Core Rulebook

Sample file Core Rulebook

- Miyamoto Musashi

Sample file CONTENTS

Introduction ………………………… Page 1 Armour List ……………………………… Page 15 Setting the Scene …………………… Page 2 Axioms …….……………………………… Page 17 Taking Actions ……………………… Page 3 Titles ……………………………………… Page 21 Dice Rolls …………………………..… Lands ……………………………………… Page 22 Passes and Blunders ……………….. Generating Revenue From Lands …… Actions Per Turn …………………… Page 4 Forces Under Command ………………. Investigation ………………………… Command Rolls ………………………… Page 23 Environmental Investigation ……… Offense …………………………………… Defence ………………………………….. Looting ………………………………… Page 5 Retreat …………………………………… Cover …………………………………… Battles Involving Forces ……………… Healing ………………………………… Page 5 - 6 Forces Actions Outside of Combat …… Page 24 Social Actions ………………………… Page 7 Force Generation Table ………………… Technical Skills ……………………… Training Units ………………………….. Page 25 Experience ……………………….…… Upkeep ……………………………………. Awarding Experience ………….…… Page 8 Unit Combat Effectiveness ……………. Page 26 Etiquette ……………………………… Character Creation ……………………. Pages 27-28 Stealth and the Sneak Skill ……..… Equipment ………………………………. Page 29 Attacking From Sneak ……………… Page 9 Dark Age: Bushido Character Sheet … Page 30 The Bushido and Zen System ……… Storyteller’s Guide ……………………… Page 32 The Bushido Rating ………………… Creating for Storytellers ……………… Page 32 The Zen Rating ………………..……… Generating Weapons …………………… Melee Combat ………………………… Page 10 Generating Armour …………………….. Attacks ………………………………… Generating Forces ……………………… Page 33 Focused Strikes ……………………… Generating NPCs ………………………. Block or Parry? ………………..……… Weapon Generation Template ……….. Page 34 Armour Rating ………………………… Page 11 Armour Generation Template ……….. Page 35 Ranged Combat ……………………… Page 12 Force Generation Template ………….. Page 36 Equipping Weapons and Armour … NPC Generation Template …………… Page 37 Damage and the Wounding Table … Pages 13-14 Acknowledgements …………………….. Page 38 Weapons List ………………………….. Page 15 Sample file INTRODUCTION

Sample file :

Following the end of the Genpei Civil War in 1185, the first Shogunates begin to emerge. These new military governments, where martial prowess is held in the highest esteem, launch the feudal era of Japan. There has never been a more important time for the code of Bushido – the way of warriors. The Daimyo (lords) and their Samurai warrior protectors, are carving huge swathes of territory for their clans following the Civil War. By restoring order to chaos, the Shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo believed he had won the favour of the people. He was proved wrong one evening in 1189, when a Shinobi (covert agent) slew the Shogun during his meditation. The land was once again thrown into the perpetual darkness of civil war, but the impression had already been made. The rule of steel became clear, and the days of the angry and disorganised mob were done away with. Now the farmer who would have rallied with pitchfork in hand meditates by the river and practices from first light to perfect their sword-swing. Teachers roam the land willing to offer their renowned services to enhance the skill of the previously uneducated. The masterless Ronin seek their fortunes, no longer bound by fealty to the Daimyo. This is a unique time and the future of Japan has never seemed so uncertain. The scene is set for a dedicated band of warriors to start their own clan and forge the ties that will propel them to oppurtunity. By following the way of the warrior - the Samplecode of Bushido, those with the courage to step file forward may ascend to call themselves Samurai, slink in the shadows as Shinobi, or climb further still to the heights of Daimyo and Shogun in their own right. This is their story.

Page 1 Setting The Scene

Dark Age: Bushido is a tabletop role-playing game intended for two Players or more, with one Player assuming the role of Storyteller. You will never need more than 2d6, a pencil, some paper (and of course, your imagination) to create and play a full adventure. Set during a cataclysmic time for the previously domineering powers of Japan, your Party can seek lands, titles, fortune and renown in any way possible. Progress from a wandering ronin to a powerful warlord and do what you can to maintain your standing in an ever- evolving world of intrigue and action.

Within this manual are the core rules that will allow you to tell the story you wish to create. Personal combat, stealth, social interaction and grand-scale warfare are all possible and there is no limit to the scenarios that the Party can be thrown into. The Storyteller should factor in choices made by the Players and provide outcomes that further the story and the Character’s personal development. Keep in mind that whilst the Party are pursuing their goals there will be forces aligning against them, and that which was won can also be lost.

If any rule contained within conflicts with the narrative flow or stands in the way of role-play expression, the Storyteller can make the decision to amend, discard or reinvent that rule for the good of the story. Sample file

Page 2 GAMEPLAY

Sample file be encouraged to think outside Taking Actions the box and incorporate role- play into problem-solving Each action taken in Dark Age: wherever possible. The Bushido is assigned a difficulty Storyteller can also recognise rating by the Storyteller. The where a Player’s suggestion or difficulty should take into description has helped their account the circumstances, cause, and can also use this to surroundings and the intention modify the result of the roll of the declared action. The result. Players, through acting out the action with role-play or giving Passes, Extreme Passes, a narrative description of what Fails and Blunders their Character is doing, will have the chance to take actions When the dice result equals or as the story unfolds. The exceeds the difficulty rating, Storyteller will decide whether the action has passed and the a description or role-play is Storyteller continues the action sufficient for the action to based on this success. If the succeed, or if a dice roll is result doubles the required required from the Player. difficulty (inclusive of skill modifiers) then the character Dice Rolls has achieved an Extreme Pass and the Storyteller should For an action to succeed (or reward this with a bonus fail) after the Storyteller has outcome. If the roll does not assigned a difficulty rating to equal the difficulty rating the the action, the Player rolls two action simply does not succeed. d6 in an attempt to equal or A blunder occurs whenever a better the difficulty rating. The Player rolls a double 1 on 2d6, Player Character Sheet lists and this cannot be influenced attributes that will increase by attribute modifiers. In proficiency in certain areas, addition to the action not and add modifiers to the result succeeding, the Storyteller of the dice roll. There are no should always provide a class restrictions to prevent a negative consequence to the Samplecharacter from taking a intended attempted fileaction. particular action. Players should

