only says

one or two

sentences

3 Cooperative Spirit will

engage

in a brief

conversation

4 Friendly Spirit will

engage in

pleasant, casual

conversation

Subdue Spirit

Shaku-Buku

Effect: Help or force a troubled or lost spirit from

this plane into the Afterlife

Soul Cost: None

Subdue Spirit, also known as Spiritual Combat, is a

method available only to practitioners of Buddhist

Magic. Through the use of this magic they can

fight spirits, wearing down their resolve and forcing

them into the Afterlife.

A monk who can wield magic can see supernatural

creatures like ghosts and spirits without any effort.

When they are encountered, it is naturally a monk’s

duty to mourn and pray for them, helping send

their souls to the Afterlife. While most souls can be

sent with no effort, there are some souls who have

completely lost track of who and what they were,

and prowl the world in eternal torment. They don’t

know that they are dead (or don’t care), and they

cannot release their strong feelings (of love, hate or

other strong emotions) which tie them to the world.

No matter what their reason for remaining, these

drifting souls seek to return to the earth, to have a

body of flesh again.

Some of these souls are the spirits of people

summoned through the Summoned Spirit ceremony

which became enraged. Regardless, these lingering

souls have to be beaten down and dragged into the

Afterlife for the good of both the living and the

dead. The Subdue Spirit ceremony works almost

exactly like normal physical combat. The monk

uses Body: Buddhist Magic to attack the spirit. The

spirit fights back with Spirit: Willpower (or Spirit:

Buddhist Magic if the soul was a monk). Just like in

combat, each Subdue Spirit attack takes an Action

and results in a Counterattack. Unlike normal

combat, damage taken from spiritual combat does

not go to Wounds: it is spread between Vitality and

Soul instead. The side which took damage chooses

how to spread the damage out. Soul for the spirit is

calculated normally, and Vitality for a spirit is based

on the Body attribute score it had when it was alive.

If the monk wins, the soul is sent to the Afterlife,

where it will be at peace. If the monk loses (either

Soul or Vitality reaches 0) then the monk loses

consciousness, and the spirit possesses the monk’s

body. The GM should take control of the monk

character for some time.

When the monk regains consciousness, she can

attempt to engage in spiritual combat again to

attempt to subdue the spirit that controls his body.

However, since now the monk has no physical body

to control (as he was pushed out of his own body),

both the monk and the tormented soul engage in a

Subdue Spirit battle with Spirit: Willpower or Spirit:

Buddhist Magic. If the Monk loses, he can try to

regain his form with another spiritual combat in

the next scene. If the monk’s friends happen to take

notice, they might realize that there’s something

wrong with the monk, and enlist the aid of other

monks to help.

Finally, Subdue Spirit does not work on living souls;

it only affects the dead.

188

BUDDHIST MAGIC

Meikyo Seal

Tama-Fuuji

Effect: Seal a summoned soul inside a meikyo soul

mirror

Soul Cost: The target’s Spirit attribute score

The Spirit Seal ceremony is regarded by many

monks a blasphemy, as it ties souls to the physical

world instead of trying to help them move on.

Ironically, though, only Buddhist monks have the

ability to bind souls to meikyo soul mirrors in order

to create kongohki.

After a soul is summoned through the Summon

Spirit ceremony, the monk can attempt to bind the

soul to a prepared meikyo. The monk makes an

opposed roll of Empathy: Buddhist Magic versus

the target soul’s Spirit: Willpower.

If the roll succeeds, the soul ’s memories are

suppressed and effectively wiped clean. The soul

’s personality and emotions are subdued. All of

the soul’s Fates are erased, and Karma is lowered

accordingly. After that, the soul is affixed with a

new Fate, “Sealed Memories”, at a ranking of 4.

If the Meikyo Seal spell fails, the spirit becomes

enraged and attacks the monk. A Subdue Spirit

spell must be cast to force the soul into the Afterlife

permanently.

Meikyo Cleansing

Mitama-Gaeshi

Effect: Reduces meikyo Karma, sends meikyo-

bound souls to the Afterlife

Soul Cost: Depends on the monk

The Meikyo Cleansing spell allows the monk to

reduce the Karma lingering on meikyo soul mirrors.

This is not instantaneous; it takes time and Soul to

continue the prayer.

Every 10 minutes, 10 points of Karma can be

removed from the meikyo of an armour or other

unused meikyo. If the target is a kongohki or has

a Spirit attribute score, then every 10 minutes the

kongohki’s Spirit attribute, in Karma, is removed

from the meikyo.

For every 10 minutes of chanting, the monk needs

to spend 1 point of Soul. Kongohki or other bound

souls can resist the cleansing chant. The monk

makes an opposed roll of Empathy: Buddhist Magic

against the kongohki’s Spirit: Willpower. If the

monk wins, every additional success reduces the “10

minutes” for 10 points of Karma reduction down

by one minute per success. If the bound soul wins,

every additional success raises the “10 minutes” for

10 points of Karma reduction up one minute per

success.

In the case of yoroi armours, Meikyo Cleansing is

one way to reduce the built-up Karma collecting on

the meikyo soul mirror. In the case of kongohki,

this works as well but with an added effect: If

Karma is lowered to zero points with the Meikyo

Cleansing spell, the kongohki’s soul is freed and

sent to the Afterlife.

In the case of kimenkyo mechanica mirrors, kimen

armours do not retain Karma so the spell would

not work. However, kimen kongohki can have their

Karma reduced or souls sent to the Afterlife through

the Meikyo Cleansing spell.

Example: Shining Mountain prays for the soul of a

receptive kongohki with 100 Karma. The kongohki’s

Spirit score is 6. When Shining Mountain begins

chanting, she can remove 6 Karma from the kongohki

for every 10 minutes of chanting. She wants to lower

the kongohki’s Karma by 42 points (she picks 42

because it’s a multiple of 6, the kongohki’s Spirit score).

This will take 70 minutes total, and cost the monk 7

Soul points.

Example: If the kongohki in the above example resists

(for example, an Asura kongohki with 120 Karma,

chained to a stone wall), Shining Mountain makes

an Empathy: Buddhist Magic roll vs the kongohki’s

Spirit: Willpower in an attempt to remove all of the

189

BUDDHIST MAGIC

kongohki’s Karma, as the Asura won’t stop raging until

it is set free. That means it will take 20 Soul points,

and 200 minutes, to perform the chant. Shining

Mountain wins, so she is able to continue to reduce

the kongohki’s Karma. She wins by 4 successes, which

means she can reduce the chanting by 40 minutes and

4 Soul points, down to a total of 16 Soul and 160

minutes. Hopefully the monk’s friends will be able to

keep this Asura restrained for that long.

Exorcism

Akuryou-Taisan

Effect: Dispels a possessing ayakashi or spirit

Soul Cost: Depends on the ayakashi, shiki or

samurai

This spell is used against ayakashi or shiki who have

taken control of a human using their Possession

ability. It attempts to free the human from the spirit,

forcing it away from its host.

The monk begins a chant towards a possessed

person or samurai. There is no roll involved; the

possessor simply compares its Spirit attribute score

(the Spirit of the shiki, ayakashi or samurai) with its

Possession skill (in dots: 2, 3, 4 or 5). The higher of

these two numbers is the total number of minutes,

or rounds, that the monk must chant sutras in order

to complete the Exorcism spell.

At the beginning of every round, the monk must

spend 3 points of Soul to continue the chant. Once

the number of rounds chanting equals the higher of

the target’s Spirit or Possession, the shiki or ayakashi

is forcibly pulled out of its host. The shiki or

ayakashi vanish right after the Exorcism is complete.

In the case of samurai or other talisman shiki, the

shiki is dismissed and returns to its container; the

samurai’s power is immediately deactivated.

If the target runs away, there is no need to keep up

the chant. Exorcism does not actually damage the

spirit or ayakashi.However, in the case of samurai, if

the monk continues the Exorcism chant even after

the shiki has been cast back into the soulgems on

the samurai’s body, the samurai cannot reactivate

the samurai shiki again until the monk is silenced.

Binding Prayer of Acala

Fudou Bakujuu

Effect: Binds an opponent in place

Soul Cost: The opponent’s Spirit attribute score

By repeating the Mantra of the Immovable Wisdom

King Acala (“Nohmaku Sanmanda Bazaradan

Kanman”: “Homage to the all-pervading Buddha-

nature”), the monk can keep an opponent held in

place.

The monk makes an opposed roll with her Spirit:

Buddhist Magic against the opponent’s Spirit:

Willpower. If the monk loses, nothing happens.

If the monk wins, the enemy finds himself unable to

take aggressive actions. In combat, this means that

he cannot move or take Actions or Half-Actions.

This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to

the difference between the monk ’s and opponent’s

successes rolled.

The monk has to continue chanting for the effect to

last, effectively spending his full action each round

continuing the chant. However, he can spend Kiai

to take other actions while continuing the chant.

The opponent can still parry, evade incoming

attacks or make other related defensive moves. The

opponent may also spend Kiai to take Actions by

making Interrupt Actions.

108 FACTIONS OF THE

LORDS OF LIGHT

The phrase “108 Factions of the Lords of Light”

is an expression which refers to the numerous

Buddhist martial sects devoted to the practice of

martial arts. Learned through their order, their

master and their peers, many Buddhist monks

of Tenra use their martial prowess for peace and

justice.

190

BUDDHIST MAGIC

While the Ebon Mountain monks are the most

famous for their training in the martial arts, a monk

from any order can learn any of the martial arts

with skill and practice.

In terms of rules, they function exactly as other

War Arts. Please see the Art of War section for more

details on their use.

FIST OF ACALA THE IMMOVABLE LORD OF

LIGHT

Fudoh Myoh-oh Ken

Skill: Unarmed Combat

This martial art, known commonly as “Fist of

Acala”, is known for its skillful counterattacks. It is

said that the founder of the Ebon Mountain order

received training in this martial art from Acala

himself while in ascetic practice in the mountains.

This art contains ultimate techniques that are

taught from a master to a single student.

Skilled Rank (Skill Level 2): FistofEarth

The monk can use his Spirit attribute instead of

Body when using Unarmed Combat to attack or

defend.

Unarmed Combat damage increases to +2.

Advanced Rank (Skill Level 3): TheUnmoving Fist

This allows for a split-second but extremely risky

counterattack, reading the enemy’s movements

before their attack lands. The side which ends up

losing the attack (the one with fewer successes) is

treated as if they had 0 successes for that attack.

Th is results in a devastating amount of damage

to the attacker (or defender, if his split-second

counterattack is not performed precisely). This

technique can only be used when the monk is being

attacked (as a defense), not when attacking.

Also, the damage for all of the monk ’s Unarmed

Combat attacks increases to +4.

Master Rank (Skill Level 4): FistoftheLord of Light

The monk can use The Unmoving Fist for attacks

as well as defense.

The damage for all of the monk’s Unarmed Combat

attacks increases to +10.

Supreme Rank (Skill Level 5): FistofAcala

For one round, a monk can take his Spirit attribute

score and add that many dice to any Body, Agility

or Senses roll made that round. This technique costs

a number of Soul equal to the Spirit attribute score

of the monk. The monk can spend less Soul if they

wish for a reduced effect.

THE HANDS OF MERCIFUL KANNON THE

THOUSAND-ARMED

Senju Kannon Ken

Skill: Unarmed Combat

This school of martial arts replaces the fist with

an open, cutting hand. Because of the flowing

movements of the monk, and the speed and ferocity

of the open-handed slicing attacks, it is said that

the practitioner appears to have a thousand arms in

battle.

Skilled Rank (Skill Level 2): PalmofWind

The monk can use his Empathy attribute instead

of Body when using Unarmed Combat to attack or

defend.

Unarmed Combat damage increases to +2.

Advanced Rank (Skill Level 3): Thousand Hands

This technique is a devastating feint used in

combat to distract an enemy and open them to

greater amounts of damage. It can only be used

when the monk is attacking, not defending. If the

practitioner’s attack succeeds, then the difference

between the attacker and defender’s successes

is multiplied by 2, after which other weapon or

martial arts damage is applied normally.

Also, the damage for all of the monk ’s Unarmed

Combat attacks increases to +4.

191

BUDDHIST MAGIC

Master Rank (Skill Level 4): PalmofKannon

The monk can use Thousand Hands for defense as

well as attacks. The damage for all of the monk’s

Unarmed Combat attacks increases to +10.

Supreme Rank (Skill Level 5): Thousand Unsettled

Hands of War

For one round, a monk can take his Empathy

attribute score and add that many dice to any

Body, Agility or Senses roll made that round. This

technique costs a number of Soul equal to the

Empathy attribute score of the monk. The monk

can spend less Soul if they wish for a reduced

effect.

CELESTIAL FORM KUNG FU

Seishaku Kei-i Ken

Skill: Unarmed Combat

It is said that this martial art formed from

observances made from the illuminated stars

of the night sky. This martial art is made up of

seven styles, of which each practitioner masters

before continuing to the next level. It is said that

the movements of the styles of this art reflect the

movement of celestial objects and constellations

in the sky. The practitioners of this art are called

Revered Star Saints within the order.

The art takes time to “charge up” in combat to

its higher level maneuvers. However, a skilled

practitioner can spend points of Kiai to gain

interrupt actions and additional actions, and

through that charge up to higher techniques of

Celestial Form Kung Fu in the course of one or two

combat rounds.

Skilled Rank (Skill Level 2): TheNorthStar

It takes one action to prepare this art, but

afterwards all actions with Unarmed Combat do +2

damage for the rest of the combat.

Advanced Rank (Skill Level 3): TheFeral Wolf

First, the practitioner must have engaged the North

Star ability in this combat scene. After that, an

additional action is required to prepare The Feral

Wolf, but afterwards all actions with Unarmed

Combat do +6 damage for the rest of combat.

Master Rank (Skill Level 4): TheHeavenly Gate

This art is only available in combat once the

practitioner has engaged the Feral Wolf in the same

combat scene. An additional action is required to

prepare The Heavenly Gate, but afterwards all

actions with Unarmed Combat do +15 damage for

the rest of combat.

Supreme Rank (Skill Level 5): TheBroken Army

This ultimate art is only available in combat once

the practitioner has engaged The Heavenly Gate

in this combat scene. An additional full action

is required to prepare The Broken Army, but

afterwards all actions with Unarmed Combat do

+40 damage for the rest of the combat.

192

KIJIN AND

MECHANICA

RULES

KIJIN

TRANSFORMATION

Kijin Transformation refers the process of surgically

grafting mechanica on to one’s body or replacing

certain body parts with mechanica.

KIJIN TRANSFORMATION DURING

CHARACTER CREATION

In order for a character to become a kijin (i.e., to be

equipped with mechanica), the player must select a

kijin archetype during character creation.

The cost of kijin conversion during character reation

is refl ected in a penalty to the character’s available

points used to assign to attributes like Body or

Spirit. Kijin archetypes include a pre-determined

selection of mechanica, but these can be changed

with the GM’s permission. You must obtain the

GM’s permission and fully explain what changes

you wish to make.

KIJIN TRANSFORMATION DURING THE

GAME

In order to become a kijin during the game, the

player must pay 10 times the Attribute penalty cost

of that mechanica in Kiai points. This is always

done during an Intermission, and it should be the

first thing dealt with during an Intermission event.

Thus, the required Kiai must be spent immediately

and Karma added as usual before moving to the

“Doctrine of No-Self ” phase of the Intermission.

If the GM feels that kijin conversion is implausible

for the current circumstances (e.g., the PCs are

on an isolated island where there is no one who

can do the necessary surgery), she may disallow

it. Situations like these where the players declare,

“Actually, I was already a kijin,” or “My previously-

hidden mechanica have appeared” might work well

in a story but are left to the GM’s discretion.

Note: Certain Mechanica implants require a Heart

Engine for power. To use these, you must take

a machine torso (see below) with a heart engine

installed during character creation.

Mechanica weapons which use gunpowder or

soulgems are always considered to be fully loaded.

Unless otherwise noted, mechanica that list

“ammunition” use soulgems for ammo.

MECHANICA

DESCRIPTIONS

Mechanica, also known as “Karakuri”— the old

Japanese term for clockwork machinery—were

originally used only for replacing the body parts

of fallen soldiers with machine parts. However,

recently they have been used by those with perfectly

healthy bodies who wish to transcend mere human

strength by replacing their flesh with superior

mechanical parts and weapons.

MECHANICA SENSORS

Replaced Part: Right eyeball or surrounding area

Attribute Penalty: See text below

This mechanica augments (or replaces) the kijin’s

eye, enhancing vision with a high precision visual

heads-up display known as a “Heaven’s Eye”. Th

is gives the character a bonus to her Notice skill.

There are four types of mechanica sensors, each

varying in available mechanica slots and notice

bonuses. Various other functions can be added to

the mechanica sensors. These functions do not add

any additional attribute penalties (see below for

details).

The rotating visor eyes are different than the other

eye classes. It represents a visor, helmet or plate with

several types of eyes which rotate into use as needed.

193

KIJIN AND MECHANICA RULES

Class Notice

Bonus

Attribute

Penalty

Available

Mechanica

Slots

Class Kou +8 3 3

Class Otsu +5 2 2

Class Hei +3 1 1

Rotating

Visor

+4 3 6

MECHANICA SENSOR SLOTS

The following additional functions can be installed

in the mechanica sensors. The maximum number

of functions is limited according to the type of

mechanica sensor (see above).

1. Darksight

You can see in darkness. Add 2 dice to all Sense

rolls while in darkness.

2. Eyes of Distant Death

Your senses are enhanced, allowing you to see

farther than naturally possible for humans. Add 2

dice to all Marksman rolls.

3. Sha Sensor

You can sense the strength of sha energies around

you. When you see a shiki (a summoned shiki or

samurai) you can determine what shiki abilities it

has, as well as the power level of those abilities by

making a successful Senses: Onmyojutsu roll. The

difficulty level for the roll is equal to 1/10th of the

shiki ’s total creation points, rounded up.

4. Flash Burst

You can emit a quick burst of light from your eyes.

Those who see the light are temporarily blinded.

This takes a half-action to use. Once you have

declared the use of flash burst, your next attack is

automatically considered a surprise attack. This

function consumes 4 Soul per use.

5. Protective Vision

You eyes are completely protected against blinding

light. You are immune to light attacks which affect

the eyes, including flash burst.

6. Soulfinder (Requires Heart Engine)

You can detect the presence of living creatures equal

to or greater than human size within a radius equal

to 10 x Senses in meters.

7. Eye-needles

Tiny needles (usually poisoned) can be projected

from your mechanica sensors. An attack with these

needles is always considered a surprise attack. Use

the Marksman skill when attacking.

Damage: +1

RoF: 1

Range: 3m

Ammo: 1

Poisoned Needles: Upon a successful attack, the

opponent must make a successful Willpower skill

check (difficulty level 2) or be paralyzed for 2

rounds. If the character has access to other poisons,

another poison can be substituted for the default

poison. Purchasing a poisoned needle costs 10

Kiai. Poisoned needles can be purchased during an

intermission.

8. Floating Eye

Your mechanica sensors can detach from its socket

and fl y around to observe distant objects and

events. This floating eye provides auditory and

visual information. When detached, it remains

connected to you by a thin metal wire with a

maximum range of 5 meters.

9. Enhanced Auditory

This function greatly amplifies the sound around

you, enabling you to hear sounds otherwise

impossible to pick up. You can apply your

Mechanica sensors Notice skill bonus to hearing as

well as sight.

10. Surround Vision

Your peripheral vision is extended, allowing you to

see 360 degrees around you for a maximum range

of 20 meters. Add 2 dice when defending against

surprise attacks.

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KIJIN AND MECHANICA RULES

OTHER HEAD-BASED MECHANICA

Lightning Bolt Eyes

Replaced Part: Both eyes or surrounding area

Attribute Penalty: 2 (Requires Heart Engine)

This mechanica converts Sha energy into electricity,

allowing you to project a bolt of powerful lightning

from your eyes. Because this is an incorporeal

energy attack, it may only be defended against by

use of the Evasion skill. Use the Marksman skill

when attacking.

Damage: +5

RoF: 1

Range: 100m

Ammo: Unlimited

Mechanica Kabuto

Replaced Part: Head

Attribute Penalty: 5 (Requires Heart Engine)

The character’s entire head is replaced with

mechanica with built-in sensors.

This mechanica can release waves of sha energy,

nullifying the effects of the darksight, farsight, Sha

sensor, and lifeforce sensors. Furthermore, detection

powers provided by shiki are useless in tracking

a user with a mechanica kabuto, all within a 100

meters radius.

Brain Enhancement

Replaced Part: Head (attachment)

Attribute Penalty: 2

This tiny mechanica is attached directly to the

brain. By releasing a special solution into the brain,

the user’s maximum Soul pool is permanently

increased by 15 points.

Interface Helm Implant

Replaced Part: Forehead

Attribute Penalty: 3

A yoroi interface helmet is implanted directly onto

your skull, connected directly to your brain. This

provides a +2 bonus on all Interface rolls when

connected to a Meikyo or Kimenkyo mirror.

Renju Voice

Replaced Part: Lower jaw

Attribute Penalty: 3

Two disks which can spin at a high velocity are

implanted onto the character’s lower jaw. Two faces

of ancient Kamiyo script are imprinted on each disk.

The spinning disks strengthen Sha energy fi elds

around the character, improving her ability with

certain language-related magical skills. When they

spin they release a high-pitched wailing, ranging

from a shrill screech to a low cry.

Add 2 dice when making skill checks with

Onmyojutsu, Buddhist Magic, and Ninjutsu.

Supreme Nervous System

Replaced Part: Nervous System

Attribute Penalty: 2

Your entire nervous system has been laced by

thin fibers of scarlet steel, greatly enhancing the

character’s reflexes and reaction speed.

This provides you with a +5 bonus to initiative in

combat scenes.

MECHANICA ARMS

Replaced Part: One or both arms

Attribute Penalty: See text

The character’s arm or arms are replaced with

machine arms powered by yoroi drive shafts. Th

is provides you with a damage bonus to Unarmed

Combat, Melee Weapons, and Marksman (for

thrown weapons only) skills. There are three types

of Mechanica Arms, each varying in available

mechanica slots, attribute penalties, and damage

bonuses. Various other functions can be added to

the Mechanica Arms. These functions do not add

any additional attribute penalties (see below for

details).

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KIJIN AND MECHANICA RULES

If both arms are replaced with Mechanica Arms,

treat each as a separate weapon. You do not add

damage together for both arms, even if you have the

same weapon function installed on each.

Class Notice

Bonus

Attribute

Penalty

Available

Mechanica

Slots

Class Kou +8 4 4

Class Otsu +5 2 2

Class Hei +3 1 1

COMBAT ARM MECHANICA SLOTS

The following additional functions can be installed

in Mechanica Arms. The maximum number

of functions is limited according to the type of

Mechanica Arms (see above).

1. Projectile Fist

Using the explosive power of gunpowder, your

metal fi st can be launched from your arm. Use the

Marksman skill instead of Unarmed Combat when

firing your fist. The fist is attached to your arm by

a 5-meter long metal cord. It returns back to your

arm automatically after an attack.

Damage: +4

RoF: 1

Range: 5m

Ammo: 1

2. Burning Scourge

A metal whip capable of generating intense heat,

can be released from your forearm. Use the Melee

Weapons skill when attacking. It takes a half-action

to release the scourge from your arm.

Damage: +5 Range: 5m

3. Explosive Spiker

A small spear, claw or blade is attached to the

underside of your forearm. Although not a true

ranged weapon, a small gunpowder explosion

thrusts the spear into your opponent upon impact.

Use the Unarmed Combat skill when attacking.

The bonus in the parentheses is for when

gunpowder is used.

Damage: +3 (+5)

RoF: 1

Ammo: 3

4. Vajra Claws

Five razor-sharp soulgem-powered claws extend

from your fingertips. They can be retracted into

your hand when not in use. Extending them takes

a half-action. Use the Unarmed Combat skill when

attacking.

Damage: +3

RoF: 3

Ammo: 6

5. Ikari Blossom Drill

A spear or drill attached to your forearm can spin

around, boring into your enemy upon impact. This

is powered by gunpowder and uses the Unarmed

Combat skill. The bonus in the parentheses is for

when gunpowder is used.

Damage: +2 (+4)

RoF: 1

Ammo: 6

6. White Heat Palm (Requires Heart Engine)

This horrible weapon, also known as the Incinerator

Palm, uses the character’s own inner power to heat

this metal palm to a white-hot state, incinerating

her enemies upon impact. Use the Unarmed

Combat skill to attack. Using this function expends

one point of Soul for every bonus point of damage

you wish it to do. It takes a half-action (at which

time Soul is consumed) to gather enough power

before the attack action. After the attack action,

the incinerator palm’s damage returns to 0 again,

requiring an additional soul charge for further

damage bonuses.

Damage: Soul points expended

7. Five-barrel Gatling

Your f inger tips are actually gun-barrels powered

by gunpowder. Use the Marksman skill when

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KIJIN AND MECHANICA RULES

attacking. This costs 2 mechanica slots.

Damage: +3

RoF: 5

Range: 20m

Ammo: 30

8. Grudge Blade

A long retractable blade is installed in your forearm.

It takes a half-action to fully extend the blade. Use

the Melee Weapons skill when attacking.

Damage: +5

9. Omega Snake Blades

Sharp, long blades extend from your fingers and

wrists and spin around, creating a whirlwind of

blades that pierce and slice through the enemy.

They have a Rate of Fire as if they were a projectile

weapon (though the kijin uses the Unarmed

Combat skill to fight with them)

Damage: +4

RoF: 4

10. Extra Arm Slot

You take a -2 penalty to your combat arm damage

bonus but gain an extra slot for mechanica. This

does not expend a slot in itself.

11. Arm Storage Compartment

You have a small storage compartment in your arm,

in which food or a small weapon can be stored.

12. Steel War Fan

A round fan or shield-like object extends from your

arm. When defending using the Unarmed Combat

skill you can add an amount of dice equal to your

combat arm damage bonus. However, you cannot

make a counter attack when defending in this

manner; this mechanica is used only for defense.

13. Kairen Fingers

Your fingers are multi-jointed, allowing you to

perform the intricate hand movements required in

casting magical spells and summonings with far less

effort. Add +3 to all Onmyojutsu, Buddhist Magic,

and Ninjutsu skill rolls. The fingers are delicate,

however, and will be temporarily disabled if the

character uses Unarmed Combat with that hand to

make an attack. They can be used again after the

next intermission.

14. Shoulder Spikes

Long sharp horns protrude from your upper arms

or shoulders. Use the Unarmed Combat skill when

attacking.

Damage: +8

15. Lizard Bomb Arm

Just like a lizard can detach its tail in danger, you

can detach one of your Mechanica Arms. This arm

is loaded with gunpowder and an explosive device.

Once dropped or thrown (then activated), it does 20

points of damage to all within a 10-meter radius.

16. Extendable Arm

The joints of your Combat Arm are extendable,

allowing you to make melee and unarmed attacks

up to 5 meters away with them. This has no effect

on ranged attacks.

OTHER ARM MECHANICA

Demonic Lightning Cannon

Replaced Part: One full arm

Attribute Penalty: 2

This weapon replaces the hand and forearm. It

gathers and transforms Sha energy into electricity,

sending a powerful bolt of lightning from the barrel.

Only the Evade skill can be used when defending

against this attack.

Damage: +8

RoF:1

Range: 300m

Ammo: Unlimited

Cyclone Gatling Repeater

Replaced Part: One full arm

Attribute Penalty: 2

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KIJIN AND MECHANICA RULES

Your entire arm is replaced with a large cylindrical

gunpowder Gatling gun. The gun’s barrel spins

around, releasing a barrage of ammunition at its

targets and obliterating the enemy. This uses the

Marksman skill.

Damage: +2

RoF :10

Range: 20m

Ammo: 150

Kaminari Fist Thunderburst

Replaced Part: One arm (forearm and fist)

Attribute Penalty: 3

Required Station: 5

This consists of a powerful metal fist with a

specialized heart engine embedded within. If the

heart engine is activated, it sends out powerful

energy which significantly increases the strength of

an unarmed strike. However, using this attack also

damages the user. When this ability is used, the

Kaminari Fist is destroyed and the character takes 1

point of damage. The fi st can be repaired during an

intermission for another 30 points of Karma. This

damage must be distributed to Critical Wounds.

The fist normally does +5 damage, but it increases

to +20 when the heart engine is activated and the

fist destroyed.

Damage: +5 (+20)

Crab Claws

Replaced Part: One full arm

Attribute Penalty: 5 (Requires Heart Engine)

This weapon, replacing the character’s entire arm,

gets its name from its resemblance to a crab claw. In

addition to being used as a melee weapon it can also

create and explode an enormous ball of Sha energy.

This energy ball affects everything in its 100 meter-

wide blast radius (extending forward from the claw),

friend or foe. Because the energy takes time to

regenerate, this ability can used only once every Act.

Dmg RoF Range Ammo

Claw

(Melee)

+7 5 10 —

Sha Cannon

(Marksman)

+9 1 100m

blast

MECHANICA TORSO

Replaced Part: Torso

Attribute Penalty: See Text

Your entire torso, all the way down to your bones to

organs, are replaced with mechanica. This provides

you with a permanent bonus to your Vitality as

your flesh is replaced with cold steel armor plates.

Th ere are three types of mechanica torsos, each

varying in available mechanica slots and Vitality

bonuses. Various other functions can be added to

the mechanica torso. These functions (with the

exception of Heart Engine, Kimenkyo, and Howler

Cannon) do not add any additional attribute

penalties (see below for details).

Class Notice

Bonus

Attribute

Penalty

Available

Mechanica

Slots

Class Kou +20 4 4

Class Otsu +10 2 2

Class Hei +5 1 1

MACHINE TORSO MECHANICA SLOTS

The following additional functions can be installed

in the Machine Torso. The maximum amount is

limited according to the type of machine torso (see

above).

1. Heart Engine

Additional Attribute Penalty: 2

A Heart Engine is installed in your mechanical

body, providing a power source to a variety of

mechanica. This can only be installed at character

creation.

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KIJIN AND MECHANICA RULES

2. Kimenkyo

Additional Attribute Penalty: 2

With a kimenkyo mirror installed in your body to

help amplify and control fine motor movement, you

can use your Interface skill rank to perform any

general skill (but not other specialized skills). This

can only be installed at character creation.

3. Rib Cage Spider

When grappling an opponent, 8 spiny blades can

be extended from your chest, impaling your victim.

Use the Unarmed Combat skill when attacking.

Damage: +2

RoF: 6

Ammo: 6

4. Dragon Cannon

A lesser version of the immense yoroi armour

soulgem mortar is installed on the shoulder or chest.

Th is large weapon takes up 2 mechanica slots. Use

the Marksman skill when attacking.

Damage: +9

RoF: 1

Range: 1 km

Ammo: 6

5. Supreme Howler Mortar Cannon (Requires Heart

Engine)

Additional Attribute Penalty: 1

This is a long-range yoroi mortar which can be

installed on the shoulder or in the chest. Use the

Marksman skill when attacking. It does 12 points of

damage to anything in its blast radius Th is can be

reduced with an Evasion roll.

Damage: 12

RoF:1

Range: 2 km

Ammo: 1

The ammo is replenished every intermission.

6. Inner Eye (Requires Heart Engine)

This device allows you to manipulate the inner

energies of your Heart Engine. You can siphon your

Soul to refuel your Vitality score at a 1:1 ratio.

7. Torso Storage Compartment

You have a small storage compartment in your torso

in which food or a small weapon can be stored.

8. Extra Torso Slot

You take a -4 to your machine torso Vitality bonus

but gain an extra slot for mechanica. This does not

expend a slot in itself. Your Vitality bonus cannot be

reduced below zero.

9. Extra Arm Attachment

You can attach another arm to your torso. Add

attribute costs of the extra limbs as normal.

10. Reinforced Lungs

You can hold your breath and swim underwater for

a number of hours equal to your Spirit attribute.

During strenuous activity such as underwater

combat, you can only hold your breath for a number

of rounds equal to your Spirit score.

11. Flight Booster

Using a burst of power from a soulgem, you can fly

for 2 rounds. Th e maximum range in one round

equals your Agility attribute score x 40 meters.

12. Glorious Death Bomb

This is the kijin version of the kongohki/armour

abilit y “Brilliant Flower of Destruction”. By

shattering your heart engine that powers your torso,

you release an explosive blast. Everything within a

15-meter radius takes 30 straight points of damage.

This also damages yourself, and your Dead Box is

checked when this is used.

13. Smoke Screen

A thick cloud of smoke can be released from your

torso. If used indoors, enough smoke is created to

fill an entire room. All within the room are unable

to see. If used outdoors, the cloud dissipates after

one round.

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KIJIN AND MECHANICA RULES

This function can only be used once per scene.

14. Flame Caster

A f lamethrower is installed within the chest. Use

the Marksman skill when attacking.

Damage: +10

RoF : 1

Range: 5 m

Ammo: 3

OTHER TORSO-BASED MECHANICA

Zero-type Reflective Armor

Replaced Part: Skin

Attribute Penalty: 3

Your skin is replaced with a smooth mirror-like

material resembling the underbelly of a snake. Th

is special refl ective material will protect against all

energy attacks such as electricity or fire, and magical

energy attacks like Buddhist magic. All damage

taken from such attacks (after Evasion rolls are

made, as appropriate) is reduced by half.

Type 3 Chameleon Flesh Dragon Scale

Replaced Part: Skin

Attribute Penalty: 1 (Requires Heart Engine)

Your flesh is replaced with a hard metallic armor.

The character can use the energy from the heart

engine to activate the dragon scale’s camouflage

function. When activated, an aura of energy

surrounds the character, allowing her to blend in to

her surroundings.

Add 5 dice to all Stealth rolls.

MECHANICA LEGS

Replaced Part: Both Legs

Attribute Penalty: See Text

Your legs are replaced with steel mechanica legs.

The superior muscle control and strength provide

you with a die bonus to your Movement skill. There

are three types of mechanica, each varying in

available mechanica slots and Movement die

bonuses. Various other functions can be added to

the Mechanica Legs. These functions do not add

any additional attribute penalties (see below for

details).

Class Notice

Bonus

Attribute

Penalty

Available

Mechanica

Slots

Class Kou +8 4 4

Class Otsu +5 2 2

Class Hei +3 1 1

MECHANICA LEG MECHANICA SLOTS

The following additional functions can be installed

in mechanica legs. The maximum amount is limited

according to the type of legs (see above).

1. Roller Type

The bottoms of your metal feet are fitted with

wheels, allowing you to move at great speeds. You

can use them as a combat action to move up to your

Agility score x 40 meters for 1 round, and can add 2

dice to all Evasion skill checks.

2. Aquatic Fins

Your legs are fitted with retractable fins to aid

underwater movement. Add +2 dice to all physical

action rolls made underwater.

3. Booster Module

By releasing a small gunpowder explosion from your

feet or legs, you can fly (basically an extended jump)

for a limited period of time. Your maximum range

in one round equals your Agility attribute score x 40

meters, and up to 20 meters in height. This device

also adds 2 dice to Evasion skill checks, and can be

used as a weapon, like a gun. Use the Marksman

skill when making an attack. The bonus in the

parentheses is for when the gunpowder burst is

used.

Damage (kicking): +2 (+4)

RoF: 1

Ammo: 3

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KIJIN AND MECHANICA RULES

4. Leg Incinerators (Requires Heart Engine)

The leg version of the White Heat Palm. Using your

inner power you can heat your feet and legs to a

white-hot state, incinerating your enemies. Use the

Unarmed Combat skill to attack. Using this

function expends 1 Soul point, plus one more Soul

for every extra point of damage bonus you wish to

receive for your next attack. It takes a half-action

(at which time Soul is consumed) to gather enough

power before the attack action. After the attack is

complete, the damage bonus resets to zero, requiring

more Soul to be expended for further damage

bonuses.

Damage: Soul points expended.

5. Shock Absorbers

This mechanica was developed to lessen the damage

caused to kijin soldiers dropped down onto their

enemies from aerial yoroi troop carrier ships. Th ese

shock absorbers reduce all falling damage by half.

6. Leg Storage Compartment

You have a small storage compartment in one of

your legs in which food or a small weapon can be

stored.

7. Lizard Bomb Leg

Just like a lizard can detach its tail in danger, you

can detach one of your Mechanica Legs. The leg

is loaded with gunpowder and an explosive device,

and once dropped or thrown (then activated) it does

20 points of damage to all within a 10-meter radius.

8. Dragon Claws

Huge menacing claws are built into your feet. In

addition to being a weapon, it can also be used as an

aid in climbing, allowing you to stand upright on a

horizontal surface such as a wall. Use the Unarmed

Combat skill when attacking.

Damage: +5

9. Supreme Howler Mortar Cannon (Requires Heart

Engine)

Additional Attribute Penalty: 1

This immense long-range yoroi mortar is installed

on the bottom of the foot. Use the Marksman

skill when attacking. It does 12 points of damage

to anything in a 4-meter blast radius. This can be

reduced with an Evasion roll.

Damage: 12

RoF:1

Range: 2 km

Ammo: 1

The ammo can be replenished every intermission.

OTHER NOTABLE MECHANICA

“Explosive Corpse” Skull Bomb

Replaced Part: Installed within skull

Attribute Penalty: 3

Using the latest in advanced surgical techniques,

a hole is cut into the skull and a small gunpowder

bomb is installed. The bomb can be set to detonate

under certain predetermined conditions, as decided

by the Player or GM. Upon detonation, the

character’s Dead Box becomes checked. The player

can also choose to die instantly.

Weapon Interface

Replaced Part: Varies

Attribute Penalty: See Text

A mechanica weapon is connected directly to your

nervous system, allowing you to manipulate it as

easily as one of your own limbs. You must choose

one already-installed mechanica weapon when

Weapon Interface is installed. It provides you with

the following damage bonuses (depending on the

type) to the appropriate weapon.

Class Damage

Bonus

Attribute

Penalty

Class Kou +4 2

Class Otsu +2 1

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KIJIN AND MECHANICA RULES

Weapon Attachment

Replaced Part: Varies

Attribute Penalty: —

This mechanica allows for any weapon from the

Weapon List to be attached to a mechanica sensor,

mechanica torso or mechanica legs. The Karma cost

must be paid for that weapon, after which it can be

grafted on to the torso, visor or leg.

Twin Dragon Arms

Replaced Part: Both Full Arms

Attribute Penalty: -4

Requires Mechanica Torso

This is a combination of heavy repeating gunpowder

rifle and dragon blade, which both use an advanced

style mechanica configuration and are attached to

part of the character’s arms. This mechanica does

not fully replace both arms (you can still use other

mechanica arms, and these attachments do not

take up any arm mechanica slots), but the large

ammunition chamber for the dragon repeater takes

up one mechanica slot in your machine torso. The

dragon blades use gunpowder in much the same

way as soulgem blades do; they can expend up to 8

gunpowder rounds for up to +8 extra damage.

Weapon Dmg RoF Range Ammo

Dragon

Blade

+3 8 — 100

Dragon

Heavy

Repeater

+3 8 20m 80

Homeopathic Bullet Skin

Replaced Part: Skin

Attribute Penalty: See Text

All of your skin is replaced with a special material

imbedded with mechanica readers and gunpowder

chambers. When the character is hit by any kind of

weapon, the internal gunpowder chamber explodes

outwards, canceling the force and shock of the

incoming attack. However, some of the damage

from the counter-explosion will affect the user.

When this mechanica is activated, all points of

damage for a single attack, up to a certain amount

(depending on the skin) is completely nullified. In

return, all the Wounds of a certain level must be

filled in.

Example: A character with Class Otsu Homeopathic

Bullet Skin gets hit for 22 damage: The HBS allows

that incoming damage to be reduced to 2. However,

she must then fi ll in all of her Heavy Wound boxes as

the skin’s counter-explosion damages surrounding skin

and tissue.

This is a one-time-use mechanica: It can only be

repurchased with Karma during Intermissions.

Class Damage

Reduction

Wound

Level

Attribute

Penalty

Class Kou 30 Light 4

Class Otsu 20 Heavy 2

Class Hei 10 Critical 1

MECHANICA LOADOUTS

Picking a set of mechanica can be difficult for

players just starting to play the game. Here are a few

collections of mechanica loadouts to help get you

started quickly. Feel free to pick one or combine

a few loadouts to create your kijin or mechanica-

enhanced characters.

Young Soldier

Focus: Basic mechanica for combat

Class Hei Mechanica Arm, Vajra Claws

Attribute Cost: 1

Ghastly Veteran

Focus: Melee weapon mechanica

Class Otsu Mechanica Arm, Grudge Blade, Omega

Snake Blades, Class Otsu Weapon Interface

(Grudge Blade)

Attribute Cost: 3

Man-Gohki

Focus: Melee combat mastery

Class Hei Mechanica Sensors, Flash Burst, Class

Otsu Mechanica Arms, Vajra Claws, White Heat

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KIJIN AND MECHANICA RULES

Palm, Class Hei Mechanica Torso, Heart Engine,

Class Hei Mechanica Legs, Roller Type Feet, Class

Otsu Weapon Interface (Vajra Claws)

Attribute Cost: 8

Renegade Marksman

Focus: Light projectile attacks

Class Hei Mechanica Sensor, Eyes of Distant Death,

Weapon Attachment (Repeater)

Attribute Cost: 1

Karma Cost: 3

Crimson Targeter

Focus: Heavy ranged weapons

Class Otsu Mechanica Sensor, Darksight, Eyes

of Distant Death, Class Otsu Mechanica Arms,

Five-Barrel Gatling, Class Otsu Weapon Interface

(Gatling)

Attribute Cost: 5

Brutal Fist

Focus: Martial arts enhancement

Class Kou Mechanica Arms, Vajra Claws,

Extendable Arm, Steel War Fan, Burning Scourge

Attribute Cost: 4

Cloak of Misery

Focus:Infiltration and deception

Class Kou Mechanica Torso, Heart Engine, Flight

Booster, Smokescreen, Type 3 Chameleon Flesh,

Dragon Scales, Torso Storage Compartment

Attribute Cost: 6

Asura Hunter

Focus: Monstrous kijin makeover

Class Otsu Mechanica Sensors, Floating Eye, Eyes

of Distant Death, Class Hei Mechanica Torso,

Glorious Death Bomb, Twin Dragon Arms, Class

Kou Weapon Interface (Twin Dragon Arms)

Attribute Cost: 9

Silver Sage

Focus:Magical enhancements for monk, onmyoji

and ninja characters

Class Hei Mechanica Arm, Kairen Fingers, Brain

Enhancement, Renju Voice

Attribute Cost: 6

203

KONGOHKI

Kongohki are the products of Priesthood-backed

technological innovation. While armour have been

around for a long time, the kongohki is a recent

development. Kongohki were originally created

originally to be pilotless, more maneuverable

armour. In the end, the kongohki and armour are

crafted in much the same fashion and as such the

rules for using them are largely the same. Subtle

differences arise between meikyo and kimenkyo

versions, so take care to learn those differences.

KARMA AND THE

MEIKYO MIRROR

Like armour, kongohki built upon Priesthood

technology also receive a “Meikyo Bonus”. However,

there is no “rider” in a kongohki: Th e users are

themselves sealed inside a soul mirror. Unlike the

armour, there is just one Karma pool, the Karma

pool is not split between meikyo and rider. This

means that their Karma can briefl y go above

108 like any other character. And like any other

character, if the kongohki’s player does not reduce

the Karma below 108 by the end of the next

intermission, the kongohki becomes an Asura.

One can quickly see why kongohki are so feared.

By the time they become a lost soul, they are nearly

unstoppable.

MEIKYO BONUS

Karma Additional Dice

0-20 +0

21-40 +1

41-60 +2

61-80 +3

81-100 +4

101-108 +5

109+ +6

KIMEN KONGOHKI

Kimen kongohki are mass-produced, but they too

rely on onmyojutsu magic and high technology

to function, just like their meikyo counterparts.

However, they operate on lesser kimen calculating

devices instead of meikyo soul-capturing devices.

This means that kimen kongohki do not benefit

from the Karma bonus that their meikyo

counterparts receive. This fact accounts for the high

difference in quality and operational functionality.

Meikyo devices crafted by the Shinto Priesthood

are always superior because their devices can more

naturally channel the urges that reside in the human

soul.

Kimen kongohki aren’t as powerful as their meikyo

counterparts, but they are easier to capture and

erase when they go renegade. They also start with

less Karma than their meikyo counterparts. They

still contain a lost soul, but it is bound to a mass-

produced mechanical mirror instead of a much rarer

soul mirror.

Of course, the kimen models are much easier to

come by than their fabulously expensive meikyo

counterparts. They can also use the Overdrive

ability, which makes them fearsome on the

battlefield.

KONGOHKI REPAIR

Kongohki repair happens in a way that is very

similar to how the skill first aid helps people recover

from wounds. However, instead of finding a medic

to roll Senses: First Aid on their body, the kongohki

needs to find an onmyoji to perform a Knowledge:

Onmyojutsu roll to repair the wounds taken.

KONGOHKI-SPECIFIC

RULES

204

KONGOHKI

KONGOHKI OVERDRIVE

All kongohki have an ability called Overdrive.

Restraints are released and the kongohki’s engine

speeds up, increasing the speed and strength by

incredible amounts. Over time, this ability takes a

toll on the kongohki’s body, but it is this temporary

boost of blinding speed and force that turns the

machine from a peerless soldier into the most

terrifying force on the battlefield, a demonic killing

machine.

Overdrive can be activated in one game session

as many times as their Body plus Spirit attribute

scores, and each Overdrive attempt lasts for one

single action. If the kongohki’s Body or Spirit score

rises over the course of a session (by spending 10

Kiai to raise the attribute), the kongohki will get

additional Overdrive attempts.

During an Overdrive, when performing physical

actions with Body, Agility or Senses, every die that

comes up as a success is rolled one more time. Th

e second round of successes is added to the total

of the first roll. However, dice that come up as

successes a second time are not rerolled.

The Overdrive can be engaged instantly, no action

is required.

Both meikyo and kimenkyo models can use the

Overdrive ability.

KONGOHKI MEMORIES

All kongohki are cursed. The soul contained deep

within that hard metal meikyo or kimenkyo soul

mirror used to belong to a person who died under

intense stress, pain, misery or anger. The soul was

an Asura, a lost soul, and could not move on

to the afterlife upon the death of their body.

Through certain rituals, the soul was tied back

into a soul mirror, its memories wiped clean,

given a rudimentary personality, and bound to an

indestructible steel frame.

To that end, all kongohki characters start the game

with one Fate (though more can soon be taken):

Suppressed Memories. Those memories were sealed

away, but like all seals, cracks can appear at times.

Every time the player of the kongohki receives a

number of Aiki chits greater than the kongohki’s

Empathy attribute score, a fl ashback scene is

triggered. This is often a minor fl ash of insight, a

look through the eyes of the person they used to be,

a single buried memory. The GM decides what it is

that the kongohki sees.

Every time the player takes another Aiki chit after

that, another flashback is triggered.

The only way to stop this from happening is to

convert Aiki chits to Kiai points (see the Karma

rules for details), usually during an intermission

phase.

Eventually, the character can get rid of (sublimate)

this Fate, with the GM’s permission. What does this

mean? Perhaps the character recalls the memories of

his past and comes to terms with what happened.

Maybe the character is so horrifi ed by what he was

that he turns his back on his past, and leads a new

life. Or maybe the kongohki gained such a strong

new personality and new connections that he was

successful at erasing those old memories for good.

Kongohki who become Asura, reaching 109 or

more Karma, are overwhelmed by past memories

and emotion. In most cases they revert to the

personality of the person they were when they died;

hurt, confused, and knowing only rage, they destroy

every living thing near them.

KONGOHKI AND SPECIALIST SKILLS

Kongohki are robotic human beings, and by

combining various archetypes the player can grant

their kongohki various specialist skills. A kongohki

can use most specialist skills without a problem

(representing skills the person had before they

died and had their soul trapped in a mirror). Some

explanation is required for these three skills in

particular, though:

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KONGOHKI

Shinto: A kongohki with the Shinto skill rank is

obviously going to be connected to the Priesthood,

probably as an agent. Think of what purpose the

Priesthood has to employ such a kongohki. If the

player can come up with some interesting questions

or ideas as to why, then it should be fine to allow

her to play a kongohki with the Shinto skill and

rank.

Resonance: Inside each kongohki lies the beating

heart engine of an oni. Th erefore, Dii (the oni

powers based on the heart) can be used. Of course,

this means that the spirit that inhabits the meikyo

soul mirror which gives life to the kongohki

belonged to an oni. If that sounds interesting, then

let it happen. This will probably result in a tragic

character, though…

Interface: A kongohki is a whitewashed soul

trapped in a meikyo, a soul mirror. Therefore, it

is possible for a kongohki to have the Interface

skill and control other meikyo-based weapons or

communicate over the Reflection Network.

The soul of such a kongohki was obviously a yoroi

armour-rider or Shinto Priesthood agent of some

kind who died with a great amount of Karma, most

certainly having turned into an Asura.

It might be the case, however disturbing, that

the same mirror that the dead armour-rider’s soul

was trapped in as an Asura, was simply lifted,

whitewashed, and dumped into the body of a

kongohki for further service. If this sounds like an

interesting (albeit dark) story to engage in, then

having a kongohki with the Interface ability can be

allowed.

Please note that in all these cases, you should work

with the Game Master. The GM’s approval is

required for the above combinations, but more than

that a simple chat about the possible story ideas

might get the GM excited to present interesting

story elements in play. If you surprise your GM with

a crazy-combination character, it might be hard for

her to think clearly of entertaining ways to bring

those elements into the game unless you sit down to

talk about it in advance.

PUPPETEERS AND KONGOHKI SERVANTS

Shinto agents trained in the use of the interface

helm have the ability to control specialized

kimen kongohki servants from afar. Such agents

are referred to as Puppeteers. By putting on the

interface helm and connecting to their chosen

servant, or “pet”, they can control the body of

the kongohki as if they actually inhabited their

body. While the puppeteer possesses the kongohki

body, they go into a trance. They cannot move

their own bodies; they cannot take actions or even

defend themselves, so most puppeteers try to hide

themselves before they interface.

When creating a kongohki servant, follow

the normal kongohki creation rules for kimen

kongohki. Kongohki servants also follow the

standard rules for Overdrive. However, kongohki

servants are not affected by flashbacks or sealed

memories like player-character kongohki. The

Karma cost of the kongohki archetype they

choose from is doubled, then added to the starting

equipment cost of the player character. The PC

requires an additional 10 points of Karma for

equipment: The soul mirror and connection-less

interface helm cost 10 points together.

Since this cost is often high, most PCs will choose

to take an additional attribute penalty: every

additional attribute penalty taken (in effect lowering

the amount of attribute points the puppeteer can

allocate to their attribute scores during character

creation) reduces the Karma cost of owning a

kongohki servant by 10 points, down to a minimum

of 0.

Example: The default puppeteer archetype has an

equipment cost of 90, and it is built on the default

kimen kongohki archetype which has a Karma cost of

40: (40 x 2) + 10 = 90. The puppeteer template off

sets the high Karma cost by reducing the character’s

attributes by 5 points, lowering the Karma cost by 50

points down to 40.

Puppeteers can try to hijack both meikyo and

kimenkyo mirrors for a brief period of time, but

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KONGOHKI

they can only completely control kimen kongohki.

KONGOHKI CREATION RULES

These are the rules for creating new kongohki. For

beginning players, we highly recommend simply

using the kongohki loadout for the archetype you

choose.

However, these rules will permit you to go further,

either customizing your choice or creating one from

scratch.If you are familiar with the armour creation

rules, the rules for kongohki are nearly exactly the

same.

ATTRIBUTES FOR KONGOHKI

All kongohki have the following three attributes,

which represent the physical frame of their bodies:

BODY: This represents the pure physical power and

stability of the frame. Just like human characters,

body also represents the Vitality and Wound levels

for a kongohki.

AGILITY: Agility represents the pure speed and

refl exes that the frame is capable of. In combat,

a kongohki can move 20 times its Agility score in

meters every round. Outside of combat, a kongohki

can move up to 10 times its Agility score in

kilometers each hour.

SENSES: Senses are a representation of the strength

of the sensors and sense-amplifi cation equipment

that the frame contains. Kongohki can effectively

see up to a range of 100 times its Senses score in

meters. They also have an innate ability called

Lifepulse, which is a kind of sonar that detects all

warm living things human-sized and larger within

its normal field of vision. It quickly allows the unit

to detect the approximate size and number of people

moving nearby (including kugutsu and shikigami

spirits). The range of the Lifepulse is equal to a

radius of Senses times 10 meters.

Kongohki have a soul, albeit one shackled to a

mirror, so while they have the above three attributes,

they have the other attributes as well. However, for

the process of kongohki creation, we will put aside

attributes like Spirit and Empathy, and simply focus

on their frame and physical properties.

CHOOSE A FRAME

The first step in the creation of a kongohki is

choosing a frame. There are two basic frame types

for kongohki. Each frame has a point total called an

attribute pool. This attribute pool is a pool of points

which you can later spread amongst the unit’s three

physical attributes: Body, Agility and Senses. For

now, just write the pool point total down, because

choices made later on during the creation of the

armour can raise or lower this pool.

Kongohki, like armour, are given an attribute pool.

However, there are no Station requirements for

being a kongohki (yet most kongohki have some

Station in order to carry weapons).

Since kongohki are characters, they have their initial

attribute totals reduced by the attribute pool. In

the case of normal kongohki (with a base attribute

pool of 18), this means that the character will only

have 22 points to spread amongst their other four

attributes. However, based on choices made during

kongohki creation, the kongohki can gain more

attribute points (by choosing 2 arms, 2 legs) or

lose attribute points (by equipping mechanica or

customized weapons like the ZAKT-8 sword).

Aside from the meikyo bonus, there is no functional

difference between normal and kimen kongohki.

They both start with the Overdrive ability.

Basic Kongohki

Attribute Pool: 18 points

This is the basic kongohki model, which comes in a

variety of shapes and sizes.

Heavy Assault Unit Kongohki

Attribute Pool: 23 points

The heavy assault units are kongohki which contain

multiple soul mirrors, each bound with their own

Asura soul. The benefit is their expertise and power.

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KONGOHKI

For each soul mirror contained in the kongohki,

they can take one action per round in combat. The

downside is that they tend to accumulate Karma

rather quickly and can be hard to stop once they

rampage.

A heavy assault unit can be made up of both meikyo

and kimenkyo soul mirrors, but there must be at

least one meikyo; there are no all-kimen heavy

assault units because the kimen technology will not

support it.

DECIDE APPEARANCE

The second step in creating a kongohki is choosing

its appearance. Their frames come in a variety

of shapes and forms, and things like the number

of arms, legs, or the shape of their head can be

customized. The attribute pool will be adjusted

depending on the configuration chosen.

After that, the number of arms and legs will decide

the number of equipment slots that the kongohki

starts with. Each piece of specialized kongohki

equipment occupies a number of slots.

The appearance tables and kongohki gear appear

later in this section.

CALCULATE STARTING KARMA

After crafting the kongohki and adding equipment,

that equipment must be paid for. Additional

weapons, meikyo mirrors and mechanica can be

purchased as well. All of these items have a cost

in Karma which must be paid during character

creation.

Each kongohki has one mirror (meikyo or

kimenkyo) and heart engine at no additional cost,

but more can be bought at the prices listed.

ADDITONAL EQUIPMENT COST

Equipment Cost (in Karma)

Meikyo Mirror 25

Kimenkyo Mirror 10

Heart Engine 25

Kongohki Equipment 5

Mechanica 5*

Basic Weapon 5

Customized Weapon varies

5 Additional Soulgems 1

Shikidan Ammo 3

* Mechanica which require a combat scanner or

mechanica arm/leg cost 10 karma.

Mechanica

Kongohki can have mechanica devices added to

their frames. In most cases, one equipment slot is

required for each additional mechanica added.

In cases where a mechanica combat scanner, arm

or leg is required, additional work is required to

graft the necessary interface to the native kongohki

frame, doubling the Karma cost of that equipment.

For example, a cyclone Gatling repeater mechanica

does not require a mechanica arm because it is an

arm replacement, so it can be equipped for 5 Karma

and a penalty of 2 attribute points. Ikari blossom

drills and vajra claws require a mechanica arm, so

each of those mechanica will cost 10 Karma.

In the above cases, the kongohki doesn’t actually

receive a new mechanica limb, but rather simply the

ability to use limb-specific mechanica.

Since kongohki are approximately the same size as

humans, mechanica which have an attribute penalty

are calculated normally. A GM may allow an

alternative; multiply the attribute penalty total by 10

and add that amount to the character’s starting

Karma.

Weapons

Kongohki use normal-sized human weapons .

However, they can use customized or original

weapons as per the weapon creation rules in the

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KONGOHKI

Weapon List.

Calculate Starting Karma

At this point, the kongohki is almost ready for play.

Calculate the Karma total. This number cannot

exceed 108. If it does, return to the creation process

and adjust equipment until the total cost is less than

or equal to 108.

Remember that in play, all meikyo-based frames

receive a die bonus to all rolls involving physical

attributes in accordance with the meikyo bonus

table.

FINISHING FRAME CREATION:

DISTRIBUTE ATTRIBUTE POOL

Once appearance and all additional equipment have

been decided, it’s time to split up the attribute pool

across the three physical attributes: Body, Agility

and Senses. Each attribute must start with at least

three points in it. After appearance adjustments

have been added, attributes can be lower than three.

If an attribute drops to 0, the kongohki cannot

function.

Calculate Vitality and Wounds

Kongohki have a Vitality score and Wound tracks,

although Vitality is calculated slightly differently

than normal human characters. Vitality is equal to

two times the kongohki’s Body score. The Wound

track is calculated in exactly the same way as it is for

humans.

Kongohki calculate Soul in the same manner as

human characters. Kongohki characters do not

adjust Vitality or the Health track as their Karma

adjustment increases.

ADDING ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT IN-

GAME

Once the game has started, kongohki equipment

can be added or exchanged. When adding new

equipment, calculate the amount of Karma

required. The player must spend an amount of Kiai

equal to that amount to take the new part, after

which that Kiai becomes Karma.

If exchanging old equipment, calculate the

difference in equipment Karma costs. If the new

equipment costs additional Karma, then that

difference must be spent with Kiai.

Kimen kongohki can go through an entire frame

adjustment given the proper preparation and time;

mass-produced armour and kongohki are able to

interchange their parts far more easily than their

meikyo counterparts, so they can change the

number of arms and legs during the Intermission

phase if they have access to a factory. Raise or lower

attributes for the new appearance as needed. If an

attribute drops to zero, the frame can no longer

function.

These changes generally only happen during an

Intermission phase.In the case of mechanica, new

mechanica with an attribute cost is purchased in the

same way as kijin in a game session; multiply the

attribute cost by 10 and pay that cost in Kiai (which

immediately becomes Karma). Mechanica without a

listed attribute cost require 10 Kiai for implantation.

KONGOHKI GEAR

Each piece of equipment comes in three different

sets: head, upper torso/arms, and lower torso/

legs. The number of slots available for equipment

depends on the number of slots available for the

head, torso and legs chosen. Next to each piece of

equipment in parentheses is listed the number of

open slots that equipment requires.

HEAD TYPE

There are two types of heads for these steel

creatures: a human-looking face or a skull.

Neither has a mechanical effect, but they are the

two standard types of head for humanoid-form

kongohki.

Humanoid

The frame is built with a face that it unmistakably

human-like. It can be a scary visage or a peaceful

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KONGOHKI

expression, or anything in between. This is the most

common head type for kongohki.

Skull

For a scarier effect on the battlefield, some armour

crafters have been experimenting with skull designs.

Beast

Non-humanoid shaped kongohki are rare, but when

they exist they are usually given a beast-like head

which matches their frame.

HEAD EQUIPMENT

All kongohki heads have two open equipment

slots. The following is a list of equipment native to

kongohki frames.

Battlefield Master (1)

This vision extends the range of sight to Senses

times 200 in meters. It also gives a graphical display

of visible allies, enemies, formations, and ratios of

success for various battle engagements. Th is grants

a bonus of 2 dice for all Strategy or Art of Rule

rolls.

Dark Vision (1)

Night looks like day with this vision enhancement.

The user receives a bonus of 2 dice to all Senses

checks at night or in a dark environment.

Eyes of Distant Death (1)

This vision increases the steadiness of zoomed vision

while projecting a HUD and probability tables for

distance attacks. All ranged attacks based on the

Marksman skill are granted +2 dice.

Lifepulse Extend (1)

This increases the range of the Lifepulse ability to

Senses times 100 meters.

Motion Detector (1)

This is a limited-range passive detection unit which

tracks all movement within a 10 meter radius. It

makes the kongohki harder to target for sneak

attacks from behind, granting the pilot a bonus of 3

dice to use against sneak attack maneuvers.

Sha Sensors (1)

This allows kongohki with the Onmyojutsu skill to

see the very fabric of the gossamer-like sha power

around it. Using this ability, the pilot or kongohki

makes a Senses: Onmyojutsu roll against 1/10 of the

creation point cost of a target shiki. If successful,

the user can determine all of the shiki’s abilities and

power levels of those abilities.

Mechanica (1)

Mechanica based on the head region can be added

to the kongohki head. Each mechanica requires one

equipment slot.

UPPER TORSO AND ARMS

Kongohki souls have an easier time integrating with

mechanical bodies with one set of arms, but for

function or aesthetic reasons some are given more.

No matter how many sets of arms a kongohki has,

they all have an upper torso. An upper torso has

4 equipment slots available and each pair of arms

grants 2 additional equipment slots.

UPPER TORSO AND ARM

ADJUSTMENTS

Arms Body Agility Senses Total

Equip.

Slots

2 +1 +1 0 6

4 -1 +2 -1 8

6 or

-2 +4 -3 4+

number

of arms

Brilliant Flower of Destruction (0)

This explosive device is installed in kongohki when

there are fears of the soul mirror or kongohki falling

into enemy hands when it is destroyed, or to give

the kongohki a suicide attack option. A charge

is rigged inside of the heart engine, which gives

additional energy to the bomb. The kongohki erupts

in a massive explosion, completely obliterating it and

the soul mirror within it. Every person within a 15

meter radius takes 30 points of explosive damage.

The kongohki is completely destroyed.

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KONGOHKI

Heaven’s Fire (2)

These are special gunpowder rocket boosters which

allow the kongohki to leap up to 20 meters at once.

The boosters may be fired up to 3 times per scene.

If the unit is also equipped with thruster wings or

rotor blades, Heaven’s Fire may be used to double its

speed for a round instead.

Rotor Blades (2)

This is a detachable and extendable set of propellers

that allow limited fl ight. The kongohki can travel

in the air at a speed of Agility times 20 kilometers

per hour. In combat, the unit can travel Agility

times 300 meters per round. The propeller blades

allow the kongohki to hover and stop in

midair as well.

Thruster Wings (2)

This set of turbines and wings allows the frame to

fly at high speeds. The kongohki can fly at a speed

of Agility times 30 kilometers per hour. In combat,

the unit can travel at a speed equal to the frame’s

Agility times 500 meters per round.

Mechanica (1)

Mechanica based on the arm and torso region can

be added to the kongohki body. Each mechanica

requires one equipment slot.

Arm and Upper Torso Weapons

There are specia lized weapons for kongohki. See

the weapons section for details and equipment slot

costs.

LOWER TORSO AND LEGS

Like arms, most kongohki are crafted with two

legs in order to ease the transition of the soul into a

metal frame. More or fewer legs can be equipped for

various eff ects.

No Legs

Lower Torso: 2 Slots, Legs: 0 Slots

This could represent a snake-body, or a chariot,

wheeled, or tank-style lower body. A kongohki

possessing no legs has a better grounded body, but

it is less maneuverable. This is extremely rare for

kongohki.

Two Legs

Lower Torso: 2 Slots, Legs: 2 Slots

This is the most common kongohki style. Kongohki

easily adapt to these frames.

Four Legs

Lower Torso: 4 Slots, Legs: 4 Slots

While the top half of the body might look human,

the bottom half has four legs like a horse or other

quadruped. The movement speed of the kongohki is

doubled.

Six or More Legs

Lower Torso: 2 Slots, Legs: Number of Legs

This option allows 6-legged or 8-legged kongohki

with an appearance of a centipede or other insect.

Each leg adds an additional leg equipment slot.

LOWER TORSO AND LEG

ADJUSTMENTS

Legs Body Agility Senses

0 +1 +1 0

2 +1 +1 +1

4 +2 +1 0

6+ +1 +2 -1

There is a limited amount of special equipment

for kongohki legs. Unlike the head and torso

based equipment, the leg-based special equipment

completely replaces the leg units and leaves no

free leg slots. They also do not cost any Karma:

The normal 5 Karma for additional equipment

is dropped, as they are complete replacements of

normal legs.

Gale Speed Rollers

These are extendable wheels that are attached to

the backs of the legs. The gale speed rollers triple

movement speeds on the ground when deployed

(deployment is instantaneous and requires no

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KONGOHKI

actions in combat). They also grant Evasion skill

rolls 2 bonus dice. These may be equipped on only

the 2-legged and 4-legged units, and the rollers only

work on flat surfaces like fields, plains and roads.

