Shogun: Nathanael Phillip Cole (creation/design) Court Artist: Rick Marcks (visual design, cover, internal artwork) Standard-Bearer: Jeremy Kostiew (patch, logo, and sheet design)

Master of the Annals: Rachel Edidin (editing)

Royal Steward: Tiara Lynn Agresta (layout design)

Groundskeeper: Tracy VanTilburg (production artist) Daimyo: Jerome Comeau, Scott Hazle, Andy Kitkowski, Sean Koble, Jeremy Kostiew, Michael Wight, Justin Zagaeski (inspiration and creative support)

Migi Ude: Gregory Samford (my right hand man)

Motobushido is Copyright 2013 by Nathanael Phillip Cole, all rights reserved This book is dedicated to Ry and Sean, the Jacketmen. Thanks!

THE FIRST FOUNDERS Samantha R. Blazier, Jerome Comeau, Kyle Frazier, Joshua Kenney, Rylan Newsom, Justin Rock, Jeremy Wagner-Kaiser, Mike Fujita Wight

My heartfelt gratitude to those whose assistance made the Kickstarter Project possible: Aaron Clark, Dusty Eppers, Chris Faux, Jamie Jeffers, Noah Kleinman, Jake Richmond, Jared Sorenson, and all my awesome Daimyo. SPECIAL THANKS to Jerome Comeau for being my #1 fan; and to the Four Fine Fellows, because some memories will never be forgotten. PLAYTESTERS Al BIllings, Aaron Bowman (what?), William Carson, Sean Casey, Jerome Comeau, Stephen Cranston, Willow Darcy, Josh Destatoff, Eric Franklin, Stephanie Franklin, Scott Hazle, Natalie Heikkinen, Ben Hsu, Mason Hunter, Sean Koble, Jonathan Korman, Ben Lehman, Zed Lopez, Erich & Sara Mcnaughton, Ry Newsom, Jess Perez, Kyle Rakoz, Jake Richmond, Gregory Samford, Justin Smith, Nick Smith, Deleva Stanley, Tayler Stokes, Joe Streckert, Aaron Stultz, Mike Sugarbaker, Ace Talkingwolf, Zack Tidwell, Jeremy Wagner-Kaiser, Jeanne Winslow, Mark Wyler, Justin Zagaeski KICKSTARTER BACKERS: "Evil" Avi Zacherman, Aaron J. Schrader, Adam, Adam Franks, Adam Hurd, Adam Rajski, Adam W. Roy, Adrian J George III, Al Billings, Alex DeVries, Alex Hakobian, Alex Perez, Alice, Andrew Chang, Andrew Loveridge, Andrew Whittle, Anon, Anthony Lanese, Antoine Bertier, Austin Stanley, Bartley, Ben Bernard, Brent Millis, Brett Easterbrook, Brian Newman, Bryan Rennekamp, Charles Boulware, Chris Bennett, Chris Chown, Chris McCluskey, Christian A. Nord, Christopher Tang, Colin Booth, Damba Zhalsaraev, Dan Gerold, Dana Sharp Woodrick, Daniel Gonzalez da Costa Campos, Daniele Di Rubbo, DarkMoonINC, Dave Ellingwood, David Chervanik, David Morrison, David Saggers, Derek Cardwell, Derek Guder, Desiree Fitterer, Dexter, Dominic Brismail, Doud, Drew Wendorf, Ed McW, Edward Saxton, Emmett Cooper, Eric Franklin, Erik H. Maier, Evan Saft, evil bibu, Felipe Shingo, Filip 'Filon' Pawlicki, Gareth Hodges, Gary "Madu" Montgomery, Giovanni Castelletti, Grant Chen, Gregory "The Screg" Samford, H. M. 'Dain' Lybarger, Hamish Cameron, Herman Duyker, Hyathin, Ian Johnson, Ian Phillipchuk, Ian Z., Ignatius Montenegro, Irven "Myrkwell" Keppen, Jack Gulick, Jacob Bissonette, Jake Richmond, Jamison Gent, Jason and Sylvia Wodicka, Jean Bond, Jeffry Morris, Jennifer Fuss, Jeremy Kostiew, Jeremy Wagner-Kaiser, Jerome Comeau, Jesse Wolfe, Jim & Dawn B., Jim Burzelic, Jimmy Trotter, Joe Greathead, Joe Iglesias, Johannes Ulsund, John C. Meyers, John Sureck, Jon Bristow, Jonathan "Buddha" Davis, Jonathan A. Gillett, Jonathan C. Lemer A.K.A. Johno, Jonathan Korman, Jordan Phoenix, Joseph "UserClone" Le May, Joseph J. Yossarian, Josh Destatoff, Joshua Beale, Joshua Kenney, Joshua Ramsey, Judd Karlman, Judd M. Goswick, Jürgen Mayer, Justin Light, Justin Loudermilk, Justin M Phillips, Justin Rock, Justin Smith, Kaz 2-DA!, Keith, Keith Davies, Ken Finlayson, Kenji Erb-Bashaw, Kevin Donovan, Kevin Schantz, Khoshmar, Kitagawa Anjin, Kitty O'Neal, Kyle E. Rakoz, Kyle Frazier, Kyle Porter, Lantra, LawfulNice, Lenny "the Barbarian" Steinke, Leri "TheAttackChef" Jacobs, Lester Ward, Luis Velasco, Lukas Myhan, Marc "ThE_MarD" Bourgoin, Mark Levad, Mark Parker, Mark W. H. Lambe, Martin Lemser, Matt Schlotte, Matt Shortess, Matthew Coverdale, Matthew Edwards, Meguey Baker, Mel Hall, Mendel Schmiedekamp, Mendez, Michael Feldhusen, Michael Ostrokol, Michael Satran, Michael Stevens, Michele Gelli, Mike D., Mike Fujita Wight, Mofte, Monster Palace, Moose, Moozers, namyisun, Olivier Darles, Pattie McNulty, Paul Echeverri, Paul MacDonald, Paul Record, Perry the Poodle, Peter Aronson, Peter Jacob, Phillip Bailey, Rachel Kelly, Rafael Rocha, Ralph Mazza, Ray Beckmann, Redfuji6, Rob H, Rob Hall, Rob M, Roberto Giugno, Robin Hoover, Ryan Boccuzzo-Di Spaltro, Ryan H., Ryan Marsh, Rylan Newsom, Sam Garvey, Sam Parker, Samantha R. Blazier, Saumanahaii, Scott Vandehey, Sean Casey, Sean Koble, Sean M. Dunstan, Seth Johnson, SHazle, Shervyn, Simon Ward, Stephen Slaby, Steve Lord, Streamjumper, Sure, Tara R, Tayler Stokes, Theo, Thor Deacon, Tim Q and Tarrant K, Timothy Conbere, tomas overbai, Tracy Barnett - Sand & Steam Productions, Travis Scott, Trent Kennedy, Ty (Troll) Sawyer, Tyler Walls, Tyson of the Northwest, Valentin Scheid, victor mckamie, Victor Wyatt, Wade Rockett, Wilhelm Fitzpatrick, wraith808, Wy, Yancy Stults Jr, Zach Brown, Zakharov "Zaksquatch" Sawyer, Zarf Table of Contents

SECTION 1: MOTOBUSHI 10 Life on the Highway...... 55 The True Samurai...... 12 Using Your Cards...... 58 Your First Set of Wheels: Using Your Ki Pool ...... 59 Introduction...... 15 Flashback Scenes...... 59 And So it Begins…...... 15 Managing Pack Resources. . . . . 61 Getting the Pack Together. . . . .15 Investing in Factions...... 64 The Rider’s Salute...... 16 Life with the Daimyo: Rider’s Orientation: The Home Base Option...... 65 The First Session...... 16 The Way of the Samurai Hitting the Roads: Lies in Death...... 66 The Game Proper ...... 17 Words, Swords, Engines, War: Setting it All Up...... 17 The Rules of Conflict 67 Final Counsel...... 17 Say what happens...... 67 Glossary of Important Terms. . . .18 Gambits...... 68 At Dawn, We Ride: Pack Creation 19 Duels...... 70 Guided Creation Flow...... 20 SECTION 3: SENSEI 82 Blood, Grease, and Steel: Master, Teacher, Student: Sensei 83 Detailed Character Options 25 What Sensei Does...... 84 First Founding Templates . . . . . 25 The Quick Basics ...... 86 Alignment Codes...... 26 Your First Session...... 86 Birth Signs...... 29 The Second Session and Beyond. . .89 Pack Roles...... 31 Omens, Ripples, Waves Fighting Styles...... 39 and Storms...... 91 Bikes...... 44 Managing SCs and Factions . . . . 94 Deeds and Legacies...... 47 Scenario Design...... 95 Enlightenment and Damnation: The Willow Ridge Scenario 97 Character [d]Evolution 48 The Pack...... 97 Lessons and Evolution ...... 48 The Situation...... 97 Stains...... 50 The Details...... 98 SECTION 2: PROPER WAYS TO DIE 52 Final Words: Inspirations and Notes 105 The Highway is a Harsh Mistress: Playing the Game 55 The Unbreakable Rules of Play. . .55 Greater Lessons of Life

This game is a work of fiction. Pretending to be part of a motorcycle club when you are not is dangerous and ill-advised. Likewise, don’t screw around with swords unless you know what you’re doing. Don’t attempt to LARP this game in public without first alerting the local authorities. A wealth of resources exists for anyone who might want to learn more about real- world samurai or motorcycle clubs. For samurai facts, start with Hagakure, by Yamamoto Tsunetomo. Samurai: The Code of the Warrior by Thomas Louis and Tommy Ito is another good introductory text and a gateway into greater pieces. For a look into modern Japanese motorcycle culture, check out Speed Tribes by Karl Taro Greenfeld—and listen to the music of Guitar Wolf while you’re reading it. For info on American motorcycle clubs, avoid Gangland and mid-century exploitation films and go right to the source. Sonny Barger, long-time president of Hell’s Angels MC, has written a number of informative books and interesting thematic fiction. Start withHell’s Angel and work outward from there.

Understand, though, that in both fact and fiction, MC and samurai culture and history have been rife with misogyny. This is not something you are expected to include in your games, but it needs be mentioned here. It’s impossible to source these inspirations without also sourcing the cultural contrasts with present states of affairs. Geishas and “old ladies” are just as much a part of those tales as swords and motorcycles, and for me to avoid mentioning them simply for the sake of light-stepping controversy would be a disservice to the source material. While your own stories may certainly be different, you should take the time to digest these cultural differences, and understand their origins. If you’ve never ridden a motorcycle, you’re missing out, my friend. Take your local Motorcycle Safety Foundation course, get yourself a learner’s permit, and go for a ride sometime. It will change your life. Riding a motorcycle and being a samurai have a bit in common: both require a certain acceptance of one’s own mortality. Rubber side down, my friends.

Nathanael Cole Alliterated Games

2 Author’s Note

This book isnot written to be a reference manual, and I’ve done my best to avoid charts and lists where I can, and to include page references instead of repeating text. As a reference, Motobushido will serve you best if you read at least once from beginning to end, then refer back to relevant sections as you need. Ultimately, this is a game about dueling. From a mechanical point of view, it’s about interweaving high-drama narrative and poker-like strategy. Successful play depends upon your group’s commitment to the game and its story above your own desires for personal victory. Improvisational skills are just as important as mechanical strategy.

In a real duel, you have to keep aware of your limits [read: know your stats and techs]. You have to study your opponent’s moves [read: watch their choices of action]. You have to analyze their state of exhaustion [read: keep mental note of the cards that are already in discard]. You have to judge how far they are willing to go [read: try to goad them to escalate]. You have to exploit their weakness [read: push their stains]. Any swordsman can tell you that there is far more to combat than “sticking them with the pointy end.” Similarly, in this game, you will learn to keep track of what has come before, and calculate what may come next. A sharp player will watch the cards, while a clever player will count them. A keen player will expect his opponent to have a better card than his own. A skilled player will know when and how to take risks, and a wise player will know when to concede victory. A worthy opponent will beat the snot out of you with a combination of cards and techniques you couldn’t have possibly expected to be used in that way. And a good player will learn from that beating. Learning the nuances of the system can take some time. Getting into the beat and flow of dueling will slow down the game the first handful of times you fight. That’s okay: it’s part of the process of learning. Take your time and focus on the story. If a lack of rules mastery causes you to stumble, agree to let narration carry you forward. Better to re-check the rules later than to lose the momentum of a fight.

3

10 The MotobushiSECTION ONE

11 The True Samurai

“The Way of the Samurai is, morning after morning, the practice of death, considering whether it will be here or be there, imagining the most slightly way of dying, and putting one’s mind firmly in death.” - Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Hagakure

Sensei: When your group gathers for the first time, tell them this story, and ask how they would resolve it:

While on his way to the sutra readings in Hosakanoji, the samurai Tojin and his younger pages had to cross the fabled Ku River via ferry. During the crossing, one of the pages got drunk and took it upon himself to pester one of the ferry’s sailors. By the time they reached the other side, the page had drawn his sword as an idle drunken threat, but before he could use it the sailor struck the page on the head with his ferry-pole, knocking him down. Upon seeing this happen, what should the samurai Tojin do? Allow them to discuss, and offer an answer individually or as a group. Then explain:

Should Tojin be a true samurai, there is only one truly acceptable course of action: He must approach the sailor and the page, apologize, and then cut them both down where they stand. Seek Death

Sensei: Read the following aloud to the group. This is a game about death. The true motobushi lives his life and performs his tasks as if he is already dead, and thus has nothing to fear from the spilling of his life’s blood. The mechanics of this game allow seven possible ways for your motobushi to die, each of which you can easily prevent, but none of which you should actively avoid. Remember: not every death is one of the blood. There was a war, and your side lost. Now you ride with your pack, struggling to survive in a changing world which has rejected your ideals - ideals you hold onto because they are all that you have left. You are the last of a dying breed of warrior, a relic of older times that many would rather forget. You know only the highway, the sword, and the pack, and by following them, you ride towards an inevitable fate. The rest of the details are up to you. The world is your playground. Define it, embellish it, or leave it ambiguous, it is up to you and your fellows. Whatever you choose, choose the sword. Choose otherwise, and you might too quickly join those who have come before you, in death.

13

Your First Set of Wheels: Introduction And So it Begins… The basic back-and-forth of all of this is simple. Sensei could say “You’re cruising Congratulations on your acquisition of down a back road when you come upon a your first set of wheels! You are now ready to lone motobushi astride his bike, blocking begin your journey with the Pack. The next the path. What do you do?” You could then few pages will explain the basics of riding with respond with something like “I pull to a stop your Pack and interacting with your Sensei— twenty paces away from him, leaving my in other words, how to play a game of Mo- engine running, and call out for him to clear tobushido. Deeper in the book you will find the path.” Sensei then might respond “He more technical information, but for now, read stares you down silently, and you see him on and get a feel for the spirit of the game. thumb the catch on his sword free, showing In this game, your group will play a pack you an inch of the glinting blade.” Finally, you might decide to counter with “That’s it. I of motorcycle-riding samurai – motobushi – in the days after a great war ravaged the land. hit the throttle and make to run this bastard You were soldiers in that war, but your side down.” Then you’d bring out the cards and ultimately lost. The how and why of what play through a duel, and so on. has come before are all up to you. You will work as a group to define your own aspects Getting the Pack Together of that war, including any cross-genre story Assuming you’ve got this book in hand, elements your group desires. You will then the first step of play is assembling your play out the lives of these motobushi as they Pack. Gather some friends—you’ll want travel around in a world which largely rejects to assemble a solid team of players who are their ideals, and tell the stories of their trials good with improvisation, open to exploring and adventures, their wins and their losses, new gaming mechanics, and cool with the and their inevitable grim fates. core principle of “seeking death.” Find a comfortable place to play—you’re going to be Motobushido is a “Role-Playing Story there for at least two hours, and most likely Engine” – using this set of structural a few more than that. Living rooms, couches mechanics, you and your crew will tell the story and armchairs, dining room tables, a local of your wandering samurai. You will take them gaming store or library, take your pick. Settle to new places, facing crisis and conundrum in. Get comfy. along the way. One of you will take on the role of Sensei, and weave together settings One of you will need to be Sensei. As and scenarios for the rest to explore: pages on owner of this book, chances are that’s you. which the motobushi will inscribe their story. As Sensei, you will guide the play and keep order amongst the ranks. You will weave Above all, Motobushido is about fighting the foundations of the story, providing quick and bloody duels with your enemies background and the skeleton of narrative and using the rest of the game time to set up for the other players to follow and branch and justify those duels: the story behind who from. You will manage the background is fighting, and why. In this game, the reasons mechanics and create challenges for the for the duel and the narrative surrounding it Pack to overcome. You are responsible for are just as important as the duel’s outcome.

15 keeping the game flowing smoothly, although The First Founding your fellows should also do their best to Sensei will run you through a key mo- contribute to this as well. ment on the road to the original founding of your Pack. Taking place during a War in The rest of the players will play the roles your world’s past, this scene involves char- of within the Pack. You’ll start motobushi acters in the military unit from which your by exploring a critical scene in the founding Pack is descended. This flashback-style of the Pack, while also using that scene to scene will set up both key details of the create details about your own fictional world world and the circumstances which ulti- of play; later (somewhere during the middle mately led to your Pack’s creation. Some of or end of your first session together), you the participants might survive, others will will create the individual characters you’ll die, and still others will vanish entirely from be playing throughout the game proper. You the annals of history; regardless their fates, will give your Pack some history, outline its the First Founders’ choices set the stage initial by-laws, and finally decide upon its for the story to come: the story of your name and colors. At that point, you will be own motobushi. ready to ride as one Pack Creation The Rider’s Salute After the First Founding, you will create When you’re on your bike, you are now the current members of your Pack, the part of a loose brotherhood that includes characters whose roles you will play in the not just your Packmates, but everyone game to come. You can choose to carry on else who chooses the free-riding lifestyle. as survivors of the first founding, or bring in Motorcycles, scooters and mopeds, even new blood instead. Either way, set the First trikes speak to the choice to leave your Founding sheets aside forever and either cages behind and roam the howling asphalt grab a new character template or create your seas. You should show each other respect own motobushi from scratch. Look over it, when you pass on the road, by performing tweak it a bit if you like. Then talk with the Rider’s Salute. the rest of the group, answering Sensei’s questions that will describe and illustrate the To perform the salute, stand and hold Pack as it exists today. forth your left hand, arm angled down. Extend your first two fingers toward the ground between you and another rider (or, Closing the Orientation if saluting as a Pack, toward the ground or With Pack Creation over, it is probably table at the center of the group), and say a good time to bring your first session to the words “Rubber Side Down.” You should a close, unless Sensei is ready to plunge on open and close every session with the Salute, into the first scenario. Schedule a time to showing your fellow players the respect that meet up for your next session. Between now you each deserve. and then, Sensei will develop the outline of a scenario for your Pack to explore, with some story hooks based on the history of Rider’s Orientation: your Pack and its members. The First Session Stand around the table and repeat Before you can unleash your Pack, you’ll the Salute. Henceforth, all of your game need to cover a few basics. Your first session sessions should begin and end with this of play will be guided by your . He has Sensei action of mutual respect and honor. The more details in his own section of this book, first session is now concluded. Welcome to but for now, read the following for a glimpse the Pack. of what’s on the horizon.