Page 3 Actions Per Turn and experience. A Player may wish to take quick and decisive During the course of an action to get the best possible adventure there will be a outcome, or their Character certain amount of who previously did not say conversational planning within much (but was handy in a the Party. Interaction with the fight) evolves into a fast-talker NPC’s and the world in which who is able to use their the Party is exploring can intimidating presence and enhance immersion and renown to pre-empt a conflict. encourage strategy. An Players that rush decisions adventure would not be such however may see their plans however without the need for lack fruition and take a more action and the resolution of supporting role in interactions, said action. When the backing up newer Players. The Storyteller has called for a dice Storyteller may keep a mental, roll to resolve an action, each written or verbal note of the Player may take one action per running order when ideas are turn. There is no particular flying thick and fast, and can order in which the Party or the prompt a Player where Storyteller needs to decide necessary to describe what which Player acts, however all their Character is doing in Players must have described or order to complete the turn. acted out their action for the turn to be completed. This is to Investigation encourage Players to role-play their Character without rigid Environmental Investigation limitations. Impulsive Characters may leap to action Investigation covers all before fully assessing their searches and perception surroundings and more checks. The Storyteller should reserved and cunning explain clearly what is visible Characters may wish to see to the Party in the immediate, how events unfold. A notable but have an understanding of rule of thumb for a tabletop any concealed aspects of a RPG experience is to be aware Samplelocation. The Party mayfile enter a that a Party will contain chamber in a castle containing unique individuals with varying levels of confidence

Page 4 lots of valuables upon first appearance, however an in-depth search of the room may reveal traps that were previously less conspicuous. As with all Actions, the degree of success should be taken into account by the Storyteller when revealing aspects of a location that were previously concealed.

Looting

Investigation is also used for looting fallen NPCs. In this case rather than assigning a specific difficulty to the task (as it is a relative given that once combat is resolved, a Character will certainly be able to carry out an Investigation of a fallen foe), the Storyteller reveals an item based on the success of the roll. Even if the Player has a specific item in mind that they are looking for, the Blunder Action rule is taken into account for these kind of searches. A prized weapon that the Character was hoping to liberate from it’s owner may break or shatter if it is looted with an Investigation roll of double 1.

Cover

If a Character or NPC is taking cover, the Storyteller should take into account how sturdy the cover is, and how much of the Character or NPC is concealed behind cover. This should indicate a higher difficulty rating for the attack.

Healing

During or after combat has taken place it will become necessary for the Characters to heal themselves, or eachother. Quick procedures carried out in haste during an intense encounter may slow the progress of more serious injuries, but often for the Party to be brought back to full strength professional tonics or surgery will be required. The below table is a guideline for healing, and of course there is room for Players to think outside the box on how Samplethey may wish to go about this. file

Page 5 The Healing Chart

Method Difficulty Rating Health Restored Clean wound with alchohol 7 1 point Apply bandages/gauss 8 2 points Cauterisation 9 3 points Stitches 10 Line Surgery 12 All

Sustained damage is always halted on the Wounding Table tracker once a successful healing action has been taken.

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Page 6 Social Actions

The choices and interactions made by the Party will influence the outcome of events within an adventure. When interacting with NPCs or eachother, the Storyteller should look at the way in which a statement is role-played by the Player when assigning a difficulty rating for a successful interaction. Persuasion and Intimidation are key skills for these interactions, and the Storyteller should look for conviction and relevance when adjusting the difficulty for these interactions particularly.

Technical Skills

Players will have the opportunity to craft items and weapons as well as brewing concoctions. The Skills for these are listed on the Character Sheet. The Player should keep in mind when using these Skills the materials required. The Player then nominates and describes the action to the Storyteller who decides the difficulty for the nominated action, taking into account the Player’s Crafting or Brewing skill.

Experience Current XP is the running total Experience Points gained XP is awarded by the by that Character. Gained XP Storyteller at the end of each is the amount of Experience chapter of the adventure. XP is Points awarded at the end of spent to upgrade Skills. Each the session. This helps Players Skill costs 10 XP to learn keep track of XP they need to initially (if no boxes are shaded spend if, after a particularly already), and the cost to long session, it is to be spent at upgrade doubles per skill level. the beginning of the next Whilst there are no class session. This also helps the restrictions at all in Dark Age: Storyteller keep track of total Bushido, it is highly important XP compared with skill levels that Players consider what and ensures fair allocation of Samplethey will want from their XP points. file Character (especially as it will cost a total of 310 XP to max out any Skill).

Page 7 Awarding Experience

Whilst the rules above lay out the technical guidelines for how the game is played, the adventure is driven by storytelling and role- play. A very fortunate dice roll is rewarding to the Player involved however the Storyteller should also be on the lookout for interactions and problem solving role-played in Character. Actions that take great risk but offer high reward should also be noted. If the Storyteller or the Party as a whole are impressed by an action or interaction then this is a good indicator that XP should be given. Any amount of XP may be awarded for a particular action, and a general rule to help with consistency is to keep a 1-10 rating in mind. Ultimately, the Storyteller has the final say on for what and how much XP is awarded.