Heaven Roller Legs

Instead of legs, the unit has huge wheels or treads

that roll over any surface. Movement is multiplied

by 4 and Evasion skill rolls get a +1 die bonus.

Heaven roller legs can be used with any number of

legs.

Hover Replacement

Usable only on units with 4 or more legs, this

replacement converts the legs into hover-jets. Th e

unit can travel over land or water. Movement speed

is doubled, and Evasion skill rolls are each granted 1

bonus die.

Legs of the Water Dragon

This modification converts the legs into fins. It

allows the kongohki to swim underwater. Th is

conversion is usable on 0 and 2-leg models, and

grants 2 bonus dice to all physical action rolls made

underwater.

Mechanica (1)

Mechanica based on the lower torso and legs can

be added to the kongohki body. Each mechanica

requires one equipment slot.

Leg and Lower Torso Weapons

There are specia lized weapons for kongohki. See

the weapons section for details and equipment slot

costs.

KONGOHKI DAMAGE

Type Subheader

Unarmed kongohki +1

Rolling/Crushing* +Body Attribute x2

* Rolling/Crushing attacks are only for kongohki

with no legs. Since they usually are not as large

as armour, their damage rating for rolling over

an enemy is reduced.

Unarmed attacks are made with the Body:

Unarmed Combat skill. Armed attacks are

made with a melee weapon and the Agility: Melee

Weapons skill.

Kongohki Creation Example

Oharu is an agent of the Shinto Priesthood. She is

what is known as a Puppeteer, a specialized meikyo-

user who controls armour and kongohki from afar.

Like most puppeteers, she has a “pet” kongohki which

she controls in battle, but which otherwise functions on

its own. Ami, Oharu’s player, decides to build a new

kongohki for her pet.

She starts out with a kongohki frame and picks

a normal kongohki. This grants 18 points to the

attribute pool. She decides she wants to make a

humanoid-looking kongohki to serve as her bodyguard.

She chooses a frame with two arms and two legs. This

will grant a bonus of +2 to Body, +2 to Agility and +1

to Senses.

The kongohki has two head slots. However, Ami

decides to pick Dark Vision for the head slot, at a cost

of 5 Karma. Th ere are 6 open upper body/arm slots to

work with. She decides to take vajra claws on the arms

for an additional 5 Karma. She decides to leave the

kongohki’s legs alone as well. She is basically creating a

simple guardian type. She gives it a Heavy Repeater for

a weapon at an additional 5 Karma.

This part gets a little difficult for the puppeteer:

The puppeteer needs to pick up a kimen kongohki

archetype, and take on that amount of additional

Karma. Ami references the basic kimen kongohki

archetype from the book as-is, which has a default

Karma cost of 40, and an equipment cost (here, the

kongohki abilities, equipment and weapons) of 20.

Since she is using less equipment for this modifi ed

kongohki, the equipment cost is only 15, which lowers

that kongohki template’s Karma cost total from 40 to

35.

10 additional points have to be added to the

equipment total, which represents the combined cost

of the specialized puppeteer connection-less interface

helm and meikyo soul mirror. Multiplying the

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KONGOHKI

kongohki’s Karma cost of 35 by 2 and adding the 10

additional points, that makes 80 total points’s worth of

equipment.

The puppeteer then fi nally adds the cost of the

kongohki template’s Karma cost and gear to her own

puppeteer template’s equipment cost (as the kongohki

is a piece of equipment). The cost is less, down from

90 points (the default equipment cost of the puppeteer

archetype) to 80 points of equipment cost. Th e

puppeteer archetype Karma cost is set at 50. Ami can

either lower the Karma cost of the puppeteer archetype

template from the default of 50 down to 40, or she can

lower the attribute cost from 5 points to 4. She decides

on the latter.

The final puppeteer archetype cost is 50 Karma and 4

Attribute points, the attribute points are taken from

the puppeteer herself. After adjusting the attribute pool,

the kimen kongohki has a final Body score of 8, an

Agility of 8 and a Senses of 7.

KONGOHKI WEAPONS

Kongohki can use additional weapons from

the general weapon list section of the rules.

The weapons in this chart are available only for

kongohki. Each weapon costs 5 additional Karma.

UNARMED AND MELEE WEAPON NOTES

Explosive Spiker: This fires a spear-like projectile

with incredible force, extending from the arm or

leg during strikes or kicks for devastating damage.

It contains a number of gunpowder charges; the

damage in parentheses indicates the adjusted

damage when one of the gunpowder charges is

expended. The explosive spiker is used with the

Unarmed Combat skill.

Twin Blades: Single blades which extend from

the frame’s forearm. They can be used with

Unarmed Combat or Melee Combat skills. They

are called “twin” because both sides of the blade are

sharpened.

Vajra Claw: Ultra-sharp steel claws that are

attached to (or spring from) the fingertips. They are

used with the Unarmed Combat skill.

White Heat Palm/Leg: A soulgem-implanted

gauntlet which glows white-hot when activated.

Expending points of Soul causes the soulgems to

heat the hand or leg, causing additional damage for

each single attack the more Soul (“X”, where “X” is

“as much Soul as you wish to spend ”) is consumed.

The kongohki version, being more condensed, is

generally more effective than the armour version.

RANGED WEAPON NOTES

Shikidan Howler Cannon: The Shikidan cannon

fires pinpoint-targeted guided shells with unerring

Weapon

Name

Location Slots Damage Rate of

Fire

Range Ammo

Explosive

Spiker

Arm/Leg 1 +3(5) 1 — 3

Twin Blades Arm/Leg 1 +2 2 — 4

Varja Claws Arm 0 +1 2 — 4

Varja Claws Leg 0 +2 2 — 4

White Heat

Palm

Arm 0 +X — — —

White Heat Leg Leg 0 +1 +X — — —

Shikidan

Howler Cannon

UT/LT/Leg 1 6 1 2km 1

Raiden Mortar UT/Leg 1 +7 1 4km 1

Location: UT = Upper Torso; LT = Lower Torso

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KONGOHKI

accuracy at an incredible range. Simply pick the

target, and the target will take the exact amount of

damage (this damage can be reduced by making

an Agility: Evasion roll. Each success lowers the

damage taken by one). It fires expensive shikidan

shells. Each shell contains a shiki spirit which guides

the projectile to its target. The shiki spirit yells out

an unnerving scream as it sends the bullet to its

intended target.

Raiden Mortar: This is a long range, high-power

version of the Roaring Dragon Mortar for armour.

It takes a long time to prepare the weapon for

firing, and thus it can only be used once per scene.

Its shells explode in a fireball when they hit their

targets. Everyone within a 4 meter radius must

make an evasion roll or take damage.

OTHER WEAPONS

See the Weapon List for more weapon possibilities

for kongohki.

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NINJUTSU RULES

CHOOSING A SCHOOL

Not all ninjas across the huge land of Tenra are

gifted with the same abilities. There are numerous

clans, both clans that are known and ones that

are still shrouded in shadow. Each clan teaches

its members one (or in rare cases, more than one)

school of ninjutsu. A ninja character who knows

ninjutsu doesn’t necessarily belong to a particular

ninja clan, but she has somehow learned a single

school of ninjutsu.

Each instance of the Ninjutsu skill represents the

knowledge of one particular school’s techniques. As

the character’s skill or rank in Ninjutsu rises, the

higher level techniques of that school will become

available to her. It is rare that a ninja will learn a

second school of ninjutsu, but it is not unheard of.

In those cases, the ninja must take the Ninjutsu

skill again from scratch, and over time raise that

skill to learn the techniques available to members of

that school.

Example: A ninja who has a skill rank of Ninjutsu

of 4 in the School of the Shore style of ninjutsu ends

up training under a master-in-hiding of the True

School of Shadow. The character will need to label her

current Ninjutsu skill as the one which represents the

School of the Shore to separate it from the new skill.

Then, when she spends the Kiai to take this new skill

at its beginning rank, she adds a line to her character

sheet, writes “Ninjutsu: True School of Shadow”, and

gives it a rank of 2. She now has two Ninjutsu skills,

each skill representing the techniques that are available

to her from one particular school.

Each school has a number of techniques which are

aligned in a set unique to that particular style. Each

school also has a number of skills which are associated

with that school, known as paths.

USING THE NINJA ARTS

When using ninjutsu, spend the required amount

of Soul. Next, make a roll using Agility: Ninjutsu,

attempting to get equal to or more than the art’s

Difficulty rating. If you get an equal or higher

number of successes, then the art succeeds. If you

do not succeed, the Soul points are still expended,

but you can try again next round (or spend another

Kiai to try again immediately).

In most cases, the art will last for a number of

rounds equal to the ninja’s Spirit.There are a number

of limitations to ninja techniques:

• Any art which you can cast on yourself, you

cannot cast it on yourself multiple times (in order

to gain extra effect or the like). Only one art with

lasting effects on yourself can be active at once. If a

new one is activated, it replaces the old one.

• Arts cannot be stopped or turned offuntil they

expire naturally.

• A ninja art you can perform on yourself cannot be

put on others.

• You cannot make use of ninjutsu abilities while

riding in a yoroi armour.

Extra Successes

In some cases, especially with the lesser arts, the

ninja practitioner will get far more successes than

was needed to use a particular ninja technique. In

this case, those extra successes over the Difficulty

cost of the technique can be “banked ” to be used as

bonus dice for actions related to that art.

For example:

• A ninja uses Possessed by the Inner Wolf and gets 5

extra successes. Th ose fi ve dice could be rolled in a

single future attack or split into 2 and 3 dice to defend

against two enemy attacks.

• A ninja using Exploding Th under Ball gets 5 extra

successes, and gives them to a samurai friend to use

on her next attack roll, happening the same round as

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NINJUTSU RULES

the explosion. That friend attacks an enemy who was

significantly distracted by the fire, so he doesn’t notice

that the samurai has just stepped in behind him…

• A ninja using the Ninja Duplication Technique

creates 3 duplicates and gets 3 extra successes. The

duplicates surround an enemy to attack. The player

could give three dice to one of the duplicates to attack,

or perhaps to her rifleman friend who has been hiding

in the bushes in ambush, waiting for an opening such

as this to attack!

• If the technique happens instantly and does not last

(explosions, etc), then the bonus dice have to be used or

given that round. If they are given, then the recipient

must use them that round as well.

• If there is confusion about what is applicable, talk to

the GM about it.

Once the effect of the ninjutsu art has

expired, any of those banked bonus dice

will expire as well.

THE DARK ARTS

The dark arts are also known as the shinobi

Seals of Power, a kind of soulgem surgery which

implants soulgems inside the ninja’s body. It is a

technique that was created to assist greater shinobi

in performing their ninjutsu abilities at a lesser Soul

cost. For every point of dark arts the shinobi has, it

costs one less Soul point to perform that ninjutsu.

However, the minimum Soul cost for any of the arts

will always be 1. One doesn’t require the shinobi

dark arts surgery to perform ninjutsu. However,

it is far less Soul for shinobi to use those arts than

regular ninjas.

When a shinobi character is created, she can choose

the strength of her dark arts. Each point of dark

arts costs 5 Karma during the character creation

phase. This means that a dark arts strength of 2

costs 10 Karma and a rating of 5 costs 25 Karma.

The strength of the dark arts is equal to the number

of Soul points that are reduced when a ninjutsu

technique is used, down to a minimum of 1 Soul

per technique.

A single character cannot have both the shinobi

dark arts surgery and the samuraization surgery.

THE NINJA PATHS

Paths are a special kind of training provided by

ninjutsu. Each school of ninjutsu has two paths

which allow the user to use their Ninjutsu skill

rating instead of the listed skill.

Example: A ninja of the School of Dream is trained

from birth extensively in the arts of fi ghting (path of

darkness) and seduction (path of the kunoichi). Th

erefore, a ninja who has a rank of 4 in Ninjutsu for

the School of Dream style can use a skill rating of 4 for

Melee Weapons and Pillow Arts at no cost.

The Paths and Their Related Skills

Path of the Flying Willow: Movement

Path of Broken Steel: Unarmed Combat

Path of the Split Arrow: Marksman

Path of Darkness: Melee Weapons

Path of Denial: Evasion

Path of the Transcriber: Forgery

Path of the Kunoichi: Pillow Arts

Path of the Cherry Blossom: Criminal Arts

Path of the Bird of Prey: Pursuit

Path of the Cunning Sparrow:

Stealth

Path of the Falling Leaf: Notice

Path of the Contemplated Death:

Willpower

SPECIAL PATHS

Path of Broken Earth

Each round, you can move at twice your speed.

Every fi rst attack upon a new enemy (who you have

not attacked before in this combat scene) grants

2 additional dice during that first attack. If you

encounter the same enemy again in a future combat

scene, you will get 2 additional dice for your first

attack against them in that combat.

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NINJUTSU RULES

Path of the Smoke Bomb

You can equip smoke bombs. If you use a smoke

bomb, you can escape from any scene in a puff of

smoke.

NINJUTSU LIST

The following ninja arts are listed in the following

manner:

Ninjutsu Name—Japanese Name

Equipment used, Soul cost, Difficulty to use (in

successes)

The partner technique to this one, if it has a partner.

Many powers have paired techniques, a “Lesser” and

“Greater” form.

The equipment refers to ninja equipment required

to perform that maneuver. In most cases the ninja

does not have to worry about equipment (unless

they purposefully discard it, have it forcibly

removed, or the player decides that she “ran out”).

However, even if lost, all ninja equipment is

replenished during every intermission phase.

Soul cost is mitigated by dark arts. Difficulty must

be met or exceeded using an Agility: Ninjutsu roll.

Unless stated otherwise, the effects will last for a

number of rounds equal to the ninja’s Spirit.

Possessed by the Inner Wolf— Hyoukuno-Jutsu

Medicine, Soul 5, Difficulty 2

Lesser Art of Possessed by the Inner Demon

Using a pill which is a concoction of plant extracts,

rare dangerous herbs, and a few quick words of

magic, you create a special medicine that can grant

the user (usually the caster) a temporary boost of

2 dice to Body, Agility and Senses. This medicine

combination cannot be saved for later. It must be

used immediately.

Possessed by the Inner Demon— Hyouki-no-Jutsu

Medicine, Soul 8, Difficulty 3

Greater Art of Possessed by the Inner Wolf

A more vicious, dangerous form of its partner

medicine, it creates a highly addictive medicine

which can grant the user a temporary boost of 4

dice to Body, Agility and Senses.

Iron Fist—Tekken-no-Jutsu

Ointment, Soul 4, Difficulty 1

Lesser Art of Wind of Menace

This technique involves applying a salve to one’s

arms, then quickly tracing glyphs down those arms.

This increases reflexes and strength in those limbs

by an incredible amount. This art grants a damage

bonus of +3 to damage on attacks using melee

weapons, unarmed combat, or ranged weapons

which rely on the user’s strength, such as shuriken

or bows.

Wind of Menace—Ibuki-no-Jutsu

Ointment, Soul 6, Difficulty 3

Greater Art of Iron Fist

This technique is the same as Iron Fist, but it

provides a +5 damage modifier instead.

Ball of Th under—Raihou-no-Jutsu

Medicine, Soul 3, Difficulty 1

Lesser Art of Exploding Thunder Ball

After pouring special herbs and powders into the

palm of one’s hand, sealing it into a round shape,

and quickly putting a magical curse on it, this

object is thrown towards an enemy. It explodes in

a small fireball with a radius of 2 meters, causing

3 points of explosive damage to everyone in that

range. The effect quickly wears offin a flash, and

only highly flammable objects (such as oil) will

catch on fire. Explosive damage can be avoided with

Evasion.

Exploding Thunder Ball—Bakuraihouno-Jutsu

Medicine, Soul 5, Difficulty 2

Greater Art of Ball of Thunder

This hellish explosion has a diameter of 4 meters

and causes 8 points of explosive damage. It also

shakes buildings and sets fire to everything.

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NINJUTSU RULES

Furthermore, everyone in the blast radius takes 3

points of ongoing fire damage. Explosive damage

can be avoided with Evasion. Fire damage can

be reduced with a successful Willpower roll.

The remaining damage carries over to the next

round, where it continues to do damage until the

Willpower roll equals to or exceeds the remaining

damage.

Shadowflight—Hiei-no-Jutsu

Cloak, Soul 5, Difficulty 2

Lesser Art of Blackhawk’s Shadow

This technique explains how some ninja clans are

able to pass messages from one messenger to another

so quickly. To use this technique, the ninja wraps

her cloak or coat around herself while reciting a

mantra, then explodes into motion. This art will

allow the ninja to fly, glide, or make a successive

series of jumps up to 84km/h. The ninja cannot

carry more than 10kg or the speed is reduced by

half. This technique lasts a number of rounds (or

minutes, if not in combat) up to the ninja’s Spirit.

Blackhawk’s Shadow—Hiten-Tobikage-no-Jutsu

Cloak, Soul 10, Difficulty 4

Greater Art of Shadowflight

This art is the same as Shadowflight, but it allows

the ninja to travel at speeds up to 132km/h while

carrying an extra 40kg (or carry another human).

This effect lasts for a number of rounds (or minutes,

if not in combat) up to the ninja’s Spirit times 3.

Shadow Form—Ongyou-no-Jutsu

Liquid medicine, Soul 5, Difficulty 2

Lesser Art of Four-fold Shadow Form

After drinking a special potion and reciting a secret

chant, the ninja carefully concentrates on the image

of another person. After this spell is enacted, the

ninja’s face and body will take on that appearance.

This effect lasts for a number of rounds (or minutes,

outside of combat) equal to the ninja’s Spirit.

Four-fold Shadow Form—Shii-Ongyou-no-Jutsu

Liquid Medicine, Soul 6, Difficulty 3

Greater Art of Shadow Form

This is the greater version of Shadow Form. It

lasts for an entire scene. This technique can be

maintained by making the Difficulty roll and

expending the Soul cost at the beginning of each

scene after the initial use.

Ninja Duplication Technique— Kawarimi-no-Jutsu

Paper Doll, Soul 2, Difficulty 1

Lesser version of Shadowless Replication Technique

The ninja performs a quick chant, throws the

paper doll to the ground, and draws a glyph in the

air with her “cutting fingers” (index and middle

together), reciting the kuji-kiri. There’s a small

sound as the paper forms into the very likeness of

the ninja caster. These duplicates look like and move

like the ninja, but they cannot speak.

Each duplicate has all attributes at a score of 1,

all skills at a rank of 1, 1 point of Vitality, and

no Wound track. If the duplicates are injured or

destroyed, they simply disappear (either completely,

or leaving the paper doll behind, depending on the

ninja’s preference).

This technique lasts for a number of rounds equal

to the caster’s Spirit times 2 (or that number of

minutes outside of combat). The duplicates can only

have the form of the ninja in her current garb; rhey

cannot be made to look differently. Furthermore,

they do not share their senses with the ninja.

A ninja can use this ability to create more than one

duplicate at a time, each duplicate costing the usual

2 Soul. Once you decide how many duplicates to

create, apply the dark arts reduction to that number.

For example, a shinobi with a dark arts rating of 4

wanting to create 5 lesser duplicates would pay 6

Soul. Five lesser duplicates cost 10 Soul combined,

which is reduced by 4 (down to 6) due to the ninja’s

dark arts rating. The ninja can create a number

of duplicates at the same time equal to her Senses

score. The summoning Difficulty does not increase.

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NINJUTSU RULES

A single duplicate is effective in distracting an

opponent outside of combat. Inside or outside of

combat, each duplicate created grants an extra

bonus die each round which the ninja can use in a

roll against an enemy, representing the confusion

that the duplicates can help sow. These round-

generated extra bonus dice cannot be “banked” for

future rounds, and must be spent in that round.

Shadowless Replication Technique—Muei-Bunshin-

no-Jutsu

Paper Doll, Soul 7, Difficulty 3

Greater version of Ninja Duplication Technique

This technique is similar to the Ninja Duplication

Technique. However, each duplicate created

with the greater art has Body, Agility and Senses

attributes with a rating of 5, skills at a rating of 2,

and 5 points of Vitality each, but no wound track.

The duplicates have the skill rating of 2 in the skills

which the casting ninja has at 2 or higher. The

duplicates do not have, and cannot use, Knowledge,

Spirit, Empathy, or Station attributes.

These greater duplicates share a link with the

ninja: If the duplicate is destroyed, the ninja takes

4 points of damage. The duplicates can also share

their senses with their ninja caster, relaying sights

and sounds back to the ninja’s senses. The ninja can

control them, giving them orders, having them carry

back items, etc. The ninja can also speak through

them remotely.

Just like the lesser version of this technique, the

ninja can create multiple duplicates, using the same

rules (each duplicate costing 7 Soul). Therefore,

a ninja with a dark arts rating of 4 who wants to

create 3 greater duplicates must spend 17 total Soul

points. The summoning Difficulty does not

increase.

The duplicates remain active for a number of rounds

equal to the ninja’s Spirit times 2 (or that number of

minutes outside of combat). Th e ninja can create a

number of simultaneous duplicates up to her Senses

score.

CLASSIC NINJA DUPLICATION

TECHNIQUE TRICKS

A technique often used in ninja movies and

anime is that when someone strikes a ninja,

they think they hit the ninja, but in a puff of

smoke the ninja disappears, revealing that the

attacker simply hit a log with a cloak over it

and a paper doll nailed to it. The ninja leaps

out of the darkness behind the attacker to

strike…

There’s many ways to recreate that technique

in the Tenra Bansho game system. The easiest

way is simply to describe it as the result of

an enemy’s attack roll where you (the ninja)

beat the attacker. Instead of describing it

as, “I block his blade and strike back!”, you

could say, “He fell for the oldest trick in the

ninja book. The cloak he strikes at falls to

the ground, and I slash at him from the trees

behind him”. That’s pretty simple.

Alternatively, a ninja could summon a single

duplicate at the beginning of a battle, and cast

the technique, but don’t actually command it.

The ninja rolls her ninjutsu score and tries to

get a lot of extra successes, which she banks

for that combat. On her first attack, she

rolls all those extra dice to attack or counter-

attack, and if she succeeds she could narrate

the attack along the lines of the explanation

above.

If multiple duplicates are distracting an

enemy and the enemy is attempting to discern

which duplicate is the real ninja, they might

try to determine which ninjas are shiki, and

not real humans by rolling their Empathy:

Notice or Spirit: Notice vs the ninja’s Agility:

Ninjutsu or Spirit: Ninjutsu (whichever is

higher). However, whether the real ninja is

spotted or not, if the enemy wants to discern

again, she will have to make another roll, as

most duplicates will be acting like the ninja:

Rolling, tumbling, leaping, and moving in

patterns to distract and confuse the enemy.

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NINJUTSU RULES

Aside from being more reliable than the lesser

duplicates, when used together in combat, each

summoned greater duplicate grants 2 dice to the

ninja caster each round, which the ninja can use to

her advantage any way she wishes. These extra dice

cannot be banked for later. They must be spent each

round.

Smoke and Mist—Enmu-no-Jutsu

Nothing, Soul 6, Difficulty 3

Lesser version of Phantom Mist Delusion

Using a chant and a few quick gestures, the

target is swept away in an illusory mist. The ninja

describes the nature of the illusion which assaults

the target’s senses. Every round that this mist is in

place, the target needs to make a Spirit: Willpower

roll vs a Diffi culty of 2 to break the effects of this

technique. It can be attempted every round. Th is

technique does not work on shikigami, activated

samurai or kugutsu. If the target is affected by the

art this round, they can only defend themselves

with the Evasion skill.

This art can be cast on multiple opponents at the

same time. Th e Diffi culty does not increase, but

you must add up the Soul cost times the number of

targets before subtracting your dark arts modifier.

A shinobi with a dark arts rating of 4 attempting to

cast this art on three targets at once must spend 14

Soul. The effects last for a number of rounds equal

to the ninja’s Spirit attribute.

If the ninja gained bonus successes when using

this art, she can trade in each success to raise the

Willpower roll’s Difficulty by 1 for each die spent,

for one round. For example: A ninja who rolled

6 successes when using this art (and gaining 3

bankable bonus dice) could, instead of using them

to attack the enemy, instead spend them to raise

the Diffi culty of the Willpower roll to 4 (+2) for

one round, then 3 (+1) the next if the target is still

affected.

Phantom Mist Delusion— Genmu-Soushin-no-Jutsu

Nothing, Soul 9, Difficulty 3

Greater version of Smoke and Mist

This is the greater version of the above art. The

effects are much the same, but the target must make

a Spirit: Willpower roll against a base Diffi culty of

3 to act each round.

Shadow Stitch Technique—Kagenui-no-Jutsu

Kunai/Shuriken, Soul 6, Difficulty 3

Greater technique

The ninja whispers a quick curse over a shuriken

or kunai and throws it at an enemy’s shadow. If the

technique works, the blade sinks into the shadow

and the target finds herself unable to move freely.

She can still attack and defend, but cannot move

from her position. When the target attempts to act,

she must make a Spirit: Willpower check against

a Difficulty of 4 in order to free herself from the

effects of this art. If the target fails, she can make

another attempt the next round.

The ninja can use this technique more than once

to seal more people in place. Add the number of

targets together, multiply the Soul cost by that

amount, then lastly apply dark arts Soul reduction

ratings.

Similar to the Smoke and Mist technique, the ninja

can trade in bonus dice gained when the art was

triggered to temporarily raise the Diffi culty of the

Willpower roll.

Mind’s Eye—Shingan-no-Jutsu

Eyes of an animal, Soul 2, Difficulty 1

Lesser version of The Thousand Eyes

The ninja conducts a brief chant and swallows the

prepared eyeball of an animal (any kind) to unlock

her mind’s eye. This allows the ninja to sense all

life forms, human or otherwise, within a 10 meter

radius.

The Thousand Eyes—Senrigan-no-Jutsu

Eyes of an animal, Soul 4, Difficulty 2

Greater version of Mind’s Eye

This technique is the greater version of Mind’s Eye

and allows the ninja to detect all life within a 50

meter radius.

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NINJUTSU RULES

Venom Eater—Dokugo-no-Jutsu

Poisonous toad venom, Soul 6, Difficulty 3

Lesser version of Annelid Body

By consuming the poison of the great Japanese

common toad while reciting a ninja mantra, the

ninja can create a poison with a strength of 3

within her body. If she cuts herself and applies it

to a weapon before an attack or seduces someone

and kisses them, the poison takes effect. Also, if the

ninja happens to drink another poison while this

technique is active, the poison’s effect is reduced

by 3. See the poison rules in the combat section for

more details.

Annelid Body

Poisonous toad venom, Soul 9, Difficulty 4

Greater version of Venom Eater

This is the greater version of Venom Eater, but the

strength of the poison is 8, and the poison resistance

also becomes 8.

Steel-Cutting Hair—Kamikirimaruno-Jutsu

Hair, Soul 6, Difficulty 4

Greater technique

By reciting a curse, the ninja’s hair acts as if it were

a sharp blade, cutting anything it touches. Use

unarmed combat to attack with the Steel-Cutting

Hair. Its damage rating is equal to the ninja’s Senses

minus 1.

NINPOU TECHNIQUES

Ninpou (Ultimate Ninja Arts) represent the ultimate

powers of the ninjutsu arts, the highest techniques

of a school of ninjutsu. They require a skill rank of

Supreme (5) to learn. Some techniques listed here

are not associated with any of the major schools of

ninjutsu. Rather, they are known techniques that

have emerged from smaller or hidden schools.

Ninpou: Explosion-in-Hiding—Mijin-Gakure

Gunpowder, Soul 8, Difficulty 4

This technique allows the ninja to create a special

explosive trap as a defensive action. Th e ninja can

declare this ninpou when she is attacked. Regardless

of the attacker’s number of successes, if the ninja

successfully performs the technique (reaches 4

successes on a ninjutsu roll), this ninpou takes

effect.

With this technique, the ninja creates a single

duplicate of herself in much the same way as other

duplication/bunshin techniques. At the same time,

the ninja escapes from combat and hides nearby,

undetected. The duplicate takes the attack in

place of the ninja. However, when the duplicate is

destroyed, everything within an 8-meter radius of

the duplicate takes 16 points of explosive damage.

The ninja takes 8 explosive damage as well. This

damage can be reduced with successes gained from

evasion rolls. See the combat section for more details

on explosive damage.

The duplicate has 3 Vitality points, physical

attributes with a rating of 3, and all skills at a rating

of 2. Only one duplicate can be created per attack.

Ninpou: Insect in the Grass—Chuusou

Nothing, Soul 20, Difficulty 5

This clairvoyance technique allows the ninja to

move in a split-second to dodge all damage from

one single attack. This technique can be used after

damage has been rolled and calculated.

Ninpou: Flying Squirrel of Destruction—Musasabi

Gunpowder, Soul 8, Difficulty 4

To use this technique, the ninja leaps several dozen

meters into the air and slams her body into the

target. The ninja performs an unarmed combat

attack against a target with a damage modifier of

+10. After the target is hit, an explosion occurs,

hitting everyone, friend or foe, in a 4 meter radius,

causing 8 points of explosion damage to everyone

(except the ninja) in that range.

Even if the target is missed by the aerial body-slam,

the explosion will still occur, affecting the target.

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NINJUTSU RULES

Because of the amount of gunpowder and physical

stress required to perform this art, it can only be

initiated once per session.

Ninpou: Rod of Lightning—Jiraishin

A special metal helmet, Soul 8, Difficulty 5

Reciting an incantation, the ninja summons a

lightning strike centered on herself. This bolt of

lightning causes damage to everyone, friend or

foe, within a 6 meter radius of the ninja. The ninja

makes a single attack roll using Senses: Marksman.

The targets can only defend with Evasion. Th e

damage of this attack is +15. Since the ninja is

wearing a special magically-treated helmet, the ninja

is not affected by this attack. This bolt of lightning

can, in fact, strike indoors or underground, usually

blowing a hole in the ceiling while doing so.

This attack takes such coordination and preparation

that the ninja can only perform it once per session.

Ninpou: Heaven’s Dark Death—Kokushiten

Candle, Soul 6, Difficulty 4

This ninpou allows a ninja to completely remove all

of the target’s senses, leaving them in total darkness.

The ninja makes use of a candle and some powder

while reciting a dark mantra. All attacks on that

target during the duration of this ninpou are treated

as sneak attacks. The ninja may affect a number of

targets with this ninpou equal to her Senses at no

additional cost. Every round, the targets affected

by this technique can roll their Spirit: Willpower

against a Difficulty number equal to the ninja’s

Spirit to try to break through this dark curse.

Otherwise, the effect lasts as long as the ninja’s

Spirit in rounds.

Ninpou: Crimson Spiders—Benigumo

Hair, Soul 6, Difficulty 4

This ninpou allows the ninja to wrap a target in

webs filled with bloodsucking spiders. Every round,

the target affected by this technique can try to

escape the web by beating the ninja on a Spirit:

Willpower roll against a Difficulty target equal to

the ninja’s Spirit. If the target fails, he can try again

at the beginning of the next round.

For the first round, and each round where the target

fails, the target loses 4 Vitality. The ninja gains

these 4 Vitality points, up to the ninja’s maximum.

Unless the victim breaks through the web, the web

lasts, like most ninja arts, for a number of rounds

equal to the ninja’s Spirit. Most targets will not last

that long, though.

Ninpou: Toad of Jiraiya—Jiraiya

Frog, Soul 10, Difficulty 5

Jiraiya was the name of the lead character in an

old Kabuki play. He was a wandering sorcerer

who could summon and control frogs. Along with

Tsunade, who could control slugs, he battled the

evil Orochimaru, who had dominion over snakes.

This technique allows the ninja to summon and

control a gigantic frog. The frog has Body, Agility,

and Senses attributes of 15, and 30 points of

Vitality. It can use all basic skills at a rating of 5. Th

e frog has no Wound Boxes and cannot take actions

requiring the use of non-physical attributes like

Knowledge, Spirit, Empathy and Station.

Ninpou: Vinefall—Izuna-Otoshi

Nothing, Soul 7, Difficulty 5

The ninja grapples the target (no attack roll

required), and leaps up several dozen meters into the

air, carrying the target in tow. While in the air, the

ninja hurls the target into the ground at a breakneck

speed for massive damage. The ninja rolls unarmed

combat and adds 15 to the result for damage. The

target can resist this damage by rolling Agility:

Movement and subtracting successes from the fi nal

damage total.

This technique takes a huge toll on the ninja, so it

can only be performed once per session.

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NINJUTSU RULES

Ninpou: Rain of Blood—Chisame

Blood, Soul 12, Difficulty 6

The ninja slashes into her own body and showers

one target with her blood. This blood becomes a

deadly poison with a power of 8. This attack cannot

be defended against by normal means. In addition

to spending the required Soul, the ninja also takes

5 damage that must be spent on the wound track,

first as heavy wounds, then critical wounds if heavy

wounds are all filled. After critical wounds, the

damage can be spread to other wounds, then finally

Vitality. Alternatively, all wounds can be bypassed if

the ninja checks the Dead Box.

The rain of blood always hits its intended target;

there is no need to roll to attack. This ninpou can

only be performed once per session; there’s only so

much blood one can spray from one’s body.

Ninpou: Spider of Darkness— Yamigumo

Shadow, Soul 10, Difficulty 6

This ninpou causes a huge spiked tentacle to reach

out from the shadows and spear the ninja’s target.

Th is is treated as a weapon with +20 damage and

a 20-meter range. Make the attack with Senses:

Ninjutsu. This attack counts as a sneak-attack.

This ninpou must be used once for each attack

made with it. Each time, the tentacle lashes out once

and disappears immediately back into the darkness.

Ninpou: Shattered Illusion—Hagen

Nothing, Soul 0, Difficulty 5

This is the ultimate ability to defend oneself from

enemy ninjutsu arts. A ninja uses this single-use

ninpou to counteract all ninjutsu abilities used

against her. She casts the Shattered Illusion ninpou

on her own body. If the ninja makes an Agility:

Ninjutsu or Spirit: Ninjutsu roll (whichever is

higher) against a Diffi culty of 5, the ninpou seals

against her body forever. The casting ninja loses her

ability to use ninjutsu techniques from that point

on. However, she will become completely protected

and invulnerable against all enemy ninjutsu

echniques forever. It is therefore a high trade-off to

learn and use this ultimate defense art, but for some

the benefit outweighs the terrible penalty.

CRAFTING NEW NINJUTSU ARTS AND

NINJA SCHOOLS

It’s a secret that ninja are little more than highly

focused onmyoji sorcerers with limited and directed

powers. Using their talents, shinobi can create new

powers in accordance with the onmyoji rules. You

can also attempt to create new powers or recreate

existing powers by hand using the existing ones as

a base, mapping them out and getting the GM’s

permission to take them.

When creating ninjutsu arts, you will usually create

one powerful art, called a “higher art”, and a version

of that art which costs less Soul and operates with a

reduced effect called a “lower art”. Most of the listed

ninjutsu powers are in pairs, with a higher and lower

version of the art. Arts that do not come in pairs are

considered a “higher art”. Finally, at the special skill

rank (skill rank of 5 in Ninjutsu), each ninjutsu style

grants a superior ability known as a Ninpou. These

arts could be called the “Final Art” of that style.

When creating a new ninja school, use the following

schema for determining which arts are chosen:

Skilled Rank

2 paths

1 lesser technique

Advanced Rank

2 lesser techniques

1 greater technique

Master Rank

1 lesser technique

2 greater techniques

Special Rank

1 ninpou art

You will see in the ninjutsu list that all powers

come in sets of 2. For one category of power (like

223

NINJUTSU RULES

School

Name

Japanese

School Name

Rank: Skilled

(2)

Rank:

Advanced (3)

Rank:

Mastery (4)

Rank:

Special (5)

School of Dream Oboro-Ryu Smoke and Mist Phantom Mist

Delusion

Ball of Thunder Ninpou: Rain of

Blood

Path of Darkness Iron Fist Possessed by the

Inner Demon

Path of the

Kunoichi

Venom Eater Annelid Body

School of Shadow Kage-Ryu Shadowflight Blackhawk’s

Shadow

Mind’s Eye Ninpou: Heaven’s

Dark Earth

Path of the Flying

Wilow

Smoke and Mist Possessed by the

Inner Demon

Path of the Bird of

Prey

Shadow Form Four-fold Shadow

Form

School of Stone Gan-Ryu Iron Fist Wind of Menace Possessed by the

Inner Wolf

Ninpou: Insect in

the Grass

Path of Denial Shadow Form Exploding

Thunder Ball

Path of the

Cunning Sparrow

Smoke and Mist Phantom Mist

Delusion

Ghost Clan Rei-Ryu Ninja Duplication

Technique

Shadowless

Replication

Technique

Possessed by the

Inner Wolf

Ninpou: Rod of

Lightning

Path of Broken

Steel

Venom Eater Annelid Body

Path of Broken

Earth

Iron Fist Wind of Menace

True School of

Shadow

Shin Kage-Ryu Mind’s Eye The Thousand

Eyes

Ball of Thunder Ninpou: Crimson

Spiders

Path of the Cherry

Blossom

Venom Eater Wind of Menace

Path of the Smoke

Bomb

Shadowflight Blackhawk’s

Shadow

School of Shore Migawari-Ryu Possessed by the

Inner Wolf

Possessed by the

Inner Demon

Mind’s Eye Ninpou:

Explosion-in-

Hiding

Path of the Split

Arrow

Shadowflight Shadow Stitch

Technique

Path of the Falling

Leaf

Ninja Duplication

Technique

Shadowless

Replication

Technique

School of Dust Jin-Ryu Shadow Form Four-fold Shadow

Form

Iron Fist Ninpou: Flying

Squirrel of

Destruction

Path of Darkness Ninja Duplication

Technique

The Thousand

Eyes

Path of the

Transcriber

Ball of Thunder Exploding

Thunder Ball

224

NINJUTSU RULES

medicine, movement, etc) there is a lower and

higher art. When you choose one lower art for the

skilled rank, it is common to take that art’s paired

higher art at the advanced ninjutsu rank. If you take

one of lower arts at the advanced rank, it is common

to take its paired higher art at the master rank.

NINJUTSU SCHOOLS

AND ARTS

The above table lists several of the well-known

ninjutsu schools in Tenra and the arts they are

known to practice. Note that there are hundreds

of styles of ninjutsu in Tenra, so expect unusual

technique combinations in the field.

Ninjutsu-using characters should feel free to choose

any of the schools below for their art, or possibly

create their own art with the GM’s permission.

225

KUGUTSU AND

THE BUTTERFLY

DREAM

All kugutsu have the innate magical ability to

create an illusory phantom dream-world, and

draw people into it. This ability is called “The

Butterfl y Dream”. There is no skill associated with

this ability. Instead it is based on the kugutsu’s

Performance or Pillow Arts skills.

BUTTERFLY DREAM

RULES

If the target is sleeping, a kugutsu can pull him into

the Butterfly Dream without any resistance.

If the target is awake, the kugutsu can lead him

into a hypnotic trance to bring him into the Dream,

using either the kugutsu’s Empathy attribute with

the Performance skill or Pillow Arts skill depending

on how the kugutsu is using the ability. The

kugutsu might sing or play a haunting melody on an

instrument, or seductively hypnotize the opponent

with her words. The target resists with a roll of

Spirit: Willpower. If he succeeds, then he resists the

kugutsu’s call. Otherwise, the target is drawn into

the realm of the Butterfly Dream.

The created dream-world itself lies outside of

normal human space and time. The events that

happen within the Butterfl y Dream appear to

happen instantly or within a few seconds to outside

observers. The kugutsu’s player describes what the

dream looks like. Often, the kugutsu will create a

domain that reflects her own personality and draw

others into this domain to talk to them.

When the dream begins, play out its events as if it

were a new scene. The kugutsu and the target of the

dream are the only ones who will participate in this

scene. No one else, not even another kugutsu, can

force their way inside. Only the object who is

dragged into the dream and the kugutsu who

creates the dream can enter this special place.

Sometimes other characters can also appear within

this dream-realm. However, it is up to the kugutsu

and the GM whether they are really the actual

characters themselves or dream-figments that just

look like those characters, created by the kugutsu.

Usually within the Butterfl y Dream, the GM will

play the roles of other characters that appear within

the dream-world.

If one of the player’s characters is the target of the

Butterf ly Dream (from another player’s kugutsu,

or an NPC kugutsu), choose one of that character’s

Fates. The dream that occurs will have something to

do with that Fate, or the events or elements of that

Fate will serve as the backdrop of the Butterfly

Dream. The GM or kugutsu player will decide (or

agree together) on the details of the Fate which

appear in the dream. From that point, the scene is

acted out normally, including the awarding of Aiki

chits.

WHAT HAPPENS IN THE DREAM?

This is entirely up to the kugutsu’s player. The

kugutsu can talk to the (usually bewildered)

target and find out more about them. They could

see scenes from their life in order to understand

what drives that character. They could ask the

target some information, pulling it out of them

with a contested Empathy: Performance or Pillow

Arts versus the target’s Spirit: Willpower roll.

The kugutsu could simply spend a few minutes

tormenting the target.

Most of the time, the Butterfly Dream is used as

a method of psychoanalysis on a subject: You can’t

control the subject in the real world, you can’t

dominate him or kill him. But you can talk to him,

find out what his goals are, and perhaps later use

that knowledge against that character in the real

world.

When the scene ends, the target will return to

normal. In most cases (unless the kugutsu made

a dramatic, lasting impression) the target simply

226

KUGUTSU AND THE BUTTERFLY DREAM

forgets the events that took place in the Butterfly

Dream. Or they might exhibit some instinctual

reactions against the kugutsu character (like a vague

sense of fear, horror, empathy, or love, depending

on what happened in the dream), which could infl

uence further reactions with that character.

The results of the Butterf ly Dream are very vague

in terms of rule effects, but that is because there are

so many things that could happen in a dream that

could have an effect that it’s impossible to take them

all into consideration. There are no real mechanical

rules effects to rolls or actions taken during a

Butterf ly Dream scene. However, the GM is

encouraged to help the kugutsu character learn

something more about the target. Or perhaps the

kugutsu can change the target’s personality in some

way permanently. Consider the story and resolve

this accordingly.

WHEN TO USE THE BUTTERFLY DREAM

The Butterfly Dream is a powerful tool. The

kugutsu’s player shouldn’t be activating it against

every NPC they bump into on the street. In most

games, the Butterfly Dream will only be used once,

usually against a major NPC (perhaps a villain). In

some games, it may be appropriate to show offthis

incredible ability in the story twice. However, if the

kugutsu is using the Butterfly Dream three or more

times a session, the GM should step in and suggest

an alternative. Th is unique ability is like a superior

katana of great power; it only needs to appear once

or twice in a game session. More than that, and the

mystery and excitement of the kugutsu’s ability to

use the Butterfl y Dream quickly wears off for the

other players. Exercise restraint.

227

ANNELID RULES

Through great care (or on rare occasions, entirely by

accident) a human can ingest and care for annelids,

the unusual native worms and parasites of Tenra.

Also known as mushi, annelids will serve their

host as long as the host provides what the annelids

require.

IMPLANTING ANNELIDS

Annelidist characters have their annelid loadouts

already prepared on their character sheets or

archetype listings. With the GM’s permission, they

can exchange their existing annelids for others or

simply add in more annelids.

Annelids can only be implanted in creatures of

flesh, including oni, ayakashi and even kugutsu.

Annelids can also be implanted into kijin or other

mechanica-users, as long as there is still usable

human flesh remaining.

Each annelid has a cost, and many annelids can be

taken more than once. During character creation,

the cost refers to the amount of Karma that is added

to the character for each new parasite.

In play, characters who gain the Wormcharm

skill can implant annelids into their bodies. This

happens at the beginning of the intermission phase

of play. When new annelids are implanted during

an intermission, the annelid’s cost refers to the

amount of Kiai points that must be spent during

the time of implantation. Spent Kiai immediately

becomes Karma, so be careful not to implant too

many at once.

The activation of annelids is immediate unless

otherwise stated. It does not require any actions

to ready them or prepare them for battle when

attacked; they react instantly.

ANNELID LIST

Each listing appears as the following:

Name (The name of the annelid)

Cost: The cost (in Kiai or Karma) for implantation

per level of effect. This is also called the rating of

the annelid. For example, spending 9 Kiai on a

talonfang bug (with a cost of “3 per level”) results in

a level 3 rated talonfang bug.

Effect: The effects of keeping the annelid.

Location: The part of the body where the annelid

resides.

Notes: The text which explains the annelid strain,

and how it functions.

Food: If the annelid has a nutrition requirement,

it is listed here. Many strains simply borrow a little

nourishment from their hosts.

Blackwing

Cost: 10 per annelid

Effect: Flight

Location: Back

The blackwing annelid is a curious insect with a

wide, flat body two meters long. The actual annelid

spends most of its time encapsulated in a small

chrysalis, which attaches to the host’s back. Th e

blackwing is fond of the sap of a particular tree

in the forests in which it normally resides, which

is released in certain seasons. The annelidist will

normally gather an amount of this sap and spread it

on the chrysalis when they want the blackwing to

emerge.

The blackwing annelid bursts out from the

chrysalis, attaching to the host’s back and spreading

out like wings. The host can manipulate the annelid

and use it to fly. The host cannot carry heavy

objects, and the flight is generally very slow; the

blackwing only allows the host to fly at their normal

land movement speed. The blackwing normally has

228

ANNELID RULES

a very short lifespan: One single day. The host can

keep it alive longer, but only briefly. In game terms,

the blackwing can be used once per act. Once the

Act is over, the blackwing dies.

Food: Fresh fruit or vegetables

Blood Hulker

Cost: 10 per level of effect

Effect: The Body attribute of the host is increased,

but Agility is decreased

Location: Muscular system

Blood hulkers are parasites which resemble muscle

tissue. They cooperate closely with the existing

muscles and take nourishment from the blood

stream. When activated, they simply act as the

surrounding muscle tissue acts, copying the muscles’

behavior but with far more force.

When activated, the host’s Body attribute score

increases by the rating of the blood hulkers, but in

exchange, Agility is reduced by that same amount.

Food: None

Chitinshells

Cost: 2 per level of effect

Effect: Vitality is added to the host

Location: Everywhere

Chitinshells crawl inside the body, creating a nest

of chitin webbing throughout the host’s body. Each

level of chitinshell adds a point of Vitality to the

host.

A lesser-known side effect of the implantation

of chitinshells is the webbing which chitinshells

produce inside the host’s body. These strings are

said to be strong enough to hold two grown men

without breaking. It can be launched towards

the host’s enemy like a whip or spider’s webbing,

tripping or binding them. The webbing has a

damage of +2 and a range of a number of meters

equal to the rating of the chitinshells.

Finally, since this webbing attaches itself to ki-

collecting areas of the body, the host can control

it as if it were a prehensile appendage, making

it extend out of his body with such control that

he could sew with the individual chitinshell web

strands. To that end, he can use the webbing

weapon for whip-like attacks or grabs using Body:

Wormcharm as if he was using the War Art “The

Art of Ki Manipulation” at the same level as his

Wormcharm skill.

Food: Fresh fruit and vegetables every day.

Another option is taking a secret drug called

“kabusu” once a week. If either of these cannot be

done and the host goes a full month without either,

the chitin in the host’s body softens as the worms

weaken, and the host dies.

Corpse Puppeteer

Cost: 30 per puppeteer

Effect: Control dead bodies

Location: Cerebellum

The corpse puppeteer is a white spider about 10cm

long. It slips into the ear of a dead human or animal

and works its way to the brain. From there, as it

feeds on the brain it can exert a kind of control over

the body, making it move as it if were alive.

With training, an annelidist can learn to control the

corpse puppeteer, and thus the corpse it is feeding

on, with remarkable accuracy. An annelidist can

control a body of any kind, and make it act as if

it had all of its attributes set at 5, all of its normal

skills set at 2, and a Vitality score of 5.

Food: Once a week, the host must consume the

brain of one human-sized animal, or 2-3 small

animals.

Crimson Poisoner

Cost: 2 per level of effect

Effect: Create poisons

Location: Brain stem

The crimson poisoner attaches itself to the host’s

brain stem, after which it begins to create a

229

ANNELID RULES

pocket of fluid reserve, converting bodily fluids

into a deadly poison. This poison can be used in

conjunction with the attacks of any of the other

annelids or in unarmed physical attacks (emitted

through sweat glands in the hands or legs). If the

attack lands, the poison affects the opponent. The

damage of the poison is equal to the rank of the

crimson poisoner and lasts for a number of rounds

equal to its damage.

As with most poisons, it can be resisted or its

damage reduced with the Willpower skill during the

Interaction phase between combat rounds.

Food: Earthworms found under rocks or in wet soil.

Demon-of-Battle

Cost: 80

Effect: Incredible combat prowess granted to host

Location: Cerebrum

The demon-of-battle annelid remains the most

powerful and the most horrifying example of what

annelids can do to the human body.

W hen the demon-of-battle senses imminent

danger, it immediately launches two antennae

outward through the skull of the host, in order

to control and convert surrounding gossamer-like

Sha energy into physical power. Using the sha, the

demon-of-battle overwrites the host’s genetic code

immediately, turning him from a human into a

half-human/half annelid construct. This process

is so intense that some annelidists are completely

subdued by the will of the annelid, their personality

and identity swatted aside for the needs and desires

of the demon-of-battle.

Every time this transformation takes place, the

annelidist must make a Spirit: Wormcharm roll

against a difficulty of 3 or a Spirit: Willpower roll

against a difficulty of 4. If the host succeeds, then

he can harness the demon-of-battle’s abilities and

unleash hell upon his enemies.

If the host fails the roll, then the annelid continues

to rage until it senses no more enemies. The host is

no longer in control of the annelid, and everything

the worm does while in control comes back to the

host in horrific fl ashbacks afterward. Often, after

all enemies are dispatched, friends must calm the

host down to keep it from hurting other people in

the vicinity.

While the demon-of-battle is active, it grants the

following bonuses to the host:

Body is increased by +4

Agility is increased by +4

Senses is increased by +6

The host gains 20 Rejuvenation Points (see the

rejuvenation worms for details)

Vitality increases by +10

The host also gains the following natural weapons:

Name Dmg RoF Range

Electrostatic

Cannon

+1 1 18m

Clawed Hands +8 — —

Clawed Feet +6 — —

Acid Spit +4 — —

The electrostatic cannon is an incorporeal attack,

and can only be dodged with the Evasion skill.

Acid spit is launched with Body: Wormcharm and

can only be dodged with Evasion. It continues to

do 4 damage to the opponent (who resists with

Willpower, as per the combat rules on acid) until

they take a round to rinse offor wipe away the acid.

Food: It eats normal food, but requires the host to

eat an amount of food that two people would eat

daily.

230

ANNELID RULES

Digger Wasps

Cost: 3 per level of effect

Effect: A swarm of wasps makes attacks against

enemies.

Location:Any large area of skin on the body, usually

the back. It cannot normally be hidden.

Digger wasps build a nest under the flesh of their

host. This area of the body swells and distends as

more wasps make their home in it.

The host commands the wasps through bodily

secreted pheromones and the wasps obey without

question. Their most common use is for attacks

against distant enemies.

The host makes a ranged attack using Senses:

Wormcharm. The digger wasps do damage equal

to the rating of the digger wasp, divided by two.

They also inject a deadly poison into their enemies.

The poison takes effect during the next Interaction

phase in combat and lasts one round. Th e poison

has a damage rating equal to the level of digger

wasps, divided by two. With digger wasps, the

host effectively gets two attempts to damage an

opponent; a ranged attack followed by the poison.

The wasps have a range of 10 meters and a rate of

fire equal to the rating of the wasps.

Food: None

Dissolver

Cost: 2 per level of effect

Effect: Spit acid at enemies

Location: Stomach

The host uses a special mix of herbs to strengthen

his stomach, then implants the dissolver annelid.

The dissolver then increases the acidity of the

stomach acid until it can dissolve even metal and

stone. The host can use the dissolver to spit a stream

of acid at enemies, or to destroy objects.

In combat, the host makes a Body: Wormcharm

roll. Because of the liquid nature of the attack, the

opponent can only resist with the Evasion skill. It

has a range of 5 meters, and a damage rating equal

to the rank of the dissolver.

On top of that, normal combat rules for acid still

apply: Every round, the victim must make a Spirit:

Willpower roll against the rank of the dissolver or

take the difference in damage every Interaction

phase of combat. This eff ect lasts until the

opponent takes an action to rinse away or rub offthe

acid.

Food: A special blend of nine herbs is mixed by the

annelidist beforehand. This mixture must be taken

with food once per day, or else the dissolver’s acid

will eat through the host’s stomach. If the herbs are

not available, the host must not eat food of any kind

in order to keep the acidity bearable until the herbs

are found.

Eye Stalker

Cost: 10 per level of effect

Effect: The Senses attribute is increased

Location: Head, hands, fingertips, etc

The eye stalker strain has the appearance of an eye

attached to a muscle tipped with a talon. When

placed on the host, they burrow into the location in

which they were placed and attach themselves to the

host’s nervous system.

This has two major effects: For every eye stalker

attached to the host, their Senses attribute is raised

by one point. On top of that, the host can detach

the eye stalker whenever they want and place it in

a location. The eye will “record ” all that it sees in

that area. When it is retrieved and reattached to the

nervous system, the host can access all of the eye

stalker’s memories, seeing what it saw.

To use the benefits of the eye stalker, the host has

to have implanted them for at least a week in order

to become used to the shift in perception. The

effects are wildly unpredictable if used right after

implantation.

Food: None

231

ANNELID RULES

Hundred-Faced Worm

Cost: 15

Effect: Change the face of the host

Location: Face

This annelid is a flat, wide insect which can blend

into its environment. If an annelidist attaches it to

the face of another person (presumably dead, asleep,

or perhaps a willing participant). it will adopt the

shape and features of that person’s face perfectly.

It can then be removed and worn by the host like

a mask, covering one’s identity or assuming the

personality of another.

When coupled with the mynah bug, this annelid

makes for an extremely effective spying tool.

Food: None

Immortality Strain

Cost: 50

Effect: Immortality

Location: Unknown

Through limitless regeneration ability, the

immortality strain effectively grants its host

immortality.

Implanting the immortality strain is a nigh-

impossible task, which is why most users who have

the strain either were experimented upon, or were

tasked with accepting the annelid in the service of

a lord. Very few master-level annelidists are risky

enough to willingly go through the process of

implanting the immortality strain.

In rules terms, those given the immortality

strain must make a Spirit: Willpower roll against

a difficulty of 20. If they can overcome these

impossible odds, the immortality strain adapts to its

new host with little problem. If the potential host

fails, then death is almost instantaneous. In rare

cases, the host survives and the strain adapts to the

host, but with many problems. Disfigurement and

insanity of some kind are always a result. In the

rarest cases of failure, the potential host emerges

fine, apparently unaffected by the ordeal. However,

master annelidists intimate with the immortality

strain never discuss those rarest of cases, and stay

well clear of those people for some reason.

A player can only realistically attempt the

implantation of the immortality strain in their

character if they are sitting on a pile of Kiai points.

That character may increase his Willpower skill,

spend a ton of Kiai on bonus dice, and then buy

up successes with Kiai if they don’t quite reach 20.

However, when doing this do not forget the initial

implantation cost of 50 for the strain, as well as the

fact that the implantation cost, plus all Kiai spent in

the attempt, immediately becomes Karma.

Hosts with the immortality strain heal wounds

incredibly fast. During the Interaction phase

between combat rounds, the annelids restore blood,

bone and flesh back to normal. See the following

chart for the speed of recovery of all wounds in a

wound track:

Wound Track Round/Minutes to

Heal

Light 3-Body

Heavy 5-Body

Critical 10-Body

Dead Box 15-Body

If the number in the chart above comes to zero or

less, then all the wounds in that track heal instantly.

Example: Omon has a Body of 8 and the immortality

strain. In one round of combat, she takes 7 Light

wounds, 3 Heavy wounds and one Critical wound.

During the next Interaction phase (before the next

combat round), all of the wounds in the Light and

Heavy rows disappear completely. Omon is left with

just one Critical wound, which will heal completely in

the next Interaction phase.

A host with the immortality strain can only be

killed normally if their head is cut off after they

have fallen in battle. They can also be trapped and

burned to death, or cut with a rare and legendary

annelid-killing poison then killed normally.

Food: None

232

ANNELID RULES

Itami Strain

Cost: 15

Effect: Raises host’s Vitality score

Location: Nervous system

The itami strain is a swarm of miniscule insects

which ride along the host’s nervous system, sealing

away pain response when provoked. Since the

sensation of pain in the host is almost completely

lost, their Vitality score is raised. Normally Vitality

is calculated by adding Body plus Spirit. However,

with the itami strain, Vitality is calculated by

adding double the Body score plus Spirit. In other

words, simply add the host’s Body score again to the

Vitality total.

Food: None

Mindglower

Cost: 3 per level of effect

Effect: Increases the Soul of the host. Also provides

light.

Location: Fingertips

The mindglower strain of annelid looks like

miniscule jellyfish floating through the air. They

attach themselves to the host’s fingers, right near

the fingernail, and burrow into the muscle. They

can be released for a short amount of time, allowing

them to gently float around an area at the host’s

command, providing a visible bluish light that can

be seen by at night or in dark places.

They can also be used to boost Soul in the host;

they can provide a jolt of white pain through the

fingers of the host, providing focus and alertness.

Soul increases by 1 point per level of mindglower.

This added Soul lasts one day, after which it can be

regained again.

Food: They require one cup of clear water every day.

They also need to be released once per day for at

least a few minutes.

Mouth Creeper

Cost: 15

Effect: An annelid which defends the host in battle

Location: Digestive tract

This creature with the appearance of a giant

centipede lurks just below the host’s mouth area.

When used by the host it lashes out of the host’s

mouth, biting its enemies and injecting paralytic

poison into them.The host makes attacks with the

mouth creeper using Body: Wormcharm. It can

also be used in defense, making counterattacks as

normal. It has a damage rating of +1.

If the mouth creeper damages a target, it does

damage as normal, but the target must also make a

Spirit: Willpower roll and gain 2 or more successes.

If the target fails this roll, he is paralyzed and

cannot defend himself, move, or do anything other

than speak. Th e next time the victim takes any

kind of damage, he can attempt another Spirit:

Willpower check. If the victim succeeds, then the

poison immediately wears offuntil the next mouth

creeper bite.

Food: 200 grams of animal meat per mouth creeper

each day

Mynah Bug

Cost: 10

Effect: Can perfectly duplicate any sound heard

Location: Throat

Any noise that the host hears, the mynah bug can

perfectly duplicate it. Th is effect can also be used

to mimic the speech of someone whose voice has

been heard. Normally, this happens flawlessly.

However, if trying to fool a suspicious opponent, the

opponent need to gain three successes on a Senses:

Notice roll to determine that something isn’t quite

right.

Food: It simply eats a fraction of the food the host

consumes. However, the host should be careful, as

the mynah bug is delicate. Very hot or very spicy

foods can kill it.

233

ANNELID RULES

Rejuvination Worms

Cost: 5 per level of effect

Effect: Grants a pool which heals Wounds taken in

combat. Can be used on others.

Location: Everywhere

When rejuvenation worms are implanted, they

quickly swim through the host’s body, mending the

broken flesh and bone of the host when damage is

taken. They use their own bodies to heal the host,

sacrificing themselves in the process. The host gains

5 rejuvenation points for every level of rejuvenation

worm implanted. Each rejuvenation point can heal

one wound of any type, except for the Dead Box.

In combat, healing occurs during the Interaction

phases between each combat round. The

rejuvenation worms can also be used to heal others,

but the annelidist must spend a Full Action to do

so.

Rejuvenation worms are a slow-return resource;

spent rejuvenation points only return at a rate of one

point per day.

Food: The host must eat rotting meat at least once

per week. Every day after a week in which rotting

meat is not consumed, one rejuvenation point is lost.

Spinal Mites

Cost: 5 per level of effect

Effect: The Agility attribute is increased

Location: Nervous system

Spinal mites attach themselves to the nervous

system and greatly accelerate neurotransmission

speed. This in turn increases the quickness and

response time of the host’s body.

To activate the spinal mites, the host must inhale a

dose of powdered poppy nectar (using a half-action

in combat). This causes the spinal mites to excrete a

neurotoxin which speeds up reflexes; the Agility

attribute is raised by the rating of the spinal mites.

This effect lasts for a number of rounds or minutes

equal to the host’s Body attribute score, after which

they go dormant.

The neurotoxin released by the spinal mites causes

damage to the host after use. As soon as the mites

go dormant, the toxin takes hold of the body,

and the host is poisoned for a number of rounds

or minutes equal to the level of spinal mites (as

per the combat rules on poisons). The damage

of the neurotoxin is also equal to the level of the

spinal mites. During this time of poisoning, the

spinal mites cannot be activated (although they

can be activated again once the body recovers).

Incidentally, if the host is poisoned while the spinal

mite neurotoxin is running through his system, the

strength and damage of the spinal mite neurotoxin

is added to any new outside poison.

Food: None

Talongfang Bugs

Cost: 3 per level of effect

Effect: Claws or cutting tools erupt from the host’s

body

Location: Limbs

Talonfangs can sense danger. When the host

is attacked, they lash out and harden, granting

biological claws, knives or other cutting edges to the

host’s body.

Attacks are made using Body: Wormcharm. They

do an amount of damage equal to their level of

effect; the more powerful the bug, the more damage

it can do.Talonfang bugs have other special qualities

for use in combat, depending on the skill level of

Wormcharm in the user:

Wormcharm 2: The host can make counterattacks

in battle using Body: Wormcharm.

Wormcharm 3: When the host attacks a new

opponent for the first time ever, the unexpected

nature of the attack is treated as a sneak attack.

Wormcharm 4: The talonfang can fire one

volley of needles or spikes at enemies if the host

makes an attack with Senses: Wormcharm. The

damage remains the same. Range equals Body in

meters, Rate of Fire equals the level of talonfang

234

ANNELID RULES

bug implanted, and the ammo is 1. The needles

regenerate at the end of the scene.

Wormcharm 5: The damage rating of the talonfang

bug is doubled.

Food: Human or animal blood, about 400ml per

week.

235

ONI RESONANCE

Resonance, known as Tae Rayi to the native oni

people, is an extraordinary and unique power. Since

it requires a heart gem to sense and manipulate this

power, only the oni or half-oni can understand Tae

Rayi enough to take the Resonance skill. Normal

humans can never learn it, unless they later find out

that they were actually born a half-oni.

Tae Rayi exists as a combination of two categories of

abilities called Heaven (Alu) and Earth (Dii).

ALU

Empathy: Resonance

Aluis the almost telepathic spiritual ability of the

oni people. If the target is an oni or a half-oni, both

parties can communicate through telepathy, called

“Heart-Speak ” or “Heart-Speech”. Th is can be

done with very little eff ort. However, if the target

is not an oni, thoughts can be sent to the target, but

the target’s thoughts and responses cannot be read.

Heart-Speech usually has a range of sight, but there

are tales of oni paragons communicating over great

distances.

In the old times, oni used to speak to each other

almost always using only their Heart-Speech, but in

recent years the oni have begun to tire even when

using the Heart-Speech among their own people.

If an oni decides to cut off or file off her horn

(usually in order to live among humans or to

disassociate with the oni), Alu powers can no longer

be used.

Alu utilizes the following powers, depending on the

level of Resonance.

Skilled (2): Soul Cost 1

The oni can participate in heart-speech. The effects

will last for a scene.

Advanced (3): Soul Cost 2

The oni can participate in heart speech with

animals other than oni, including humans, animals

and even plants. When used with humans, thoughts

can only be sent, not received. Th e effects will last

for a scene.

Master (4): Soul Cost 3

The oni can read the thoughts of animals other

than oni, including humans, and also plants.

If the target denies the connection, a contested

action must be resolved against the target’s Spirit:

Willpower. If this power is used with the Advanced

(3) level Alu skill, a sort of two-way pseudo-heart-

speech can be achieved with humans. Th e effects

will last for a scene.

Supreme (5): Soul Cost 5

The oni can directly attack a target’s mind.

The oni engages the Target in a contested action

against the target’s Spirit: Willpower. If the oni

succeeds, the difference by which he succeeded can

be infl icted on the target’s vitality as damage. If the

oni fails, there is no effect.

DII

Body: Resonance

Diiis a connection with the land, and manifests in a

kind of telekinesis. It allows the user to move objects

by borrowing the power of the gossamer-like force

known as Sha. Sha is a force spread throughout the

land of Tenra like wispy, always-moving sheets of

invisible raw power.

When Dii is used to inflict damage directly,

a contested action against the target’s Spirit:

Willpower is necessary. The difference in the success

values are applied as damage. When this damage is

from a collision with a quickly moving object, it is

treated as per the rules for ranged weapons and can

be evaded or parried. The oni using this ability to

damage an opponent must spend Soul according to

the table below.