16 Hitting the Roads: TT Two 54-card decks of playing cards The Game Proper (including Jokers) TT A collection of tokens or chips to use as Ki When you next gather around the table, (poker chips, bottle caps, dice, etc). Sensei will have prepared a scenario for your Pack to explore. In a typical scenario, you TT Accessory cards and errata helper sheets will arrive in a town or other unexplored printed from the website (optional) setting, seeking supplies, information, revenge, or more. It is up to you to explore Final Counsel the town, find out what powers and forces Now that you’ve gone over the basics and are at play, and use them to your advantage tested your wheels, you’re ready to ride forth. as you attempt to fulfill your goals. Through Below are some final bits of advice that you exploration and role-playing, you will should heed on your travels. uncover Factions, which you can attempt to sway to your cause in exchange for valuable Incorporate Mechanics Narratively mechanical boons in your inevitable duels. Evoke the setting as often as possible. Give it color and power above and beyond Your Pack must also keep a close watch the numerical limits of your cards and on its resources, including supplies, fuel, your character sheets. When you have an food, and the ability to cut loose now and opportunity to choose between saying what’s then. You can barter with the locals—or on a card and saying what’s in the scene, go maybe you’ll just ride into town and take with the latter. For example, the Kusawake your needs by force, resistance be damned. can peek at the top cards of Sensei’s deck. If you linger too long, however, your But instead of just telling the other players actions can draw negative attention. Enemies those card values, she should use in-story will pop out of the woodwork, locals might description, such as “I have scouted the rise against you, and even the spirits might enemy’s position, and can confirm that they grow angry. Deal with such threats as you are not ready for us.” will—but always be prepared to stand up for Seek Death your Pack. “Merit lies more in dying for one’s Duels will be inevitable. In these duels you lord than in striking down the will call on your cards and learned techniques enemy.” to attempt to defeat your opponent. Many - Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Hagakure duels are of the sword, but others involve the deadly sharpness of wit or political savvy. To re-emphasize: Death is inevitable. In this Regardless its field, any duel taken far enough game, it can come quickly and without warning. has the potential to end in death, intentional In these rules, you will learn how to kill, and or accidental. Such is the way of the duel, and how to avoid bei ng killed (in-game, of course). such is the way of Motobushido. But do not fear death. No, you must act like you have already attained it, and thus have nothing else to lose. Characters created with Setting it All Up this system are inherently complex and multi- Now that you’ve read over your faceted, but you should not be afraid for them introductory lesson, here’s what you need to to die, especially should such deaths be glorious know about the game setup. You will need and well‑earned. the following materials: Cause Death T The game rules T As samurai, you solve most problems with TT Writing utensils as needed steel and blood. When someone offends you, kill them. When someone gets in your TT Character sheets

17 way, kill them. When someone takes Lessons: Flashbacks and in-game events something that is yours, kicks your bike, that can lead to character evolution. rips you off, or wears a color you dislike, kill Maneuver: One of a handful of set things a them. Do not be afraid to use the sword. player can do when it is their turn during But also understand that every death you a duel. Also refers to Sensei actions based cause has the potential to bring troubles in the in Waves and Storms. future. Don’t spare the sword—but be mindful Morale: A Pack Resource linked to vice, of what it may cost you down the road. entertainment, and state of contentedness. Motobushi: The wandering motorcycle- Glossary of Important Terms riding samurai. These aren’t necessary to memorize right Omens: Dark tidings of things to come, put now, but you’ll find it useful to read over this in play when Jokers are revealed. list before venturing too far into the rules. Operations: A Pack Resource linked to fuel Alignments: The three codes of behavior to reserves and state of vehicle repair. which a motobushi dedicates her life: Law Resources: Three expendable gauges of the of the Pack, Way of the Sword, and Code Pack’s general ability to function and ride. of the Highway. SC: Sensei-controlled character. Allowance: A special consequence that you Stains: The currency of negative karma, can choose to apply should you Concede in earned through behavior unbecoming of the duel. a samurai. Deeds: Noteworthy events from your past Storms: Vicious and powerful maneuvers that you can draw power from. that Sensei can make against the players Disfavor: Sensei cards invested into a Faction, when all four Jokers are revealed. representing enmity against the Pack. Strike Range: The maximum “honorable” Faction: a SC which the players can sway difference that your card can have over to their side with roleplaying and by your opponent’s when Countering. investing favor cards. Playing outside this Strike Range Favor: Player cards placed face-up on a represents action unbefitting a samurai, Faction, representing goodwill and favors and earns you Stains. owed to the Pack. Stunt: A special action that uses your bike First Founding: the game-starting flashback stats in place of a card value. scene that constitutes both tutorial and Sustenance: A Pack Resource linked to world-crafting. food, currency, and trade goods. Hand: The cards that you hold, which you Tech(nique): A special power the motobushi use to make plays in a Duel. can evoke to affect Duels and other Initiative: the first card revealed during aspects of play. a duel. Tiers: The levels of a character’s skill. Pack, Karmic Retribution: The character- Sword, and Highway each has its own changing consequences of dishonor and four-tier progression. lack of emotional self-control. Whenever Waves: Actions that Sensei takes against the you accrue seven Stains, you suffer a players, triggered by the revelation of both Karmic Retribution. player-deck Jokers. Ki: A pool of tokens primarily used to Wild: When a card is allowed to be played empower your fighting style techniques. wild, it has any legal value that its Legacy: Your collected list of Deeds. player declares

18 At Dawn, We Ride: Pack Creation

“A samurai with no group and no steed is not a samurai at all.” - Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Hagakure

By this point, you should have already Pack’s Legacy. Who survived that event, to go completed your First Founding. The pages on and found the Pack? Was it the majority that follow will guide you through the of the group—or a smaller breakaway process for creating your own Pack. Make contingent? Did the Pack founders decide to sure to have the rest of your Pack with you, defy orders to save their lives—or are they the as several of the steps require the presence of sole survivors of a glorious suicide charge? the entire group at the table. How long has passed? Let the Past be the Past… How much time has passed since the For Now First Founding and the present day of the game that will follow will drastically change Most characters will have complicated your character options. If 30 or more years pasts. Many motobushi are actively fleeing have passed, then there’s a good chance that those secret histories, and it’s not necessary some or even all of the original founders for the rest of the Pack to begin the game might no longer be around. New generations with foreknowledge of these secrets. of riders will have come and gone: some, During creation, focus most upon your children of original members following in motobushi’s present and future, and provide their parents’ footsteps; others joining as only a handful of vague but enticing hints Shinmai and working their way up the ranks. into her past. The past is ahuge part of this game, but it works best if allowed to On the other hand, if your game starts develop and emerge on its own during later mere weeks or months after the end of the in-game flashbacks. Don’t create a detailed War, then the events of the First Founding background, just tell us who your motobushi will be very heavy within the minds of the is right now, and let the rest make itself riders. A few other soldiers from the allied known gradually through play. units might have joined up—or perhaps only those First Founding survivors still ride. Incorporating The First Founding Who (if anyone) is still around? Are any of the original founders still If you haven’t done the First Founding around? Are any of the players going to yet, you should do so before engaging in the continue playing those founders? This is longer process of character creation. The certainly an option, regardless of the time gap rules for running a First Founding are in between Founding and the start of the “Game ’s chapter (p. 87). Sensei Proper.” Maybe the youngest recruit at the Founding is still riding with the Pack a century Who founded the Pack? later. Or maybe the old Sarge is still around Remember: the events of the First on the periphery, now acting as Daimyo (liege Founding set the stage for the rest of the lord) to a new Pack of wandering soldiers. 19 On the Use of Templates Pick Your Gear Give yourself an array of sensible gear. This By default, Character Creation is based is almost entirely for narrative color. on quick mostly-done templates, using the “Guided Creation” option on the next few Guided Creation Flow pages. If you’re new to the game and want to get through this stage quickly so you can Step 1: Who is Leader? move on to more active play, just fill out a One of you should be Leader, taking the sheet using one of the character templates and Ta i c h o template (p. 38). This is an important move through the process with your group. decision, and should be made before anyone You r might offer you the choice to Sensei else picks their characters. It is possible to use the detailed system below, and allows for begin a game without a , but this is significantly more customization. Ta i c h o an advanced option, so check and make sure If you are unsatisfied with the basic Sensei is okay with it. templates, you can instead build a character from scratch (this option will work best Step 2: Pick your Role Template for experienced players). This procedure The Pack Roles (starting on p. 31) are supplements the Guided Creation process. based on thematic archetypes within the You’ll need to make use of the extended genre. Each Role has an example character character options, starting on page 25. The that serves as a basic character template. custom process is below: Everyone else should look over them and Balance Your Alignment (p 26) choose one of those templates to play. Within each of the three codes, divide six points between the two stats, with a Step 3: Tweak the Template minimum of 0 and a maximum of 6 per stat. Each of the base templates received two free character Evolutions (see Evolution Choose Your Birth Sign (p 29) section page 48), which have already been Write down your choice, take note of any invested in the power trees of Pack, Sword, special requirements, and write down and Highway. Should you wish to change theTriggers. your Birth Sign, Fighting Style, Bike, or Evolutions, go through the custom creation Choose Your Role (p 31) steps above. Pick one of the core Pack Roles. You get the first-tier Tech for free. Make sure you understand the following bonuses as supplied by your evolutions: Choose Your Fighting Style (p 39)

Pick one of the seven Core Fighting Styles. TT Hand Size +X: Your base hand of cards Then pick a first-tier Common Style Tech. is permanently increased by 1 card. The default hand size is 2 cards. Choose Your Bike (p 44) Pick one of the seven core bikes. You get the TT Strike Range +X: This permanently first tier empowerment for free. increases your base Strike Range for Counter and Escalate actions in Duels. Choose Your Evolutions (p 48) T Ki Base +X: This permanently increases You get to choose two Evolutions to spend T your Ki Pool by 1. The default Ki Pool within your three trees. See evolution rules starts at 7. Ki is used primarily for on p. 48. empowering duel Techs, and replenishes Build Your Hand via Flashbacks and Birth Signs Your initial Hand size is two cards plus any additional bonus cards you might have Step 4: Understand the Codes acquired from investing starting evolutions Each template features three Alignment in your Style tree. Codes: Laws of the Pack, Way of the 20 Sword, and Code of the Highway. We’ ll TT Shinmai (Prospect): Against any other henceforth refer to these as the Alignments Pack Members, you can play Aces as 14s and the Codes, interchangeably. Dedication or 1s - choose after reveal. to these codes is a crucial part of the moto- Step 6: Sacrifices and Deeds bushi lifestyle. Each code has a Rejection You r Deeds are past exploits which stat (re) and an Embodiment stat (em), a you can reflect upon during Duels and related Power Tree, and a mechanical realm Gambits to gain additional power. Deeds of empowerment. Respectively, these are: are primarily rooted in difficult choices that TT Laws of the Pack: Pack Role. Nomad you had to make in order to pursue the (re) vs Brotherhood (em). Empowers motobushi lifestyle. Your lists of Deeds are bonus draws. called Legacies, and each Legacy is attached to one of the three Alignments. The first T Way of the Sword: Fighting Style. T Deed of each Legacy is a sacrifice. Water (re) vs Steel (em). Empowers always strike range. During Pack Creation, you and your TT Code of the Highway: Motorcycle. fellow players will work together as a group Will (re) vs Destiny (em). Empowers Ki to define the initial three Deeds of each Pack recovery. member. This is a whole-group effort that could take some lengthy table-time: each The two stats in each code mustalways player will describe aloud a sacrifice for the combine to six, and neither can ever be above player to her left, the player to her right, and 6 or below 0. See p. 26 for full details on finally for herself. codes.

TT (To Your Left) Laws of the Pack: The Step 5: The Chain of Command Brotherhood Sacrifice—Name another TheTa i c h o now picks one or more of the member of the Pack (player at the table), motobushi to serve as his “High Command.” and describe how they have wronged At most one-third of the non-Leader players the samurai to your left, and how the can be assigned to this rank, but only one samurai to your left was forced to let it go. be chosen. It is the chosen players’ choice need TT (To Your right) Way of the Sword: The to accept or not. Everyone else is either of Murder Sacrifice—Name one person Masked rank in the Pack, or a Shinmai. Once the mobobushi to your right has killed in the ranks are set, have each player take note of pursuit of the Pack’s goals, and why. their special rank ability below. Rank abilities can only be used when dueling directly against your own Pack mates.

TT Taicho (Pack Leader): On your first turn in a Duel that you initiated against another Pack member, you can return your initiative card to your hand and play a different one, before revealing it.

TT Junshou (High Command): Once per conflict, can force a lower-ranked Pack Member opponent to discard their last- played card and play another in its place.

TT Keisotsu (Masked): Against any other Pack Members, your Concedes cannot be countered or escalated.

21 TT (Yo u rs e lf ) Code of the Highway: The a revengeful ghost and shows great Relationship Sacrifice —Name one determination, though his head is cut off, relationship that you have abandoned he should not die.” (or one that has abandoned you) due to TT “One should always take the attitude of your pursuit of the wandering mobobushi standing above others in martial valor.” lifestyle. TT “In the midst of a single breath, where These should all be separate moments from perversity cannot be held, is the Way.” each character’s past. Write down each of them in the related first Deed slot under that TT The way of the perfect warrior lies in Code’s Legacy. Keep them short and simple, so knowing when to wait, when to prepare, that they can be further embellished later in and when to strike. play as you call upon and flash back to them. TT The unbloodied blade must never be “I killed my brother because he was a snitch” sheathed. is a good Sacrifice, while anything with deeper TT The pen is mightier than the sword, fleshing-out should probably be simplified. unless your opponent has a sword. Step 7: Chose Your Maxims Highway For each of your three Codes, you should TT “Living without mistakes is truly write a short descriptive statement that you impossible.” feel captures the current balance of your stats TT “Be true to the thought of the moment, and in that Code. It should be a statement that avoid distraction.” your motobushi would feasibly make while ruminating upon the subject in private, or TT “There is surely nothing other than the when questioned while drunk by a friendly single purpose of the present moment.” geisha. Below are some examples, taken both TT “The true outlaw finds the balance between from genre inspirations (the italicized quotes) the passion in his heart and the reason in and Motobushido playtesters. his mind.” TT The law and the road are one. Pack TT True freedom requires sacrifice and pain. TT “Though I am born seven times, each time I will be born as a samurai of my Pack.” TT The true outlaw must balance the passion in his heart with the beer in his TT “A samurai’s word is harder than metal.” belly. TT “Every morning one should first do reverence to his master.” Step 8: Hope, Hate, Love, and Doom Now, state your Hope, your Hate, your TT “For a warrior, there is nothing other than thinking of his master.” Love, and your Doom, using the following structure: TT It is unfitting that one should be ignorant of the history and origins of his Pack and TT For Hope, tell everyone your motobushi’s its retainers. greatest unattainable desire. “I want nothing” is not an acceptable answer. TT Brothers before Lovers. T For Hate, tell everyone the most TT You have to protect what’s yours and your T Pack’s. despicable thing your motobushi has ever done to an enemy. “I have no enemies” is Sword not an acceptable answer. TT “By just one single word, martial valor can TT For Love, tell everyone the most be made apparent.” despicable thing your motobushi has ever TT “With martial valor, if one becomes like done to a lover. “I’ve never had a lover” is not an acceptable answer.

22 TT For Doom, predict your motobushi’s TT Always leave a town by a different route death, based on his current course in from that on which you entered. this life. TT Never ride in a cage. Step 9: Pack Details TT Never cause pain to a dog. Discuss and decide on the various Rites of Initiation: elements of the Pack. All of these will be What is the final ritual that aShinmai must written down in the Leader’s logbook, and undergo to earn his Mask in the Pack? Must will help establish the Pack as its own entity. he duel another member, maybe even kill The following are the most important, and one? Must he contribute some great piece of other details might also be helpful: art? Must he find anotherShinmai to take his place? Masks: Your Mask is your most important personal Pack Name: article. It is the face you will show your What do you call yourselves? What name enemies, your Pack identity physically or names do others call you? While not manifested. What does the mask look every gang of motobushi gives itself a Pack like—vicious oni, snarling boars, painted Name, they are almost certain to have tiki faces? Do you all wear the same masks, some kind of epithet applied to them by or are they personalized to the wearer? the inhabitants of the regions they most Under what circumstances are Pack frequently roam. members required to go masked? Most Packs favor either the mempo (full-face) Pack Symbol: or hoate (nose-and-below) masks. What What is your symbol (also known as about yours? your mon)? Is it a flag? A banner? A gory spear‑mounted boar’s head that’s been tarred Hair: and painted? How does the pack require the members’ hair to be styled? In braids or knots? Shaved The Other Guys: in the back? Long and flowing? Mohawks? It is assumed that there are other motobushi who ride with the players’ characters, filling Command Icon: out the Pack ranks. Maybe one of them The leader always has some icon of command, drives the Pack’s “war wagon,” carrying some physical thing that designates him as their extra stuff around behind the convoy. leader. It is most often an engraved baton of These riders don’t necessarily need to be some kind, which can be held aloft, worn at named now, but they are all assumed to the belt, or kept in a gilded case. What is your be of “Masked” rank. Future characters Pack’s command icon? A badge? A baton? in the group will most likely come from A ring? A particular bike? this retinue. Until then, however, these additional riders exist entirely as non- Taboos and Superstitions: mechanical color. Come up with one to three superstitions that your Pack follows. Are there rituals you The Pack Legacy and First Deed: adhere to? Things you just refuse to do? Like the characters, your Pack itself has its own Legacy and Deeds, which will be Examples: created as the story progresses. For now, T Never touch another brother’s bike. T write down a one-sentence summary of the TT Never sleep in the same place twice. First Founding events as the first recorded

TT Never start your engines on Tuesdays. Deed on a separate "Pack History" note sheet. This Deed is now accessible to any TT Always listen to the advice of the street Pack Member as if it were their own. cleaners.