Etiquette

Etiquette plays a large part in social interactions within the setting of Dark Age: Bushido. Though previous systems of feudalism have largely broken down, the conduct of a Character within the context of social standing is still largely under scrutiny. Those who wish to hold power (or exploit those that do) should keep in mind that their words may be judged on par with their actions. Players wishing to demonstrate the Etiquette Skill should accompany their declared action with a roleplayed display of eloquence or gesture prior to rolling the dice. The Storyteller will then assign a difficulty rating modified by how well this was delivered.

Stealth and the Sneak Skill

Using the Sneak Skill, stealth is any action that is intended to be concealed by any NPC or Character. The basic difficulty rating to successfully Sneak is 10. A successful Sneak roll ensures the Character will remain unnoticed until they choose to reveal themselves, or carry out an action that would otherwise draw Sampleattention to them. If the Player wishes for their Character file to remain in Sneak after an action has exposed them, they may attempt another Sneak roll at a greatly increased difficulty to remain unnoticed.

Page 8 Attacking From Sneak

Whilst a Character is successfully remaining in Sneak, any Attacks (including Focused Strikes) they carry out are modified favourably. If the attack is successful the Character remains in Sneak. The Bushido Zen System

The Bushido Rating

The Bushido Rating grants influence and renown through their reputation, and opens the door to the path of Zen which enhances the Character's ability to perform above others as a warrior. It is not an easy path, and may not ever be opted for a Character by their Player. If this path is chosen, however, it can lead to immeasurable reward.

Bushido Rating points are earned when the Storyteller observes the Character performing an action in any of the following areas according to the eight virtues of Bushido: Gi (righteousness), Yu (heroic courage), Jin (compassion), Rei (respect), Makoto (honesty), Meiyo (honour), Chugi (Duty), and Jisei (self- restraint). The Storyteller may award as many Bushido Rating points as they see fit, and of course deduct them if the Character takes opposite action from the above.

The Bushido Rating positively impacts the way in which NPCs initially relate to the Character. Points from the Bushido Rating may also be converted into Zen Points. Representing the ability to use what the Character has learned along their path of Bushido (and in sacrificing the fame their deeds have garnered), the Player may convert 10 points from their Bushido Rating into a single Zen Point.

Zen Points may be used by the Player as and when they decide, to Sampleattempt one re-roll of any Action. file Neither the Bushido Rating nor Zen Points value may fall below 0.

Page 9 COMBAT

Sample file Combat Melee Combat

All weapons that are intended for use in close combat are Melee weapons, and Unarmed also falls into this category. Melee weapons can be Thrown and use their Weapon type when rolling for damage. Ranged weapons can also be Thrown or used as Melee weapons, using the Club damage type when rolling for damage.

Medieval combat relied very much on training with various types of weaponry before being able to use them successfully.

Attacks

Each basic attack has a difficulty rating of 8, which the Storyteller can modify depending upon narrative circumstances. The number of attacks per turn depends upon the number of weapons being held.

Focused Strikes

A Focused Strike is an attacking move that is declared with a specific intended outcome. It can be used as a finishing blow and cannot be blocked or parried.

Block or Parry?

Each weapon has a Block rating and a Parry rating. A successful Block or Parry calls for a roll equal to or greater than the required rating, taking into account the corresponding Skill from the Character Sheet. A Block is usually easier to achieve and will simply end the attacker’s turn. A successful Parry is usually more difficult, but gives the defender a “free” attack back against the Sampleoriginal attacker only. This attack can too be Block or Parried.file

Page 10 If a double 1 is rolled for a Block, the defending weapon breaks.

Armour Rating

Any piece of material capable of withstanding more than one blow with a bladed weapon that is attached to a Character’s body is considered to be armour (if this is not the case then the object is considered to be cover). The Storyteller has the final say on what does or does not constitute a piece of armour. Armour does not decrease the likelihood of an opponent’s attack being successful, rather it increases the chance of the defender absorbing less of the attack’s damage. Each piece of armour contributes toward an overall Armour Rating, and the amount of damage prevented by armour is shown on the below chart:

Overall Effect on Damage Roll Additional Effects AR 0 – 15 -1 from Damage Rolls below 4 -1 difficulty to all Combat rolls 16 – 35 -1 from Damage Rolls below 5 - 36 – 50 -2 from Damage Rolls below 5 - 51 – 65 -2 from Damage Rolls below 6 +1 difficulty to all Combat rolls 65+ -3 from Damage Rolls below 6 +2 difficulty to all Combat rolls

The location on the body where the armour is worn is not taken into account for general attacks (it is presumed that the defender would rather present an armoured area to an oncoming attack), however for Focused Strikes the location of the armoured body part is vitally important to the result, and therefore is taken into account giving a +1 difficulty. In this case the individual piece of armour is used to modify the difficulty of the Focused Strike.

Example of Focused Strike vs. Armour

Charlie’s Character, Onna, is attacking a Ronin who is wearing a chainmail coif underneath his helm, protecting his neck. Charlie decides to carry out a Focused Strike with the intent of beheading the Ronin and thus ending combat quickly. Onna is wielding a katana and has a Longsword Skill of 4, and is wearing a fine gown and no armour so has a -1 difficulty from her AR. The base difficulty for a Focused Strike is 12, however the Ronin’s chainmail Samplecoif gives a +1 difficulty rating. This means Charlie must roll 10 onfile 2d6 to accomplish the intended action.

Page 11 Ranged Combat

Ranged weapons include bows, crossbows and thrown projectiles. The base difficulty to accomplish a successful shot with a bow or a thrown weapon is 10 due to the difficulty of wielding such a weapon proficiently. The base difficulty to fire a crossbow is 8 to represent the relative ease with which effectiveness in combat was able to be achieved once this weapon was introduced. A crossbow however takes one turn of action to reload. Range is also a factor which will affect the difficulty rating to attack with a ranged weapon, shown on the following table:

Weapon type Thrown Crossbow Bow Range Point blank (not in combat) - -2 -2 Same room or up to 9m -1 -1 -1 Point blank (in combat) +1 +2 +3 10-30 meters - - - 31-80 meters +3 +1 +2 81 meters + +4 +2 +3

Range is quickly deduced by the Storyteller and the difficulty modifier is applied.

