Sample file Credits

EXPANSION DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT Tim Huckelbery with Max Brooke

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For more information about the world of Rokugan and Legend of the Five Rings, visit us online at www.FantasyFlightGames.com/en/Legend-of-the-Five-Rings-Roleplaying-Game Table of Contents

5 WELCOME TO THE 108 CHAPTER 3: BATTLEFIELD acts of war 6 CHAPTER 1: 109 Expanded Mass Battle Rules glorious histories 118 Battle Zones 122 New Terrain Types 7 Armies of the Empire 123 Running Military-Themed Campaigns 14 Great Clan Army Styles 127 Outfitting an Army 17 Armies in Action 131 New Titles 19 Bastions of History 138 Spending Opportunity in Times of War 26 The Empire at War 140 Tenets of Bushidō: Honor 45 The Lion Clan 142 New Demeanors and NPC Templates 45 Families of the Lion 64 CHAPTER 2: defenders of the empire

65 The Badger Clan 72 New Schools 82 New Advantages and Disadvantages 86 New Samurai Heritages 88 Weapons 90 Personal Effects 92 Blessed Treasures 93 Item Patterns 95 New Techniques

Sample file

3 14th Day of the Month of Shiba, 1120, on the Plains of Honor Akodo Saburō could see the battlefield as though he This was what it meant to be a leader, to have the were standing among his generals, the dry wind of the fates of many in his hands, to end lives without draw- plains ruffling his hair. Across the level ground stood ing a sword. The outcome of this battle, perhaps the an army led by his old teacher, Matsu Chihiro, famed safety of the Empire itself, would depend on the deci- for her wise words, sharp tongue, and relentless drill- sions he made, and a single mistake could lose him his ing. He did not fight her by choice, but duty and honor strongest fighters, and his own good name. One wrong demanded they face each other, and only one could move, or a right move made at the wrong time, could claim victory. put a sudden end to his ambition. He would defeat her today. Lion facing Lion, his war- His teacher’s generals brooded where they were; riors reflected hers, but though they looked the same, they did not attempt to escape his foot soldiers, and their maneuvers would be different. Saburō knew how so he set up an attack to claim his victory, sending his she thought; her tactics would be tried, tested, and lancers behind enemy lines. Yet when her own lancers tired, while he had a few tricks and surprises ready for threatened one of his generals in turn, he realized he her. Today, he would prove he had studied hard and could not get his units back there in time. He couldn’t learned well—and had become a worthy opponent. just run them through the foot soldiers, who suddenly All his bushi were ready to fight and die, but before seemed more of a hindrance than a help. There was Saburō could give the order to charge, he must fortify nothing he could do. his defenses, protect his most precious general, and One of her generals put himself in a vulnerable position his lancers to make best use of their range and position, but was it some sort of trap? An invitation speed. Small changes in formation now, while there for him to seek vengeance, and make a terrible mis- was still time, could make the difference between ulti- take? Saburō tried to remember what she had said of mate victory and defeat. Across the plain, his teacher’s sacrifice in their lessons. Hadn’t she always said sacri- forces shifted as though in response to his. Whatever fice was a lazy path to victory, that a true leader found she was planning, she did not commit to it yet, only another way? He took a gamble and sent a cadre of prepared her warriors to withstand his attack when it foot soldiers in to eliminate the weakened general. He came. He could see no other plan in her movements, was honest with himself; it felt like just retribution for but that didn’t mean there wasn’t one. his own loss. While he was still contemplating her intentions, Her mounted samurai came out of nowhere, and she sent her mounted samurai to attack his, forcing a he lost another general. How had he missed them? He retreat. Despite the sting of her small victory, the attack should have held back some of those soldiers, but it was hardly devastating. He had far more foot soldiers, was too late now. His last general put up a courageous and his plan was to send them forward, to use their fight, but inevitably fell. The battle was lost; the game numbers to surround and pin her generals. It would was over. surprise her, that he let so much ride on his weakest “An entertaining game for me,” Chihiro said, “and force. He had always believed in the strength of the hopefully, an educational one for you, Saburō-kun.” common soldier, their courage and determination He bowed his head. making up for their weaker armor, their lesser training. “Thank you,” he said. She had warned him before that soldiers are merely “And what have you learned here today?” their leader’s tools, like the duelist’s sword or smith’s He paused, sure she would tell him the correct hammer. Their value would come from how he used answer, whatever answer he gave. them. So he must use them well. “Never to assume I can predict your moves,” he said. “Even a Lion might advise one path, yet take another,” she said. “Remember, on the shōgi board, all actions are honorable.” They reset their units on the SamplePlains of Honor for another game.file

