An Attempt at Rewriting the Weapons System in L5R: 4Th Edition
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L5R: WEAPON RACK th An attempt at rewriting the weapons system in L5R: 4 edition Skills and Weapon Keywords The list of weapon skills in the L5R core rules is generally sound, and is mostly similar in this rewrite. They are as follows: › Chain Weapons ; used for flexible weapons. › Heavy Weapons ; used for large heavy weapons. › Jiujitsu ; used for unarmed combat. › Kenjutsu ; used for swords. › Knives ; used for short one-handed weapons. › Kyujutsu ; used for bows. › Polearms ; used for long slashing weapons. › Spears ; used for long stabbing weapons. › Staves ; used for long blunt weapons. › Throwing Weapons ; used to throw a weapon. The only new skill here, it uses Strength, and replaces the ‘Throwing’ emphasis of Athletics. It is expanded in more detail below. › War Fan ; used for tessen , one-handed metal fans. None of these skills have any special rules associated with them; ignore the rules in the core book about doubling the armour TN bonus derived from armour when using certain weapons. Replacing this, certain weapons have the Blunt keyword. This keyword has the following rules text: Blunt — Reduction is doubled for attacks by this weapon. Some weapons have the Ninja keyword. This has no rules text, but should be considered similarly to the Peasant keyword; samurai using them should incur an Honour loss, and peasants found possessing them should be considered criminals. The Ninjutsu skill (removed from the above list) has been repurposed; instead of rolling it to attack with certain weapons, you instead roll it whenever you attack someone who is unaware of you, instead of the weapon skill you’d normally use. The trait used is the same one as the attack roll would normally be made with, usually Agility: Low Skill: Ninjutsu (Varies) Emphases: Ambush, Assassination Mastery Abilities: › Rank 3: You may use the Mastery Abilities of the weapon skill for the weapon you’re attacking with. › Rank 5: Free Raise on Called Shot when making a Ninjutsu attack. › Rank 7: +1k1 damage with Ninja weapons (even when not using Ninjutsu). The Hunting skill is used in exactly the same way, but only against animals. Its original uses still remain. Bugei Skill: Hunting (Perception/Varies) Emphases: Ambush, Survival, Tracking, Trailblazing Mastery Abilities: › Rank 3: You may use the Mastery Abilities of the weapon skill for the weapon you’re attacking with. › Rank 5: You may roll an opposed Stealth(Ambush)/Agility vs. Investigation(Notice)/Perception check to remain hidden after attacking an animal using Hunting. › Rank 7: Free Raise on Called Shot when using Hunting to attack. Some weapons have the Monk keyword. This represents weapons that are commonly used by monks and other ascetic orders. Whenever a technique of a [Monk] school refers to unarmed strikes, instead, treat that as referring to all Monk weapons, unless it is in reference to Atemi strikes, which can still only be performed with unarmed strikes. Some weapons have the Gaijin keyword. Weapons with this keyword cannot be used unless you posses the relevant emphasis, or have the relevant ‘Gaijin’ skill for that weapon group (for instance, Archery rather than Kyujutsu), in which case all Rokugani weapons have a corresponding “Foreign” keyword. Some weapons have the Throwing keyword. This means the weapon can be thrown using the Throwing Weapons skill. The range of the weapon when thrown is listed after the Throwing keyword. More detail is included below. Emphases and Mastery Abilities In this rewrite, the costs and restrictions on Emphases are changed. An emphasis costs 1xp if it is your first in that skill, 2xp if it is the second, 3xp for the third, and so forth. The limitation on number of emphases per skill is now your insight rank; so you cannot buy the second emphasis in a skill until IR 2, the third until IR 3, and so forth. Each weapon skill has three default Mastery Abilities, the same as in the core rules. How these rules differ, however, is that each weapon can also have specific alternative mastery abilities. If you have the Emphasis for that weapon in that skill, then these override the default mastery abilities when using that weapon. You cannot choose to use the original mastery abilities with that weapon if you have that emphasis. Each ‘alternative’ mastery ability is listed under the weapon below. Example: Mirumoto Takahashi wants to learn to specialise in using the Nagamaki. He has five ranks in Kenjutsu, and the Katana emphasis. When using the Nagamaki, he has the ‘default’ mastery abilities from Kenjutsu; he can ready it as a Free Action, and gets a Free Raise on the Called Shot manoeuvre. When he reaches Insight Rank 2, he can buy the Nagamaki emphasis in Kenjutsu for 2xp (since it is his second Kenjutsu emphasis overall). Now, instead of being able to ready it as a Free