Equipping Weapons and Armour

Weapons

Equipped weapons and their profiles are listed on the Character Sheet. One handed weapons are able to be wielded in conjunction with another weapon, giving two attacks per turn, or a shield. It is possible to make a Shield Bash attack using the Club skill rating and Club Damage result on the Wounding Table (unless the Shield has an Additional Affect that states otherwise). An existing Sampleselection of weapons and their profiles are located on thefile Weapons List.

Page 12 Armour

Armour that is being worn by the Character must be listed next to the location under the Armour Rating section on the Character Sheet. A recognisable abbreviation can be used for this. The individual Armour Rating is noted here, and the cumulative total for this is listed as the Total.

Damage and the Wounding Table

Damage is allocated by the Wounding Table and marked on the Character sheet. Each section of the Wounding Table contains a track indicating varying types of wounds inflicted; from lowest to highest these are Injury Damage, Sustained Damage and Prolonged Damage. Each time all squares on a track are filled, any damage taken following this carry over to the next track - even if the damage roll indicates a result on a lower track.

The first track is Injury Damage, which does not fill with subsequent points if untreated in the following turn. This represents injuries such as flesh wounds, bruises and grazing/glancing blows from melee or ranged attacks.

Sustained Damage represents more potentially serious wounds, and as such in each following turn if Sustained Damage is not treated with medical attention, another point of Sustained Damage fills one square.

The highest track is Prolonged Damage which indicates a life- threatening wound or a number of less serious wounds have been taken. Whilst the Prolonged Damage track does not fill another square if the wound is not treated, Characters who have Prolonged Damage are at a +1 difficulty to successfully carry out any action.

SampleWhilst it is less likely that unarmed combat will result file in the death of a Character or NPC (without a considered effort to achieve this), Players should keep in mind that any combat involving weapons may have a lethal outcome.

Page 13 Once the Combat action has been resolved and a successful attack has been made, the result of the Damage inflicted is rolled on the Wounding table:

Wounding Table Weapon Result Type 1 2-3 4 5 6 Unarmed 1 Injury 2 Injury 3 Injury 4 Injury 1 Sustained Clubs 1 Injury 2 Injury 3 Injury 1 Sustained 2 Sustained Daggers 1 Injury 2 Injury 3 Injury 1 Sustained 3 Sustained Shortswords 1 Injury 2 Injury 1 Sustained 2 Sustained 3 Sustained Longswords 1 Injury 1 Sustained 2 Sustained 3 Sustained 1 Prolonged Greatswords 1 Sustained 2 Sustained 3 Sustained 1 Prolonged 2 Prolonged Polearms 1 Injury 1 Sustained 2 Sustained 3 Sustained 1 Prolonged Maces 1 Injury 1 Sustained 2 Sustained 3 Sustained 1 Prolonged Warhammers 1 Injury 1 Sustained 3 Sustained 1 Prolonged 2 Prolonged Axes 1 Injury 1 Sustained 2 Sustained 3 Sustained 1 Prolonged Battleaxes 1 Sustained 2 Sustained 3 Sustained 1 Prolonged 2 Prolonged Thrown 1 Injury 2 Injury 3 Injury 1 Sustained 2 Sustained Crossbows 1 Injury 2 Injury 1 Sustained 2 Sustained 3 Sustained Bows 1 Injury 2 Injury 3 Injury 1 Sustained 2 Sustained Siege 1 Sustained 2 Sustained 3 Sustained 1 Prolonged 2 Prolonged

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Page 14 EQUIPMENT

Sample file Weapon List

Weapon Type Hands Bloc Parry Additional Effects k Unarmed Unarmed 1/2 15/14 16/15 Cudgel Club 1 11 14 Staff Club 2 12 13 Hira Tanto Dagger 1 12 13 Shobu Tanto Dagger 1 12 12 Kubikiri Tanto Dagger 1 12 11 -1 Parry with Long/Shortsword Falchion Shortsword 1 12 12 Ko-Wakizashi Shortsword 1 12 12 Wakizashi Shortsword 1 12 12 -1 Focused strikes if dual wielded O-Wakizashi Shortsword 1 12 12 -1 used with Longswords Spatha Longsword 1 12 13 Korean Geom Longsword 1 12 13 Katana Longsword 1 12 13 Shobu Katana Longsword 1 11 12 Shinogi Katana Longsword 1-2 11/10 13/11 Broadsword Longsword 1-2 11/10 12/11 -1 Focused Strikes if used alone Claymore Greatsword 2 10 12 Beidhandter Greatsword 2 10 12 Daikatana Greatsword 2 10 12 +1 Damage on Wounding Table Pillum Polearm 1-2 12/11 13/12 Javelin Polearm 1-2 12/11 13/12 -1 Focused Strike if Thrown Morningstar Polearm 1-2 12/11 13/12 -1 Attacks vs. shield Halberd Polearm 1-2 12/11 13/12 -1 Attacks vs. armour Billhook Polearm 2 11 12 -1 Attacks vs. enemy on horseback Boar Spear Polearm 1-2 12/11 13/12 War Scythe Polearm 1-2 12/11 13/12 -1 Attacks vs. Unarmoured Lance Polearm 1-2 12/11 13/12 -1 Attacks from horseback Kusarigama sickle Mace 1 11 13 Spiked Mace Mace 1 11 13 +1 Damage on Wounding Table Winged Mace Mace 1 10 13 Shillelagh Warhammer 2 10 12 -1 Focused Strikes vs. unarmoured Great Hammer Warhammer 2 10 12 +1 to Attacks vs. armour Hatchet Axe 1 11 13 War Axe Axe 1 11 13 Pollaxe Battleaxe 2 10 13 -1 Attacks from horseback Dual-Headed Axe Battleaxe 2 10 13 Throwing Knife Thrown 1 13 14 Shuriken Thrown 1 13 14 -1 Attacks from Sneak Throwing Axe Thrown 1 13 14 -1 Attacks to unarmoured Bamboo Repeater Crossbow 2 12 13 Two shots per turn Wood Composite Crossbow 2 12 13 Shortbow Bow 2 14 14 Longbow Bow 2 13 14 No penalties for Range below 80m Concave Buckler Buckler 1 10 10 Blinder Buckler 1 10 9 Board Shield Shield 1 9 11 Round Shield Shield 1 9 11 -1 Block/Parry vs. Axes Kite Shield Shield 1 9 11 -1 Block/Parry vs. Melee SamplePavise Tower Shield 1 8 12 -1 Block/Parry file vs. Ranged Steel Plate Shield Tower Shield 1 8 12 +1 Shield Bash Damage