23 Step 10: Initial Pack Resources The Little Details There are three Pack Resources which Obviously you will have your weapon and must be managed during play. They are: bike, but you should also write down any Morale (vice, satisfaction, and general Pack other specific pieces of gear you feel might morale), Sustenance (food and money), and be important. Consider things such as your Operations (gas and vehicle repair). High armor, fan, kimono, tobacco box, and so levels are good, and low are bad. on. Maybe you keep an arquebus in your saddlebag, and a pair of kiridashi in your To determine initial ranks, the player of boots. Additional gear won’t always have either the Shingari or Ta i c h o (if the Shingari a strict mechanical use in the game, but it is not in play) role draws three cards from can be important for developing flavor and the top of the shuffled player deck, one for fleshing out your character. Don’t go wild each Resource. For this draw, Jacks are 11, with this part, unless Sensei and the rest of Queens 12, Kings 13, Aces 14, the Red Joker the group are on board. Just give yourself the is 1, and the Black Joker is 15. That player items which seem reasonable for the person assigns each of the three cards to one of the you have just created. three Resources, and records them on the Name your character, if you haven’t Pack sheet. already. Your Pack is now created and ready It is possible to have really high draws to ride. Rubber side down, my friend. for all three. That’s okay—it just means that your first session or two will be fairly low‑threat. Enjoy it while it lasts. If all three Resource Ranges are really low, then get ready to fight for your 0 Depleted dinner tonight. 1–4 Threatened 5–10 Subsistence 11–14 Surplus 15+ Bountiful

Example: The Taicho Kuwei draws three cards, getting a Jack (11), a 3, and a 7. He assigns the Jack to the Pack’s Sustenance, the 3 to Morale, and the 7 to Operation. This means that at the start of the game, the Pack will have a small excess of food and money (Surplus level), and just enough fuel and spare parts in order to ensure nominal transportation efficiency (Subsistence level). However, they are in dire need of some entertainment and break-time, and if they don’t get it soon, they will be in for some rough times ahead (Threatened level). Blood, Grease, and Steel: Detailed Character Options

First Founding Templates The Kohei (The Veteran) TT Pack: Nomad 2 / Brotherhood 4. This These are only used in the First Founding unit is your family, but sometimes family scene, which will be played out at the can be wrong. beginning of every brand new saga, before actual Pack Creation occurs. TT Sword: Water 0 / Steel 6. War is violence, and anyone who says otherwise The Bakushi (The Sapper) is a fool. You are the sword. You are the bringer of death. TT Pack: Nomad 4 / Brotherhood 2. The unit treats you as an outsider, but you feel TT Highway: Will 3 / Destiny 3. You stand them beginning to warm to you. on the cusp of decision and fate. The world is your oyster. TT Sword: Water 2 / Steel 4. Words have their uses, but they are no match for the TT Reason to Live: There will be other wars strength of a good blade. to fight, mark my words. TT Reason to Die: Been campaigning too TT Highway: Will 2 / Destiny 4. The gods long; I’m due for my moment of glory. have shown me guidance and truth. I have my doubts, but who am I to question my The Nariagari (The Glory Hound) place in this world? TT Pack: Nomad 5 / Brotherhood 1. These

TT Reason to Live: To die would be a waste duty-bound knuckleheads could benefit of my skills. from some gumption and excitement. TT Sword: Water 2 / Steel 4. Words have TT Reason to Die: My self-sacrifice would be their uses, but they are no match for the most wonderfully explosive, indeed. strength of a good blade.

The Gunsou (The Sarge) TT Highway: Will 2 / Destiny 4. The gods TT Pack: Nomad 0 / Brotherhood 6. The have shown me guidance and truth. I have unit is mother and father and lifeblood, my doubts, but who am I to question my and worth more than any one member. place in this world?

TT Sword: Water 2 / Steel 4. Words have TT Reason to Live: It would be pointless to their uses, but they are no match for the die for a lost cause!

strength of a good blade. TT Reason to Die: Glory! Rah! TT Highway: Will 3 / Destiny 3. You stand The Sekko (Scout) on the cusp of decision and fate. The world T Pack: Nomad 3 / Brotherhood 3. is your oyster. T The unit is as close as your family back home. TT Reason to Live: When this is over, I will You have to declare your loyalties, and soon. return to hit the enemy even harder. TT Sword: Water 2 / Steel 4. Words have TT Reason to Die: Orders are orders, boys! their uses, but they are no match for the Charge! strength of a good blade.

25 TT Highway: Will 1 / Destiny 5. The highway TT Highway: Will 3 / Destiny 3. You stand calls me, and one day I will know my place on the cusp of decision and fate. The world in its designs. is your oyster.

TT Reason to Live: They’d never find me, TT Reason to Live: There is so much more to never even see me leave. life than death for a lost cause.

TT Reason to Die: Deserters are the worst TT Reason to Die: The soldier’s true purpose kind of scum. is to die for his leaders. The Shimpei (The New Recruit) Alignment Codes TT Pack: Nomad 1 / Brotherhood 5. The You r motobushi must strive to adhere to unit is better than any family you’ve three core alignments of belief and action ever known. If only they would take you that together define the way ofMobobushido . more seriously. Thesealignments —also referred to as the TT Sword: Water 4 / Steel 2. Words can be Codes—are: Laws of the Pack, Way of the stronger than swords, sometimes. That’s Sword, and Code of the Highway. How what the elders say, at least. best to adhere to these codes is a subject TT Highway: Will 5 / Destiny 1. My heart’s of much debate among those who live the desires have never let me down, no matter lifestyle. Some believe that the true samurai the call of the Fates. should seek to fully embody all three at once to utmost perfection. You, of course, are free TT Reason to Live: I’ve never known the kiss to choose your own way. of a woman.

TT Reason to Die: I’ll never amount to much These codes directly empower your in life. character. The numbers in each stat pair determine your ability to affect the The Shoui (The Lieutenant) mechanics of Duels. Balance will give you TT Pack: Nomad 2 / Brotherhood 4. This versatility, while specialization can provide unit is your family, but sometimes family can great focus and power. be wrong.

TT Sword: Water 2 / Steel 4. Words have Alignment Shifts their uses, but they are no match for the There will come times when you are forced strength of a good blade. to shift one or more of your alignments. This simply involves reducing one stat in an TT Highway: Will 4 / Destiny 2. I will follow alignment’s pair and increasing the other. For the call of my heart until Fate shows me a example, if your Pack stats were at 2/4, and truer cause. you were forced to make a one-point shift TT Reason to Live: I’ve got a wife and kids toward Nomad, then you would change the back home. balance to 3/3. These changes are usually TT Reason to Die: This is my duty. This is my involuntary, although you can choose to purpose. modify alignments via the use of evolutions. Alignment shifts that push your charac- The Ashigaru (The Grunt) ter to a rank of 7 in any stat result in what is If there are more than seven Special Note: called Alignment Death. Read more below. players, then all additional players play Ashigaru.

TT Pack: Nomad 3 / Brotherhood 3. The unit On Sixes and Zeroes is as close as your family back home. You have Obviously, a true samurai will strive to to declare your loyalties, and soon. fully dedicate himself to all three codes. TT Sword: Water 3 / Steel 3. Sharpened blade A 0/6 balance in all three stats represents and skillful tongue each has its place. The the samurai ideal. Such a warrior would be skill is in knowing which to apply. wholly dedicated to his Pack, and truly at

26 one with the wandering warrior lifestyle. He that code. Likewise, when the character is would be the perfect weapon, confronting pushed to rank 7 in one of her Rejection stats death without hesitation, never questioning (Nomad, Water, or Will), she “abandons” that his place in the world. code. In either case, the character must be Unfortunately (or thankfully), removed from play following an appropriate your motobushi are people and far more scene or two wherein this abandonment complicated than that. The samurai or consumption is played out. While not described above is technically possible, but all of these must necessarily end with the will be constantly one breath away from motobushi’s actual death, all outcomes involve his own demise. This is because 0 and 6 are removing the character from play. extremely dangerous stats to have. You can find examples of typical Alignment With a six in any alignment, you are Deaths in the section below. Remember: not one step away from death, one alignment every death is one of the blood. shift away from removal from the game. See Alignment Death below for more detail on The Alignments that mechanic. Lwsa of the Pack With a zero in any alignment, you lack Mechanical Domain: Bonus card draws at any innate capability to mechanically excel the beginning of Duels. (or sometimes even ) in that area. function Embodiment Stat: Brotherhood. High focus With a zero in Nomad or Brotherhood, on Brotherhood will give you more cards you risk getting no bonus cards before when you act in the interest of your Pack. duels, severely limiting your options and significantly increasing the odds that you’ll Rejection Stat: Nomad. High focus on be killed. With a zero in Water or Steel, Nomad will give you more cards when you you risk great Stain accrual during Duels. act in your own interests. In fact, you likely won’t even be able to Pack Rejection: You decide to travel on your challenge an opponent without taking own, leaving the pack to go Nomad. Stains. Finally, a zero in either Will or Pack Consumption: Your personality is Destiny will severely hamper your ability to consumed by the pack entirely, and you use and regenerate Ki. become just another faceless Mask, an You can work around zero-ranked stats unthinking tool of the Leader. with both solid character bonuses and good roleplaying, but in the long run you will The Laws of the Pack demand your likely find them to be more of a hindrance dedication to your band of brothers with than is worthwhile to accommodate. which you ride. While each Pack will have its own take on the letter of these laws, all Alignment Death share the expectation that a motobushi be A character cannot willingly shift any of fully committed to his crew. Your Pack is your their alignment stats higher than 6 or lower family, and your Ta i c h o ’s word is law. than 0. However, sometimes in-game events For a Ta i c h o , dedication to this code means and consequences will force the character to taking care of your Pack. These are your shift a code from 6 to 7. In such an instance, brethren, and if you treat them accordingly the character has reached the end of her line then they will follow you anywhere. Likewise, in the game and must somehow be removed you must also prove your worth as a leader, from play. and avoid letting them down. When they When a character is pushed to 7 in one step out of line, you must make them realize of her Embodiment stats (Brotherhood, the error of their ways. Lead by example, and Steel, or Destiny), she is “consumed” by discipline through example.

27 For the rest of the Pack, following the Laws commitments save that of defeating your means respecting your brothers, acting in the enemy with total conviction. Those who do interests of the Pack before all others (including not fully commit themselves to the Way will yourself ), and following your Ta i c h o ’s have more freedom to hesitate, plan, and command without question. When you don assess strategy. the mask and colors, you are representing your Pack, and your actions should loudly support Code of the Highway the image your Pack presents. To disobey your Mechanical Domain: Ki recovery through Ta i c h o or to feud against your brothers is to act Flashbacks and Birth Sign Triggers against the Laws. Embodiment Stat: Destiny. With greater Remember that these laws are open to Destiny, following fate and acting on whim interpretation and may well have nuances will allow you to replenish more Ki. specific to your Pack. If ever the subject Rejection Stat: Will. With greater Will, should come into question in play, consult deliberate planning and deeper consideration your Pack’s Ta i c h o or (more likely) Shigakka. of all of a situation’s variables will allow you to replenish more Ki. Way of the Sword Highway Rejection: You leave the pack to Mechanical Domain: Strike Range in Duels settle down somewhere, start a family, and Embodiment Stat: Steel. With high Steel, enjoy a new stage of your life. your Strike Range will be greater when you Highway Consumption: You take the Sunset favor directness, intimidation, and straight- Ride, leaving without care or notice, never to up violence. be seen again. Rejection Stat: Water. With high Water, your Strike Range will be greater when you The Code of the Highway represents that favor fluidity, strategy, and resilience. call to movement that separates common samurai from motobushi. At the core of the Sword Rejection: Forsaking violence Code is one primary driving maxim: The entirely, you leave the pack and give up the Pack Must Ride. The most dedicated Packs motobushi lifestyle. will always be in motion, never tarrying too Sword Consumption: Consumed by the long in one place before returning to the pressures upon your soul from those you road and whatever lies beyond. have slain, you commit ritual suicide The Code of the Highway is one of (usually by cutting your stomach). Name conduct while on the road, as well as a a Second to behead you in the final death spiritual connection to that road. Those spasms, if you wish. who ride the trails should respect others who share the same path, for they are The Way of the Sword represents not of the same ilk: nomads of the highway, just your dedication to killing, but also your wandering spirits. This Code calls to both resolve to face danger proudly and overcome warrior and vagrant alike, and in the eyes it with direct force and immediate action. of the Highway, there are few differences The true samurai acts purely in the moment. between the two. There is a time to strike, and that time is Those who truly dedicate themselves now. The blow must be sure, the results must to the Code of the Highway will lose be permanent. themselves in the call of the road and their By committing yourself wholly to the destiny to heed that call. Motobushi with Way of the Sword, you are assuming that a lesser commitment to this Code possess your death is inevitable and should not be more inward focus, and maybe even the dodged. By acting as if you have already ability to appreciate the stability of a more attained that death, you shed all other stationary life.

28 Birth Signs During play, you must seek out the objects of your obsession, and try to collect them Your chosen Birth Sign represents your when possible. motobushi’s thematic drive. Role-playing your Birth Sign will both progress the Ki Trigger: You acquire a man-made object narrative and grant you mechanical boons. of great beauty. Mechanically, your Birth Sign can be played Lesson Trigger: Your appreciation of to both restore Ki mid-game and earn something’s beauty causes misfortune for Lessons for later discussion and voting. Each you or your allies. Birth Sign is listed with a Ki Trigger and a Alpha Lesson Trigger. If you begin to abuse the You have always been the baddest guy Triggers, your game might suffer for it, and around. When you set your sights on the will likely have a talk with you. Sensei throne at the top of the hill, people tend Ki Trigger to get out of your way of their own accord. When your Ki Trigger occurs during play, Dominance is your destiny. your character is eligible to restore some Ki Trigger: You get your way by threatening points of lost Ki. Sensei will choose between or intimidating those beneath you. the following: Lesson Trigger: You humiliate an ally or TT Was the trigger largely caused by your underling. own actions and/or intentions? If so, restore an amount of Ki equal to your Beta Will stat. Some were born to lead, but you were destined to follow. Leadership has never T Was the trigger largely caused by T suited you, and you’ve always been more circumstance, chance, and/or comfortable taking direction from those coincidence? If so, restore an amount of wiser and stronger. You are empowered by Ki equal to your Destiny stat. being put in place by your betters. Lesson Trigger Special Requirements: Can’t begin play as When a Lesson trigger occurs, you can write Ta i c h o . down a new potential Lesson on your sheet. Lessons must be discussed and voted upon Ki Trigger: You concede in a Duel. at the end of the session (p. 48). Remember: Lesson Trigger: You concede in a Duel’s Lessons don’t count unless you learn from third stage, and live. them. Comedian New Signs Some look for opportunities to amass The list below is far from complete. Feel wealth, or cripple their foes, or lead their free to come up with new signs that fit your allies to greatness. You, on the other hand, group, and check out the Mobobushido are ever vigilant for the perfect opportunity website for periodic supplements. to make others laugh. Call it a gift if you like, The Signs but your destiny lies in the amusement of those around you. Aesthete Ki Trigger: You make an joke All your life, you’ve been drawn to things that in-character that gets laughed at for real. possess great beauty. Your appreciation of such wonders has led you to amass a personal Lesson Trigger: Your sense of humor saves collection of artistic trophies, which you just the day or gets everyone else in trouble. might value more than your own life’s blood. Downright Bastard Special Requirements: Declare the scope of You were born to step on the hopes and your chosen obsession (Attire, Weapons, dreams of those you love the most. You Sculpture, Implements of Tea, etc.). can’t help it; if Fate didn’t want you to take

29 advantage of your friends, she wouldn’t have Ki Trigger: You deliver an impromptu put them in your path, right? one-liner which others feel is truly quote- worthy. Ki Trigger: You screw over an ally so you can get the better deal. Lesson Trigger: You deliver an impromptu epic monologue that rouses your allies to Lesson Trigger: Your selfishness puts your feats of honor and greatness. allies in danger. Outsider Gambler Destiny determined that you would For every action, there is an equivalent never quite fit in. With friends, family, reaction, as well as a set of odds on how that or strangers, you miss social cues and reaction plays out. You were born to bet misunderstand etiquette. Even among your those odds. Whether or not you at it succeed own Brothers, you lurk on the outer fringe is another question altogether… of the core crew. Ki Trigger: You make a wager in-game that Ki Trigger: Your lack of cultural is accepted by another character. understanding offends someone. Lesson Trigger: You lose a wager big time Lesson Trigger: Your lack of cultural and somehow survive. understanding either saves the day or Heartbreaker ruins everything. By the time the other children were learning Prince about romantic courtship, you were already While some were born to be leaders, you breaking their hearts. You probably have a were born to be a constant thorn in the string of broken lovers in every backwater side of the powerful. You flourish when you town in the seven counties, and maybe even challenge your superiors, their actions, and some young protégés seeking to learn your their agendas. Most likely your parents were secrets of guerilla romance. great leaders, and you chafed against their Ki Trigger: You lie your way into having sex demanding parentage. with another character (includes SCs). Special Requirements: Can’t begin play as Lesson Trigger: You ruin the life of Ta i c h o . someone who adores you. Ki Trigger: You butt heads with your Lover higher-ups. You are drawn to passion and romance like a Lesson Trigger: Your conflict with moth to flame. Your world is full of bliss and higher‑ups causes misfortune to your fortune when you are infatuated, and blind allies or leads to you getting your ass misery when that affection is rebuffed or its handed to you. object turns out to be unattainable. Sidekick Ki Trigger: Your flirtations in-game (with Your destiny is directly linked to that of PCs or SCs) are reciprocated. someone greater. You are drawn to their side Lesson Trigger: You fall in love, or your love to help them achieve glory and honor. While is forcefully taken from you. not specifically subservient to them, you seek Orator to help them achieve greatness. Great words must be spoken throughout Special Requirements: You must name history, and by the Fates, you will be the one another motobushi to be your chosen hero. to speak them. You are always ready with a Ki Trigger: Your Buddy wins a Duel quip and a speech, on the off chance of an through your help as Second. unoccupied spotlight. You are the kind of person who always keeps a second pair of Lesson Trigger: Your Buddy loses a Duel sunglasses on their person. despite your help as Second.