Dii utilizes the following powers, depending on the

236

ONI RESONANCE

level of resonance. Each power lasts for one minute

(one round), but the oni can spend the ability’s

Soul cost again to keep the power active for each

extra minute. Th e GM may add more damage to

a successful resonance attack with a heavier object,

depending on the situation.

Skilled (2): Soul Cost 1

The oni can move an object of a few k ilog rams

(less than 10kg: daggers, katanas, bag of soulgems).

Advanced (3): Soul Cost 2

The oni can move an object of a few tens of

kilograms, about the weight of one average sized

person (less than 100kg: normal person, small food

stand, sack of rice).

Master (4): Soul Cost 5

The oni can move an object of a few hundred

kilograms in weight (kongohki, filled palanquin,

small crowd of people, small armour).

Supreme (5): Soul Cost 7

The oni can move an object of a few thousand

kilograms in weight (small temple, most armour,

large crowd of people).

At the highest level of resonance, the oni can

manipulate the very sha around her to mysterious

effect. Through manipulating Dii, she can consume

the energy of sha-crafted life forms like summoned

shiki and chimera.

This powerful oni can unravel a shiki by succeeding

on an action with a difficulty equal to the shiki’s

Possession ability level. Additionally, the oni can

absorb this sha from a shiki, and temporarily

add the success value of the attack to her own

Body, Agility, and Senses. This lasts for a number

of minutes (or rounds) equal to the oni’s Spirit

attribute score.

Note: When using this ability against a samurai, a

contested roll is made against the samurai’s Spirit:

Willpower, or Spirit and the shiki ’s Possession level

as skill, whichever score is higher. Failure means

that the shiki is effectively consumed by the oni.

It will take one scene for the samurai’s soulgems to

recover and recraft the embedded shiki; the samurai

will recover by the beginning of the next scene. This

ability can only be used against a samurai when

they are in samurai mode.

SPECIAL TAE RAYI

There are special oni resonance abilities that fall

out of the purview of Alu and Dii alone. Th ey are

powers only heard of in legend. Few oni have the

innate mastery of Tae Rayi required to use them.

Only full-blooded oni, not half-oni, have access to

these abilities. They can only be taken at the time

of character creation. Each of the abilities costs an

additional 5 Karma to take upon character creation.

The oni may or may not realize that they have the

ability to use the power until their time comes.

With GM’s permission, an oni character could take

one of these powers during an intermission phase.

The oni could have unlocked reserves of hidden

potential, or realized that she had this ability all

along.

Mighu: The Calm

Make a contested roll using Empathy: Resonance

against an injured character’s highest wound rating.

Soul Cost: 5

One can finely manipulate sha to bind and seal

wounds, promote healing, cure ailments and

bind fl esh. This roll is made against a diffi culty

equal to the highest rated wound on the taget (See

Healing in the Combat rules: Light Wound =1,

Heavy Wound =2, Critical Wound=3). If this roll

succeeds, every additional success over the difficulty

level allows the injured player to heal an additional

wound box.

The Dead box cannot be healed with this ability.

Tse-Yi: The Cloak

A Spirit: Willpower roll; count successes

Soul Cost:10

237

ONI RESONANCE

This special oni ability allows the user to create a

zone impenetrable to the sha, dispersing it entirely

from the immediate area.

Count the number of successes rolled. An invisible

zone is created around the oni, with a radius equal

to the successes rolled in meters. No shiki or

samurai can enter this zone. Those already within

the zone are forcibly pushed outside the zone. Tse-Yi

complexly negates all damage taken from Buddhist

magic and Resonance powers to characters within

the protected area.

This zone lasts for a number of rounds equal to the

oni’s Spirit attribute score.

Ejah: The Blinding Gale

A Body: Resonance roll; count successes

Soul Cost: 20

Using Ejah, an oni can pull sha energy within

herself, and resonate it to amplify their physical

abilities beyond their normal limits. It is an ability

cited in old legends.

The number of successes gained is the number of

rounds that the power lasts. For that duration, the

oni can reroll all success dice on physical actions

once, exactly like the kongohki Overdrive ability.

Just like the Overdrive ability, any additional

successes count towards the total, but are not

rerolled again.

This power pushes the body past its limits, and

strains the oni in unimaginable ways. When Ejah

has finished, the oni takes physical damage equal to

[(15-Body) x (Number of successes when Ejah was

rolled)]. Most oni simply pass out from the strain.

Ku-Yau: Claws of Light

Soul Cost: 5

Some oni can manipulate the sha, folding it in on

itself until it becomes sharp and luminous like a

blade or animal claws. This ability allows the oni

to make an attack using this bright sword or set of

claws, using Agility: Resonance for the attack. The

damage rating of this weapon equals the oni’s Spirit

score.

Since the sha weapon does not actually have a

physical form, the opponent cannot use Unarmed

Combat or Melee Combat skills to parry this attack.

Only Evasion can be used.

It costs the oni 5 additional Soul per round

to maintain Ku-Yau.

238

SHINTO RULES

For agents of the Shinto Priesthood, the skill level

of Shinto is actually the character’s rankwithin the

organization. The higher the skill is, the higher

the character’s rank within the Priesthood (Taira,

Kakari, Ka, Bu) and the more severe the character’s

duties are.

When performing Shinto rituals, a player can spend

Kiai for the effect of temporarily raising the Shinto

skill level for that roll with the GM’s permission.

However, this is a one-time boost to the character’s

affi nity with the area kami; it does not represent an

increase in that character’s rank within the

organization.

SHINTO RITUALS

Agents have the power to bring about a variety of

miraculous effects by praying to the kami. The GM

is free to describe these ceremonies, the miracles,

and their results as he or she sees fit.

Taira-ranked agents such as miko(shrine maidens)

and gyoshi(traveling priests) are allowed to perform

only a small portion of the existing rituals, and

these are listed below. All Shinto rituals require the

agent to merge with a meikyo soul mirror.

Summon Rain

Activation Difficulty: Special

This ceremony allows the agent to influence the

weather. The agent must construct an altar in

front of a local shrine and offer up prayers to the

kami. This ritual can only be conducted once per

day, and it takes between one to three hours after

a successful ritual for the weather to be affected.

The result of the ceremony is determined by the

number of successes on a Station: Shinto roll. Th e

GM either rolls 1d6 and consults the Weather Chart

below or chooses the result to decide the current

weather conditions, and each success on the Shinto

roll allows the player to shift the weather one space

on the Weather Chart in the desired direction. For

example, if the Summon Rain ritual is performed

on a Fair day with a result of two successes on the

Shinto roll, the performing agent may choose Light

Rain, Cloudy, Fair, or Clear Blue Sky as the new

weather condition. While a sacrificial killing is not

a requirement for this ceremony, some find that

spilling blood aids the ritual’s chances of success. It

is for this reason, according to an agent named Eise,

that sacrifice is a part of this ritual in some regions.

WEATHER TABLE

Die Result Weather

0 Torrential Downpour

1 Heavy Rain

2 Rain

3 Light Rain

4 Cloudy

5 Fair

6 Clear Blue Sky

For current weather conditions, either roll a die on

the chart above, or have the GM decide.

Worship

Activation Difficulty: Special

The most important ritual to a gyoshi or miko is

the act of worship. By connecting a meikyo to a

shrine’s holy relic or altar, and then downloading

their spirit into the meikyo, an agent can commune

with the kami and receive divine aid. They can also

try to communicate with or calm a kami.

Shrines are a common sight throughout Tenra, and

when the Priesthood discovers a settlement without

a shrine, agents are quickly dispatched to establish

one. The larger the village or town, the more

expansive the shrine usually is.

When worshiping at an established or natural

shrine, the agent makes a Station: Shinto roll. The

number of successes gained can be “banked ” for

later use. When the agent chooses, she can make use

of those successes herself or grant them to others.

Each banked success counts as one success for a die

roll of the agent’s choosing, and can even be applied

239

SHINTO RULES

after the dice have been rolled. Worship can only be

used once per Act.

Omoikane

Activation Difficulty: 5

Through the use of this technique, an Agent can

gain access to and receive guidance from Omoikane,

the wisest of the eight million kami. The agents

can, with Omoikane’s aid, eavesdrop on scenes in

which they are not taking part. By succeeding at a

diffi culty 5 Shinto roll, the agent can elect to view

the scene and hear the conversations.

Forbidden Arts: Ara-Mitama

Activation Difficulty: 5

Some uses of Shinto, such as calling upon the aid of

cursed kami of a class called Ara-Mitama or “spirits

of the wild ” are forbidden by the Priesthood. The

Ara-Mitama provide the effect of the forbidden arts.

Most of these taboo arts involve ayakashi (strange

faerie or demonic spirits) or curses and may not be

used without the express permission of an agent’s

superiors. Being granted boons from the mysterious

Ara-Mitama puts the natural order of the universe

into a state of imbalance, therefore the Priesthood

expressly disallows it.

When attempting to use a forbidden art to ask a

favor of a Ara-Mitama, a PC must succeed at a

Station: Shinto roll versus a fi xed diffi culty of

5. A particularly daunting task might require a

higher difficulty roll, up to 10 or even more. Other

requests, at the discretion of the GM, might be so

appropriate to the scenario or story that she can

grant the request without a die roll. The number of

times a PC may use these arts at their level is limited

by her Shinto skill level. The forbidden arts can only

be used a number of times per session, as written per

each rank. Th ey can only be used more if the agent

gains a higher level of Shinto in the middle of an

adventure scenario. The number of times an agent

can use the powers granted by the spirits of the wild

are listed as follows:

KAMI AID LIMIT

Skill Level Number of Uses

2 1

3 2

4 3

5 Unlimited

The aid chart above applies to all forbidden

arts, including Ara-Mitama, Mishaguchi,

Amatsumikaboshi and Arahabaki.

Getting help from the kami is a major affair. One

has total affinity with the nature spirits native to

Tenra, and the agent can communicate with them

openly and truly understand them. They can talk

to them, and make their request to the kami. If

the kami agrees, the aid is granted with no strings

attached; no genie-in-the-bottle style “I will grant

you your wish as you said, not as you intended”.

Rather, the kami fully understands the intention

and follows through on the request earnestly. Often,

communicating with the kami can have profound

effects on the agent’s psyche or personality when her

consciousness returns to the physical plane.

Here are some example boons which can be

requested of the Ara-Mitama. In effect, there is no

limit to what can be asked upon the Ara-Mitama, as

they are the great spirits of the world:

• Protect this village from harm from the upcoming

war

• Summon a Great Wolf or a noble Sea Dragon to

aid in a battle

• Travel to the heavens to hold court with the kami

• Bring yourself and your companions to another

continent quickly

• Destroy a village

• Protect a city from an earthquake (difficulty 10)

• Travel in time to Jinrai, before the Fall (difficulty

15)

240

SHINTO RULES

• Bring a companion back to life (difficulty 15)

Forbidden Arts: Mishaguchi

Activation Difficulty: 6

Mishaguchi (Misha-Guchi) is a major example

of the kami residing in ancient trees and giant

boulders. Mishaguchi can bring a bountiful harvest

when pleased, or cause a terrible blight when

ignored.

The user of this art is able to summon a small but

powerful tornado centering on herself. Th e tornado

lasts for a number of rounds equal to the user’s

Station.

The tornado acts as a barrier 5 meters in diameter.

No objects or creatures may enter or leave the area

surrounded by the tornado.

Forbidden Arts: Amatsumikaboshi

Activation Difficulty: 9

The wicked god Amatsumikaboshi (Amatsu-

Mikaboshi) is considered both the strongest and

most evil of the kami, with enough power to bring

down the stars. By using this forbidden technique

an agent can wipe an urban area of up to one square

kilometer completely offthe map, destroying it

utterly. However, this request deals no damage to

PCs, and it does no damage to NPCs of the GM’s

choosing.

This power may only be used once per session, no

matter the agent’s skill level.

Forbidden Arts: Arahabaki

Activation Difficulty: 12

Originally the patron kami of an ancient tribe,

Arahabaki (Ara-Habaki) has been incorporated into

the Priesthood’s pantheon.

Through the use of this technique the user can call

down lighting on one target within visual range.

Released from the heavens above Tenra by the great

god Arahabaki himself, this lightning never misses.

The damage caused by the lightning is based on

the Agent’s Spirit attribute and Shinto skill. See the

chart below for details.This technique may only

be used outdoors, and can only be used once per

session.

ARAHABAKI DAMAGE CHART

Shinto Level Damage

2 Spirit x10

3 Spirit x20

4 Spirit x30

5 Spirit x100

241

THE AYAKASHI

CREATING AYAKASHI

The rules presented here are for creating ayakashi

characters, both player characters and non-player

characters.

Unfortunately, the rules are incomplete, for the

ayakashi will never truly understand humans, nor

will humans come to fully understand the ayakashi.

However, these rules will attempt to make sense of

their existence, and base them on the same elements

used to create people in the game. In the end, the

true nature of the ayakashi, or the true nature of a

single spirit, can only be discovered in play.

The steps for creating an ayakashi NPC are as

follows:

1) Choose a species

2) Create an ayakashi concept

3) Assign points to attributes

4) Pick yohjutsu powers

5) Choose skills

6) Pick special weaknesses (taboos, vulnerabilities,

goals)

Rules for creating ayakashi or half-ayakashi

characters appear at the end of this chapter.

CHOOSE A SPECIES

In general, there are four species of ayakashi.

Ayakashi non-player characters are built using

“character generation points”, quite unlike normal

character generation for player characters (for player

character ayakashi and half-ayakashi, see the end of

this section). The species that is chosen determines

how many character generation points the GM

should use to create the character. While that would

be a hard number for player character ayakashi,

the GM is encouraged to use the point limits as

guidelines that can be bent for effect.

When picking abilities, you do not have to spend all

the character generation points.

Henge: The Different, The Transformed

Character Generation Points: 600

The Henge are living things that were changed into

something else. They still retain some semblance

of their animal or human form, but they are now

far more than such simple creatures. They often

take the form of animals or half-animals, though

larger than normal and possessing great intelligence,

wisdom and spiritual energy.

Tsukumo-gami: The Artifacts

Character Generation Points: 550

The Tsukumo-gami were nonliving things that

changed into something else. Perhaps it was a

handheld object. Perhaps it was a large object

or even a place. However, over the long years it

slowly came to be possessed by a living spirit and

became… something else. Perhaps the spirit was

once a human spirit, pulled from nature and given

a shape and form that it did not desire. Or perhaps

the spirit is a collection of deep feelings of other

humans or ayakashi, which congealed and settled

over time into a living entity.

Yokai: The Monstrous

Character Generation Points: 650

The yokai take shape from the power of pure

human hatred, or from a lost soul. They are living

curses of the land, born to hate humans (which

most eat or kill). They are the monsters in the dark

that people think of when they hear “ayakashi”.

Unlike most of the other aya kashi, though, the

reason that they exist, as well as their monstrous

goals, are often easily understood or discovered. The

yokai are knowable…and they are to be feared.

Ara-mitama: The Deep Spirits, TheGods of the Wild

Character Generation Points: 800

It’s probably more correct to say that the ara-mitama

are gods and not ayakashi. They are great, vague

242

THE AYAKASHI

Ayakashi are not Wandering

Monsters!

There might be a temptation to craft a bunch

of various ayakashi, and have them step in

as low-level minions or “zako” (small fry)

monsters for the PCs to slay as they journey

from place to place, like a game of Final

Fantasy. Some ayakashi are of course hostile

towards humans, but they shouldn’t be

popping up all over in every act to be simply

used as sword fodder or to set up a fight

because the GM couldn’t think of a better

way to pace the game.

Ayakashi that appear in the game should be

rare, definitely few and far between. Most

humans will never encounter an ayakashi (if

they’re lucky), but PCs are special. However,

ayakashi are almost alien. Most are hard or

impossible to find or communicate with.

When using them, make sure to have a reason

for them to be present. They might be the

true antagonists in a scenario, but if you’re

using them for random combat encounters as

the PCs travel from town to town or throwing

them in for no real reason that relates to the

story, then you’re probably better off using

human bandits instead. Move the story

along without engaging in too many random

monster fights.

entities that the very spirit of the earth created and

brought to life. Some ara-mitama seem to be the

physical embodiment of the Shinto kami. Others

seem to be spirits born of sin or evil and are a curse

which the very earth expelled into physical form.

CREATE AN AYAKASHI CONCEPT

Before continuing onwards with creation, you

should think of at least a few things about the

ayakashi being created. You don’t have to come up

with every last detail before moving on, but some

thought should go into some basic questions to get

you started on creating a unique spirit.

Henge

• What kind of animal is it based on?

• How old is it?

• What is special about its appearance?

• Why did it transform into a spirit?

Tsukumo-gami

• What is the object that it is based on?

• How long ago was it created?

• What is special about its appearance?

• Why did it transform into a spirit?

Yokai

• Why did it form?

• What is it trying to do?

• What is special about its appearance?

Ara-mitama

• What is it?

• Does it have a goal?

• What does it do?

ASSIGN POINTS TO ATTRIBUTES

Like other characters, ayakashi also make use of the

seven attributes. However, most are quite different

or alien from normal human beings, so there can be

a lot of variance in their attributes. Some have scores

above 10 or as low as 0. A score of 0 indicates that

the attribute has no meaning for this creature.

For example, monsters that have no concept or

understanding of the human heart would have no

Empathy score. A spiritual creature with no physical

form would have no Body attribute.

When assigning points to attributes, for every ten

character generation points spent you may raise one

attribute one point. A Body score of 5 would cost 50

points.

Next, write down sub-attributes for the ayakashi.

These are based on the attributes, and work exactly

the same as for creating player characters.

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THE AYAKASHI

Vitality = Body + Spirit

Soul = Knowledge + Spirit x 2

Wound Gauge:

Light Wounds = Body

Heavy Wounds = Body / 2

Critical Wounds = Body / 4

Dead Box = 1

PICK YOHJUTSU POWERS

In the world of Tenra, people use the character

“Yoh ” (which symbolizes fey, weird, strange, or

monstrous) to write the word “ayakashi.” Yohjutsu

(“Art or Way of the Ayakashi”) is then the strange

and monstrous powers and arts that the ayakashi-

born wield.

The yohjutsu powers that ayakashi have are not

special in their eyes. For an ayakashi, using a

yohjutsu power feels as natural to them as using our

hands do to us humans. It is a natural tool for that

creature.

Like skills, yohjutsu powers are scored in rank levels

or “dots” (Skilled/Advanced/Master/Supreme). The

higher the score in that power, the more generation

points it costs. Please see the following chart for

yohjutsu power costs:

2 dots/basic 5 points

3 dots/advanced 15 points

4 dots/master 35 points

5 dots/supreme 75 points

While a “supreme” ability score is rare, some sacred

or godlike ayakashi have at least one ability which is

ranked at that special score of 5 dots. They are truly

fearsome creatures.

For every yohjutsu power taken, write it down as

if it were a separate skill. For example, an ayakashi

character might have the “skills” Healing 2,

Invisibility 4 and Natural Weapon 3. Keep track of

each power separately. The number represents the

ability rank or strength of that particular yohjutsu

power.

Ayakashi characters do not often use their yohjutsu

powers like skills. Instead, their level simply

represent the potency of their power. They normally

use another skill when making use of their power

(like Willpower for Fear, or Marksman for Projectile

Weapons).

A special note: Skills that affect the mind like

Mindreading, Fear, and Illusion, as well as abilities

like Invisibility, work on all characters. Th is

includes kongohki and armours.

The following is a list of known ayakashi abilities.

Domination

This ability allows an ayakashi, usually through

unnatural charm and charisma or else hypnotism

or sub-vocalization techniques, to charm and

command people.

To use this ability successfully, the spirit must win

in a contest of Willpower versus Willpower against

its intended target.

The amount that the ayakashi succeeds by in the

above roll becomes the “damage” caused by the

charm. Record this number. When the conditions

for the charm commands change—or if the

character attempts to resist—the target can try to

resist by making another Willpower roll (in combat,

this roll is made during the interaction phase). The

target difficulty will be equal to the “damage”

caused by the ayakashi in the original domination

roll. If the target succeeds, she can resist the

domination.

It takes one action in a combat round to activate

this ability.

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THE AYAKASHI

Limiting Ayakashi Abilities

As a GM, you may be preparing a fight

against a mysterious and evil ayakashi.

Perhaps you want to give it a powerful

Projectile Weapon ability. Perhaps it breathes

fire. You give it a 5 in that ability, because

you want the high damage and rate of fire.

However, this introduces a few complications.

“A range of a kilometer away? For fire breath?

It doesn’t make sense. 30 meters makes far

more sense.” Feel free to exercise your power

as a GM and lower things like range, damage,

or other parts of the ability to coincide with

your concept of the ayakashi and its abilities.

However, keep the ability score rated at the

highest ranking ability used. For example,

Projectile Weapons 5 gives a damage of +20,

a Rate of Fire of 12, and a Range of 1km.

If it makes more sense, you could keep the

damage at +20, lower the Rate of Fire to 9 or

6, and the range to 100 or 30m (or another

arbitrary number). However, since we are still

using that damage of +20, we will still have to

buy the ability Projectile Weapons 5 for this

ayakashi.

Domination as a Deterrent

Sometimes it’s fun to have a boss NPC show

up and gloat at the player characters from

time to time. Be careful of thinking that

Domination is a good barrier to block the

advances of the player characters. Players are

resourceful, and if you’re not careful, the first

time the ayakashi appears might be the last if

the players have enough Aiki chits to quickly

bypass Domination and take out the ayakashi

mid-gloat.

Be aware of this fact: No single ayakashi

power is impenetrable.

Domination Level and Effect

2: The target cannot attack or stand in the way of

the ayakashi.

3: The target cannot go against the ayakashi’s

wishes.

4: The target will turn against the enemies of the

ayakashi.

5: The target gives complete loyalty to the ayakashi

and follows all commands it gives.

Draining Weapons

This ability covers ayakashi natural weapons that do

damage, which continue to do damage over time,

such as poison, acid, or corruption.

By default, this attack has a damage rating, a range,

and a number of rounds that the effects last. The

number of the ability is the number used for the

skill roll when using the weapon (usually with

Senses or Body).

When draining damage is received, the damage

will take effect every interaction phase. When the

ayakashi attacks, the final damage rating that it

does is recorded. The victim can then try to resist

future damage. That damage rating becomes the

difficulty number to resist damage. Make a Spirit:

Willpower roll each interaction phase: Each success

reduces the amount of damage received during that

phase. This roll has to be made each interaction

phase for a number of phases equal to the draining

weapon’s score. See chart below:

Draining Weapons Effect by Level

2:Damage +5, Range 5 meters, Lasts 3 rounds

3:Damage +10, Range 10 meters, Lasts 6 rounds

4:Damage +15, Range 15 meters, Lasts 9 rounds

5:Damage +30, Range 30 meters, Lasts 15 rounds

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THE AYAKASHI

If a second Draining Weapon attack is made after

the first (given that both hit and damage the

intended target), ignore the continuous damage of

the first attack, and use the damage rating for the

second attack from that point on. If, later, before

the second attack ’s damage is resisted by willpower,

yet another attack connects and does damage,

again simply ignore the draining damage from

the second attack and start over with the damage

of the third attack. Do not “stack ” damages over

multiple successful attacks. Every Draining Weapon

attack effect is replaced by any subsequent Draining

Weapon attack effects.

Fear

Some ayakashi exude an aura of fear so potent and

oppressive that living things cannot move once they

feel this primal fear.

When using Fear, a spirit engages in a Spirit:

Willpower contest with an opponent. If the spirit

wins, the target feels the effect of the fear.

When making that contest, write down the number

of successes that the ayakashi made over the

opponent’s Willpower (the “damage” of the attack).

In the interaction phase, the character can make

Willpower checks using the “damage” as a diffi

culty number. If the character fails, they remain

stuck at that fear level (see chart below). If they

succeed, they can break free of the effects of fear.

It requires one action for the ayakashi to engage this

ability.

Fear Level

2: You cannot move, but you may still act.

3: You cannot move, nor can you take any actions.

4: Like 3, but you also cannot perform a counter-

attack or take any half-actions. You are petrified

with fear. At this level, a number of creatures up

to or equal to the number of the ayakashi’s Spirit

within its sight range are affected by this ability.

The ayakashi rolls once, and all characters roll to

resist separately.

5: As above, but the effects can spread to cover an

entire city and affect all of its inhabitants.

Flying

The ayakashi possesses the power of flight, and can

freely fly through the air.

The amount of weight the ayakashi can carry and

the speed which it can travel is decided by the level

of this ability. If the ayakashi tries to carry more

or is weight down by more than it can carry, its

speed is reduced by half. For aerial maneuvers, the

ayakashi uses the Movement skill.

Flying Level and Effect

2: 1.6km (one mile)/minute, can carry up to 60kg

3: 2000m/minute, can carry up to 100kg

4: 4000m/minute, can carry up to 200kg

5: 10,000m/minute (one half the speed of sound),

no limit to carrying capacity

Hallucination

This is the ayakashi power to create and control

illusions in others.

The ayakashi makes a contested Spirit: Willpower

roll against the opponent. The spirit must win for

the hallucination to take effect.

Record the number that the ayakashi succeeded by

(for f uture resistance attempts), then determine how

long that the hallucination lasts naturally, based

on the Hallucination ability and Empathy of the

ayakashi (see below).

During that period, the ayakashi controls what

the characters see and experience. It won’t be too

long before the ayakashi tries to have something

surreal or dangerous happen to the characters.

Each time that happens, the victims may make

another attempt to become free of the illusion with

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THE AYAKASHI

another Willpower roll. The difficulty number is

equal to the number that the ayakashi succeeded

by originally. It costs one action to engage the

hallucination ability.

Hallucination Level and Effect

2: Empathy score in hours

3: Empathy score in days

4: Empathy score in years

5: Forever

Healing

This ability measures the superior healing ability

that some ayakashi possess. It could be because

their bodies naturally heal faster, or that the damage

simply disappears at a mental command. Healing

occurs during the interaction phase. The numbers

below represent the amount of vitality points

regained automatically each round.

Healing Level and Effect

2: 3 points

3: 5 points

4: 10 points

5: 30 points

Incorporeal

Some ayakashi have the ability to turn incorporeal

and pass through solid objects such as walls, floors,

rocks, or other creatures. At the cost of 3 Soul, an

ayakashi can use this ability for one round (or one

minute of game-time when not in combat).

It costs one action to activate this ability.

This ability has no ranks. It costs 15 points to

purchase.

Invisibility

Ayakashi using this ability can become invisible.

When an ayakashi uses this ability, all of their

actions are considered sneak attacks for the purposes

of combat. The level of the ability determines when

the ability stops working. This also works against

mechanica and other life-detecting abilities.

It takes one action to activate this ability.

Invisibility Level and Effect

2: Reverts to visible after moving, half-actions,

actions

3: Reverts to visible after half-actions and actions,

but can still move

4: Reverts to visible after taking an action

5: The ayakashi can remain invisible indefinitely

Mindreading

Some ayakashi possess the mysterious ability to read

the minds of people.

To use this ability, the ayakashi must succeed in an

opposed roll against the target’s Willpower using

the ayakashi ’s Spirit: Willpower, or Empathy:

Willpower. If the ayakashi succeeds, the results are

equal to the ability level (see below).

It costs one action to perform this ability in combat.

Mindreading Level and Effect

2: The victim’s surface thoughts (only a few seconds’

worth) are read.

3: The ayakashi can read thoughts that the victim is

trying to keep hidden.

4: The victim’s entire memory is an open book

which the ayakashi can freely access.

5: Same as above, but the victim has no idea the

ayakashi is reading her thoughts.

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THE AYAKASHI

Remember that abilities like Mindreading, Fear,

Illusion and the like work on all characters. This

includes kongohki and armours.

Multiple Forms

With this skill, the ayakashi has the classic ninja-

like power of creating look-alike copies of itself

which can move and act as it does. Th e number of

copies it creates depends on the level of the multiple

forms ability taken.

Creating copies costs one Soul for each copy

created. The copies can use all abilities

of the original spirit, except for any abilities that

require using Soul (like creating copies of the copy).

Also, if the copy takes even one single point of

damage, it disappears.

Copies are good for reconnaissance, but are

classically used in battle to distract and overwhelm

an enemy. If a character wants to try to detect which

copy is the real ayakashi, they can make a Notice

roll versus the ayakashi ’s Stealth skill. Success

means that they have spotted the real ayakashi

(unless the ayakashi tries to create more copies,

or uses stealth to try to obfuscate its form with its

copies).

It takes one action in combat to perform this ability.

Multiple Form Level and Effect

2: One copy can be created.

3: Three copies can be created.

4: 5 copies can be created.

5: Up to 10 copies can be created, or instead one

perfect copy of the ayakashi (including a Vitality/

Wound track, and use of Soul abilities).

Natural Weapon

Natural weapons are things like claws, talons and

fangs, things that the ayakashi were usually born

with. Each level of natural weapon gives a damage

bonus. In case of tsukumo-gami, this means that

their physical form is a weapon (like a demonic

sword) or contains weapon-like components like

sharp edges.

The ability level of the natural weapons ability

determines the damage rating for attacks. Natural

weapons can be used with the Unarmed Combat or

Melee Weapons skills (whichever is highest).

If the weapon is retractable and hidden, like the

claws or fangs of human-like ayakashi, then it takes

a half-action to unveil the weapon.

Natural Weapon Level and Effect

2: Damage +5

3: Damage +10

4: Damage +15

5: Damage + Body x 2

Possession

Some ayakashi have the ability to enter and take

control of the form of living or non-living things.

This ability is Possession.

When using possession, the ayakashi must make a

contested Spirit: Willpower roll against the target’s

Spirit: Willpower. If the ayakashi succeeds, it takes

control of the target’s body.

When the ayakashi controls the target, it can use

any of the target’s skills, attributes or abilities as it

sees fi t once. However, if it takes further actions,

the target is still aware and can attempt to resist

this action. Make another opposing Willpower

roll to see if the victim can stop the ayakashi from

completing the action. If the ayakashi fails, the

possession is broken.

The spirit is able to possess samurai and kugutsu. It

takes one action to possess another.

Possession is a special ability and as such it doesn’t

have “ranks”. It costs 35 generation points to take

this ability.

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THE AYAKASHI

Projectile Attack

Projectile attacks are things like electricity bolts,

breath of chilling ice, spine needles and the like.

Decide the type of attack this entails for the

ayakashi.

Senses: Marksman is used for attacks. The level of

the ability determines the damage, rate of fire and

range.

Projectile Attack Level and Effect

2: Damage +5, RoF 3, Range 5 meters

3: Damage +10, RoF 6, Range 30 meters

4: Damage +15, RoF 9, Range 100 meters

5: Damage +20, RoF 12, Range 1km

Resistance

Resistance can be anything from iron-like hair or

fur, natural armor plating, skin like stone or steel,

or other physical defenses. Resistance simply adds a

number of points to the spirit’s Vitality score.

Resistance Level and Effect

2: +5 Vitality

3: +15 Vitality

Be Careful With Possession!

Possession, if not used carefully, can really

sour a game. Just be aware that some players

don’t want to lose complete control of their

character under conditions where there is no

chance they can resist.

Example: Possess a samurai with an ayakashi

with an extremely high Spirit and Willpower

score so high that normal PCs have no chance

to resist, then make the samurai set fire to an

orphanage. Not cool.

4: +20 Vitality

5: Vitality is doubled

Shapechange

With this ability, an ayakashi can mimic the form

of anything it has seen once. If someone suspects

that a person or object might be a shape-changer in

disguise, they can try to pierce the spirit’s disguise

with a Senses: Notice versus Senses: Stealth roll.

It takes one action in combat to perform this ability.

Shapechange Level and Effect

2: Reverts to true form after a half-action (including

speaking) or full action

3: Reverts to true form after an action

4: Reverts to true form after another yohjutsu ability

is used

5: This ability can remain active indefinitely

Superspeed

Also referred to as “The fleetness of the Kami”,

some ayakashi have the ability to move and act

faster than the eye can see. There are no “levels” of

superspeed, but there are two versions. Th e regular

version is like the kongohki Overdrive ability. When

superspeed is active the ayakashi makes Body,

Agility and Senses based rolls with the following

change: Every die that comes up as a “success”

can be rolled a second time to attempt to get more

successes (but not a third). Th is represents the

blinding speed at which it can move and act.

It takes a half-action to start this ability. However,

the ayakashi can use this ability for a number of

actions equal to its Spirit plus Body attribute ratings

per session. The regular version costs 50 generation

points.

The advanced version doubles the number of times

it can use this ability per session. In addition the

second round of successes can be rolled a third time

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THE AYAKASHI

(but not a fourth time). The advanced version costs

a total of 150 generation points.

Undying

Stab them, burn them, crush or break them; some

ayakashi simply refuse to die until they are utterly

destroyed. This ability heals wounds and injuries

taken in battle. During the interaction phase,

consult the ability level to determine which wounds

automatically heal:

Undying Level and Effect

2: All light wounds heal

3: All light and heavy wounds heal

4: All light, heavy and critical wounds heal

5: As above, and the ayakashi gets a second Dead

Box. Both must be checked for the ayakashi to die

permanently.

CHOOSE SKILLS

Most ayakashi have abilities, skills, and knowledge

similar to that of humans. When choosing skills,

consult the following chart to calculate the number

of character generation points needed to take the

skill at the level written.

Basic: 2 Dots 5 points

Advanced: 3 Dots 15 points

Master: 4 Dots 35 points

Supreme: 5 Dots 75 points

PICK SPECIAL WEAKNESSES

Ayakashi are almost alien creatures which possess

supernatural abilities and often unknowable desires.

But down to a one, they all have unusual or special

weaknesses. Many weaknesses (especially taboos) are

the reason behind the unexplainable actions of the

ayakashi.

Weaknesses are in a way very similar to character

Fates. They often drive the creature or become a

reason behind their actions and motivations.

Weaknesses points insert some individuality into

the ayakashi and make it truly unique from other

ayakashi and creatures. Try to be creative when

coming up with new taboos, weaknesses and goals.

All ayakashi have at least one vulnerability. Some

have multiple weaknesses.

When taking a weakness, the number of points next

to it indicates the number of character generation

points received in compensation which can be

used to gain more yohjutsu abilities, skill points or

attribute points.

Basic: 2 Dots 5 points

Advanced: 3 Dots 15 points

Master: 4 Dots 35 points

Supreme: 5 Dots 75 points

CHOOSE TABOOS

Taboos are things that that ayakashi cannot do. It

could be something from an everyday (to humans)

action, to something reckless or strange.

If by force, accident, or coercion the ayakashi

performs that action, then they receive the damage

listed. This does not necessarily represent physical

damage. Rather, it represents the fact that the

ayakashi has become weaker by going against its

true nature.

If an ayakashi has the Undying ability, the damage

received from breaking taboos does not heal by

using that ability. This damage must heal naturally

like any other character.

Basic: 2 Dots 10 Vitality

Advanced: 3 Dots 6 Wound Track

Master: 4 Dots 10 Wound Track

Supreme: 5 Dots Dead

ASSIGN VULNERABILITIES

Vulnerabilities are things that the ayakashi hates

or finds difficult to heal. Any damage that comes

specifically from the source of the ayakashi’s

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THE AYAKASHI

vulnerability will do more damage than normal.

Resistance will not block damage from

Vulnerabilities. Healing will not heal damage

caused by Vulnerabilities. They must heal naturally.

Dots Damage Received

2 Dots/Basic x2

3 Dots/Advanced x3

4 Dots/Master x4

5 Dots/Supreme Dead box or else x4

DECIDE GOALS

Goals are the reasons that the ayakashi exist.

Ayakashi always push towards their goals, be they

knowable or mysterious. In cases of higher ranked

goals, these goals are central to the core of the

ayakashi’s being.

The level of the goal indicates the ayakashi’s drive

towards completing that goal. Some goals it will

perform when it can. For other goals, the ayakashi

will not stop or rest until they are fulfilled.

Basic (2 Dots): The ayakashi is passive towards this

goal.

Advanced (3 Dots): The ayakashi has an interest in

this goal.

Master (4 Dots): The ayakashi actively carries out

these goals.

Supreme (5 Dots): If the ayakashi acts against this

goal, the ayakashi is destroyed.

PLAYER CHARACTER AYAKASHI

When creating a player character using the ayakashi

or half-ayakashi archetypes, there are several points

to be careful of. The rest of the rules in this section

apply only to creating ayakashi or half-ayakashi

player characters.

First, when assigning attributes, you should use the

normal character generation method, although the

range for ayakashi PC attributes (1-10) applies to

ayakashi PCs as well.

When choosing ayakashi abilities, the character

generation point cost becomes the Karma cost to

take those abilities. You should plan to take only

one ability, or at most a few. You can balance

this out by taking weaknesses to gain character

generation points. Basically, balance abilities taken

against weaknesses taken, and any remaining

balance becomes is added to the character’s starting

Karma.

When creating a half-ayakashi character, you can

only choose one weakness That weakness’s score

must be the same as the highest yohjutsu ability

taken (in dots). The full ayakashi template has no

limit to the number of special weaknesses one can

choose, but the first weakness chosen must be

at the same rank as the highest-ranked yohjutsu

ability chosen. You should always talk with the

GM about the weak points you choose. This is so

that the GM can take them into consideration for

the scenario and give advice. The weakness might

be too staggeringly oppressive, or it could be too

light to matter in the game. The GM will help with

balancing weak points or just give you a thumbs

up after a quick once-over of the abilities and weak

points chosen.

In the game, yohjutsu ability advancement (raising

the ability one level) can be done as if it were a

regular skill. However if you choose a new yohjutsu

ability, you can only take it during an Intermission

(as if it were a specialty skill).

Weaknesses can also increase in the game. Make

sure that if a yohjutsu ability increases a level in the

game, that at least one weakness is at the same level.

If the highest weakness is lower in rank than the

highest yohjutsu ability, immediately raise that one

weakness to the same level. Matching the highest

weakness to the highest yohjutsu ability cancels out

that single ability’s Karma cost.

That’s all. Abilities and weaknesses aside, make sure

you are careful to emphasize that sense of “ human-

like, and yet different” into the character when role-

playing. Ayakashi are rare creatures; make the other

players feel this!

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THE AYAKASHI

Monster Hunting?

If the scenario revolves around hunting down

a particular ayakashi, part of the scenario

might involve collecting plot points before

the final standoff. They could gather herbs to

halve the damage of its poison attacks or learn

a sutra to gain a bonus against (or nullify) the

effects of its fear, possession or hallucination

abilities. Learning its vulnerability will help as

well.

Just note that ayakashi with multiple abilities

rated at 4 or 5 are truly terrifying creatures

that will often require a lot of teamwork and

planning to overcome.

If an ayakashi has a taboo that might help

in damaging or defeating it, it might be an

exciting challenge to try to discover that

taboo and force or trick the ayakashi into it

if possible.

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THE ART OF WAR

WHAT ARE THE “WAR

ARTS”?

The Arts of War are special schools of warrior

training. They provide a series of tools to overcome,

succeed, and kill on the battlefield. In Tenra, all

of the various arts of war were born not from the

isolated idyllic dojo, but from the battlefield.

These arts are known by various names—such as

Kenpo, Kenjutsu, or Kung fu—each one with their

own “tools” (in other words, weapons), practice and

philosophy. Although their methods may differ,

they have the same basic purpose: They provide the

warrior the most efficient methods to kill or defeat

their enemies. But within Tenra’s war arts there

exists no special etiquette or complicated forms to

memorize. Those are exercises born in periods of

peace, techniques to attempt to carry the purity of

the style even while it stagnates from lack of real-

world use. In Tenra, war is constant. Techniques

are tested and refined on real battlefields. Power is

everything.

After experiencing hundreds of battles, those that

are especially gifted at defeating their enemies

are said to begin feeling a special “something” in

the midst of combat. Those who have felt that

“something” indeed struggle to discover and defi

ne its essence. They do so even at the expense of fi

nding a lasting inner peace. Only the strong can

rise from the tattered wasteland that this mental

struggle leaves behind. That is the way of the

arts of war.

PRACTITIONER OF THE WAR ARTS: THE

ESSENTIAL WARRIOR

There are those for whom the art of war is their

lifeblood. For these individuals, the skills for killing

and winning which they have mastered are their

food and drink, their very livelihood in all meanings

of the word. They fight to live, and live to fi ght. It

is in the nature of the warrior to make their strength

known to the world.

Toki wa sengoku de aru: This is a time of warring

states. Most warriors serve a master. Vassal lords of

every domain all wish to employ strong minions,

for their very lives depend on maintaining a strong

army. For this reason, every soldier under their

service is instructed in the arts of war. Those who

serve their vassal lord teaching the a particular art

of war are called War Masters. Most lords employ at

least one war master. This serves as both a display

of martial power, and prevents other lords from

employing that same strong war master.

However, not every warrior serves a lord. Many live

as ronin wanderers, roaming the world of Tenra.

The story of Karasuma Shiro—said to be founder

of the Dragon and Tiger Style—is one of the most

well-known. Th roughout his life he fought over

400 battles and lost not one. The story goes that one

day, fi nally tiring of battle, he climbed a mountain

and took the name Koan Hajime. There, living the

life of an ascetic he wrote the Hyoh-jyoh-sho (The

Analects of War). He is said to remain there in his

mountain hut even to this day.

The Royal Tournament

For those mercenaries who aim for fame and glory,

the battlefi eld is an opportunity to show offtheir

skills. Of course, on the battlefi eld, danger lurks in

every shadow.

First of all, there is the obvious danger of dying

in battle. Even the strongest adepts of war are still

human. No matter how much fame and glory one

has received, it means nothing in death. Another

danger is the possibility of defeat. Once a war adept

is defeated on the battlefield, any skill he has shown

on the battlefi eld becomes meaningless to his

peers. Any rewards or payment the warrior receives

depends exclusively on their victories. The same

can be said of the vassal lord who employs him. No

matter how numerous or how powerful warriors

may be, the lord still risks losing them in battle.

It is for this reason that the Royal Tournaments

were created. The most famous of these is the

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Hisabuki Royal Tournament. Great warriors such

Kiba Kenyuki (a disciple of the Southern Seas Style)

and Ujigen Kanemasa (who would later become

the samurai general of the land of Kasen) who once

took part in the Tournament have made themselves

known across the land. But perhaps more than

those famed warriors, it was the one known as “Th

e Devil-faced Boy” (Kimen Youji) who made the

event so popular. The Devil-faced Boy gained his

name from the horrible mask he wore to battle.

Using his own unique fighting style, he defeated

famed warriors such as Kiba and Ujigen one after

the other. Then after receiving his reward, he simply

disappeared, never to be heard from again.

The regents of Hisabuki put great importance in

the arts of war, and spent much of their resources

training and raising warriors for generations.

However, not long after Devil-faced Boy’s victory,

the land descended into civil war over the regent’s

chair, eventually resulting in the assassination of the

regent’s entire family by a former war master.

Such brutal tales are simply part of the harsh reality

of Tenra.

ART OF WAR RULES

“Art of War” is a skill type which weapon masters

and martial warriors use to enhance their combat

abilities. Those who have this skill can perform

various specialized offensive and defensive

maneuvers. In some cases, the Art of War rules

conflict with the normal rules. The Art of War

rules always trump any conflicting normal rules.

THE ART OF WAR SKILL AND FIGHTING

STYLES

The Art of War skill is treated as a separate skill

for each style. If a character has more than one

style available to him (from selecting multiple

archetypes), record it on the character sheet as

separate skills. (Example: Art of War: Crescent

Moon Style.)

For each rank the character has in this skill, she

gains a new technique. Attribute checks and the

corresponding skill vary according to the individual

techniques. There is almost no instance that a

character will need to make an actual “Art of War”

skill check. Instead, it is a placeholder which shows

the warrior’s rank at that art. When a character

uses a technique, make a check based on the

attribute and skill listed in the individual technique

descriptions (in most cases, an attack combat roll) to

determine success.

COMBINING TECHNIQUES

Characters gain all the techniques of their style

available to their rank. For example, a character

with a rank of Master (4) can use the technique

associated with that rank in addition to all the

techniques available below it (2, 3, etc). Th e

character can use all techniques available to them

from the same style at the same time, even in

the same roll. However, some techniques have

restrictions when used with other techniques. A

character can always choose to use a technique by

itself.

As noted above, a character can take more than one

Art of War style. However, techniques from two

different styles cannot be combined or used at the

same time; they are so different, requiring different

(sometimes even completely opposing) ways of

thinking, training, and muscle memory, that it is

impossible to combine them at the same time. Any

check made can only use one skill and one attribute.

Therefore, attack techniques and defense techniques

cannot be combined into one roll and must be

rolled separately. Finally, if you end up in a situation

where there appear to be multiple damage modifiers

for some technique or combination and you are not

sure which to use, use the higher modifier.

TECHNIQUES

Southern Seas One-Blade Style

Kai-Nan-Ittou-Ryu

Skill Used: Melee Weapons

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This school, which rose to become the main sword-

style of Nanbo Province, was founded by Urabe

Ganku, the samurai general of Kijikura. Urabe

developed this style though actual combat, in which

he focused completely on the attack, paying no

concern to defense. Th ose who follow the Southern

Seas One-Blade Style teach that one must abandon

all distracting thoughts, as well as regret, in order to

master the style.

The essence of the Southern Seas One-Blade Style

is found in the strength of its swordsmanship; it

contains no forms of defense whatsoever.

Skilled Rank (Skill Level 2): One Sword

Only those who have gained an exceptional mastery

of the sword from rigorous training are given their

first teaching. This teaching is known as “One

Sword ” and those who have mastered it can use

Body (instead of Agility) when using the Melee

Weapons skill in combat, both for attack and

defense.

Advanced Rank (Skill Level 3): Self-Sacrificing

Strike

You discard everything save for your blade when

you strike. However, this is not an easy task. Only

those with strength of mind, who can focus solely

on defeating their enemy, can master this. Self-

Sacrificing Strike allows an attacker to force an

Aiuchi attack on a defender. You must use Body

when rolling to hit with this style. This technique is

only used when a sword master makes an attack, not

to defend.

Master Rank (Skill Level 4): No-Body No-Mind

Even the will to defeat your enemy is abandoned.

Only the blade which focuses on the attack remains,

ripping through the enemy even if the wielder has

fallen. At the “No-Body No-Mind ” stage, nothing

remains in the mind other than the attack. It may

be more accurate to refer to this style as a stage of

enlightenment rather than a sword-style.

Once you have reached this rank, your Aiuchi

attack will still remain effective even if you have

been knocked unconscious by taking damage from

an enemy while using Self-sacrifi cing Strike. Your

attack hits even as you fall.

Supreme Rank (Skill Level 5): Indomitable Sacrifice

Strike

It is said that Urabe Ganku could strike with his

sword with such speed that even if his opponent

drew fi rst to strike, Urabe could cut the opponent

in half even before being hit. Reaching the stage

of No-Mind and mastering not only strength in

swordsmanship but speed as well, he could not be

stopped.

At this final stage of the Southern Seas One-Blade

Style, you can always damage your opponent first

when using Self-sacrificing Strike. If you strike

down your opponent as a result, they lose their

opportunity to attack and fall unconscious or die

before they can hit you.

Clarity of Heaven Style

Ten-Shin-Gan-Ryu

Skill Used: Melee Weapons

The founder of this style was Tenma Yoshimitsu, a

Bright Lotus Buddhist priest. Wishing to defeat his

opponents without killing them, he meditated on

a way to fell his opponents. The answer, which led

him to develop this style, was to simply deprive the

opponent of their ability to fight.

If one cannot use their hands, they cannot hold

a sword. If one cannot use their legs, they cannot

advance to attack. However, in actual combat,

striking the limbs of one’s opponent is exceedingly

difficult and requires extremely precise skill with the

sword. Accurate swordsmanship is the essence of

this style.

Skilled Rank (Skill Level 2): Night-Blade

It is said that those who master Clarity of the

Heavens can even use their sword accurately in the

darkness of night. You can use Senses instead of

Agility when rolling to hit in combat, both in attack

and defense.

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Advanced Rank (Skill Level 3): FourLimb Strike

You aim for all four of your enemy’s limbs,

preventing him from using them. Any damage from

this attack is automatically taken as Wounds, and

the attacker can choose where to assign the damage

(except for the Dead Box). You must use Senses

when rolling to hit, and this maneuver can only

used for attacks.

Master Rank (Skill Level 4): CriticalChakra Pierce

Some opponents maintain the will to fight even

after they have lost the use of their arms and legs.

With this technique you strike your enemy’s vital

areas, quickly defeating them without causing pain.

This is the same as Four Limb strike, but you can

also choose to assign damage to Vitality as well as

Wounds. You must use Senses when rolling to hit,

and this maneuver can only used for attacks.

Supreme Rank (Skill Level 5): Sundering Blade

It is said that the founder of this style, Tenma

Yoshimitsu, was once attacked by hundreds of

assassins. He defeated them by destroying their

weapons, leaving them otherwise unharmed.

Whenever you damage an opponent, you can

choose to distribute the damage to his weapon

instead.

When using this technique, you can choose to

damage or destroy any weapon in the opponent’s

possession on a successful attack roll, not just the

weapon he is using to defend. You must use Senses

when rolling to hit, and this maneuver can only

used for attacks.

True Illusion Style

Shin-Ei-Ryu

Skill Used: Melee Weapons

Founded by the onmyoji Kuga Tousai, this Art of

War uses illusion and deception. Kuga is said to

have been the most beautiful man in three domains,

but hidden beneath that beauty lurked a deadly

assassin, greatly feared by his enemies.

When one is normally confronted by an enemy,

both are able to see the other’s eyes and blade.

However, victims of the True Illusion Style are

struck down in an instant, even before they are even

aware what has happened.

Skilled Rank (Skill Level 2): FeintStrike

Those who master this technique learn how to

confuse their opponent with their sword. As a result

they can use Knowledge when rolling to hit in

combat, both in attack and defense.

Advanced Rank (Skill Level 3): Lightand Shadow

You confuse your opponent with sword play,

providing you with an opening to attack.

Knowledge must be used when rolling to hit with

this technique, and it is only used in attacks, not

defense or counter-attacks. Once this technique is

declared in combat, whoever succeeds in the attack

doubles the difference of the number of successes

rolled before adding any modifiers to damage.

For example: A difference of 5 successes when using

a +3 damage weapon means a total damage of 13:

5 successes times 2, then add 3 for the weapon

damage. Remember that this applies to whoever

wins the attack, meaning that you risk taking the

extra damage yourself if you lose.

Master Rank (Skill Level 4): Light and Shadow

Reversal

Whether one strikes or is struck by an opponent,

a certain amount of unnecessary movement

occurs. Those who are not careful provoke

an opportunity to be struck. Those who have

mastered this technique can perform the difficult

task of analyzing their opponent’s attack while

simultaneously making a feint attack with their

sword.

The result is that the Light and Shadow maneuver

can be used in both defense (counter-attacks) as well

as attacks.

Supreme Rank (Skill Level 5): TheThree Year Kill

It is said that wounds would sometimes seem

to suddenly appear on the enemies of founder

Kuge Tousai in battle. They would fall without

even realizing they were hit. The most beautiful

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technique of the Shin-Ei school is one that confuses

Death itself.

With this technique you can choose to delay

damage dealt to your opponent for up to 3 years.

When you complete your attack, write down the

damage the attack will deal and defer that full

damage to a later time; the opponent takes no

damage right now. You may choose to deal all of

that damage instantly, at once, at any time during

the following three-year period. You must use

Knowledge when rolling to hit with this technique,

and it is only used in attacks.

Empty Mind Style

Gashin-Kikuu-Ryu

Skill Used: Melee Weapons

Masters of this style use an iai(ee-EYE) quick-draw

technique, confronting their enemies with their

blade sheathed. Waiting until the last possible

moment, they strike and return their blade to its

scabbard with blinding speed. For those of the

Empty Mind Style, their power comes from the

speed of their sword.

The strength of this technique lies in the attacker

not allowing the opponent to see their weapon. The

enemy is left open, if for only but a moment, with

no time to react. The warrior focuses all his energy

on fi nding that perfect opening to strike his

opponent, only then moving in for the kill. Finding

that perfect moment to strike requires great spiritual

discipline. This can be said to be the essence of this

style.

Skilled Rank (Skill Level 2): QuickDraw Technique

Using an “iai” quick-draw technique, you confront

your enemy with sword in sheath, drawing and

striking in an instant. Once the attack is finished,

you return the sword to its sheath with equal speed.

You can use Spirit when rolling to hit in combat,

both in attack and defense.

Advanced Rank (Skill Level 3): Mist

Waiting for the perfect opening to strike, you move

in for the kill. Moving at such speed that your

strike appears nothing more than a blurry mist, you

perform multiple strikes against your opponent.

Mist can only be used when defending, and

Spirit must be used when rolling to hit. Once this

technique is declared in combat, whoever succeeds

in the attack can reduce the loser’s number of

successes to zero. In other words, all of the winner’s

successes are applied to damage and the loser’s

successes are ignored. Remember that this applies

to whoever wins the attack, meaning that you risk

taking the above extra damage if you lose.

Master Rank (Skill Level 4): FloatingCloud

The essence of Mist is to wait for an opportunity,

an opening with which to make a skilled strike.

The Floating Cloud technique focuses on using

aggressive speed to overwhelm the opponent and

create that very opportunity.

With the Floating Cloud technique, a warrior can

use the Mist ability for attacks as well as defensive

actions.

Supreme Rank (Skill Level 5): Tiger’sClaw

Those who have sufficiently developed their mental

capacities in battle, can use their own will or

kenge(sword-spirit) as a weapon.

By releasing your mental energy, you can make a

ranged attack using your melee weapon as a focus.

Use Spirit: Melee Weapons when rolling to hit.

The damage rating of this attack is equal to the

character’s Spirit plus the damage modifier of the

melee weapon being used. Regardless of the weapon

used, it can only target one opponent and has a

range equal to your Spirit in meters. Because the

sword-spirit has no substance, your opponent may

only use the Evasion skill in defense; she cannot

parry.

Dragon and Tiger Under One Sky Style

Ryuuko-Itten-Ryu

Skill Used: Melee Weapons

Two blades are stronger than one. The Dragon and

Tiger Under One Sky Style is more than just a dual

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blade fighting style. Anyone can learn to fight with

a weapon in each hand. However, the master of this

style fights not just with one blade in each hand, but

uses the blades in unison as if they were one.

The origins of this style are a mystery.

Skilled Rank (Skill Level 2): TwinTigers

This is the simplest of all dual blade techniques.

Designate one blade as your primary and the other

as secondary, and make only one attack roll for

both weapons as a normal part of your style. Both

weapons strike simultaneously in each attack or

counterattack action, providing a +1 bonus to the

damage modifier of your primary weapon. The

second weapon does not receive its own attack

action, rather it only provides the +1 bonus damage

modifier to the primary weapon instead of its

normal damage bonus.

Advanced Rank (Skill Level 3): TwinDragons

You manipulate both weapons with equal precision

and ease, creating advantages when attacking.

During attack actions (not in defense or counter-

attacks), when the number of successes in an attack

equals that of your opponent, the result is still a tie;

however, you still damage the opponent with the

secondary weapon. The opponent will take damage

equal to the damage modifier of the secondary

weapon.

Master Rank (Skill Level 4): Dragonand Tiger

This technique represents the peak of two-weapon

fighting. Instead of adding a +1 bonus to the

damage of the primary weapon in an attack using

two weapons (as per Twin Tigers), the damage

modifier is equal to the sum of the first weapon’s

damage modifier plus the second weapon’s damage

modifier. This maneuver is only used in attacks, not

defenses or counter-attacks.

Supreme Rank (Skill Level 5): DragonStrike, Tiger

Storm

Your blades become extensions of your arms. You

attack flows in perfect unity, providing both offense

and defense at the same time. With Dragon Strike

Tiger Storm you can attack with both weapons

simultaneously. If you attack two separate

opponents, treat this as two separate attacks. If

you attack one opponent with both weapons, roll

to hit twice, and add the total number of successes

between the two rolls to both of the two attacks.

As this attack requires an intense amount of

concentration and an explosive release of ki energy,

using Dragon Strike Tiger Storm expends 15 Soul.

In addition, the weapons used are both broken in

the process, rendering them both useless.

Crescent Moon Blade Tactics

Tohoh : Kogetsu

Skill Used: Melee Weapons

Those who master this style are said to completely

unravel the nature of the various fighting styles as

they are performed. They can read the intentions

of their enemy and know how they plan to use

their sword. It is almost as if a voice speaks to the

practitioner of this style, revealing the enemy’s

intentions and attacks.

Not much is known of the founder of the Crescent

Moon Blade Tactics style. However, the f irst

master’s proverb, “Knowledge is All” has been

passed down to all disciples who have learned this

art.

Skilled Rank (Skill Level 2): Enlightenment

The ability to almost “hear” the enemy’s thoughts is

the fi rst technique to be taught among followers of

this style. You can use Empathy instead of Agility

when rolling to hit in combat, in both attack and

defense.

Advanced Rank (Skill Level 3): Seal of the Fist

By reading your enemy’s movement, you can learn

what he will do next in combat. As a result, if this

technique is used your opponent cannot defend

with the Unarmed Combat skill against this attack.

You must use Empathy when rolling to hit.

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Master Rank (Skill Level 4): Seal of theBlade

You can read not only your enemy’s movements

but her mind as well, allowing you to know her

intentions in combat. As a result, your opponent

cannot defend with the Melee Weapons skill against

this technique. You must use Empathy when rolling

to hit. This technique can be combined together

with Seal of the Fist.

Supreme Rank (Skill Level 5): Seal of Destiny

You can read your enemy’s intentions and

movements as if your minds and bodies were one.

Your opponent cannot use the Evasion skill against

this technique. You must use Empathy when rolling

to hit. This technique can be combined with all of

the other techniques of the Crescent Moon Blade

Tactics style for each hit, creating truly deadly

potentially undefendable attacks.

Notes on Crescent Moon Tactics:

Skills like Ninjutsu and the armour rider’s Interface

skill are often used in place of Evasion, Melee

Weapons, or Unarmed Combat. In those cases,

the Seal means that those skills cannot be used to

defend against the attack. However, an annelidist

who uses worms (through the wormcharm skill) to

defend, or an oni using resonance powers to defend

are unaffected by the seals.

Also, note that acquiring the Seal of Destiny

technique, which allows the practitioner to use all

other seal techniques at the same time, effectively

means that the weapon master has an unblockable,

undefendable attack where the defender cannot

roll any successes. However, those techniques are

for attacks only. The practitioner is still vulnerable

when being attacked.

Migawari-Style School of Marksmanship

Migawari-Ryu Shageki-Jutsu

Skill Used: Marksman

Developed by elite forces within the Migawari ninja

clan, followers of this style learn to propel ranged

weapons at amazing speeds and with incredible

technique. It is a martial art both respected and

feared by those who know of it. This style is most

effective with the throwing knife (kunai) or

shuriken, but any hand-held ranged weapon can be

used.

Skilled Rank (Skill Level 2): Quick Shot

Through rigorous discipline and training you reach

the fi rst stage of this style. Your hands are a blur,

and your ranged attacks move faster than the eye

can see. You can use Agility instead of Senses when

rolling to hit with the Marksman skill.

Advanced Rank (Skill Level 3): Two-Hand Shot

Attacking with both hands at once, you fire a

rapid barrage of shots at incredible speed. You can

increase the rate of fire of any handheld throwing

weapon by up to an amount equal to your Agility.

However, this number cannot exceed your available

ammunition.

Master Rank (Skill Level 4): Soul-Splitter

With a precise shot, those trained in this style can

even hit incoming arrows, shuriken, and other

hand-fired weapons. You can defend against ranged

attacks using the Marksman skill when using this

technique. However, you cannot counterattack with

this technique.

Supreme Rank (Skill Level 5): FlowingShield Shot

Flowing Shield Shot is the act of performing a

quick-strike iai attack with a throwing knife, in

an attempt to deflect the attack or hit the attacker

before he can complete his attack. It is a legendary

technique acquired only by a few masters. You can

block blades and unarmed strikes with your knives.

You can defend against Melee, Unarmed Combat,

and all Ranged attacks using the Marksman skill

when using this technique. In addition, you can also

make counterattacks as if you were using a melee

weapon.

The Art of Ki Manipulation

Souki-Jutsu

Skill Used: Melee Weapons, Unarmed Combat

This uncommon technique uses the flow of one’s

inner ki power as a deadly weapon. One doesn’t

actually use their own ki to strike out at an enemy

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THE ART OF WAR

from a distance. Instead, they use their ki through

physical contact to attack their opponent’s center

of energy. The result of this manipulation is that

one’s attacks become more powerful, not only

traumatizing the flesh but the spirit as well.

It is rumored that after the Supreme Rank there is

a last technique called “The Ultimate Rite of Ki”

which has been lost to time. No one who has heard

of this technique knows for certain what it does.

Skilled Rank (Skill Level 2): FourthRite of Ki

After performing a successful hit (attack or counter-

attack) on an enemy with a normal unarmed or

melee weapon attack, you can increase the damage

result. The damage to your enemy increases one

point for every 4 Soul points expended. There is no

limit to the amount of damage that can be done

with this or successive techniques.

Advanced Rank (Skill Level 3): ThirdRite of Ki

As Skill Level 2, but the rite’s Soul costs are reduced

to 3 points per 1 point of damage increased.

Master Rank (Skill Level 4): SecondRite of Ki

As Skill Level 2, but the rite’s Soul costs are reduced

to 2 points per 1 point of damage increased.

Supreme Rank (Skill Level 5): FirstRite of Ki

As Skill Level 2, but the rite’s Soul costs are reduced

to 1 point per 1 point of damage increased.

Fist of the Celestial Kongohki

Kongoh Rakan Ken

Skills Used: Melee Weapons, Unarmed Combat

Although kongohki were designed in the image of

humans, these machines have almost nothing in

common with their flesh-and-blood counterparts

except for their basic shape. This is not a weakness,

though, for the physical abilities of the kongohki far

exceed that of human beings.

The Celestial Kongohki style takes advantage of

the unique physical and mechanical features of the

kongohki. Only kongohki can learn this style.

Skilled Rank (Skill Level 2): MechanicaWings

With this technique, the kongohki learns to spin

its arms and hands, creating a whirlwind like

effect which lifts them into the air. You can fl y at

10 times your Agility in meters each round. This

technique lasts for as many rounds as your Body

attribute score. You cannot attack while performing

this maneuver.

Advanced Rank (Skill Level 3): Mechanica Joints

With this technique, the kongohki gains the ability

to swivel its joints in any direction. It can make

attacks in completely unexpected ways that humans

would never normally anticipate. To activate this

technique, declare its use before making an attack

roll. The first attack against a single enemy which

employs this technique is treated as a surprise

attack. After this technique is used, this technique

will not work against that enemy for the duration of

that battle.

Master Rank (Skill Level 4): ImprovedOverdrive

Perhaps the greatest weapon of the kongohki is

its ability to move at speeds far greater than any

human is capable of. With the Improved Overdrive

technique, the kongohki transcends even its own

capabilities. It is a dangerous maneuver that can

strain the mechanical shell of the kongohki, but can

overwhelm and shatter an opponent.

In a normal Overdrive, the kongohki’s player picks

up the dice that came up as successes, and rolls

them again for a chance of even more successes,

then stops rolling. With Improved Overdrive, the

kongohki’s player rerolls the Overdrive’s successes

for a total of three rolls in all: the first attack roll,

the success-dice reroll, and the second success-

dice reroll. Every time the kongohki activates

Improved Overdrive, it will take a number of points

of damage equal to 15 - Body attribute, with an

absolute minimum of one damage point taken.

Supreme Rank (Skill Level 5): AGlorious Death

By shattering the heart engine that powers your

robotic frame, an explosive blast is released which

destroys your enemies. When this technique is

used, all characters (friend or foe) within a 50 meter

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THE ART OF WAR

radius take an amount of explosive damage equal to

the kongohki’s Body times 5. Explosive damage can

only be reduced with an Evasion roll.

When this technique is activated, the kongohki

’s Dead Box immediately fills, even before the

explosive damage is taken. The kongohki’s player

can choose to have the kongohki die at this point, a

natural result of erupting in a huge fireball.

Resonant Blade Style

Zedai-ryu

Skill Used: Resonance

In the oni reservation of Kikoku, there is an elite

group of soldiers known as the Makuu Order,

also known within the oni lands as the Zedaishu.

Blending their natural psychic ability with that of

the sword, the Makuu Order developed this unique

and indomitable style. Only oni and Half-oni can

learn this style, as it requires the use of the innate

oni resonance powers to activate.

Skilled Rank (Skill Level 2): HowlingLight

Technique

By gathering and harnessing the land’s magical Sha

energies around your body, you can create a sword

of living light called a “Sha-blade”. The damage

modifier of this Sha-blade equals your Spirit

attribute score. You can use Spirit: Melee Weapons

when rolling to strike or defend with this blade as

well.

Advanced Rank (Skill Level 3): Shieldof Brilliant

Light

You can make a counter-attack against thrown and

projectile weapons, deflecting them with a sha-

possessed gesture or a turn of the sha-blade. You

must use Spirit when rolling to hit, and regardless of

whether you succeed, you must spend 2 Soul points

to activate this maneuver. This technique can also

be used to defend against incorporeal weapons that

normally must be dodged with the Evasion skill.