Page 15 Armour List

Armour Material Body Part AR Additional Effects Arming Doublet Padded Torso/Arms 3 Can be worn with other torso protection Mail Coif Chainmail Head/Neck 6 Can be worn with other head protection Pixane Chainmail Neck 7 Aventail Chainmail Neck 8 Bevor Steel Neck 9 Gorget Plate Neck 10 Cervelliere Skullcap Steel Head 6 Nasal Helmet Steel Head 7 Enclosed Helmet Steel Head 8 Tailed Sallet Helmet Steel Head 9 Visorless Barbute Steel Head 10 Kabuto helm Steel Head 12 Closed Armet Plate Head 15 Leather Tunic Leather Torso/Back 4 Can be worn with other torso protection Mail Hauberk Chainmail Torso/Back 6 Can be worn with other torso protection Brigandine Steel Torso/Back 8 Bogu do chestplate Steel Torso/Back 11 Cuirass and Faulds Plate Torso/Back 15 Spaulders and Couters Lamellar Arms 6 Pauldrons and Steel Arms 7 Gardbrace Besagew and Plate Arms 10 Vambraces Leather Gloves Leather Hands 4 Mail Gloves Chainmail Hands 5 Han Kote Gauntlets Lamellar Hands 6 Tekko gauntlets Steel Hands 7 -1 difficulty to Unarmed attacks Demi-Gaunt Plate Hands 10 Can be worn with other torso protection Leather Britches Leather Legs 4 Can be worn with other leg protection Greaves and Cuisse Steel Legs 7 Kogake sabaton and Plate Legs 10 greaves

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Page 16 AXIOMS

Sample file Axioms

A Character’s Axiom represents their own essential truth. The journey of stages through the chosen Axiom will provide benefits to the Character. Only one Axiom may be chosen for a Character.

Each Axiom Trait has a name (to be recorded and tracked by the Player in the Background section of their Character Sheet), a description of it’s Affect along with the required aspects to unlock the Trait, and the amount of XP required.

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Page 17 The Pragmatist

The Pragmatist focuses on the idea that direct action is the most effective route to demonstrating one’s heroic courage.

Trait Affect XP Cost

Lockbreaker May use Unarmed Skill Rating to attempt Lockpick Actions 120 XP Required: 2 Skill Points in Unarmed

Martial Arts -1 Difficulty to Unarmed Focused Strikes 130 XP Practitioner Required: 2 Skill Points in Unarmed

Weaponsmith -1 Difficulty when Crafting or upgrading Weapons 150 XP Required: 2 Skill Points in Crafting

Animal Kinship -1 Difficulty when Horseriding and interacting with animals 230 XP Required: 2 Skill Points in Horseriding and Persuasion

Siegeworker -1 Difficulty when using, Crafting or upgrading Siege Weapons 300 CXP Required: 2 Skill Point in Crafting, 3 Skill Points in Siege

Keen Eye -1 Difficulty to Focused Strike with Bows and Crossbows 390 XP Required: 3 Skill Points in Bows 3 Skill Points in Crossbows

Advanced May use Unarmed Skill Rating with -1 Difficulty to attempt Lockpick Actions 480 XP Lockbreaker Required/Replaces: Lockbreaker

Animal Reflexes -1 Difficulty to all Combat rolls when Horseriding 580 XP Required: 3 Skill Points in Horseriding, 2 Skill Points in Unarmed

Close Combat -1 Difficulty to Melee Focused Strikes 700 XP Expert Required/Replaces: Martial Arts Practitioner Required: 3 Skill Points in Melee

Animal Mastery One Re-Roll per any Action taken when Horseriding 810 XP SampleRequired/Replaces: Animal Kinship, Animal Reflexes file Ranged Expert -1 Difficulty to Focused Strike and Engineering to all Ranged Weapons 900 XP Required/Replaces: Siegeworker and Keen Eye

Weapon Mastery -1 Difficulty to all Combat rolls, and Engineering all weapons 1100 XP Required/Replaces: Close Combat Expert and Ranged Expert

Page 18 The Gnostic

Rather than reacting to the actions of others, the Gnostic relies on their own knowledge, staying true to their own path. Trait Affect XP Cost

Contemplative -1 Difficulty to Investigation following Combat 120 XP Observer Requires 1 Skill Point in Investigate, 1 Skill Point Discern Intent

Student of Zen -1 Difficulty to Perception following Combat 130 XP Required : 1 Skill Point in Perception

Mindful -1 Difficulty to Persuade and Investigate following Combat 150 XP Presence Required: 1 Skill Point in Investigate, 2 Skill Points in Discern Intent