Action, he gets a damage bonus of +0k1 when wielding it in two hands. He can’t chose to forgo that damage bonus in order to draw it quickly, except by not buying the Emphasis in the first place. He can still draw his Katana as a Free Action, because the replacement mastery ability is for the Nagamaki only. When Takahashi-sama reaches Insight Rank 3, he can spend 3xp to gain a third Kenjutsu emphasis, if he so wished. Weapons and Skills This section is the meat of the rules of this rewrite; each skill is listed, with new emphases and mastery abilities, and each weapon that skill applies to is listed, with new specific mastery abilities, keywords, and DR. Some weapons have moved categories, like the Nagamaki and the Nunchaku. Chain Weapons (Agility) Emphases: Kusarigama, Kyoketsu-shogi, Manrikikusari, Nunchaku, Sansetsukon. Mastery Abilities: › Rank 3: This weapon may be used to initiate a grapple. › Rank 5: Free Raise on Knockdown. › Rank 7: +1k1 damage. Kusarigama Keywords: Large DR: 1k2 Mastery Abilities: › Rank 5: Free Raise on Knockdown or Disarm. Kyoketsu-shogi Keywords: Large, Ninja, Blunt DR: 0k1 Mastery Abilities: › Rank 7: +1k0 damage and +2k0 on all contested grapple rolls with this weapon. Manrikikusari Keywords: Large DR: 2k2 Mastery Abilities: › Rank 3: Free Raise on Knockdown. › Rank 5: +1k1 damage. › Rank 7: Damage dice explode on 9. Nunchaku Keywords: Peasant, Small, Monk, Blunt DR: 0k1 Mastery Abilities: › Rank 3: +0k1 damage. › Rank 5: Free Raise on Extra Attack. Sansetsukon (Three-section staff) Keywords: Peasant, Medium, Monk, Blunt DR: 0k1 Mastery Abilities: › Rank 3: +0k1 damage. › Rank 5: Free Raise on Feint. Heavy Weapons (Agility) Emphases: Dai Tsuchi, Kanabo, Masakari, Ono, Tetsubo. Mastery Abilities: › Rank 3: Reduction is halved (rounding up). › Rank 5: Free Raise on Knockdown. › Rank 7: Damage dice explode on 9. Dai Tsuchi Keywords: Large, Blunt DR: 0k4 Mastery Abilities: › Rank 3: This weapon loses the Blunt keyword. Kanabo Keywords: Large DR: 3k3 Mastery Abilities: › Rank 5: Free Raise on any manoeuvre except Feint or Increased Damage. Masakari Keywords: Medium DR: 3k2 Mastery Abilities: › Rank 7: This weapon gains the Throwing (10’) keyword. Ono Keywords: Large DR: 5k2 Mastery Abilities: › Rank 5: As a Complex Action, you may make a single attack with a -2k1 penalty which ignores all Reduction. Tetsubo Keywords: Large DR: 3k3 Mastery Abilities: › Rank 5: Free Raise on Knockdown; additionally, your Tetsubo emphasis also applies on damage rolls with this weapon. Jiujitsu (Agility/Strength) Emphases: Grappling, Improvised Weapons, Atemi, Martial Arts (specific). Description: Jiujitsu works much like it does in core, albeit with some changes, mostly to initiating grapples: To initiate a grapple, you must succeed on a contested roll of your Jiujitsu / Agility against the target’s Defence / Reflexes as a Complex Action. The opponent gets a free raise on this roll if they are armed with a melee weapon, two free raises if it is Medium, and three if it is Large. The rest of the grapple proceeds as per the core rules. If the grapple is being initiated with a weapon other than an unarmed strike, the target simply gets one free raise on the initial contested roll if they are wielding any melee weapon, rather than a variable number. Atemi strikes have also changed somewhat. No longer is the Armour TN bonus from amour doubled against these attacks. Instead, Atemi strikes simply cannot be performed against targets wearing armour (but see the Hands of Stone advantage below). Additionally, if an Atemi strike is delivered as a Simple Action, the Meditation / Void roll TN to activate it is 30, the same as for activating other Kiho as a Simple Action. Mastery Abilities: › Rank 3: +1k0 damage. › Rank 5: Free Raise on initiating a grapple. › Rank 7: Unarmed strikes count as a Samurai weapon. Unarmed Strike Keywords: Small, Monk, Blunt DR: 0k1 Mastery Abilities: By Martial Arts Form (see below) Improvised Weapons Keywords: Peasant, Blunt, Size varies depending on object. DR: Varies Mastery Abilities: › Rank 3: If appropriate, the object loses the Blunt keyword. › Rank 5: +1k1 damage. If appropriate, the object gains the Throwing (10’) keyword. › Rank 7: If appropriate, this object may be used to initiate a grapple. Advantage: Hands of Stone [Mental] (5 points) Your unarmed strikes are no longer considered Blunt, and you may perform atemi strikes against targets in armour. Monk characters may purchase this for 1 point less. Advantage: Martial Arts Form [Physical] (5 points) You have trained in a particular form of unarmed combat. This advantage grants you the Jiujitsu emphasis in this particular style of unarmed combat if you don’t already have it, and replaces one or more of the Mastery Abilities of Jiujitsu when you’re fighting unarmed. You cannot choose to use the default mastery abilities instead. You can’t buy this advantage more than once.