Master Rank (Skill Level 4): Wall of Radiant Light

When using this technique, you can defend all

incoming attacks of all types using your Spirit. Even

if you fail your roll, you still have an opportunity to

reduce the damage against you. Even if you fail to

block the incoming attack, you reduce the damage

of the attack by the number of successes you rolled

when you attempted to defend yourself. However,

you cannot counter-attack with this maneuver, and

whether you succeed or not, you must spend 3 Soul

to activate this technique.

Supreme Rank (Skill Level 5): Wheel of Inner

Radiance

By manipulating the natural sha energies from

within, you can transcend your normal physical

limitations and manipulate fate itself. If you make

a successful Body: Resonance check and spend 20

Soul, you can shape sha energy into the fearsome

technique called “Wheel of Inner Radiance.” Count

up the number of successes in the Body: Resonance

check. This is the number of rounds (or minutes

outside of combat) the Wheel of Inner Radiance

lasts.

While this technique is active, when you make a

die roll, take every single die that did not come up

a success and reroll them once to try to get more

successes. You can only roll failed dice once per

skill roll. This bonus does not actually apply to the

Body: Resonance roll to activate this technique.

Essentially, for a number of rounds you can defy

fate, getting a second chance to turn all failure dice

into success dice.

THE ESOTERIC ARTS OF WAR

Whereas the arts listed previously are occasionally

encountered in the field, the following arts are far

rarer. No more or less powerful than the other Arts

of War, they represent lost schools, rare skills, and

fighting arts that are rarely encountered.

New players and game masters of the Tenra Bansho

game should use only the above martial arts to get

into play easily without having to compare the ins

and outs of each art. However, for more experienced

players, feel free to experiment with the Arts of War

listed in this section.

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Ancient Style Lightning Strike

Kouryu : Senshou

Skill Used: Melee Weapons

Sometimes an Art of War becomes seemingly lost

in the annals of history, only to resurface again

in time. But it is of course not the techniques

themselves, but the users of the techniques who

revive the style. The Lightning Strike Style is one

such style.

The techniques of this style are based on quick

thrusts of the blade. The essence of the style is

speed, and like its name, the master of this style

seems to move like sudden fl ashes of lightning.

Because only those few who are gifted with unique

physical and mental abilities can even attempt to

learn this style, only a small minority have mastered

it. Once they are gone, the style may disappear yet

again.The names of the original founder and the

ones responsible for reviving the style, have once

again disappeared into the mists of time.

Skilled Rank (Skill Level 2): RapidStrike

Those who have mastered the technique of

performing two strikes in a single instant earn the

right to call themselves swordsmen of Ancient Style

of Lightning Strike. You can strike twice in a single

action. You make only a single roll to hit, but add

a +1 bonus to the damage. This +1 damage bonus

represents the second strike.

Advanced Rank (Skill Level 3): LotusStrike

There are some who ridicule this style. Ignorant,

they say while it may be fast, it is not capable of

infl icting lethal wounds. However, the true nature

of this style lies not only in the speed, but the

deadliness of the strike as well.

The Lotus Strike can only be used in an attack, not

defense. If the character uses this technique in an

attack, whoever succeeds in the attack first doubles

the difference of the number of successes rolled, and

then adds any modifiers like weapon damage to

the total damage roll. Remember that this applies

to whoever wins the attack, meaning that you risk

taking the extra damage if you lose.

Master Rank (Skill Level 4): Reverse Strike

Unfortunately, strikes in this style have their limits.

In order to strike rapidly, the technique relies on fi

nding openings in the opponent’s defense.

With the Reverse Strike technique, you move in

accordance with your opponent’s movements,

waiting for an opening to strike.

Masters of this technique can use the Lotus Strike

in defense as well as attack.

Supreme Rank (Skill Level 5): Focused Flurry of

Strikes

This technique represents the pinnacle of the

Ancient Lightning Strike Style. To your enemies,

your fl urry of strikes appear as one single strike,

when in fact you are attacking with a near infinite

amount of strikes, pierces and slashes faster than the

eye can see.

When using this technique, you triple the damage

modifi er of your weapon.

Typhoon Rider Style

Nohwake

Skill Used: Melee Weapons

In this age of gun-powder and advanced yoroi

technology, horsemanship and mounted combat is

quickly become a dying art.

However, paying no heed to the times, there are

those who fi ght with their sworn horse companions

on the battlefi eld. These are the horse riders among

horse riders. Leaving their lives in the hands of their

trusted mount, they charge into battle, balancing

on the edge of life and death. This is the style of

those fearless warriors and lords, and their horse

companions, whom uphold and maintain the ways

of old.

Skilled Rank (Skill Level 2): SwornCompanion

Those who master this technique have sworn

their loyalty to fight to the death with their horse

companion. When riding your horse companion,

you can use Station when rolling to hit and defend

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in combat. You also gain a +3 bonus to damage

when attacking from your horse.

Advanced Rank (Skill Level 3): WarHorse

Masters of the War Horse technique are known for

their speed and ferocity on the battlefield.

When riding your horse companion, your speed

is equal to your [Agility + Station] x 10 meters per

round. In addition, your damage bonus for Sworn

Companion increases to +5.

Master Rank (Skill Level 4): Championof Horses

Those who have reached this stage gain a mystical

bond with their horse companion, their Spirits and

bodies becoming one. Charging into battle in a

frenzy resembling the legendary Asura, they invoke

fear and awe in the spirits of their enemies, and

are objects of envy and jealously even among their

allies.

When riding into battle with your horse

companion, your damage bonus for Sworn

Companion increases to +10.

Supreme Rank (Skill Level 5): Servantof Hell

Your horse companion can go into a crazed rampage

that would surely cause the death of lesser riders. All

around you, a whirlwind of blood and gore forms

which evokes fear even in your allies.

When riding your horse companion, you and your

horse can leap up to your Station x 10 in meters.

In addition, your weapon damage bonus for Sworn

Companion increases to +20.

Seizan Mountain Spear Technique

Seizan Sohjutsu

Skill Used: Melee Weapons

Although the sword is by far the most valued

weapon in most samurai families, the spear—being

comparatively easy to learn—has become the

weapon of choice for low-ranking soldiers. This

style was developed gradually but unintentionally

as older soldiers passed on their techniques to newer

soldiers, eventually giving birth to a variety of

techniques. These techniques were then gathered

together by the 5th generation priest at Fuenji

Temple on Mount Seizan. Systemized by the priest,

the style came to be called as Seizan Spear Style

after the mountain. The style was originally used as

meditative training for young monks, but has since

been taught to commoners as well (after, of course, a

small donation is given).

This is a martial art of spears, pikes, yari, naginata,

no-dachi, and other weapons of great length. Other

weapons are too small for the performance of this

art.

Skilled Rank (Skill Level 2): LongReach

By taking advantage of the long reach the spear

provides, your enemies cannot move in closer to

you.

You can only use this technique in defense. Add

a +2 to all dice rolls. However, you cannot make

counterattacks using this technique.

Advanced Rank (Skill Level 3): PiercingStrike

Taking advantage of the smallest openings in your

enemy’s defenses, you can make strikes that one

wielding a blade would be unable to reach.

When the number of successes in an attack equals

that of your opponent (a tie), the attack is canceled,

yet you still damage the opponent. The damage the

opponent takes is equal to the damage modifier of

the spear.

Master Rank (Skill Level 4): Penetrating Strike

Further increasing the destructive power of your

weapon, you can deliver accurate and lethal strikes.

If your opponent takes damage when you make

an attack using this style, they must distribute the

damage to their Critical Wounds boxes first. When

Critical Wounds are all filled, the opponent is free

to distribute damage as they wish.

If fighting against an NPC opponent with no

Critical Wounds boxes, then the opponent begins

to bleed out, losing one Vitality point every round

until they are defeated or flee.

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Supreme Rank (Skill Level 5): Destructive Bolt

By gathering ki energy into the tip of the spear, you

can release a bolt of destructive energy through it.

This is the most esoteric technique of this style,

developed in Fuenji Temple by learned martial

monks. Because it takes such extraordinary powers

of concentration, masters of the technique are few

and far between.

You can release a bolt of energy from your spear.

Use Agility: Melee Weapons when rolling to hit.

Damage is equal to the character’s Agility plus the

damage modifier of the melee weapon being used.

The range of this attack is equal to the wielder’s

Agility times 2 in meters. Because the bolt has no

real physical substance, your opponent can only use

the Evasion skill in defense.

Empty Fist

Kuuken

Skill Used: Unarmed Combat

Although this style is often referred to as a form of

Kung Fu, this is not entirely accurate. Th is style

is fundamentally a soft unarmed style in which the

practitioner uses the momentum of their enemy’s

attack against them, at times even attacking them

with their own weapon.

Legend has it that this style was founded by a

Buddhist Priest. Hands broken, abandoned in the

wilderness, he developed these techniques during his

long journey back to civilization.

Skilled Rank (Skill Level 2): AdaptiveFighting

Adaptive Fighting is the first technique a

practitioner of Empty Fist must learn. By watching

your opponent’s eyes, where he plants or moves his

legs, and even the twitching in his muscles, you

learn to determine what his next move will be.

With this technique, you can choose to use

Empathy when rolling to hit or defend.

Advanced Rank (Skill Level 3): ReverseAttack

With this technique you strike using not your own

weapon, but your enemy’s.

When attacked by your opponent, you use his

weapon against him, striking with deadly force. If

you hit using this technique in combat, you can

choose to use the weapon damage modifier of your

opponent’s weapon rather than your own.

Master Rank (Skill Level 4): DeadlyMomentum

When one makes an attack, momentum is gathered,

as it is with any action. With this technique, you use

your opponent’s momentum against him to attack.

You can only use this technique when defending. If

a character uses this technique in an attack, whoever

succeeds does damage equal to the total number of

all of the loser’s successes plus any other modifiers.

Remember that this applies to whoever wins the

attack, meaning that you risk taking the above

effects if you lose.

Supreme Rank (Skill Level 5): Emptiness

Those who have reached the pinnacle of the Empty

Fist are said to exist on the border between life and

death, living in union with the cosmos. To those

ignorant of the style, the practitioner appears meek

and defenseless.

Use this technique at the start of a round and select

one opponent. During that round, that person must

attack you with his next action. However, you lose

your normal action this round.

Bestial Companion

Inugai

Skill Used: Unarmed Combat

These techniques were developed by the Shadow

School of ninjutsu for training their ninja dogs,

which were then applied to other animals. By

communicating directly through the spirits of the

beasts, their canine or feline servants obey their

every whim.

Trained by their masters, these bestial servants

attack with claw and fang with a power that rivals

the most skilled of warriors, and follow complex

orders that seem impossible for a mere beast—even

if separated from their masters. One legend has it

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that a master of this style kept a pack of 100 wolves

and was able to communicate with them without

the need for words. Their loyalty was so strong that

even after he died, the pack continued to protect his

family for 100 years.

Skilled Rank (Skill Level 2): Eye of theBeast

With this technique the spirits of the master and

beast become one, enabling the beast to understand

their master’s will.

You can communicate and give orders to your beast

without the need for words. The beast will perform

those actions to the best of its abilities.

Advanced Rank (Skill Level 3): Fangs of the Beast

You can control your beast as if it was part of your

body. With deadly force rivaling even the greatest

weapons, the claws and fangs of this animal leave

your enemies in shreds.

The beast is treated as a ranged weapon. The actual

attack action is made using Senses: Unarmed

Combat. The weapon’s (animal’s) damage is equal

to your Spirit with a Rate of Fire of 1 and a Range

equal to your Senses times 2 in meters. This attack

can only be defended against with the Evasion skill.

However, you must remain near your companion

(within visual range) for it to continue to obey your

orders when using this technique.

Master Rank (Skill Level 4): BestialChains

Your beast’s jaws lock onto your enemy like iron

clamps, making it almost impossible to escape.

When using this technique make a Senses:

Unarmed Combat check against your opponent’s

Willpower. If you succeed, he cannot take actions

or half-actions. The opponent can still take free

actions, allowing him make a Willpower check each

turn during the interaction phase. If he succeeds

he can break free of the beast’s hold. The beast will

continue to obey your commands until released.

Even your death will not convince the beast to

release its powerful grip.

Supreme Rank (Skill Level 5): Storm of the Beast

Your beast’s senses become so sharp that nothing

can get past it, and it protects its master with

unparalleled fury and dedication.

You can use Senses: Unarmed Combat to defend

against Melee, Ranged and Unarmed Combat

attacks. You can also make counterattacks, in which

case your damage modifier is equal to your Spirit

score.

Black Wing Gun Style

Kuroba Yauchi

Skill Used: Marksman

With the use of gunpowder based weapons

becoming more prevalent, various fighting styles

that use these gunpowder weapons are also being

developed. One of these styles is the Black Wing

Gun Style, in which practitioners master the art of

shooting with one weapon in each hand.

The name comes from its founder Ujima Kojo,

who—wearing a black breast-plate—charged into

battle with pistols strapped all over his body. It is

also said that his only companion was a white dove

which was never far from his side.

Skilled Rank (Skill Level 2): Double Shot

With a gun in each hand, you make a simultaneous

attack with both weapons.

Designate one gun as your primary and the other

as secondary, and make a single attack roll. If you

hit, both weapons strike simultaneously, providing

a +1 bonus to the damage modifier of your primary

weapon. The +1 bonus represents the additional

damage provided by the second weapon.

If the ranges for your weapons differ, use the shorter

range.

Advanced Rank (Skill Level 3): FallingStar Shot

Although you wield two guns, one in each hand,

you attack in unison as if they were one. When

using Double Shot you add the damage modifiers

of your secondary weapon as well as the primary

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weapon to the damage of each attack. Th e effect of

Double Shot is cancelled when Falling Star Shot is

used.

Master Rank (Skill Level 4): Cross Shot

At this stage you learn to shoot effectively at close

quarters that would normally be thought of as

impossible for a ranged combatant.

If you wield a weapon in each hand, you can

block your opponent’s unarmed and melee attacks

with one gun while shooting with the other.

In other words, you can defend against Melee

Weapons and Unarmed Combat attacks, and make

counterattacks, all using your Marksman skill.

You cannot use Cross Shot and Double Shot/Falling

Star Shot together.

Supreme Rank (Skill Level 5): Lightning Shot

Masters of this style learn to use their dual weapons

as if they were an extension of their body. They

think and even see through their weapons, their

left and right hands an extended part of the user’s

senses.

This technique allows you to defend and

counterattack against incoming ranged attacks

using your Marksman skill.

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AGAINST THE

TIDE

PL AYS E T

INTRODUCTION

As mentioned elsewhere in Tenra Bansho Zero, the

real setting behind Tenra is painted in broad brush

strokes, with almost no details given to countries,

people, or history. The point is for you, the player,

to make Tenra your own: come up with your own

domain, your own confl icts, and drop your players

right in the middle. Or work together with your

players to quickly design the framework of a region,

or a domain, or even just one town that the game

will take place in.

However, not everyone grew up in Japan watching

samurai dramas, movies and history segments on

Japanese TV. Some of us need a helping hand, here

a is small well-defined setting consisting of notable

places, people and conflicts to help get us started.

That’s what this chapter is for: It is a defined game

setting to be read by the game master and players.

It is a “playset” to be used as a framework to tell

stories of Tenra. From there, the GM can decide

where to set her game, which parts to use, which

locations and people may appear, and then fill in

the blanks with her own creative content.

None of this setting below represents “the one and

true official Tenra setting” or canon material: Use

it all, use parts of it, or just pick and choose what

you like and ignore the rest. If there’s something

that doesn’t appeal to you, change it. If none of it

appeals to you, ditch it all and create a setting and

characters of your own.

If you’re ready to make your own setting, or your

own Tenra, then do so. Make your own Tenra come

to life.

CONCEPT: SUGGESTIONS

At the end of every small section are a number of

highlighted suggestions for the reader or potential

GM. As you read the material, try to find ways to

possibly use the elements in your own game. These

suggestions are meant to help you get started. Think

about them or ignore them as you see fit.

BACKGROUND

In the east of the mountainous province of Ryurin-

shu there lies a forest old beyond reckoning. The

oni name it Naira-door “Eldest” in their tongue and

declare that it was ancient long before the coming of

Humans to Tenra. While the majority of Yashima

has been claimed and settled by mankind, Naira-

do represents one of the last great wild hold outs of

the Central Continent. So it may have remained for

ages more, if not for a chance discovery: A peasant

recently uncovered a massive soulgem mine deep

in the forest where the earth had split from the

destruction caused by the fall of the Phantom Star.

Buren, the legendary Warlord of the realm of

Hakusen, needs as many soulgems as he can acquire

to supply his mighty army as he prepares to make

war on the Priesthood itself. Already the forces of

the Dragon of Hakusen have begun to mobilize…

While Naira-do is technically an unclaimed land,

it offi cially lies within the domain of Torigoe, to

the east of Hakusen. The regent of Torigoe is but

seventeen years of age and newly come into his

regency. The forest and its denizens are beyond his

control, yet he too needs the resources the mine can

provide and he cannot afford to appear weak before

the eyes of his many enemies. Now, he must stand,

untried, and untested against one of the greatest

warlords that Tenra has ever known.

Will he stand alone?

• Set a story in Torigoe, where the forces of

Hakusen are encroaching on their land.

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ONE TENRA: AGAINST THE TIDE

• Set a story in Hakusen, in the service of Lord

Buren or one of his vassals.

• Set a story in the places between the two

provinces, where the war is changing the physical

and social landscape.

• Set a story in the mysterious forest of Naira-do.

THE DOMAIN OF TORIGOE

Torigoe was once considered the gem of the

domains of Ryurin-shu. Blessed with great mineral

resources, magnifi cent waterfalls, vast fertile fields

and abundant forests, Torigoe was a kingdom to

be envied. The powerful Kitan family have ruled

Torigoe unchallenged for over twenty generations

and many believed that the scions of that powerful

house would rule uncontested for as many more.

What changes a year can bring.

Torigoe lies at the northern edge of the domains

shattered by the fall of Mount Jinrai and the

Phantom Star. More than half of its arable land was

lost to tsunami, flooding and earthquakes. As the

terrain shifted, the entire holy mountain Ihara slid

into the ocean, pulling nearly a fourth of Torigoe

with it. Now Torigoe lies nearly in ruins. The once

powerful Kitan family was all but destroyed during

the devastation. The bulk of the family’s trusted

advisors were cut down by the former regent’s

bodyguard as he fled, a kongohki named Golden

Tiger who, rumor has it, regained his memories

as he watched the destruction of the land about

him. The last Kitan is the former regent’s scholarly

nephew Kagetora, a young man who has dutifully, if

reluctantly, taken up the burden of regency.

Kagetora’s first year as Regent was spent trying to

repair his broken domain with what few resources

he could muster. Yet now word has recently spread

of a rich soulgem mine within the forbidden forest

of Naira-do, a land that lies within Torigoe yet

has always stood apart. To the west the Dragon

of Hakusen is stirring, for the whispers of riches

to be had have reached Buren as well and he eyes

Torigoe’s weakly defended border with interest.

Kagetora looks down from the walls of his

mountainous palace to his ruined capitol below

where his loyal subjects ceaselessly strive to rebuild

their beloved homeland with worn-out tools and

knows what he must do.

• What happened to Golden Tiger? Perhaps he is

still rampaging around the wilderness of Torigoe

or Naira-do. If the characters chance to meet him,

will they find Golden Tiger a ruthless villain, a loyal

servant, a misunderstood soul, or even a fall-guy for

some strange conspiracy?

• Some or all of the characters could be in the direct

service of Kagetora. It might be interesting to play

out his first few weeks as acting regent.

• One of the characters could even be Kitan

Kagetora, using his nascent leadership skills to

enhance the domain while protecting it from attack.

A Patchwork Land

Torigoe’s once scenic landscape was rent asunder

mainly by the fall of the Phantom Star, though

the water displacement caused by Mount Jinrai’s

collapse was surely catastrophic to the many

farming villages that lined its southern coast. Many

fields took months of dredging to clear the salt out.

Some villages seemed all but lost until Kagetora

employed several armours to assist with removing

and replacing the spoiled topsoil, an unorthodox

use of a usually military asset that set a few of his

vassal lords against him, but gained him a great deal

of support amidst the peasantry. Torigoe’s heavily

forested mountain range which dominates the

bulk of the realm once had a fair number of easily

accessible passes running through it, many of which

lead to a popular pilgrimage location, the holy

mountain Ihara, which dominated the southwestern

border adjacent to the sea.

At one time or another, members of all three

branches of Buddhism as well as the Priesthood

had blessed Ihara for a variety of reasons. Ihara was

once a picturesque mount with an eternally snow-

clad peak and miracles supposedly happened on its

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ONE TENRA: AGAINST THE TIDE

wide slopes. Many of the natives of Torigoe believe

that even as Ihara was destroyed, it passed the last

of its blessings onto their poor land. One of these

“blessings” caused by the collapse of Ihara into the

ocean was the destruction of the high mountain

passes. When Buren’s forces march from the west,

they will find no easy roads left into Torigoe. Ihara’s

fall also opened many previously unknown veins

of scarlet steel, as well as a few modest soulgem

deposits. Ihara’s final great blessing is known to few,

though Kagetora and a few of his trusted advisors

are well aware of it; a number of rare and never-

before-seen annelids emerged from the rich soil

that the holy mount’s fall exposed. The exceptional

annelids have drawn an unusual number of

annelidists to the area and a powerful new nest has

quietly opened in the mountains with the young

regent’s blessing.

Many of Torigoe’s legendary waterfalls remain,

though the great River Hatsue changed her course

far enough to create several brand new ones along

the southern ranges of the land. The once-great

trading town Shirata had to be abandoned after the

river completely deserted it. Dark creatures are said

ARMOUR INTO TRACTORS

Kagetora’s decision to use armours to

dredge salt from the ruined fields of Torigoe

was more than merely unorthodox; it was

unprecedented in Tenra’s history. The

peasants of Torigoe were originally uncertain

about their young new daimyo regent,

but they have since embraced him with

enthusiasm. Indeed, Kagetora is the most

popular Kitan with the common folk in ten

generations. His newly acquired vassal lords,

however, were not equally thrilled. Their

sons and daughters pilot the armours of

Torigoe - the perceived dishonor of shoveling

mud is thus theirs. Those with the strongest

feelings on the matter can barely suppress

their tongues in public, and they now carry a

grudge against the unorthodox regent.

to have since inhabited the forsaken township…

• A character might come from one of the villages

struck by famine after the fall of Jinrai, now fiercely

loyal to the Kitan family for aiding their village

after the disaster.

• What is Ihara like? What mystical properties do

people attribute to it? What would a pilgrimage to

Ihara entail?

• The local annelidist nests will want to investigate,

capture and cultivate the new strains of annelids.

An entire story might revolve around acquiring

some and the dangers in doing so.

• Mines of soulgem and scarlet steel certainly mean

a cold war between domains, or even within a

domain. The discovery, capture, and development

of a mining town, as well as the risks of keeping it

hidden from other domain regents, backstabbing

local provincial lords, yakuza clans and mysterious

onmyoji might be an interesting tale.

• Perhaps the Bright Lotus Buddhist sect have

abandoned the region. Why would that be?

• A secret Phoenix sect training center might exist

near Ihara. Who would be trained there, and what

for? Would the local lords or regent know of the

existence of such a place?

NOTABLE PLACES

Tengaishi—The capital of Torigoe was formerly

well regarded as an architectural marvel, a perfect

blending of form, function and aesthetic beauty.

The Grand River Hatsue flowed through the

western quarter, bringing wealth and trade. The

craftsmen of Tengaishi were especially famous for

their beautiful glasswork and intricately skilled

engraving. Quiet parks and small streams were

prevalent throughout the city. No longer. The

destruction caused by the fall of Mount Jinrai and

the Phantom Star nearly broke Tengaishi in two.

The partial rerouting of Hatsue River caused the

western half of the city to be flooded, and the loss

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ONE TENRA: AGAINST THE TIDE

of so many of the surrounding fields forced many

to leave the area for fear of starvation. Tengaishi’s

populace is now less than half of what it once was,

and many buildings still lie abandoned. Trade has

been painfully slow in returning, but Kagetora’s

efforts over the last year have recently resulted in

traveling merchants visiting the city once again.

The engravers of Torigoe have found that their

talents are in high demand for the creation of

mass-produced kimenkyo mirrors. Indeed, with the

technological secrets that the Northern Court has

let slip, a few of the amazingly skilled engraving

masters have supposedly been able to produce

mirrors almost the equal of meikyo in quality.

• Keeping one of these master kimenkyo crafters

safe from Priesthood assassins might be at the heart

of a story.

• The Northern Court may favor Torigoe with

additional technology, blueprints and skills. A

mission for a few Northern Court priests and

miko might be to deliver sensitive technology to

Kagetora’s retainers, avoiding Southern Court

machinations.

• The Southern Court may try to buy provincial

leaders with amazing meikyo technologies (armour

and kongohki). Getting them to the right leaders

while keeping their objectives hidden might make

for an interesting story.

The Ashen Palace—Known as the House of

Glorious Mists until recently, the Ashen Palace has

been the home of the regents of Torigoe for many

generations. Designed by the onmyoji Aburai over

a thousand years ago, the Ashen Palace sits on a

low mountain peak overlooking Tengaishi, which

sits below it to the east. Sheer cliffs protect its

southern and western sides, while the beginnings

of the untouched southern edges of Naira-do lie

immediately to the north. The onmyoji designed the

castle to seem as if it was floating on the fogs that

perpetually blanket the southern shores of Torigoe,

hence its original name. Fog still regularly rolls

down the halls of the Ashen Palace at both dawn

and twilight, giving it an otherworldly air. It was

Kagetora himself that renamed the palace, to honor

the many people of Torigoe that died during and

after the destruction. The once tranquil edifice now

rings with the raised voices of Torigoe’s many vassal

lords who openly vie for concessions of power from

their inexperienced new regent.

• The Ashen Palace may actually sit on the ruins

of an ancient onmyoji summoning site. Once every

few generations, the sha gathers into a concentrated

pool right underneath the site of the palace. A cult

of secretive onmyoji wish to utilize this to perform

a grand summoning of a creature so powerful it will

allow them to take control of the fragile domain.

Will the characters find and stop them? Or will they

themselves be sorcerers in the cult?

Hisano’s Gate—The site of many historic battles

that shaped the domains of the Ryurin region,

Hisano’s Gate is a naturally formed mountain pass

that allows access to the realms north and west of

Torigoe. Hisano’s Gate is a long zigzagging valley

with slopes that range from steep to sheer which

stretches for many miles. The new capital of the

Northern Court of the Priesthood is a four day

march north of Hisano’s Gate, and the forest of

Naira-do partially borders it, stretching off to its

southwest. A large force once garrisoned Torigoe’s

end of the pass, but Kagetora has been forced to

reduce it to a remnant of its former strength.

• This is still a grand checkpoint at the Torigoe end

of the pass, and the characters will require travel

passes to bypass the checkpoint. Because of the

nature of the valley, they will certainly be spotted if

they try to go around the pass.

The Copper Monkey—One of the most famous

(or infamous depending on your point of view)

drinking joints in all of Tenra, the Copper Monkey

rests in one of the nameless mountain villages

that line the way to Hisano’s Gate. A seemingly

ramshackle affair of numerous creaking stories,

including an inn, a brothel, and a gambling den

run by the Mako Yakuza clan, if your money is

good, the Copper Monkey caters to all comers.

The Copper Monkey is most famous, though, for

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its ground floor bar staffand the establishment’s

proprietor, the renowned onmyoji Last Call. The

bar is staffed almost entirely by Last Call’s shiki,

which he changes with great regularity—but the

bulk of the patrons come to gaze at the Monkey’s

Kugutsu bartender Ten Thousand Winters—a

phenomenally beautiful girl with hair resembling

sheets of shimmering ice and a dazzling smile for

all but the most lecherous drunkards. Where Last

Call ’s loyalty lies (beyond his bar) is anyone’s

guess. Many of the patrons who stay at the Copper

Monkey have come to take in the Sunaro Springs,

a series of natural hot springs renowned throughout

Yashima for their medicinal properties. While the

destruction caused by the fall of the Phantom Star

slowed business in the area for a time, commerce

has been on the upswing as of late. Folk of all

descriptions (and allegiances) regularly come to

discreetly enjoy the soothing waters in an area where

few questions are asked, which makes it a perfect

area for all sorts of clandestine meetings.

• The group might be regular patrons of the Copper

Monkey. When Buren sends his army through

the region, they’ll certainly tear through this

area, leveling everything. Can a few well-meaning

drunkards, gamblers, performers and other low-lives

turn the tide of an invasion?

• The Mako clan may know the whereabouts of a

new kugutsu, one of the infamous War Brides, those

kugutsu so valuable and sought after that lords go to

war over the chance to possess them. The characters

might be members of the yakuza, sent to find her.

What motives will each member have to find her,

and will success for one member’s goals mean failure

for another’s? What if there is a spy amongst them?

Thousand Bridges—The calm resolve of the peasants

of Torigoe to make the best of their changing

fortunes is easy to see in this strange little town.

Originally a quiet fishing community sitting along

the Hatsue River a few hours northwards from the

capital, Thousand Bridges was shattered along with

the rest of the countryside. The land originally

about the village was particularly unstable though

and the village literally fell to pieces, resulting in

large portions being swept away or permanently

drowned by the raging Hatsue as the terrain settled

into a new form. A Thousand Bridges now consists

of a series of fifty or more earthen and stone

outcroppings of various sizes, some of which hold a

building, many of which merely serve as the anchor

for another small bridge, hence its new name. From

a distance, the town resembles nothing so much as

the top of a needle-filled pincushion. Though still

a fishing village, Thousand Bridges has also begun

dabbling in mining as small deposits of scarlet steel

have been found within a fair number of their newly

formed mesas. The resulting prosperity, as well as its

location, has made Thousand Bridges a popular way

station village for those traveling through the

broken landscape of Torigoe, which includes

everything from ronin, to foreign agents, to

traveling Ebon Mountain and Bright Lotus monks.

• Deep under Thousand Bridges lies a group of

peaceful oni exiles who have moved into the area

under the cover of night. It is only a matter of time

before they are found. Depending on the characters’

actions, it could be the difference between a

peaceful coexistence or a heart gem goldrush.

• Th rousand Bridges may eventually turn into a

strategic travel point. A lot of rumors and truths

might fi nd their way here. If some of the characters

come from this town, how will they deal with this

massive infl ux of travelers and social change?

Ihara’s Fall—A newly founded village sitting along

a plateau overlooking the former site of Ihara, this

town is in fact the home of a majestic new nest of

mushi-tsukai who have come to study the strange

new annelids emerging from the ruins of the

holy mountain. The people of Torigoe felt all but

abandoned by the Priesthood after the widespread

destruction caused to their land and the annelidists’

willingness to help them when few others would has

recently gained the worm-users far more respect and

trust than they normally enjoy in most domains.

For their part, the members of the new nest are

uniformly exceedingly grateful to the young new

regent and are always swift to send their most

skilled members in answer to requests for aid from

Kagetora.

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• A rampaging annelidist threatens Ihara’s Fall.

How will this change how the people view the local

annelidists and their nest?

Shirata— Once a center for trade throughout

Ryurin and the first stop for merchants traveling

from the province of Ki to the east, Shirata sat along

the banks of the Hatsue River near the base of the

mountain pass that leads to Hisano’s Gate. After

the Phantom Star caused the Hatsue to shift her

course and destroyed large portions of the town,

Shirata was abandoned. Th e peasants of Torigoe

believe that the ghosts of the dead or the spirits of

the surrounding mountains have claimed Shirata

and now all shun the place. In a sense, they’re right.

A ninja clan loyal to the Kitan family seized the

remains of the town and made it their own after the

destruction of their original mountain base. The

100 Falling Shadows Sect has protected the Kitan

clan since its foundation. Their actions and timely

warnings have saved Torigoe from destruction

countless times, yet change may be on the wind.

The sect is sworn to the Kitan family, not the

regents of Torigoe, a fact that the ruling family

used to its advantage many times down the long

years, but one that the Vassal houses of Torigoe

are unaware of. There is but one Kitan left and

should he fall, the 100 Falling Shadows Sect is free

to either become mercenary or seek a new master.

Such a situation brings thoughts that ninja are often

unaccustomed to and Norio, the master of the sect,

has had his hands full keeping the younger trainees

in line.

• The 100 Falling Shadows is falling apart from

within. Will the characters be able to keep the clan

together, or will they be more interested in the

natural split into sub-sects? Perhaps the characters

work towards different goals.

• The ninja have not received orders in some time.

It soon becomes clear that another ninja clan, under

the guidance of a vassal lord, is intercepting all

messages, or killing the messengers. Who could be

behind this, and what does this mean for the future

of the clan?

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

The following characters might make not able

appearances in the game. Alternatively, the GM

could create a story by having the character actually

play some or all of the characters below (drafting up

their abilities as normal, as the player sees fit). Don’t

feel constricted in your use of these characters. They

are simply anchors in the world. Kill them off as

you need. Portray them however you want, or give

their roles to players to use as their own characters.

Kitan Kagetora—The Regent of Torigoe

If the weight of your entire world should suddenly

fall on your shoulders, how well would you bear it?

Just over a year ago, Kagetora was a carefree second

son looking forward to a long life of scholarship and

simple pleasures. Now, he is the last of his noble

house, beset on all sides by deadly enemies and

uncertain allies. His domain was passed to him in

shambles. When representatives of the Priesthood

finally showed up after the Two Month Night,

during which Kagetora had buried the bodies of

his family and countless numbers of his people,

and tried to prevent the bulk of his living subjects

from joining them due to starvation, they offered

no immediate assistance but demanded his fealty.

While he was considering his response, a second

delegation arrived, also declaring that it belonged

to the Priesthood and likewise demanding his

fealty; however, they at least brought food, medical

supplies and a sample kimenkyo mirror. The choice

was a simple one, though Kagetora’s loyalty to the

Northern Court is definitely founded more on

necessity than desire. Undeniably, that theme is

visibly running through the young Regent’s life.

The war that is clearly looming with Hakusen

and the Forest Realm of Naira-do is not of his

choosing. Indeed, he secretly admires Buren’s

uncompromising stance against the Priesthood and

would rather not break the vows that his ancestors

made to the Forest Lord. Still, his people need the

wealth the soulgem mine represents and he will do

whatever he must to acquire it.

Kagetora is a brilliant young man, though far more

inclined towards scholarship and diplomacy than

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fighting. Correspondingly, he has managed to stay

ahead of his political enemies even as he garners

useful, if unorthodox, allies. He is well aware of

what an asset a hive of annelid-users can be and so

allowed them to stay in his realm. He has already

carefully employed the 100 Falling Shadows Sect

to eliminate one or two of his more over-zealous

detractors, though he strongly monitors his own

actions for fear of becoming a tyrant. He hasn’t

appointed a Minister of the Right as of yet because

there is no one that he trusts enough to relinquish

control of Torigoe’s military to. He purposefully

allows an agent of the Southern Priesthood to attend

his court, telling him that he has no choice but to

suffer the presence of the Northern representative as

they are so close to his domain, even as he quietly

complains to the Northern Court representative

how little he can do about the Southern Court’s

minder without bringing their wrath down on him.

He graciously allows the Mako Yakuza to operate

in the open because he doesn’t wish to spare the

resources that it would take to deal with them in

any other fashion. He regularly sets various tasks

for his vassal lords in order to keep them occupied

even as he searches for ways to secure their loyalty or

undermine them.

He could definitely use some help though.

Kagetora is seventeen years old, though his near

perpetual tiredness makes him appear older than

his years. He frequently dresses in kimonos with

alternating patterns of blue and gray. On the rare

occasions on which he gets to discuss something

academic, his eyes light up and his cares briefly

flow away, revealing the once enthusiastic scholar

that still lurks beneath the weary regent. Kagetora

doesn’t regularly carry any weapon bigger than a

wakizashi. His samurai bodyguard, Half-Smile, is

ever present when he is in public.

• Kagetora is young and intelligent, but underneath

it all he is still an adolescent. Who knows how

much longer he will be able to stand the immense

pressure of ruling a domain on the edge of disaster?

Nekoda Shiga—Minister of the Left

Nekoda Shiga is a greatly respected retainer, an

eloquent statesman, and a skilled swordsman.

With Kagetora’s intellect and Shiga’s renowned

organizational skills, Torigoe has been pulled

back from the edge of destruction. Shiga has a big

problem though—he has grown to greatly respect

the young man he was ordered to kill. Shiga is

one of the last surviving members of the former

regent’s inner circle, and choosing one of the men

that his uncle had greatly favored seemed logical to

Kagetora. What Kagetora is unaware of though, is

that the Nekoda Clan has long sought the regency

of Torigoe. The head of the Nekoda family, Unryu,

convinced that his clan’s long thwarted destiny has

at last arrived, has ordered his eldest son Shiga to

eliminate the last of the Kitan as soon as Kagetora’s

usefulness came to an end, a state of affairs which

Shiga has been able to successfully argue to his

Father has not occurred…yet.

• Shiga’s heart wars with his duty, which fights with

his intellect, and Torigoe’s future may well rest on

the outcome of his inner struggle.

Kakari-Rank Shibuki Akemi—Norther Court Agent

Akemi was the senior member of the delegation

that first brought aide to Torigoe and as a result

of her successfully convincing Kagetora to join

the Northern Court, she was appointed as the

Priesthood representative to the domain. In part

because of the devastation caused to Torigoe, she

felt that the post was an honorable one where she

would truly be useful, but her joy has been greatly

muted by her counterpart from the Southern Court,

Sogo. While Akemi’s original intention was to travel

the countryside helping the beleaguered peasants

of Torigoe, she presently feels such an imposing

need to keep an eye on what Sogo is up to that she

is unwilling to leave the Ashen Palace if he is not

elsewhere as well. Akemi is a beautiful and earnest

young woman in her early twenties. The mask she

chooses to wear resembles a thin veil and barely

hides her lovely features.

• Akemi may be interested in having Sogo dealt

with—then again, the charming rogue might be

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ONE TENRA: AGAINST THE TIDE

getting to her, in which case they would both need

some cunning friends to help them out.

Kakari Rank Irohara Sogo—Souther Court Agent

Sogo’s mission in Torigoe is a relatively simple one;

without appearing to do so, whenever possible, he is

to encourage Kagetora to attack Buren. Since that

appears to be the young regent’s plan already, Sogo

is pretty much free to do whatever he pleases. This

has resulted in two different, but equally dangerous,

dilemmas. As he watched Akemi’s attempts to spy

on his own activities with amusement, he found

that he likes watching her far more than he should.

He now owes a dangerous amount of gambling debt

money to the Mako Yakuza, one of the few groups

who couldn’t care less whether or not he’s a member

of the Priesthood. In love with the wrong woman

and indebted to the wrong thugs, the Southern

Court may be in need of a new agent soon. Sogo is a

well-built man in his early thirties who perpetually

covers his face with a metallic (with touches of

white) grinning demon mask.

• Sogo needs help in several areas of his life. His

connections can certainly make him a useful, if

dangerous, ally.

• Sogo might travel in disguise amongst the

common people of the capital. His nature probably

changes when the mask comes off, in a way in

which no one would ever guess at his true identity.

Norio—Shinobi Master of the 100 Falling Shadows

Sect

One of the great paradoxes of the way of the ninja

is that a ninja can have no honor, yet honor is

everything to a ninja clan. Kagetora is the last of

Kitan, the line to which the 100 Falling Shadows

are sworn, and Norio will honor that allegiance,

even if it means that all his clan will fall to the

Dragon of Hakusen’s army. Already, he has had

to harshly punish a few promising students who

suggested that if they were simply to look away and

allow Kagetora to die, they would be free to do

as they pleased. He knows he is getting soft as he

only broke two limbs a-piece on those who dared

to speak so, but it comforts him greatly to reflect

that he instantly killed the few that suggested they

should assassinate Kagetora themselves—after

all, no knife should ever contemplate murdering

its wielder. As to what he and his sect will do if

Kagetora dies, he truly doesn’t know. He probably

won’t bide his time idly until that fateful day arrives,

if ever. Norio regularly emerges from the shadows of

the Ashen Palace to discuss matters of import with

Kagetora before returning from whence he came.

Norio is a shinobi—he looks like whatever he needs

to.

• Norio is a practical, unassuming man. Who can

tell what he has in mind? Will he protect Kagetora

in the last battle or will he act as the venomous viper

that strikes him down?

Liya-Yi—Kikoku Ambassador

When Torigoe’s need was greatest, one of the few

neighboring domains to offer any vital aid was the

oni land of Kikoku, which lies to the immediate

east. Several shipments of foodstuffs and grain were

offered freely to help the people of his beleaguered

land, but what Kagetora found most indispensable

was the thoughtful advice offered by the oni woman

who brought the goods. The young Kitan formally

requested that she be posted to his land as an

ambassador, a move that surprised many of the new

regent’s observers. The folk of Kikoku acceded to

his appeal and Liya-Yi quietly joined his court. A

slight oni woman who typically wears earthen toned

kimonos, the representative from the domain ruled

by the oni has proven herself on numerous occasions

to be a sharp witted ally—a sharp contrast to the

bestial image that many try to force upon the oni.

Indeed, she uses the typical prejudices against oni to

her advantage so that she is often underestimated by

all but Kagetora, who knows better.

• The ambassador from Kikoku is interested in

keeping Torigoe stable to serve as a buffer between

her country and the fiercely martial realm of

Hakusen. Any agents acting for her, such as one

or more player characters, would always take on

missions with that goal in the back of their minds.

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• What if Liya-Yi fi nds that she has fallen in love

with the young regent?

Kashira Emerald—Leader of Ihara’s Fall Annelidist

Nest

Emerald was chosen as the new nest’s leader

from among her peers, as she was judged both a

meticulous researcher and the best able to talk with

those outside their ranks without unduly disturbing

them: She bears few visible mushi. Emerald is

presently being very careful about keeping a tight

reign on the younger members of the nest—only

the older well-traveled members who have suffered

the standard prejudice all annelidists face elsewhere

are aware of just how good of a deal they’ve gotten

in Torigoe: A choice location in which to study

fascinating new annelids, peasants who try their

best to be civil and a young regent who admires

scholarship? Heaven! While it is the usual position if

annelidists to tend to the wounded and leave

fighting to others, the Ihara’s Fall Nest is firmly

committed to standing with Kagetora on the

battlefi eld should he have need of them. Emerald

appears to be in her forties, though her face has an

ageless quality to it (lent by her annelids) that makes

telling her exact age difficult. She is plain spoken

and tends to favor simple loose robes, the better to

hide the potential squirming of skin underneath.

• Emerald will do anything to maintain the balance

that they have with Kagetora and the other lords of

Torigoe, even resorting to brash action and cunning

far outside of the nest to make sure the order is kept.

Kae the Kugutsu-Maker

In the foothills to the northwest of the Ashen

Palace, there is a modest house that sits on the

outskirts of the far southern border of Naira-do.

There, in a valley squarely placed between the

otherworldly forest and the earthly Torigoe lies the

house of the famed Kae the kugutsu-maker. He has

labored on his latest work for nine long years and

is almost ready to present her to the world. Some

believe he will buy peace for Torigoe with her,

others say his newest work will surely plunge all into

war. Kae refuses to answer what his intentions are.

• One or more of the characters may be interested

in finding or acquiring Kae’s latest creation.

Alternatively, one of them may be the Kugutsu-

maker’s latest work.

Brazen Kite—The Tireless Merchant

Travel the roads of the domains of Ryurin-shu

long enough and you will eventually come upon

an extraordinary sight: A wandering trader so

thickly swaddled in robes that his shape is nearly

indiscernible, carrying a pack so enormous that

it greatly resembles a small hillock. Within

that mammoth pack lie wonders undreamt of:

mechanica toys, fresh fruits, good seed, candies, the

finest rice wine and much more… but no weapons,

no weapons of any kind, for the pack belongs to

the kongohki Brazen Kite who once was lost, but

found himself again and swore to never again deal

in death. Now Brazen Kite is a friend to all he meets

along the road, a jolly merchant with the tinny yet

warm voice of an old man, who regularly carries

interesting news from afar along with his many

excellent goods. He takes no sides in the many

conflicts across the province, though he generally

favors peasants with better deals, knowing they

truly have little to offer right now.

• What’s the story behind Brazen Kite? What better

way to find out than to play him as a character, at

a time before he adopted his common name and

traveler’s backpack.

The Great Ryoushu Houses of Torigoe

While there are over a dozen lesser vassal lords

that report to Kagetora, the three most significant

houses/fiefs belong to the Nekoda, the Omoro

and the Ishikawa. The Nekoda easily hold the

most power, but seem content to wait till the time

is ripe to make a move on the regency. Their fief,

Spring Lake, lies to the east, near the border of

Kikoku, and was mostly undamaged by the recent

calamities, which has greatly enhanced their

position. The lord of the Nekoda, Unryu, feels that

Kagetora’s forcing of his son, Nekoda Riku, to dig

mud in an armour like a groveling peasant is an

unforgivable insult. He constantly searches for a

way to topple the young regent—The fact that Riku

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had a grand time doing it (and adores Kagetora)

is irrelevant. Finally, Omoro Ikuo, a well-regarded

general and head of a powerful military family,

regards Kagetora as a bold thinker. While he is not

yet entirely convinced that the young regent is the

right man to lead Torigoe, he has chosen to remain

silent for the moment. The general watches his new

lord with carefully judging eyes, hoping to discern

some sign of the last Kitan’s fate and what it will

mean for the Omoro. It is anyone’s guess as to how

the minor family of Ishikawa change the balance of

power in the internal strife.

• The Nekoda are famous for their well-trained

armour riders. What do the Omoro specialize in?

The Ishikawa? How might this affect the balance of

power?

The Mako Yakuza

The Mako Yakuza control the majority of the crime

throughout the province of Ryurin-shu and their

influence is felt in many of the other provinces of

Yashima. While the Mako existed long before the

fall of the Phantom Star and Mount Jinrai, their

power has increased significantly with the splitting

of the Priesthood. They can now move illegal

Northern Court technologies into areas controlled

by the Southern Court at great profit, which has

increased their fortune signifi cantly.

After the civil unrest caused by the Fall, the Mako

Yakuza acted as a sort of ad hoc police in many of

the areas hit worse by the destruction, which gained

them a great deal of respect with the peasantry.

They proved to be so good at catching thieves (the

ones not affiliated with them at any rate) within

Torigoe that Kagetora asked to meet with some

of their representatives. The Mako, expecting to

be harshly sanctioned for their temerity, were thus

relieved and delighted when he rewarded them

for their courage. The young regent granted them

licenses to operate their gambling houses openly

in Torigoe as well as several brothels, all of which

send needed tax money into Kagetora’s coffers.

The Mako still act as the fire deparment and police

in many places within the domain, including

Tengaishi itself.

The Mako are swif tly coming to a crossroads. They

have a good thing going in Torigoe and they know

it, but few that fight within a war profit by it. To

stand against the Dragon of Hakusen is suicide, yet

Buren’s complete intolerance for their kind is well

known. Some Brothers believe that the time has

come to leave Torigoe. Others speak of the potential

gains to be found on the far side of the upcoming

struggles, and a few have found, often to their own

great surprise, that they’ve become so dedicated to

their charges that they haven’t the will to abandon

their posts, even should their Elder Brothers order it.

• The Mako, like most yakuza, are always torn

between their role as the supporters of the nameless

and downtrodden (they do the jobs in cities,

like putting out fires, that no one else will), and

their criminal activities which hurt the people.

“Gangsters with heart” makes for compelling

drama.

• A decision on whether to support Kagetora, to

leave Torigoe, or to remain and serve whomever

remains, might very well tear apart the clan.

• Another yakuza group, the cold-hearted Ejimaya

family, has recently been grabbing turf due to

their lucrative gambling operations. A turf war is

inevitable.

THE KINGDOM OF HAKUSEN

When Mount Jinrai fell from the heavens and

the Phantom Star annihilated the entire northern

half of the province of Sunai-shu, there was one

man who rejoiced while countless others wept: the

Warlord Buren, Master of the House of Thunder,

the renowned Dragon of Hakusen. Not once

in his long life had Buren ever kowtowed to the

Priesthood or accepted the title of “Regent”. As the

period now known as the Two Month Night fell

across his domain, the Dragon of Hakusen’s long-

in-place plans were swiftly set into motion. When

the sun finally emerged from the dust and the two

factions of the Priesthood declared their respective

returns, Buren was ready. Even as the Northern

Priesthood announced the accession of the new

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empress Genshi Daigo, the Lord of Hakusen openly

declared war on all the Priesthood.

Buren’s ongoing defiance of the Priesthood was

already a legend throughout Tenra and the faction

that was soon to be known as the Northern Court

decided to make an example of the insolent Lord of

Hakusen in order to prove their power. They did

not reckon on the Dragon of Hakusen’s cunning,

or the powerful ally he had cultivated in his newly

appointed Minister of the Left, a woman known

as Radiant Deception—an ex-Priestess who joined

his cause. Little is widely known of what occurred

in the terrible battle that followed save two

indisputable facts: for the first time in the history of

Tenra the kami turned against the Priesthood and

the Warlord Buren’s forces triumphed over those of

the Northern Court. Since that time, Hakusen has

steadily built up its already formidable forces as it

mobilizes for war. Now all of Tenra waits breathless

for the Dragon’s next move.

• A group of characters in the service of Hakusen

might lead the charge into Torigoe, or they might

do whatever they can to keep the domain free of

bloodshed.

Scarlet Steel and Veiled Thunder

Hakusen lies within the province of Ryurin, a

region known as the Dragonscale Territories due to

the unique shape of its harsh mountain range. The

mountains stretch all the way to the sea and much

of Hakusen’s southern border consists of towering

cliffwalls surrounded by jagged reefs, made more

deadly still with the devastation caused by the fall

of Mount Jinrai. Hakusen’s location is especially

galling to the Northern Court since their newly

declared floating capitol Genshikyo hovers above

the former Ryurin-shu domain Ouga, less than a

three day’s march to the north—the Dragon is too

close by far for their comfort, yet they dare not show

weakness by withdrawing elsewhere. Hakusen’s

treacherous mountain range holds large deposits

of scarlet steel, which Buren has steadily exploited

for many years, and vast mining operations with

accompanying villages cover large portions of the

realm’s highlands. The people of Hakusen are hard

and proud, like their lord, and whether they are

peasants or soldiers, they have little tolerance for

fools.

• The Northern Court might be playing up the

idea that they cannot control Hakusen for some

mysterious reason. Buren pushing away from them

might bring his domain under their influence.

NOTABLE PLACES

The House of Thunder—Carved from a massive

granite promontory that thrust far out into the

ocean, the House of Thunder is Hakusen’s mighty

capital. Legend says that it took the strongest shiki

of one hundred onmyoji a year and a day to shape

the palace and integral surrounding city to the

satisfaction of Hakusen’s lord. Supposedly named

for the sounds of the sea crashing into its razor-lined

sea walls, many declare that it was in fact named

for the clangor of arms that rings eternally about

the palace’s titanic staging grounds. As much a

fortress as a seaport, the House of Thunder sprawls

about and through the cliff of the promontory from

which it was carved. Thousands of fishermen work

the ocean about the port, with merchants regularly

passing through under close scrutiny by Hakusen’s

soldiers. It is no great secret that Buren pays

successful Moguri-ya, the daring rogues that wrest

Priesthood salvage from Soratsuzumi Sea’s depths,

extremely well if they bring him useful technology.

Many believe that the House of Thunder only

allows a glimpse of Hakusen’s real might. It is

widely rumored that one or more of the mountains

surrounding the capital have been all but hollowed

out to make room for forges and armour workshops.

• How does Buren keep his kimenkyo armour-

smiths up to date with the latest technology, despite

the fact that he has no ties to the Northern Court?

There may be a story hidden in there.

• There is one fatal flaw to the architecture of the

House of Thunder that, if discovered, could lead to

the destruction of the domain’s military stronghold.

What could it be, and what would someone pay for

that information?

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Steel Valley—A magnificent city sprawling along

the walls and forested base of a high-altitude gorge

in the heart of the mountains of Hakusen, Steel

Valley has become one of the centers of Buren’s

fiscal might, though it started out as a controlled

experiment. Hakusen’s borders were closed for

many generations, as Buren’s ancestors often

refused to acknowledge travel passes. When Buren

came to power, he felt that the isolated nature of

his kingdom was doing more harm than good,

so he created a place where outsiders could freely

mingle with the people of Hakusen. Passes are not

required to travel to Steel Valley. Indeed, bearing

an Amafuda travel pass can get you deported in

Hakusen, though a traveler that claims to be headed

there at the border will have their name logged and

sent on to ensure arrival. Steel Valley has become a

raucous mining town filled with bustling miners,

soldiers, kongohki, merchants, samurai, prostitutes,

onmyoji, monks, farmers and many, many spies.

It is a city that never rests. Buren deals generously

with those who find and report new veins of scarlet

steel or other valuable minerals, and constant

expeditions into the surrounding mountain range

are commonplace. Many that journey to Steel Valley

do so to leave their past behind—it is a place of

great secrets where few dare ask questions openly.

• Steel Valley is seeing a huge influx of refugees

lately, from people escaping ravaged war-torn

domains and seeking protection. Will these people

be a source of strength, or will they hinder the

Dragon’s machinations?

• Steel Valley is a sprawling city with many sights,

drawing in people looking to change their lives.

Stability in chaos is what makes this city thrive.

Will the regional lord of this most prosperous

city stand up to Buren when the war drums are

sounded?

The Arch—On the northern border of Hakusen

stands a monument to Buren’s many victories

formed from the bones of dead enemies melded with

the Scarlet Steel of armours that the Dragon and

his armies have destroyed. The Arch spans nearly

half a kilometer and with each year, it only grows

larger as Hakusen’s artisans continually expand it

with newly acquired trophies. A sizable garrison,

including a single great armour, stands watch over it

at all times, as it is the single most commonly used

entry to the Kingdom of Hakusen. A small horde

of highly skilled craftsmen live in the village that

sits just below the arch in a mountain valley. While

they are frequently employed to work on the Arch,

many of them find the time to accept commissions

for Scarlet Steel weapons of various kinds. Hisano’s

Gate is a hard two-day’s travel over rough terrain

East / Northeast from the Arch.

• The arch is a national monument to some, and

a most horrible landmark of human suffering to

others. In secret, the Phoenix sect wants it destroyed

for reasons known only to them.

• The arch serves as more than a monument. It is

a secret project concocted between Buren and his

trusted onmyoji and geomancer vassals. It serves to

protect the domain, and perhaps all of Tenra, from

something worse than most people could imagine…

something worth going to war for.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

Lord Buren—The Dragon of Hakusen

Buren has dedicated his entire being to a single

truth: For war to finally end on Tenra, the

Priesthood must be utterly destroyed. Every single

action that he takes is weighed against this one

overriding and seemingly impossible goal; yet,

incredibly, he is determined to win. Those that meet

him begin to suspect, with no small amount of awe,

that perhaps he can… To be in Buren’s presence is

a near overwhelming experience for most beings.

So solid of spirit that all who come near him are

soon pulled into his orbit, Buren passionately

speaks of the harmony that lies on the far end of

his great struggle, of the world that will rise and

the glory that shall be Tenra’s when the Priesthood

is no more. Those that listen to him go forth to

fight harder for this man that claims to seek peace

than ever they would for a mere warmonger. Buren

publicly supports the Bright Lotus sect and his

coffers have built several Bright Lotus schools.

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Cynical observers are quick to point out that the

Lord of Hakusen is doubtless well aware of the

value of troops who will willingly sell their lives in

this world for salvation in the next. Buren despises

crime and absolutely loathes yakuza, seeing them

as nothing more than parasites that feed off his

soldiers’ needs. He is thought to be somewhat

sympathetic to the oni people…but his armours still

need powering.

Buren knows that he needs massive resources to

combat the Priesthood and he is always looking for

any advantage that will assist him in his struggle.

He has recently seized several islands that belonged

to the former domains of Sunai-shu, though the

great Itokawa Yozo of the domain of Suma has lately

stymied his advance. A lesser man would probably

be frustrated—the Dragon of Hakusen is delighted

to have found an opponent worthy of matching wits

and strategies against. Buren appears to be in his

late 40s, with graying hair and piercing dark eyes.

He frequently wears heavy armor adorned with

the Hakusen mon (seal) cradled in the claws of an

elaborate carved coiled dragon. When he speaks,

his voice is always rich with meaning. He is widely

considered to be the greatest tactical mind of his

generation and has never been defeated on the

battlefield.

• Playing as the Dragon of Hakusen might be an

interesting roleplaying challenge, and might lead to

a really cool story.

• Why is Buren so opposed to the Priesthood? There

may be hidden reasons known only to him and his

advisors. Those reasons might form the core of a

longer story set in Hakusen.

Radiant Deception—Minister of the Left

Little is known of Hakusen’s Minister of the Left

other than that she is a beautiful woman who is

widely rumoured to have once been a Bu-ranked

member of the Priesthood. Radiant Deception is

thought to have many agents both in Hakusen and

abroad, including one or more ninja clans, as she

always appears to be well informed of important

events across Yashima and frequently beyond. Many

whisper that she is Buren’s lover, though they have

never been seen to be intimate in public. She favors

flowing kimonos of black and white silk, which

contrast sharply with her golden eyes.

• Why did she leave the Priesthood? What does she

actually want?

• One of the player characters could be one of

Radiant Deception’s secret agents. Or Radiant

Deception herself, in charge of keeping the stability

of the region.

Distant Thunder—Minister of the Right

The fierce samurai General Distant Thunder is both

Buren’s oldest companion and the weapon with

which the Dragon smites his most fearsome foes.

Hakusen’s Minister of the Right is an implacable

enemy capable of routing whole battalions of un-

augmented soldiers by himself. He leaves subtle

strategies to his beloved liege lord, preferring to act

as the sledgehammer that he is. His presence in the

highest echelon of Hakusen’s government has helped

assure many Samurai that they will be well treated

by Buren’s government and the armies of Hakusen

boast thrice as many samurai as most other

domains. Distant Thunder is a massive warrior,

there are many that believe that he is always at least

partially transformed, as his heavily tattooed form

stands well over seven feet tall. In battle he wields

a colossal, wickedly curved axe-like gemblade that

he affectionately refers to as his “rabbit skinner”.

It is widely known fact that Distant Thunder has

single-handedly destroyed five armours and one

great armour, the Relentless Fist, with his mighty

weapon. Distant Thunder disdains kijin, loathes

kongohki, and firmly believes armour riders are

almost blasphemous in their ignorance of what

they do; to the Samurai Minister, war is religion.

He keeps quiet about the latter belief around Buren

though.

• Distant Thunder fears that Buren is beginning

to favor armour and technology over samurai and

warrior-vassals.

• Distant Thunder’s gemblade is highly sought after

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by a sect of onmyoji sorcerers, to the point that they

might openly kill him in order to attain it. What

secrets does this curved weapon hold?

The Weaponsmith-Cartographer Yorimitsu

Steel Valley’s most (in)famous resident is a man

wanted for execution by the Southern Court of the

Priesthood for the crime of exceedinglyaccurate

map-making. Yorimitsu’s blades have long been

famous for their beautiful and intricate engravings,

carvings that have recently been revealed as

concealing elaborate codes that accurately depict

the history or secrets of many of Tenra’s domains.

Yorimitsu has been producing weapons for over 40

years while traveling across Tenra from province

to province, village to village. Many lords are now

scrambling to find various Yorimitsu blade-maps

in the hope that they will reveal weaknesses in

their opponents’ territories that they can exploit.

Yorimitsu is now a wizened old smith with a razor

sharp mind who frequently plays the dotard to catch

others unaware.

• A character realizes that the blade given to her by

her clan is actually a sought-after Yorimitsu blade.

There are three sources now pursuing that character

that will do anything to get their hands on it.

• Yorimitsu leaves on one more grand excursion

to the new oni land of Kikoku for research. A

character can play him, and the other characters

might be traveling companions.

Takara and the Fallen Sun

The Fallen Sun is the most famous of Hakusen’s

three known great armours, not because of its

heroic exploits against monsters, but due to the

identity of its main pilot: Buren’s daughter Takara.

The Dragon’s daughter rapidly approaches the age

at which her growing awareness of what she does

will prevent her from piloting the Fallen Sun, but

for now she still easily commands the potent war

machine.

• Takara is on the verge of turning 16 and a

potential love interest for a younger PC. Whether

she will turn against her father or join him when she

realizes what she has done in his name will shape

the destiny of Hakusen (and perhaps all of Tenra!)

forever.

• Takara is so gifted that she is able to both pilot

and man the weapons of Fallen Sun by herself,

though she has not revealed this secret to anyone

yet.

Shining Resolve

The highest-ranking monk in Hakusen, Shining

Resolve is a Bright Lotus sect priest who runs the

Open Tide, a Bright Lotus school funded by Buren

that sits on the outskirts of the House of Thunder.

Shining is well loved by the people of Hakusen and

personally taught many of the present generation of

the Dragon’s warriors in classes at the Open Tide.

That any man other than himself should have such

a great influence over his soldiers doesn’t seem to

bother Buren… at least in public.

• Is Shining Resolve the honest priest he seems, a

spy for the Phoenix sect, or even an agent for one of

the Courts of the Priesthood?

The Great Ryoushu Houses of Hakusen

The majority of Hakusen’s fiefs are military

encampments nestled amidst the mountainous

terrain and their vassal lords are all warriors of

one stripe or another, save one. The vassal house

of Miyabe is lead by the great onmyoji lord named

Withering Storm, a master armour-smith famed

across Tenra. Withering Storm is privy to many of

Lord Buren’s innermost thoughts and among the

most trusted of his retainers. After the Miyabe, the

Kanamori are held in the highest esteem, not only

in Hakusen, but also throughout the province of

Yashima. The warriors of the Kanamori are second

to none, each one striving to outdo the others in

martial feats. Kanamori-no-Ryosuke, leader of the

house, is widely known to be a soul of honor and—

after the samurai Distant Thunder—he is Buren’s

most trusted general. The Ryogoku are a family of

warriors who wear purely functional, almost entirely

unadorned armor. Their house’s colors are similarly

plain, consisting only of a black field with three

silver lines. Since the fashion in Tenra is for warrior

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houses to mark themselves with bright and distinct

colors or patterns, their leader Ryogoko-no-Hachibei

was once questioned why his house eschewed

such. His answer, “We would rather be known

by our deeds then our displays”, is oft quoted and

considered by many to be the perfect answer for a

true warrior house.

• With three warrior-houses, conflicts of interest or

honor might resolve themselves… messily.

NAIRA-DO

When humanity first came to Tenra, they found

that the ancient places of the world had more

than oni to defend them. Ayakashi and spirits of

such numbers they were countless roamed the

deep wilderness, and many of them did not look

kindly upon the newcomers from the stars. Many

terrible battles were fought against the Lords of the

Trackless Forests and other, stranger beings. Th e

tales of those days, along with their implicit lessons,

are remembered now only in the oldest stories, the

bulk of which have been passed down for many,

many generations.

One of the stories still told within the domains of

the province of Ryurin-shu states that as humans

advanced across the continent of Yashima, the one

place from which the ayakashi refused to budge was

the sacred forest called Naira-do, or “Eldest” by the

oni tribes. Representatives from the tengu clans of

the mountains, a few of which have always been

sympathetic to humanity, declared “One of Tenra’s

hearts dwelled within the forest”. They would not

explain what they meant; they only made it clear

that humanity would regret it if the issue was

forced. The generals of the day politely disregarded

the tengu, who soon left the tents of the men

shaking their metallic beaks in disgust.

Soon thereafter several large Human armies

marched into Naira-do—they never came out

again. Soon after children began to disappear en

masse from villages throughout Yashima, their

absence unexplained, plagues without cure rained

down upon the land, and the majority of crops

throughout the continent dried up in droughts or

were destroyed by floods in a single season. Nature

itself turned against the people of Yashima and

for all the Priesthood ’s efforts, nothing could be

done to stop it. Nothing that is, until a single brave

monk (some tales state that he was the region’s first

onmyoji), whose name has long been lost to history,

travelled without weapons into Naira-do…

And the attacks stopped.

It is unknown exactly what the monk did. Perhaps

he offered himself freely to the forest. Perhaps he

begged for forgiveness. Perhaps he struck a terrible

bargain. Perhaps the monk had nothing to do with

the troubles’ ending.

Who can say?

Since that time, Naira-do has been declared sacred

and inviolate by the Priesthood. The Regents in

charge of controlling the land on which the massive

mountainous forest rests have changed many times,

but the prohibition against using the forest in

any way has ever been clear and not one has ever

breached the (presumed) ancient peace accords…

…Yet.

• Naira-do is filled with so many secrets, so many

questions, that each place, each personae, can offer

a dozen new questions and answer none. Feel free

to use, manipulate, play or discard the elements of

Naira-do as needed.