30 Spider Pack Roles Secrets are drawn to you like flies to a dew- covered web. Even when secrets don’t make Your chosen Role determines your job their way to you of their own accord, you within the Pack, and your riding position are unusually adept at finding them on your when the Pack travels. These core Roles own and adding them to your ever-growing are based on a fictional merging of ancient hoard. samurai and American motorcycle club archetypes and folklore. This is less your Ki Trigger: You discover a new secret that class and more your caste within the Pack; could really shake things up. Roles change very, very rarely, and only with Lesson Trigger: A secret you’ve kept causes special circumstances. misfortune to your loved ones. Your Role gives you access to a number Tragic Hero of powers and techniques. Your main Role You are destined to follow great causes and Tech will advance in skill and versatility as fail miserably at them. You can and will you evolve it. Your Secondary Tech serves succeed at a great many things in life, but as a backup ability, to supplement other those of the most noble importance will areas of play. Finally, your Fratricide Tech always call you forth to follow and fall. You only applies when you’re fighting against can’t resist the call of honor and duty, even if your own Brothers. Remember: Intra-Pack sometimes your only true accomplishment is conflict is a thing that can, should, and likely to serve as a lesson to others. will happen in this game. Ki Trigger: Your attempt to do good causes Changing Your Role misfortune in your loved ones. This is technically possible, but it should Lesson Trigger: You fail misterably at a always be an extremely big deal within cause that both Sensei and your Pack feel the game narrative. Switching your is sufficiently noble. responsibilities within the Pack should only Wise Mentor happen in moments of either dire necessity Even in your youth, peers sought you out or, in the case of the elevated Shinmai, great for your keen insight and sound advice. Your prestige. If the Shinmai has earned his mask, nature has always been to find someone or the old leader has passed on and it’s time most in need of guidance, and lead them to elect a new one, play out the scenes and along what you deem to be a “better” path. rituals in-game. That guidance isn’t always desired or When this occurs, you don’t gain a new appreciated, but that’s usually because the Role evolution tree. Instead, erase any major student doesn’t know any better. tier Role abilities that you have yet to acquire on your previous Role, and fill them in with Special Requirements: You must choose the abilities from the new Role, starting from another motobushi to be your student. Tier 1 of that Role. So if you’ve attained tier Ki Trigger: Your advice leads your student 1 and 2 of Shingari and then switch to Migi to success. Ude, you keep the two Shingari techs that Lesson Trigger: Your student exceeds even you’ve already earned. When you gain your your own capability, or succeeds despite third Pack Tier, you will instead acquire the your warnings or advice. Tier 1 Tech of the Migi Ude. By doing this you will miss out on the top-tier powers of both Roles, but you will be able to mitigate that with mechanical versatility. The Roles Additional Primary Evolutions: Bosozoku, the Running Tribe TT Tier 4: Your Pack Tier now increases the Strike Range of your Escalations, as well. Secondary Tech: When a higher-ranked member gives you an order, you gain +1 Strike Range for Duals and Techs in service to that order if you act immediately. If you ignore the order or delay taking action, instead replenish Ki equal to your Pack Tier. Fratricide Tech: When you kill another brother in combat, record a lesson and replenish Ki equal to their social rank within the pack: 1 for Shinmai, 2 for Keis- otsu, 3 for Junshou, and 4 for Ta i c h o . Then You are a full Pack member, and have gained permanently increase your Ki Pool by +1. enough recognition to have made a name for yourself, but either have yet to acquire a Takeda - The Bosozoku more specialized role within the group, or Birth Sign: The Beta simply don’t want the responsibility. If none of the other Pack Positions interest you, then Style: Sojutsu the Bosozoku is the default choice. 1st Style tech: Vicious Strike Playing the Bosozoku: When you pick Bike: Kyosha the Bosozoku, you are saying, “I want to be Codes: part of the Pack, but I also want to avoid • Laws of the Pack - Nomad: 3 / major responsibilities and maintain my Brotherhood: 3 individual versatility.” TheBosozoku template • Way of theSword - Water: 3 / in this book is an intentionally-balanced Steel: 3 character for those who want to just jump in • Code of the Highway - Will: 3 / and play without worrying too much about Destiny: 3 strategy. You start with equal ranks in all Starting Evolutions: stats, and little to no greater responsibility • +1 Ki Pool within the Pack aside from the usual • +1 Cohort Bonus requirements of loyalty and brotherhood. It’s a good template to grab if you want to dive Hahaoya, the Den Mother in without too much thought to mechanics.

A Note to Other Players: Remember, the Bosozoku is not a Shinmai. Do not treat him like one. He is a full-ranked member of the Pack, and due all respect that deserves.

Riding Position: Bosozoku fill out the middle ranks of the convoy. Recommended Birth Signs: Beta, Comedian, Outsider, Sidekick Primary Role Tech: Stamp Quickly and Pass Through a Wall of Iron—The Strike Range on your Initiative card is increased You are the heart of the pack, counselor and additionally by your Pack Tier. troublemaker, lover or advisor (or both) to 32 the Ta i c h o . You have the leader’s ear, and Secondary Tech: Whenever any Packmate frequently use it to your advantage. You are would take Stains in your presence, you in many ways the other leader of the Pack. can take them instead, without their You are possibly the leader’s “saddle lover,” or consent, up to your current Pack tier. maybe the previous leader’s, or even some Fratricide Tech: Whenever a Packmate kills former leader so embedded in the pack’s another Packmate in defense of your honor, history that no one really remembers him. you burn Stains equal to your current Pack Whatever your relationship with the Tier, and both of you record a Lesson. leadership, you are a force to be reckoned with. You have some level of sway with the Mitsuko – The Hahaoya Leader, and all other Pack members should fear your wrath. Birth Sign: The Spider Style: Naginata-Jutsu Playing the Hahaoya: When you pick 1st Style tech: Float and Sting the Hahaoya, you are saying, “I want to influence intra-Pack politics and conflict.” Bike: Hachidori TheHahaoya works best when he balances Codes: between resolving intra-pack conflict, and • Laws of the Pack - Nomad: 5 / causing it. Pitting brothers against each other Brotherhood: 1 and then healing those wounds is where the • Way of the Sword - Water: 3 / Hahoya excels. He is also explicitly intended Steel: 3 to serve as a foil to the Ta i c h o . Please Note: • Code of the Highway - Will: 2 / TheHahaoya is so named based on thematic Destiny: 4 archetypes within the source fiction. Like Starting Evolutions: all roles, this one is open to both male and • +1 Hand Size female motobushi. • +1 Cohort Bonus Riding Position: As the “heart” of the Pack, you ride in the center, surrounded by Kusawake, the Trail Blazer the Bosozoku. Recommended Birth Signs: Aesthete, Downright Bastard, Prince, Spider Primary Role Tech: Check and Mate— TheHahaoya can always block a king by playing a queen of the same or higher suit. Note that a following King can still counter your Queens. Additional Primary Evolutions: TT Tier 2: Your Queens of any suit can now counter Kings. State your decision to Block or Counter when you play your card.

TT Tier 3: Every Queen played against you You are the forward scout, the fastest rider by your opponent restores a point of your in the bunch. Your keen eyes are the Pack’s Ki the moment it is placed on the table. first line of defense against ambushes and

TT Tier 4: Immediately after initiating other dangers of the open road. A good a Duel challenge, you may swap any ‘Blazer scouts out the battlefield in advance. number of Queens from Discard with When traveling, you ride ahead of the pack, non-Queen cards from your hand. sometimes miles in advance, sometimes just barely within sight. 33 Playing the Kusawake: When you pick the Kusawake, you are saying, “I want Shiroichi – The Kusawake to see what lies ahead, and warn the Pack of impending danger.” With a Kusawake Birth Sign: The Comedian in the group, your Pack will have a greater Style: Kyudo understanding of the road ahead—unless 1st Style tech: The Branch the Kusawake chooses to use his power to Overcomes the Tree further only his own plans and ability. After all, while the Kusawake may have the ability Bike: Kamikaze to predict many dangers, he is by no means Codes: required to share that foreknowledge with • Laws of the Pack - Nomad: 5 / the rest of the group. Brotherhood: 1 • Way of the Sword - Water: 2 / Riding Position: You ride alone, far ahead of Steel: 4 the Pack, and keep an eye out for dangers • Code of the Highway - Will: 1 / and ambush. Destiny: 5 Recommended Birth Signs: Comedian, Starting Evolutions: Gambler, Outsider, Prince • +1 Strike Bonus Primary Role Tech: Far Sight—When an • +1 Ki Pool Omen ( Joker) is revealed from the Player Deck by any player, you can either place it Migi Ude, the Enforcer on the bottom of the deck, or let it become an Omen and draw a new card, which you immediately add to your hand. This temporarily increases your Hand size until that Omen is reshuffled. This can be done a number of times each session equal to your Pack Tier. Jokers returned to the deck in this fashion do not trigger Omens. Additional Primary Evolutions: TT Tier 4: Far Sight can now be used on Sensei jokers as well. Secondary Tech: Outside of a Duel, once per session per Pack Tier rank the Kusawake can look at the top cards of You are the loyal living sword of the Ta i c h o , ’s deck, then return them to the Sensei and follow even his most despicable orders top of the deck in the same order. The with enthusiasm and skill. Your ability to number of cards he can see is equal to the follow order without question is crucial to ’s Role tier. Kusawake your closeness with the Pack’s leader, who Fratricide Tech: When you kill another frequently calls upon you to perform messier brother, record a Lesson, eliminate tasks that no one else wants to do. Your your current Stains, and reshuffle all actions are most effective when they put you currently-revealed Omens back into at odds with the rest of the Pack, taking the both decks. burden of your Packmates anger so that the leader can retain their favor. Playing the Migi Ude: When you pick the Migi Ude, you are saying, “I want the Leader to give me dirty jobs, and I want to do things that will likely anger the

34 other samurai.” TheMigi Ude must walk a fine line between proving his usefulness Haachi - The Migi Ude to the group and pissing off the other Birth Sign: The Prince motobushi as much as possible. While his powers can be extremely useful to the Pack’s Style: Niten Ichi-ryu goals, they are also specifically designed to 1st Style tech: Dazzling Display cause problems each time he uses them. Bike: Arashi Riding Position: You ride near the front, Codes: just behind the Shinmai, if any are present. • Laws of the Pack - Nomad: 1 / Otherwise you ride immediately behind Brotherhood: 5 the Ta i c h o • Way of the Sword - Water: 1 / Steel: 5 Recommended Birth Signs: Alpha, Beta, Downright Bastard, Prince • Code of the Highway - Will: 3 / Destiny: 3 Primary Role Tech: —When Dirty Work Starting Evolutions: acting under direct orders from the • +1 Hand Size Ta i c h o , you gain a bonus draw at the beginning of a Duel for each other • +1 Strike Bonus present-in-person (in-game and in-scene) member of the Pack who disapproves of your current course of action to the point Shigakka, the Historian of possible retaliation. Additional Primary Evolutions: TT Tier 2: …a bonus card draw and a replenished point of Ki.

TT Tier 3: Should any of the brothers initiate a Duel with you over your offending actions, you record a Lesson.

TT Tier 4: The members no longer have to be physically present in the scene (but their players must still be at the table). If they are also in the scene with your character, their granted bonus is doubled. Secondary Tech: When you would take You record the annals of the Pack, help design Stains for following the Leader’s orders, their masks, and maintain their . You you can shift them to him instead, or to any mon recite Pack histories and exploits at mealtime, other Packmate near you at the time, with and keep the crew in good spirits. During or without their consent. You can shift a battle, you chant the lineages of the members maximum number of Stains equal to your and the exploits of the Pack to bolster the Pack Tier per Duel or outside action. Pack’s confidence and intimidate the enemy. Fratricide Tech: If you do not get into a Playing the : When you pick fight with a brother at least once during Shigakka the Shigakka, you are saying, “I want to each scenario, you gain non-shiftable support my brothers in everything they Stains equal to your current Pack Tier. do, and make their History known to the When Dueling another brother, you can world.” TheShigakka is very much a support spend their Stains as Ki. If you lose, all of character, but that doesn’t mean she can’t their Stains are moved to you. act on her own. While her Role techs focus on enhancing her Packmates’ abilities and

35 serving as a Second in Duels, her Style techs and other core mechanics make her a capable Codes: combatant in her own right as well. • Laws of the Pack - Nomad: 0 / Brotherhood: 6 Riding Position: You ride second-to-last, • Way of the Sword - Water: 4 / Steel: 2 just ahead of the Shingari. • Code of the Highway - Will: 2 / Recommended Birth Signs: Aesthete, Destiny: 4 Orator, Spider, Wise Mentor Starting Evolutions: Primary Role Tech: Master of the Annals— • +1 Cohort Bonus Before another Brother engages in a • +1 Ki Pool Gambit or Duel, recite aloud an inspiring piece of that character’s history with the Pack. The rest of the play group must Shingari, The Tail Gunner deem it suitably glorious, or otherwise significant in its immediate relevance. If a Gambit: The player’s total card ranks are increased by your Pack Tier. If a Duel: That player acquires a temporary “Glory Pool” equal to your Pack Tier. Glory Points can be spent at any time during the Duel as if they were Ki, or to add +1 to a single maneuver’s Strike Range for each point spent. Glory Pool cannot be shared, given, or stolen, and it disappears when the Duel ends. Additional Primary Evolutions: TT Tier 4: If you did not choose “Blood” as You are a combination of grease money and your Demand before a Duel, then you vehicular quartermaster for the Pack, and cannot be killed in that Duel. also their rear guard. You help keep pace at the rear, and assist with scrapes and repairs Secondary Tech: When you serve as of those who fall behind. You maintain the Second in a Duel, your Pack Tier is added scrap and repair supplies, and keep tabs as a bonus draw to the hand of the Duelist on the Pack’s collective weaponry. Also you are supporting. known as the “road captain,” the Shingari Fratricide Tech: When you kill another traditionally plans the travel routes and Brother, your Ki Pool is completely makes sure everyone gets there sooner or replenished after the Duel ends, and later. When a rider pops a flat or springs an all other Pack members’ Ki Pools are oil leak, you’re there on the spot to fix it. You immediately reduced to zero. are always the last one out. Playing the Shingari: When you pick the Shingari, you are saying, “I want to hold Nioboyuki - The Shigakka the rear, pick up the slack, keep our Bikes in good shape, and keep a good eye out for my Birth Sign: The Wise Mentor fellows.” TheShingari works best as a stra- Style: Hou-jutsu tegic and deliberate character. Riding in the 1st Style tech: Fire from the Hip rear, he has a lot of time to observe things before he needs to act. With careful planning Bike: Tora and a keen eye for Operations management, he can be quite a formidable character.

36 Riding Position: TheShingari always rides at the very rear to help out any stragglers Bike: Inazuma who lag behind. Codes: Recommended Birth Signs: Gambler, • Laws of the Pack - Nomad: 2 / Lover, Spider, Wise Mentor Brotherhood: 4 • Way of the Sword - Water: 2 / Primary Role Tech: Salvage–You treat the Steel: 4 Discard Pile as a Faction during Duels. • Code of the Highway - Will: 2 / You can only access a limited number of Destiny: 4 cards at the top of the Discard Pile, up to your Pack Tier; and each play costs you 1 Starting Evolutions: point of Ki. • +1 Hand Size • +1 Cohort Bonus Additional Primary Evolutions: TT Tier 4: When a card would normally be flipped over and set aside during a Duel, Shinmai, the Prospect you can spend a number of Ki equal to the current Duel stage to send the card to the top of the Discard Pile instead. Addition- ally, the Sensei Discard Pile is now available to you, with the same restrictions. Secondary Tech: Once per session, you can shift points between any two Pack Resources. The maximum number of points that can be shifted is equal to your Pack tier. Fratricide Tech: When you fight against another brother, you can draw on your superior knowledge of supplies and engineering to spend Operations like Both a Role and a Rank, the Shinmai is the Ki. This represents sabotage, jury-rigged new guy, petitioning to join the ranks of the weapons and tools, etc. When you kill Pack. You are frequently sent on minor and another brother in a duel, increase Pack potentially embarrassing errands considered Operations by the total number of beneath the full members. As the newest Dots filled on their Highway diamond candidate for membership to the Pack, you (including the first one). are under the heel and command of every Special: If the Shingari is in play, he has final other Masked member. say on any and all player uses of the Op- You always ride fairly close behind the erations pack resource, unless overruled Ta i c h o . The rest of the Pack watches you, by the on a case-by-case basis. Ad- Ta i c h o observing your behavior. Over time they ditionally, the player may Shingari never will determine if you deserve to wear the shuffle the discard pile. Mask of the Pack, and become one of the motobushi. After a trial period, the Pack members will give their final thoughts on the Budo – The Shingari matter to the Ta i c h o , who will weigh their Birth Sign: The Gambler counsel and determine whether or not you are ready. It’s up to you to earn their respect. Style: Zanbato-ryu 1st Style tech: Deepest Sleeves Playing the Shinmai: When you pick Hide Secrets the Shinmai, you are saying, “I want to perform the Pack’s errands, and earn respect

37 by climbing up from the bottom.” You’re going to get shat upon and sent off to do Michiko - The Shinmai stupid errands, and you’re going to love Birth Sign: The Orator every minute of it. Being the low man on Style: Tessen-jutsu the pole has great advantages, and chances are, you are going to cause many problems 1st Style tech: Split the Hair that the others will have to clean up. As a Bike: Saijin player, if you revel in this Role and play it Codes: for all it’s worth, the narrative rewards will • Laws of the Pack - Nomad: 1 / be great indeed. Brotherhood: 5 • Way of the Sword - Water: 3 / Riding Position: Behind the Ta i c h o , so Steel: 3 others can judge your worth. • Code of the Highway - Will: 4 / Recommended Birth Signs: Beta, Destiny: 2 Heartbreaker, Lover, Sidekick Starting Evolutions: Primary Role Tech: The Low Road— • +1 Strike Bonus Being the low man on the totem pole has • +1 Ki Pool few advantages, but sometimes there’s hope to be found in unlikely places. Normally, only a two can counter an ace, Taicho, the Pack Leader but you can counter any Ace with twos and threes. Additional Primary Evolutions: TT Tier 2: You can counter any Ace with twos, threes, and fours; or ignore this evolution and immediately take the Tier 4 power instead (with unanimous Pack approval).

TT Tier 3: ...and counter any Kings with twos and threes; or ignore this and immediately take the Tier 4 power instead (with unanimous Pack approval).

TT Tier 4: You’ve earned the right to a trial for acceptance as a fully-Masked You lead, and the rest follow. Your word is member. Play this out in-game. If law, and a strong leader will be prepared to successful, pick a new Role, and replace enforce that law as necessary. You are the this tier with the first tier Tech for that rider the enemy will see first, and thus must Role. You retain all previously-earned embody your Pack’s spirit. Shinmai Role powers and now have the Playing the Taicho: When you pick the rank of Masked (Keisotsu). Ta i c h o , you are saying, “I want to give orders, and have the other motobushi obey me Secondary Tech: For each new game without question.” You are in charge and you , you can ignore the first Stains scenario should make that apparent. Determine in you earn, up to your current Pack tier. advance what kind of leader you will be, and Fratricide Tech: When you kill another play it up. Don’t waffle, don’t sit on fences. brother in combat, you immediately earn You’ve got the techs to back up your law, but your fourth-tier Role Tech, and the Pack mechanics will only take you so far: it takes must immediately decide whether or not roleplaying skill to really fill out the position you die or earn your Mask. of Ta i c h o .