4 INTRODUCTION

RUMORS AND Welcome to the Battlefield Adventure Seeds LEGENDS Since the dawn of the Emerald Empire, conflict has Throughout this book, Throughout this book, you’ll find sidebars like you’ll find sidebars embroiled the realm. Ambitious provincial lords raid this one presenting adventure seeds for GMs. presenting just a few of rival territory, daimyō struggle for dominance and If you’re a player, you might want to avoid the tales in circulation glory, and enemy invaders have attempted to conquer reading these, as doing so could spoil things about a particular loca- tion or group. As a GM, Rokugan. To defend their borders, the generals of the should your GM adopt the ideas! If you’re a Great Clans marshal their best warriors, and when all you might use these for GM, you can expand on these seeds to create inspiration when PCs of Rokugan is threatened, the Emperor marches the fully fledged adventures, take bits and pieces, inquire about any local grand host of the Imperial Legions to war. On the fields or simply use them for inspiration. gossip or anecdotal of battle, legends are forged and destines are decided. reports. Following up 一 Hook This hook provides the context on such rumors could for starting the adventure and introduces even form the basis for What’s in this book? the important NPCs. We also provide a sug- an adventure. Fields of the Victory is a guide to Rokugani warfare and gested way to involve the PCs in events, As with all tales, it is the Lion Clan, whose generals and soldiers are military which you can tailor to fit your campaign. not always clear which masters. In this book, players can study the pivotal bat- are true and which are 二 Rising Action In the next part of an false. We’ve left it up to tles of the Emerald Empire and train and equip their adventure seed, we briefly describe the you to determine which characters to rise from the rank of soldier to Shōgun. most likely way for events to escalate, further are which. Of course, Fields of the Victory is divided into three chapters: even the most outland- embroiling the PCs and raising the stakes. ish stories might have a grain of truth. Chapter 1 三 Climax Finally we offer a likely climax for the adventure, whether that is a decisive Glorious Histories describes the general makeup of encounter with an NPC or a difficult choice Great Clan armies and recounts the heroic military the PCs must make. By this point, the events struggles of Rokugan’s past and present. This chapter of the adventure are likely to have taken also features the greatest collections of knowledge in unexpected turns based on the PCs’ actions, the Empire, from the High Histories of the Ikoma to the and you should feel free to modify the climax Great Library at Kyūden Isawa. Finally, this chapter dives or resolve matters in whatever way fits the deep into the valiant Lion Clan and its military traditions. ongoing adventure. Chapter 2

Defenders of the Empire introduces the hardy Badger, a Minor Clan appointed as the guardians of Rokugan’s northern border, along with rules for creating characters from this clan. This chapter also offers other new player options, including new schools, combat-related equip- ment, advantages and disadvantages, and techniques for leading forces into the fray and turning the tide of battle.