One Forest, Many Hearts

Naira-do is not truly one, but many forest realms

of wildly varied spirits that operate almost entirely

outside of the understanding of Humanity. While

some human refugees have become adept at

following the rules of the forest, even the best err

on occasion; a practice that can have all manner of

“interesting” consequences. Naira-do is truly ancient

and it shows; only the eastern continent Hidakami

can boast trees as massive or mountains as fierce.

None but the extremely wise or the incredibly

foolish travel the forest lightly.

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NOTABLE PLACES

The Restless Temple—The wandering sanctuary of

the Forest Lord, the Restless Temple is a marvel.

Crafted by a small army of onmyoji with the

blessings of many powerful ayakashi, the Restless

Temple meanders over the mountains and trees of

Naira-do in no particular pattern, though many

of the more powerful spirits always seem to know

where it can be found at any given time. Th e top

of the Restless Temple appears to be an engraved

wooden dome, while the underside is covered with

hundreds of human-looking arms seemingly carved

from lustrous marble. Glimpses of crystalline and

gold veins shine forth as the arms seize the ground

or branches to haul the temple onward over the

varied terrain of Naira-do. A fair number of onmyoji

and a variety of monks call the Restless Temple

home.

The First/Last Tea House—At the base of the

Mountain Itama, near the center of Naira-do, there

is a picturesque valley of surpassing loveliness. At

the center of the valley, perfectly placed at the end

of an ancient well-traveled path, a magnificent

tea house rests amidst a charming garden. The

tea house appears to be traditional in every way,

except for its massive scale. Even so, its entrances

are low so that all visitors must stoop to enter. The

tea ceremony is held to be sacred by both spirits

and men. The First/Last Tea House is a place of

absolute neutrality and it supernaturally reinforces

peace. All grievances are set aside within and

beings as wildly varied as oni and samurai, ayakashi

and mushi-tsukai, kongohki and dragons, can

sit together at the tea ceremony, discussing their

grievances rationally for a time before (likely) going

elsewhere to slaughter one another. The few humans

that know of the First/Last Tea House use it as a

meeting point in order to broker with the spirits of

Naira-do.

The Place Where the Earth Touches the

Sky—After the destruction wrought by the humans

on their people, this isolated village is one of the

largest collections of oni left on Tenra outside of

the oni country Kikoku. When an oni comes of age

here, they are expected to travel outside of Naira-do

for a time, both to learn news for the village of what

is going on in the outside world and to discover

how blessed their lives actually are in comparison

to what the bulk of their people face. What their

youths have learned in the last few years has greatly

divided the community on what they should do.

One faction believes that they should send forth

armed pilgrims in order to bring other oni safely to

the forest, while another argues that they should all

remain within the safety and secrecy of Naira-do,

leaving the rest of their people to tend to their own

affairs. If war truly comes to Naira-do, the decision

may be made for them.

The Dancing Courts—A series of fiefdoms ruled

over by notably human-seeming ayakashi, the

Dancing Courts are scattered about throughout the

whole of the forest. Each court has slightly different

rules, some of them contradictory, which makes it

difficult indeed for a human to know which rules

of etiquette to follow. The Dancing Courts are as

varied as their rulers on their positions regarding

humanity. For example, the Court of Arai the

Glorious is a pleasant place that offers comfort to a

weary traveler in exchange for the martial tales of

the outer world that Lord Arai favors. The Court

of Ikiyo the Ill-wind, on the other hand, welcomes

humans by day so they can be hunted and slain for

sport the following night. Likewise, the appearance

and location of each Court varies with the nature

of its ruler. Some resemble the forest around them;

others are centered in grand palaces at the bottom

of lakes, or carved into the snow along one of the

mountain summits. The Dancing Courts hold a

great deal of the power of Naira-do, but they are

generally fractured and opposed to one another.

The Courts regularly ask the Forest Lord to mediate

disputes between them. It takes a large-scale

invasion of humanity to get the various ayakashi

lords to willingly work together without outside

intervention.

Tambo —The only human settlement in all of

Naira-do is the mobile village known as Tambo

(“the rice field ”), the ancient training village of the

Sharpened Leaves Ninja clan. The Sharpened Leaves

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train by pitting themselves against the denizens of

the forest, and though they are few in number due

to extreme attrition they regularly endure, they are

without doubt some of the stealthiest and deadliest

ninja in all of Tenra. The fireside tales that speak

of them hold that each of the Sharpened Leaves is

as deadly as a Shinobi of a lesser clan and that their

legendary Shinobi are like unto forces of nature,

scattering whole armies before them with ease. The

Sharpened Leaves are known to be a mercenary

clan, though few know how to hire them. The small

number of Regents willing to speak of such matters

whisper that the long years spent in Naira-do have

greatly affected the Sharpened Leaves and that they

have ceased fighting for mere material wealth, but

even the boldest Regent falls silent and will not

speak when asked what it is that they will fight

for…

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

Forest Lord Yasuko—Keeper of the Promise

Yasuko was born in a small peasant village within

the country of Kagari, far to the south of Naira-

do. At the age of eight she was assailed by visions

that drove her north until, close to a year later,

the nearly feral girl collapsed under the boughs of

the forest where she was found by agents of the

Restless Temple and swiftly determined to be the

reincarnation of the former Forest Lord. Yasuko has

held the title of Forest Lord ever since. The Forest

Lord does not rule Naira-do in any conventional

sense, certainly not as Humans would understand.

Rather, she is known by the powerful human-form

ayakashi of the forest as the “Keeper of the Promise”

and is directly responsible (in their eyes) for keeping

the bulk of humanity out of Naira-do. To that end,

every Forest Lord has traditionally employed a wide

variety of agents both within and without the forest,

Yasuko being no exception. They are also frequently

called upon to mediate disputes between the various

human-seeming ayakashi lords when quarrels arise,

or to communicate with the more elusive Great

Spirits.

However, no amount of planning or preparation

can account for a cataclysm the magnitude of the

falling of the Phantom Star, and Yasuko’s visions

have returned in earnest. In her dreams she sees an

awe-inspiring dragon with scales of polished copper

fighting a small but magnificent silver crane amidst

flaming trees as Naira-do burns about them. The

smoke always rises to obscure the battle, but it

matters little to the Forest Lord, for she can clearly

see that the fire the combatants started swiftly sets

all of Tenra ablaze. Yasuko will not let that happen.

Yasuko is both a Buddhist monk/priestess and a

powerful onmyoji, which is traditional for those

bearing the title of Forest Lord. She appears to be

in her thirties, though her face has an ageless cast to

it which makes it difficult to be certain. Her eyes,

though, are deep wellsprings of wisdom and sorrow

in equal measure. The Restless Temple is her

headquarters and she frequently plans her operations

from there. Due to Yasuko’s preferences, many

of the actions her agents undertake on her behalf

are quite subtle. They are frequently designed to

redirect aggressors from Naira-do harmlessly, with

assassination only being employed when all else has

failed. Considering the magnitude of the oncoming

crisis, though, the Forest Lord fears she is running

out of time for restrained tactics.

Glass Rain Weeping

Many ayakashi find humans to be endlessly

entertaining creatures, and the spirit in human/

henge form known as Glass Rain Weeping is one

such being. Indeed, the way they scream and bleed

bright red has never failed to produce wild joy in

him. Their death throes invite hilarity and laughter

of the first order. Glass Rain Weeping enjoys

humanity and wishes to sample as wide a variety

as he can. Therefore, the present restrictions on

his existence and his inability to leave Naira-do for

amusements elsewhere are unacceptable, leading

him to dedicate quite a bit of time to undoing the

work of the Forest Lord. Restraining himself and

sparing a human long enough to lead it to a soulgem

mine was exceedingly difficult, but Glass Rain

Weeping prides himself on his long-range vision and

the delights he’ll have when the Promise is broken at

long last.

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Arul-Tas—Spirit Man

Not a name, so much as a designation of his place

within the tribe of oni that dwell in The Place

Where the Earth Touches the Sky, Arul-Tas is not

the eldest within the village, but he is the oni that

most clearly hears the voice of Dii-Go. Arul-Tas

believes that his people must do something other

than simply live in Naira-do hoping that the rest of

the world will pass them by unnoticed. He is near

desperate to find a way to reach out to Humans and

be listened to, but he is uncertain of how to proceed

and Dii-Go does not speak of such things.

• Arul-Tas has heard whispers of the warlord known

as “The Dragon of Hakusen” and his quest to

destroy the Priesthood. Perhaps if the oni were to

support the Dragon in his great war, he would assist

them in return? Arul-Tas would need brave couriers

indeed to convey such a message, if he doesn’t just

go himself.

Falling Tree

Which is greater: strength of will or strength of

soul? This is the question the Bokusen monk

called Falling Tree seeks to answer as he wanders

the dangerous paths of Naira-do searching

for individuals, spirit or otherwise, capable

of responding to his satisfaction. It is of little

consequence to the monk that many of the forests

denizens consider himto be the strongest being

within the domain, for he would argue that the very

might that they perceive in him is merely martial

and therefore fleeting. As ephemeral as Falling Tree

deems his physical might to be, he can still easily

rout an army if he’s of a mind to do so.

• As one of the most admired disciples of the

Bokusen way, many seek out Falling Tree, though

few have the courage to walk after him into Naira-

do.

SUMA

Suma is of the last remaining domains of the

province of Sunai-shu. The famous Regent-General

Itokawa Yoichi—commonly known as “Yozo”—

leads the domain. An enormously rotund man,

Yozo was born with a gland defect that has caused

him great weight troubles his entire life. Since most

physical activity was impossible for Yozo in his

youth, he became a great student of military history

and eventually, a gifted general. Yozo’s most famous

phrase, “I must plan well—My legs aren’t strong

enough to help this great body flee from a defeat!” is

quoted throughout Tenra.

Yozo has recently been taking a great deal of

pleasure in matching his wits and skill against the

Dragon of Hakusen. The two Regents’ forces have

been fighting over the islands left between Sunai-

shu and Ryurin-shu in the Soratsuzumi Sea. Buren,

too, has been invigorated by the challenge and the

two men are swiftly becoming “Battle Friends” as

they send a continual stream of messages to one

another, alternatively complementing and chiding

the other’s victories and mistakes. Yozo may well

play a key supportive role in the events unfolding

within Ryurin-shu if correctly approached. He will

readily bolster Kagetora in order to help the young

regent become a greater thorn in the Dragon’s side,

though he would certainly never lend enough aid to

make Torigoe a threat to Suma.

• The nature of Itokawa-sama’s aid has purposefully

been left up to the GM’s needs. It may be as simple

as advice on how to defeat Buren or as meaningful

as an army backed with armour.

• Suma itself is a vast domain as well, with as many

secrets and notable characters as Torigoe, Hakusen

or other domains.

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TENRA GLOSSARY

Acting player—The players who are taking part in

a scene, role-playing their PC. Some acting players

take on the roles of NPCs and join the action

within a scene.

Agents—The Shinto Priesthood term for the priests

and shrine maidens who serve the Priesthood.

Agents are often given missions to gather knowledge

and report back to the capital. Low-ranking agents

move about Tenra performing duties as Shinto

priests and maidens, while higher-ranking agents are

given designations and code numbers and oversee

a smaller part Tenra or the Priesthood internal

bureaucracy. All priesthood agents are masked: Low

ranking Priesthood agents wear masks that cover

the area around their eyes, while higher ranking

agents wear masks which cover their entire face.

Aiki chits—(AI-key) Aiki means “Meeting of

Spirits”. Aiki chits are coins, chips, tokens or paper

given by the audience (the other players) or GM to

the acting player when they say or do something

cool in character, act upon their Fates, or entertain

the others in a dramatic way. Essentially, it is a

reward for good role-playing. Aiki later becomes

Kiai.

Alu—“Heaven” in the oni language. This also

refers to the telepathic powers of the the oni people,

originating in their horns.

Amafuda pass—This is a travel pass that allows

Shinto agents to travel from region to region, or

domain to domain, without being stopped, without

questions asked.

Annelid—The native worms and insects of Tenra.

Long ago, people realized that they could on some

occasions house these life-forms within their bodies

in a symbiotic relationship: The user feeds the

annelid what it needs to survive, and in return the

annelids heal or protect the user. Users of annelids

are called annelidists or mushi-tsukai.

Annelidist—Shunned practitioners of wormcharm, a

science which allows the annelidist to host colonies

of annelids within their bodies. The annelids

respond to the annelidist’s desires, protecting and

serving the host in a symbiotic relationship. Another

word for annelidist is worm-user or mushi-tsukai.

They often serve as stationary or traveling doctors

or medicine men, healing the sick. Most people are

wary of annelidists, rejecting those who use their

bodies as houses for grubs and parasites, eating raw

meat or worse to feed the worms within them.

Armour—Also called “yoroi” or “yoroi armour”,

these are 3-meter tall mecha piloted by children free

of karma and sin. The child sleeps in a comatose-

like state within the armour frame, and using an

interface helm they see through the eyes and sensors

of the armour. Armours are rare and powerful,

usually given as gifts by the Southern Court of

the Priesthood in return for favors from lords and

regents. When the child pilot matures and gains

enough karma that they begin to understand the

workings of the world, the armour rejects them,

powering down and becoming unresponsive.

Armour (British spelling) refers to the mecha of

Tenra, while armor (American spelling) refers

to actual lacquer armor worn by warriors in battle.

Asura—(ASH-ur-ah) When a person cannot let go

of pursuing their goals, and amass too much karma,

they become Asura. Asura are feared by all in Tenra,

and thought of as monsters in human skin: They

do not actually physically change form, but they

become insane and evil. Not all evildoers are Asura,

but all Asura do evil. If a PC becomes an Asura,

they immediately become an NPC controlled by the

GM.

Audience—This refers to all of the players at the

table, including the GM. It mostly refers to their

role when they are not taking part in the scenes,

where they act as “the audience”, watch the action

and reward the acting players for their good role-

playing.

Ayakashi—(a-ya-KA-she) The unknowable spirits

and mysterious creatures that inhabit deep, faraway

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natural spots. Most are completely alien and

incomprehensible in movement and motive, while

others take on human or near-human form and

interact with people. All are feared.

Bright Lotus sect—An order of biwa-playing monks,

they travel from village to city across Tenra,

teaching and entertaining people with song and

scripture wherever they go. They believe nirvana

can be attained by chanting simple sutras. Their

peaceful form of Buddhism is quickly gaining

popularity among the poor and downtrodden of

Tenra. MYO-ren-shu in Japanese.

Buddhism—The official religion of Tenra, fully

accepted and endorsed by the Shinto Priesthood,

and spread mostly by the monks of the Phoenix

order. It is a religion that believes that life is

suffering, and that there are things one can do to

escape the cycle of life, suffering, and rebirth.

Butterfly Dream—A Kugutsu special ability. This

hypnotic power allows a Kugutsu to enter the

dreams of the target and communicate with them.

This ability is half psychotherapy, half psychic

dominance.

Chimera—When a shiki rages out of control, it

is called a chimera. It usually tries to attack the

onmyoji who summoned it, but it can easily escape,

going on a rampage across the country until it is

stopped.

Crimson steel—The raw steel that soulgems are

also formed from, this reddish steel is extremely

hard and is used in the manufacture of armours,

kongohki and exquisite soulgem weapons. In the

West, it is known to be called “Orichalcum”.

Dark Arts—A type of soulgem surgery where small

soulgems are implanted underneath a ninja’s skin,

attaching to muscle and tendon. It is very painful

and dangerous, but if successful the shinobi can

perform ninjutsu techniques at a reduced Soul cost.

Destiny—A special Fate given by the GM to the PC

in each PC’s Zero Act scene. The destiny becomes

the PC’s goal for that scenario.

Dii—“Earth” in the oni language. This also

refers to the telekinetic powers of the oni people,

originating in their special hearts.

Dii-go—Dii-go is the God of the Earth, the

beating heartbeat which all oni can hear, and which

occasionally speaks to special oni.

Domain—Think of them as the nation-states of

Tenra. Each is ruled by a regent. Most domains are

at war with each other. Domains are also called

kingdoms, countries or nations. Domains are

further divided into regions within the domain,

ruled by lords who answer to the regent or daimyo

of the domain.

Ebon Mountain order—This is a splinter sect

of Buddhism, small in number. They reject the

traditional methods of the Phoenix sect, and give

up the monastic and sequestered lifestyle in favor of

a life that directly involves traveling among people

and helping them directly. They have few laws and

traditions. Many of the Ebon Mountain practice

martial arts in order to protect the people they

meet. BOKU-sen-shu in Japanese.

Emotion matrix—When a PC meets another PC or

major NPC, the player rolls on the Emotion Matrix

to determine how their character initially feels

towards that other character. It provides inspiration

for the initial role-playing. Players and GM can

adjust the results of the table to their liking through

Aiki chits and Kiai points.

Fall of Jinrai—The one major event in Tenra’s

long history of importance: The Phantom Star,

a satellite connected to the great capital city of

Tenra in geosynchronous orbit by a kind of space

elevator, crashes to the earth. Whole nations sink

into the ocean, while others grow or change. In the

subsequent months following the Fall of Jinrai, the

political as well as geographic landscape of Tenra

changes forever.

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TENRA GLOSSARY

Fate—A Fate (with a capital F) is a PC’s emotion,

goal, taboo, or other thing that the character cares

about. The players act up these qualities when they

role-play their characters.

Fate roll—A dice roll using Empathy as the attribute

and the highest Fate as the skill rating: Successes

that result from the roll each become a Kiai point

to add to the PC’s Kiai pool. Each Fate roll costs

one Aiki chit. Fate rolls are made during the

intermission phase.

GM—Game Master. The person who is responsible

for running the game, planning the scenario.

Hazure—(HAH-zoo-rey) Hazure are annelidists

on the run, hunted down by the members of local

annelidist nests for performing taboo arts, hosting

too many annelids and going out of control, or

breaking the strict rules of a nest.

Heart engine—Also called heartgems, they are

the living hearts of the oni people encased in a

metal frame. They act as a self-renewing battery of

magical power, and are used to power armour and

kongohki. Each heart engine is worth a fortune.

They are the main reason regents and kings hunt

the oni wherever they are found. SHIN-juu in

Japanese.

Hidden 28th Chamber of the Merciful

Phoenix Sect—I am sorry, I have never heard of this

group. Are you sure you’re feeling alright? You look

a little pale.

Jinrai—Once the great political and cultural

capital city (the name of the main city as well as

the domain) of Tenra in the Sunai province, it was

destroyed in the Fall of Jinrai when the Phantom

Star crashed into it. New Jinrai was formed on the

remaining land of the Sunai province.

Kami—The great gods and spirits that inhabit the

natural world. Shinto is a religion which enshrines

them and keeps the kami peaceful and nature in

order.

Karma—Karma represents how much you care

about, and are tied to, the material world. The

more you push towards your goals, the higher your

karma goes, and the more your suffering potentially

increases. In the game, if your character’s Karma

score goes above 108 and stays there, that character

becomes an Asura and is immediately retired from

play.

Kiai—(KEY-eye) Kiai is a representation of martial

power and infl uence over the world. It is a pool of

points that the players can use to get bonus dice to

rolls, raise skill levels temporarily, or permanently

improve their characters. Kiai becomes Karma when

spent.

Kijin—(KEY-jean) Kijin comes from the words

Machine and Man. They are people who trade

in their flesh for steel “mechanica”, becoming

essentially cyborgs. This is a path to power that is

not as dramatic or dangerous as becoming a

samurai, but definitely gives an edge on the

battlefield.

Kimen armour—A mass-produced armour built

using kimenkyo technology. Meikyo-based armour

are works of art: Kimen armour are clunky and

mechanical in comparison. However, they are

powerful and easy to manufacture. They are also

easy to pilot, since the rider’s Karma does not

affect the operation of the armour. Many children

eventually rejected by true meikyo armours later

become kimen armour riders. They are produced by

regents and lands loyal to the Northern Court of the

Priesthood.

Kimenkyo—(KEY-men-kyoh) The gift of the

Priesthood’s Northern Court: They give the

people of Tenra the means to create mass-produced

meikyo and other technological marvels. This is a

computing device much like a meikyo soul mirror,

just not as impossibly refined as pure Shinto

technology. It can be used with an interface

device, usually an electronic abacus, to be used as a

calculation engine or a kimen armour control unit.

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TENRA GLOSSARY

Kongohki—(CONE-go-key) Literally “admantium-

vajra-unbreakable machine”, these robots have a

metal frame which houses a meikyo soul mirror.

Each kongohki meikyo houses the soul of a person

who died with heavy karma, their soul wiped of all

memories and placed inside a metal frame. They are

extremely powerful on the battlefield and worth a

small army, but they have one dangerous drawback:

The soul inside the kongohki will one day

remember who they were, and how they died.

Kugutsu—(KOO-goo-tsu) Comes from the word

“puppet” or “mannequin” in Japanese, this refers

to the ageless creatures (usually women) carved

from sacred trees, given flesh and blood through

magic, and taught in the ways of human culture

and society. They are treated as rare and expensive

collectors’ items and majestic gifts despite having a

will of their own.

Lu-Tirae—This is the name of the oni people in

their own language (humans named them oni). Lu-

Tirae means “caretaker” in their language.

Makuu Nindo—A great hero of the oni people.

He was a Buddhist monk and oni who helped the

oni carve out a domain for themselves in a series

of massive battles against the Priesthood and

surrounding opposition nations. He orchestrated

the two-month night, an event where all Sha energy

ceased to flow in the zones of battle, causing all

magic and technology to fail.

Mechanica—These are the cyborg parts which kijin

or kongohki graft to their bodies: Enhancements,

weapons, movement abilities and the like. In

Japanese they are called “karakuri”.

Meikyo—(MAY-kyoh) A meikyo, or “clear mirror”

(also commonly referred to as a soul mirror), is

an exquisitely crafted high-technology disk of

Priesthood origin. It is a spiritual communication

device which adepts can connect to in order to pilot

yoroi armours, control kongohki, or communicate

with other members of the Priesthood over long

distances. They can be found in the hands of shinto

priests and shrine maidens, in shrines both large and

small, and in the bodies of armour and kongohki.

Moment of Truth—When a player calls a Moment of

Truth in one of the last few scenes, they collect Aiki

chits from the other players and make Fate rolls

to amass, then spend, a lot of Kiai in a last-ditch

attempt to overcome a powerful enemy.

Mon—The “copper piece” of Tenra (some are

made of silver, too), a few mon can get you a meal,

clothes, or a roof over your head for the night. The

shape and markings on mon change from province

to province.

Mushi-tsukai—(MOO-shee ts’sky) Another word for

annelidist.

Ninja—Warriors skilled in infiltration and

assassination. They are trained from youth in the

quasi-magical ninjutsu arts within their secretive

clans, serving their lives as nothing more than an

extension of the will of their clan: To live and die in

the service of their clan.

Ninjutsu—The secret magical abilities of the ninja.

They are forms of onmyoji magic distilled with

time and practice into simple spells used to aid in

infiltration.

Northern Court—After the Fall of Jinrai, the

Northern Court of the Priesthood quickly emerged.

Far more liberal and open than the Priesthood of

the past, they present their empress unmasked, and

freely give away the secrets of high technology and

medicine to any leader who will accept it. They are

in a state of cold war with the Southern Court.

NPC—Non-Player Character. These are

background characters, including everything

from village people to monsters to villains, which

populate the world. The GM usually controls them.

Oni—The native people of Tenra, they live in small

peaceful tribes and are being hunted to extinction

by misguided humans who consider them monsters.

They have horns (one or two) which makes them

distinctive. They also have powers of the heart

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TENRA GLOSSARY

(telekineses) and mind (telepathy). Their tale is a

tragic one, as merciless humans hunt them down

either because of fear, or because of opportunism—

the living hearts of oni, called heart engines, are

rare and magical artifacts which can power large

machines. Many oni stay in hiding, or on the move.

Others fight back. Yet others cut off their horns to

pass in human society.

Onmyoji—(own-MYOH-ji) Taoist sorcerers known

for their knowledge of the world, their skill with

divination and feng shui, and especially their

summoning abilities. They summon creatures from

the Sha, binding them into service for a brief period

of time.

Overdrive—A kongohki special ability which

boosts their physical skill rolls for a short period of

time. This allows kongohki to roll the dice, count

the successes, then roll that number of additional

dice once more to add more successes to the total.

Kongohki can do this a number of times in one

scenario equal to the total of their Spirit and Body

attributes.

PC—Player Character. Each player at the table has

one character that they create and control. This

character is called a PC, or player character.

Phoenix Sect—The main sect of Buddhism in Tenra.

This traditional sect builds and maintains temples,

keeps scriptures and history, and practices all the

arts of classical Buddhism. They protect the people

of Tenra and act as their spiritual guardians. HOH-

oh-shu in Japanese.

Player—The people who come to take on the roles

of characters in the world of Tenra. All players are

responsible for their own fun.

Playset—A sample setting complete with locations,

people (NPCs), and conflicts. The playset included

with this book is called “Against the Tide”. More

will become available on the Tenra Bansho website.

Priesthood—The Shinto Priesthood is the

organization which maintains the traditional

ancestral religion of the people of Tenra. They

provide help to the common people, offer blessings,

spiritual cleansings, and officiate at local festivals

and ceremonies. They also are secretive and

powerful: The Priesthood controls all of the

ancient powerful technologies of old, including the

methods of creating meikyo, armour and kongohki.

They also secretly plot to have regents fight other

regents to keep the land in a state of constant war,

for reasons unknown. Shinto priests and shrine

maidens often wear masks of painted wood or

metal, covering their faces in accordance with some

unknown tradition. The common people generally

trust the Shinto Priesthood, and don’t believe the

rumors of control and deception.

Reflection—The Reflection is a kind of “Soul

Cyberspace” that Priesthood meikyo-users can enter.

They connect to a meikyo they possess (or link to

a meikyo in a local town or forest shrine), and can

instantly communicate with their peers who also

happen to be in the Reflection. They can also leave

recorded messages for their peers.

Regent—Regents are the rulers of the domains, the

nations of Tenra. They are also called kings, queens,

lords, and daimyos.

Resonance—These are the almost psychic abilities of

the oni people. By subconsciously manipulating the

Sha energy around them, oni can move matter or

communicate telepathically.

Ryo—The “gold piece” of Tenra, worth about 4000

mon (copper pieces). Think of each one in terms of

worth as about 1000 US dollars, 1000 UK pounds,

etc.

Samurai—A word reserved for a feared warrior who

has undergone the dangerous soulgem surgery that

binds a shiki spirit to their living flesh. Samurai can,

on verbal or mental command, become monstrous:

Growing in mass, muscle, and perhaps even

chitinous skin, they become extremely powerful

physically for a short period of time. Warriors who

have not gone through this surgery but work for

a lord (warriors that would traditionally be called

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TENRA GLOSSARY

“samurai” in real Japanese) are referred to as

warriors, vassal warriors, or mono-no-fu.

Samurai Surgery—A terrifyingly painful and

dangerous surgery performed by an onmyoji sorcerer

on a willing warrior. The warrior has soulgems

implanted throughout their flesh and sinews, and

a shiki spirit bound to the soulgems. The ones that

actually survive this surgery are from that point

onward called samurai. Also called samuraization

surgery.

Scenario—The “adventure” in which the PCs take

part. The GM plans out (usually in light detail) a

scenario lasting 3-6 hours, which is played out over

usually 1-3 play sessions.

Scene Judge—This refers to one person chosen at

the beginning of the scene responsible for watching

the acting players and rewarding them with Aiki

chits for good role-playing, cool lines, and dramatic

dialogue.

Scene Player—This is the player whose character

(PC) is the focus of that scene. There can be any

number of PCs in a scene, but the scene player is the

PC which the scene revolves around, or for whom

that scene has special meaning for the PC.

Sha—The gossamer-like invisible energy which

covers the planet of Tenra. It can only been seen and

manipulated by oni, onmyoji, and magical creatures

like the ayakashi. Sha flows over the land and

provides power to magic and magical artifacts.

Shiki—(SHE-key) Also called shiki spirit or

shikigami, a shiki is a spirit (or creature or demon,

depending on your point of view) which is

summoned from the Sha by onmyoji. They take on

whatever shape the onmyoji wishes, usually some

variant of animal-like creatures. They disappear

after a brief period of time back to the Sha unless

kept suspended permanently.

Shiki-Slinger—This is a somewhat derogatory word

that classical onmyoji use to refer to the new wave of

young onmyoji who combine kimenkyo calculation

devices and abacuses in their summoning arts,

rather than the more traditional and artistic

summoning forms of paper, brush and ink.

Shinobi—A shinobi is an elite ninja who has

undergone the Dark Arts soulgem surgery. Th ey

can perform ninja techniques with less effort than

ninja. Only the best of the best are selected to

become shinobi.

Shinto—The ancestral religion of Tenra, a form of

ancestor worship and animism which the people

brought with them from the olden times. The

people of Tenra may or may not be Buddhist, but all

people believe in Shinto. Shinto ceremonies involve

purifi cation, weather divination, blessings for crops

and health, and communication with the kami

(gods) of the land.

Soul—The amount of magical or spiritual power a

character can harness. Think of it as Magic Points

(MP) from console games.

Soul Mirror—Another word for meikyo, the clear

mirror-disk used by Priesthood agents and armour-

riders.

Soulgem—A mysterious reddish metal native to

Tenra, it is rare and hard to mine. When it is mined

and refined, it acts as a kind of spiritual battery or

focus. Refi ned soulgem is used to power weapons,

samurai, shinobi, shiki, and embedded in armour

and kongohki as power cells. Soulgem weapons

(also called “gemblades” or “gemswords”) are rare

and powerful weapons of high prestige and value.

Soulgem Weapons—Usually in the form of katana

and swords, soulgems are crushed through a trigger

device in the handle (revolver-style or automatic-

style). This causes them to explode, sending

vibrations across the sword: This increases the

cutting and rending power of the sword, as well as

its mass as it swings. This causes terrible wounds as

the soulgem weapon tears through nearly whatever

it strikes.

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TENRA GLOSSARY

Southern Court—After the Fall of Jinrai, the

Southern Court of the Priesthood emerged af ter

some time, although they simply refer to themselves

as “The Priesthood ” (and view the Northern Court

as heretics). They keep their historical control over

the meikyo technology, and keep a closed society

of secretive agents and operatives. They often

bribe regents and lords with gifts of true, powerful

meikyo technology in return for invading domains

favorable to the Northern Court. They are in a state

of cold war with the Northern Court.

Talisman—This is the name for when a shiki is

summoned and then bound into an object. It can

be later called upon to emerge under the control of

the talisman’s owner. Samurai are living talismans, a

shiki bound to soulgems and living flesh.

Tenra—The name of the great land (the planet, the

“earth ”, and the collection of continents) in which

the game Tenra Bansho Zero is set.

Tenra Bansho—A play on the classic four-character

idiom “Shin Ra Ban Sho”, or “Everything in Heaven

and Earth” (“The Universe”). The title of the game

you are reading.

Vitality—The amount of damage a character can

take before they pass out. It heals quickly. Think of

it as Hit Points (HP) from console games.

Yakuza—The “outsiders”, people with no family

money, handle all sorts of otherwise illegal business.

However, they also perform the tasks that no one

else in the city is willing or able to do, especially

firefighting and other dangerous but needed tasks.

Think of them as a proto-mafia, even though

they aren’t all evil. For example, blind masseuses

technically fall into the yakuza group: They aren’t

bad, they just exist outside the normal tracks of

society.

Yoroi—(yo-ROI) Th e Japanese word for “armour”,

the mecha of tenra.

ZAKT-8R Ultimate Edge—A modified yoroi armour

shortsword with a high soulgem capacity and rate

of fire, it allows a skilled fi ghter to go toe-to-toe

on the battlefi eld with the powerful 3-meter-tall

armours. ZAKT-8 for short.

Zero Act—The very first act of the game, where

each player gets their very own scene. The Zero

Act scenes introduce each of the characters,

demonstrates what kind of people they are, their

personalities and roles. It also tells them their

purpose or goal for the scenario. During the Zero

Act, the GM hands out Destinies to the PCs

(usually planned out in advance).

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MEDIA

RESOURCES

Most of the movies, dramas and anime listed below

are available at your local North American by-mail

DVD rental/streaming provider. There are great

resources to be mined for ideas, or to get a feeling

for things like “What samurai looked like”, “What

traditional inns looked like”, “How people greeted

each other”, “What people do in a city or small

town”. Th e more media you watch, the more ideas

for even little dramatic touches will spill forth.

You don’t need a degree in Japanese history to “get”

the feudal-era-meets-magic world of Tenra Bansho.

You just need to have seen a few samurai movies,

watched an exciting anime or read a manga or two.

That should give you enough material to inspire

you (or steal) for running your own games. Steal

plot bits, characters, locations and action scenes and

use them as you see fit. The most important thing

that Japanese “samurai era” media can provide is a

sense of immersion: When you approach a dojo, you

could imagine and even describe in detail the dojo

from an anime or movie you watched, complete

with sights and sounds. When you reach the

forgotten shrine, you can remember the pictures

of the shrine in a manga you particularly liked,

enough to interact with it. If you are the GM, you

could simple describe the tavern that the PCs enter

from memories pieced together from a few cool

samurai movies you watched.

Things to watch for when soaking up samurai

movies/dramas/manga:

• Set pieces: Taverns, temples, festivals, hot springs,

fortresses, etc. Take mental notes.

• Notable characters: Faces, facial expressions,

mannerisms, posture/speech, cool lines, etc.

• Action scenes: Use bits of fight scene horeography

as a player or GM to describe battles in an exciting

way.

• Names of people and places: Repurpose, borrow,

steal.

• Little cultural bits: What people eat, how they

dress, what they do in the town or village, and so

on.

MOVIES

There are almost too many movies to even try to

single out a few. But here are some that exemplify

the kind of action and drama that Tenra Bansho

is about. Incidentally, some of the best samurai

movies ever made have all come out within the

past ten years. Do some exploring to find your own

inspiration.

Zatoichi series—There’s some 26+ full-length movies

in the Zatoichi franchise of the blind wandering

swordsman and masseuse played by Katsu Shintaro.

Skip the first few B&W ones, move straight into the

color ones. You can almost see the player controlling

Zatoichi increasing his Fates and relationships to

the characters who appear, later blowing fistfuls of

bonus dice in sword fights, then erasing/changing

Fates to buy offthe Karma debt. They’re all pretty

awesome, but in particular check out Zatoichi the

Outlaw, Festival of Fire, and Zatoichi: The Blind

Swordsman (1989, his last movie)

Aragami—Two hours. Two samurai. One room. Th

is movie was actually filmed in a week on a dare,

but the result is a gripping, suspenseful and action-

packed tale of an immortal looking for death and

a warrior looking to atone for his sins. Also, the

weapons are totally “Tenra” and kickass.

Onmyoji and Onmyoji 2—Great stories of the

ancient Heian period (a great setting for magic and

royalty-themed Tenra games). Watch Abe-no-Seimei

summon shikigami, cast exorcisms, and even roll

his Performance skill to literally dance into Heaven.

Nomura Mansai (Abe-no-Seimei) is a classic Kabuki

actor, which brings an interesting level to his

performance. Great inspiration for onmyoji

characters.

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13 Assassins—A perfect example of a Tenra-style

revenge story, against an enemy you simply can’t

help from wanting dead. Brutal, thoughtful, and

thoroughly entertaining. An excellent cast of actors

in excellent bugei (sword-acting) form, a must see!

The Hidden Blade—A great and heart warming

drama of a samurai in changing times. Includes:

Honor, corruption, kindness, brotherhood,

deception, treachery, justice.

Zatoichi (Beat Takeshi)—This recent Zatoichi movie

directed by and starring “Beat” Takeshi Kitano

basically takes a giant crap on the character of

Zatoichi perfected by K atsu Shintaro (the character

was memorable because of his flaws and failures,

and Kitano’s Zatoichi was a zero-flaw badass

being badass with badassitude), but the story and

supporting characters are undoubtedly brilliant.

Another glimpse into the old Edo-era underworld,

suitable for darker city, yakuza, underworld or thief-

based Tenra games.

Ran—Akira Kurosawa’s masterpiece might be too

much of a stretch of a reference for the gaming

table, but the scenes, costuming and battles should

give you a glimpse into the warring states period of

Japan.

Shinobi: Heart Under Blade—Two ninja clans

in a war to the death. See what “Ninjutsu: 5/

Special” level looks like in a live-action movie. Also,

annelidists!

Azumi—Another ninja movie. Slow at times, but

punctuated by great action scenes and story twists.

Versus (Ultimate Edition)—One of the greatest low-

budget action movies, ever. Watch it for great ideas

on maneuvers to use in sword fights and hand-to-

hand battles.

RoboGeisha—Silly and weird, but it portrays the life

of warriors trading in pieces of their humanity for

more power. Also, BUTT KATANAS.

Other modern historical-themed movies for visual

or story inspiration include The Twilight Samurai,

The Sea is Watching, Sakuran (a courtesan’s tale),

Hana, the Lady Snowblood movies, Goyokin, Dora-

Heita, When the Last Sword is Drawn, Samurai

Fiction, After the Rain, and on and on.

DRAMAS

Baian the Assassin—One of the greatest examples

of serial campaign stories: Doctor-by-day/assassin-

by-night Fujieda Baian kills evildoers for money

to keep his clinic going. Great tales of revenge and

the underworld, lots of inspiration for Tenra games.

Also, one of the early works that made Watanabe

Ken and Abe Hiroshi household names in Japan.

Buy the 4-disk set, you’ll be glad you did.

Lone Wolf and Cub—A classic serial TV series, and

great example of one-on-many fights.

Zatoichi—There is a TV drama version of Zatoichi:

More classic blind swordsman tales in 1-hour

bite-sized chunks. Almost all of them are excellent.

Definitely check it out.

Hissatsu Shigotonin (“The Dedicated Assassins”)—A

group of various laborers, samurai and people-with-

pasts work in the day, and at night smite evildoers,

offering vengeance for those who cannot avenge

themselves. Very limited availability in English, but

it is a great troupe-based assassin story: Each episode

the story is repetitive and telegraphed, but the

iteration of the characters, the motivations and

machinations of the evil-doers and the set pieces

make it a perfect example of what an excellent

“serial long campaign” of Tenra might look like.

Search for it.

Historical Dramas: If you have access to Japanese

series like Fuurinkazan, Mito Komon, Ryomaden,

JIN, Ooku: Hana no Ran, or other historical period

pieces, check them out. Th e more you watch, the

more stuffyou’ll fi nd to include in your games.

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MANGA

Blade of the Immortal—Kinda drags on in places,

but the characters, the weaponry and the personality

changes that develop in the main characters flag

this as a possible inspiration for Tenra games.

Shigurui/Death Frenzy—A dramatic and gruesome

tale—perhaps a “Sociological Horror Story”—of

what happens when warriors totally give themselves

up in the pursuit of martial power and excellence.

There’s an anime, too, which excellently portrays

the weirdness and discomfort of the manga, but

kinda ends abruptly.

Ooku—A slower-paced tale of female shogun and

male concubines. See what happens with persuasion,

pillow arts, etiquette and art-of-rule become the

main skills in a role playing game.

Fist of the North Star—Behind the blood and

guts and muscles and martial arts is a story of

brotherhood, desperation and karma.

ANIME

Ninja Scroll—If there was one anime that screamed

Tenra Bansho (minus the messy and sorta too-far

sexual assault scene), it’s Ninja Scroll. You’ll find

yourself statting up the Devils of Kimon and their

powers in your head (there’s even an annelidist!),

and can follow along where the characters make

their Fate rolls.

Princess Mononoke—If you haven’t watched this

classic Studio Ghibli anime yet, then put this

fucking book down and go watch it. Yes, now.

Samurai Champloo—The action, drama and

especially the setting anachronisms totally belong in

any Tenra game.

Basilisk: Koga Nimpucho—An anime based on the

manga based on the book which also later inspired

the movie “Shinobi: Heart Under Blade”, the

powers, weapons and stories behind the warring

ninja factions make this a classic Tenra inspiration.

Twelve Kingdoms—One of the greatest anime ever

made (scope, quality, story, voice acting and music),

the world of the Twelve Kingdoms is certainly more

Chinese themed than Japanese themed. However,

a lot of the visuals and style, the alienness of a

fantasy asian-themed game, and the simple human

tales underneath have a place in the halls of Tenra

inspirations.

Seirei no Moribito/Guardians of the Sacred Spirit—If

you want to run Tenra as a Korean-themed Fantasy

game, this anime series ought to bring plenty of

inspiration.

Vampire Princess Miyu (TV)—See the kind of dark

tales that can develop when an ayakashi is the main

character.

BOOKS

Too many to list. For real Japanese pulp tales of

ninja, assassins, samurai, revenge and other awesome

stuff, look for the author “Ikenami Shotaro”. Baian

the Assassin, Hissatsu Shigotonin, Basilisk Koga

Nimpucho and other dramas came directly from his

short stories.

GAMES

There is a lot of inspiration to be pulled from video

games. Here are the notables:

Playstation 2

Kuon—Onmyoji action/horror game. While it has

artifacts of survival horror games, the visual impact

of the clothes, setting and buildings; the gripping

story; the magical action all make this an excellent

resource for Tenra Bansho games. Creepy and

awesome.

Sengoku Basara series—In the US it’s called “Devil

Kings”, but this is an awesome action game that

combines historical Sengoku figures and battles

with Tenra-style high action, magic and even

technology. If a six-katana wielding biker-boy Date

Masamune or hell-magic and shotgun-wielding Oda

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Nobunaga doesn’t sell you on the game, you have no

soul. The newer releases are set to come out on

PS3 and Wii, skinned as Sengoku Basara and not

reskinned as Devil Kings (yay).

Okami—It’s like injecting 200ccs of Japanese

Mythology directly into your eyeballs. It’s also one

of the greatest games on the platform. Will inspire

characters, monsters, and scenery to use in your

game.

Way of the Samurai 2—An open-ended game of

revenge and justice. Lots of interesting characters

and factions, the impact of the visuals will inspire

turns and twists in your game.

Tenchu—The classic Ninja action game done up

pretty on the PS2. It should inspire a few ninja-

themed games. Stick around for Tesshu, the third

and secret main character based on Baian the

Assassin.

Tenchu Kurenai—Same as the above, but with a

better story, less magic and more drama.

Onimusha series—High action, low drama, but

good clean fun. The setting, weapons and monsters

should inspire a few magical-themed Tenra games.

Shinobido: Imashime—From the makers of the

original PS1 Tenchu, this game revolutionizes the

story-focused ninja action game. Play this for a few

hours and you’ll have enough material for three

ninja campaigns. Th is game was never released

in North America, but it is available in Europe

consoles.

Kamiwaza (import only)—It ’s like Shinobido (same

makers, even) but with thievery instead of murder.

A father returns to a life as a virtuous burglar to get

money for his sick daughter’s medicine. Shows how

you can have an awesome game of action and drama

without bloodshed.

Hissatsu Urakagyo (import only)—A story-focused

game basically riffing off the Hissatsu Shigotonin

(TV show) theme: 5 disparate assassins from all

walks of life take down evil magistrates and samurai

in old Edo. Crappy controls, excellent story.

Playstation 3

Sengoku Basara (see PS2)

Way of the Samurai 3—Another addition of the

multiple-storyline Way of the Samurai series. The

story is so-so, but it’s got a lot of good characters

and scenery to use when describing towns in Tenra.

Valkyria Chronicles—Has nothing to do with Japan

(save where it was designed), but the combination of

character interaction and drama set in the

background of an ongoing war might inspire a

multiple-campaign Tenra game set in a multi-

domain war.

Ryuga Gotoku: Kenzan! (import only)—A game in

the popular Yakuza series, reskinned as a feudal era

drama set in old Kyoto. Great visuals, side-games

and characters scream inspiration for tabletop

games. Unfortunately, there appear to be no current

plans to release this game in English yet.

Wii

Oboro Muramasa/Muramasa The Demon Blade—If

there was one true Tenra Bansho Zero console RPG

game for the setting alone, this is it. An utterly

Japanese reskin of their own Japanese culture, it

features furious sword action, reimagined mythical

monsters and gods, intriguing characters, and

compelling storylines. For the Japanophile, this

game alone almost makes a Wii worth buying.

Okami (see PS2)

Sengoku Basara (see PS2)

Original XBox

Otogi series—A high-action onmoyji action game.

Destructable scenery and cool costumes makes for

one of most original games on the XBox.

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ROLEPLAYING GAMES

There are other good role-playing games out there

that also focus on quasi-historical Japan.

Sengoku—If you want to learn more about the

feudal era of Japan, or make your games of Tenra

more “realistic”, this is hands-down the best

resource for that. There are other books about that

historical period, but this is the best one focused for

gaming.

Legend of the Five Rings—So it’s a fakey Japan, and

the language inconsistencies and orientalism might

drive you up a wall, but the setting is exciting and

the setup is prime for good, solid fun. The new

fourth edition is excellent, containing incredible

amounts of GM usage advice.

Blood and Honor—The original designer of Legend

of the Five Rings comes back with a game focused

on fighting, honor, romance and empire-building.

Wick “gets it right” on many levels.

The Mountain Witch—Currently available only in

PDF format, it tells the story of a group of samurai

and ronin traveling up Mount Fuji to defeat the evil

Mountain Witch. Very rules light and focused on

the story, and features Fate-like elements. It’s where

the “fishing” technique came from.

Kagematsu—A small-press game about a lone ronin

protecting a town of helpless women. It challenges

gender roles and keeps a tight focus on the story.

Dust Devils—While this is a game set in the Old

West, it’s steeped in the same conventions as Edo-

period samurai epics: fast action and deep, driving,

personal flaws. You can reskin it as a gruff samurai

tale with absolutely no changes to the rules.

Lone Wolf—A game that’s half a boardgame and

half a role-playing game, together you tell the story

of a ronin in a corrupt town over the course of an

evening.

The Blossoms Are Falling—A supplement and setting

for the Burning Wheel role-playing game. Unlike

other games set in the Edo or Sengoku periods,

this one is set in the end of the Heian period. This

is a time before samurai and ninja, when dynasties

were forming, the political landscape turning from

order to chaos, and the land changing from one

based in magical to martial power. Rules-heavy but

ultimately satisfying.

HELLAS: Worlds of Sun and Stone—If you like the

idea of Tenra Bansho, of taking a real historical

culture and “awesome-ing it up” by adding

anachronistic magic and high-technology, check

out this game. It is basically the “Tenra treatment”

applied to ancient Greek history and mythology.

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ADVICE

This section collects various pieces of advice for

playing or running games of Tenra Bansho Zero.

It is divided into advice focused on players and

gamemasters. You don’t need to read or memorize

this all to play the game, but some of the advice

might help your game run more smoothly. Some of

the GM advice is reiterated from the Scenario

Creation rules section.

ADVICE FOR PLAYERS

• Tenra culture is old Japanese culture. If you’re

not as familiar with Japanese historical movies and

dramas as other players, feel free to turn to the

players who are for advice: “I want to show respect

to the lord.” (turns to Jason, another player) “Should

I just bow really low? Anything else I should do?”

“I use my etiquette skill to perform the tea eremony

perfectly. Tonya, you mentioned that you know

about tea ceremony, what sorts of things might I do

here to show my skill?”

Also, if you’re interested, look up samurai or other

Japanese customs online or in books, make some

notes and bring some customs to your next game.

You don’t have to turn a game of Tenra into four

players trying to outdo each other with their

knowledge of classical Japanese customs, but it

might add a tiny bit of spice or Tenra-style alien-

ness to a game without falling back on classic

Orientalisms.

• If you want to differentiate your character, think

of a particular way of speaking. Perhaps even adopt

an accent: Speak like a country bumpkin of your

own native language if you’re from a small village,

or adopt a city accent (Boston, New York, London,

Zurich) for a haughty city-dweller. There’s the

equivalent of everything from a Brooklyn accent

(Osaka-ben) to Welsh (Kyuushu’s traditional speech)

across historic and even modern Japan, and Tenra is

no different. Players can speak in the mannerisms of

various English-speaking people, you don’t have to

resort to “sounding like an anime character” or “a

lowbrow comedian’s take on a Japanese sarariman or

wise ancient Chinese philosopher”.

• Never forget to give Aiki chits. It’s easy to lose

track when you’re captivated by a particularly

interesting dialogue between two characters, but try

to remember.

• If you aren’t getting a lot of Aiki chits, try to step

up your game: Talk more in character. Be more

forceful, have your character take a strong stance

on something in the game and really play that up.

Interact with the other characters, even if you have

to pay a Kiai to jump into an existing scene to do

so. Target your Fates a lot. You can even emphasize

your Fates with out of character talk, as it will show

the other players, the “audience”, which parts of

your roles you are aiming for:

Player: “How dare you! Watch your tongue, or I’ll

have your life-blood on my blade, whelp!” I put my

hand on my sword. After all, I’ve got that Fate that

says “Emotion: Wary of the prince”, so I’ll be

playing that up.

Player: Since I have a Fate that says “Taboo:

Killing people”, I’m going to bluster but not actually

kill these guards. “I… I say! Stay right there, or I’ll cut

you! I’ve cut down a thousand men, one more will be a

drop in the bucket!” However, my voice is cracking, my

sword hand is rattling my katana against its scabbard.

I have a feeling this isn’t going to go well.

• In Japanese, there are various levels of speech:

Plain form, polite form, honorific speech, warrior-

speak, archaic noble speak. If you want to bring

language into the game, feel free to indicate how

you are speaking:

“I am trying to cover up my country accent by over-

using honorific speech, and probably doing a terrible

job of it as well based on the fact that I have no skill in

etiquette.”

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(after speaking in character for a minute to an NPC

courtesan) “By the way, I was saying that all in polite

speech, not plain speech like I normally do. I want to

help put her at ease.”

“I spit, and curse at them in the most impolite form of

speech I can possibly utter, ‘You bastards can eat my

steel .”

• Help the GM and others by making it clear what

your character is doing. Compare “I look around the

body” or “Kirie glares at the samurai” versus “I’m

looking around the body for clues as to how the

soldier died, where he might have come from,

stufflike that” or “Kirie glares at the samurai, trying

to show him that she’s not to be messed with. She’s

trying to throw him off his swagger, maybe calm

down and open up a bit.” When taking action, the

latter examples gives the GM a lot more information

to work with. Giving the GM an idea of what your

intentions are as you perform your actions will help

the GM understand and fulfill those intentions.

• We don’t have teams of script writers preparing

great dialogue for us. Role-playing is like

improvisational theater with rules. One thing to

take advantage of, though, is the fact that if you

come up with a more clever way to say something

right after you say it, or decide a second or two later

to take a different approach, feel free to “do-over”

the lines you just said if you realize that you wanted

to take the conversation in a different direction. If

the other players/GM agrees, then it’s totally fine.

GM: The samurai glares at you angrily. “Sit your

ass down”, he says, and kicks the open chair out

from the table for you to sit on.

Player: I kick the chair across the room, standing

defiant. “Listen here you ogre, I don’t take orders from

anyone.”

GM: He grunts a bit, a smile creeping over his lips,

and…

Player: Ah, actually, I thought of something else I

wanted to do instead, is that OK?

GM: Sure.

Player: OK, so instead of kicking the chair, Kirie

plops comfortably into the chair acting cheerful and

obedient. I want to put him at ease. “I assume that

you’re looking for me, then?” But here’s the thing, as

soon as he lifts his sake cup, I want to show him what

I’m capable of: With blinding speed I want to slice

through the bottom of his sake cup.

GM: Great! Make a Spirit: Persuasion roll to

intimidate him, and we’ll see how you do.

• “But my character wouldn’t do that!” is a cop-out.

Don’t use it. You as a player control your character.

If the game would proceed more smoothly for the

other players if your character had a reason for

traveling with the others, or not being suspicious

of the suspicious NPC, then its up to you to take

control of your character and supply that reason.

Going Left when everyone else Goes Right can

increase the drama of a game, if done once or twice.

But constantly doing contrary things that hamstring

the pace of the game, or add complication for no

reason other than “It’s what my character would

do”, means that you’re playing the game wrong.

Your character doesn’t exist outside of you, so come

up with a reason why your character would join the

others in their expedition, or invite the strange ninja

to sit at your table, or go off on adventure when the

safest route would be to stay at home. Ask the GM

or other players for advice if you need help coming

up with reasons.

• Make a conscious effort not to only make your

own character look cool, but do things to give other

characters the spotlight and make them look cool as

well.

• Don’t be concerned too much about keeping track

of money: There’s no spending or equipment cost

charts in this game. Exact costs for equipment and

services, as well as the amount of money that the

characters have, is all situational. Asking the GM

“How much money do I have?” in this game is as

relative as asking “What time of day is it?” Having a

few mon (copper coins, minted by the local domain

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ADVICE

government) will keep you out of work for a day or

two, and in a situation where you’re in dire need of

money or work for your next meal. Having a few

hundred mon will keep you well off for a month

or so, depending on your personal costs or vices.

Having one or more ryo (gold coins in an ovoid

shape, also individually called koban) means that

you can buy pretty much anything you want that

you encounter, indulge in wild extravagances for

weeks (or one wild night), or that you’re a noble and

are want for nothing.

Having said that, though, here’s a quick idea of

costs: A single plain meal or tea on the road usually

runs 1-3 mon, or several mon higher for more

quality foods. A night at a sparse inn can run 5-10

mon and would likely include food. An evening’s

entertainment (theater, courtesan, music) might

run 10-20 mon. Weapons range from 20-100 mon

depending on quality. Healing from a physician

usually runs 10 mon. Most basic clothing supplies

cost 1-3 mon each. Travel via palanquin might cost

2-5 mon for short distances, 5-10 for longer. Hiring

one or more ninja usually costs 1-10 ryo depending

on the job. Buying a shop or restaurant might cost

10-20 ryo. Just remember that Tenra is vast, so a

legendary inn might cost 1 ryo per night, or an

ancient, forgotten castle on a cursed land might cost

1-2 ryo instead of several hundred or thousand ryo.

In terms of literary weight, think of 1 ryo as about

1000 US dollars, 1000 UK pounds, etc.

For the most part, there’s no need to keep track of

every coin you have or spend. But the above may be

helpful when talking in character about the prices of

goods or services.

• Remember that rolling on the Emotion Matrix is

for inspiration. When you land on an emotion go

with it if you want to, but feel free to keep your eyes

open for another emotion that you think is more

fitting. If you initially land on an emotion that

strikes you as diffi cult or complicated, it might be

an interesting challenge, but don’t be strong-armed

into settling on it to prove your skills or anything

like that.

• Don’t be a dick. That’s the Golden Rule of role-

playing.

• There are no secrets from other players in Tenra

Bansho. If your character has a secret that they are

keeping from the other characters, the first thing to

do is make sure the other players—the audience—

knows the secret and understands its impact. That

way the struggle of keeping it a secret can come up

more in play without confusing the other players.

The other players will likely help aid in making the

secret more interesting, making the reveal—if it

comes—that much more entertaining for everyone.

• Throw one kunai or shuriken at an enemy? Don’t

make me laugh. You have “a lot” on your sheet for a

reason. Throw a lot, all the time.

• In most role-playing games, you learn to speak as

your character, in first person: “I lift the rock ”; “I

swing at the ninja”; “I try to seduce the lord.” Feel

free to sometimes use third person to refer to your

character’s actions: “Kirie holsters her sword and

glares at the enemy”; “Red Lotus bows humbly at

the lord’s suggestion, and quietly takes his leave.”

“Kirie points at the tavernkeep and says, ‘Old man!

Rice. Soup. Fish. Now.’” It might give you a new

perspective on the scene.

• Feel free to work with the other players out-of-

character to think of potential cool things to bring

into future scenes, or character intentions and

explanations. You can do this during Intermissions,

or perhaps quietly when your character is not

participating in a scene:

“I’m thinking that my character is starting to fall in

love with the princess, and is starting to become jealous

of your relationship with her. Is that cool with you?”

“I’m totally going to kick your ass here in this tavern,

but I’m not going for the kill. I just want to try to

teach your samurai a lesson.”

This will help explain what you as a player want to

have happen, and clear it with the other players so

that they’re on the same page. If you don’t make

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ADVICE

your intentions clear, in the first example the other

player might think you’ve suddenly become a jerk

for no reason. In the second example the other

player might think that you’re aiming to kill his

character. Explaining what you’re trying to do will

help the other players maneuver their characters

to help that happen. Or they might disagree, and

come to a more interesting compromise. If you leave

the other players in the dark as to your intentions,

they might simply not understand or catch your

in-character “subtle cues”, and come to another

conclusion entirely about what you want.

• We are mystified by some of the cultural or

physical artifacts from Japan: Ninja. Jade. Katana.

Geisha. Tea Ceremony. However, on one cultural

artifact of Japan, suicide/seppuku/hara-kiri: It seems

that some Japan-themed role-playing games will

end with half the PCs committing seppuku (ritual

disembowelment). Once or twice is fine if it fits

in the story, but just note that while suicide does

happen with alarming regularity in mythical stories

and legends, there are other ways to die or deal with

great shame: Self-proposed exile, shaving your head

and becoming a monk, charging headfirst towards

your enemy, volunteering for suicide missions,

or even giving up the sword and your name and

starting a new life elsewhere, all of these and more

are acceptable alternatives to offing yourself. We

only mention this because it seems that many

Japanese-themed RPGs (not just Tenra) played in

the West often end with a big messy seppuku party.

Just be aware of other ways to end your character’s

tale.

• How to Win at Tenra Bansho:

1) Create a character with an average or high

Empathy, and mid-range starting Karma.

2) Role-play well, getting into character as much as

possible, entertaining the other players, and pushing

your role-playing skills further than you may

otherwise. Get those Aiki chits flowing.

3) Reward the other players when they push

themselves with Aiki chits, telling them why when

you do so (“That was awesome!”; “I like that line”;

“That’s an interesting take on that Fate you have

there, nice job”). They will in turn reward you when

you go the extra mile in your role-playing as well.

4) Set up the other players to do cool things. When

role-playing, purposefully give the others their

chance to shine. Doing so usually results in doing

things in-character that score you even more Aiki

chits.

Congratulations, you have started an unstoppable

combination of power. You will gain bucketloads of

Kiai with which to improve your character’s abilities

and skills. Truth be told, though, you’ll likely

be spending it all on dice bonuses and skill level

increases in the boss fights. And either way, you’ll be

gaining tons of Karma anyway.

ADVICE GAME-

MASTERS MASTERS

• Tenra is… well… huge. The rules aren’t that

hard to understand, but the setting can be

pretty overwhelming, even for anime geeks and

Japanophiles. Don’t try to explain all the minute

details at first. If there’s time before the first session,

have the players read through the color section at

the beginning of the book, that hopefully gives

enough setting and background on the character

types to jump right into a game. Don’t bother

explaining the nuances of Buddhism or ayakashi

if neither is going to appear in your game. Ideally,

folks who love the game will get their own copy of

the book so they’ll be able to read the setting info

on their own (or you can loan out your copy to your

friends before your first session). “Ancient Japan,

with high tech and magic; but all of the technology

is geared for warfare.”

The rules are the same. See the “Running your

first game of Tenra” section below. In short, don’t

explain how Karma works until at least the first

Intermission. Don’t bother with an explanation of

combat rules or initiative until the first real fight

breaks out. Don’t dive into the Vitality/Wound

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ADVICE

rules until the fi rst PC takes damage in a combat

round. Don’t explain skill rolls until the first time

the character tries to do something in-game. Do

make sure to explain how Aiki chits are given and

used at the beginning of the game, so that the

players can start rewarding each other right out of

the gate.

Breaking the setting and rules into bite-sized pieces

as you play the game makes the game a lot more

digestible than explaining all the rules and setting

nuances up-front.

• The Zero Act doesn’t need skill rolls. If something

dramatic is going to happen in the Zero Act, even

a combat, simply describe the results of the action

without going to dice in order to wrap it up and

move on to the first act. For new players to the

game, you may want to introduce the game system

by having a player roll a single skill roll, but keep it

short and quick.

• If one or more players seem to not be getting a lot

of Aiki chits, remind them to step up their game.

If they’re normally shy players, then give them

more opportunities to interact with NPCs or other

characters in scenes specifically designed to see how

two characters interact. Bring them in as minor

NPCs for other characters’ scenes, giving them an

Aiki chit as they do so. If someone is shy but comes

out of their shell, that should be enough incentive

to reward that person as much as the best roleplayer

who brings the house down each scene. Reward

the players based on their own relative role-playing

skills, don’t compare them to the rest of the group.

In time, you’ll see people come out of their shells as

they become more familiar with the game.

In turn, if a scene ends and one of the main players

in that scene didn’t receive any Aiki chits, if the

player aimed their roleplaying on one of their Fates

or their Destiny, remind the players of that fact and

give them an Aiki chit. Th is isn’t a consolation

prize, but rather it’s a look back into the character’s

goals (Fates/Destiny) and how the player pushed

those goals. A player can still push a character’s

motivations in a scene in a way where individual

lines aren’t that “cool” or “exciting”, but overall led

to a great conclusion.

GM: OK, we’ll end that scene there. Blue Cloud was

really pushing his “Revenge” Destiny as well as the

“Love of the princess” in that last scene, did you guys

catch that? Here, take an extra Aiki chit, you really

made “Revenge” the focus of your character in that last

scene.

• If you can’t think of a scenario, do this (given a

four-player game): Pick three of one character type

and one of another. Three Buddhist monks and one

oni samurai. Three onmyoji and one ayakashi. Th

ree ninja/shinobi and one shinto shrine maiden. Th

at should give you a framework of how to structure

the beginning of the story. The three similar

characters might be the same type, but they will

likely be played very differently. And the fourth

character is there to add some surprises, spice, or

tension to the game. You should be able to come

up with a beginning/background situation for your

scenario quickly with the “three of one kind, one of

another” rule.

• When preparing for a game, go through the

names index and write down about 10 first male

and 10 first female names, as well as 10 last names.

You will likely need to introduce new NPCs on the

spot, and having a few names to choose from will

help you come up with good names on the fly.

• For the most part, try to avoid mystery. Dramatic

plot twists that flip the audience and “Your

friend was the evil mastermind all along!” are for

Hollywood movies, not really for Kabuki plays

or Tenra games. Usually at the beginning of the

game, the players know who the evildoer is, and

that doesn’t change throughout the game. The PCs

will change, their relationships will go stronger,

change, or dissolve. There will be cool dialogue and

memorable moments. But don’t rely too much on

the impact of a “gotcha!” to fuel the game. It might

be interesting to have the leader of the Demon

Mask Faction be your trusted lord ’s advisor, but

don’t make that plot twist the central plot point

of the game; it’s likely that the players will already

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figure out your plot twist, have already guessed the

identity of the evil boss, and are just being nice and

not ruining your scenario by stabbing them in the

head in the first scene.

That’s not to say not to run games where there’s a

mystery, or the identity of the boss is hidden. Just

don’t rely on some big shocking twist as the sole

scenario element designed to entertain the players.

You don’t write Hollywood suspense screenplays, so

first and foremost give the players action and

character drama.

• In many RPGs, when the action starts to slow

down, it’s time for a combat. You can do that in

Tenra as you see fit (1 very powerful enemy or

2-3 evenly matched combatants, or 4-5 weaker

opponents are a good change of pace). However,

a more “Tenra-like” thing to do is to instead of

throwing random enemies at the players, set up

more opportunities for the characters to talk to

each other. Instead of “Ninjas burst into the tea

house, go!”, think “OK, PC 1 and PC 3 haven’t had

much opportunity to talk. You are in a hot springs

bath, and no one else is around. You break the

uncomfortable silence with conversation, go!”

This leads to opportunities for the players to receive

Aiki chits. It also gives the GM and the audience a

chance to see the characters in a new light, perhaps

in the process generating story fodder for the GM to

work with in followup scenes.

• Make the players describe what their characters

look like, how they dress, how they act. Have them

be brief, we’re not looking for long paragraphs of

backstory or exposition: Just enough so that all the

players at the table can almost close their eyes and

imagine the character in action.

• Don’t be afraid to break that “fourth wall”, and

drop the mystique of the GM being an all-knowing

always prepared entity. If the players are all going

in a direction that you haven’t anticipated, and you

can’t get the game back on track, go ahead and tell

them! “Hey guys, I don’t have any material ready for

that location. I can’t even take the existing material

and make it relevant to that area. Really sorry about

that. Can we move everyone back towards the Sun

Temple? If there was anything that you guys wanted

to do before the temple, let me know and I’ll work it

into the story.” Making amends is good, usually

by adding things to the scenario that the players

want to see (usually the reason they got off track

was because they were pursuing some story element

they thought was interesting). If you’re new at

GMing, don’t be afraid to do this kind of thing! Th

e alternative, blocking the players by manipulating

the world against them to “funnel them on track

”, especially when you are new at being a GM,

is usually not pretty: “Oh, you want to go to the

Shrine instead? Uh, there is a garrison of samurai

blocking your path. The tavern? Well… the tavern

is closed, you can’t go there either.” Instead, just

appeal to them as players and friends, and quickly

continue on with the scenario.