Nihilistic -1 Difficulty to Intimidate 280 XP Channelling Required: 2 Skill Points in Perception

Stoic -1 Difficulty to Block or Parry with Melee Weapons 370 XP Conservation Required: 2 Skill Points in Perception, 2 Skill Points in Unarmed

Attuned -1 Difficulty to Investigation and Perception 460 XP Understanding Required/Replaces: Contemplative Observer, Student of Zen

Unnatural -1 Difficulty to Block or Parry with Unarmed or Melee Weapons 580 XP Athletics Required: 3 Skill Points in Unarmed, 2 Skill Points in Perception

Nihilistic -1 Difficulty to Intimidate, Investigate and Persuade 670 XP Perception Required: 3 Skill Points in Investigate, 4 Skill Points in Perception

Ethereal Echoes Re-Roll one Block or Parry attempt using Unarmed or any Weapon 780 XP Required: 3 Skill Points in Perception, 4 Skill Points in Unarmed

Windwalker -1 Difficulty and Re-Roll one attempt at all Combat rolls 850 XP SampleRequired/Replaces: Unnatural Athletics, Ethereal Echoes file Stoic -1 Difficulty to Persuade, Intimidate, Investigation and Perception 960 XP Required/Replaces: Mindful Presence, Attuned Understanding

Soul Balance -1 Difficulty and Re-roll one attempt at any Action roll 1800 XP Required/Replaces: Windwalker, Stoic

Page 19 The Savant

The Savant pursues an agenda often known only to themselves, for they understand that the arbiter of one’s own moral code is oneself.

Trait Affect XP Cost

Physician -1 Difficulty to Medicine during or following combat 120 XP Required: 2 Skill Points in Medicine

Personable -1 Difficulty to Persuade a newly encountered NPC 140 XP Required: 2 Skill Points in Persuasion, 1 Skill Point in Sneak

Looter -1 Difficulty to Investigate following combat 150 XP Required: 2 Skill Points in Investigation

Self- -1 Difficulty to remain in Sneak 280 XP Disciplined Required: 2 Skill Points in Sneak, 2 Skill Points in Perception

Surgeon -1 Difficulty to Medical performing operations 370 XP Required: 3 Skill Points in Medicine, 2 Skill Points in Crafting

Keen -1 Difficulty to Persuade and Intimidate a newly encountered NPC 490 XP Perception Required/Replaces: Personable Required: 3 Skill Points in Intimidate

Acrobat -1 Difficulty to Condition in Sneak outside combat, +1 to remain in Sneak outside combat 560 XP Required/Replaces: Self-Disciplined

Raider -1 Difficulty to Investigate 690 XP Required /Replaces: Looter

Battlefield -1 Difficulty to Unarmed, Melee and Ranged in Sneak, +1 to remain in Sneak 750 XP Analyst Required/Replaces: Acrobat

Medical -1 Difficulty to Medical rolls 860 XP SpecialistSampleRequired/Replaces: Physician, Surgeon Required: 3 Skill Points in Crafting file Subliminal -1 Difficulty to Intimidate and Persuade 940 XP Suggestion Required/Replaces: Keen Perception

Ghost One Re-roll and -1 Difficulty to all Non-Combat and Combat from Sneak Rolls 1150 XP Required/Replaces: Battlefield Analyst, Medical Specialist, Subliminal Suggestion

Page 20 CREATION

Sample file Titles, Lands and Forces

In Dark Age: Bushido there will be opportunity to acquire Titles, Lands, and Forces. This may be to facilitate a Character’s ability to pursue objectives within the adventure or to gain greater wealth and explore strategic opportunities within an increasingly fragmented continent. In-game decisions once these things have been acquired take on an elevated importance and the Storyteller should keep in mind possible outcomes when a Character is making choices that include these factors.

Titles

A title reflects prestige and a higher standing within society at large. Titles can be awarded by an NPC in-game by an acknowledged leader whether by rank or renown (i.e. a King, a Lord, a Village Elder etc.). A Player may also wish to request for a title to be created. Before a title created by the Player may be bestowed it must undergo a process by the Storyteller, taking into account the following:

❖ Is the title attached to land owned by the Character? ❖ Is the title in honour of a renowned action taken by the Character? ❖ Is there no opposition to the title?

If the answer to any of the above is no, the title may still be used by the Character with the word “Disputed” written clearly next to it on the Character Sheet. The Player must then pursue the required course of action in order to achieve the title they have requested. Opposition to a title may be overcome by a monetary bribe, subterfuge, or an act of war. Players using a title that is Disputed may encounter resistance or hostility from NPC’s when attempting to impress upon them the authority granted by a title. When a Title is awarded or created, add it to the relevant section Sampleof the Character Sheet. file

Page 21 Lands

Lands are any areas of space owned by a Character. Characters can generate revenue per session via their owned lands by building on the land and renting space to tenants. Lands are obtained through being awarded land connected to a title, through force via warfare, or by other means pertaining to the story being told during an adventure. Lands generating revenue per session will award Bao to their controlling Character each time a new session is played. The passage of time is measured by the Storyteller based on the narrative of the story being told, and the baseline for this is on the passage of each month in game time that has passed. Land is measured in Old Acres (a). The average size of a mediaeval city is 650a. When land has been secured, add the name of the land and it’s size in acres to the Character Sheet.

