Legend of the Five Rings Point-buy House Rules Summary Hinode Monogatari Tales of the Sunrise Campaign Compiled Player Handouts Tales of the Sunrise Contents: Special Notes 3 Character Creation 4 Spending XP 4 Schools & Families 5 Basic Mechanics 5 Advantages 6 Disadvantages 7 Skills & Styles 8 Equipment 9 Nonhuman Races 10 Techniques 12 Custom Schools 12 Tainted Powers 17 Occult Senses 17 Spell Manipulation 18 Spell Lists 19 Exotic Magic 25 Heka and Jinn 25 Mantras 25 Nymic Magic 25 Rune & Totem 25 Kabari 25 Realms 25 Recondite 26 Techynics 27 Peasant Heritages 29 Combat Maneuvers 30 Social Maneuvers 31 Regaining Void 31 Historical Summary 31 Political Positions 32 Merchantilism 34 Naming 35 Breaking Things 35 Bonus Experience 35 Physics and Tech 36 Honor Guidelines 38 Glory Guidelines 38 Demographics 39 Kata 41 Playing Gaijin 42 Character Sheet 44 Samurai Westerns 46 The Cat Clan 46 Jade And Magic 47 Player Characters 47 Adventure Notes 48 Spell Research 50 Jade Magic 50 Acknowledgments 51 Special Notes: The Tales of the Sunrise campaign will involve traveling, interaction with people from various groups, and opposition to general threats to the empire. Do NOT create a character who is " a minion of the Shadowlands or the Lying Darkness. Having a bit of Taint or a few Shadow Points is acceptable however. " unwilling to be involved with other characters in or out of the group. " unable or unwilling to travel. " intending to betray the rest of the party. It’s too disruptive. " suicidal, whether due to past tragedy, utterly unreasonable honor, or excessive pride and violent tendencies. " unwilling to get involved in things which are none of his or her business. " either raving mad or so oblivious that they need a servant to guide them by the hand. All player-characters are presumed to be exceptionally alert, creative, and innovative. Unlike most of the people of Rokugan, they are free to create their own traditions instead of simply continuing those of their ancestors (most NPC’s will NOT see this as a good thing). They may: " take a 0-point ancestor advantage. " round up (NPC’s round down) when calculating their Rank - and thus the limit on the number of techniques they may know. " train in multiple sequences of techniques without special permission (or any “Multiple Schools” advantage - which is meaningless in point-buy anyway) if they can somehow locate an instructor or opt to develop a technique. " self-train within limits. Each time they receive training in one of their schools they are presumed to learn the basics of the next technique as well. Thus if a Sensei teaches them the L3 technique of a school they may learn the L4 technique on their own, and will only have to return to learn the L5 technique. " create Schools more cheaply. They may reduce the cost of adding techniques to 0 for the second technique, 5 for the third, 10 for the fourth, and 15 for the fifth and may develop major schools even without a Great Destiny. If they have a Great Destiny they are exempt from this cost. " simply purchase spells, rather than settling for the ones that their schools make available. Similarly, if a character cannot locate a teacher for a viable technique that he or she wants (and is able to learn), it may simply be purchased for twice the usual cost. This may be reduced to the normal cost if the character takes the time to actually research and develop the technique. " add four extra items to their Traveling Kits. Additionally, all player characters are presumed: " to have a modest reputation as clever (or lucky) investigators and meddlers, and may be called on in this capacity. " to have permission, and papers, for travel within their clan territories and the territories of one or two neighboring and currently friendly clans. For samurai, their clans will usually have recognized their capacity for innovation, and will be waiting to see if they come up with anything useful. After all, even if the chance of them coming up with anything new is remote, the cost of the gamble is very small. " to be humans of the samurai caste. Any who aren’t will need to either (a) be in the service or entourage of a player-character who is, (b) have an established identity as a human of the samurai caste (common for shapeshifters, ninja, and peasants who have “promoted themselves”), or (c) to be short-term experiments (Naga characters generally fit in here). 