• Split up the characters, a lot. This cannot be

emphasized enough, especially for game masters

who are used to running other games. In other

games, we all tend to have all PCs in all scenes at

all times. In Tenra Bansho, you want to get into

the habit of only bringing in about half the player

characters (changing the characters up after each

scene) into most scenes, even if the characters are

traveling or acting together. This gives some screen

time for those players to talk to each other in

character, and that role-playing helps them build up

their Aiki chits. Also, it gives the other players not

in the scene the desire to want to spend their hard

earned Kiai points to be in what appears to be a

particularly interesting scene.

It’s hard to remember this at first, but try to force

yourself to introduce a scene normally, and restrict

it to only two or three of the PCs. Encourage the

players in the scene to have their characters talk

to each other about the events of the scenario, the

other PCs, or their pasts, rewarding this with Aiki

chits. Tell the other players that they can have their

characters enter the scene for one Kiai point, or

else perhaps bring them in as background or even

important NPCs. Even if all the characters are

physically in the same general area (traveling along a

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road), you can start the scene between two PCs

walking next to each other either ahead or behind

the others. If they’re all in a tavern, one of them

might be away in the restroom or at separate small

tables of a crowded inn. Splitting up the characters

generates more Aiki chits and more drama.

• You control the results of every character success

and failure. However, it is always fun to let the

players describe their characters successes and

failures: They will often surprise you with excellent

narration, even at the detriment of their own

character:

“You fail to see the ambush in the road ahead. What

were you doing, instead of paying attention like you

normally do?”

“You finish the enemy. Do you knock him out or

kill him?”

“You don’t convince the lord to help you. Why not,

what happened?”

“20 shuriken. Kirie managed to dodge an assault of

20 shuriken in a matter of seconds. Wow. How did she

pull off that feat?”

• It’s a good idea to have the boss enemy appear in

some capacity in at least one of the characters’ Zero

Act scenes. Show them up front the kind of person

they are up against.

• Often you’ ll find that the situation behind a skill

roll could be tackled by more than one attribute,

or more than one skill: When intimidating an

opponent a player might use Spirit, Empathy or

Station, depending on the situation. It’s up to you

as the GM to decide based on the description which

attribute and skill will be best for the roll. If you

find yourself hard pressed to decide between two

attributes or two skills for a particular situation,

simply let the player use whichever attribute or

skill is higher in number or rank. Assume that the

character will roll with their strengths and make use

of what they are good at in that situation anyway.

• See the player advice on first person vs third

person. As a GM, you might want to mix it up as

well, especially when going into details of a scene:

(points to Jason) “You are here, your sword is

unsheathed and you’re facing some sort of four-legged

monster towering over you.”

(points to Jason) “Kirie is here, her sword is unsheathed

as she circles around some sort of four-legged monster

which towers over her.”

It won’t help or hinder character immersion per se,

it’s just an interesting way to describe scenes and

actions in a different way. If you fi nd yourself using

one style exclusively, try using the other a little.

• When in doubt, ask the players what they

want their characters to do next. Roll with those

decisions. Don’t use it as a stalling technique: If you

have to ask the players more than twice in the space

of a minute or two, “What are you doing?”, then

you need to either have some action happen (move

along with your plans), end the scene and begin the

next one, or create an in-your-face obstacle (a chasm

between the characters and their goal; a drunk

warrior yelling at the weakest character; a ninja

attack; the appearance of the enemy boss) for the

players to deal with.

• “Fishing” is a technique where you ask players

for significant input into the scenario via a loaded

question about something that is happening in the

scene:

“The swordsman glaring at you… there’s something

about him that only you notice, and it’s deeply

unsettling to your character. What is it?”

“As you are enjoying the festivities of the village harvest

festival, you stop dead in your tracks. You recognize

someone, someone who you would never expect to be

here! Who is it, and what are they doing? Do they

notice you?”

“At the end of the scroll, the lord has written a message

meant only for your eyes. What does it say?”

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“Th e guards on their katanas all have the same

emblem on them. You recognize this emblem. What is

it?”

“Why have you decided to leave your temple?”

“Kirie stands dead still at the edge of the battlefi eld,

her mouth open in utter shock. What does she see?”

Fishing is a great way to have players inject cool

ideas into the game. They will surprise you, and

ultimately give you material to incorporate into the

game later. Try to use it once or twice per session for

some interesting results.

• If you need to start a scene (or even the start of

the game: Zero Act scenes, or the first scenes of the

first act) by jumping forward a bit in time, start the

scene in a new place and simply ask the players how

they themselves decided to be where you put them:

“Come up with a reason why you’re all in this tavern

on the edge of the city.”

“This scene starts with Kirie and Red Lotus at the

entrance to the grand Phoenix sect temple. Why did

you decide to come here?”

Don’t over-use this technique to jerk the characters

from location to location with no explanation. But

this is great for introductory scenes, or scenes in new

acts where you advance the time significantly (a few

weeks, a year, and so on). It’s also great for moving

the characters to a new location without waiting for

the players to eventually move their characters to

that particular location.

• Make impor tant NPCs (including bosses)

memorable. Think of what they wear, how they

move, the way they talk (speed, intonation,

language, etc).

• If you’re still getting used to the game, try to

come up with a scenario idea first and perhaps even

prepare the player-characters beforehand, instead of

having the players create characters first then trying

to create the scenario from there.

• Remember that most of the time, evil Asura

boss enemies weren’t always just bloodthirsty

manipulators or madmen: There was a time that

they were human. They cared too much about

something, and that led them to the path where

they find themselves now. They are not redeemable,

but they are interesting. Think about why they

became that way, and you might find the players

sympathizing with the enemy even as they are

cutting them down.

• Don’t make the players roll their characters’ skills

for things that must happen for the scenario to

proceed: There is always the chance that, no matter

how high the skill level, failure can occur. For

example, if the characters must find a clue or lead

to get to the next scene, then simply have the most

appropriate player (highest Notice skill) find it, or

have several players roll their Notice and give the

clue to the character of the player who rolled the

most successes in the group.

• Consider changing the reality of the situation

based on character successes or failures. If a

character succeeds at a skill with lots of extra

successes, change the reality of what happened or

what will happen based on the roll. If a character is

trying to assassinate a greedy or evil lord, but first

meets him and bowls the lord over with an excellent

Etiquette roll and great roleplaying on behalf of the

player, the lord may take a liking to the character

and might meet him later in private without the

companionship of his guards. If the character fails

utterly at what should be a simple roll, the failure

doesn’t have to be related to the actual skill of the

player:

Failing a movement skill roll to jump over a creek

could mean that the rains last night loosened the

soil unexpectedly, and the ground on the other side

sinks from under the character, pitching them into

the water.

Failing a first aid skill roll on an NPC might

represent the NPC being an alcoholic, a diabetic,

or have another undiagnosed condition that would

cause a routine operation to fail, or perhaps an

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unforseen complication caused by the wound.

Failing a knowledge roll might be more than

simply, “You don’t know”. Perhaps the character is

frustrated because he knows the history of every

town and city in this kingdom, but for some reason

he never heard of this little village he found himself

in, and that alone is cause for suspicion…

• You may also want to consider “banking”

successes from player rolls: If you call on a player

to make a Knowledge: Melee Weapons roll to

determine where a particular sword was made, and

the player rolled 5 successes over your assigned

difficulty number, then perhaps write down that

number of successes, giving the player that many

bonus dice on a future roll that was somehow

related to that previous task (finding the maker

of the sword, the first attack against an opponent

wielding a sword by the same maker, etc). Banking

is absolutely an optional rule to be used at the

discretion of the GM, but it can give a mechanical

reward to players who spend Kiai to gain bonus dice

for non-combat rolls resulting in a large number of

successes that would otherwise be discarded.

• If you’re up for the challenge of running a more

free-form game, the best way to go about it is to

come up with solid Zero Act scenes that introduce

the characters and give them motivations. With that

foundation in place, it is easy to run a game that

does not depend on a lot of pre-written notes: Th e

players will drive the action from a good set of Zero

Acts.

• If you want a PC to make a choice, have the

choice presented in-character from an NPC or

another PC. That not only gives the player a

chance to make the decision, but they can do so

in character, which is likely to result in more Aiki

chits.

This:

GM: So, what do you want to do, John? Is Blue

Cloud going to bring the princess with him on his

journey? Or will he find a safe place for her to stay

while you fight the enemy regent?

Versus This:

GM: The princess appears resolute. “I know that

you think it is best for me to hide while you fight the

regent. And I will admit—though only to you—that

I am a liability to you in strength of arms. But I

humbly request that you bring me with you anyway.

I wish to be of assistance in your battle, however little

of assistance that is. However, I will absolutely follow

your wishes, either way.” What do you say to the

princess in return?

• If a player hasn’t been in a scene for a while, make

sure that the next scene includes them, or perhaps

create a scene that offers incentive for the player

to spend a Kiai point and jump in. In the Zero

Act, where every PC has their own single scene to

themselves, perhaps bring in another player to play a

background NPC (giving them an Aiki chit in the

process, as you are pulling them into the scene) so

that no single player has to sit out for 2-3 scenes

in a row. Be aware of when players are and are not

in scenes, and aim to bring in players at least once

every three scenes (as their PC) or two scenes (as a

background/minor NPC, if it works).

• Bring the players into the scenes as NPCs. If you’re

running the game right, not every scene will have

every player character: Much of the time only 1-3

characters will be in a scene. For those players whose

characters are not in a scene, bring them in

as important of background NPC characters.

Remember that if you pull a player to participates

in a scene, even as an NPC, they get an Aiki chit.

A great way to bring them in is by surprising the

player into taking on a role:

“Kirie and O-shino are at the temple.” (Pointing at

Jennifer, a player not in the scene) “A young, shaved

monk approaches them. What does the monk say to

them, Jennifer? Let’s find out. Go!” (Tosses an Aiki chit

to Jennifer)

“Red Lotus is in the tavern. Anyone want to be the

gruff tavern owner?” (Holding up an Aiki chit)

If the GM wants to take control of the scene again,

she can politely step back in and take control of

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the NPC, thanking that player (for example, if the

GM needs the tavern owner above to reveal some

important bit of information after a bit of small talk

is complete). The GM can also re-assume control

of NPCs if the player playing that NPC wants to

spend a point of Kiai and have their own character

enter the scene.

• Improvise with the rules. If you come to a

situation where the rules don’t help you, explain to

the other players what you think is a good way to

decide the outcome, and do that.

“You decide to take the left fork in the road? Ok, I

don’t have any specifi c plans for what happens next,

but I’ll tell you what, I’ll roll this die here: On a

1-3 there will be no problems, but on a 4-5 you get

ambushed by ronin. On a 6, an ayakashi will come at

you from the forest.”

Feel free to make decisions without resorting to

rolling dice as well in situations not spelled out by

the rules.

• Many role-playing games encourage the use of a

GM’s screen so that the players cannot see what will

happen next in the adventure, or what the results

of your dice rolls are (so that you can cheat, saying

you had fewer or more successes than you actually

had in order to steer the scenario a certain way).

You will not need a GM screen for Tenra Bansho

Zero: Roll your dice in the open, in front of all the

players. After all, the players can use Kiai if they

want a better chance of success. You might have fun

surprises in store for the players, though, so feel free

to use a piece of paper to cover up your notes.

• A secret of the game: There are basically two types

of scenes: Exposition and Combat. In the exposition

scenes, all the players role-play their characters and

advance the story, earning Aiki chits in the process.

In the combat scenes, the player spend all that

wonderful Kiai they built up from Aiki chits in the

exposition scenes. Don’t throw in combat before

players have a chance to build up their Aiki (unless

you are demonstrating the combat rules with

1-2 weak NPC characters as antagonists). The

characters will spend Kiai on skill rolls in exposition

scenes, but it’s the combat scenes where the Kiai

really f lows, and the Karma starts to build.

• If you love the system but start to get tired of

Japan-themed games, maybe reskin the game

using another setting: Modern demonic conspiracy

hunters; A Hyper-Occidental setting of a 100

Years’ War that never ends; High school kids in the

student council who are at war against rival area

schools.

• Come up with strong, compelling Zero Act scenes.

Get player advice before the game starts if you need

help (“For your samurai character, I was thinking

of a scene before she gets her soulgem surgery,

maybe at some point of great defeat. What do you

think about that?”). No matter how much you plan

the rest of the scenario, having really strong opening

scenes for each character can really propel a game

and get the players invested in what is happening.

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THE WORLD OF

TENRA

While we’d love to see all players of the game pick

up a copy of the Tenra Bansho Zero RPG book, we

know that for many people this is not convenient.

In many cases, one or two friends will have a copy

of the game, and run the game for the rest of the

players. Some people may be familiar with the

setting and the rules, while others are not. This

is totally expected. Th is section will hopefully help

with the introduction of the setting to the other

players.

A great way to get the players familiar in advance,

if you are planning an upcoming game, is to have

them look at the world section of the Tenra Bansho

Zero website. This section will brief people in the

basics of the setting, which can be filled in later

through play. It is the whirlwind tour before play.

DESCRIBING THE

SETTING TO THE

PL AYE R S

We suggest that you keep things as simple as

possible. There’s no reason to explain all of the

elements of the game to the players, especially not

elements that will not be seen in the game. If you

are going to start a group of new players in a ninja

and kugutsu-only game, there’s probably not a lot

of reason to explain the kongohki, annelidists or

details of the Shinto Priesthood, unless they will

become relevant to the adventure. Long-winded

explanations can be trying, especially when people

are ready to get into character and play.

Having said that, here are the basics of the setting

that may help the players understand the world of

Tenra, so that they can jump right into the game.

THE LONG HISTORY OF

TENRA

It is said in legend that mankind came from

the stars, and settled on the great land of Tenra.

This happened thousands of years ago, under the

watchful supervision of the Shinto Priesthood.

People spread across the land, spreading their single

culture throughout the continent.

Countries, kingdoms and domains formed. Lords,

blessed to rule by the Shinto Priesthood, would

spread their influence, and sometimes make war

with their neighbors. The Priesthood ruled with

absolute power from the shadows, granting lords

boons in the form of high technology in return for

tasks or favors. After a time, the Priesthood issued

an edict declaring that war was off -limits, and

things stayed relatively peaceful for generations.

In this period, Buddhism was founded, and

flourished. Buddhism became the official religion

of the land, and in a few generations most people

became devout believers, or at least accepting

of Buddhist teachings and tradition. Later, the

main branch of Buddhism would be known as

the Phoenix sect. Over time, other sects would

splinter from the main sect because of ideological

differences.

A TIME OF WAR

For some unknown reason, a few hundred years

ago the Shinto Priesthood revoked their edict

against warfare, allowing domain regents to settle

differences through martial conflict. Overnight, the

world erupted into chaos, with lords aggressively

attacking their neighbors while at the same time

defending themselves from similar invasions. A

powder keg was lit, and the explosion has lasted

in the form of a land of perpetual war, lasting

hundreds of years. This is Tenra, today.

The Priesthood is well equipped with protective

armies, as well as all of the technological weapons

and secrets it has amassed over thousands of years.

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INTRODUCING THE WORLD OF TENRA

They rule the world from the shadows with absolute

authority because of their advanced warfare and

espionage technology, making them technological

gods among men. The great Priesthood city of Jinrai

is a technological marvel, with a “Bridge of Heaven”

stretching into the sky. While they rule from the

shadows, the Priesthood never send their armies

to fi ght directly. Rather, they will do things like

encourage one domain to attack another by sending

them gifts of high tech armour and weapons, then

do the same for the other side.

It is commonly assumed by those of political

wisdom that the Priesthood feared that, in times of

peace, the people of Tenra would see the Priesthood

as a threatening entity, and perhaps one day unite

against them to overthrow their absolute rule.

However, the actions of the Priesthood also lead

some to suspect that the true reason is deeper than

that: That the Priesthood keeps the world at war to

protect it, to somehow make it stronger. No one

who knows the true motives of the Priesthood

ever reveals their secrets, so their reasons remain

shrouded in mystery.

TECHNOLOGY

Technolog y is limited to the domain of war. On

a battlefi eld you will see an armour, a hulking

marvel of technology and advanced magic, or

advanced medicine which allows the wounded to

trade their missing limbs for mechanical arms (or

weapons). However, the technological state of the

rest of the world is that of the feudal era of Japan in

the 1400s-1600s. There is no electricity or internet

in homes, or steel doors that open with visual

recognition; rather they live just as people did in late

medieval Japan: Wooden longhouses, tatami mats,

sliding doors, wood-heated baths, and kettle-

steamed tea and rice.

When it comes to war, there have been no limits to

the advances in technology. The Shinto Priesthood

holds the secret of crafting mecha “armours” and

robotic “kongohki”, only presenting them as gifts

to favored regents. Using the natural resources of

Tenra, skilled artisans forge marvels like gemblades

(swords that, when triggered, resonate with terrible

killing force) and soulgem longrifles. Recently, the

development of gunpowder has increased the

evolution of personal weapons even further:

Machine guns and explosive hand-to-hand weapons

are increasingly common, and ashigaru footsoldiers

are trading in their rusty longspears for simple

gunpowder rifles.

The Priesthood still owns the key to advanced

technology, which is based on the meikyo or “soul

mirror”. Soul mirrors allow those who can use them

to project their very spirit into an object, allowing

them to communicate with others over long

distances or to take control of a mechanical object.

Only the Priesthood trains crafters who can produce

intricate soul mirrors, destructive armours and

kongohki, flying battleships and castles, and other

wonders of magic and steel. It is the source of their

control over the world, and they will not reveal their

secrets.

Recently, a portion of the Priesthood (the Northern

Court) has revealed some secrets of the meikyo

crafting process. This has allowed common crafters

in various domains to create technological marvels

similar to the Priesthood. This new technology is

not as intricate as Priesthood-crafted meikyo, and

thus it has been given the moniker “ kimenkyo”, or

“mechanica mirror”. Soulless kimenkyo technology

is effective and can be mass-produced faster

than meikyo, but it is nowhere near as refined or

powerful as its finely crafted meikyo counterparts.

Kimen technology is synonymous with “knockoff ”,

but these mass-produced blockier marvels can be

repaired and refitted quickly.

RESOURCES

Aside from the common resources of gold, copper

and coal, there are unique resources to Tenra which

have had a large effect on Tenran culture.

SCARLET STEEL/SOULGEMS

Scarlet is the name of the reddish strong steel that is

excavated from rare mines. Properly refined, it can

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INTRODUCING THE WORLD OF TENRA

be forged into soulgems, the cornerstone of a lot of

Tenran technology. Soulgems are small crystal-steel

ball that holds a charge of spiritual energy much like

a battery. It is used in everything from magic (from

summoning demons to implantation into samurai

and shinobi to enhance their natural abilities) to

technology (it forms the energy conduits of armours

and kongohki, and powers soulgem rifles as they

propel shells to their targets). It is a very rare

mineral, and new soulgem mines are huge sources

of intrigue and warfare.

HEART ENGINES

Heart engines are the steel-wrapped generators

of spiritual energy. Large technological marvels

like armour, kimen armour and vehicles, and

kongohki are powered by these generators.

Onmyoji also make use of them when they want to

permanently summon a shiki spirit, as the perpetual

generator effect of the heart engine gives the spirit

permanence.

What is not known to most of the people of Tenra

is that the heart engines are very aptly named: The

steel shell encases the actual living heart of an oni

person. For the few merchants and lords who know

this secret, the otherwise peaceful oni people are to

be hunted for sport under the guise of “protecting

the people”, their very hearts cut out and gathered

to sell at a phenomenal price to those who need to

power their toys of war.

SHA

Sha is the name of the gossamer-like invisible force

that blankets the land of Tenra. While the land

produces a limitless amount of this resource, only a

few people can actually sense or harness this power.

The oni people are at one with the power of sha.

Onmyoji sorcerers harness the sha to summon shiki

servants to aid them.

THE ONI

In the early days of the spread of humanity, the

native people of Tenra who called themselves “the

caretakers” were pushed away. Humans saw their

primitive ways, and the horns on their heads, and

named them “oni ” after the demons of ancient

myth. They spread rumors of oni who kidnap

children, invade and destroy villages, or who eat

people alive. None of these were true, but it didn’t

stop the people from fearing, then hating these oni.

The oni consider themselves the protectors of the

land. Th rough their horns, they can communicate

directly with the minds of their people and even

hear the voice of Dii-Go, the god of the land.

Through their hearts, they are able to feel and even

move the gossamer-like sha force, which lets them

sense and move physical objects with their minds.

Their unique physiology connects them to the

earth, and to each other.

Historically, the oni have been feared and

persecuted when they come into contact with

humans. Simply put, they are being driven to

extinction. In times past, they simply viewed this

inevitability as their fate: Now, the oni are fi ghting

back against those who would destroy them.

RECENT EVENTS

While the world has been under the shroud of

continent-wide feudal warfare for generations, there

are three inter-related events which have shaken the

world.

THE FALL OF THE PHANTOM STAR

The Fall of Jinrai

The bridge of heaven, which connected the

mountain-city of Jinrai to the heavens, unexpectedly

fell to the earth. The Phantom Star fell like a comet

to Jinrai, annihilating that great city, the domain,

and surrounding domains. The geography of the

land changed, and now there is an ocean where

the great city of the Shinto Priesthood once stood.

Millions of lives were lost.

The Two Courts

Everyone held their breath, thinking that the Shinto

Priesthood was gone for good with the fall of Jinrai.

309

INTRODUCING THE WORLD OF TENRA

A few weeks later, the Priesthood emerged again

in the north, changed by the events: They revealed

their unmasked empress to the world, and vowed

to share their technology with the domains who fell

under their infl uence. This was the start of kimen

technology. However, a few months later another

Priesthood emerged in the south, claiming to be the

true Priesthood: And like the pre-Fall Priesthood,

stayed as resolute and secretive as ever. Now is the

time of the two courts of the Shinto Priesthood

working against each other from the shadows: The

more open Northern Court and the closed

traditional-minded Southern Court.

Kikoku, Land of the Oni

An oni Buddhist monk named Makuu Nindo

received an enlightened revelation. Mobilizing

as many oni people as he could, he started an

insurrection in the domain of Kikoku, which had a

government which was absolutely hostile to the oni

people. In the last battle of the campaign, Makuu’s

forces take over one of the Priesthood ’s two floating

battleships. They also made effective use of the Two

Month Night, an event which followed the Fall of

Jinrai where all sha simply ceased to f low. Armour

and kongohki simply stopped moving, and samurai

and shinobi were incapable of using their powers.

Joined by legions who were favorable to his cause

(including humans and half-oni), Makuu Nindo

destroyed the opposition forces. He created a land in

which the oni people could live peacefully. However,

there is still work to do to ensure the peace lasts…

THE FUTURE

…is undefined.

Nothing in the background of Tenra is sacred.

Anything is possible. The future is up to the actions

of the characters, as their players reveal their tales

through play.

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222 THINGS TO

DO IN TENRA

IN A MIYAKO OR OTHER GREAT CITY

Visit the grand shrine or temple of the city; be

awestruck

Receive a summons to meet with the lord or regent

Investigate rumors of a secret onmyoji cult that

controls the local vassal leaders

Protect the city from the invading army

Commission a grand piece of art from a well-known

artist here at your lord’s request

Join a local sword school or dojo; learn something

new, become bruised daily

Spot the young female thief while she steals that

guy’s wallet

Encounter a well known warrior or bounty hunter;

challenge him or her to a duel

Assist the yakuza as they attempt to put out a city-

wide fire, demolishing buildings to stop the flames

from spreading

Receive a request from your mentor; assassinate an

evil merchant

Help an old lady get to the local doctor/

acupuncturist’s house

Duel with the city’s renown shogi (Japanese chess)

master

Meet the local crime boss; then meet the other local

crime boss

Entertain yourself all night with alcohol and flesh in

the local red light district

Watch a lord in disguise as an old man brandish his

royal seal and pronounce judgment upon the wicked

Visit an old friend; fi nd out that he’s in trouble

Duel with an old onmyoji rival, using only magic

Rescue a little girl from nearly being trampled by a

haughty vassal lord’s horse

Catch a glimpse at night of a man carrying a long

needle, crouching on the longhouse over there

Take calligraphy lessons from a master

Find the regent’s stolen gold

Purchase a new kimono; there’s not enough left of

yours to patch up anymore

Have a unique weapon forged by a famed

weaponsmith; earn her trust first

Make travel plans, including securing a legitimate or

fake tegata (travel pass)

Listen to the old Bright Lotus sect monk sing sutras,

teach and entertain folks at the market

Overhear an evil magistrate making plans with a

merchant and samurai

Book passage on a boat to sail to another land

Buy medicine and bandages from a merchant with

scaly, hard and yellowish skin on his arms

Be knocked over by a passing samurai; the samurai

demands “medical treatment expenses” for running

into her

Notice that the masked miko shrine maiden you

saw earlier at the market has been following you for

about an hour now

Get ambushed by a four-armed kongohki who

bursts through a nearby wall and furiously attacks

3 11

222 THINGS TO DO IN TENRA

you (and only you)

Find the ayakashi which is murdering and

terrorizing the people in the poor district’s

longhouses

Fall in love from afar with a noble; she or he turns

out to be a kugutsu in hiding

See the regent from afar during a large festival; he

rides at the top of a great moving shrine

Catch the act of a tightrope-walking girl near the

marketplace

Purchase the services of a traveling biwa or shamisen

player

Find the body of a corrupt official in an alley, his

face a mask of shock and surprise

Ignore the smell of the fish market; or at least try to

Request funds from the magistrate in order to

rebuild the temple

The samurai who suddenly attacked you at night

realizes you aren’t the person he’s looking for; he

apologizes and runs off

Stay indoors at the inn during the monsoon-like

rainy season

Uncover a plot to kill the regent or other vassal lord

Witness the procession of a famous kugutsu-maker

as she travels through the city with her two latest

“creations”

Hear rumors that the Hyakki Swarm are operating

in the city

Get called out to a fight with a well-meaning but

very drunk swordsman

See a ryo (gold piece) for the first time

Help the poor district rebuild longhouses after an

earthquake

Visit a rival onmyojutsu academy; have tea and

words with the head onmyoji there

Bring a knife to a gunfight

Find a way to deal with the humans so they don’t

discover that you’re actually an oni

Convince the regent to ally with the Northern

Court of the Priesthood

Find the onmyoji who you believe will perform your

samuraization surgery

Fall in love with a courtesan; it doesn’t end well, but

it ends

Go to the theater to watch some low-culture kabuki

or noh entertainment

Become restless and wander away

IN A TOWN OR VILLAGE

Visit relatives not seen for years

Stay at the local hot spring resort for a night

Relax at the hot spring, and strike up a conversation

with the wary traveler who seems interested in you

At the resort, eat a dinner of delicious local cuisine

before getting the best rest you’ve had in months

Speak with the local Bright Lotus peasant converts

Fight off the bandits or local organized crime that

are shaking down the farmers for scraps

Get in the middle of a turf war as two rival gangs

fight over control of this meager village

It’s a festival, one of the larger ones of the year;

enjoy yourself

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222 THINGS TO DO IN TENRA

Use your contacts to meet the information broker

who hides amongst the townspeople

Meet the mushi-tsukai who lives on the edge of

town; he’s the one who has the information you

need

Fall in love with the earnest young rice farmer

Buy some vegetables from the local farmers selling

their wares in the open market street in town

Search the ruins of the abandoned/destroyed village

for signs of what happened

Buy a new cloth to replace the cloth bag with a hole

in it

Make a new home amongst the people; settle down

Assist the townspeople, as they’re in the middle of

an outbreak of a disease

Listen to the traveling biwa player; remember home

Set yourself up as the ruler of the town after

overthrowing the evil magistrate

Visit the half-forgotten village shrine, wash and

clean it up

Contact your underground network of spies and

assassins to send a message

Find out why the townspeople are so poor; silently

vow to do something about it

Help the townspeople with their ayakashi problem

Realize that the whole village is an illusion

ON THE ROAD

Stop at a small roadside teahouse run by the old

lady and her daughter

Offer a quick prayer to the jizo statues

Play shogi ( Japanese chess) in your head with a

fellow traveler, calling out the moves as you walk

Take a detour to visit the natural hot springs

Take a detour to visit the shrine at the top of the

mountain

Chew on a grass stalk

Watch enemy troop movements in the valley from a

clearing on the mountain

Smoke a pipe

Help an injured traveler

Defend a caravan against attacking bandits

Isn’t that traveler over there in the tea house that

onmyoji/mushi-tsukai/kijin who is wanted back at

the city?

Buy new sandals

Notice that the ronin with the large straw hat has

been following you for some time

Write a letter or poem

Fret about how to get past the next guarded

checkpoint

Get searched and questioned at the guarded

checkpoint while you pray they don’t notice your

tegata is a forgery

Set camp for the night

Examine the body of the man who was killed by

some passing warrior

Investigate that strange noise coming from the

woods

Take some time at the bamboo forest to practice

combat with a companion

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222 THINGS TO DO IN TENRA

Eat one of the three riceballs you packed for the

journey

Watch the traveling mushi-tsukai heal an injured

person on the road; step in to help

Make room for the two men running past you,

carrying a kago (one-man carriage) from the

previous town to the next

Sense the ambush coming your way; the way they

walk and cover their eyes gives them away

Find the arm of a kongohki or kijin near the side of

the road

Step offto the side, stop, and kneel/lower your

head as a procession of nobles in kago (one-man

carriages) passes by

Catch a glimpse of one warrior fighting four others

in a clearing

Catch the attention of a hairy, loud, kinda dirty,

but well meaning Ebon Mountain monk (male or

female) who walks with you for a time

Check that map again; that hidden soulgem mine is

supposed to be right near here…

AT A TEMPLE

Study, meditate and train the spirit for a few days or

weeks (not necessarily only for monks)

Ask about the lost scripture you’ve been tasked to

find

Realize that monk over there obviously hasn’t been a

monk for very long

Help the venerable monk who is hard of hearing

with temple repairs

Receive a secret mission or item from a fellow

member of the Hidden 28th Chamber of the

Merciful Phoenix Sect

Stumble in, requesting healing or shelter after a

bloody battle

Inquire about local political affairs

Find out an innocent secret about the head abbot;

he likes sake, drawing, singing, or games of skill

Confront the temple about their allegiance to a

corrupt local lord

Investigate the murder of a local monk or abbot.

Be inspired by the grandness of the temple to

compose a poem

Wake up with amnesia a month after a fearsome

battle with a major enemy

Lower your head to the grand statue of the Buddha

or bodhisattvas

Help firefighters put out the temple, as someone set

it on fire

Assist with ringing the huge temple bell 108 times

for the new year

Help find the gold bodhisattva statue that was

recently stolen before the thieves melt it down

Request magical aid to help send the soul trapped in

this meikyo or kimenkyo to the afterlife

Give all your money to the temple and prepare to

live out the rest of your days here

AT A SHRINE

Participate in the huge harvest festival that is

centered in the large shrine

Throw a few coins into the offering box, shake the

rope-bell, clap twice, and say a small prayer to the

kami of the shrine

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222 THINGS TO DO IN TENRA

Have a vision of the ancient spirit or kami that the

shrine venerates

Clean offthe cobwebs of this small, broken, dusty

shrine

Identify the person who is hanging from the shrine’s

torii (bright red gateway)

Find a message at the shrine wrapped up with a few

mon (copper pieces), requesting divine revenge upon

a local evildoer

Wonder why this large shrine is completely

abandoned, and recently at that

Hear the strange piping of the mysterious flute

player wearing an old kimono

Run into an old flame offering thanks at the shrine,

who you just noticed is quite pregnant

Drink purified sake with the shinto priest and hear

the latest big news in town

Compete in physical sports during the “Festival of

Health”

Interface with the shrine’s meikyo soul mirror in

private and relay your recent findings back to the

Priesthood

Corner the ayakashi living on the grounds of the

shrine, disguising itself as the shrine’s kami

Request a blessing and a warding of evil spirits in an

o-harai ceremony

AT A CASTLE OR PALACE

Compliment the lord on his fearsome trio of

genuine meikyo armours

Meet the glassy-eyed kugutsu as the lord shows

offhis latest acquisitions

Be challenged by the chief military vassal to a test of

skill with wooden swords

Be challenged by a senior elder retainer to a game of

shogi, Japanese chess

Endure a tea ceremony; or alternately, show offyour

unusual but cultured tea ceremony form

Admire the calligraphy of the lord ’s youngest

daughter or son

Humbly introduce yourself to the lord ’s oldest

daughter, an armour-rider of great skill and renown

Overhear a hereditary vassal lord conspire with

another against the chief vassal or regent

Petition the regent for care to be given to a

particular heavily-taxed town or region

Talk the regent out of total war with a neighboring

kingdom or oni tribe

Talk the regent into total war with a neighboring

kingdom, ninja clan, cult or annelidist nest

Expose a traitor within the lord’s family or closest

advisors

Use magic to remove the curse placed on the infant

son of the chief retainer

Reveal yourself to be a kugutsu, and seek amnesty

from your maker’s contract

Block the doors behind you; nobody’s getting out of

here alive

Be poisoned by an unscrupulous retainer, then set

upon by Demon Mask Faction ninja

Perform (dance, music, callig raphy, painting) for

the regent, as you were called upon to do

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222 THINGS TO DO IN TENRA

IN A TAVERN

Tip the shamisen/biwa player

Request a later massage from the local blind

masseuse

Notice the cracks in the teacups or rice bowls

Admire the strange beauty of that one particular

barhand

Exchange cautious glances with the four alert kijin

at the table in the corner

Get in an arm-wrestling contest with a female

samurai

Walk in as the previous barfi ght is just reaching its

end

Wait for the Poison Toad Gang to show up and

shake down the locals

Order some ozoni (miso soup with rice cakes) or

ochazuke (soup with rice) to fight offthe chill

Wait at the table you were instructed to; the master

forger will contact you there shortly

Stare uncomfortably at the large kongohki standing

rock-still for hours in the center of the tavern

Try to act casual as you scope out the target you

were hired to kill

Wince as the master beats his barefoot adopted boy

or girl for dropping a customer’s dishes

IN A WAR CAMP

Boast loudly while drinking yourself into a stupor

Get in a fistfight with a fellow soldier who was

belittling your skill or age

Talk shit about the enemy with your comrades

Assist the onmyoji at the war tent with planning the

next stratagem

Convince the commander of the folly of a direct

attack against superior firepower

Realize that there may be an enemy spy or saboteur

among your ranks

Eat well and drink lots of cheap wine by the open

fire the night before an attack

Polish your weapon, mechanica implants or armour

Feel the rumbling of the enemy’s new great armour

as it enters the battlefield

Notice the ranks of hundreds of young ashigaru

soldiers, most of whom have never held a weapon

before last week

Compose a poem about the triviality of life

IN AN ONI VILLAGE

Begin to humanize the oni people

Argue the future of the Lu-Tirae with the tribal

elders

Watch children playing, remember your own

hometown

Vow to protect the village

Be exiled by your tribe for being tainted by feelings

regarded as “too human”

Be amazed that you never really stopped to look at

the night sky (not for years, anyway)

Discover that the soulgem (gold, iron) mine that

your lord wants to exploit is, of course, right near

the village

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222 THINGS TO DO IN TENRA

Hunt these human-eating demons to the last with

other opportunistic hunters; for some reason your

lord demands you bring back their hearts

Receive a message from Dii-Go

Receive new Sha Laz tattoos for the services

performed for the tribe

Catch a glimpse of Makuu Nindo, speaking with a

small group of warrior men and women

Find an abandoned village, a cold fire pit and a

broken oni Keila fl ute the only signs that oni were

ever there

IN A NINJA VILLAGE

Kill everyone

Avoid being killed by everyone

Steal the secret highest teachings of the clan

Avoid eating or drinking anything, or looking

anyone in the eye

Forge a pact between the clan and your lord

Find out who killed everyone shortly before you

arrived

IN AN ANNELIDIST NEST

Try to hold back revulsion at the sight of the kashira

(leader) as you offer her your most humble greetings

Request information about the new strain of annelid

that has been killing area townspeople

Witness a “living armour” being crafted

Note your latest annelid-related fi ndings in the nest

journals

Inquire into… enhancements

Avoid touching anything, especially that over there

WHEN YOU HAVE OF MONEY

Sake, food, drinks for everyone, courtesans (female

or male); lavish tips for every service

Buy an expensive new kimono

Visit the theater; meet with the performers

backstage

Build or purchase an estate in the miyako

Fund a network of spies and informants

Upgrade your mechanica or weapons

Pay back the yakuza you owe with interest; they’ll

likely stop trying to kill you

Bribe officials to gain a permanent vassal position of

decent status and income

Buy a gemblade; later discover that there is a dark

history behind it

Laugh with your other rich friends at an extravagant

party, and say “Yoh no naka wa kane ja!” (“Money

makes the world go ‘round!”)

WHEN YOU HAVE NO MONEY

Sell your services as a mercenary or bodyguard

Travel as a musician/beggar

Teach arts or academics to the wealthy, noble

Renounce wealth and enter a monastery; later

become bored and leave

Work odd jobs in a village or city

Be a thug, clerk or messenger for a crime syndicate

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222 THINGS TO DO IN TENRA

Work at the local watering hole, restaurant or resort;

inadvertently fall in love with another servant there

If blind, become a masseuse

318

NAMES

Here is a sampling of names of people and places

to help get your games started. You can draw

upon other media for names as well. These are

pulled from a combination of historical and

literary sources, focusing on names of the Sengoku

(Warring States) period, which the game emulates.

PLACE NAMES

For place names, feel free to use basic English

adjective/noun combinations as well, as many

Japanese place names are little more than simple

descriptions of area landmarks and the like (Azuma

Village = East Village; Tanigawa = River Valley;

Takashima = High Island).

Towns and Cities

Fukuyama

Ashikura

Niida

Onejime

Sendai

Kanma

Tsuchigawa

Hirobashi

Ota

Sanbashi

Ashio

Kurino

Obora

Eno

Nakadani

Fuchina

Ariie

Koyamachi

Ebitani

Sakai

Azuma

Kamiura

Kiryu

Shikina

Oshu

Seto

Miyagahama

Mugikubo

Michidani

Iwade

Sasari

Oko

Tajiri

Mino

Narai

Mitake

Kanoya

Urata

Okawa

Jinda

Uesugi

Higae

Hazama

Ichibara

Arase

Kamimura

Shinden

Izumo

Washiya

Seki

Obonai

Hinata

Mori

Nakazato

Takada

Ochiai

Yanaizu

Tendo

Ariake

Uken

Lake’s Wave

Small Rice

Temple City

Far Grass

Sout hern Ten

Broken Shell

Great Market

Bright Crevice

Long Field

Black Temple

Seven Gateways

One Stone

Deer Forest

Mountain Crest

319

NAMES

Crying Valley

Black Field

Small Forest

Red Beach

Teawater

Sieve Mountain

Red Oni

River Pass

Valley of the Gods

Endless Snow

Nishi- (West)

Higashi- (East)

Kita- (North)

Minami- (South)

The above names can be used for castles, fortresses,

gates and the like. The fortress overlooking the

town of Tendo would be called Tendo Fortress, etc.

English maps of Japan online are a great source of

classic location names, as well as traditional last

names (which historically are derived from place

names).

INN NAMES

Sometimes you just need a really good name for

an inn, tavern or brothel. Feel free to use English

names (“The Wild Sparrow”, “The Lonely Moon

Inn” etc), but here’s a couple Japanese ones as well:

Kagiya (Kagiya’s House/Inn)

Chidori (Plover, a bird that staggers around

drunkenly when it walks)

Enokiya (Cedar House/Inn)

Tamaya (The Jewel)

Manshichi (The Full/Satisfying Lucky Seven)

Funaso (The Gilded Boat)

PEOPLE NAMES

In the world of Tenra, only lords, retainers and clan

warriors, and other nobles have last names (some

wealthy merchants take a last name as well, usually

a variation of their store name). Heroes that do great

deeds during battle are sometimes awarded last

names by their lords, usually a portion of their own

name.

Everyone with a last name is called by their last

name, though they use their first name between

very good friends and family.

All of the names in the Tenra Bansho rulebook

follow the Japanese convention of writing the last

name first, followed by the person’s given name.

Everyone else, the majority of the people in the

world of Tenra, go by their given name:

Omino

Or they go by a name and a descriptor, usually

based on their profession:

Omino the Sandal-maker

Omino the Assassin

Lute-player Omino

Or, if they are making a name for themselves, they

might go by (or be referred to by) a decorative

nickname:

Purple Omino (because she wears purple clothing

often)

Omino the Viper

Ten-blade Omino

Omino, the Battlefi eld Dancer

Blind Omino

Omino the Hawk

They might also eventually drop their name

altogether for their nickname:

The Viper

Ten-blade

Hawk

Armours, kongohki and kugutsu are given poetic-

sounding names. Buddhist monks also assume

special monk names which are also rather poetic.

Red Lightning

Benevolent Chrysanthemum

Howling Moon

Spring Cloud

320

NAMES

House-of-Stars

Agate Soul

See the random lists below for more ideas on monk,

kongohki, yoroi and kugutsu names.

Female Names

Nowadays, many Japanese female first names end

in “-ko”. Th is phenomenon of adding “-ko” to the

end of female names really didn’t start happening

until the mid 20th century, before that it was

mostly reserved for empresses or aristocrats (in case

you were looking up Japanese female names from

the Internet, movies, manga, anime and the like

for your character). Much more common were the

“O-(something)” names for that period. However,

the setting of Tenra is full of cultural anachronisms,

feel free to use any name as you see fit.

Roll or Choose

The lists below can be looked at and chosen from

as you see fit, or you can roll two dice to randomly

pick a name.

COMMONERS

These are the names for common folk: A majority

of Tenra characters and NPCs, those with no ties to

vassals or nobility.

Commoner Last Names

Again, while most people in Tenra do not have last

names unless they were descendants of nobles or

vassals, in some areas wealthier families or families

who were in good standing with nobles ( or whom

received a last name as a gift) received last names.

Here are a few.

1-1 Kawaguchi

1-2 Sakanoshita

1-3 Fukada

1-4 Shouji

1-5 Nakaie

1-6 Agata

2-1 Sasagawa

2-2 Tanaka

2-3 Kishida

2-4 Iwata

2-5 Arai

2-6 Naganuma

3-1 Sawada

3-2 Imai

3-3 Maehara

3-4 Yonemura

3-5 Inamura

3-6 Yamauchi

4-1 Kagamiyama

4-2 Kitou

4-3 Kataragi

4-4 Kuryuzu

4-5 Kurumikawa

4-6 Mitarai

5-1 Sougiku

5-2 Ryuou

5-3 Marikodani

5-4 Kujiranami

5-5 Kurebayashi

5-6 Ipponyari

6-1 Tsukigata

6-2 Umekoji

6-3 Gionji

6-4 Teshigawara

6-4 Sanrigi

6-6 Mikuriya

Commoner Male Names

1-1 Soroku

1-2 Tatsuzo

1-3 Hanbei

1-4 Yosaku

1-5 Masagoro

1-6 Jinbei

2-1 Matabei

2-2 Hyouma

2-3 Juzo

2-4 Yosuke

2-5 Katsuzo

2-6 Tomekichi

3-1 Eikichi

3-2 Seigoro

3-3 Monjirou

3-4 Shichizo

3-5 Rokusuke

3-6 Minokichi

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NAMES

4-1 Heizaemon

4-2 Goichi

4-3 Chubei

4-4 Tadakichi

4-5 Matajiro

4-6 Souichi

5-1 Umekichi

5-2 Shikazou

5-3 Seikichi

5-4 Kansuke

5-5 Kobunta

5-6 Chokichi

6-1 Okinosuke

6-2 Kaheiji

6-3 Shouhachi

6-4 Bunshichi

6-5 Toragoro

6-6 Otokichi

Commoner Female Names

Note that for all the names below, this is the given

name. Their name in public (even with friends)

would commonly be prefixed with an “O-”: Omino,

Osaki, Oshino, Ofune and so on. Some may prefer

to go without the “O” in front, but for the most part

consider all the names below to be prefixable with

“O-”.

1-1 Gin

1-2 Rin

1-3 Hisa

1-4 Naka

1-5 Natsu

1-6 Ichi

2-1 Hana

2-2 Nobu

2-3 Haru

2-4 Mon

2-5 Mino

2-6 Toki

3-1 Tama

3-2 Tsuru

3-3 Yuki

3-4 Sato

3-5 Kiku

3-6 Fuku

4-1 Kinu

4-2 Kayo

4-3 Saki

4-4 Mitsu

4-5 Shizu

4-6 Shima

5-1 Shino

5-2 Sumi

5-3 Sono

5-4 Chizu

5-5 Chika

5-6 Chie

6-1 Fune

6-2 Mayu

6-3 Masa

6-4 Ume

6-5 Tami

6-6 Rui

WARRIOR FAMILIES

These are names for characters that come from a

buke, or warrior family (noble, vassal, etc) family.

Warrior Family Last Names

1,2-1 Satake

1,2-2 Souma

1,2-3 Nikaido

1,2-4 Ashina

1,2-5 Honjo

1,2-6 Nagao

3,4-1 Yura

3,4-2 Kuki

3,4-3 Hatano

3,4-4 Bessho

3,4-5 Amago

3,4-6 Ukita

5,6-1 Aki

5,6-2 Ryuzouji

5,6-3 Akizuki

5,6-4 Kyougoku

5,6-5 Shirakawa

5,6-6 Kumabe

Warrior Family Male Names

1,2-1 Sadamune

1,2-2 Hisanori

1,2-3 Takatsune

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NAMES

1,2-4 Yoshimasa

1,2-5 Nobutoki

1,2-6 Mitsunobu

3,4-1 Harutsugu

3,4-2 Masamori

3,4-3 Tadataka

3,4-4 Naokatsu

3,4-5 Kaneyori

3,4-6 Munekiyo

5,6-1 Shigetsuna

5,6-2 Yoshizumi

5,6-3 Naritoshi

5,6-4 Yukihira

5,6-5 Motokage

5,6-6 Nagaharu

Warrior Family Female Names

1,2-1 Aya

1,2-2 Matsu

1,2-3 Kame

1,2-4 Toku

1,2-5 Tsuru

1,2-6 Hideko

3,4-1 Kiku

3,4-2 Tatsuko

3,4-3 Hatsu

3,4-4 Hiroko

3,4-5 Fuji

3,4-6 Mari

5,6-1 Teruko

5,6-2 Oto

5,6-3 Fuku

5,6-4 Yoshino

5,6-5 Tsune

5,6-6 Takeno

ARISTOCRATIC NAMES

Sometimes a kizoku - a high noble or aristocrat

- will be introduced in the game. They have the

oldest names. Some families with strong ties to the

Shinto priesthood might have these names.

Aristocratic Last Names

1,2,3-1 Tachibana

1,2,3-2 Kujou

1,2,3-3 Sanjou

1,2,3-4 Nijou

1,2,3-5 Saionji

1,2,3-6 Fujiwara

4,5,6-1 Kiyohara

4,5,6-2 Konoe

4,5,6-3 Daitokuji

4,5,6-4 Kuga

4,5,6-5 Hanayamain

4,5,6-6 Takatsukasa

Aristocratic Male Names

1,2-1,2 Saneyuki

1,2-3,4 Kimiie

1,2-5,6 Kanefusa

3,4-1,2 Iezane

3,4-3,4 Tadaie

3,4-5,6 Tsunemichi

5,6-1,2 Naotada

5,6-3,4 Kiyomaro

5,6-5 Shigetsune

5,6-6 Tadamichi

Aristocratic Female Names

1,2-1,2 Shigeko

1,2-3,4 Seiko

1,2-5,6 Yasuko

3,4-1,2 Hiroko

3,4-3,4 Tamako

3,4-5,6 Yoshiko

5,6-1,2 Kiyoko

5,6-3,4 Tamiko

5,6-5 Mitsuko

5,6-6 Nobuko

ONI NAMES

Oni are named after words in their own language,

usually made up of two short syllables. Y’s, I’s

and L’s are common, as well as combinations and

letters that are not common to Japanese. Of course

disguised oni and hornless Nusa oni would adopt

common human/Japanese names so as not to arouse

suspicion. Noteworthy oni will have nicknames just

as humans on Tenra might: “Ta-bakh the swift-

blade”, “Lu-Myn the Harpist”, and so on. Choose or

roll below:

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NAMES

1,2-1 Keyu

1,2-2 Mi-Hal

1,2-3 Wo-Yau

1,2-4 Mah-Lu

1,2-5 Ta-bakh

1,2-6 Laz-Fol

3,4-1 Ba-Yau

3,4-2 Yil-Din

3,4-3 Dimh-Yn

3,4-4 Din-Yi

3,4-5 Ti-Shea

3,4-6 Lii-Yil

5,6-1 Jalh-Yu

5,6-2 Yykh-Ka

5,6-3 Balh-Syr

5,6-4 Lu-Myn

5,6-5 Tabh

5,6-6 Eja

KUGUTSU NAMES

Kugutsu are named by their makers (although some

makers allow their kugutsu to name themselves).

Kugutsu names tend to be simplistic and flowery,

usually based on objects in nature or colors. Many

are prefixed by adjectives (Moonlight becomes

Gentle Moonlight, Tranquil Moonlight, etc). While

these names are flowery, they do not automatically

cause a stranger to think that they were a kugutsu:

Instead, when introduced the stranger would

assume that she has peculiarly poetic parents, or

perhaps are of noble ancestry. A kugutsu does not

have to take a “normal” name to disguise herself if

she is on the run, but particularly savvy or worldly

kugutsu may do that.

1,2-1 Brilliant Flower

1,2-2 Agate

1,2-3 Emerald

1,2-4 Spring Rain

1,2-5 Sparrow

1,2-6 Moonlight

3,4-1 Lotus

3,4-2 Iris

3,4-3 Graceful Sunset

3,4-4 Poem

3,4-5 Tranquility

3,4-6 Snow

5,6-1 Calm Breeze

5,6-2 Green Wave

5,6-3 Morning Fog

5,6-4 Summer Light

5,6-5 Chrysanthemum

5,6-6 Azure Pond

BUDDHIST PRIEST NAMES

When monks are ordained in the more traditional

orders like the Phoenix sect, they are given names

by their elders. These names may have deep

significance for the monk, or sometimes they were

simply a fanciful image the elder had in a dream. In

all cases, they are descriptive and flowery much like

kugutsu names are, perhaps even more so.

Roll or choose two names on the chart below and

put them together to determine a Buddhist monk

name. When combining them, make one of the

words into an adjective describing the other word

(Spring plus Heaven = Heavenly Spring, Heaven’s

Spring, Spring-of-Heaven; choose one).

1-1 Dawn

1-2 Morning

1-3 Winter

1-4 Dusk

1-5 Night

1-6 Midnight

2-1 Ebon

2-2 Heaven

2-3 Illusion

2-4 Power

2-5 Ancestor

2-6 Light

3-1 Ebony

3-2 Azure

3-3 Vermillion

3-4 Emerald

3-5 Cerulean

3-6 Crimson

4-1 Valley

4-2 Storm

4-3 Mountain

4-4 Lake

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NAMES

4-5 Sky

4-6 Cloud

5-1 Granite

5-2 Shelter

5-3 Temple

5-4 Refuge

5-5 Hall

5-6 Robe

6-1 Sutra

6-2 Mantra

6-3 Kongoh/Vajra

6-4 Scroll

6-5 Mandala

6-6 Lotus

YOROI AND KONGOHKI NAMES

Yoroi and kongohki are given names by their

creators, and as such they are often (like so many

other names) artistic, natural, flowery. Feel free

to use the Buddhist monk chart above, and mix

in some of the words below (perhaps choose or

roll once from Buddhist names, once from Yoroi/

Kongohki names). Choosing a name for the yoroi

before designing it may provide inspiration for its

appearance and form.

1-1 Demon

1-2 King

1-3 Fang

1-4 Kami/God

1-5 Titan

1-6 Sentinel

2-1 Mantis

2-2 Viper

2-3 Elephant

2-4 Spider

2-5 Ox

2-6 Tiger

3-1 Aeon

3-2 Spiral

3-3 Break

3-4 Eternity

3-5 Earth

3-6 Star

4-1 Dragon

4-2 Stone

4-3 Savage

4-4 Ultimate

4-5 Steel

4-6 Cosmos

5-1 Ruin

5-2 Naraku/Hell

5-3 Fate

5-4 Circle

5-5 Glyph

5-6 Fire

6-1 Poison

6-2 Ghost

6-3 Soul

6-4 Mist

6-5 Pillar

6-6 Chalice

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ARCHETYPES

This section provides lists of archetypes for use in

the secondary method of creating characters. You

can combine most archetypes together to get an

interesting, dynamic character; the rest will develop

through role-play. Here are some pointers to get you

started:

AIM FOR SPECIALIZED SKILLS

If there’s a particular kind of character you want

to play, or a specialist skill that you want to take

(Ninjutsu, Onmyojutsu, Arts of War, Shinto, etc.),

aim for the archetypes which have those skills first.

You can always buy up common skills later by using

attribute points.

DON’T GO OVERBOARD

For archetype-based characters, 2-4 archetypes is

usually all you need.

THINK ABOUT STARTING KARMA

108 is the upper limit for starting Karma, but you’ll

probably want to start out with less than that. A

good point to consider is that characters with a low

starting Karma (60 or less) will be less powerful

at the beginning of the game, but towards the end

of the game they will be able to use far more Kiai

without having to worry about taking their Karma

total over 108. Characters with a high starting

Karma of 90 or higher will be more powerful at the

beginning of the game in terms of skills, combat

prowess, etc, but towards the end of the game they

won’t be able to spend even a little Kiai without

considering the careful manipulation of Kiai and

Fates so that at the end of the next intermission,

their total Karma won’t be over 108.

WHEN IN DOUBT

If you think your character just needs a little

more somethingto be more interesting, aim for

the Hard Luck archetype. This will provide your

character with a little bit of backstory; they have

lost something important to them. You can decide

from there throughout the game if your character

becomes a tragic hero trapped in her past, or a hero

who overcomes her past and eventually changes her

fate. Nothing adds drama like a sprinkle of “tragic

pa st”.

ARCHETYPE DATA

(1) Name —The name of the archetype. Some

archetypes are “species archetypes”, signified by a

“species” by the name (ayakashi, oni and kugutsu

archetypes). You cannot take more than one species

archetype for your character.

(2) Karma Cost—The cost in Karma of the

archetype. After adding all your archetype Karma

costs together, your total Karma at character

creation cannot exceed 108.

(3) Skills—The starting skills and skill levels for the

archetype.

(4) Attribute Penalty—Any attribute penalties for

choosing the archetype, commonly archetypes

which use mechanica. Subtract this number from

your total number of attribute points to assign at

character creation (usually 40). “0” means that there

is no penalty.

(5) Primary Attribute—6 points or more should be

assigned to this Primary Attribute during character

creation to utilize this character effectively. If more

than one attribute is listed, you should try to put 6

or more points in each. Some archetypes have no

primary attribute.

(6) Station Requirement—Some archetypes require a

minimum amount of Station that must be taken in

order to use the set equipment for the character.

This section lists the minimum amount of Station

required to take this archetype. Some characters

have no Station requirements, so there will be no

listing for that archetype.

(7) Equipment—A list of the charater’s starting

equipment with this archetype. Any soulgems listed

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ARCHETYPES

here are in addition to any fully loaded soulgem

weapon they may be equipped with.

(8) Equip Cost—The Karma cost for the equipment

and special abilities the character must pay. This

is already factored into the Karma cost of the

archetype. This number is listed in case you wish to

remove or redesign the starting equipment for this

character, which may lower the archetype’s overall

cost.

(9) Weapons—The character’s starting weapons.

Marksman, gunpowder weapons, and soulgem

weapons all begin fully loaded with a full clip of

ammunition.

Weapons are followed by the attributes of the

weapon: Damage, RoF (rate of fire), Range and

Ammo.

(10) Special Abilities—Any special abilities for your

archetype.

(11) Archetype Fate—The Fate which comes with

this archetype. Use this for role-playing suggestions.

As you create a character, write down all of the

Fates for the archetypes you choose. In the end,

a character begins with only two Fates from

her archetypes, so if you choose three or more

archetypes, narrow the Fates you wish to keep down

to two.

(12) Description—The archetype’s basic description,

including appearance notes. This may provide some

good starting role-playing suggestions.

(13) Notes—Any special notes or comments on the

archetype.

A NOTE ON REVERSE-ENGINEERING

If you attempt to deconstruct some of the

archetypes into their component base scores in

regards to equipment, Karma cost and the like

you will notice that a few don’t completely add up

as expected. For issues of game balance and ease

of combination, you may find that taking a listed

archetype as-is is sometimes cheaper in Karma cost

than constructing such an archetype from scratch.

Don’t sweat the fi ner details of the underlying

game math, just pick archetypes you like and play!

ARCHETYPE LIST

GENERAL ARCHETYPES

Hard Luck

You lost someone or something very important to

you. The loss is still very real, and you cannot seem

to forget or detach yourself from your memories;

these memories of the past haunt you all the time.

Karma Cost: 5

Skills: Pursuit/Hunt (3), First Aid (2)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attribute: Empathy

Equipment: Memento Item

Equip Cost: 0

Weapons:

Broken sword: Damage +1

Special Abilities: None

Fate: Misfortune: Death of your most precious

thing

Description: This archetype represents those who

live bearing some great loss. The reason and object

of that loss depends on what archetype you combine

this one with.

Notes: You are of course free to choose who or what

was lost during character creation or during play.

Doctor/Healer

As a doctor, you have made it your mission in life

to help the everyman and the downtrodden. You do

your best to save as many people as you can.

Karma Cost: 10

Skills: First Aid (3), Notice (2)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attribute: Knowledge

Equipment: Medicine Box (a special item, it

provides one extra die to all First Aid checks)

Equip Cost: 5

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ARCHETYPES

Weapons: None

Special Abilities: None

Fate: Goal: Protect the weak

Description: In Tenra, the healing arts are not

prevalent. Healers are still rare and often respected

and sought after in times of need.

Notes: The Northern Court of the Priesthood has

made their advanced technology public, including

external medicine. The number of people aspiring

to be doctors has been increasing lately, but it is still

not prevalent among the general public.

Kabukimono/Punk

You always wish to stand out, and cannot bear

being ignored.

Karma Cost: 15

Skills: Pillow Arts (3), Perform (2)

Attribute Penalty: 1

Primary Attributes: Spirit, Station

Station Requirement: 5

Equipment: Flashy clothes, soulgem blade (damage

+5, soulgem blade, large, oddly-shaped), 10

additional soulgems

Equip Cost: 12

Weapons:

Scarlet-Steel Gemblade: Damage +5, RoF 3, Ammo

Special Abilities: None

Fate: Emotion: Must be the center of attention

Description: “Kabukimono” (gaudy/flashy person)

always wear flashy, colorful, odd fashions. The

“punks” of Tenra.

Notes: Most kabukimono have no masters, and live

freely as drifters and gypsies.

Traveling Performer

You have lived a life of solitude, surviving by your

craft alone, but all you really wish for is a family or

a place to belong.

Karma Cost: 10

Skills: Perform (3), Notice (2), Information (2)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attribute: Empathy

Equipment: Instrument, Costume

Equip Cost: 0

Weapons: None

Special Abilities: None

Fate: Emotion: Longing for a family

Description: Traveling far and wide throughout

Tenra, living offyour craft, you fill the dual roles of

information bearer and entertainer. In Tenra you are

one of the nameless, the orphaned and forgotten,

one with no family name or connections.

Thief

You grew up in the gutter of humanity. There is

only one kind of person who you have no tolerance

for; those who look down upon those less fortunate

or of lower station than themselves.

Karma Cost: 25

Skills: Movement (3), Stealth (3), Forgery (2),

Criminal Arts (2)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attribute: Agility

Equipment: Thief tools

Equip Cost: 0

Weapons:

Throwing knife: Damage +2, RoF 3, Range 10m,

Ammo: A Lot

Special Abilities: None

Fate: Emotion: Hatred of hypocrisy

Description: You grew up a thief. In the underworld

one must look out for self as there is no one to look

out for you. You live on your own terms and answer

to no one.

Playboy/Harlot/Concubine

You cannot stand to be alone. You feel uneasy unless

you are constantly in the company of others, and

you are in constant fear of losing that company.

Karma Cost: 15

Skills: Pillow Arts (3), Information (3)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attribute: Empathy

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ARCHETYPES

Equipment: Silk kimono, make-up kit

Equip Cost: 0

Weapons: None

Special Abilities: None

Fate: Emotion: Fear of loneliness

Description: You are a traveling harlot, concubine,

courtesan or perhaps just a playboy, traveling from

city to city.

Vassal Servant

Whether you were defeated in mortal combat, or

due to the death of your lord, for some reason you

didn’t die when you should have. Ever since, you

wish nothing but to one day find eternal peace.

Karma Cost: 5

Skills: Etiquette (3), First Aid (2)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attribute: Station

Station Requirement: 3

Equipment: Vassal uniform, formal attire

Equip Cost: 0

Weapons:

Katana: Damage +3

Short sword: Damage +2

Special Abilities: Fated to die. You are already dead.

Your Dead Box is already filled, because it is your

fate to die. Add 3 extra dice to all rolls. As long as

your Fate remains listed as “Seeking Death” you

cannot die unless knocked unconscious.

Fate: Other: Seeking Death

Description: Vassals are those whose loyalty to their

regents or vassal lords is so strong that not even

death could break their bond. Every royal house has

such a servant.

Notes: Where and when will you die? Nothing else

occupies your mind. You seek nothing other than

to die in peace. However, you also have the ability

to escape or change that seemingly unbreakable

fate. Feel free to sublimate this Fate at any time and

uncheck the Dead Box when you find something

worth living for.

Wanderer

You live a free life, going wherever the wind takes

you. There are a variety of possibilities as to why

you live such a life. It could simply be that it suits

your personality, or maybe you were forced into it.

The exact reason is up to you.

Karma Cost: 20

Skills: Information (3), Notice (3), First Aid (2)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attribute: Empathy

Equipment: walking stick, traveling clothes

Equip Cost: 0

Weapons: None

Special Abilities: None

Fate: Goal: To be truly free

Description: Wanderers are nomads who travel

Tenra. Their reasons vary; some are fugitives, while

others are pilgrims or simply drifters. You live a

carefree life of abandon, with nothing and no one to

tie you down.

Court Servant

You would do anything for the country you serve.

Even if the lord you serve changes, your loyalty will

not waver for the domain.

Karma Cost: 10

Skills: Etiquette (3), Art of Rule (2)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attribute: Station

Station Requirement: 4

Equipment: 25 additional soulgems

Equip Cost: 5

Weapons:

Great gemblade katana: Damage +5, RoF 2, Ammo

Special Abilities: None

Fate: Emotion: Loyalty to your domain

Description: Court Servants are military officers

and/or government officials who serve their domain

in an administrative capacity. It is people like you

that keep the country running smoothly.

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ARCHETYPES

Aristocrat/Princess

You are a patriot, forever loyal to your domain.

Everything you do is for your domain.

Karma Cost: 20

Skills: Etiquette (3), Art of Rule (3)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attribute: Spirit, Station

Station Requirement: 2

Equipment: fancy clothes, gold jewelry (worth 10

ryo)

Equip Cost: 5

Weapons:

Soulgem Short Sword: Damage +2, RoF 2, Ammo 4

Special Abilities: None

Fate: Emotion: Loyalty to domain

Description: You live for your regent or vassal lord.

You see the world through the eyes of a leader of

the realm, and see everything as an object to be

controlled or a person to be ruled over.

WAR ARCHETYPES

Swordmaster

Due to an accident in the past, you have vowed

never to kill again.

Karma Cost: 30

Skills: Melee Weapons (4)

Attribute Penalty: 1

Primary Attribute: Agility

Station Requirement: 4

Equipment: Masterwork sword “Beast-slayer”

(masterwork soulgem greatsword), 15 additional

soulgems

Equip Cost: 10

Weapons:

Beast-slayer:Damage +7, RoF 5, Ammo 8

Special Abilities: None

Fate: Taboo: Killing

Description: You are a young gifted swordmaster,

and the sword you carry has been passed down in

your family for generations.

Notes: In choosing this archetype, it doesn’t mean

that you will absolutely never fight (or even kill). It’s

just that at some point, you have vowed to never kill

again. Will that vow stand when provoked?

Paragon

Your quest to find true strength brought you to seek

out the secret teachings of the Ki Manipulation

Style. But even after being initiated into the style,

you still have not found your answer.

Karma Cost: 20

Skills: Art of War: Ki Manipulation (4)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attributes: Agility, Spirit, Station

Station Requirement: 3

Equipment: Secret Martial Manuscripts

Equip Cost: 0

Weapons:

Katana: Damage +3

Special Abilities: None

Fate: Goal: To Know What Is True Strength

Description: You are a disciple of art of Ki

Manipulation, one of the many arts of war in Tenra.

Among those who follow the path of the weapon

master, your name is well-known.

Notes: Player is free to choose from another art of

war instead of Ki Manipulation.

Mercenary

Now a low ranking soldier, you hope to one day

become a famous general.