Generating Revenue From Lands The amount of revenue generated from land is indicated by events that have taken place that affect the collection of taxes from the land’s subjects. The event chart shows the results for collecting revenue each time a revenue roll is called for. The Player rolls 1d6 for each piece of land they own, and checks the result on the table. Revenue Event Chart Bao Collected Result Land Size (acres) 1 – 299 300 – 650 651 – 1000 1000+ Event (a) (a) (a) (a) 1 Rebellious tenants 250 400 550 700 2 Bad harvest 380 530 680 800 3/4 Standard collection 460 650 810 1050 5 Efficient collection 620 850 1100 1600 6 Fruitful harvest 800 1000 1550 2000

Forces Under Command

SampleThroughout the course of an adventure a Character willfile have the opportunity to recruit forces into their service for a variety of purposes. Forces demand upkeep per each week that passes in- game, the grand total of which is recorded in the Upkeep section next to their listing on Page 22 the Character sheet. The total is for rations, lodgings, equipment, wages, blacksmiths and physicians. A Force consists of a unit of similarly armed and armoured soldiers that will fall into the category of Infantry, Cavalry and Siege units. Each Unit has an Attack and Defend Rating which governs their success in combat. Each time the Unit is called upon to perform combat, the Player controlling that unit makes a Command roll taking into account their Command Skill on their Character sheet. Command Rolls Offense To successfully overcome an enemy Unit, the Command roll must be greater than it’s Offense Rating. For each point the roll exceeds the Offense Rating, a casualty is caused to the opposing Unit.

Defence When defending against an Offensive, the Command roll must be greater than the Unit’s Defence Rating. For each point the roll exceeds the Defence Rating, a casualty is prevented. If a double 1 is rolled when Defending, roll a d6. The number of Troops within your Unit equal to that result flee from battle, as their morale has broken. Combat continues until there are no Troops remaining within a Unit.

Retreat

If at any point the Commander wishes to withdraw their Forces from battle, a Command Roll must be made to ensure the successful issue of this order, with a difficulty rating of 9 (taking into account the Character’s Command Skill). The Commander deducts 1 point of Valour each time a Retreat roll is attempted, even if the roll is unsuccessful. SampleStorytelling For Battles Involving Forces file Depending upon the location of the battle, the Character may or not be present with their Forces when combat takes place. It can be reasonably assumed that orders will have been issued prior to the battle. The Storyteller rolls the dice for Forces opposed to

Page 23 assumed that orders will have been issued prior to the battle. The Storyteller rolls the dice for Forces opposed to those controlled by the Player. A narrative description of the battle as it takes place should be given by the Storyteller, determined by the results of the dice rolls. A Character can fight alongside their Forces, following normal rules for non-Forces Combat and deducting casualties from the enemy Unit. A Defence Roll may not be taken for casualties caused by a Character – rather, the attack made against the individual Troop is defended with usual rules for Parry/Block and then Armour. The AR for the Armour worn by the Troop is listed on the Force Generation Table. If the Storyteller has generated a named NPC to lead the opposing Force, this rule also applies to that NPC. Forces Actions Outside of Combat Forces may be directed by their Commanding Character to perform other actions outside of Combat using a Command Roll. Any time Forces are directed to take action against unarmed or unaware targets, or are sent for the purpose of raiding or looting (or any other activity that could be deemed nefarious), 1 Honour Point must be deducted from the Character Sheet. The base cost to recruit (in Bao, per Troop), Attack Rating per Arms and Defence Rating for Armour, is based on the below table:

Unit Type OR DR Cost Arms Type OR Cost Armour AR DR Cost Type Infantry (untrained) 11 11 50 Dagger 0 5 Padded 10 0 15 Infantry (trained) 10 11 120 Club -1 15 Leather 15 -1 40 Infantry (elite) 9 10 170 Spear -3 25 Chainmail 20 -2 50 Cavalry (light horse) 9 10 280 Longsword -4 65 Lamellar 25 -3 55 Cavalry (warhorse) 8 9 350 Greatsword -5 80 Steel 40 -4 70 Siege (ballista)* 6 11 500 Bow** -4 30 Plate 55 -5 110 Siege (catapult)* 5 11 550 Crossbow** -5 40 Siege (trebuchet)* 4 11 600

*Siege Units cannot engage in close combat and may only defend if engaged with Melee Units. Siege Units may not take additional arms. Siege Units may take additional armour as normal. Sample**Archery Units cannot engage in close combat and may only defend iffile engaged with Melee Units. A template for generating your own Units can be found on page 34.

Page 24 Training Units

Before a Unit is recruited, an amount can be spent to upgrade the level of training a Unit receives. The Unit will not be available until the next session. A roll on the below chart using 1d6 and modified by the Command Skill Rating indicates the result:

Cost to Upgrade (Bao) Command Roll Result Untrained To Trained Trained To Elite Untrained to Elite 1 1000 1600 2500 2 750 1350 1900 3 550 1200 1500 4 400 950 1200 5 300 800 1000 6 250 600 850

A roll of 1 cannot be modified by the Command Skill.

Once the forces have been selected and the cost, equipment, OR and DR have been worked out, add them to the relevant section of the Character Sheet.

Upkeep

Once the overall cost has been calculated, a third (rounded up) of the overall recruitment cost for the Unit is listed on the Character Sheet under the Upkeep total. This is the amount that must be paid per each month that passes within the adventure.

Unit Combat Effectiveness

When a Unit is reduced to half strength, their combat effectiveness is also reduced and this affects their ability to attack and defend. When a Unit is reduced to one, this will also make the chances of success in combat less likely. Whilst it is not impossible Samplefor a lone soldier to fight in a large-scale battle, their chancesfile of fighting effectively when overwhelmed by a larger Unit is drastically reduced. The below table indicates the modifiers for

Page 25 Units that have suffered casualties to half strength or have been reduced to a single troop:

Casualty Modifier Chart Unit Reduction Modifier Unit Reduced to Half Strength +1 difficulty for OR and DR rolls Unit Reduced to One Troop +2 difficulty for OR and DR rolls

Movement on the Battlefield

When a Unit crosses more than 20meters on the battlefield (calculated by the Storyteller) a +1 difficulty modifier is applied to their OR roll.