Chapter 3

Acts of War offers game master advice on running military-themed campaigns and staging grand battles. It also provides expanded rules for mass battles, including battle zones to more closely track the positions of troops and terrain, as well as rules for how to raise, equip, and train an army. Finally, new titles, NPC templates, and a new demeanor help GMs bring the heroes and support- Sampleing characters of battle to life. file

5 CHAPTER 1 Glorious Histories

The horse grooms were waiting for him as the rider descended on the Lion Clan way station at a full gallop. At the last possible moment, Hosokawa Tesshū pulled on the reins to bring his horse to a stop and slid down the saddle wordlessly. As he turned around, one of the attendants offered him the water dipper. Tesshū greed- ily accepted it with a nod of thanks, slurping down the cool water between heaving breaths. He yanked off a riding glove and splashed his dust-covered face in a meager effort to stave off the heat of the early sum- mer sun. His heavy armor didn't help, but he couldn't risk being taken by surprise by a Unicorn Clan scouting party. His family's duty was to record and to ride, and that was what he would do. "Your horse, my lord," came a voice. The sil- ver-black steed was fresh from the stable and ready to take him through the next leg of the journey. Although he would have to ride all day and all night, by the time Lady Sun rose the next morning, Lord Matsu Gohei would know that the war had begun. Sample file CHAPTER 1: GLORIOUS HISTORIES

Basic Units Armies of the Empire While the discipline and structure of Rokugan’s armies By nature, battles are chaotic, destructive storms of vary by clan, terrain, and strategy, the lifeblood of each metal, blood, and smoke. The shape of an army— army is its soldiers, and each soldier must operate as along with the placement of its units—has an enor- part of a unit. A single insubordinate soldier may cost mous impact on the likelihood of success in war. Place their army the victory; a unit acting as one may sweep a cadre of mounted archers in the fray, and they might the battlefield with the force of a typhoon. snipe the vulnerable from a line of armored ashigaru, but they may prove a liability otherwise. Allow them to Conscripts move as a free, mobile unit, and they may suddenly destroy an enemy’s tactical advantage with a well- Conscripts are forces that are levied from a lord’s lands placed shot at its commander. The best army does not in times of war or great need. They are plucked from vil- necessarily contain the brightest or the most fearsome, lages, towns, and cities and thrown onto the front lines but it does come prepared with a solution for any plan with minimal training. They might be provided with of attack. secondhand or piecemeal ashigaru armor—otherwise, The most skilled warrior knows to bring the appro- they must scavenge and loot armor from defeated ene- priate weapon to any fight; the same is true of armies. mies. Conscripts are lucky to receive spears, but more The heavy-armored, slow-moving Crab Clan warriors often they will use whatever they can bring with them may create an impenetrable wall from high in their from home, such as farm implements. Due to their min- stone fortresses, but in soft, muddy marshland or end- imal training and defenses, they suffer the most casual- less desert, their renowned armor becomes a liability ties in battle. As a result, they are often the first to flee both in and out of battle. The vast multitude of the when the tide turns against their forces. If a conscript Lion Clan armies, too, lose their fearsome edge when survives and proves capable in battle, they might try to forced to trudge, single file, through dense forest or enlist as an ashigaru in future conflicts. up perilous mountain slopes. When compromised, an ill-fitted army is at its most vulnerable to attack. Ashigaru The Great Clans of Rokugan consider themselves Ashigaru, or foot soldiers, make up the bulk of most above the barbarism of early warfare. Today, most Rokugani armies. Ashigaru are semi-professional sol- clashes among the clans result in relatively tame skir- diers from various backgrounds and often have more mishes instead of protracted wars. Feeding, training, practical experience on the battlefield than their and maintaining an army is a challenging affair that leaders. They might be peasants who spend the time requires numerous resources from the army’s clan; in between planting and harvest on the battlefield, or the interest of efficiency, clans rarely let battles play they might have left their villages behind entirely to out on the grand scale of legend. Further, just as in make a career of fighting. They might even be follow- court, officers ensure each battle follows a rigid set of ing in their parents’ footsteps—some families have a rules and etiquette; true brutality has no place in clan hereditary tradition of serving as ashigaru for a spe- warfare. cific lord. Over the centuries, some ashigaru have even “Just as a single brushstroke may finish a painting, been elevated to the rank of jizamurai in recognition a single swing of a blade may finish the battle,” wrote of their service, but they often face disdain from more the eminent tactician Seppun Yoshisato. In Rokugan, established samurai families. tactics and decisive action are key to resolving battles Ashigaru stand at the forefront in most skirmishes quickly with as little bloodshed as possible. Yet legions between opposing clans. Ashigaru suffer fewer casu- of Shadowlands monstrosities wage wars of attrition, alties than conscripts but more casualties than bushi. and foreign forces have been recorded using hit-and- They are lightly armored and most often equipped run tactics or sabotage to wear down their foes. Clans with long-shafted spears, naginata, or bows. Not all like the Unicorn and Crab, which have had to contend clan ashigaru are equally well trained; Lion Clan ash- with these unconventional opponents, have adapted igaru are famously skilled in combat and proficient in their tactics and style accordingly and, as a result, fight many weapons, including the sword. Samplein ways alien to the rest of Rokugan. file