Karma Cost: 30

Skills: Melee Weapons (3), Marksman (3),

Information (3)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attributes: Body, Agility

Equipment: None

Equip Cost: 0

Weapons: None

Special Abilities: None

Fate: Emotion: Ambition

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ARCHETYPES

Description: In war, there are many soldiers-for-

hire like yourself. For you, and those like you, the

battlefield is your life.

Notes: Because your equipment depends on your

fighting style, no data is given here. Choose your

weapons from the weapon rules section.

Soulgem Rifleman

You take great pride in you skill with the rifle and

constantly work to further hone your skills with

your chosen weapon. Ultimate skill with the rifle is

a treasure you are constantly chasing after.

Karma Cost: 15

Skills: Marksman (3), Notice (2)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attributes: Senses, Station

Station Requirement: 4

Equipment: 25 additional soulgems

Equip Cost: 10

Weapons:

Soulgem Rifle: Damage +5, RoF 2, range 100m,

Ammo 8

Special Abilities: None

Fate: Goal: Attain ultimate skill

Description: In the modern battlefield, gunpowder

weapons have begun to replace the older soulgem

ones. While other warriors have been swayed by

the mass destruction these weapon enable and blast

everything in sight, you patiently wait, killing your

enemy with a single precise shot.

Gunlancer

You both fear and hate disloyalty, regardless of

whether you are the victim of perpetrator. This

could be due to some event in your past, or simply

your professional honor.

Karma Cost: 56

Skills: Marksman (4), Notice (3), Pursuit/Hunt (2),

Stealth (2)

Attribute Penalty: 1

Primary Attributes: Agility, Senses

Station Requirement: 6

Equipment: Gunlance, 10 additional soulgems

Equip Cost: 12

Weapons:

Gunlance

Ranged: Damage +10, RoF 1, range 400m, Ammo

Melee: Explosive Spiker: Damage +4 (+6), RoF 1,

Ammo 1 (+6 damage happens when 1 soulgem is

spent to activate explosive spiker)

Special Abilities: none

Fate: Taboo: Disloyalty

Description: You are an elite soldier, skilled in both

sharpshooting and tracking.

Lordless Soldier

Your army was defeated in war and your homeland

was shattered. Before the war, you had complete

faith in your army’s power. But that faith was

shaken when your so-called powerful army was

annihilated.

Karma Cost: 13

Skills: Melee Weapons (3), Marksman (2), Stealth

(2)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attribute: Spirit, Station

Station Requirement: 4

Equipment: Broken breastplate (memento)

Equip Cost: 3

Weapons:

Rifle:Damage +5, RoF 1, Range 50m, Ammo 3

Special Abilities: None

Fate: Emotion: Suspicious of Power

Description:Defeated in battle, you are the only

surviving soldier of your homeland (region or

country). You don’t even remember what the war

was for anymore. Will you search for another lord to

employ you as a soldier? Or perhaps you have other

plans…

Assassin

You understand very well that killing people is

wrong. And yet, you can’t escape the fate that

you’ve stumbled into. Giving up on your lifestyle

and turning your back on your master is out of the

question. Plus, there’s that special reason that you

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ARCHETYPES

need the money…

You are asked to kill, and thus you kill. But it is

leaving an empty space within you which grows

with every assassination.

Karma Cost: 20

Skills: Melee Weapons (3), Information (3)

Attribute Penalty: 1

Primary Attribute: Spirit

Station Requirement: 5

Equipment: Fey blade katana: “Nameless”

Equip Cost: 10

Weapons:

Nameless: Damage +7 (Fey, wicked-looking)

Special Abilities: none

Fate: Emotion: Emptiness

Description: You only know how to live as an

assassin. However, recently you have begun to hate

that piece inside of you that only knows the ways of

killing.

Notes: Your named Katana is known as a “fey

blade”, a magical, wicked and rumored cursed

weapon. The nature of the origin and curse behind

the weapon are up to the player.

Dragoon

You charge into battle together with your horse

companion. Your companion is more than a friend

to you, and without him you could not fight.

Karma Cost: 40

Skills: Melee Weapons (3), Marksman (3), Art of

War: Typhoon Rider Style (3)

Attribute Penalty: 1

Primary Attributes: Agility, Senses, Station

Station Requirement: 5

Equipment: A favorite horse companion, “Howling

Dragon” (custom soulgem rifle), 15 additional

soulgems

Equip Cost: 17

Weapons:

Howling Dragon: Damage +7, RoF 4, range 100m,

Ammo 10

Special Abilities: None

Fate:Emotion: Love of Riding (name of mount)

Description: Heavy cavalry was once the flower

of the battlefield in Tenra, but combat has gone

through great changes recently. Guns have largely

replaced spears, and warlords now make use of

machines in the battlefield. This is a new age for the

elite cavalry once known as the “Dragoon”. Once

feared above all, they are now often seen as holding

on to archaic methods.

Notes: Choose a name and description for your

horse. You may also choose an alternate Art of War.

Maneuvers using the horse are made using the

rider’s Movement skill. The horse has no stats of its

own here; it is an extension of the warrior. It makes

no unique attacks, and presumably it will die with

its rider.

Ayakashi Hunter

Ayakashi are nothing more than demons who play

with the souls of men before devouring them. You

won’t rest until you’ve wiped every single one of

these innately evil creatures from the face of Tenra.

Karma Cost: 25

Skills: Notice (2), Hunt/Pursuit (3)

Attribute Penalty: 1

Primary Attributes: Spirit, Station

Station Requirement: 6

Equipment: Black monk robes, “Vajra Blade”: A

vajra symbol-shaped yoroi shortsword with Taoist

demon-warding runes carved into it

Equip Cost: 10

Weapons:

Vajra Blade: Damage +8, RoF 2, Ammo 4

Special Abilities: None

Fate: Hatred of Ayakashi

Description: You are a wandering demon hunter

who travels from town to town, making a living

from slaying ayakashi for money.

Weapon Collector

You’re not sure when it started to happen. But now,

every time you see a strong weapon or a unique

killing tool, you can’t focus on anything other than

getting your hands on it. You have many weapons

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already, but they are not enough: You need more.

That’s all you care about.

Karma Cost: 19

Skills: Information (3)

Attribute Penalty: 5

Station Requirement: 5

Equipment: A collection of unique, disturbing, fey,

and customized weapons.

Equip Cost: 19

Weapons:

Triple Comet Blade: Damage +3, RoF 3, Range 5m,

Ammo 3

Fey Spiked Tetsubo: Damage +7

Double-ended Katana: Damage +6

Divine Lotus (Gunpowder Chaingun): Damage +4,

RoF 7, Range 30m, Ammo 14

Tiger Kick (Soulgem Kongohki Foot-laws): Damage

+4, RoF 5, Ammo 10

Katana (many, many katana): Damage +3

Special Abilities: none

Fate: Goal: Collect Unique Weapons

Description: You have made a life-goal out of

questing for and collecting unique weapons. You

walk into battle like a living arsenal.

SPECIALIST ARCHETYPES:

ARMOUR-RIDERS

Yoroi Armour Rider

Your yoroi armour is the closest thing you have to a

friend, and you value it over anything.

Karma Cost: 60

Skills: Interface (4), Notice (2)

Attribute Penalty: 1

Primary Attribute: Empathy, Station

Station Requirement: 8

Equipment: Yoroi “Devourer”, interface helm,

soulcord, meikyo mirror, uniform

Yoroi: “Devourer” (Body: 7, Agility: 7, Senses: 7,

Vitality: 14)

Armour Wounds: 7/4/2/1

Gale Speed Rollers: Increases speed by x3, provides

+2 dice to Evasion checks.

Yoroi Gemblade Katana: Damage +9, RoF, 6,

Ammo 12

Howling Dragon Mortar: Damage +9, RoF 4, range

1km, Ammo 6

Explosive Spiker: Damage +7 (+9), RoF 1, range -,

Ammo 9

50 additional soulgems

Humanoid head, 2 arms, 2 legs

Equip Cost: 35

Weapons:

Shortsword: Damage +2

Special Abilities: Armour damage. When you are

inside your armour, you can choose to absorb some

of the wound damage (but not to Vitality) the yoroi

would normally take: Distribute this damage to the

pilot’s wound gauge instead. See the armour rules

for details.

Fate: Emotion: Affection for your armour

Description: Yoroi armour pilots are generally

chosen from the children of nobles such as vassal

lords or from potential shrine maidens. Such

children have not yet accumulated much Karma,

and are therefore ideal to interface with an armour’s

meikyo.

Notes: See the armour rules regarding damage and

Karma accumulation.

Kimen Armour Rider

You feel great pride in your armour, and believe

that that your kimen yoroi is more capable on the

battlefield than the samurai or the meikyo-class

yoroi armours operated by children.

Karma Cost: 23

Skills: Interface (2), Notice (2), Information (2)

Attribute Penalty: 1

Primary Attributes: Spirit, Station

Station Requirement: 6

Equipment: Kimen-yoroi, interface helm, food and

water provisions

Kimen Yoroi: “Iron Demon Mark II”

(Body: 5, Agility: 8, Senses: 8, Vitality: 10)

Gale Speed Rollers: x3 movement speed, +2 dice to

Evasion skill rolls

Eyes of Distant Death: +2 dice to Marksman skill

rolls

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Yoroi Greatsword: Damage +9

Heavy Repeater: Damage +3, RoF 5, Range 50m,

Ammo 30 (3 Karma).

Great Cannon: Damage +10, RoF 1, Range 120m,

Ammo 1 (3 Karma).

Equip Cost: 23

Weapons:

Holdout Pistol: Damage +3, RoF 3, Range 10m,

Ammo 6

Special Abilities: None

Fate: Emotion: Pride in your Armour

Description: Kimen armours are mass-produced

machines operated by those who have accumulated

Karma (usually adults and late teenagers. Riders

of these armours are often selected from soldiers

with considerable combat experience. They are

also chosen for missions which make use of such

experience, like military campaigns, skirmishes, and

protection missions.

Notes: For more details on yoroi armours, please see

the armour rules section for details.

Former Armour Rider

Ever since you lost your yoroi armour, your

feelings toward them have turned to hatred. You

have become a yorori hunter and believe that by

destroying them you can somehow save yourself or

change what you did.

Karma Cost: 10

Skills: Interface (3), Etiquette (2), Art of Rule (2)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attribute: Empathy

Equipment: None

Equip Cost: 0

Weapons: None

Special Abilities: None

Fate: Emotion: Hatred of Yoroi Armours

Description: Not all yoroi armour pilots are able to

continue to ride their armours forever. Most who are

forced to abandon their yoroi, for whatever reason,

cannot cope with the change. But such is war.

Notes:See the armour rules section for more details.

Armour Hunter

You have lived your life striving to be the strongest.

You believe that hunting the yoroi, the most

powerful force on the battlefield, will be the proof

of true strength.

Karma Cost: 30

Skills: Melee Weapons (4)

Attribute Penalty: 1

Primary Attributes: Agility, Station

Station Requirement: 6

Equipment: Zakt-8 Ultimate Edge, 5 additional

soulgems. A yoroi short sword modified so a

human can use it. This is considered to be the most

powerful melee weapon in all of Tenra.

Equip Cost: 10

Weapons:

Zakt-8: Damage +6, RoF 8, Ammo 8

Special Abilities: None

Fate: Emotion: Look Up to the Strong

Description: You are a yoroi armour hunter, a

member of an elite force of anti-armour personnel.

Your vassal lord, having no yoroi technology of his

own, spares no expense hiring specialists like you to

combat enemy armours.

SPECIALIST ARCHETYPES: ONMYOJI

Onmyoji—Taoist Sorcerer

Your constant, insatiable desire to see and know

things keeps you going. Nothing can get in your

way of finding the truth behind something.

Karma Cost: 50

Skills: Onmyojutsu (4), Etiquette (3)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attributes: Knowledge, Spirit, Station

Equipment: Kimenkyo and abacus, ink and brush,

10 prayer strips, 5 soulgems

Equip Cost: 15

Weapons: None

Special Abilities: Onmyoji magic

Fate: Goal: Satisfy your intellectual curiosity

Description: Onmyoji are not only the finest

magical artists in Tenra, but the most skilled

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ARCHETYPES

engineers as well.

Notes: See the onmyoji rules section for rules on

summoning.

Onmyoji Apprentice

You focus everything on polishing your skills in

sorcery and learning new shiki.

Karma Cost: 10

Skills: Onmyojutsu (2), Etiquette (2), Evasion (2)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attributes: Knowledge, Spirit, Station

Equipment: Taoist Sorcery tools (various scrolls,

charts, and medallions), 1 talisman

Equip Cost: 10

Weapons: None

Special Abilities: Onmyoji magic

Fate: Goal: Improve your onmyojutsu skills

Description: You are still a student striving to

become the one of the best Taoist sorcerers of

all time. You hope that you can one day see the

mystical realms and hidden realities that your

mentor sees.

Notes:See the onmyoji rules section for rules on

summoning.

Talisman-User

You have a deep, burning hatred of all samurai.

Karma Cost: 30

Skills: Notice (3)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attributes: Spirit

Equipment: 3 talisman

Anti-Samurai (“Winged Wyrm”)

Creation Points: 20 Soul: 10

Shiki Destroyer: 3

Flight: 2 (400km/minute)

Possession: 1

Abilities: 4 Skills: 2 Vitality: 4

Sense Link: Yes

Observer (“Demon Eye”)

Creation Points: 20 Soul: 10

Senses: 4 (40m radius)

Prolong Summoning: 2 (Spirit x3 rounds)

Flight: 1 (200m/minute)

Explosion: 6 (6 pts to all in a 3m

radius)

Possession: 1

Abilities: 4 Skills: 2 Vitality: 4

Damage: +1 Range: 10m

Sensory Link: Yes

Shiki Blade (“Weeping Sakura”)

Creation Points: 20 Soul: 10

Additional Damage: 6

Possession: 1

Shapechange

Abilities: 4 Skills: 2 Vitality: 4

Damage: +6

Sensory Link: Yes

* Transforms into a +6 damage sword. Before

transformation occurs, the talisman appears as

a young girl

Equip Cost: 30

Weapons: None

Special Abilities: None

Fate: Emotion: Hatred of samurai

Description: You have studied the secrets of Tao

sorcery in order to defeat with those who have

transcended their humanity in return for raw

power: the samurai.

Notes: See the onmyojutsu rules for details.

Shiki-Slinger

You have no patience for the Taoist sorcerers of old,

the so-called artists who use the power of shiki as in

the old days without purpose or growth. You look

upon them with scorn and contempt.

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Karma Cost: 20

Skills: Onmyojutsu (3), Art of Rule (2)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attributes: Knowledge, Spirit, Station

Equipment: Kimenkyo calculation device, abacus,

ink and brush, 10 shiki strips, 5 soulgems

Equip Cost: 15

Weapons: None

Special Abilities: None

Fate: Emotion: Hostility Towards Classical Onmyoji

Description: Shiki-slingers is the nickname given

to those who study Onmyoji as a pure science.

They enhance their practice with the abacus

and kimenkyo in order to cast quickly, and to

understand more of the practice of summoning.

Notes:See the onmyoji rules section for more details.

Please have a copy of the rules handy for instant

casting.

Kijin Shiki-Slinger

You’re studied the classics, you’ve served on the

battlefield as a summoner. Now many of your elders

refer to you as “that guy who only knows how to

sling shiki” and see you as a wildcard, but you’re

simply pursuing a dream: To follow the ultimate

trail of knowledge of onmyojutsu, no matter where

it might lead.

Karma Cost: 30

Skills: Onmyojutsu (3), Criminal Arts (3)

Attribute Penalty: 3

Primary Attributes: Agility, Knowledge

Equipment: Kimenkyo and abacus, brush and

ink, 10 prayer strips, 5 soulgems, a number of

mechanica:

• Darksight: You can see in darkness. Add 2 dice to

all sense rolls while in darkness.

• Sha sensors: By looking at a shiki or samurai,

you can attempt a Knowledge: Omyojutsu roll to

determine the level of its abilities.

• Mechanica arm, Hei-class (one arm): +3 damage

in combat.

• Kairen Fingers: When using Onmyojutsu (or

Buddhist magic or Ninjutsu), add +3 dice to each

roll.

Equip Cost: 15

Weapons: none

Special Abilities: none

Fate: Emotion: Research the Way of Onmyoji

Description: See the Onmyoji rules section for more

information on summoning.

SPECIALIST ARCHETYPES: SAMURAI

Samurai

In this dog-eat-dog world, you believe weakness to

be a sin. The weak are worthless… like you once

were. The fires of hatred burning inside you are not

limited to the weakness of others.

Karma Cost: 45

Skills: Willpower (3), Notice (2), First Aid (2)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attributes: Agility, Spirit

Station Requirement: 2

Equipment: Samurai Build

Battle: 3 (Body, Agility, and Senses gain a +3 bonus

when activated)

Regeneration: 1 (regain 1 point of vitality per

round)

Soulfind: 1 (samurai can detect all human or larger

life forms in a 10m radius.)

Possession: 1 (to bind the shiki to the samurai)

Soul point cost: 5 to activate

Duration: Number of rounds equal to Spirit

Soulgems implanted: 15

Equip Cost: 35

Weapons:

Greatsword: Damage +5

Special Abilities: Samurai transformation

• This ability consumes 5 Soul every time it is used.

• Activation takes one action. Enhanced samurai

ability scores can be used after the activation action

has taken place.

• Duration of the transformation is equal to the

Spirit of the samurai.

• The character may transform as many times as the

Soul activation cost will allow.

Fate: Emotion: Hatred of weaknesses

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ARCHETYPES

Description: Samurai are those whose bodies

have been enchanted by soulgems. Samurai

transformation is the transformation that occurs

when these soulgems are invoked. When that

happens, you gain power which transcends that of

normal humans.

Notes:For other samurai loadouts, please see the

samurai rules section.

Fallen Samurai

You fear and loathe the great power that you have

attained. Due to the terrible things you are capable

of under the power of your shiki, you have vowed to

never invoke a transformation again…

Karma Cost: 70

Skills:Melee Weapons (4)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attributes: Agility, Spirit

Station Requirement: 3

Equipment: Samurai Build

Battle: 5 (Body, Agility, and Senses gain a +5 bonus)

Regeneration: 2 (regain 2 points of vitality per

round)

Possession: 1 (to bind the shiki to the samurai)

Soul point cost: 10 to activate

Duration: Number of rounds equal to Spirit

Soulgem implants: 10

Equip Cost: 50

Weapons:

Katana: Damage +3

Special Abilities: Samurai transformation

• This ability consumes 10 Soul every time it is

used.

• Activation takes one action (in combat). Samurai

ability scores can be used after the activation action

has taken place.

• Duration of the transformation is equal to the

spirit score of the samurai

• There is no limit for transformation per day, as

long as the character has enough Soul to activate it

each time.

Fate: Taboo: Samurai transformation

Description: Samurai are those whose bodies

have been enchanted by soulgems. Samurai

transformation is the transformation that occurs

when these soulgems are invoked. When that

happens, you gain power which transcends that of

normal humans.

Notes:Feel free to change your Fate in-play, or break

your taboo when appropriate for the story.

SPECIALIST ARCHETYPES: MONKS

Buddhist Monk

You became a monk and have diligently performed

your religious practices ever since. Even though you

have left the temple, you continue to faithfully keep

the precepts and teach the dharma.

Karma Cost: 35

Skills: Buddhist Magic (4), Persuasion (3)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attribute: Spirit, Empathy

Station Requirement: 2

Equipment: Ritual Components, Monk’s robes

Equip Cost: 0

Weapons:

Iron Staff: Damage +2

Special Abilities: None

Fate: Taboo: Disobeying the Precepts

Description:As a monk, you must keep the

following religious precepts:

Prohibition: against taking another life

Prohibition: against stealing

Prohibition: against consuming alcohol

Prohibition: against sexual misconduct

Prohibition: against speaking falsely

Notes: You are free to choose any sect, but Ebon

Mountain is the default sect for this archetype.

Fallen Monk

You constantly put yourself in dangerous situations.

You believe that danger should be experienced and

enjoyed.

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ARCHETYPES

Karma Cost: 10

Skills: Buddhist Magic (3), Persuasion (2),

Information (2)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attributes: Spirit, Empathy

Station Requirement: 2

Equipment: Clothes, monk robes, magic

components

Equip Cost: 0

Weapons:

Iron Staff: Damage +2

Special Abilities: None

Fate: Goal: Revel in danger

Description: Whether for some sort of religious

practice or simple depravity, you have forsaken the

Buddhist precepts and left the cloistered priesthood

for the outside world. You now do as you please.

Notes: Read the Buddhism rules section for

information on Buddhist magic and abilities. You

are free to choose any sect, but Ebon Mountain is

the default for this archetype.

The Fist of Acala

The martial arts style known as Fist of Acala the

Immovable was developed as kind of a religious

practice in order to train the minds of bodies of

young monks; therefore it rarely used outside of the

monastery. It is forbidden for the art to be used to

harm living creatures.

Karma Cost: 35

Skills: Unarmed Combat (4), Art of War: Fist of

Acala the Immovable (3)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attribute: Body

Equipment: Black monk’s robes

Equip Cost: 0

Weapons:

Martial Arts: Damage +4

Special Abilities: None

Fate: Taboo: Fighting

Description: You are a student of the Fist of Acala

the Immovable Lord of Light. Usually a practitioner

of the style is a Buddhist monk but this is not

required.

Notes: You are free to change your martial arts style

to another. Make changes to the damage rating of

the martial arts as appropriate. Also, the taboo is

not meant to be a straightjacket: It can be bent or

broken.

Fist of Merciful Kannon

You believe that the Fist of Merciful Kannon the

Thousand-Armed is the strongest form of martial

arts in the world. As a martial artist of the style, you

have not yet been defeated. Surely this is proof of

the power of the art itself, and your skill with it.

Karma Cost: 35

Skills: Art of War: Fist of Merciful Kannon the

Thousand-Armed (4), Unarmed Combat (3)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attribute: Agility

Equipment: None

Equip Cost: 0

Weapons:

Martial Arts: Damage +10

Special Abilities: None

Fate: Goal: To be the strongest in all of Tenra

Description: You are a martial artist of the Fist of

Merciful Kannon the Thousand-Armed. Nothing

can match the speed of your strikes.

Notes: You are free to change the martial arts

style. For more information on the martial arts of

Buddhist monks, see the Buddhist rules section.

Devoted Warrior-Monk

You believe that if you continue to fight for your

sect, you can someday save all of humanity. You are

a warrior-monk of the powerful Phoenix order. The

iron discipline and unbending loyalty to the sect has

made you and your fellow warrior-monks a military

force to reckon with.

Karma Cost: 30

Skills: Melee Weapons (3), Etiquette (3), Persuasion

(2)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attributes: Body, Spirit, Empathy, Station

Station Requirement: 6

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ARCHETYPES

Equipment: 25 additional soulgems

Equip Cost: 10

Weapons:

Soulgem spear: Damage +5, RoF 5, Ammo 20

Special Abilities: None

Fate: Goal: Save all sentient beings

Description:

Notes: See the Buddhist Monk game section for

background on the warrior-monks of the Phoenix

order.

SPECIALIST ARCHETYPES: KIJIN

Kijin

Ashamed of your own physical weaknesses, you

gave up your physical form and replaced it with

mechanica. However you will never forget the

humiliation you felt when you were a nobody and

will stand up for those in need.

Karma Cost:1 5

Skills: Unarmed Combat (3), Marksman (3)

Attribute Penalty: 5

Primary Attributes: Body, Senses

Equipment:

Kijin Mechanica

Mechanica Sensor: one eye, class otsu, provides +5

to rolls to perception checks

Darksight: You can see in darkness. Add 2 dice to

all Sense rolls while in darkness.

Eye of Distant Death: Add 2 dice for all Marksman

rolls.

Mechanica Arms: both arms, class otsu, provides +5

to damage to hits with unarmed combat, melee, and

thrown weapons

Five-barrel Gatling: Your fingers form a machine

gun.

Damage: +3 RoF: 5 Range: 20m Ammo: 30

Vajra Claws: Razor-sharp soulgem claws protrude

from your fingertips.

Damage: +3 RoF: 3 Ammo: 6

Grudge Blade: A retractable short sword protrudes

from your forearm.

Damage: +5

Weapon Interface: Provides +2 dice to attack rolls

with 5-barrel Gatling.

Equip Cost:0 (but attribute penalty of 5)

Weapons:

Five-barrel Gatling: Damage +3, RoF 5, Range

20m, Ammo 30

Vajra Claws: Damage +3 (+8 total), RoF3, Ammo 6

Grudge Blade: Damage +5 (+10 total) (the number

in parentheses is the adjustment for having otsu-

class arm mechanica)

Special Abilities: None

Fate: Emotion: Sympathy towards the weak

Description: Kijin are a recent development in

Tenra; humans who have replaced weak, lost, or

disabled body parts with machine. However, there

are some who even replace working body parts with

mechanica. You can choose if your mechanica were

replacements of broken limbs after a war, or healthy

limbs after a decision to replace them.

Notes:See the mechanica list for more details, and

the kijin section for other possible kijin loadouts.

SPECIALIST ARCHETYPES: KONGOHKI

Kongohki

The memories of your previous life remain within

your meikyo: memories full of regret, sadness, and

guilt. This Fate is ranked at four dots initially.

Karma Cost: 70

Skills: Marksman (3), Melee Weapons (3), Unarmed

Combat (3), Stealth (3)

Attribute Penalty: 18

Primary Attributes: Spirit

Station Requirement: 3

Equipment:

Gale Speed Rol lers: High Speed Movement (x3), +2

to all Evasion checks

Lifepulse: Detect life in a (Spirit x 10) meter radius

Equip Cost: 25

Ninja soulgem sword: Damage +3, RoF3, Ammo 6

Double-edged soulgem shortsword: Damage +2,

RoF 2, Ammo 6

Hooked fang dagger: Damage +1

Special Abilities: Kongohki Overdrive

Flashback: As long as your Fate remains as “Sealed

Memory”, whenever the number of your Aiki tokens

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ARCHETYPES

exceed your Empathy score, you receive a flashback

scene from your former life. The flashback consists

of dreamlike, fragmentary images—somewhat like

a movie trailer. The contents of the flashback are up

to the GM. If a flashback occurs in mid battle, the

character cannot take actions for that round.

Fate: Kongohki: Sealed Memory

Description: Kongohki are made from binding the

soul of an asura (a soul which died under extreme

stress or Karma and did not move on to the afterlife)

inside of a meikyo soul mirror. The violent soul of

the asura is harnessed in a very delicate procedure

which ends up suppressing all of its memories. It

is this tormented soul that gives the kongohki its

strength. However, if this balance deteriorates, you

will remember your former identity, and likely go

crazy (or become an asura again) in the process.

Notes: At character creation, you have the following

attribute scores: Body 7, Agility 9, Senses 7, and 22

points to spend on the other attributes. You cannot

add or subtract attribute points from those three

attributes at character creation.

Kimen Kongohki

The memories of your previous life remain within

your kimen soul mirror: memories full of regret,

sadness, and guilt. This Fate is ranked at four dots

initially.

Karma Cost: 40

Skills: Marksman (3), Unarmed Combat (3), Stealth

(2)

Attribute Penalty: 18

Primary Attributes: Spirit, Station

Station Requirement: 2

Equipment:

Gale Speed Rollers: x3 movement speed, +2 to

Evasion skill rolls

Brilliant Flower of Destruction: Explodes, doing 30

damage to all in a 15m radius

Equip Cost: 20

Explosive Spiker: Damage +3/+5, RoF 1, Ammo 3

Thunder Mortar: Damage +7, RoF 1, Range 4km,

Ammo 1

Shuriken: Damage +1, RoF 5, Range 15m,

Ammo: A Lot

Special Abilities: Kongohki Overdrive

Flashback: As long as your Fate remains as “Sealed

Memory”, whenever the number of your Aiki tokens

exceeds your Empathy score, you receive a flashback

scene from your former life. The flashback consists

of dreamlike, fragmentary images somewhat like a

movie trailer. The contents of the flashback are up

to the GM. If a flashback occurs in mid battle, the

character cannot take actions for that round.

Fate: Kongohki: Sealed Memory

Description: Kimen Kongohki are made from

wiping the memories of a fallen Asura soul, then

binding it into a kimenkyo calculation engine.

While the soul bound to the kimenkyo doesn’t

surge in power as it accumulates Karma like the

meikyo-based kongohki, they are still powerful steel

demons on the battlefield. When the soul manifests

itself, the kimen kongohki can still fly into a

powerful rage or other emotional state.

Notes:At character creation, you have the following

attribute scores: Body 7, Agility 9, Senses 7, and 22

points to spend on the other attributes. You cannot

add or subtract attribute points from those three

attributes at character creation.

Runaway Kongohki

The seal locking out your human memories has

already been broken. Sealed away in your meikyo

were once the memories of your former self,

memories of unspeakable crimes committed by the

fallen soul within you—your soul, when you were

an Asura. You now have to eventually face that past,

or else it will consume you.

Karma Cost: 55

Skills: Unarmed Combat (3), Marksman(3), Melee

Weapons (2), Stealth (2)

Attribute Penalty: 18

Primary Attributes: Spirit, Station

Station Requirement: 4

Equipment:

Eyes of Distant Death: +2 dice to all Marksman

skill rolls

Heaven’s Fire: Leap vertically up to 20m, 3 times

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per session

20 soulgems

Equip Cost: 30

Weapons:

Soulgem Vajra Claws: Damage +3, RoF3, Ammo 6

Explosive Spiker: Damage +3 (+5), RoF1, Ammo 3

Heavy repeater: Damage +3, RoF 5, Range 50m,

Ammo 30

Special Abilities:

Kongohki Overdrive

Fate: Emotion: Fear of Yourself

Description: Kongohki are made from inserting the

soul of an asura inside a meikyo. These memories

are normally sealed away behind magical locks. You,

however, have found a way to access them. You

know who you are, and what you have become: a

human soul now residing within a metal body. Your

mind is now slowly being consumed by the wild

emotions of your former self. Whether you embrace

who you were or find a new life is up to you.

Notes: At character creation, you have the following

attribute scores: Body 8, Agility 8, Senses 7, and 22

points to spend on the other attributes. You cannot

add or subtract attribute points from those three

attributes at character creation.

SPECIALIST ARCHETYPES: NINJA

Shinobi

You have lived your life as a tool of the clan, serving

the interests of your superiors. However, you have

begun to become disgruntled of your life and your

role as an object used by others.

Karma Cost: 55

Skills: Ninjutsu (4), Pursuit/Hunt (3)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attributes: Agility, Senses, Spirit, Station

Equipment: Shinobi Seal, ninja tools, disguise kit,

ninjustsu abilities

Equip Cost: 20

Weapons:

Ninja sword: Damage: +3

Shuriken: Damage: +1, range 15m, RoF 5,

Ammo: A Lot

Special Abilities: Shinobi Dark Arts 4 (decreases

Soul costs for ninjutsu use by 4, to a minimum of 1)

Ninjutsu: School of the Shore

2: Possessed by the Inner Wolf, Path of the Split

Arrow, Path of the Falling Leaves

3: Possessed by the Inner Demon, Shadow flight,

Ninja Duplication Technique

4: Mind’s Eye, Shadow Stitch Technique,

Shadowless Replication Technique

Fate: Misfortune: Property of the clan

Description: You represent the elite of the ninja, the

shinobi. In Tenra, the shadowy histories of the ninja

armies are surrounded by war and conspiracy, blood

washed with more blood.

Notes: The default style for the Shinobi is

Migawari-Ryu, but any other style can be

substituted.

Ninja Apprentice

Tired of your over-disciplined village life, you yearn

for a life of freedom.

Karma Cost: 5

Skills: Ninjutsu (2), Willpower (2), First Aid (2),

Evasion (2)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attributes: Agility, Senses, Spirit

Station Requirement: 2

Equipment: Ninja tools

Equip Cost: 0

Weapons:

Ninja sword: Damage +3

Special Abilities: Ninjutsu (Migawari-ryu)

Fate: Emotion: Yearning for freedom

Description: Ninja apprentices are the lowest

ranking and most numerous ninja in Tenra.

Sometimes referred to as genin or “low ninja”, they

are the workhorses and errand-boys of their ninja

camp.

Notes: See the shinobi section for rules on ninjutsu.

The character may choose any style, but Migawari-

ryu is the default style for this archetype.

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ARCHETYPES

Infiltrator

You have seen more than your share of the

underside of the world, and now you tend to look at

everything cynically.

Karma Cost: 10

Skills: Ninjutsu (3), Movement (2), Stealth(2)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attributes: Agility, Senses, Spirit

Equipment: Ninja tools

Equip Cost: 0

Weapons:

Ninja sword: Damage +3

Special Abilities: Ninjutsu

Fate: Other: Skeptic

Description: You are a ninja or spy employed by

a vassal lord, an intelligence operative for your

domain.

Notes: See the ninjutsu rules for more details.

Choose any school of ninjutsu.

SPECIALIST ARCHETYPES: ANNELIDIST

Annelidist

You feel that you can relate to the annelids

inhabiting your insides better than the humans

around you.

Karma Cost: 65

Skills: Wormcharm (4)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attributes: Body, Senses

Equipment: Annelids, annelid food, trap,cage

Annelids: Talonfang Bugs (5 ), Rejuvenation Worm

(3) 15 rejuvenation points, Mouth Creeper

Equip Cost: 45

Weapons:

Talonfang Bugs: Damage +5

Mouth Creeper: +1, Poison

Special Abilities: None

Fate: Emotion: Affection for Annelids

Description: You are an annelidist or “mushi-

tsukai”, a host to a variety of parasitic insects native

to Tenra known as “annelids”. You allow them to

live offyour body, and in turn they provide you with

various benefits.

Notes: See the annelidist rules for more details on

mouth creeper poison.

Annelid-Infested

You have a deep hatred of the annelids squirming

around inside your body. You refuse to admit the

fact that you and the worms inside mutually benefit

from the infestation. In truth, they have come to

your aid on more than one occasion.

Karma Cost: 10

Skills: Wormcharm (2)

Ability Penalties: 0

Primary Attributes: Body, Empathy

Equipment: Annelids

Annelids: Chitinshells (5) +5 permanent Vitality,

Rejuvenation Worms (2) 10 rejuvenation points

Equip Cost: 20

Weapons: None

Special Abilities: None

Fate: Emotion: Hatred of Annelids

Description: The annelids you now house inside

your body were once given to you by an annelidist,

who offered you a choice. If only you could relive

that moment you would surely have made a

different choice.

Notes: See the annelidist rules section for details.

Annelid Hunter

This horrible leech now wrapped around your

spinal cord and brain was implanted in you against

your will. You feel nothing but contempt for this

creature, which sometimes acts on its own accord

and takes the lives of others.

Karma Cost: 80

Skills: Wormcharm (3)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attribute: Body, Senses

Equipment: Annelids

Demon-of-Battle Annelid: When activated, adds +4

to Body and Agility, +6 to Senses. Vitality increases

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ARCHETYPES

by 10 points, and 20 Rejuvenation points.

Equip Cost: 80

Weapons:

Clawed Hands: Damage +8

Clawed Feet: Damage +6

Acid Spit: Damage +4, Range 5m, RoF 1. Acid

spit is considered a strength 4 acid attack, and will

damage the opponent until they wash or wipe offthe

acid.

Electrostatic Cannon: Damage +8, Range 18m, RoF

1. Electrostatic cannon can only be defended against

with the Evasion skill. Use Body: Wormcharm

when attacking with hooked and foot claws

and lightning bolt. You can defend and make

counterattacks with the claws.

Special Abilities: None

Fate: Emotion: Hatred of Annelids

Description: Demon-of-Battle annelids live a

parasitic existence inside the brain of their host.

Whenever the parasite senses danger it causes two

antennae to erupt from the forehead of the host. It

then transforms the host’s body by pulling the

resident sha energy, transforming the host’s skin into

chitin plates.

Rules: In order for the transformation to

successfully take place, you must make a Spirit:

Wormcharm check (difficulty 3), or a Spirit:

Willpower check (difficulty 4). If you fail the check

you blindly attack anything that was perceived by

the annelid to be an enemy and continue to attack

until the enemy is defeated. The player can choose

to activate the annelid at any time, but so can the

GM, against the player’s will.

SPECIALIST ARCHETYPES: AGENTS

Taira Agent Gyoshi/Miko

You have taken a vow of loyalty to the Court.

Discuss with the GM as to which House (Northern

or Southern) you are affi liated with, although

Northern House is considered the default House for

this archetype.

Karma Cost: 35

Skills: Interface (3), Shinto (2)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attribute: Knowledge, Station

Equipment: Amafuda Pass, Meikyo soul mirror,

Interface Helm

Equip Cost: 30

Weapons: None

Special Abilities: None

Fate: Emotion: Loyalty to the court

Description: The two Imperial Courts are the

organizations which rule over Tenra from the

shadows. And while Taira-ranking gyoshi priests

and miko maidens are their agents, the average

commoners also have a say in whom from their

villages and towns are chosen to attain this rank.

Notes: See the Shinto Agent character section for

more information on the Priesthood and agent

duties. Feel free to test your loyalty or change it in-

game.

Meikyo Puppeteer

You find the kongohki repulsive: Those which

have the souls of the fallen within them should

be destroyed as all Asura are. Their very existence

makes you cringe. And yet you excel at controlling

them through the meikyo soul-mirror, and are well

known for your skill at doing so.

Karma Cost: 50

Skills: Interface (3)

Attribute Penalty: 5

Primary Attribute: Spirit, Station

Station Requirement: 5

Equipment: meikyo, soulcord, splicer

interface helm, kimen-kongohki “pet”Kimen

Kongohki:“Dark Raven” (Body 8, Agility 8, Senses

7, Vitality 18)

Battlefield Mastery: Kongohki vision extends range

of sight to Senses x200m. It also adds +2 dice to all

Strategy and Art of Rule checks.

Lifepulse Extend: Increases effectiveness of the

Lifepulse ability to Senses x100m

Brilliant Flower of Destruction: Explodes, doing 30

points of damage to all in a 15m radius

Kongohki Weapons:

Comet blade: Damage +3, RoF 1, Range 5m,

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ARCHETYPES

Ammo 1

Heavy repeater: Damage +1, RoF 5, Range 50m,

Ammo 30

Special Abilities: Kongohki Overdrive

Equip Cost: 90

Weapons: None

Fate: Emotion: Hatred of Kongohki

Description: Meikyo puppeteers interface with other

meikyo and kimenkyo using their own meikyo

soul-mirror and interface helm. In this way, they

can push their own soul into the shell of a kimen-

kongohki and manipulate its body as if it were

an extension of their own arms and legs. They

can control armor or kongohki from afar in this

manner.

Note: While controlling Dark Raven or other

armours or kongohki, you cannot take any actions,

half-actions, or perform any defensive maneuvers

yourself.

Interface Helm Notes: An interface helm is a mask

or helmet which connects to the user’s meikyo

soul-mirror, and allows the user to interface with a

specifi c kimenkyo or meikyo from afar. Once the

puppeteer interfaces with another unit, they go into

a trance, cannot move, and are no longer aware of

their environment except through the senses of the

kongohki or armour they control.

Priesthood Double Agent

You work dutifully for the Priesthood… but you

also hold a deep hatred for the organization to

which you belong. Maybe you’ve grown to hate the

methods of the Priesthood after working with them,

or perhaps you infiltrated the Priesthood with the

intention of pulling it apart from within.

Karma Cost: 30

Skills: Stealth (2), Interface (2), Shinto (2)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attribute: Station

Equipment: Amafuda pass, meikyo mirror, interface

helm.

Equip Cost: 30

Weapons: none

Special Abilities: none

Fate: Emotion: Hatred of the Priesthood

Description: While you are a member of the

Priesthood, you also have a connection to an outside

agent or group involved with overthrowing or

subverting the Priesthood (Makuu Nindo, Gamou

Douan, etc).

Notes: The Amafuda pass allows you and your

companions transport anywhere on Tenra. Your

betrayal will not affect your ability to use Shinto

magic.

Priesthood Zealot

You feel a bond with the Shinto Priesthood that

goes beyond mere loyalty. You would do anything in

order to protect the organization from harm.

Karma Cost: 10

Skills: Etiquette (3), First Aid (2)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attribute: Empathy

Station Requirement: 2

Equipment: Amafuda pass

Equip Cost: 5

Weapons: none

Special Abilities: none

Fate: Emotion: Loyalty towards the Priesthood

Description: You grew up in a town that the

Priesthood saved from destruction. You are working

to eventually become an agent of the organization,

or perhaps you just plan to continue working

outside the organization for their betterment. You

believe with all your heart that their goals and

motives are for the protection and betterment of

all of Tenra. Of course, you have no special insight

into the inner workings of the Priesthood, nor

do you know what their plans are. Not until you

become a full-fledged member, or until an agent

recognizes your potential and allows you a deeper

understanding of their actions.

Notes: The Amafuda pass allows you and your

companions transport anywhere on Tenra.

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ARCHETYPES

SPECIES ARCHETYPES

Oni (species)

In this world, which sees you and other oni as

nothing more than monsters, sometimes even

prey, you are an idealist who seeks to coexist with

humans.

Karma Cost: 35

Skills: Resonance (4), Movement (3)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attributes: Spirit, Empathy

Equipment: Laz-Dii-Go (oni medallion)

Equip Cost: None

Weapons: None

Special Abilities: Oni resonance powers

Fate: Goal: Coexist with humans

Description: Oni are the original inhabitants of

Tenra, but have been steadily pushed from their

native lands, and now face extinction at the hands

of humans.

Notes: Spirit must be your highest ability. See the

oni sections on resonance abilities for more details.

Half-Oni (species)

Life as a half-oni (or half-human) has brought you

nothing but humiliation.

Karma Cost: 5

Skills: Resonance (2), Information (3)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attributes: Spirit, Empathy

Equipment: None

Equip Cost: 0

Weapons: None

Special Abilities: Resonance

Fate: Emotion: Half-Oni Inferiority Complex

Description: Although it is possible for a human and

oni to bear children together, the life of the child

often ends in tragedy. You always have the option

of cutting offyour horns. Without horns, you are

virtually indistinguishable from humans. However

without your horns, you cannot use the resonance

power of Alu.

Notes:See the characters and rules sections on the

oni people. Note that half-oni can only use the

resonance powers of Alu and Dii, and cannot use

advanced resonance abilities.

Oni Nussa (species)

You’ve cut off your horn of your own volition. You

have your reasons for doing so, and you don’t regret

your decision. However, you can’t completely wipe

away the knowledge that you are one of them.

Karma Cost: 25

Skills: Movement (3), Willpower (3), Resonance (2),

Information (2)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attributes: Knowledge

Equipment: Laz-Dii-Go

Equip Cost: 0

Weapons: none

Special Abilities: Oni resonance abilities

Fate: Emotion: Hatred of the oni

Description: You are a Nussa, a hornless oni. The

reasons behind cutting off your horn are your own

to decide, and now you look otherwise human. You

can fit in to human society with no problem, yet

you’re still not completely a human, nor are you a

full oni.

Notes: See the Oni sections for background on

the oni people and rules regarding resonance.

Remember that you can only use powers related to

your heartgem (Dii).

Oni-Blooded (species)

You are a half-oni born from parents who had oni

blood. Your horns were unnoticeable, and you’ve

lived your life as a human. However, one day you

discovered your secret and soon embarked on a

journey. Or perhaps someone else discovered your

secret, and you are being followed. In any case,

although you have never met another oni before,

you want to find an oni tribe and meet your people.

Karma Cost: 5

Skills: Resonance (2), Etiquette (3)

Attribute Penalty: 0

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ARCHETYPES

Primary Attributes: Spirit, Empathy

Station Requirement: 2

Equipment: A charm or relic

Equip Cost: 0

Weapons:

Small knife: Damage +2

Special Abilities: Resonance

Fate: Emotion: Looking up to the oni

Description:

Notes: See the Oni section for rules on resonance

powers. Half-oni cannot use special Tae Rayi

(resonance) powers until they learn them from an

oni elder.

Kugutsu (species)

Raised as a human, you have kept your true nature

a secret. No one, not even your closest friends know

you are not human.

Karma Cost: 20

Skills: Perform (3), Pillow Arts (3), Etiquette (3),

Persuasion (2)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attributes: Empathy, Station

Equipment: None

Equip Cost: 0

Weapons: None

Special Abilities: The Butterfly Dream

Fate: Secret: No one knows you are a kugutsu

Description: Kugutsu are living dolls, raised over a

long period of time to resemble humans. Kugutsu

are extremely valuable in Tenra, worth the price of

fiefs and kingdoms.

Notes: Kugutsu cannot be samurai, shinobi, or

any other being which requires the implantation of

soulgems in living tissue. Also, Empathy must be

your highest ability at the time of character creation.

For more information on kugutsu, see the kugutsu

section of the rules.

Kugutsu Runaway (species)

You have lost the master you used to serve under.

Be it the kugutsu-maker who was teaching you how

to be human, or the lord who purchased you for his

bride, you’ve left them behind.

When you left, you realized that you had no more

connection to anyone, and no real motivation

anymore. Yet still, you live on.

Karma Cost: 30

Skills: Perception (3), Pursuit (3), Persuasion (3)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attributes: Senses, Empathy

Equipment: A memento from your past, small knife

Equip Cost: 0

Weapons:

Small knife: Damage +2

Special Abilities: The Butterfly Dream

Fate: Emotion: Loneliness

Description: You’ve lost the group you belonged to.

Whether you ran away from your master, or your

master died or was lost somehow, you long for a

connection to people again. There is no one left

who knows who you are, and there are no friends

who you can confidein. Perhaps one day you will

find companionship again.

Notes: See the Kugutsu section for rules on the

Butterfly Dream.

Half-Ayakashi (species)

You never intentionally reveal your true nature as

half-human, half-fey to anyone.

Karma Cost: 45

Skills: Movement (3), Notice (2)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attribute: Spirit

Equipment: Yohjutsu abilities

Natural Weapon (2): Part of your body can be used

as a melee weapon. (claws)

Projectile Attack (2): Part of your body can be used

to make projectile attacks. (flame breath)

Flight (2): You can fl y speeds up to 1.2km/minute

and can carry up to an additional 60kg

Incorporeal: For 3 Soul per round, you can turn

incorporeal and pass through solid objects

Shapechange (3):You can alter your appearance and

346

ARCHETYPES

maintain it until you use another yohjutsu ability

Equip Cost: 45

Weapons:

Claws: Damage +5

Flame Breath: Damage +5, RoF 3, range 5m

Special Abilities: None

Weakness: Stone (3) (Any damage taken from stone

weapons is multiplied by 3.)

Fate: Secret: You are a half-ayakashi

Description: You were born as a result of the

forbidden love between a human and ayakashi.

Whether you take this to be curse or a blessing is up

to you.

Notes: For details on ayakashi powers see the rules

section. The GM or player is free to change the

default weakness if they wish. The half-ayakashi

archetype is not considered a full species, so it can

be combined with oni archetypes.

Ayakashi (species)

You do not understand humans. They are a mystery

to you and because of this, you cannot seem to take

your eyes off them.

Karma Cost: 50

Skills: Marksman (3), Willpower (3)

Attribute Penalty: 3

Primary Attributes: Spirit, Empathy

Equipment: Yohjutsu abilities

Projectile Attack (4): Part of your body can be used

as a ranged weapon (lightning)

Superspeed: Any successes rolled on Body, Agility,

and Senses can be rerolled and added to your

total successes for that check. This ability can be

activated a number of times in a session equal to

Body + Spirit.

Incorporeal: By expending 3 Soul, you can become

incorporeal for one round and pass through solid

objects.

Shapechange (3): You can mimic any creature or

person you have seen. This ability reverts when you

use another ayakashi ability.

Multiple forms (3): You can create three images of

yourself which act independently.

Equip Cost: 80

Lightning Attack: Damage +15, RoF 9, range 100m

Special Abilities: Weaknesses

Weakness:Wet Iron (4): You are vulnerable to iron

stained with blood or water. Total damage taken

from these weapons is multiplied by 4.

Taboo: Hurting women (3): If you injure or kill a

woman, you take 6 damage directly on the Wound

Gauge.

Fate: Emotion: Curiosity towards people

Description: You are an ayakashi with human

features and an inhuman mind: You look at the

world differently than humans do. You keep the fact

that you are not human a secret; for if the humans

around you knew what you are, life would become

uncomfortable to say the least.

Notes: The GM or player is free to change the

weakness of this ayakashi.

ADVANCED ARCHETYPES

Elder

The old ways eventually are replaced with the new.

You know this in your heart, but still it is painful to

see the world around you changing. When you see

the younger folks breaking traditions or doing new

things, you can’t help but to chastise them.

Some may say that you’re simply afraid of change,

but tradition has served you well. New ways and

broken traditions can be dangerous and unbalanced.

You seek to keep that balance.

Karma Cost:15

Skills: Information (3), Etiquette (3)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attribute: Empathy

Station Requirement: 2

Equipment: Ornate tobacco pipe, elegant seal of

office

Equip Cost: 2

Weapons: Ornate pipe: Damage +2

Special Abilities: none

Fate: Emotion: Times are Changing

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ARCHETYPES

Description: A person who has lived for many,

many long years. You often reflect on the wonderful

things that happened in the past while attempting

to come to terms with the new and changing times.

Notes: The seal of office is a wooden block with

elegant tassles about the size of one’s hand, carved

with a royal symbol of the office or kingdom served,

and acts as proof of your rank and office (think of

it as a police badge). It is also a hollow container

which contains a stamp for signing documents of

that office.

Kagemusha

As a kagemusha, you are a body double of your

master. You exist so that your lord does not get

assassinated. Your loyalty runs so deep that you

would even sacrifice your own life to save your

master. You live only for your master.

Karma Cost: 15

Skills: Etiquette (3), Art of Rule (3)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attributes: Spirit, Station

Equipment: None

Equip Cost: 0

Weapons: None

Special Abilities: None

Fate: Emotion: Loyalty to your Master

Description: You were raised by your vassal lord

or regent since you were a child, and are his most

trusted companion. Chosen in part for your similar

appearance to your master, you sometimes take his

place in dangerous situations, ready to die for him

in a heartbeat.

Kugutsu Maker

Your goal in life is to know the true meaning of

beauty. You judge all things, living or otherwise, by

determining whether it is beautiful or not.

Karma Cost: 25

Skills: Kugutsu Craft (3), Etiquette (3)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attributes: Senses, Spirit, Empathy

Equipment :Unfinished Kugutsu (abilities: 0)

Equip Cost: 10 (unfinished kugutsu)

Weapons: None

Special Abilities: None

Fate: Goal: Knowing the meaning of true beauty

Description: You are a kugutsushi, a craftsman

who specializes in creating the beautiful living dolls

known as kugutsu. Wars have been known to break

out among regents and vassal lords just to own one

of your creations.

Notes: Kugutsu Craft is a unique skill for this

archetype. Write it on your character sheet under

the Knowledge attribute.

Tactician

You understand the principles of war well and have

planned many battles yourself, but deep down in

your heart you secretly hate the battlefield, wishing

you could avoid fighting altogether.

Karma Cost: 35

Skills: Strategy (4), Art of Rule (3)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attribute: Station

Station Requirement: 2

Equipment: War fan, brush, ink bottle

Equip Cost: 0

Weapons:

War Fan: Damage +2, RoF 1, Range 5m, Ammo 1

Special Abilities: None

Fate: Emotion: Hatred of war

Description: As a Tactician, you are the advisor

to the general on tactics and strategies on the

battlefield.

Notes:See the skills section for an explanation of the

use of the Strategy skill.

Kuze Order Member

You are a member of the Kuze-Shu, an order that

has sworn to protect the city of Jinrai from the evils

of the world. You work with your companions from

the shadows to fight evil in all its forms.

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ARCHETYPES

Karma Cost: 50

Skills: Any single skill (4), Shinto (2)

Attribute Penalty: 0

Primary Attribute: Station

Equipment: Meikyo soul mirror

Equip Cost: 25

Weapons: None

Special Abilities: None

Fate: Loyalty to the Blue Dragon Monk/

Adamantine Monk (choose one).

Description:You follow the leader of your order, and

would protect him with your life.

Notes: This archetype is only appropriate for Kuze-

themed scenarios. Also, “Any single skill ” means

that the player can chose any basic or specialist skill

to take at the rank of Master (4).

349

CREATING NEW

ARCHETYPES

The archetypes provided in the core rules will allow

you to create just about any character you desire.

Th rough description and role-play, your character

will come to life in whatever manner you intend.

However, these optional rules will allow experienced

players or game masters to craft their own original

archetypes for play. Please make sure to play the

game as-is a few times before experimenting with

new or original archetypes.

Creating new archetypes is a simple 10-

step process:

1 Choose species

2 Select skills

3 Add special characteristics like equipment or

features

4 Calculate equipment cost

5 Choose weapons

6 Calculate Karma cost

7 Determine attribute cost

8 Choose primary attribute

9 Note special abilities

10 Choose a Fate for this archetype

1 Choose a Species

Most characters will be human. However, now is

the time to note if this character archetype is for

an oni, Kugutsu or ayakashi character. These three

species archetypes cannot be mixed in one character,

and each species has certain requirements.

Oni characters must take Spirit as their highest

attribute.

Kugutsu characters must take Empathy as their

highest attribute and they cannot be equipped with

samurai soulgems or the ninja dark arts abilities.

Ayakashi have no attribute requirements or

limitations, but all ayakashi must take at least one

weakness.

2 Select Skills

You must determine which skills this new archetype

grants. Any skill may be picked at any level except

at the Supreme (5) rank. The costs of adding skills

to an archetype are as follows:

Skilled (2): 5 Karma

Advanced (3): 15 Karma

Master (4): 35 Karma

Oni and kugutsu archetypes have some required

skills:

Oni archetypes require the Resonance skill.

Kugutsu archetypes require the Performance,

Persuasion, Pillow Arts and Etiquette skills.

3 Add Special Characteristics

This is where you determine which special abilities,

powers, or equipment the archetype will provide:

Samurai ability, mechanica, annelids, yoroi armour,

ninjutsu dark arts, kongohki, original weapons, and

so on. Look up the individual rules for each of the

above and determine the cost for the characteristics

you want to add to the archetype.

4 Calculate Equipment Cost

Specialized equipment will increase the archetype’s

starting Karma. After determining the cost of any

special characteristics, keep in mind the costs for the

following pieces of equipment:

Meikyo 25 Karma

Kimenkyo 10 Karma

Heartgem 25 Karma

Amafuda pass 5 Karma

Unfinished kugutsu doll 10 Karma

Onmyoji abacus 3 Karma

Prayer strips (10) 1 Karma

Soulgems (5) 1 Karma

If you wish to add other specialized equipment to

the archetype, please consult with the GM. A cost

of 5-10 Karma is usually appropriate for such extra

items.

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CREATING NEW ARCHETYPES

5 Choose Weapons

Pick weapons from the weapons list. For original

or customized weapons (either for the character or

for armour), please create them as per the rules, and

make note of their cost.

6 Calculate Karma Cost

After adding in the Karma costs for any specialized

equipment or abilities, use the following equation to

determine the Karma cost for the archetype:

Karma Cost = Total of all abilities and equipment +

total of all skills - 15

At this point, you can increase the attribute cost for

this archetype by one point to reduce 10 points of

Karma. This can be done multiple times.

Kugutsu archetypes further reduce their total

Karma cost by 15 points.

Characters that do not appear human (oni, samurai,

other inhuman-looking characters who would have

a hard time being accepted by other people by their

appearance alone) have a further Karma reduction

of 5-10 points.

The minimum cost for a new archetype is 5 Karma.

7 Determine Attribute Cost

After calculating Karma, determine the total

attribute cost for the character (due to Karma

reduction, original weapons, mechanica, etc.). Make

sure to note kongohki attribute costs here as well.

8 Choose Primary Attribute

Looking over the archetype, determine the ability

or abilities which make this archetype useful. This

is not a requirement, but it will make it easier for

others to build a character using this archetype. If

there is a set Station attribute requirement for the

equipment that the archetype provides (gemblades,

yoroi armour, etc.), make note of that here as well.

9 Note Special Abilities

Make note of special abilities given to certain

character types, and include them in the character

notes.

Kugutsu: Butterfly Dream

Kongohki :Overdrive, Sealed memories

Samurai: Samurai ability, samurai shiki abilities

Armour riders: Armour abilities and wound gauge

notes

Ayakashi: Weakness

Annelidist: Annelid abilities

Kijin: Mechanica effects

Write them down, so that the archetype will be easy

to equip in the future or share with friends.

10 Choose a Fate

The last step is the most important, as some

people go as far as to create new archetypes

solely to create a new type of Fate. Come up

with an interesting Fate for this archetype.

Tell it to the other players and game master,

and get their feedback as well.

351

WEAPONS

AND WEAPON

CREATION RULES

THE WEAPONS OF TENRA

All weapons cause damage in combat. They have no

other modifi ers like weight, reach, speed, defensive

modifiers, slashing vs piercing weapons, etc. Not

much concern has been given to balancing weapons

with each other. However, the character’s choice of

weapons is important because it determines their fi

ghting style and character image. In Tenra Bansho,

character image is more important than balance.

ACQUIRING WEAPONS

The Station attribute score determines what

weapons the character can have. You are free to

choose any weapons as long as you meet the Station

requirements.

The basic rules for Station requirements are listed

below. See individual weapon descriptions for

details.

Certain weapons such as soulgem, gunpowder, and

unique weapons require Kiai in addition to Station

requirements. Mechanica, yoroi, and kijin weapons

have special rules. See those sections for details.

STANDARD WEAPON COSTS AND

MODIFIERS

Damage

Modier

Required

Station

Example

Weapon

+1 1 rock, stick, pole

+2 2 dagger, short

sword, knife

+3 3 katana

+4 4 spear-type,

naginata

+5 5 great sword, rifle,

yari

+6 6 cannons, seige

weapons, etc

Soulgem Weapons

The uniqueness of soulgem weapons lies in both

their destructive power and their social power as a

status symbol. Only strong warriors or the ruling

class possess such weapons, and the cost to bear

such weapons is high.

Characters who possess soulgem weapons at

character creation must pay an extra 5 Karma.

Ammunition is always considered full (for that

weapon) at the start of play.

Soulgem Melee and Unarmed Weapons

Soulgem weapons, also called gemblades, are the

most regarded weapons in Tenra for both the

station of the wielder and their massive destructive

power. All of these weapons have some sort of

firing mechanism, whether it is a button or trigger.

When the mechanism is struck, the soulgem inside

is smashed sending explosive energy through the

weapon, thereby doing greater damage than a

standard melee weapon. The weapon itself vibrates

and shakes with tremendous energy, cutting

through flesh and steel like a scythe through a rice

paddy.

Multiple soulgems (up to the weapon’s Rate of Fire)

can be triggered in a melee or unarmed attack. For

every soulgem that is triggered on a single attack,

the damage is increased by an additional +1 after

the attack is determined successful. The number of

352

WEAPONS AND WEAPON CREATION RULES

soulgems spent in this matter can be decided after

the attack hits.

Gunpowder Weapons

As part the open technology policies of the

Priesthood’s Northern Court, production methods

of gunpowder have also been made available. Based

on this new technology, various new weapons

have been developed. As it is far cheaper to make

gunpowder than the valuable soulgems, these

weapons have changed the nature of war in Tenra.

Rules for gunpowder weapons are in general

the same as those for soulgem weapons. The

exception is that you are always considered to have

full ammunition to start with, and that once it

is depleted that you have no further gunpowder

ammunition available on you. Whenever the

character depletes their ammunition, they can only

refill their ammunition during the next Intermission

(where an ammunition refill is considered

automatic, at no additional cost of Karma or

money). Gunpowder weapons also cost less to take

at character creation; they require 3 Karma to

take, versus a soulgem weapon or gemblade which

requires 5 Karma.

Acquiring Weapons During Play

No specific monetary value is given to weapons in

this game. The player is free to choose any weapon

she wants for her character, even after character

creation, as long as the character has a high enough

Station score. You could perhaps role-play out an

exchange of money, or role-play out the acquiring of

the weapon, but it is not necessary. If the character

has a high enough station, she can pick up and use

weapons from fallen enemies with no problem.

If the character acquires a weapon above her Station

score during play, that weapon is lost at the next

Intermission phase, or once a game session or

scenario is finished (whichever comes first). In the

case of such a weapon, a low-station character would

simply despise such a high class weapon, consider

themselves unworthy of the weapon, find that the

weapon’s upkeep isn’t worth the effort. They will

sell it, break it due to inexpert use, or perhaps even

claim the weapon and give it to a higher-station

noble or lord.

Soulgem and gunpowder weapons are extremely

valuable in Tenra, so acquiring them should be

worked into the plot of the play session, or else given

as a special treasure to characters. If a character

attains such a weapon during a session, she must

pay the cost in Kiai at the next Intermission

phase. The weapon cannot be used beyond the

next intermission until the character has spent the

appropriate Kiai.

WEAPON KARMA/KIAI

COSTS

Soulgem 1 for every 5 gems

Gunpowder Weapon 3

Soulgem Weapon 5

Custoized Weapon varies

Customized Weapons

While some players are fine choosing standard

weapons for their characters, many players will

want to create unique weapons for their characters.

Unique weapons can be more powerful, but such

a customized weapon would certainly show offthe

uniqueness of the character who wields it. Soulgem

sword-staves, gunpowder-activated kusari-gama,

barbed evil-looking fey blades, giant swords as long

as a man is tall, or unique rifl es can be easily

created.

When creating a unique or customized weapon, use

the customized weapon table below and an existing

weapon as the base. Each unique weapon costs both

1 attribute point and 10 points of Karma to take. In

most cases, this means using 39 points for attributes

at character creation instead of 40. You are free to

envision and create any sort of weapon you can

imagine within the genre of the game; for instance,

a bladed war fan.

Unique soulgem weapons cost as much Karma

as basic non-soulgem unique weapons: 10 Karma

points (before customization), and 1 attribute

point. The only real cost difference between them

is their Station prerequisite. Be careful not to create

353

WEAPONS AND WEAPON CREATION RULES

a weapon of such a high Station requirement that

your character cannot wield it.

Armour-sized Weapons

Simple armour melee weapons can be easily created

at a low cost of 5 Karma: Simply take any listed

melee weapon and add +4 to Damage.

Most armour weapons are customized. Armours

wield large melee and projectile weapons which

make use of their great power. These large weapons

often have an additional ammo capacity or an

increased rate of fire above normal human weapons.

Pay 10 Karma and the one attribute point (for the

pilot, not the armour), and craft a weapon for the

armour as per the customization rules.

CUSTOMIZED WEAPONS

Select one or more features.

Feature + Damage + Station

Large +1 +1

Painful

Looking

+1 +1

Oddly-shaped +1 +1

Masterwork +2 +1

Fey/Ayakashi/

Cursed

+3 +2

Yoroi Armour +4 +2

Combined See text See text

Rusted -1 -1

Broken -1 -1

Descriptions

Large: The weapon is longer or larger than normal

Painful looking: The weapon is covered in spikes,

hooks, or jagged blades to inflict addition pain on

its victims.

Oddly-shaped: The weapon has some sort of odd

feature (covered in fur or even lace) which might

call the user’s fashion sense or sanity into question.

Masterwork: An exquisite blade tempered by a

master swordsmith, which probably has a history

behind its forging and use.

Fey/Ayakashi/Cursed: A horrible, demonic blade

tempered with ayakashi living materials. Or it might

be a magical weapon, more often than not carrying

a hidden curse.

Yoroi: An enormous weapon made for yoroi use.

Combined: Combine any two weapons (see text).

Soulgem/Gunpowder Customized Weapons

Additional Feature + Karma

Increased Rate of Fire by 2 +1

Decrease Rate of Fire by 2 -1

Maximum Ammunition is

Increased by 2

Maximum Ammunition is

Increased by 2

-1

Combination Weapons

There is no extra cost when combining two

different weapons, such as in the example of the

“Gunlance”, a popular weapon for elite snipers

which combines a long soulgem rifle with an

explosive spiker. To create a combined weapon, add

the statistics for both weapons together (including

Station). Only two weapons can be combined into

one in this manner.

WEAPONS LISTS

Melee Weapons

Weapon Name Dmg Mod Req

Station

Iron hammer +2 2

Short sword/knife +2 2

War fan +2 2

Iron staff +3 2

Ninja sword +3 2

Katana +3 3

Naginata/Pike +4 3

Great-sword +5 4

Longspear/Yari +5 4

Jumonji-yari +5 4

Kusari-gama — 3

—sickle +2 —

—weighted chain +3 —

354

WEAPONS AND WEAPON CREATION RULES

Iron hammer: A simple hammer for metalsmithing.

Short sword: A dagger, knife or backup sword (like

a traditional wakizashi).

War Fan: An iron fan commonly used for signaling

troops.

Iron staff: Either a heavy walking stick-looking

weapon of iron, or an iron club with spikes (also

called tetsubo).

Ninja sword: A straight-bladed sword. Not as strong

or finely crafted as curved katanas.