Character Creation

The Character Sheet contains every section needed for creating your Character. When making your Character, considering their background will help with find out what motivates them, and vice versa. A comprehensively constructed back story will help you to inform the choices your Character makes within the game. It is also possible to include a few minor details to begin with and add to your Character’s background as the adventure progresses.

To begin, Player’s have 200XP to spend to spend to set up their Character. Each Skill costs 10xp for the first point spent. The cost to increase each skill doubles thereafter.

Character Creation

Player Name The name of the Player controlling the Character Character Name The Character’s name Background A background story for the Character, and Axiom Traits Bao The current amount of Bao the Character has Bushido The Character’s current Bushido Rating Zen The Character’s current Zen Rating Skills The proficiency Rating per skill SampleCombat All Skills pertaining to Combat actions file Unarmed Unarmed Combat action proficiency Clubs Single handed blunt weapons

Page 26 Daggers Edged or pointed blades up to 28cm Shortswords Edged or pointed blades up to 63cm Longswords Edged or pointed blades up to 189cm Greatswords Edged or pointed blades longer than 190cm Polearms Two-handed weapons with a pole haft Maces Single-handed weapons with a pole haft Warhammers Two-handed blunt weapons Axes Single-handed weapons with a crescent blade Battleaxes Two-handed weapons with a crescent blade Thrown All weapons designed to be thrown Crossbows Projectile weapons releasing a bolt via a trigger Bows Projectile weapons operated with a bowstring Siege Weapons that are too large to personally carry Improvised Items not designed to be weapons, sourced in an encounter Block The Character’s ability to block incoming attacks Parry The Character’s ability to parry incoming attacks Bucklers A small shield designed to parry incoming attacks Shields A mid-sized shield designed to block and parry Tower A shield taller than 3.5’ designed to block incoming attacks Shields Personal All skills pertaining to actions out of Combat Investigation The Character’s ability to explore environments Lockpick The Character’s ability to pick locks Agility The ability to climb terrain, dodge, or excel physically Lift and The ability to carry or move large objects Carry Sneak Actions pertaining to move using stealth Perception The ability to perceive or identify points of interest Persuasion Persuading NPC’s or other Players through conversation Intimidation Intimidating NPC’s or other Players through conversation Etiquette Using status to influence NPC’s or other Players Command The ability to Command Forces or companions Medicine Performing surgery and identifying objects that heal Horseriding Proficiency on horseback or carriage Crafting Creating new items, weapons and armour Brewing Creating potions, tinctures or consumable liquids SampleLanguages The ability to understand other languages file

Page 27 Discern Recognising the true intent of a statement conversationally Intent Equipment All items carried by the Character Armour Armour name, individual and total Armour Rating Rating Weapons All equipped weapons and their weapon profiles Wounding The current Wounding status of the Character Table Experience The current (unspent) XP, and running total XP Points Titles Titles bestowed upon or created by the Character Lands Areas owned by the Character that generate revenue Forces All companions and Forces controlled by the Character

The skills listed on the Character Sheet have a + and – rating depending on current effects given by equipment, weapons, armour or any other external source. These modifiers may be temporary or permanent depending on specific conditions. For example, if a Character has successfully crafted and consumed a tincture of herbs designed to enhance their strength, some of their Skills pertaining to physical actions may incur a + modifier for a fixed amount of time. If a Character has consumed rotten food or a sub standardly crafted elixir, certain skills may receive a – modifier for a set amount of time. The Storyteller decides or rolls for the affects and the duration of these affects. Equipment The amount of equipment that can be carried by a Character must be realistically represented with how they intend to carry these items. A horse’s pack, a satchel, scabbards and straps are good ways to carry large amounts of items. The Storyteller should decide whether a particular item, piece of equipment or armour is appropriate for a starting Character. Starting Equipment The equipment a Character has when starting the adventure Sampleshould be selected by the Player based on their Character’s file background, and may incorporate elements of their back story. Items specific to their previous career, a weapon specific to their native land; anything that will help to enhance their Character’s development.

Page 28 : CHARACTER SHEET

PLAYER NAME CHARACTER NAME BACKGROUND BAO BUSHIDO ZEN SKILLS BOWS ….. / .…. COMBAT UNARMED ….. / .…. CLUBS ….. / .…. DAGGERS ….. / .…. SHORTSWORDS ….. / .…. LONGSWORDS ….. / .…. GREATSWORDS ….. / .…. POLEARMS ….. / .…. MACES ….. / .…. WARHAMMERS ….. / .…. AXES ….. / .…. BATTLEAXES ….. / .…. THROWN ….. / .…. CROSSBOWS ….. / .…. SIEGE ….. / .…. IMPROVISED ….. / .…. BLOCK ….. / .…. PARRY ….. / .…. BUCKLERS ….. / .…. SHIELDS ….. / .…. TOWER SHIELDS ….. / .…. PERSONAL INVESTIGATION ….. / .…. AGILITY ….. / .…. LIFT AND CARRY ….. / .…. SNEAK ….. / .…. PERCEPTION ….. / .…. PERSUASION ….. / .…. INTIMIDATION ….. / .…. ETIQUETTE ….. / .…. COMMAND ….. / .…. MEDICINE ….. / .…. HORSERIDING ….. / .…. CRAFTING ….. / .…. BREWING ….. / .…. LANGUAGES ….. / .…. DISCERN INTENT ….. / .…. LOCKPICKING ….. / .…. EQUIPMENT WEAPONS B P / B P / B P / B P / B P / ARMOUR RATING WOUNDING TABLE STATUS HEAD NECK TORSO INJURY BACK SampleHANDS FEET SUSTAINED file ARMS LEGS TOTAL PROLONGED EXPERIENCE RECORD CURRENT XP TOTAL XP