7 CHAPTER 1: GLORIOUS HISTORIES

Bushi Medical Practitioners

Clan samurai bushi are the finest—but usually not the Healers and medics are essential to keeping soldiers most common—type of solider in an army. Serving as and support personnel moving, fit, and battle ready. elite forces, they fight for glory in the name of their They are trained in advanced treatments for all manner family, clan, and daimyō. Their training is dependent of injuries, and are equipped with basic tools and med- on their family and clan, ranging from the heavily icines to heal the soldiers they accompany into battle. armored spearmen of the Daidoji to the nimble cav- A swift treatment can mean the difference between alry of the Shinjo, and the duel-wielding swordsmen of life and death for an injured warrior. It is a violation of the Mirumoto to the ferocious berserkers of the Matsu. Courtesy and Compassion to attack or injure any sol- Whether fighting on foot or horseback, even a single dier administering treatment on the field of battle, but bushi can change the course of a battle though dis- ruthless generals may ignore these virtues in the pur- plays of martial prowess or stubborn resistance. The suit of victory. placement of each bushi formation in an army can have a marked impact on the outcome of a battle, although, Messengers as the makeup of bushi units varies, there is no single correct arrangement. Armies communicate urgent commands via everything from flares to signals to coded messages. Military Mercenaries messengers in their stiff horo, or canopy cloaks, brave the heat of battle to deliver handwritten notes, coded Mercenary gaijin, peasants, rōnin, and former criminals messages, and desperate, shouted orders. Some mes- offer their expertise in short- or long-range combat to sengers also send army-wide signals via booming taiko any army. Unlike the lives of trained clan soldiers, their drums in the heat of battle or blow on conch shells to lives are considered entirely expendable. It is mer- issue sudden orders from leaders to those within ear- cenaries’ responsibility to take care of their own and shot. Battlefield messengers, called tsukaiban, may be maintain their own equipment. They are flexible and deployed in service of high-ranking officials, or they may fill any role for which they are qualified. Highly may be placed strategically to form a network through- specialized mercenaries, such as shinobi or sailors, may out an army. be deployed as needed to achieve special objectives. Laborers and Servants