Katana: A traditional curved sword used by most

warriors.

Naginata: A pole with a shortsword blade of 30cm

on the end, primarily used by women.

Great-sword: A large katana, useful on battlefields

but almost impossible to use in closed environments.

Yari: A spear topped by a long, straight blade.

Jumonji-yari (“cross-shaped yari”): A kind of spear

where the bladed end looks like a three-pronged

fork, with the middle prong extending longer.

Commonly used by generals in the Sengoku period.

Kusari-gama (“chain-sickle”): A sickle for close

combat, with a long length of chain on the end for

making limited range sweep, impact or grappling

attacks.

GEMBLADES

Soulgem Blade Descriptions

Soulgem short sword: A small blade used for defense

by the aristocracy.

Soulgem katana: The most common soulgem blade.

Soulgem katana, advanced: A recent improvement

on the soulgem katana with an automatic loading

mechanism (“automatic gemblade”) replacing the

older revolving chamber (“revolver gemblade”)

design.

Soulgem naginata: A naginata with a soulgem

mechanism installed. Because it uses a spring

mechanism in which the soulgem is launched up to

the blade, reloading is difficult.

Soulgem great-sword: A great-sword with a soulgem

mechanism installed. This is an older revolver style

soulgem blade.

Soulgem spear/yari: A spear with a soulgem

mechanism installed. With this weapon the soulgem

is launched through the shaft to the point of the

spear upon pulling the trigger mechanism on the

handle.

Zakt-8R Ultimate Edge: Also known as Hachiren

Zankoutou, or ”Eight-Repeating Ultimate Cutting

Blade”, this obscenely large sword is a modified

armour shortsword used by armour hunters; its

sheer power makes it one of the only weapons that

can take on armours in one-on-one combat. It is

only available to characters with the Armour Hunter

archetype. It is a custom weapon, and requires 10

Karma and 1 Attribute point to take.

GUNPOWDER BLADES

Gunpowder Melee Weapon Descriptions

Falling Star Blade: This is a short sword which can

emit an explosive blast from its gunpowder-filled

blade, damaging opponents at short range. Use the

Marksman skill when making a ranged attack, and

treat such an attack as a surprise attack. The weapon

is ruined by the explosion and can no longer be used

in combat.

GEMBLADES

Name Dmg RoF Ammo Sta.

Soulgem Short Sword +2 2 4 2

Soulgem Katana +3 3 6 3

Soulgem Katana, Advanced +3 3 11 4

Soulgem Naginata +4 4 16 5

Soulgem great-sword +5 2 6 4

Soulgem spear/yari +5 5 20 6

Zakt-8R Ultimate Edge* +6 8 8 4

*This is a custom weapon

355

WEAPONS AND WEAPON CREATION RULES

Explosive Spiker: Using the explosive power of

gunpowder for greater penetration, this spear-shaped

bayonet thrusts into the victim with great force

upon impact. It is a close-quarters weapon for use

with the Melee Weapons skill. The number in the

parentheses applies to damage caused when using

the explosive function of the weapon.

Comet Blade: This is a katana which can emit an

explosive blast from its gunpowder-filled blade,

damaging opponents at short range. Use the

Marksman skill when making a ranged attack, and

treat such an attack as a surprise attack. The weapon

is ruined by the explosion and can no longer be used

in combat.

GUNPOWDER BLADES

Name Damage Rate of Fire Range Ammo Sta

Falling Star Balde +2 1 5m 1 2

Explosive Spiker +3 (5) 1 — 3 4

Comet Blade +3 1 5m 1 3

RANGED WEAPONS

Name Damage Rate of Fire Range Station

Shuriken +1 5 15m 2

Kunai/throwing

knife

+2 3 10m 1

Iron hammer +2 3 5m 1

Kusari-gama

(weight)

+2 — 5m 3

War fan +2 1 5m 2

Bow and arrow +3 2 100m 1

RANGED WEAPONS

Ranged Weapon Descriptions

Shuriken: A classic ninja throwing star.

Kunai: A throwing knife oen with a ring in the

handle.

Kusari-gama: e weighted and chained end of

this combination melee/ranged weapon.

Bow and Arrow: A classic ranged weapon.

356

WEAPONS AND WEAPON CREATION RULES

SOULGEM FIREARMS

Name Damage Rate of

Fire

Range Ammo Station

Soulgem light pistol +4 3 50m 6 2

Soulgem pistol +4 4 50m 12 3

Soulgem rifle +5 2 100m 8 4

Thunder cannon +6 1 600m 1 4

Prayer seal cannon +7 3 150m 6 5

Armour-piercing rifle +7 1 400m 4 4

Gunlance* +10 1 400m 8 6

Gunlance Spiker** +4 (+6) 1 — 1 —

* Custom weapon

** Integrated with every gunlance

SOULGEM FIREARMS

Soulgem Firearm Descriptions

Soulgem light pistol: An older model with a

revolving chamber.

Soulgem pistol: A pistol (automatic or revolver)

which fires a slug using the explosive energy of a

soulgem.

Soulgem rifle: A long-barreled rifl e model of the

soulgem pistol.

Thunder cannon: A smaller version of the cannon,

with a much longer range. Like the cannon, it

propels an explosive shell doing damage to the

target and all those within 3m of the target.

Prayer seal cannon: Combining soulgem and

gunpowder technologies, this weapon uses the

energy of the soulgem to propel a large shell filled

with gunpowder. The shell explodes on contact,

doing damage to the target and all those within

4m of the target. The Tenran answer to the rocket-

propelled grenade. It is called a prayer seal cannon

because it is often blessed with prayer strips attached

for good luck.

Armour-piercing rifle: This is a large anti-yoroi

armour sniper rifl e which uses large steel-piercing

shells.

Gunlance: A customized armour-piercing rifle with

an attached bayonet (in the form of an explosive

spiker) for close combat. This is a rare weapon used

in sniping armour on the battlefield. It costs 10

Karma to possess, and has an attribute penalty of

1. It can only be equipped by characters with the

Gunlancer character archetype.

Gunlance Spiker: This is a gunpowder-based

explosive spiker on the underside of the gunlance.

It can be used with the Melee Weapons skill. The

number in parentheses indicates the damage done

when the gunpowder charge is used. This weapon is

included at no extra cost with every gunlance.

357

WEAPONS AND WEAPON CREATION RULES

GUNPOWDER FIREARMS

Name Damage Rate of Fire Range Ammo Station

Holdout pistol +3 3 10m 6 3

Scatter gun +3 5 20m 10 4

Rifle +5 1 50m 3 4

Repeater +3 3 30m 12 4

Heavy repeater +3 5 50m 30 4

Dreadnaught

repeater

+3 8 50m 50 5

Great cannon +10 1 120m 1 5

GUNPOWDER FIREARMS

Gunpowder Firearm Descriptions

Holdout pistol: A small light one-handed pistol,

about the size of a dagger.

Scatter gun: A long gun which fires small pellets

instead of slugs. Colloquially known as a “shotgun”

in some warrior circles.

Rif le: The most common gunpowder weapon,

used for both hunting and combat. It has become a

popular weapon due to its relatively low production

costs, although its rate of fire and range is inferior to

both the bow and soulgem guns.

Repeater: A gunpowder rifle-like weapon capable of

automatic fire. Although it is prone to malfunction,

it more than makes up for that drawback in

firepower.

Heavy repeater: A Gatling-style heavy repeater rifle

which uses an ammunition belt. It is generally fired

from a stand and cannot be used as a hand-held

weapon.

Dreadnaught repeater: A brutal heavy machine

gun. This represents the latest in heavy weapons

gunpowder technology.

Great cannon: Used in castle sieges, this cannon is

so large that is must be carried by wagon. It cannot

be used as a hand-held weapon.

UNARMED ATTACKS

Name + Damage Station

Punch/Kick/

Grapple

+0 1

Fist-loaded

Punch

+1 2

Vajra Claws +3 2

Fist-loaded Punch: Punching while gripping a rock,

pole, or other hard object in your fist.

Vajra Claws: Hooked claws of indestructible vajra

steel that attach to the hands. They can also be used

to aid climbing.

358

WEAPONS AND WEAPON CREATION RULES

SOULGEM UNARMED ATTACK WEAPONS

Soulgem Unarmed Attack Descriptions

Soulgem Vajra Claws: Vajra claws that have been

modified to make use of soulgems.

Soulgem Impact Gauntlet: Heavy metal gauntlets or

hand replacements which use soulgems. The energy

of the soulgem is released when the user strikes/

punches an object, causing shockwave to ripple

through and damage the target.

SOULGEM UNARMED ATTACK WEAPONS

Name Damage Mod Rate of Fire Ammo Station

Soulgem Varja claws +3 3 6 2

Soulgem Impact

Gauntlet

+2 3 9 3

White Heat Palm +4 + see text — — 6

White Heat Palm: This weapon is made from the

forearm and hand section of a yoroi armour. By

spending Soul, the user can release a burst of searing

heat through their hand capable of incinerating

their target. The character must declare that how

much Soul is consumed for each attack. Every

two Soul points spent adds one additional damage

modifier point.

GUNPOWDER UNARMED ATTACK WEAPONS

Name Damage Mod Rate of Fire Ammo Station

Impact Gauntlet +2 (+5) 1 1 2

Forearm Thruster +2 1 3 3

GUNPOWDER UNARMED ATTACK

WEAPONS

Gunpowder Unarmed Attack Descriptions

Impact Gauntlet: A metal gauntlet with a barrel

attached to the top of the hand. When the user

strikes an object with the gauntlet an explosive blast

is released. The number in the parentheses applies to

damage caused when using the explosive function

of the weapon. This weapon can only be used once

before it must be reloaded.

Forearm Thruster: The weapon is a gauntlet which

covers the hand and forearm. If the trigger cord is

pulled, a small explosive burst is released, adding

speed and power to the user’s strike.

359

SAMPLE

CHARACTERS

PLAYING FOR THE FIRST

TIME

As we suggest elsewhere in the book, if this is

your first time playing Tenra Bansho Zero, please

select one of the sample characters included in

this chapter. These characters are also great for

unexpected play opportunities, or if one or more of

the players do not own a core rulebook of their own.

The GM might prepare a scenario where the players

can select any sample character they wish, or else the

GM might suggest the players choose from a limited

number of character options (4-5 characters for a

4-player group). Or the GM might have a “squad-

based” game in mind, a tight scenario for a very

limited number of character types. For example, the

GM might prepare a ninja-based scenario where she

tells the four players that three of them should use

the shinobi sample character, and the fourth to use a

war-maiden kugutsu.

USING SAMPLE

CHARACTERS

Below are a list of sample characters. Their stats,

skills, and special notes are written below. There is

a paragraph of text giving the players and GM some

play tips for using this character.

If this is your first time playing, you should not edit

the character too much: Just use the character as-is

for your first game (in terms of attributes, skills and

the like). When it comes to name, sex, appearance

and personality, those things are entirely up to you.

Remember, a group can consist of four characters

all picked from the exact same sample character

template, yet through player description and

roleplaying they will soon appear to be entirely

different characters.

The sample characters use the following shorthand

for attributes and skill levels:

Attributes: BOD=Body, AGI=Agility, SEN=Senses,

KNO=Knowledge, SPI=Spirit, EMP=Empathy, STA

=Station.

For samurai, kongohki and annelidist characters,

they have adjusted physical stats which appear

in parentheses: BOD 7 (10). This represents the

character’s ability when transformed into a samurai

or annelidist, or it represents the kongohki’s meikyo

bonus applied to every physical roll. For armour-

rider characters, they will have a second set of

physical attributes for their yoroi armour. Yoroi

armour attributes in parentheses also represent the

meikyo bonus (kimen-based armours receive no

such bonus).

Skills: The skill listings are represented in dots (O)

For example, Evasion: OO

All general skills start at a rating of 1: One dot is

already filled in on the character sheet. If the sample

character in this chapter shows a general skill like

“Melee Weapons: OOO” (Melee Weapons is a

general skill, so it already has one dot filled in on

the character sheet), simply fill in two more dots

for a total of three filled-in dots. Do not add three

additional dots to the first, for a total of four.

Wound Gauge: The wound gauge for each character

is written in a format similar to this: 5/3/2/1. This

means that this character has 5 open Light Wound

boxes, 3 open Heavy Wound boxes, 2 open Critical

Wound boxes, and 1 Dead Box. On the character

sheet, simply draw a line through all unused boxes

on the wound gauge so that only the open boxes are

left unmarked.

Archetypes, Attribute Cost: These are included

so that the player can see how this character was

created. You don’t have to write these in on the sheet

if you don’t want to.

Weapons: Some weapons have an adjusted damage

rating, which appears in parentheses. This usually

360

SAMPLE CHARACTERS

represents a special weapon’s maximum possible

damage, if it is activated and the maximum

number of soulgems spent: An armour’s explosive

spiker damage of +7 (9) means that the spiker does

7 points of damage normally, and 9 points if 1

soulgem is spent to increase its damage as per the

special rules on explosive spikers. Other times,

this adjustment represents a damage bonus due to

mechanica (for kijin).

Finally, each character has some ideas for both the

player and the GM. For the player, there are some

ideas on role-playing if you are having trouble

thinking of how to portray the character. For the

GM, there are suggestions on opening Zero Acts,

if you are having trouble thinking of a suitable

dramatic opener for the character.

These sample characters are also all available pre-

filled at the Tenra Bansho Zero website: If you

have access to a printer, you could simply download

them, print them and bring them to the session.

As was suggested above, the players should try to

keep the character as-is their first time playing.

They should decide things like the character’s job,

background, personality, history, style and the like

for themselves. In a later session, the players may

want to continue to use sample characters, but

simply change minor rules-based elements about

them to customize them further (starting Fates,

samurai ability powers, ninjutsu school, sample

shiki, customized weapons).

361

SAMPLE CHARACTERS

ARMOUR RIDER

The armour rider is the daughter or son of the

regent or a highly ranked vassal lord. When she is

not piloting the armour, she pretty much can’t do

anything on her own.

As a character, we’ll watch them grow and mature

over the course of the game.

Archetypes: Yoroi Armour Rider, Aristocrat/Princess

Attribute Cost: 1

Rider Karma: 10

Meikyo Karma: 70

Attributes:

BOD 3

AGI 5

SEN 4

KNO 6

SPI 6

EMP 7

STA 8

Armour

BOD 7 (10)

AGI 9 (10)

SEN 7 (10)

Vitality: 9

Soul: 24

Armour Vitality: 14

Wounds: 3/2/1/1

Armour: 7/4/2/1

Skills

Notice O

Interface OOOO

Etiquette OOO

Art of Rule OOO

Weapons

Dagger (Damage: +2; Rate of Fire 2; Range:

—; Ammo: 6)

Armour Weapons

Yoroi Tachi (Damage: +9; Rate of Fire: 6;

Range: —; Ammo: 12)

Dragon Howler Cannon (Damage: +9: Rate

of Fire: 4; Range: 4km; Ammo: 6)

Explosive Spiker (Damage: +7 (9); Rate of

Fire: 1; Range: —; Ammo: 9)

Fates

Emotion: Love Towards Your Yoroi Armour

OOO

Emotion: Loyalty Towards the Domain

Equipment: 50 soulgems, armour, soulcord and

interface helm

Notes: Armour moves 3 times normal speed due to

roller legs. Armour adds +2 dice to all Evasion die

rolls. The armour’s meikyo has 70 Karma, which

grants a +3 meikyo bonus to all physical actions.

Roleplay Ideas:

• Naive child trying to impress her cold, cruel or

aloof father and further his ambitions

• Haughty and spoiled child of privilege and status,

who is about to get a crash course in how the real

world works

• Tormented adolescent sent to fi ght because for

some reason or other their family can’t stand them

• A cold shut-in who is one step away from going

crazy from being used. Will quickly find salvation

in any new friends she makes

• A skilled rider who knows that her clan relies

on her. She pridefully does her duty to further her

family’s name

• An older teen, with plans on the table to be

forcefully retired from duty in order to make way

for younger riders or other family duties

Zero Act Ideas:

• The first time the rider is presented with the

armour: An experience perhaps both scary and

exhilarating

• The rider is in the middle of battle and sees a

friend fall before her

• A nightmare about being trapped in a demon

made of steel

• The chance to best a good friend from another

family in armour combat practice, and the

repercussions of that choice

362

SAMPLE CHARACTERS

ONMYOJI

The onmyoji is a genius at Taoist sorcery. It could be

a young sorcerer, or an elderly/wise sorcerer might

be fun to play. Aloof, mysterious, naive, sharp-

witted, all are acceptable personalities.

They are the specialists in knowledge-based actions.

They can summon creatures on the battlefield, but

their creatures are extremely useful in non-combat

situations as well. If there’s something that needs to

be known, or needs brainpower to figure out, most

likely the onmyoji will come to the answer first.

Archetypes: Onmyoji, Tactician

Attribute Cost: 1

Karma: 85

Attributes:

BOD 3

AGI 5

SEN 4

KNO 9

SPI 6

EMP 5

STA 7

Vitality: 9

Soul: 30

Wounds: 3/2/1/1

Skills

Onmyojutsu OOOO

Information OOO

Strategy OOOO

Etiquette OOO

Art of Rule OOO

Weapons

Iron Fan (Damage: +2; Rate of Fire: 1;

Range: 5m; Ammo: 1)

Fates

Goal: Satisfy Your Intellectual Curiosity

OOO

Emotion: Hatred of War

Notes: Refer to the sample shiki in the onmyojutsu

rules section, write down a few sample shiki for

casting later.

Roleplay Ideas:

• A weary older onmyojutsu, jaded and put offby

the world. However, for some reason has extreme

interest in the goals of the session

• A young onmyoji, brainy and aloof, who is leaving

the cloistered academy for the first time

• Powerful and ambitious, you perform the tasks

you must in order to further your studies and your

name

• An outcast or pariah onmyoji who for some reason

is the laughingstock of properly-trained academic

sorcerers

• You have a talent for magic, but you use it only to

fulfill one single overarching purpose

Zero Act Ideas:

• The first time you summoned a shiki, perhaps

entirely by accident

• Confronting a bully from a house of much higher

station back at the onmyojutsu academy

• Being outcast from a well-known onmoyjutsu

school for some real reason or slight

• Seeing your master killed by a runaway chimera

• Being defeated in combat by another more

powerful sorcerer

• Your first day at an onmyojutsu academy, having

been effectively cast out by your family

363

SAMPLE CHARACTERS

SAMURAI

A samurai is a soldier, or perhaps a vagrant

mercenary, who has decided to go through the

painful samurai surgery in order to attain strength.

The samurai Fate “Hatred of weakness” might

manifest itself in interesting ways, especially if the

character hates her own lingering weaknesses.

A good starting Zero Act scene for a samurai is

seeing the event that led the warrior to become a

samurai; usually a brutal defeat at the hands of a

foe.

Archetypes: Hard Luck, Samurai, Kabukimono,

Playboy

Attribute Cost: 1

Karma: 85

Attributes:

BOD 6 (9)

AGI 8 (11)

SEN 5 (8)

KNO 3

SPI 6

EMP 6

STA 5

Vitality: 12

Soul: 18

Wounds: 6/3/2/1

Skills

Evasion OO

Melee Weapons OOO

First Aid OO

Marksman OO

Notice OO

Pursuit OOO

Information OOO

Willpower OOO

Performance OO

Pillow Arts OOO

Weapons

Kunai (Damage: +2; Rate of Fire: 3; Range:

10m; Ammo: A lot)

Soulgem Great-sword (Damage: +5; Rate of

Fire: 3; Range: —; Ammo: 12)

Fates

Emotion: Hatred of Weakness

OOO

Misfortune: Death of Your Most Precious

Thing

Equipment: Large gemblade katana, garish/

loud kimono, damaged and worn breastplate, 10

additional soulgems

Notes: Samurai abilities are as follows:

• Costs 5 Soul to activate, lasts for 6 rounds

• Combat Ability 3 (when in samurai form, the

samurai adds three dice to Body, Agility and Senses)

• Regeneration 1 (every round, the samurai regains

one point of Vitality)

• Soulfind 1 (in samurai form, the samurai can

sense all living things in a 10 meter radius)

• Possession 1 (no effect, required for samurai

surgery)

Roleplay Ideas:

• A powerful and energetic warrior who wishes to

drink deep of everything the world has to offer

• A ronin from a fallen clan, suspicious and wary,

who may one day learn again to enjoy living

• A brooding samurai who for some reason hates

what she has become

• A confident but kind person who protects the

innocent and smites the wicked regardless of honor

or station

• A youth turned into a samurai to fulfill an

obligation, and will single-mindedly pursue that

obligation without fail

Zero Act Ideas:

• Your defeat at the hands of your fated enemy,

which led you down the path of becoming a

samurai

• Nightmares of a powerful demon controlling your

actions, unable to restrain your body

• The last match of the domain lord’s public sword

tournament; your master asks you to throw the

364

SAMPLE CHARACTERS

match so that your opponent, trained in the style

sponsored by the lord, saves face in front of that lord

• You wake up floating in a stream near a peaceful

village, covered in blood and punctured with

arrows, with vague recollections of the battle you

lost

• All samurai have the “Death of your most precious

thing” Fate: There is surely a story to be told there

• The samuraization surgery ends with your betrayal

at the hands of the onmyoji you trusted with the

surgery

365

SAMPLE CHARACTERS

BUDDHIST MONK

This monk, trained in the Fist of Acala martial art,

comes from any of the three major orders (usually

Ebon Mountain). These characters often have

something to learn about themselves.

A good strategy is to give very strong, goal-oriented

destinies to monks in order to shake them into

action. Otherwise, this character can quickly turn

into a “fifth wheel” who simply follows the others.

Archetypes: Buddhist Monk, Fist of Alaca

Attribute Cost: 0

Karma: 70

Attributes:

BOD 8

AGI 6

SEN 5

KNO 4

SPI 8

EMP 7

STA 2

Vitality: 16

Soul: 24

Wounds: 8/4/2/1

Skills

Unarmed Combat OOOO

Buddhist Magic OOOO

Persuasion OOO

Art of War: Fist of Alaca

OOO

Weapons

Fist (Damage: 4; Rate of Fire: —; Range:

—; Ammo: A lot)

Fates

Taboo: Fighting

OOO

Taboo: Disobeying the Precepts

Notes: Refer to the Buddhist magic chapter of the

rules for the effects of Buddhist magic.

Fist of Acala at its current rank bestows:

• The monk uses Spirit instead of Body for

Unarmed Combat rolls

• +4 damage for all hand to hand attacks

• When you defend (and only when defending), you

have the option of declaring The Unmoving Fist:

The side which ends up losing the counter-attack

(the one with fewer successes) is treated as if they

had 0 successes for that attack.

Roleplay Ideas:

• A young monk of the Phoenix sect recently

released to the world, still purposefully following

scripture

• An older Ebon Order monk, wandering

purposeless from village to village

• A kind person yet ruthless killer in the service of

the Hidden 28th Chamber

• A monk coming to terms with scripture vs what is

needed to perform lasting good in the real world

• A newly-ordained monk with a sordid past

Zero Act Ideas:

• A scene from the person’s life before they decided

to join the temple and become a monk

• Excommunication from the monastery for heresy

or questioning scripture (presumably before joining

the Ebon Mountain sect)

• A young monk’s first encounter with an eccentric

Ebon Mountain monk

• Training side by side with an oni monk of

considerable skill, realizing that there is more to

these people than what the rumors say

• The first time you used your hands to defend

yourself or another innocent person from harm

366

SAMPLE CHARACTERS

KIJIN

A kijin has replaced some (or much) of her body

with metal mechanica. They are nearly as powerful

as samurai or armours, but because of that drive to

become more powerful, they have lost much of their

humanity to cold steel.

It will probably be easy to role-play the kijin’s

Fates with the help of the other players, so these

characters can be given more moderate destinies.

Archetypes: Kijin, Mercenary

Attribute Cost: 8

Karma: 45

Attributes:

BOD 5

AGI 5

SEN 5

KNO 3

SPI 5

EMP 6

STA 3

Vitality: 10

Soul: 16

Wounds: 5/3/2/1

Skills

Unarmed Combat OOO

Evasion OO

Melee Weapons OOO

First Aid OO

Marksman OOO

Notice OO

Information OOO

Willpower OOO

Weapons

Vajra Claws (Damage: +3[8]; Rate of Fire: 3;

Range: —; Ammo 6)

Grudge Blade (Damage: +5 [10]; Rate of

Fire: —; Range: —; Ammo: —)

Five-barrel Gatling (Damage: +3; Rate of

Fire: 5; Range: 20m; Ammo: 30)

Fates

Emotion: Sympathy Towards the Weak

OOO

Emotion: Ambition

Equipment: A partially eaten riceball, scarred

breastplate and kabuto helmet

Mechanica include:

Mechanica Sensor (one eye, class otsu, provides +5

to rolls to perception checks)

Darksight: You can see in darkness. Add 2 dice to

all Sense rolls while in darkness.

Eye of Distant Death: Add 2 dice for all Marksman

rolls.

Mechanica Arms: (both arms, class otsu, provides

+5 to damage to hits with unarmed combat, melee,

and thrown weapons)

Roleplay Ideas:

• Having been knocked down again and again, you

keep coming back for more: Only your anger keeps

you going at this point

• An older kijin, watching the world change but

unable to stop it

• A young warrior who won’t take anything for

granted anymore: Wears the latest fashions, drinks

the finest sake, eats the finest foods, beds the finest

concubines

• You have recreated your body and even soul for

one purpose, and pursue that purpose without

hesitation

Zero Act Ideas:

• Being brutally wounded in a rout, a battle where

your lord sent you to die in order to pull off a larger

strategy

• Th e last time you were with your family: Perhaps

even the last time you would ever see them

• You return from war to your lover, but now you

look nothing like the person you were when you left

• Being cast out of a clan for losing a battle without

having the honor to fi ght until death

• A lord asks you personally to pursue having your

body replaced with mechanica

367

SAMPLE CHARACTERS

KONGOHKI

This character has the most combat power of all the

sample characters, but it’s that much harder to role-

play this character. While having the appearance

of a fearsome robot, their voices are usually human

and normal like other people. They are usually built

and purchased for a purpose, and that purpose will

often be revealed during the Zero Act.

Please talk to a kongohki player before the game

begins, and spend a little time discussing how

the character’s past (the strongest element of this

character) will resurface in play. Destinies aside,

do some thinking as GM about elements of the

kongohki’s past that will emerge during the

scenario.

Archetypes: Kongohki

Attribute Cost: 20

Karma: 70

Attributes:

BOD 7 (10)

AGI 9 (12)

SEN 7 (10)

KNO 5

SPI 6

EMP 4

STA 5

Vitality: 13

Soul: 22

Wounds: 7/4/2/1

Skills

Unarmed Combat OOO

Movement OO

Melee Weapons OOO

Stealth OO

Marksman OOO

Notice OO

Weapons

Gemblade Katana (Damage: +3, Rate of

Fire: 3; Range: —; Ammo: 6)

Double-Edged Sword (Damage: +2; Rate of

Fire: 2; Range: —; Ammo 6)

Hooked Fang Dagger (Damage: +1; Rate of

Fire: —; Range: —; Ammo: —)

Shuriken (Damage: +1; Rate of Fire: 5;

Range: 10m; Ammo: A lot)

Fates

Kongohki: Sealed Memory

OOOO

Equipment: Several weapons, nothing else

Notes: All physical attributes use the value in

parentheses, these are higher due to the Karma/

meikyo bonus

Lifepulse: 700m radius

Self-destruct: The kongohki can explode, destroying

themselves. Th is causes 30 points of damage to

everyone in a 15m radius

Kongohki Overdrive: 13 times per session. During

an overdrive, when performing physical actions with

Body, Agility or Senses, every die that comes up as

a success is rolled one more time. The second round

of successes is added to the total of the first roll.

However, dice that come up as successes a second

time are not rerolled. The Overdrive can be engaged

instantly, no action is required.

Flashback: As long as your Fate remains as “Sealed

Memory”, whenever the number of your Aiki tokens

exceeds your Empathy score, you receive a flashback

scene from your former life. The flashback consists

of dreamlike, fragmentary images like a movie

trailer.

The contents of the flashback are up to the GM. If a

flashback occurs in mid battle, the character cannot

take actions for that round.

Roleplay Ideas:

• A faithful kongohki, performing all duties as

expected

• A restless kongohki, having doubts about her

service and her lord

• A kongohki with a bright and cheerful personality

who likes being around others

368

SAMPLE CHARACTERS

Zero Act Ideas:

• Most kongohki Zero Acts will involve receiving

their mission from whomever owns them

• Protecting your lord from a vicious assassination

attempt

• Destroying another kongohki who went renegade,

a kongohki you once trusted and followed

• A nightmare from a past you don’t remember

• A flashback to who you were before, vague

memories of flesh and blood

• Seeing a child in the street during a war parade or

procession, and triggering a flashback

369

SAMPLE CHARACTERS

SHINOBI

Shinobi characters are great for players who like

the idea of controlling dark power, infiltrating

and overthrowing powerful enemies. This kind of

character can also have a huge range of personality.

Basic but powerful destinies are good for this kind

of character, like ones that give them a mission

to accomplish, or which present good or bad

relationships to major NPCs or PCs.

Archetypes: Shinobi, Thief

Attribute Cost: 1

Karma: 80

Attributes:

BOD 5

AGI 9

SEN 6

KNO 4

SPI 6

EMP 5

STA 4

Vitality: 11

Soul: 20

Wounds: 5/3/2/1

Skills

Stealth OOO

Movement OOO

Melee Weapons OOO

Criminal Arts OO

Marksman OOOO

Notice OOOO

Forgery OO

Pursuit OOO

Ninjutsu: School of the Shore

OOOO

Weapons

Ninja sword (Damage: +3; Rate of Fire: —;

Range: —; Ammo: —)

Shuriken (Damge: +1; Rate of Fire: 5; Range

10m; Ammo: A lot)

Fates

Misfortune: Property of the Clan

OOO

Emotion: Hatred of Hipocracy

Equipment: Ninja stealth gear, costume changes,

merchant’s clothing, 500 mon and 8pieces of silver,

Shinobi dark arts (4)

Notes:

Dark Arts: reduces ninjutsu ability costs by 4 Soul

down to a minimum of one.

School of the Shore style: allows Ninjutsu skill rank

to be used for Notice and Marksman

School of the Shore: abilities at rank 4 include

Possessed by the Inner Wolf, Possessed by the

Inner Demon, Shadowfl ight, Ninja Duplication,

Mind’s Eye, Shadow Stitch, Shadowless Replication

Technique

Roleplay Ideas:

• A surprisingly cheerful ninja who believes in what

she does and serves her clan faithfully

• A rogue or runaway ninja being hunted by the

remaining members of the clan

• A doubtful ninja, questioning her position, her

station, with thoughts of freedom

• An older ninja: Cold, calculating and ruthless in

task, but with a hidden heart of gold

• A cocky young ninja who only cares about the

praise from her elders for a mission well done

Zero Act Ideas:

• The last step in your clan’s brand of training is

mortal combat with another ninja: Your opponent is

a friend or sibling

• You return to your village to find it burned,

destroyed, or simply… gone

• You hunt down a runaway ninja and deliver the

final blow, but their last words haunt you and

question your being

• You stand silent guard for a local lord as he does

despicable things to innocent people; perhaps he’s

gone too far this time

• You encounter a commoner in town on a plain-

clothes mission, and it is love at first sight

• Your clan elder gives you one final mission, a

sacred clan scroll, and tells you to never return

370

SAMPLE CHARACTERS

WAR-MAIDEN KUGUTSU

This is a kugutsu who was trained since her crafting

to be a powerful swordmaster. Having said that, she

still isn’t as powerful as samurai and the like.

Kugutsu stories tend to involve mystery and secrets:

Usually their origins are secret, and sometimes the

kugutsu doesn’t know where she came from, and

in some cases doesn’t know that she is a kugutsu.

These characters tend to have deep, human ideals,

so Destinies which focus on something to believe in,

or misfortunes of her past, are best for this kind of

character.

Archetypes: Kugutsu, Swordmaster, Concubine

Attribute Cost: 1

Karma: 70

Attributes:

BOD 4

AGI 7

SEN 5

KNO 4

SPI 5

EMP 8

STA 6

Vitality: 9

Soul: 18

Wounds: 4/2/1/1

Skills

Melee Weapons OOOO

First Aid OO

Notice OOO

Information OOO

Perform OOO

Persuade OO

Pillow Arts OOO

Etiquette OOO

Weapons

Great Soulgem Katana (Damage: +5, Rate

of Fire: 5; Range: —; Ammo: 8)

Fates

Secret: No One Knows You're a Kugutsu

OOO

Taboo: Killing People

Notes: The Butterfly Dream

Roleplay Ideas:

• A naive kugutsu, experiencing life away from

extravagance and servitude for the first time

• A worldly kugutsu on the run, jaded but still

finding interest in new experiences and new people

• Rejecting what you are, you try to “common

yourself up” as much as possible to try to become

more human

• You have no idea that you are a kugutsu, because

your creator made sure that you were never

informed; but now for some reason others are

looking for you

• You’ve found something to love for the first time,

and the experience overwhelms you

Zero Act Ideas:

• Serving in a tavern for as long as you can

remember, bounty hunters suddenly kick down the

door and seek to take you in

• Your creator is kind, and helps you flee his

mansion once complete rather than find a life in

service

• Your master is insane, and tries to complete your

sword-training by killing an innocent person he’s

tied up and brought to the mansion

• You find yourself in a village during a local

festival, having never experienced anything like it

before

• You attempt to escape a cruel or cold lord with a

sister kugutsu, but in the end only you escape

• The tea-ceremony where you are introduced to

your potential future lord, who is in awe of you yet

addresses you only as a thing or object

371

SAMPLE CHARACTERS

ANNELIDIST

Annelidists usually have an open heart towards

the weak or downtrodden. In many ways, they are

similar to kijin characters. While they deal with

inhuman worms and bugs, most are still deeply

attached to people: They often serve as wandering

or stationary village healers.

Annelidists work well with Destinies that give

them another character (NPC or PC) to protect, or

perhaps which deal with the fallout of someone they

failed to protect.

Archetypes: Annelidist, Doctor

Attribute Cost: 1

Karma: 75

Attributes:

BOD 8

AGI 5

SEN 6

KNO 5

SPI 5

EMP 6

STA 4

Vitality: 13

Soul: 20

Wounds: 8/4/2/1

Skills

Wormcharm OOOO

First Aid OOO

Notice OO

Information OO

Willpower OO

Weapons

Talonfang Bugs (Damage: +5; Rate of Fire:

—; Range: —; Ammo: —)

Mouth Creeper (Damage: +1 [poison]; Rate

of Fire: —; Range: —; Ammo: —)

Fates

Goal: Protect the Weak

OOO

Emotion: Affection for Annelids

Equipment :Mushi food, medicinal cabinet with

various medicines, plain clothes; Medicine gives

+1 dice to all First Aid rolls Talonfang bugs:Use

Wormcharm to attack with them

Mouth creeper: Use Wormcharm to attack, if you

hit the enemy makes a Willpower roll against a diffi

culty of 2: Failure means paralysis for two rounds;

otherwise no effect

Rejuvenation Worm: 15 Points

Roleplay Ideas:

• A kind, quiet and unassuming doctor with anger

issues

• Disgusted with the hypocrisy in the land, you

are a grumpy doctor who will give those you heal

expert care and a good tongue lashing if they appear

hesitant or scared by your nature

• A person who had the annelids forced upon her,

and wants nothing more than to purge them from

her body

• A lord’s trusted doctor, you have high cultural

tastes and never deign to reveal your annelids or

their needs in public

• A young and courageous annelidist doctor

traveling in a land deeply suspicious or hateful of

your kind

Zero Act Ideas:

• A renegade annelidist is out of control, and you

destroy him before he can continue his rampage;

however something about him reminds you of

yourself

• You show up in a village just as the last annelidist

to pass through is being hanged by a suspicious and

violent crowd

• You are implanted with the annelids for the service

of a village or lord, who later reject you when your

deeds are done

• You were a normal person, before you accidentally

stumbled into that forgotten cave…

• A child breaks his leg nearby; the mother brings

him to you for care, but then the father shows up,

drunk, with words about his son being touched by a

“corpse-eater “

372

SAMPLE CHARACTERS

ONI

The native and downtrodden people of Tenra, they

are able to use their Resonance abilities to move

matter and read minds. This character is likely a

young oni, troubled about their people and identity

in a land where they are being hunted to extinction.

This character might be a hunted adult oni, running

away from pursuers intent on bringing them to

justice. If this is the case, the character has a small

half-oni child companion.

Oni often become the center of attention. It is

important for oni characters to receive Destinies

which give them focus. Stories involving oni can

often be deeply dramatic or tragic.

Archetypes: Oni, Thief, Paragon

Attribute Cost: 1

Karma: 80

Attributes:

BOD 8

AGI 6

SEN 5

KNO 3

SPI 8

EMP 5

STA 3

Vitality: 16

Soul: 24

Wounds: 8/4/2/1

Skills

Movement OOO

Melee Weapons OOO

Stealth OOO

Criminal Arts OO

Marksman OOO

Forgery OO

Resonance OOOO

Art of War: Southern Seas One-Blade Style

OOOO

Weapons

Large, wicked axe (Damage: +5; Rate of

Fire: —; Range: —; Ammo: —)

Kunai (Damage: +2; Rate of Fire: 3; Range:

10m; Ammo: a lot)

Fates

Goal: Coexist with Humans

OOO

Emotion: Hatred of Hipocracy

Notes: Refer to the rules on Resonance powers.

Refer to the rules for Arts of War on the progression

of the Southern Seas One-Blade Style. Notably,

Body is used instead of Agility for melee weapon

strikes.

Roleplay Ideas:

• A naive young oni who has never mingled with

people before, having to learn the hard realities of

the world

• A fiercely traditionalist oni who needs to overcome

her hatred of humans in order to find common

ground with them

• A disguised oni who has lived among humans in

town for a long time, who feels the need to return to

her oni roots

• A champion of the Kikoku rebellion who travels

the world, and has no time for petty human racism

• You are an ambassador of goodwill, making

progress with convincing the humans from a local

village that your people are not monsters

Zero Act Ideas:

• Your village is raided, and all of the oni but you

are killed

• Your village is raided, and almost all of the oni are

killed

• You make friends with a human monk who lives

peacefully with your people. Then raiders show

up…

• You are summoned by Makuu Nindo, who

personally asks you to wander the land to help both

oni and humans in need

• You are on the deck of the great flying ship

Yamato-Takeru during the Kikoku domain’s oni

rebellion. You single-handedly kill the captain, but

his last words haunt you

373

SAMPLE CHARACTERS

MIKO or GYOSHI

This character is a Miko shrine maiden or Gyoshi

Shinto priest. Th is character is suited for a mission

where the Priesthood sends an agent out to gather

information, or else manipulate events behind the

scenes.

These characters are great for scenarios where the

mission or duty assigned by the Priesthood starts

to differ from the agent’s agenda or wishes. Th ese

make interesting and fitting scenarios for agent

characters.

Archetypes: Miko, Onmyoji Apprentice, Travelling

Performer

Attribute Cost: 0

Karma: 10

Meikyo Karma: 45

Attributes:

BOD 3

AGI 5

SEN 3

KNO 7

SPI 6

EMP 8

STA 6

Vitality: 9

Soul: 26

Wounds: 3/2/1/1

Skills

Evasion OO

Notice OO

Onmyojutsu OO

Information OO

Interface OOO

Perform OOO

Etiquette OO

Shinto OO

Weapons

Kodachi (Damage: +2; Rate of Fire: —;

Range: —; Ammo: —)

Fates

Emotion: Longing for a Family

OOO

Emotion: Loyalty to the Priesthood

Equipment

Meikyo mirror, interface helm, Amafuda

pass, flute, Shinto ceremonial equipment

Talisman Containing the shiki spirit

"Demon Eyes"

Creation Points 20

Soul Cost 10

Soulnd 4 (40m radius)

Prolong Summoning 2 (18 rounds/minutes)

Flight 1 (200m/minute)

Explosion 6 (6 damage in a 3m

radius)

Possession 1 (bound to a talisman)

Abilities 4

Skills 2

Vitality 4

Sense Link

Notes: Refer to the rules on Shinto powers; Refer to

the rules on Onmojutsu for summoning spirits, it is

likely that the miko/gyoshi commonly uses this skill

to summon and bind spirits to talismans for later

use; Meikyo bonus is currently +2

Roleplay Ideas:

• A naive miko or gyoshi, traveling the world of

Tenra to faithfully perform ceremonies and duties

• A seasoned shrine maiden who knows much about

the Priesthood, and faithfully serves them anyway

• A jaded gyoshi who tires of the conspiracies,

secrets, and lies, and just wants to help people

• Secretly a higher-ranking member of the

Priesthood, in disguise to learn more about the

world or further some Priesthood goal

• A faithful member of the Northern or Southern

Court, outspoken against the rival Court in a

currently contested domain

• A warrior who joined the Shinto Priesthood

against her will

374

SAMPLE CHARACTERS

Zero Act Ideas:

• Nightmares from the Fall of Jinrai, whether you

were there or even alive at the time or not

• Having your rank stripped from a higher level

to a lower level in front of masked peers for some

mistake (or purposed decision) you made

• Being tasked with an unconscionable deed or

betrayal, and living with the consequences of

performing or not performing it

• Your last day at your noble house before being sent

offto become a miko or gyoshi

• You meet again with the cheerful old Bright Lotus

monk who tells you stories and sings old songs in

the town square; he is then killed in front of you by

a Priesthood mercenary who reads you a pre-written

admonishment from an elder.

375

SAMPLE CHARACTERS

ARMOUR HUNTER

The armour hunter is a specialist at bringing down

those steel beasts in melee combat. Most were

originally armour riders themselves, and thus have a

hatred or fear of the armours they used to love.

Armour hunters are great in stories which feature

a major NPC armour rider or an armour rider

PC. Over the course of the scenario, we’ll see if

the hunter can overcome her hatred, or have it

reaffirmed.

Archetypes: Former Armour Rider, Armour Hunter,

Mercenary

Attribute Cost: 1

Karma: 73

Attributes:

BOD 7

AGI 8

SEN 6

KNO 3

SPI 5

EMP 6

STA 4

Vitality: 12

Soul: 16

Wounds: 7/4/2/1

Skills

Movement OOO

Melee Weapons OOOO

Marksman OOO

Information OOO

Interface OOO

Etiquette OO

Art of Rule OO

Weapons

ZAKT-8 Ultimate Edge (Damage: +6; Rate

of Fire: 8; Range: —; Ammo: 8)

Shortsword (Damage: +2; Rate of Fire: —;

Range: —; Ammo: —)

Fates

Emotion: Hatred of Yoroi Armours

OOO

Emotion: Look Up to the Strong

Equipment: A merciless sword nearly as big as

you, worn breastplate with faded clan symbol, 15

additional soulgems

Roleplay Ideas:

• You are bitter and wary of the world and expect

every friend to betray you, every meal to be

poisoned; however, while sour and rough, you

continue to live on just in case that next person ends

up being a true comrade

• A poor but lusty young mercenary in search of all

the pleasures of battle, drink, song, food and flesh

• A strategic-minded killer who wastes no motion in

battle or speech in pursuit of victory

• A young ex-armour rider, you turned your back

on your family, and have nothing but contempt for

nobles, clans and status

• A military genius no longer of status or patronage,

you are resigned to your current Fate of being a

grunt mercenary with a giant sword

Zero Act Ideas:

• You are a teenager piloting an armour, when the

armour stops responding and ejects you onto a mud-

caked bloody battlefield

• You are a sibling in a noble house: All your

brothers and sisters went on to be armour riders, but

you never made the cut. This last test is your last

chance to be a pilot…

• Penniless, you take on work as a mercenary.

However, your first well-paying job turns out to be

much more disturbing than you had anticipated

• You return to your castle estate after a rout: Your

family casts you out

• You face off for the first time against a yoroi

armour on the battlefield, undoubtedly piloted by a

child much like you once were

376

SAMPLE CHARACTERS

AYAKASHI

A mysterious figure, the ayakashi appears to others

as a normal human being in appearance, but

something is a little… off. They might have slightly

unusual features (eye or hair color), always seem

aloof, or perhaps speak in an archaic fashion. But

no one could imagine that this person is actually an

ageless ayakashi spirit. The ayakashi makes efforts

to ensure that no one suspects, in this case taking

on the appearance of a Buddhist monk (and perhaps

even living as one for some time).

Ayakashi PCs can be difficult to integrate with the

rest of the characters, because they are so unusual

and come from such a different background.

However, keep the ayakashi grounded as a type who

is profoundly interested in people and culture, and

there shouldn’t be a problem. Ayakashi characters

are great for mystical or mythology-heavy games.

Archetypes: Traveling Performer, Fallen Monk,

Ayakashi

Attribute Cost: 3

Karma: 70

Attributes:

BOD 6

AGI 7

SEN 6

KNO 3

SPI 6

EMP 6

STA 3

Vitality: 12

Soul: 18

Wounds: 6/3/2/1

Skills

Movement OO

Notice OO

Marksman OOO

Information OO

Buddhist Magic OOO

Persuasion OO

Perform OOO

Willpower OOO

Weapons

Iron Shakujo Ringed Staff (Damage: +2;

Rate of Fire: —; Range: —; Ammo:

—)

Fire Summoning (Damage: +15; Rate of

Fire: 9; Range: 100m; Ammo: —)

Fates

Emotion: Curiosity Towards People

OOO

Emotion: Longing for Family

Equipment: Shakuhachi (thick wooden recorder/

flute) or Nohkan (thin flute), monks robes, archaic

clothes, traveling bag

Special Abilities:

Projectile Attack (4): Part of your body can be used

as a ranged weapon (summon fire)

Superspeed: Any successes rolled on Body, Agility,

and Senses can be rerolled and added to your

total successes for that check. This ability can be

activated a number of times in a session equal to

Body + Spirit.

Incorporeal: By expending 3 Soul, you can become

incorporeal for one round or minute and pass

through solid objects.

Shapechange (4): You can mimic any creature or

person you have seen. This ability reverts when you

use another ayakashi ability.

Multiple forms (3): You can create three images of

yourself which act independently, each with one

Vitality point.

Weakness: Wet Iron (4): You are vulnerable to iron

stained with blood or water. Total damage taken

from these weapons is multiplied by 4

Taboo: Killing people (3): If you kill any person,

you take 6 damage directly on the Wound Gauge.

Roleplay Ideas:

• An archaic-tongued wanderer whose personality

swings from friendly to aloof, who sometimes

references people, places or events long past

• A joyous and always mirthful traveling performer

who is always excited to meet new people and visit

new places, but always seems to be in the wrong

place at the wrong time

377

SAMPLE CHARACTERS

• An actually devout Buddhist monk who uses

his secret abilities to serve the Phoenix order, who

has disturbing and inspirational dreams where the

Amida Nyorai buddha speaks to him

• An elderly bikuni female traveling monk,

protective of those around her, who sometimes

takes on the form of a young, hauntingly beautiful

fey woman

• You vow you will never forgive humans for

what they did to your great forest and fellow

ayakashi. But before you dedicate your existence to

eradicating them, you will live amongst them for a

few years and give them one more try…

Zero Act Ideas:

• You leave your forest, travel to a village, and

happen to save a little girl from a fire. You visit the

village a short span of time (for you) later, and meet

that girl again: sixty years later as an elderly woman

• You are unaware that you are an ayakashi, you

simply have been raised from an orphan to a faithful

monk at a local temple all your life. However, one

day the abbot of your temple brings you into his

chamber to tell you about your past, and to have

you face the world

• Mistakenly thought of as an evil ayakashi and

hunted down, you turn up injured and desperate at

a small, remote Buddhist monastery

• You have a dream that pulls you out of the great

deep forest and towards the strange cities of the

people

• One of the great elder ayakashi ara-mitama spirits

commands you to live amongst the people of Tenra

for mysterious reasons

378

EMOTION MATRIX

10-1

Unsettled Mind You have a bad feeling about this person, your feelings

projecting an image of stale sediment at the bottom of

a pool of black mud. No matter how hard you try, you

can’t shake this sense of unease around this person.

10-2

Acquaintance Someone you know casually. Or at least, you have

a feeling that you know this person from before.

Maybe.

10-3

Desire Something inside of you is burning. Do you lust for

the knowledge they have, to take something they

possess and make it yours, or do you simply desire

their physical form?

10-4

Pursuer You feel like this person has been following you, or

perhaps you have been pursuing them? Do you even

know the reason why?

10-5

Nostalgia This person is an old friend, or perhaps they remind

you of an old friend, someone special to you.

Memories of your golden age come and go in your

mind.

10-6

Annihilation This person represents the very destruction of

everything you hold dear. Will you be destroyed, or

will a new, greater world rise from the ashes of the

old?

20-1

Loyalty This person never coerces you and never bends your

will. You are utterly devoted, and you would never

turn against their will.

20-2

They Hate You You don’t know why, but you constantly feel this

person’s animosity towards you. This person will

never forgive you. Perhaps you do know the reason

why, and you want to heal the rift. Or perhaps… the

feeling is mutual.

20-3

Like Your Child This person reminds you of a child you loved a long

time ago, or else you have the feelings of a caregiver

towards this person. It might be in the smallest acts

they do, or the look in their eyes, but you can’t ignore

the feelings this person stirs inside of you.

20-4

Dark Dreams You feel dizzy from the aura this person projects. This

sense of foreboding… what is this feeling? Your mind

tries to scream a warning…

20-5

Admiration A warm feeling fills your heart when you think about

this person.

20-6

Hmmmm... There’s something about this person. A faint tingling

in the back of your head when you think about them.

What did they do? What are their true motives? Are

they the one responsible for…

30-1

Hatred Whenever this person is around, you can barely

suppress your disgust or anger. You don’t get along

with them, and feel a strong loathing. Later, you make

excuses to yourself and come up with reasons for those

emotions.

30-2

I Am Salvation You have no doubt that, deep down, this person is

asking for your help and guidance. You are the only

person who can help them, you’re sure of it.

30-3

A Warning! When you fi rst laid eyes on this person, you knew

they were dangerous. Better keep an eye on them, just

in case…

30-4

Deep Impression Every word holds you in their thrall. Their whole

being gives you counsel, and urges you to action.

30-5

Rival You can’t bring yourself to lose against this person.

Your rivalry is probably one-sided, and not necessarily

hostile. You may even be close friends. However, until

you surpass this person you’ll never find your own

path.

30-6

Companionship This person’s acts or words tell you that they are of

the same mind, and working towards the same goal.

40-1

Purity/Innocence This person’s very existence is purity itself. You almost

feel blinded in their presence by their innocent, naked

will.

40-2

Killing Intent A dark, foggy feeling threatens to smother you. You

have either been tasked to kill this person, or simply

know that it is an inevitability.

40-3

Love at First Sight The moment you met this person you felt like the

world finally became bright and colorful.

40-4

Fear This person’s presence gives you goosebumps. It feels

like someone is pouring hot lead into your stomach.

Is your fear unwarranted, or does this person’s destiny

cross yours in an unfavorable way?

40-5

Like a Brother/Sister This person has a sibling-like relationship with you, or

they could even be your actual sibling. A part of your

heart grows warm when they are near.

40-6

Unstable Emotions An unstable, unknowable feeling catches your heart.

Where does it come from? Why does this person’s

presence wreak havoc on your emotions?

50-1

Soulmate You hear the music that plays when two souls are

intertwined. They are you, and you are they. What is

the nature of this sympathy, and what path do your

crossed destinies take?

50-2

Master Their every word, their every act teaches you about

the world.

50-3

Shock You can’t explain it with words. Don’t even try. The

only question that your heart screams is… why?

50-4

Goodwill The way this person talks, acts, and expresses

themselves reminds you of how well you get along

with this person. This bond will grow deep with time.

50-5

Chains of Fate Wherever you go, they this person turns up. You don’t

particularly like this person, but destiny seems to keep

pulling you together: A rotten kind of fate. Might as

well get used to them…

50-6

Strange Interest Is it the way this person looks, or is it something

deeper? Do you even know why this person triggers

feelings of interest? In any case, you have an interest

in this person that might be mundane or peculiar.

60-1

Deja Vu You’ve had this experience before. You remember this

person. Or was it somebody similar to this person?

Who is this person, and why do they make you feel

like all this has happened before?

60-2

Chaos Colors blend, feelings merge. This person produces

strong, conflicting feelings in your heart. Will

one emotion rise strong out of this chaos of mixed

emotions?

60-3

Worthy Rival They recognize you as a worthy rival, as do you they.

Your rivalry may be as small as a pebble or large as

a mountain. At some point, though, this rivalry will

come to an end.

60-4

Thirst For Your Blood You can feel it: The chill on the back of your neck,

those looks they give you. This person surely intends

to kill you. Do you know the reason? Will caring why

save you?

60-5

Blood Relative This person looks or feels like someone in your

immediate family. Perhaps they even remind you of

yourself. Alternately, this person might actually be

related to you by blood.

60-6

A Dark Flame A feeling in your heart, one that you have been trying

to ignore. It burns violently, and threatens to consume

you. This person is at the center of it all. What will

happen when you find out why?

1 2 3 4 5 6

Unsettled

Mind

Acquaintance Desire Pursuer Nostalgia Annihilation

Loyalty They Hate

You

Like Your

Child

Dark Dreams Admiration Hmmmm...

Hatred I Am Salvation A Warning! Deep

Impression

Rival Companionship

Purity/

Innocence

Killing Intent Love at First

Sight

Fear Like a Brother/

Sister

Unstable

Emotions

Soulmate Master Shock Goodwill Chains of Fate Strange Interest

Deja Vu Chaos Worth Rival Thirst For

Your Blood

Blood Relative A Dark Flame

108 FACTIONS OF THE LORDS OF LIGHT 189

222 THINGS TO DO IN TENRA 310

AD-LIBBING 134

ACQUIRING WEAPONS 351

ACTING PL AYERS 100

ACTIONS 63

ACTS 5, 98

ADVANCED ARCHETYPES 346

ADVICE FOR GAME-MASTERS 299

ADVICE FOR PLAYERS 296

AFTER-GAME DISCUSSION 107

AIKI 41, 43, 47, 87

AIKI AS KIAI 47

AIKI CHITS 47

AIUCHI ATTACK 76

ALU 235

ANATMAN PHASE 53, 106

ANCIENT STYLE-LIGHTNING STRIKE 261

ANNELID IMPLANTATION 18

ANNELID LIST 227

ANNELID RULES 227

ANNELIDS 148

ANNELIDS AND WORMCHARM 74

ARA-MITAMA 241

ARCHETYPE CREATION 349

ARCHETYPE LIST 326

ARMOUR 144

ARMOUR CREATION EXAMPLE 153

ARMOUR CREATION RULES 145

ARMOUR DAMAGE 153

ARMOUR GEAR 150

ARMOUR REPAIR 145

ARMOUR WEAPONS 158

ARMOUR WOUND TRACKS 75

ART OF KI MANIPUL ATION 258

ART OF WAR 252

ASURA 5, 51, 131

ATTACK ACTION 63

ATTACKING AND DAMAGE 65

ATTACKS 81

ATTACKS WITH RANGED WE APONS 79

ATTRIBUTES 13

ATTRIBUTES FOR KONGOHKI 206

ATTRIBUTES FOR ARMOUR 145

AUDIENCE 6, 43

AWESOME 26

AYAKASHI 241

AYAKASHI PCs 250

AYAKASHI RULES 241

BACKGROUND 58, 266

BASIC ACTION SUMMARY 25

BASIC COMBAT 62

BENDING THE RULES 142

BENDING THE SETTING 126

BLACK WING GUN STYLE 264

BUDDHIST MAGIC 74, 185

BUTTERFLY DREAM 78, 225, 285

CELESTIAL FORM KUNG-FU 191

CHALLENGE RATING 25

CHARACTER CREATION 11, 93

CHARACTER DEATH 125

CHARACTER INTRODUCTIONS 96

CHEER ON 64

CHIMER A 165

CHOICES AND CONTRADICTIONS 126

CLARITY OF HEAVEN STYLE 254

COMBAT 62, 90

COMBINATION WEAPONS 353

CONVERTING KIAI 119

COUNTERATTACK 66, 68, 81

CRESCENT MOON BLADE TACTICS 257

CURTAIN CALL AND EPILOGUE 106

CUSTOMIZED WEAPONS 352

DAMAGE 66

DAMAGE BONUS FOR RANGED WEAPONS 79

DAMAGE EXAMPLE 71

DARK ARTS 18, 215

DEAD BOX 70

DESCRIBING THE SETTING 306

DESTINIES 5, 42, 52, 108, 110, 111, 122

DICE 7, 27

DII 235

DOCTRINE OF NO-SELF 106, 111

DRAGON AND TIGER UNDER ONE SKY STYLE 256

DRAINING WEAPONS 244

DRAMATIC SITUATIONS 123

EMOTION MATRIX 49, 96, 108, 113, 115, 378

EMOTION MATRIX AND PCS 115

EMOTION MATRIX AND THE POWER OF THE DICE

117

EMOTION MATRIX AND NPCS 115

EMOTION MATRIX ROLL 109

EMPTY FIST 263

EMPTY MIND STYLE 256

EPILOGUE 107

EQUIPMENT 15, 29

FAILURE 138

FATE 5, 11, 52, 58, 96

FATE CREATION 54, 97

FATE ROLLS 48, 64, 96, 106, 111

FINAL INTERMISSION 107

FINISHING BLOW 72

FIRST AID 74

FISHING TECHNIQUE 141

FIST OF ACALA THE IMMOVABLE LORD OF LIGHT

190

FIST OF THE CELESTIAL KONGOHKI 259

FRACTIONS 7

GAME DAY PREPARATION 88

GAME DISCUSSION 111

GAME MASTER 88

GAME PREPARATION 84, 88

GEMBLADES 354

GENERAL ARCHETYPES 326

GETTING INTO CHARACTER 112

GM AS JUDGE 57

GM VICTORY CONDITIONS 7

GUNPOWDER WEAPONS 352

HALF-ACTIONS 65

HANDS OF MERCIFUL KANNON THE THOUSAND-

ARMED 190

HEALING 73, 246

HE ART ENGINES 308

INJURY AND VITALITY 68

INTERACTION PHASE 62, 65

INTERMISSION 5, 48, 98, 104

INTRODUCING THE WORLD OF TENRA 306

KARMA 5, 21, 42, 51, 147, 207

KARMA AND MEIKYO 17, 59, 144, 203

KARMA COST 12

KARMA EXPLANATION 42

KARMA RULES 61

KIAI 5, 41, 48, 81

KIAI USES 48

KIJIN RULES 192

KIJIN TRANSFORMATION 192

KIMEN ARMOUR 144

KIMEN KONGOHKI 61, 203

KIMENKYO 60

KI-PRESENCE 39

KONGOHKI 78, 203

KONGOHKI AND HEALING 75

KONGOHKI MEMORIES 204

KONGOHKI OVERDRIVE 17, 204

KONGOHKI WEAPONS 212

KUGUTSU BUTTERFLY DREAM 19, 225

LEAVING A SCENE 103

LIVING ARMOUR 146

LONG CAMPAIGN 132

MAKE FAILURE EXCITING 139

MANGA 293

MECHANICA 148, 192, 207

MECHANICA ARMS 194

MECHANICA HEAD 192

MECHANICA LEGS 199

MECHANICA OTHER 200

MECHANICA RULES 192

MECHANICA TORSO 197

MEDIA RESOURCES 291

MEIKYO 17

MEIKYO AND ASURA 60

MEIKYO AND FATES 60

MEIKYO BONUS 59, 144, 203

MEIKYO CLEANSING 60, 188

MEIKYO K ARMA 59

MIGAWARI-STYLE SCHOOL OF MARKSMANSHIP

258

MOMENT OF TRUTH 63, 108, 118

MOVEMENT 62

MOVIES 291

MULTIPLE ATTACKS 79

MULTIPLE COMBAT ACTIONS 49

MULTIPLE SUMMONERS 172

NAMES 318

NAMES, ARISTOCRATIC 322

NAMES, BUDDHIST PRIEST 323

NAMES, COMMONER 320

NAMES, KUGUTSU 323

NAMES, ONI 322

NAMES, PLACE 318

NAMES, WARRIOR FAMILY 321

NAMES, YOROI AND KONGOHKI 324

NINJA SCHOOLS 222

NINJUTSU LIST 216

NINJUTSU SCHOOLS AND ARTS 224

NINPOU TECHNIQUES 220

NPC CREATION 95

NPCS 127

ONI 308

ONI RESONANCE 18, 235

ONMYOJUTSU RULES 160

OPPOSED ACTIONS 29

OVERLAPPING SKILLS 13

PERMANENT SUMMONING 170

PILOTING ARMOUR 145

PL AYER KNOWLEDGE 92

PL AYER or PC 5

PL AYER VICTORY CONDITIONS 7

PL AYING FOR THE FIRST TIME 359

PL AYING IN THE PAST 110

POISON 173

POSSESSION 174, 247

PRAYER STRIPS 161

PRE-MADE CHARACTERS 94

PR EV IEW 111

PREVIEW OF THE NEXT ACT 104

PROTECT, TAKE THE BLOW 49, 81

PUPPETEERS AND KONGOHKI SERVANTS 205

RAISE ATTRIBUTES 50

RAISE FATE LEVELS 55

RAISE SKILLS AND ABILITIES 50

RAISING DESTINIES 113

RANGED ATTACK 175

RANGED WEAPONS 78, 159

REACTION SCENES 101

RECOMMENDED ARCHETYPES AND DESTINIES

123

RECOMMENDED ATTRIBUTES 14

RECOVERING FROM WOUNDS 75

REDUCING MEIKYO KARMA 60

REGENERATION 175

RENZOKU-MONO 133

RESONANT BLADE STYLE 260

RESOURCES 307

REUSING A TALISMAN 169

REWRITE FATES 55

ROLE-PLAYING 90

ROLE-PLAYING GAMES 295

ROUNDS 62

RULES JUDGMENTS 90

RUNAWAYS AND CHIMERA 165

SAMPLE CHARACTERS 359

SAMURAI ABILITY 18, 77, 182

SAMURAI CREATION 18

SAMURAI LOADOUTS 182

SAMURAIZATION SURGERY 169

SCARLET STEEL SOULGEMS 307

SCENARIO 86

SCENARIO ADVICE 133

SCENARIO CREATION 121

SCENARIOS AND DESTINIES 123

SCENE 5, 97, 103, 108, 127

SCENE JUDGE 6, 46, 114

SCENE JUDGE BONUS 106

SCENE PLAYERS 100

SEIZAN MOUNTAIN SPEAR TECHNIQUE 262

SENKI-MONO 132

SENSE LINK 167, 175

SESSION LOG SHEET 95

SHA 289

SHIKI ABILIT Y LIST 172

SHIKI ABILITY SCORES 162

SHIKI CRAFTING 160, 164

SHIKI CREATION POINT CHART 160

SHIKI LIST 176

SHIKI, SHIKIGAMI 160

SHIKIGAMI CRE ATION 160

SHINTO RULES 238

SIMPLE NPCs 130

SITTING AT THE TABLE 95

SKILL 12, 32, 40, 162

SKILL GROUPINGS 39

SKILL LIST 32

SNEAK ATTACK 76

SOCIETY AND SOCIAL CLASS 11

SOUL 15

SOULGEM WEAPONS 77, 354

SOULGEMS 307

SOUTHERN SEAS ONE-BLADE STYLE 253

SPECIAL CHARACTERS AND POWERS 16

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT 16

SPECIES ARCHETYPES 344

STAGE PLAY: THE PRODUCTION 97

STARTING FATES 16

STARTING KIAI 50

SUBLIMATE DESTINY 107

SUBLIMATE FATES 55

SUCCESSES 27

SUMMONING RULES 160

SUMMONING SHIKIGAMI 176

TAE-RAYI 236

TAKE A BREAK 106, 111

TALISMAN CRAFTING 168

TALISMAN CREATION 165

TALISMAN SHIKIGAMI 178

TENRA 8

TENRA GLOSSARY 284

TENRA RULES LEXICON 4

THE GREAT TENRA CONTRADICTION 134

TRUE ILLUSION STYLE 255

TWENTY-EIGTH CHAMBER XX

TYPHOON RIDER STYLE 261

UNARMED AND MELEE WEAPON NOTES 158

USING A MEIKYO 172

VITALITY 15, 149, 208

VITALITY AND SOUL REPLENISHMENT 74

VOLUNTARY ASURA 52

WAIT 62

WEAPON 351, 352

WEAPON LISTS 353

WEAPONS OF TENRA 351

WHEN DO PLAYER CHARACTERS DIE? 72

WOUNDS 69, 71, 185,

WOUNDS AND THE WOUND TRACK 15, 231

YOHJUTSU 243

YOROI ARMOURS AND HEALING 75

ZERO ACT 5, 108

ZERO ACT AND DESTINIES 121

ZERO ACT COMBAT 109

ZERO ACT INTERMISSION 110

ZERO ACT SCENES 108

ZERO SYSTEM 84