38 Riding Position: As the leader, you always Fighting Styles ride at the front of your convoy. Only the Kusawake rides ahead of you, far enough When you choose your motobushi’s to scout out the way. fighting style, you are selecting not only your preferred weapon, but also your whole Recommended Birth Signs: Alpha, Orator, approach to martial conflict. Your choice Tragic Hero, Wise Mentor of preferred fighting style is one of both Primary Role Tech: The Lord’s Fist—By image and function. Utmost devotion to spending Ki equal to the current stage of your Style can lead to mastery of that style’s a Duel, you can Counter or Block with a ultimate Tech; deviation from your training King and ignore Strike Range. will leave it beyond your grasp forever. How Additional Primary Evolutions: do you want your character to approach physical combat? Which ultimate Tech do T Tier 2: Any time a King would be added T you hope to attain? Both are important to the players’ discard pile, you can instead considerations. choose to swap it with one of the cards already invested in an existing Faction. Style Techs TT Tier 3: Your Kings can no longer be Your Techs are special techniques you gain Blocked by other Kings. from mastery of your chosen Styles. At TT Tier 4: By spending Ki equal to the Sword Tiers 1 through 3 you learn new current stage of the duel, you can powers from the Common Style Techs (p. play any card face-down as a King of 41), and at Tier 4 you learn your style’s unique the same suit. This can be combined Ultimate Tech (below). Unless specifically with the Tier 1 power by spending noted, all Style Techs require Ki to activate. A additional Ki. Tech’s Ki cost is equal to the Tier at which you learned that Tech. So a Tech learned Secondary Tech: Should you ever suffer a at Tier 2 will cost 2 Ki to activate in a duel, Karmic Retribution, everyone else in the while your Ultimate Tech will cost 4 Ki. pack suffers one as well. Fratricide Tech: When a brother starts a fight Tech Combos with you and you slay them, remove all of Each description of a core style includes your stains and gain one free Evolution. advice on what common techs combine well with its ultimate tech. These are simple guidelines, and far from the final word on Haruna Tar-Face — The Taicho the options available to you. There are a great number of effective tech combos based Birth Sign: The Alpha on style compatibility, Alignment arrays, Style: Itto-ryu Role Techs, and even Bike specialties. Play 1st Style tech: Relentless Assault around with different options and see what works for you. Bike: Tatsu Codes: Core Styles and Ultimate Techs • Laws of the Pack - Nomad: 2 / Itto-Ryu, the Single Blade Brotherhood: 4 • Way of the Sword - Water: 1 / Steel: 5 • Code of the Highway - Will: 3 / You wield the single sword, and are adept Destiny: 3 at fighting with your off hand empty. Some Starting Evolutions: variants of this style might involve using your belt or robe as a countering force, • +1 Hand Size although it’s entirely a matter for narrative • +1 Strike Bonus color. Itto-Ryu’s ultimate Tech focuses on

39 striking first and striking hard, and will force your opponent to immediately discard benefit from supplementary techs that that number of cards from their hand. You increase your Strike Range. must leave them with at least one card. Ultimate Technique: Iai. Activate this when both sides are ready to play the Duel Naginata-Jutsu, the Pole Blade but before any initiative cards are revealed. In a swift single motion, draw your sword and strike. Reveal your card and immediately Some may consider the naginata to be a start the duel in the “Struggle” stage as if you lesser weapon for a samurai to wield, but had won the first Stage. Your challenge card those arrogant few rarely survive a martial represents your first play in this new stage, encounter against one. Valued most for its and it earns Stains as a normal Escalation. If ability to maintain a controlling fighting your opponent Blocks this card, your Tech distance, Naginata-Jutsu is a particularly is canceled and you take three Stains unless effective style when combined with Techs you can prevent that Block. Successful or that increase your versatility or decrease that not, neither side earns an Allowance through of your opponents. use of this Tech. Ultimate Technique: Strike at the Heel. Activate on your turn in a Duel. Name a Hou-Jutsu, the Guns card value (such as King, Three, etc.). Your This style is largely open opponent may not play that value during to interpretation. “The the rest of this conflict. You may spend 6 Ki guns” in which you have total to name an entire suit instead. chosen to specialize could be anything from Niten Ichi-Ryu, the Two Swords twin revolvers, to a Tommy gun, to mounted artillery, to a laser pistol. In the end game, Hou-Jutsu counts on fights where you have guns and your opponent does not. It is most effective when used in combination with techs that increase your hand or decrease your Practitioners of this style—named for a opponent’s play options. legendary samurai who wielded it—use both katana and wakizashi when they fight. Ultimate Technique: . This is a Gunfight Masters of Niten Ichi-Ryu can assault their Activate when resolving initiative, and earn opponent with a wall of blades, which works no Stains during this duel if your opponent especially well in combination with Techs is not also using a gun. that lower your opponent’s hand size. Kyudo, the Bow Ultimate Technique: Eight Directions. The ostm ancient style known Activate this on your turn as a special to the samurai, the bow remains Maneuver. Play up to 8 cards of any rank an elegant and highly effective from your hand, spreading them on the weapon. Those who truly master table in front of you. Your opponent must Kyudo can rain a hail of death counter or block each card separately within upon their foes. The bow’s her Strike Range. Any card successfully ultimate technique is particularly countered or blocked is flipped, as are the effective when combined countering and blocking cards. Each card with Techs that increase your of yours that is undefended deals stains to hand size and Ki reserves. your opponent based on its suit (S/H/D/C = 4/3/2/1). If more than one card remains, Ultimate Technique: Blacken flip all save one of your choice or leave the the Sky. (Cost variable.) On your highest unblocked card face-up as your turn, spend X number of Ki to

40 move. It is now your opponent’s turn. If your sometimes be found in the skilled hands of opponent managed to block or counter every wandering samurai. Wielding a greatsword card, their highest-played card acts as their from the saddle is a feat of tremendous skill turn. Flip over all the rest. It is now your and strength, and such warriors should not be turn again. taken lightly. Zanbato-Ryu’s ultimate strikes are nigh impossible to weather, especially Using this Tech will not earn you any when combined with Techs that reduce your Stains. opponent’s options and hand size.

Sojutsu, the Spear Ultimate Technique: Penetrating Strike. Your next card cannot be countered or blocked (but it can be escalated). This tech- nique cannot be used when Escalating a Duel. Specialists of this straightforward style can deliver sudden, forceful assaults that Common Techs not even the gods themselves could defend The Common Techs are grouped into against. Techs that increase Ki pool and three-tier sets according to theme. To learn hand size will be very useful for practitioners any of the later techs in a given group, you of Sojutsu. must first learn those that come before it Ultimate Technique: To Pierce a God. (thus you need to learn the first Anti-Bike Your next card played is wild and cannot be Tech before you can learn the second, and blocked. so on).

Tessen-Jutsu, Special Note: All Techs can be used in the War Fan combination with each other, provided you can afford the Ki costs, unless specific rules state otherwise. Go. Play. TheTe s s e n is an oft-forgotten weapon: easily concealable and so common that many unwary fighters would scoff at the Anti-Bike 1. Unhorse: Activate when Blocking, idea of one being used in combat. But there Countering, or Escalating. Opponent is are legends of entire assault squads being removed from their Bike. They cannot defeated by a lone warrior with a will of iron Stunt or use any Bike powers. They can and no weapon but his war fan. TheTe s s e n - re-seat themselves by discarding any Jutsu style favors versatility; practitioners card from their hand during their turn. will benefit from learning multiple techs of contrasting function in order to be ready for 2. Low Blow: Activate when Countering anything at any time. during (or Escalating to) the Struggle Ultimate Technique: Not What You or Finishing Blow stages. Take 2 Stains. Were Expecting. When you learn this tech, Lower your opponent’s Bike Endurance pick any common Tech and write it down by your current Strike Range. as your fourth-tier tech. When you activate 3. Spear in the Spokes: Activate when it in a Duel, you can also activate another your opponent declares use of a Bike common Tech you know for no additional Stunt to cancel that Stunt. Your Ki cost. opponent must still spend the Stunt’s Ki cost. Zanbato-Ryu, the Greatsword

Blocking 1. The Branch Overcomes the Tree: Use when blocking. Your opponent’s No longer common on the battlefield, the following action cannot be a Counter. massive Nodachi and Zanbato can still 41 2. The Tree Overcomes the Storm: 2. Staggering Strike: Spend Ki up to your Use when blocking. Your opponent’s current Sword Tier. Your opponent’s following action cannot be an Strike Range for their next Counter or Escalation. Escalation is decreased by the number of Ki you spent. This Tech doesnot have 3. Leaf in the Wind: Block your the standard Ki cost based on Tier. opponent’s Counter with any card from your hand, played face-down. 3. The ightiestM Mountain Sits Upon the Simple Earth: Activate before Directing the Flow Initiative cards are revealed. At the 1. Relentless Assault: Your next card can start of each stage (including the only be countered by another card of Confrontation), pay additional Ki equal the same suit. to the stage (1, 2, or 3). Until the next Escalation or Concession is resolved, 2. Catch the Blade: Use immediately your opponent cannot play outside their after your opponent plays a Counter. Strike Range. They must now flip that card over and play another one instead. Cannot be Your Hand used during the Confrontation stage of 1. The eepestD Sleeves Hide Secrets: a Duel. Activate immediately after the Duel 3. Reverse the Blade: Use when your questions have been resolved. Spend opponent Escalates. Their played card an additional amount of Ki up to your is flipped over and the Escalation is current Sword Tier, discard that many canceled. It is still their turn. cards from your hand, and immediately re-draw that same number of cards from the top of the deck. Your Strike Range: 1. Vicious Strike: Spend Ki up to your 2. The arkestD Secrets Hold Power: current Sword Tier. Your Strike Range Functions as “Deepest Sleeves,” above, for this action is increased by the but draw two new cards for every one number of Ki you spent. This Tech you discarded. does not have the standard Ki cost based on Tier. 3. Anticipated Strike: When your opponent Counters or Escalates, 2. Spin the Grip: Activate immediately use this technique to take the card after the Duel questions have been your opponent's played and put it in resolved. Discard any number of cards your hand. Your opponent must now from your hand and add that number play another card. If the card is from to your Strike Range for the rest of Sensei’s deck, return it to Sensei’s discard the duel. pile after the Duel. 3. Strike without Sight: Your next card will not earn you Stains if it is out of Their Hand your Strike Range. 1. Dazzling Display: When your opponent attempts to Counter, Block, or Escalate, force them to return their Their Strike Range played card to their hand. It is still their 1. Float and Sting: Discard a number turn. They cannot use that card again of cards up to your current Sword until their turn. You cannot use this Tier. Your opponent’s Strike Range next against the last card in their hand. is reduced by that amount for the remainder of the Duel.

42 2. Reflections of Two Seconds from 2. Cloud of Hornets: Activate when Now: Your opponent must tell you the Countering or Escalating. If your lowest or highest card in their hand opponent is not also using a ranged (your choice). Spend an additional +1 weapon, double your Strike Range for Ki to force them to tell you both. this maneuver. 3. Blade-Breaker: Force your opponent 3. Challenging Shot: When the Duel to discard a card from their hand, has ended, but before you discard and chosen randomly by you. You cannot draw back up, fire off a final shot as force them to discard their final card in a challenge. Play a single card. Your this manner. opponent must then play a successful Block. If they do not, either A) you Ki-Blocking burn off a number of Stains equal to 1. Split the Hair: Your next strike cuts so the final stage of the Duel, orB) they close that the only way your opponent gain a number of Stains equal to the can counter or escalate is by spending final stage of the Duel (your choice). a point of Ki or discarding a card from their hand. Stain Affliction Note: Each Tech in this Tree is a 2. Fierce Spirit: Use after your opponent separate ability, and learning the higher declares a technique. Spend points of ones does not overwrite the lower. Thus if Ki up to your current Sword Tier. Your you have both Tier 1 and Tier 2, you can opponent must now add the number use either one on your turn for that Tier’s of Ki you spent to the regular cost of associated Ki cost. their technique. If they can’t afford the additional Ki or choose to cancel 1. Imbue Strike 1: You can imbue your the technique to avoid the additional strikes with the power of your battle expenditure, they must still spend the spirit, making them more difficult to technique’s regular Ki cost. weather. Activate when you Block, Counter, or Escalate. If your opponent 4. Denial: Use this to cancel a technique responds with any Maneuver other immediately after your opponent than Concede, he takes a Stain. uses it. They cannot re-try the same maneuver during the current stage of 2. Imbue Strike 2: At this level, the strike the duel, but they do not lose the initial inflicts three stains. Ki spent on it. 3. Imbue Strike 3: At this level, the strike inflicts five stains. Ranged Attacks Special: This Tech tree can only be used if your Core Fighting Style is a ranged one General Empowerment (Hou-Jutsu or Kyudo). Special: This tech tree has three stages. Each time you dedicate a Style Tier to one 1. Fire from the Hip: Spend 1 Ki to of these Techs, pick one of the following: activate this on your opponent’s turn, +1 Hand, +1 Ki, +1 Strike Range, or +1 immediately after they’ve played their to “Effective Sword Tier” (for purposes of card. Play a card directly from the top determining some Style Tech effects and Ki of the deck. If the card successfully usage limits). These are permanent bonuses blocks or counters your opponent, it to your character. You cannot take the same constitutes your turn, ignoring Strike choice more than once. Range. If card does not block or counter, discard it, take 1 Stain, and then take your turn as usual.

43 Bikes TT Rugged (Terrain Stat): Used for Stunts and Gambits when off-road.

“Our bikes are us.” TT Badass: Used for Stunts and some other - Sonny Barger, Hell’s Angel options.

In Motobushido, your Bike is as much TT Endurance: This is a meter of how a part of who you are as your Pack Role, much of a beating your Bike can your chosen Fighting Style, and even your take. Endurance can get lowered as very name. The Bike you choose doesn’t consequences of Gambits, Duels, and just dictate the physical hardware straddled even directly through some Techs. It between your legs. It determines what you can also absorb Stains by “stain-shifting.” ride, how you ride, and how you respond If Endurance reaches zero, your bike is to the pressures of the long road ahead. destroyed, and you cannot access bike- It colors the way you approach a curve in related abilities until you’ve rebuilt it. The the road, a long straightaway, or a patch of Operations resource can be used to repair gravel or mud. You can own and ride bikes of and rebuild damaged bikes (p. 62). different types, but your heart will only truly belong to one. The Bikes

A true motobushi is as much at one with her Bike as she is with her Sword and her Pack. She gets more joy from the wild ride than from lovers and family. Her bike is always within a few dozen strides, fueled and ready to launch. She might go a few days without riding, but until she returns to the road, her head will turn Arashi, the Cruiser: Two Wheels and every time she hears the growl of another bike All the Time in the World passing in the distance. That instinct will last The reedomf to explore, to roam, to see life her the rest of her life. without a filter; asphalt blurring inches from There are eight core Bikes that you can your boots like Satan’s own belt sander. The choose from, each based on real-world cruiser is the epitome of power and freedom. motorcycles. Riding your Bike allows you to There are no limits, there is no traffic, there perform special Bike Stunts to swap out the is no boredom: there is only the ride. values of cards you play in Duels with the Traits: Relaxed stance; low center of gravity; values of your Bike Stats (see p. 78). Using easy to re-right; easily customized; long Stain-Shifting, you can deflect Stains by hauler; terrible off-road shifting them to your Bike's Endurance stat (p. 51). Each Bike also has a unique Rider Stats: Tight 6, Open 10, Rugged 5, Badass Power (listed below). 11 ( J), Endurance 8 Rider Power: If a Duel starts in Open Of course, the extent to which you can terrain, you gain an additional initial rely on your Bike will likely be affected by the bonus draw equal to your current Operations Resource of the Pack (p. 62). Highway Tier.

Bike Stats Hachidori, the Café Racer: Two Wheels Each Bike has the following five core stats: and Nothing Else

TT Tight (Terrain Stat): Used for Stunts and Gambits in close, paved environments, such as city streets.

TT Open (Terrain Stat): Used for Stunts and Gambits out on the open highway. 44 Messenger bags, leather gloves, and smoked regardless of whether you’re astride your goggles. Others like the freeways and bike at the time, as long as your bike is interstates and long and winding roads; the currently in a rideable state. You’re just a Cafe Racer is an Urban Dweller. Dodge comfort-driven kind of person, after all. through waiting lines and sneak through red Kamikaze, the Sport Bike: Two wheels lights, roll through the stop signs, ignore the and God’s Own Engine one-way streets. Get in there, get it done, and grab a coffee to go on your way out. Traits: Stripped-down; customized for speed; lots of little bags; fashionable; maneuverable; tight corners Stats: Tight 11 ( J), Open 9, Rugged 5, Badass 9, Endurance 6 Rider Power: At the beginning of all racing- or chase-focused Duels, draw bonus cards The feeling of speed removed from limitations, equal to your current Highway Tier. the primal drive to go faster, faster, faster. Nimble as a hawk, small as a kestrel, fast as Inazuma, the Touring Bike: Two a bullet, the Sport Bike is the essence of Go. Wheels and the Kitchen Sink Traffic means nothing; you dodge through it. Speed limits mean nothing; no one can catch you. Fear means nothing; ride well, or die. Riding a Sport Bike is jumping out of an airplane: the ride is so awesome, who cares if the parachute works? Traits: Straddling-forward stance; nimble on curves; lower field of vision; really damn fast; streamlined frame; battery It’s a Com-Fy-Man with wheels, friend. The problems best Rides are those without destination— and this is the bike you want on the best Stats: Tight 7, Open 13 (K), Rugged 3, Rides. Got something you wanna carry Badass 12 (Q), Endurance 5 along with you? This bike has a place to Rider Power: When Stunting in Open store it. Need two extra sets of armor and a terrain, your Strike Range is increased by full complement of artillery? Just throw ‘em your current Highway Tier. in the side bags. Bungees and straps? You Kyosha, the Standard: Two Wheels got ‘em. You want your Old Lady to ride in and No Bull style, and never to worry about saddle sores? Covered. Want to listen to some sweet tunes while your seat massages your glutes and your grips keep themselves nice and heated? You want a touring bike. Traits: Heavy; comfortable; long hauler; upright stance; lots of storage; huge tank Stats: Tight 7, Open 11 ( J), Rugged 5, Badass 5, Endurance 12 A standard can do just about everything just Rider Power: Whenever you would gain about well enough. Comfortable enough, and Morale through your in-game actions, a large enough tank to ride to the backside of increase the amount gained by your beyond, but light enough for traffic. Enough current Highway Tier. This occurs clearance and suspension for anything that even remotely passes for a road. Fast Tatsu, the Chopper: Two wheels and enough to keep a good pace, but not at the God’s Own Pipes. expense of comfort, economy, or practicality. Standards are understated, relentless competence, mile after mile. Traits: Versatile; upright stance; easy to repair; common parts Stats: Tight 9, Open 9, Rugged 6, Badass 8, Endurance 8 Rider Power: Standards are easy to repair, due to their commonplace nature and the When you own the road, who cares what else ease of acquiring suitable parts. Reduce is out there? Loud, angry, and self-confident, all total Operations repair costs to your the Chopper is the epitome of cool. With Bike by your current Highway Tier, the Chopper’s big engine, wide stance, and to a minimum of 1. Additionally, each the elbows-out handlebars, you ride with an Flashback replenishes extra Ki equal to aura as big as the world. Anyone who isn’t your Highway Tier. scared of the Chopper isn’t paying attention, Saijin, the Dirt Bike: Two Wheels and and no one can even pretend not to notice a Cloud of Dust when it rolls into town. Never mind traffic; the Chopper is taking the back way, the twisty, dark, scary way, and it’ll own every mile marker. Traits: Loud; scrap-built; custom frame; small tanks; very loud; high handlebars; stripped-down; relocated gear shifter; extremely loud; zero fucks given today Stats: Tight 6, Open 12 (Q), Rugged 3, Anywhere you can go, I can go more. You Badass 13 (K), Endurance 6 keep your highways and your smothering Rider Power: When you Stain-Shift to your streets. While you’re riding down the bike, you pay 1 Endurance to get rid of a long trail, I’ll be jumping back and forth number of Stains equal to your current over you, kicking up a cloud and having a Highway Tier plus one (so, at a Highway blast. While you’re riding around in your Tier of 2, each point of Endurance you tight formations, I’m going to go ride up burn absorbs 3 Stains). the side of that mountain over there, just because I can. While you’re polishing out Tora, the Dualsport: Two wheels and your chrome, I’ll be doing flips and shit. Anywhere You Want to Go. I’ll meet you back at camp, cool? I know a shortcut. Traits: Upright stance; all-terrain, knobby tires; fairly lightweight; smaller gas tanks Stats: Tight 7, Open 5, Rugged 12 (Q), Badass 6, Endurance 10 Rider Power: When Stunting in Rugged Gravel? Snow? Bombed-out stretches of terrain, your Strike Range is increased by desolate highway covered in the corpses of your current Highway Tier. cannibal hill-men? No problem.