Specialized Units Noncombatants usually make up the bulk of an army, In addition to combatants like bushi and ashigaru, especially when the army must establish itself in a single armies also require support personnel to play specific location for an extended period of time. Servants follow roles in a general’s strategy and allow soldiers to fight their lords into battle to assist them in getting dressed more effectively. and maintaining their quarters. Peasants clean, cook, and tend and raise animals (and sometimes crops), mak- Engineers ing traveling armies seem more like mobile cities. Unless an army is especially desperate, its peasant population Rokugani military engineers build siege engines and hangs back during the heat of battle and trails behind field fortifications when an army invests itself for a the soldiers in a long caravan during travel. It is the siege of a castle or town’s walls. They build scaling lad- height of dishonor to attack an army’s noncombatants. ders and siege towers to allow soldiers to climb walls without being shot by defenders’ arrows, and they con- Shugenja struct battering rams to knock in gates so that troops may break in. They direct crews as they dig trenches for Calling the elemental forces against their foes, cover or excavate tunnels under walls that are stable shugenja are highly volatile additions to any army. One enough for troops to charge through and surprise the cannot count on the kami’s favor at any given time, enemy within. During an army’s travels, engineers may as their motivations and their feelings about humans do double duty as cartwrights, fixing wheels and wag- are subject to change on a whim. However, a well- ons, especially if the army doesn’t have any dedicated planned elemental strike may shift the terrain to an carpenters of its own. army’s advantage or scatter an otherwise impervious foe. While entreating the spirits, shugenja make easy Sampletargets, and they must be wellfile defended if they are to

8 CHAPTER 1: GLORIOUS HISTORIES

province. In this way, an army might have several spear Battlefield Healing ashigaru and archer ashigaru units in addition to sev- eral different samurai units, plus units of conscripts Medics are dispersed throughout an army when applicable. Maintaining focus on the battlefield to tend to the wounded of every rank. Any and withstanding the horrors of war requires intense substantial cadre of soldiers likely has a med- concentration and fortitude, often facilitated by the ical attendant on hand to dress wounds and Meditation and Martial Arts skills. address sundry health issues. Other med- ics may be highly specialized, switch roles Unit Leader according the needs of their leaders, or serve as members of a dedicated medical unit. A unit leader, or kashira, is a member of a unit who com- In some cases, medics will serve under the mands their fellow soldiers in battle. Unit leaders also supervision of a shugenja and assist in triag- direct their unit’s noncombatants, such as medics, taiko ing the injured. drummers, messengers, and banner bearers. They must often make use of their skills in Courtesy and Sentiment to effectively influence their fellow soldiers. leverage the meteoric currents of the spiritual world. The best placement of a shugenja on the battlefield is Sergeant highly subjective, and they usually must be protected A sergeant, or gunsō, leads a single squad compris- by yōjimbō if they are to succeed in swaying the kami ing two or more basic or specialized units and directs during combat. it in the heat of battle according to the orders of the Shugenja also serve as healers or spiritual advisors, chūi (see page 10). While a gunsō does not have which are also vital roles in armies. Water and earth a comprehensive view of the larger tactical choices at elementalists can entreat the spirits to hasten the heal- play, they are keenly aware of their squad’s movements ing process or purge infection. Shugenja can augur the and successes in battle. Depending on their relation- coming weather or beseech the ancestors for wisdom. ship with the squad and the requirements of the battle, They can also speak to ethics, history, and philosophy, a gunsō fights in the thick of combat, shouts orders and they serve an important function in maintaining from the rear, or charges headfirst at the front line. The morale and counseling soldiers on their own mortality. gunsō may make effective use of the Command skill to direct troops in real time and must know when to pull The Hierarchy of Armies back if their squad becomes overwhelmed. In the furor of battle, a basic chain of command is key to transmitting orders, and troops’ ability to receive and execute those orders is imperative to victory. With- out guidance, even the most exceptional unit may find itself isolated and vulnerable. The feudal mindset extends to armies, which follow a hierarchical structure that mirrors the Celestial Order as interpreted by the samurai. A single unit of cav- alry, scouts, infantry, or shugenja follow a unit leader. These unit leaders report to their sergeant, while the sergeants report to a lieutenant, and the lieutenants report to a captain, with the chain of command culmi- nating in an army’s general. This basic power structure can be found among most Great Clan armies, although variation exists across forces.

Unit

A single unit of conscripts, ashigaru, bushi, or special- ists comprise the simplest building block of a Rokugani army. Units might be organized into groups of ten to Samplefifty soldiers based on their primary weapon and home file