3 spells you can cast by +1 each, to a maximum of level six. A character can have Character Creation: up to (Rank) levels of Spellcasting. Spellcasters may have an Affinity for a type of spell (increasing their effective spellcasting level for casting spells in that field by ! All rings, and their sub-traits, start at 2. A ring is always valued at the lower one) and a Deficiency in another (decreasing their effective level of spellcasting in of its two traits. Your Rank is equal to your (Total Rings - 8)/2. an opposing field by one) at no cost, but this is not required. All* spellcasters gain innate access to the Sense, Commune, Summon, and Counter- spells. Spell slots ! A Noble/Samurai, Religious, or Ninja upbringing provides a +1 bonus on are fully regained after a night of sleep or a character can take an hour to recover one non-void trait. Peasants and Ronin who were brought up by a peasant parent one of each ring with a successful meditation check. are out of luck. They get a selection of basic food-and-resource production skills Dabblers and students may purchase level one spellcasting in a single element (agriculture, woodcutting, groveling properly around samurai, and scrounging) for a mere 5 points. While most will progress to full spellcasting in relatively short which count for absolutely nothing in game terms. If these should ever somehow order, a very few remain at this level permanently. matter, they’re rated as +2 skills. *Most Rokugan spellcasters call upon the Kami for magic, but nonhuman, art- based, and Gaijin schools exist, using their own power, calling on other planes ! You get 60 experience points to spend. You may opt to spend 15 on a of existence, tapping into specific power nexi, or calling directly on cosmic School Package Deal (including membership in the school or being hunted thereby, forces. These use their own rules for allocating slots and learning spells. personal obligations, school enemies, duties, and various social expectations) from among those the GM makes available (or 18 for a free choice) and you can gain " Spells cost (Level) points (free if acquired in play), are limited to level one entrance to, but may not buy more than one. You may also opt to take up to 10 without an appropriate technique, require a special scroll or talisman to cast, and points worth of Disadvantages, thus getting more points to spend. Replacement are powered by Void Points. Removing the focus requirement/upgrading them to characters get to keep your old characters experience and freebie totals if the old innate abilities costs another (Level) points (free if researched in play). Making them character died heroically - or at least while acting in character. If you simply want Self-Powered Mysteries or Riddles each usable without a Void point a number of to trade characters, there’s a 25% penalty. times per day equal to your score in the appropriate ring (rolling either Spellcasting level or Relevant Lore + Ring) costs yet another (Level) points, as does eliminating " Advantages cost points as listed during character creation. Afterwards, the need to roll to cast them (you get an automatic minimal success, free raises can their cost doubles. Buying them after character creation normally requires a suitable be applied but no others), or making them Reactive (able to be invoked in response in-game explanation as well as points, but the GM may opt to either allow a simple to someone else’s action without requiring one of your own). Black Magic Spells buy or grant an advantage for free if its acquired during play. cost nothing to learn but are corrupting to cast and require the expenditure of blood to cast rather than Void Points or spell slots. Void Spells can only be cast if you " Raising Skills costs (Current Score +1) points, so a skill at level 1/ 2/3/4/5 have a special advantage (worth 10 points) to allow it. costs 1/3/6/10/15 points. Adding an Emphasis (speciality) costs 2. " Kata cost 2-9 points each. There are two forms of Kata: the first simply " Raising Traits costs (Current Score +1) x 4 points. As noted above, the opens up an additional combat postures (the basic ones are Attack, Full Attack [+2 Ring is always equal to the lowest of its traits. you/+3 foe], and Full Defense [no attacks, roll active defense]) or maneuvers beyond the basics (Disarm/3 Raises, Called Shot/1-3, Extra Attack/4, Feint/1, " Kiho, Magical Tattoos, and similar innate supernatural powers cost (Level Guard/1+, Increased Damage/1+, and Knockdown/3). While these always offer x 2) points. They are normally limited to a maximum level equal to the associated some advantages they have penalties as well. The second form offers greater ring. Ignoring this restriction increases the cost to (Level x 3) points and requires advantages, but must be laboriously prepared in advance and can only be kept the permission of the game master. They are usually powered by Void points.