46 The Dualsport is an all-around go-anywhere Using Deeds bike for all sorts of weather and roads. Mechanically, Deeds can be evoked in the While not as hardcore and trick-happy as following ways: the dirtbike, it’ll get you from one stretch of TT Use during Gambits to draw an additional asphalt to the next, without much concern card (p. 68) for the terrain between. What it lacks in style it more than makes up for in versatility. TT Use to draw bonus cards in Duels (p. 78) T Use to establish flashbacks, which can Traits: Versatile; all-terrain; upright stance; T replenish Ki and earn additional lessons smooth or knobbed tires; modular gear (p. 60) storage Stats: Tight 6, Open 7, Rugged 10, Badass 7, Defining New Deeds Endurance 10 When a session ends, some recorded Lessons may be voted into Deeds (p. 48). Define each Rider Power: When you reveal your new Deed with a short sentence describing the Initiative card at the beginning of any event in which the Lesson was acquired, and Duel which you begin while astride your the role you played in it. “I stormed the hill of bike, your Strike Range for that card is Veitar Roko and took his head, despite many increased by your current Highway Tier. arrows sticking from me” is a good one. “I slew Deeds and Legacies the wretched soul-sucker who broke my heart and betrayed me” is another—depressing deeds Each of your three Codes has four make for excellent flashback fodder. attached Deeds, which collectively constitute your Legacy for that Code. Deeds are Keep it simple, and leave the details vague. moments from your character’s pre-game past Since Deeds form the basis of flashbacks and ongoing exploits which he can call upon later in the game, you need to leave them to empower himself in the present. Whether open enough so that they can be revisited and they were great feats of valor or terrible and fleshed out during play. ignoble defeats, your Deeds were the defining events that shaped you into the samurai you The Pack Legacy are today. The past is to be learned from, and Just as every character has her own set of you can evoke these powerful memories to do Deeds, so too does the Pack as a whole. As great things in the here-and-now. play goes forward, these Pack Deeds will be added to the Pack sheet. The first Deed is Mechanically, you may call upon Deeds always the First Founding, and new Deeds can to empower Gambits, get new cards mid- be added to the sheet at the conclusion of a Duel, and trigger Flashback scenes. They are game scenario. Additionally, a new Pack Deed just as crucial to your character as his Birth is added every time a Pack member achieves Signs and Bike. her final death. Unlike individual Legacies, Each Legacy has four deed slots. The the Pack has no hard limit on the number of first slot is always filled in by the Sacrifices Deeds it can acquire, and any Pack member that you discussed and created for each can evoke Pack Deeds as they would their own. other during character creation (p. 21). Over time, your characters will change and Beyond those initial sacrifices, you can gain evolve, both as people within the game world new Deeds through the acquisition and and as avatars for the game’s mechanics. The transformation of Lessons (p. 48). next chapter details those changes, be they positive progress, or the negative consequences of circumstance and error.

47 Enlightenment and Damnation: Character [d]Evolution

Lessons and Evolution allow you to improve your Role, Style, and Bike over time. Each code has a “Three “Throughout your life advance Diamonds” tree of upgrades, which you daily, becoming more skillful than can see on the character sheet. The central yesterday, more skillful than today.” upgrades are called “Tiers” and unlocking - Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Hagakure them will significantly enhance your motobushi. The outer upgrades are lesser Gaining Lessons (but still useful) enhancements to your baselines abilities, or one-time character- You gain Lessons from: saving boons. • Playing your Birth Sign (p. 29) • Completing Flashbacks (p. 59) When you gain an Evolution, fill in a • Some Fratricide Techs (p. 31) dot connected to an already filled-in dot on one of your diamonds. (The top dot of At the end of every session of play, the group each diamond is free, acquired at character will discuss the Lessons that each character creation.) The left and right side branches has accrued over the course of that session. mostly contain minor bonuses to existing After discussion, those Lessons will be voted stats. When you evolve within a code, you upon by the whole group, to determine if can move down or across, but never back up. any of them were deemed to have been Once you reach a new tier in an alignment “learned” by the characters involved. Rules you earn that tier’s new special technique or for running this discussion and vote are in empowerment. However, any advancements the Sensei chapter (p. 82) you passed up above are lost forever. When your fellow motobushi vote that Example: you have learned a Lesson, you get to choose one of the following:

TT Record the events of that Lesson as a new Deed.

TT Shift up to two total points on your alignment codes.

TT Gain a single Evolution.

TT Exchange a previously-learned Style Tech for a different one. Evolutions Over time, your motobushi can gain power and abilities by investing Evolutions into her three core Alignments (Pack, Sword, and Highway). These evolutions

48 Later in play, you may decide that a Style Way of the Sword Evolution Tech you had previously learned just isn’t By investing in the Way of the Sword, you useful or no longer fits your character concept. can gain additional Fighting Style Techs, Instead of evolving a new dot on one of your permanently increase your Strike Range, and code trees, you can erase a Common Tech acquire extra means to cheat death. you’ve learned and replace it with a different one, provided that the tech you erased wasn’t Style Technique a requirement for another tech you know. At each new Tier, you learn a new Fighting Style Tech. Your first three are Law of the Pack Evolution chosen from the Common Techs (p. 41), By investing in the Law of the Pack, you while your fourth and final Tech is the can gain greater mastery of your Role Ultimate Tech of your core Fighting Style. Techs, increase your worth in group duels, and permanently increase your hand size Cheat Death during play. Each of the right-side branches of the Way of the Sword tree grants you a new Role Technique single-use Cheat Death card. (p. 66) At each new Tier, you earn a new Role Tech. These are detailed in the Character Strike Range Options chapter (p. 31). Each of the left-side branches of the Way of the Sword tree grants you a permanent Cohort Bonus +1 to your Strike Range in Duels. Each of the right-side branches of the Law of the Pack tree will increase the Code of the Highway Evolution number of cards you can lay out when By investing in the Code of the Highway, you join a Duel as part of the Cohort (the you can increase the effectiveness of your default bonus is zero cards; see p. 72). Rider Powers, permanently raise your Bike’s core stats, and permanently increase your Hand Size overall Ki Pool. Each of the left-side branches of the Law Your Highway Code follows the of the Pack tree will earn you a permanent progression tree shown on the following page: +1 to your base Hand Size (the default hand size is two cards).

49 R ider Power Stains With each increase to your Highway Tier, your Bike's Rider Power becomes more “A man who has never once erred is effective. dangerous.” - Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Hagakure Ki Pool Each of the left-side branches of the Violating the codes of the samurai will Code of the Highway tree grants you a earn you Stains. Stains can represent dis- permanent +1 to your total Ki Pool (the honor, excessive emotion, actions untrue to default Ki Pool is 7). oneself, and more. Stains are primarily earned during Duels, but can also be earned through some gambits and even from open roleplaying. Bike Mod Bonus Each of the right-side branches of the For every seven stains you earn, you Code of the Highway tree grants you a suffer aKarmic Retribution. This is an permanent +1 to any one of your Bike’s involuntary change to your character. stats. Excepting Endurance, no stat may be increaseed above 14. Stains Follow the Player Stains are carried by the player, not just the Maxing Out Your Evolutions motobushi. Stains earned by a player during Given the advancement paths, it is the First Founding carry over to that player’s certainly possible to eventually fill in all of new character. Should a character die with your available evolutions. What follows is Stains, and the player make a new character, ultimately up to you. There’s no reasonnot all existing Stains are carried forth. Such is to continue playing, after all. Your motobushi the nature of the karmic cycling of souls. has become significantly powerful by this point, so the challenges you face will likely be Stains Earned Through Mechanics both tough and proportionately rewarding Most Stains will be acquired via explicit when you overcome them. consequences of gameplay mechanics. Playing outside your Strike Range in a At this point, you will no longer be able Duel will earn you a number of Stains to evolve your character’s abilities along the determined by the current Stage of the Duel. standard diamonds, although Sensei could Several Techs are built around acquiring or decide to let you purchase additional Cheat imposing Stains as well. Deaths (we suggest a cost of two Evolutions each). You can still use Lessons to record Roleplaying Stains new Deeds, provided you haven’t filled them Outside of explicit mechanics, Stains can all in, and perhaps Sensei will allow you be acquired through roleplaying behaviour to extend those lists even further. If Sensei unbecoming of a samurai. What this may allows it, you could also acquire additional constitute is left open to the interpretation Common Style Techs for two or three of your group and your Sensei. The offending Lessons each. Additionally, Lessons can still actions can be as serious or as silly as you be used to shift your alignments around as like. For example, the following actions you see fit, and swap out Common Techs. might earn you one or more Stains: TT Disrespecting your Ta i c h o or Daimyo Another option is to retire your current character and bring in a new one. This is a TT Allowing your skin to touch that of great opportunity to bring in a new Shinmai. the dead If the rest of the Pack is in a similar state of TT Too-lenient chastisement of your evolution, you could also decide as a group misbehaving progeny to pass the torch on to the new class of riders T Too - chastisement of your in your Pack. T harsh misbehaving progeny

50 TT Not showing enough emotion at the loss Karmic Retribution of a friend “It is difficult for a fool’s habits to TT Breaking Pack Taboos change to selflessness.” - Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Hagakure TT Eating the last sausage at breakfast without asking Every seven Stains earn you a Karmic If a character’s actions seem out of sorts Retribution. Sensei will apply one of the and untoward, chances are they will earn following negative character changes to your him Stains. motobushi, based on the choices that have led you to this moment. Stain-Shifting to Endurance If you suffer one or more Stains while TT Burn one or more points of a Resource. astride your Bike, you can use your Bike’s TT Permanently lower a Bike stat by 1 Endurance stat to absorb some of them. TT Shift one of your alignments by one step. This is called “Stain-Shifting” and requires This can cause Alignment Death, if the suitable narration of how you are deflecting crime that earned your Stains is deemed the karmic blow to your steed. The exchange sufficiently heinous. cost is 1 Endurance to absorb 1 Stain, and the maximum Endurance you can burn After Sensei has chosen the form of your this way in each conflict is set by your Karmic retribution, apply it and then erase current Highway Tier. If your Bike has no those seven Stains. Endurance, or you are not astride your Bike Karmic Retribution is usually immediate, at the time that you suffer the Stain, you but if the current scene doesn’t allow for cannot shift it. something like that to be played out, then Example: Budo, the Shingari, has use the following scene of the story to just won a Duel, but during the conflict showcase it. he suffered 5 Stains, mostly by playing outside of his Strike Range. His bike is the Inazuma, which currently has 12 Endurance. He decides to shift as many of those Stains as possible. His current Highway Tier is 2, so after the Duel he burns 2 Endurance to absorb 2 Stains. To justify this, he states that his “large and in charge” riding style affords him some grace against those beneath him. However, his chrome took some extra beating due to his harsh use of the bike during the fight. He now takes 3 Stains (instead of the initial 5), and his Bike is reduced to 10 Endurance.

51 52 SECTION TWO Proper Ways to Die

53

The Highway is a Harsh Mistress: Playing the Game

“Today, I teach you how to die. If you survive, I will teach you how to kill.” — Nameless Motobushi-Sensei

The Unbreakable Rules of Play 6. Jokers take effect immediately. Jokers are shuffled into the deck face-up. When Many rules can be bent and broken. one reaches the top of the deck, it These cannot. Remember them: immediately becomes an Omen (p. 91). 1. The cards are subordinate to the Jokers do not get “drawn” and never go story. Whenever a card is played, into Hands. drawn, discarded, or otherwise affected in this game, for any reason and at any Life on the Highway time, narration must back it up. As motobushi, you ride the old roads on a never-ending mission to keep your tanks 2. There are . If you no take-backs topped, your bellies full, and your way of put down a card, you cannot then life intact. You follow the beliefs of the old voluntarily choose to play a different one world, now fading or even fully antiquated instead as an “oops, my bad,” unless that since The War. Life is not easy, battles are card is technically not a legal play. If you hard-won, and there is no guarantee that the play a card, it has been played. next horizon will bring anything but sorrow. 3. Suit Order is: Spades > Hearts > The only certainty is that somewhere on the Diamonds > Clubs (Remember: Reverse long road ahead lies your death. Alphabetical). If you use a deck with custom suits, assign the suit order before It’s All About Respect play begins. To an outlaw, common things like food, gas, and sake are luxuries, and the motobushi 4. Card Rank is more important than fights to earn every plate, liter, and glass. The Suit. Suit matters when Blocking, but most valuable of all spoils is Respect, be it for the rest of the game it is largely in the eyes of leader, brothers, or outsiders. inconsequential. Five of Hearts beats While respect is most frequently earned Five of Clubs, but Jack of Clubs beats through force and bloodshed, more than Ten of Hearts. one motobushi has learned the value of the 5. Everything is Cyclical, Including the nonviolent bargain. Cards: Two is Low, and Ace is High. Any Three beats any Two, any Jack The Taicho (Leader) beats any number card, and the Ace For the Ta i c h o , respect is something earned beats any Face, but there’s one last trick: through example. Ruling the pack is a Twos Beat Aces. Any already-played Ace privilege, and not a right. TheTa i c h o rules can be beaten by a two. because she earned that rank, either through

55 group consensus or outright force. Likewise, The Keisotsu (Masked) keeping hold of that rule is an active focus, The majority of the Pack are those who and she must continually enforce her word have earned their masks and ride along and law. Already at the top, she has nowhere as the “rank-and-file” of the crew. These to go but down. She must be constantly keisotsu have no rank or responsibility aware of the strength of her rule. outside of their chosen (or assigned) Pack TheTa i c h o must maintain absolute rule Roles. While that means less authoritative over her cohort. She ultimately decides power within the cohort, it also means a lot everything: destination, riding order, more freedom. group actions, watch orders, who gets to In larger Packs, the keisotsu tend to care work and who gets to play. She can (and mostly about respect from their equals. probably should) also delegate chunks TheTa i c h o leads, and the junshou assist of responsibility to her underlings. How and enforce that rule, while the masked she chooses to enforce that rule is largely ranks ride and follow command. Frequently a matter of her own personality, and the they will be sent to fend for themselves, relative blood-thirst of the pack. and as such they will care the most about maintaining camaraderie with the peers they In the end, it is ultimately the concession will most often be working alongside. of the junshou and keisotsu members which keeps her in her position of power. In order On the other hand, some keisotsu may to successfully dominate, the others must be wish to attain greater prestige, and set their made to submit, be that submission one of eyes on the treasured junshou rank. These choice or one of circumstance. warriors will seek to gain their Ta i c h o ’s respect first and foremost, often to the The Junshou (High Command) detriment of the existing junshou. Few Pack members who perform well in their leaders will give any recognition to a snitch, chosen and delegated roles can rise to the but should such attempts at advancement be valued junshou rank, sitting closer to the bolstered by martial valor, then their chances Ta i c h o at war councils and enjoying greater of elevation are much greater. status and recognition. Thejunshou are those of the group that the Ta i c h o has chosen to Thekeisotsu must make certain that their serve as her “high command” and as such, leader is qualified to ride before them, and they have her greater respect. this responsibility is a double-edged sword. Compliance with the Ta i c h o ’s orders is crucial, A junshou should strive to maintain but should she prove to be unsuited for that level of respect, by performing well in command, the keisotsu have a responsibility his tasks and guiding the leader to victory. to their brothers to give challenge. Of course, Simultaneously, he must maintain the should they lose that challenge, then their respect of the keisotsu by excelling in his brothers can consider them traitor, and treat status as a “senior” member of the cohort. them as traitors deserve. Junshou are expected to fight harder, pull more weight, and speak with more wisdom The Shinmai (Prospect) than those of lower Pack rank. And yet even Those who seek to ride with the Pack do with that greater level of respect, the junshou so for a variety of reasons, and most often is still a follower. The particulars of personal those reasons involve the desire to earn relationships aside, he is still subservient to their respect. Those whose petitions are the Ta i c h o . Overstepping the boundaries of considered and accepted must commit that relationship might be allowed in some themselves wholly to the Pack. This involves cases, but it’s always a risky move. Offend a period of time in which the Shinmai must the Ta i c h o too greatly, and she might replace ride alongside his future brothers, and prove you with another, sending you back down to that he is worthy of their respect. keisotsu rank… or lower.

56 While different Packs will have different of the junshou or laws on this, in most cases the climb up will keisotsu members, be arduous and humiliating. Prospects are outside of that the lowest of the low on the roster, and are necessary to maintain given the most menial and aggravating of functional field tasks. Treated as errand boys, parts monkeys, relations with them. trash hounds, and scrap-eaters, many prospects just give up and ride away after In fact, the only other Pack members getting fed up with demeaning treatment at whose respect they care about are the Ta i c h o the hands of the motobushi. and sometimes their fellow ronin. TheTa i c h o gives them orders, and allows them their In many cases, the Pack wants the greater versatility. As for the latter, nomads potential recruit to fight back against the will sometimes see each other as competition, more humiliating tasks. In such groups, the and continually attempt to one-up their test is in fact whether or not the Shinmai “rivals” as they execute the leader’s will abroad. just accepts the Pack’s dominance or instead stands up for himself. Again, every Pack is The Roadies different, but frequently those prospects who Also known as “roadwives” and “roadboys,” or show initiative, a willingness to act hard, and just “the rabble,” sometimes a motobushi will a resistance toward any kind of humiliation take one as a mate. While many motobushi earn their masks with a greater level of will have past families that they’ve left in mutual respect. order to pursue this outlaw life, roadies are specificallynon- samurai lovers who But despite all of this, there is an understand exactly what that lifestyle unspoken level of respect for the Shinmai. entails. Most roadies are “claimed” by their This is especially true in long-established motobushi, who are especially protective of Packs, in which the majority of the current their “possessions.” Sometimes they even ride ranks were once prospects themselves. While along with the pack, either two-up on the some may torment the prospect out of actual motobushi’s own bike, or in the separate “war cruelty, most do so because they want their wagon,” should the Pack have such a thing. scrappy Shinmai to weather these hardships and earn his mask. They know that the The relationship between a Pack and its harder-fought the ordeal, the more that roadies is a complex one, and varies from mask will mean to him once finally attained. group to group. In fiction from the source Shinmai who fight the hardest tend to make genres, these lovers are sometimes called “old for the most loyal of brothers. ladies” and take on an extremely submissive role to their biker counterparts. In some The Ronin (Nomads) Packs, these roadies might be seen as group There are occasionally riders who have earned possessions, in others the Ta i c h o might have their masks, but due to “complications” they “first pick” levels of dominance, and still will ride afar and away from the Pack’s convoy. in others they might be entirely separate These “agents abroad” are known as theronin , from the group, and maintained as personal and while they ultimately follow the Ta i c h o ’s relationships that only affect the individual command, they do not otherwise fit into the motobushi. Pack’s pecking order. However, not all highway love leads to Theronin will come and go, often this kind of relationship dynamic. There meeting up for brief stints of the road before is frequently intense and highly complex riding off on another errand, spending days, romance between the members of the Pack, weeks, or sometimes even months abroad. taking the term “brotherly love” to entirely Due to their transitory nature, those who different levels. And manymotobushi develop ride nomad tend to care little for the respect romances completely outside of the lifestyle;

57 frequently those romances cause strife within of the greater world. Should that respect the pack, and lead the motobushi away from manifest through fear, then so be it. the road and toward a more sedentary life. Occasionally, however, that fear might actually manifest as genuine respect for The Daimyo the Pack, and on such an occasion, a new Some packs will have a liege daimyo, who potential prospect just might come calling. must also be afforded a great amount of respect – sometimes even more so than the If I was wronged by anyone, in Ta i c h o . Details on playing with the Daimyo or out of the club, I had to be option are on p. 65. compensated by money or blood. The Enemy - John Teller, Sons of Anarchy Every Pack has enemies, and yours is no exception. Some enmities are based on The way of revenge lies in simply grudges acquired on the road, some are forcing one’s way into a place and rooted in the individual characters’ own being cut down. There is no shame pre-Pack pasts, and others go way back to in this. the War itself. Dealing with these enemies - Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Hagakure will be a major component in every extended Motobushido campaign. Using Your Cards Encounters will eventually lead to combat Your cards are the mechanical foundation against these forces. Blood will be spilled, for your actions in Gambits and Duels. Greater heads will be taken, and transgressions will details on those mechanics are explained in the be avenged. But even more importantly, next chapter (p. 67). For now, you just need respect must be earned. It is not acceptable for to understand the basics of how the cards are the samurai to merely defeat her opponent in used across the game as a whole. combat. She must gain respect through her victories, be it from the enemy or anyone else Motobushido uses two decks of cards. who learns of her exploits. You and your fellow motobushi will all play from one shared deck, while Sensei plays By holding true to the core codes of from another. Be you Player or Sensei, the motobushido, she will not only best her following terms apply: enemy but also present her actions as the foundation for future legends. It is the dream TT Draw: When you are signaled to draw, of every samurai to die a death of glory and remove a card or cards from the top of valor, and by following the codes, she can see the appropriate deck and place them in this dream fulfilled. your hand without revealing them to anyone else.

The Outsiders TT Discard: When you are signaled to To the rest of the world, the motobushi discard, place the card or cards to be are just a pack of brigands and miscreants discarded face-up in the discard pile who steal, murder, and burn. When the next to your deck. Pack rolls into town, doors are locked TT Play: When you are signaled to play a and shutters are latched, and the kids and card, place the card face-up on the table women are brought inside for protection. for all to see. This is part of the lifestyle, and every T When you are signaled to motobushi accepts it by donning the T Shuffle: fearsome mask of their order. To some shuffle the cards, take all cards from Packs, this kind of fearsome reaction might the discard pile and mix them into the be considered insulting, but to most, it is appropriate deck, then randomly reorder just another way of earning the respect the deck.

58 Twos and Aces Most of the game’s mechanics involves beating a card with a card of higher rank. This means that Threes beat twos, Eights beat Threes, Jacks beat Eights, Kings beat Jacks, and Aces beat Kings. But there’s one special trick in Duels that you should know: Twos beat Aces, provided the Two is played against an already-played Ace. In primarily by calling upon Flashback scenes a Duel, if your opponent plays an Ace, you (see further below) and by role-playing your can counter with a Two, and start the whole Birth Sign (p. 29). You can track Ki with thing from the bottom again. tokens or other counters, or just keep a tally Suits with your pencil. Suit order is Spades > Hearts > Diamonds Ki can be used in the following ways. > Clubs. Suit is used mostly for breaking ties. A King always beats a Jack, but a Jack TT Activate Bike Stunts during a Duel. Ki of Hearts beats a Jack of Clubs. This most cost = current Stage of the Duel (p. 78) frequently comes into play when Blocking in TT Add Bike’s relevant terrain rank to a a Duel (p. 74). Gambit result,. Ki cost = 1 (p. 68)

Jokers TT Empower most Style Techs. Ki cost Jokers are used as an important pacing varies (p. 29) mechanic. In both the Player and Sensei TT Evoke Deeds for bonus cards during decks, Jokers are always shuffled in face- a Duel. Ki cost = current Stage of the up—that is, facing opposite the rest of the Duel (p. 78) cards. When a Joker reaches the top of the deck, immediately remove it and place it Ki can be restored in the following ways: face-up next to the discard pile for all to see. TT Flashbacks (see below)

The Jokers represent dark Omens and TT Roleplaying your Birth Sign and tidings of coming danger, and while in play, activating its Ki Trigger (p. 29) they give some extra mechanical Sensei TT Spending Morale (p 61) power. When two Player Omens are revealed, a Wave is triggered, and if both Flashback Scenes the Sensei Omens are already on the table when the second Player Omen is revealed, Flashbacks are good for: then the Wave becomes a Storm. Sensei uses Waves and Storms to move directly against • Telling more about your past your Pack, as detailed in the Sensei chapter • Recovering spent Ki (p. 92). • Swapping out cards in your hand • Learning Lessons from the Past Player Jokers are not returned to the deck until after Waves and Storms, and Sensei Jokers return to the deck only after Storms. Flashbacks are built around the viewpoint Additionally, while in the same game scenario, of the motobushi whose player requested the Omens remain in play across sessions. flashback in the first place. Any number of other motobushi in the group can take part in Using Your Ki Pool the scene, if the flashback player agrees. The Your Ki Pool is a versatile personal central character stands to recover Ki at the resource both in and out of Duels. Ki is end of the flashback, and everyone involved finite and depletes over time; it is restored can also earn valuable Lessons.

59 A player can call upon a flashback at any until all three stages have been resolved by time outside of a Duel, provided they aren’t both narration and Gambit. Once resolved, usurping someone else’s spotlight. To begin the Guide should move to bring the scene the flashback, the player nominates one quickly to a close. of their current Deeds to be more deeply explored in this scene. Sensei nominates a In the end the acting motobushi regains Guide (usually himself, but other players can one point of Ki for each of the three stages of also volunteer) to run the scene. The Guide the conflict she overcame with a “Yes, and…” takes over, leading the player and any others result (other involved motobushi regain none). through a scene relating to that Deed. Sensei then asks the others in the player group: “Did fate guide her hand in this scene, or was The scene should explore a moment from she driven by her own goals and intentions?” the samurai’s past, and touch upon an event Everyone should answer, and Sensei breaks within it that has yet to be fully detailed in ties. If the final decision isIntention , then the play. Deeds from before the game are easier player recovers additional Ki equal to their to use in this regard. Deeds earned through Will stat. If the group chooses Fate, then the course of the game can be explored, but the additional Ki is equal to the character’s might require some clever narration to add Destiny stat. details to events that everyone has already experienced first-hand. All motobushi who participated in the three-part conflict can write it down as a Eventually, the scene will come to a potential Lesson (p. 48), to be discussed at conflict in three stages. The Guide will the closing of the current game session. set up a conflict that the character faced during this moment of the past, breaking Before going forth to a duel it down into three consecutive tests. Each that might potentially ruin him, test involves the Guide narrating part of Kitoshi’s player calls for a flashback the challenge and then playing it out as a to the samurai’s past, with the Gambit (p. 68), with streamlined results: if hopes of replenishing his dwindling less than or equal, she failed that part of the Ki reserve. Sensei will guide, and challenge, otherwise she won. Either way, the player nominates Kitoshi’s move on to the next stage and keep going “Victory at Sagikomaru Castle” deed for exploration. 60 Sensei leads Kitoshi through a Session-Openers montage of moments of his participation Every new game session will open with a in that fabled siege. His sword flashes flashback featuring every present member of left and right, blood splattering his face the Pack, played immediately after the initial and armor. His fervor in battle pushes hands of cards are dealt out. This is played him toward the front lines, where he exactly like any other flashback, but any meets the massive spike-filled moat that member of the Pack can choose to step up surrounds the fortress. to any of the three conflict stages. At the end of the action, every involved motobushi fully The conflict in three parts begins replenishes their entire Ki pool, and gains a Sensei now. uses the moat itself as the single potential Lesson. first part, asking “Does Kitoshi make it across and meet the first charge at the gate?” They Gambit, and Kitoshi Managing Pack Resources gets a “Yes, but…” outcome, stating Throughout the course of your travels “Yes I made it across, but in the process and adventures, your Pack must keep close impaled my foot on a spike.” The watch over three core Resources. These second conflict: “Does Kitoshi limp to are Morale, Sustenance, and Operations. the gate in time to join the first breach?” Each Resource has an associated numerical They Gambit again, Kitoshi gets a Resource Level, which determines how “Yes, and…” and states “Yes, and the bountiful the Pack’s reserves of that thing adrenaline kicks in and temporarily are and the narrative state of that Resource counters the pain of the wound.” Finally in game: the third part: “Does Kitoshi make it through the press and charge forth first TT 0 = Depleted through the shattered gates?” A final TT 1-4 = Threatened (some scraps of Gambit, resulting in another “Yes, hardtack, high tensions, running on but…” which the player states: “He fumes) makes it through first, but the second TT 5-10 = Subsistence (enough to sustain portcullis falls behind him, sealing him basic Pack operation) in alone.” TT 11-14 = Surplus (more than enough Before Kitoshi now stands the to spare, good for a night or two on the amassed force of the castle’s defenders. town) To see how this went down, we must TT 15+ = Bountiful (great excess, free flashback again sometime in the future. spirits, money to burn) The event is added to Kitoshi’s sheet under “Recorded Lessons,” and will be The management and monitoring voted on at the end of the session. of Resource levels is ultimately the responsibility of the Ta i c h o , although she Sensei asks the group if they feel may delegate that task to someone else if the scene was guided more by Fate or she sees fit. However, some Pack Roles may Intention. They all agree that Fate had come with special say over use of specific a stronger role in the flow, what with Resources. the unexpected foot impalement and the close timing of the final portcullis. Morale Kitoshi regains 4 Ki for her Destiny Morale is earned through vice, sex, stat of 4, and an additional 1 Ki for the entertainment, and personal fulfillment. single “Yes, and…” result during the High Morale indicates a state of greater conflict, for a total of 5 Ki recovered. contentedness, while lower Morale indicates growing restlessness. If the Pack regularly

61 scraping bottom, and continuing for long in such a state will only hasten disaster.

Spending Examples:

TT A round for the Pack, 1. A round for the House, 2.

TT A night with a geisha, 1. If she’s high- class, 2. If he’s a full-fledged courtesan, 3. If Depleted: When the Pack’s reserve engages in gambling, whoring, drinking, of Sustenance has reached zero, additional partying, and other diversions common to cards must be discarded. Each time any of the lifestyle, its Morale will remain steady, the samurai would draw one or more cards, and its spirits high. he must also draw one additional card and immediately discard it. This is one card per Morale is depleted through work—the “draw,” and not per “card drawn,” meaning no-fun tasks required to gain information that if your draw is five cards, you only draw or other valuable assets: pavement- and discard one additional card. You do not pounding, book-scouring, hobnobbing, get to choose which one to discard, just take work exchange, and so on. A Pack with a one from the deck and send it right to the depleted Morale level is almost rabid in its pile. Additional discards mean more chances need for diversion. for Jokers, Omens, Waves, and Storms.

Spending Examples: Recovering: Sustenance is increased primarily through trading and looting. A TT Research and Reconnaissance: Costs 1 point of Morale per samurai per day to good battle with few casualties on your side learn one important fact. might earn you a point or two in spoils; a night of solid pillaging, even more. Skilled TT Restore Ki: Exchange 1 point of Morale trade and negotiation are just as important, for 1 Ki, limit once per day per samurai. however, and a glib tongue can be a powerful TT Stake Out: 1 point of Morale per tool for money-making. In the right time and samurai per half-day place, however, so can an agile tongue… If Depleted: If the Pack has zero Morale, Operations members cannot regain any spent Ki, even with Flashbacks and Signs. Upon restoring Your Operations Resource gauges your even a single point of Morale, the ability to reserve of fuel, grease, spare parts and scrap replenish Ki will be reinstated. metal. The higher your level, the greater your supply cache, to be used in times of need. Recovering: Morale is recovered through Spending operations is largely a matter party, play, and leisure. When the motobushi of repairing your vehicles or gassing up for a spend a suitable amount of downtime long ride. A Pack with zero Operations is in relaxing with drink and vice, their Morale a dire state indeed. Motobushi live and die by will rise proportionately. their steeds, and without their steeds, they are no motobushi at all. Sustenance Sustenance is a measure of the Pack’s Spending Examples: stores of money and food, which are often interchangeable in this game’s settings. TT Repairing your Bike: Spend 1 point of Operations to restore 1 Endurance Spending Sustenance is a simple matter (destroyed bikes can’t be repaired until of eating food or paying for goods and they are first rebuilt). services. A Pack with no Sustenance is TT Rebuilding your destroyed Bike: Spending TT Resource Conversion: Provided the 7 points of Operations restores a destroyed characters are in a location where it bike it to Endurance of 1. After this, it can makes sense, Sensei might allow them be further repaired as above. to exchange one or two points of one resource to raise another. Money/Food TT Upgrading your Bike: Spend 10 points of Operations for a permanent +1 to for Gas, Labor for Money/Food, Money a stat. Upgrades require a workshop, a or Fuel for vice and booze, etc. A night lot of time, and Sensei’s approval. Except with a skilled geisha and a bottle of sake for Endurance, no bike stat may be might convert Sustenance into Morale, increased higher than 14. for example. Resource Conversion is usually a 2:1 exchange, unless Sensei If Depleted: Should the Operations decrees otherwise. Resource reach zero, then Bike Stunts and Stats cannot be used, nor does the Pack have Automatic Resource Attrition the fuel to leave their present location. These In addition to the voluntary uses of functions are restored when Operations again pack resources, they will also automatically reaches a positive number. You can still Stain- decrease through the passing of time, in the Shift (p. 51) while Operations is depleted, but following ways: you’ll have no way to repair the Endurance damage to your bike. TT On the Road: While the Pack is traveling, Operations depletes at a rate Recovering: Operations points are of 1 per day, and Sustenance decreases at acquired by finding gas reserves, siphoning a rate of 1 per 2 days. However, during vehicles, and scrounging for scrap parts. this same time, Morale increases at a rate Taking enemy bikes to the chop can bring of one per day for the first two days. great Operations windfall. On the third day, it begins to decrease at a rate of 1 per day as well. If you Other Ways to Spend Resources have an excess of Operations but are In addition to those detailed above, there low on Morale, a good two-day ride is a are other ways in which pack members relatively quick way to convert a couple can choose to spend their resources. The of points. Multiple rides back-to-back Shingari (if present) usually has final say on won’t stack, however. resource use, within reason. The options TT In a Town: Morale and Sustenance both below are merely examples. You can spend decrease at a rate of 1 per day, unless resources in any other way you see fit, with the Pack makes special arrangements. Sensei’s approval. Operations will not automatically change while the Pack is stationary. TT Exploration: Some resources can aid in simple exploration play. Coin might be TT Between Scenarios: It is generally needed to first meet with the local Lord, assumed that the Pack will spend some and favors can be exchanged for goods time traveling between each scenario. and intel. To reflect this in their Resources, draw one card for each of the three. TT Factions: Some (but certainly not all) Factions might require resource A spade results in +1, a Heart in no investment in exchange for favor. The change, a Club in -1, and a Diamond local crime boss might demand some in -2. A Joker results in a completely kind of financial tribute (Sustenance), depleted Resource. the magistrate might need to be bribed Some game effects (like waves and (Sustenance), and the Farmers’ Guild storms) might result in a Resource being might require assistance in the form of raised or lowered to the next level. If you manual labor (Morale). lower a resource’s level, drop it to the maximum rank of the next-lowest level (so 63 rank 6, if dropping to “Threatened” level). Additional Resources If you raise a resource’s level, raise it to the Most settings shouldn’t require more minimum rank of the next-highest level (so than the existing three resources, but Sensei rank 7, if raising to “Subsistence” level). can add story-specific resources if you feel necessary. If your group’s motobushi have Notes on Recovering/Increasing special limited magical powers, for example, Resources then you might add a “Spirit” resource which The Roleplaying Option: Resources can allows them to tap into the aether on a be acquired through play. For example, the limited basis. Determine the starting level of Pack might arrange to acquire some extra additional resources as your Sensei decrees. money or food (Sustenance) in exchange for services rendered. Well-executed strategies Investing in Factions and solid battles might result in spoils, Much of any given scenario will revolve raising one or more Resources. Random around your Pack seeking out sources of discoveries and windfalls aren’t unheard power and winning them over to your cause. of, either. Physical entities, political coalitions, and even spiritual forces can play major roles in The Force Option: The motobushi can choose to go out and take what they want. the game. These potential allies are called A raid allows them to instantly raise a Factions. Most (but not all) Factions will be single Resource by one. However, they must Sensei-Controlled Characters (SCs). immediately search the player deck for the When developing a scenario, your next Joker and place it face-up on the table Sensei will have prepared an array of SCs as a new Omen, which may trigger a Wave you might encounter during the course of or Storm. If the group decides to increase play. Many of those SCs (as well as other, the amount of Resource raised, the second more conceptual forces) will manifest as point reveals a Sensei deck Joker, the third actual Factions that your Pack can petition point reveals another Sensei deck Joker, for favor. Should the players come into and the fourth point reveals another Player contact with a Faction, Sensei will place a deck Joker. This can go on until the players pre-marked index card or slip of paper in choose to stop or all four Jokers are revealed, the middle of the table representing that triggering a Storm. It may be possible to earn Faction. This lets the players know that additional points through clever use of the they have identified a potential source of Kusawake’s power, but be careful. mechanical empowerment. A Faction can Possible ideas for how this is included in be an ally, an enemy, or even something the narrative follow: more esoteric like a neutral spirit or source of natural power. TT Morale: The Pack goes out, gets really, At that point, it’s up to you to decide really trashed and causes a ruckus, harassing geishas and getting thrown whether and how to court the Faction. out of gambling parlors, and picking Eventually, if you role-play and push your ridiculous fights with passers-by. Pack’s agenda, you might be lucky enough to earn its favor. Some Factions might TT Sustenance: The Pack raids local require you to spend resources (p. 61) outlying farms and other supply before you can invest in them. A troop of stockpiles, holds up some grocers, steals mercenaries might not join your cause until livestock, and ransacks trash bins. you pay them, and the rich old spinster TT Operations: The Pack goes out at night might demand a night of Morale with your to raid the local scrapyards and siphon strongest member before she gives over gas from any and all vehicles in town. valuable information.

64 When you have earned the favor of a a hidden blade in his sleeve, which he Faction, Sensei will invite one or more of you uses to surprise attack the bandit he (based on the situation) to invest directly in now duels. Instead of playing from his it. Invest Favor in a Faction by taking a card own hand, he takes the card from the from your current hand and laying it down Wanderer’s Faction and plays it directly atop that Faction, face-up. Draw a new card into the duel. from the deck into your hand to replace the card you invested in the Faction. A Faction cannot have more cards on it than its Agency rank, which Sensei Sensei can also invest in Factions. Sensei’s knows and will probably keep secret until it investments cultivate Disfavor, which works becomes relevant. You can only invest cards against the Pack. Favor and Disfavor can when Sensei makes you the offer (or when exist simultaneously on a Faction (Place specific mechanics command otherwise). them on different ends of the card, to avoid If the Faction has high Agency, continued confusion). Further details can be found in interaction could lead to multiple offers. the Sensei chapter (p. 82). Life with the Daimyo: The After taking the time to help out the stranded ronin biker on the highway, Home Base Option the Pack has earned his trust, at least Not all Packs are itinerant. It is entirely temporarily. Sensei introduces him as possible for your Pack to operate out of a “Shinaga the Wanderer” and informs home base, such as a garage, a clubhouse, a the Pack that, by choosing not to rob castle, or anything else suitable. However, in or kill the stranger, they have earned a stationary game, the Pack will always have enough Favor with him to invest up a greater master: their Liege, better known as to two cards total on his Faction. Two the Daimyo. players take that opportunity, each playing a card face-up on him, and then TheDaimyo is a SC, and should be drawing from the deck to replace the implemented as a Faction just like any invested cards in their hands. other, allowing both Favor and Disfavor. TheDaimyo should command a significant Any card you invest in a Faction can then amount of Agency—as high as 8 or more. If be played during a duel if you can justify Sensei wishes the Daimyo to be particularly how that Faction is helping you (secret powerful (like, say, “The Government”), his information, spiritual guidance, direct Agency should be higher still. application of arms, etc.). Everyone in the Pack has access to invested cards, regardless Home Base Dynamics who originally played them. This is a good Having a Daimyo in play changes the Pack way to “save cards for later” if you think you dynamic significantly. The relationships might need them, or to set down cards that between the members become more you think other players might find useful complicated, and the life of the Ta i c h o gains (like Queens, if there’s a Hahaoya in play, or an added level of complexity. TheTa i c h o still Threes for yourShinmai ). leads the Pack, but the Daimyo is master to the Ta i c h o . As sworn vassals to the Daimyo, Later during a Duel against some the motobushi must carry out his orders and bandits on the road, the Shingari plays serve his whims. Meanwhile, the Ta i c h o must one of those cards on his turn. He states continue to assert his dominance over the that the Wanderer had briefly given Pack, keeping the chain of command in place. him some extra information about the roads ahead, better preparing him for No Daimyo is a person of simple this battle. As his Counter, he says demands or lightly-enforced dominance. that such information led him to stash Home Base games work best when the tension between Daimyo and Ta i c h o is tight 65 and constant, and the tension within the What should you do when your Pack just as strong. Characters’ sacrifices character’s death finally arrives? Obviously, and personal relationships outside the Pack your first option is to accept death like a will come into play more frequently. Lovers, warrior, and let your motobushi reach the end families, outside associates, and more will of her line. It’s a harsh and unforgiving world play larger roles in the progression of the out there, especially for those who live as story. If you need additional inspiration, the hard as your Pack. television show Sons of Anarchy is a great model for this setup. If the game continues, you can work with the group to introduce a new character. Home Base Mechanics Perhaps a previously undifferentiated All game mechanics are in full play in a Home member of the cohort can step into the light, Base game. The acquisition and management or maybe a distant nomad rider comes back of Resources will still be of great importance, into the fold. You could also bring in a new especially in regards to Morale. Motobushi Shinmai, if you can work out a way for him who remain stationary for too long will to meet up with and earn a place in the Pack. grow restless and agitated. The resource management rules already account for this, Your Story Lives On but with a Home Base game they will need to Whenever a player character is killed, their take those long rides a bit more frequently— memory lives on as an empowering force or find other ways to blow off steam. within the group. At the moment of a motobushi’s death, a new Deed is added to Factions will be more likely to remain the Pack Legacy. It can be drawn upon like in play, but that doesn’t mean their Agency any other for empowerment. levels have to remain steady. In a local game, repeated Waves and Storms should have But This Isn’t How I’m Supposed considerably more impact than they would to Die… in a Highway game. As wise men say, “Don’t While the Way of the True Samurai lies shit where you sleep.” in death, sometimes the Way of the Happy Player lies more in just keeping on with the Adventuring with a Home Base same character. To help with this, you can Expect conflicts to focus heavily on local unlock Cheat Death tokens on your Law of politics, but even in a local game, scenarios the Pack Evolution grid. These are single-use may well take the Pack outside of town for tokens that can pull your motobushi from a while—if nothing else, their Daimyo will the brink of death, returning her to play likely need them to go on distant errands in a following scene. Your escape should now and again. be most harrowing indeed, and played out in-game. At Sensei’s discretion, your survival The Way of the Samurai Lies in might come at the cost of a (non-deadly) Death Alignment shift, and could even be written down as a new Lesson for future voting. “When there is a choice of dying or not dying, it is better to die.” – Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Hagakure In Motobushido, there are seven ways for your character to die. The first and most common way is through dueling, which is covered in the next chapter (p. 67). The remaining six deaths come through Alignment change (p. 26).

66 Words, Swords, Engines, War: The Rules of Conflict

“All of man’s work is a bloody business.” — Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Hagakure

T hree Types of Conflict If you have a question of something your Mechanical consequences will very likely motobushi can do, ask Sensei. If your create narrative consequences, but narrative intention involves conflict, then there are consequences achieved on their own usually three ways to resolve it: stand apart from the mechanics, and primarily serve to enhance the story. TT If the conflict is minor and simply a question of whether your motobushi Say what happens can take a specific action, then it can be The most frequent in-game questions are resolved narratively. Sensei should just variants of “ , can I do this?” or “What say what happens, or ask you what Sensei happens. happens when I do that?” TT “I kick in the already-broken door. TT If the conflict is minor but has the potential for far-reaching side effects, What’s on the other side?” resolve it using a Gambit. TT “I go back to my lodging and down three more bottles of rotgut. How drunk do I TT If the conflict is direct against another opponent or force, and the stakes are get?” uncertain, then a Duel is required. TT “I flip through the ragged notebook until I find the page I’m seeking. So what does Two Types of Consequences it really say?” In each of the three above resolution methods, there are two types of outcomes. Questions like these are pretty easy to Usually you will see a mix of both in the answer without actual conflict. IfSensei final narration: has no reason to use mechanics to test the outcome of a question, she will simply TT Mechanical consequences affect narrate what happens and the story will your character’s numbers and abilities. move forward without involving the cards. Examples include adding Stains, Alternately, she might ask you to narrate the lowering Strike Range, drawing answer on your own, and work with you to additional cards, and more. deliver a suitable outcome. When in doubt, you should take initiative and narrate both T Narrative consequences affect the T action resolution until such a point that story in which you are currently playing. and challenges that narration. You might win the friendship of your Sensei opponent, gain entry to a secret location, It is worth noting that most SCs in cow the will of the weather spirits, the game can be killed off with simple or more. casual statement of doing so, unless the

67 SC happens to have mechanical Agency The difference in ranks of the cards within the scenario (p. 94). If you want to determines outcome. Subtract the value of know whether a particular SC has Agency, Sensei’s card from yours: attempt to casually narrate the SC’s death. State aloud how you cut them down in TT 0 or lower: = Player’s Choice: the street where they stand. If Sensei does — Unexpected Consolation: “No, but not oppose your statement, then you have this other beneficial thing happens to most likely just killed some worthless you instead.” peon who didn’t know their place, and got — Unexpected Complication: “Ye s , but what they deserved. But if Sensei narrates this other detrimental thing happens resistance, defense, or escape, then that SC to you as well.” has Agency, and you’ve probably pissed them off. TT 1 or higher = Unexpected Boon: “Ye s , and Sensei gets to add something else (typically beneficial) that happens Gambits as well.” “If one will do it, it can be done.” In the case of a Yes, and… outcome, Sensei — Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Hagakure might also ask another player at the table to add a little extra description to the action. “The Way of the Samurai should After you’ve played your card, you can be in being aware that you do not choose to nominate one of your existing know what is going to happen next.” Deeds, and briefly explain how you believe — Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Hagakure it to be relevant to the situation. If Sensei If your character wants to try something approves, you can play an additional card challenging, with an uncertain outcome, and from the top of the deck, adding its rank to the situation isn’t Duel-worthy, Sensei might that of your first-played card. This may be call upon a Gambit. enough change a potential No, but... or Yes, but... into a Yes, and.... The Gambit is the simplest use of cards in this game. Its purpose is not to determine After the Gambit is resolved, draw back success or failure of an action, but instead to up to your normal hand. see if anything interesting occurs during the attempt. Twos and Aces If an Ace and a Two are played against each There is no outright failure result in a other, the Ace wins. Remember: Twos only Gambit. Samurai are men of action and beat already-played Aces. will. Their lives are interesting and fraught with action and consequence, intended Gambits and Bikes and otherwise. In other words, they do A motobushi astride her bike can choose not “just fail.” Even when they do fail at the to add her relevant terrain rank (Open, intended task, failure brings with it some Tight, or Rugged) to her Gambit result after further inspiration or concession. As such, the cards have been revealed. This costs a the Gambit is less a mechanic to determine single point of Ki, and suitable narration whether you succeed or fail than to determine incorporating the Bike. how that outcome shapes the narrative. Juube has decided—against better advice—to attempt to crash the To perform a Gambit, tell Sensei your dinner party of the Lady Nasakaru. intended course of action. Sensei will then Since Juube is an overly loutish sort, draw a card from the top of his deck, while and given that he has specifically said you choose a card from your own hand. You he is not going to take off his mask will reveal (play) the cards simultaneously. during the course of this activity,

68 Sensei decrees that this will require TT Yes, but you have alerted the Purple a Gambit to see what unforeseen Blossoms to your presence. circumstances arise as a result. TT Yes, and his followers all drop to their Sensei draws a card from his deck, knees and yield their weapons. and Juube selects one from his hand. TT Yes, and you’ve also impressed the Both reveal their cards at once: Sensei nearby authorities who were watching. plays a King of Clubs, and Juube You can now choose to invest a favor plays a Jack of Spades. Juube chooses card in their Faction. “No, but…” and Sensei narrates, “No TT Yes, and you salvaged enough extra scrap you are unable to get into the party, to significantly boost your supplies (add but while you’re loitering outside, you Resources). overhear someone mention that one of Lady Nasakaru’s illicit lovers plans on Multi-Player Gambits making a surprise appearance later in Players can work together in a Gambit, by the evening.” adding the Ranks of their cards together, if they are assisting one another with a simple Later in the session, Lady task. Every player involved in such a gambit Nasakaru is kidnapped by her Lord should also be involved in narrating the father. While pursuing them, Juube outcome. (who has developed one really strange crush on the Lady) gets cut off by a Gambits and Omens falling tree and must stop and watch his When Omens are in play, Sensei draws quarry ride off beyond it. Juube declares and plays additional cards for Gambits (p. that he’s going to cut them off with a 68). Their ranks are added together before shortcut through the trees, which Sensei comparing to the players’ cards. decides will require another Gambit. This time Juube decides to spend a Gambits and Stains point of Ki and add his dirt bike’s high Gambits can cause Stains, at Sensei’s Rugged score to the result, easily beating discretion. After all, sustaining injury outside Sensei’s card. Sensei narrates, “Yes of combat is not befitting of a samurai. He you cut him off, and you also cause his might overcome physical pain with gritted driver to panic and swerve, hitting a teeth and a grunt, but dishonor could linger tree. The side door pops open and Lady much longer. If Sensei decrees, the low-end Nasakaru flies out. You manage to results of a Gambit can cause one or more catch her—much to her horror.” Stains, depending on the situation. For example, if the Pack is charging into a place Here are some more examples of possible and they spring a grenade trap, have each Gambit results: present samurai participate in a multi-player Gambit. No, but... outcomes will result in TT No, but you did manage to snip a lock of character incapacitation or disablement (a her hair on your way out. narrative complication), while Yes, but... TT No, but at least you managed to seal the outcomes might deal one or more Stains. entrance and prevent any further pursuit. Yes, and... outcomes will of course overcome the challenge, and then some. TT No, but you found a secret map detailing a different location just as interesting as Gambits after Duels the other. Gambits can be a useful tool for quick conflict TT Yes, but your Pack is delayed for a day resolution without losing momentum or cleaning up the mess. dramatic tension, or to “catch up” the rest of the group after one character takes lead in a TT Yes, but you blow a gasket (or a tire) and need to spend Resources to repair it. duel. For example, when Budo attempted to

69 leap his bike across Dragon’s Mouth Chasm, The Basics of Dueling he Dueled against it and won, proving it could Dueling is the heart of Motobushido. be done. Rather than run each other samurai Here’s how it works. through the same duel, Sensei chose to speed up the flow and use a whole-group Gambit Player vs Player, Player vs Sensei… to see how they all fared in the crossing, by The following set of rules applies to having each other player simultaneously play player-vs.-player duels. When players separate Gambits against a single card from face off againstSensei characters or other Sensei’s deck. This will make more sense after challenges, there are minor differences, reading the section immediately following. which are detailed here when the Duels differences are worth noting. Not All Duels Involve Swords “On the fringe, blood and bullets The uelD mechanics aren’t just for clashes are the rule of law and if you’re a involving weapons. They can be used for man with convictions violence is important debates, poetry battles, fisticuffs, inevitable.” bike races, and even epic challenges pitting — John Teller, Sons of Anarchy man against nature. You can turn just about any big important conflict into a duel—all it takes is adapting the stakes and terms to Important Terms the new situation. See the “advanced dueling Allowance: A special consequence that options” section for more options (p. 81). you can choose to apply should you Concede in the duel. Flow of a Duel Card Draw: The number of additional 1. Challenge cards you draw and add to your current 2. Selection of Seconds hand. Directly modified by Role. Your Hand must last you the entire Duel, so 3. Questions use your cards wisely! 4. The Duel: Hand: The cards that you hold, which you — Stage 1: Confrontation (take turns use to make plays in a Duel. until Concession or Escalation) Karmic Retribution: Negative charac- ter change after gaining 7 Stains — Stage 2: Struggle (take turns until Concession or Escalation) Ki: A pool of tokens primarily used to empower your fighting style techniques — Stage 3: Finishing Blow (take turns until Concession) Maneuver: One of a handful of set things you can do when it is your turn 5. Consequences Stains: The currency of negative karma Strike Range: The maximum “honor- The Challenge: Initiating the Duel able” difference that your card can have “The way of the samurai lies in over your opponent’s when Countering. immediacy, and it is best to dash in You can play outside this Strike Range, headlong.” but to do so represents action unbefit- – Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Hagakure ting a samurai, and earns you Stains. Stunt: A special action that uses your In Motobushido, it pays to act first. There bike stats in place of a card value. is much strategic value in being able to set up Tech(nique): A special power the the duel parameters in your favor. By calling motobushi can evoke to affect Duels and out your opponent before he has time to other aspects of play. move against you, you get the chance to set the stage to your benefit.

70 To start a duel with a SC or a fellow get to draw a new one to replace it in the motobushi, take a card from your hand, meantime. Like the challenger, this card is slam it face-down on the table, and narrate your Initiative card. how your character is challenging your Sensei Action: To accept a player’s opponent. This card is interchangeably challenge, play a card face-down from the called your Challenge Card or your top of your deck. Initiative Card. Your challenge should involve insults, intimidation, flash, threats, But I don’t Want to Fight… and maybe even brandishing of weapons, but No true samurai would ever back down actual physical attacks just yet. not from a challenge, although it is technically Once you’ve thrown down the possible. Refusing a challenge can earn you proverbial gauntlet, it’s on. And remember: a lot of Stains. Skipping out on your own No Take-Backs challenge can earn you even more. If you are challenged to a duel and you decline, you will Sensei Action: To challenge a player to a gain a number of Stains equal to the rank Duel, play a card face-down from the top of on the challenge card, which is flipped over your deck. face-up upon your statement of refusal. Your opponent then discards the card, and draws Extended Example (Beginning): another into their hand. The Engines of War and their rivals, the War Pigs, have met under a banner of If you are challenged to a scheduled duel, parley to discuss a temporary cease- and your opponent shows but you do not, fire for the coming winter months. The you accrue a number of Stains equal to the deliberations getting them nowhere, value of the challenge. If a challenger doesn’t Haruna Tar-Face – Taicho of the show for their own duel, they gain stains Engines – decides to break out the equal to the value of both initiative cards. cards. Her player slams down a card, When the challenge is officially decreed challenging the Sensei to a duel of cards. unfulfilled, both sides discard the played Sensei accepts, playing one face-down cards and draw back up. from his deck. Haruna’s player cannot If you refuse an immediate challenge, and re-draw until the duel is resolved. your opponent then presses the duel anyway, you both gain Stains equal to the value of the Remember Strike Range! challenge card. In this case, you must duel, Strike Range does count for your Initiative Stains or no, and pray for victory. card, so you’ll want to play a low one, unless you just don’t care. Being on Bikes at the time of Challenge can increase the amount of Stains. If you Now, or Later? refuse and your Bike is less Badass than your As challenger you can decide whether the opponent’s, increase the amount of Stains you duel happens now or at an agreed-upon time would take by the difference in Badass scores. in the near future. Either way, the card you have played remains on the table until it is Some Notes finally revealed at the beginning of a duel, It pays to plan your battles and set up their and you do not get to draw a new one to fields in advance. Play to your strengths: if replace it in the meantime. you are strong in Water and your opponent Accepting a Challenge is not, challenge him to a battle of verse or Accept a challenge by likewise taking a doctrine. If your opponent is weak-willed, card from your own hand and slamming back him into a corner where he will be it face-down on the table, firing back your forced to act on his own. If your opponent is own narration. This card remains on the nothing without his bike, then duel him in a table until the duel begins, and you do not place where bikes cannot go.

71 By practicing patience and observation Sensei Action: You do not use Seconds. and issuing the challenge on your own Instead, when SCs cooperate during a duel, initiative, you can gain the upper hand while combine their Agencies. still behaving honorably. Your opponent might not agree to the terms of the duel, Extended Example: Haruna imme- but to reject them risks dishonor. Of course, diately asks her Shigakka, Nioboyuki, when your opponent is a dishonorable man, to stand as her Second, and Nioboyuki’s all bets are off... player accepts. He passes her his current hand, which she adds to her own. She Choosing Your Second looks over the combined cards, picks three and slides them back to Nioboyuki. Your Second is an ally who helps you out during the duel. Before continuing the duel further, you can choose a Second, either by Additional Participants: The Cohort asking an ally or by accepting an ally’s offer to Involving additional participants beyond fill the position. Being a Second is a position the duelist and her Second can hinder the of trust and brotherhood, and a true and loyal pacing and mechanical balance of the Duel. Second should never take their duties lightly. However, sometimes it just makes sense for But it is also a risky position, as the Second everyone to jump in, as in duels representing will be exposed to the potential consequences greater battles, sieges, and other large-scale of the duel along with her ally. conflict. In such cases, we refer to these additional motobushi as “The Cohort.” When the fighters finally meet for the actual duel, each Second must pass her For the Cohort to participate in a Duel, respective duelist her entire current hand of the situation must be able to support cards, which the duelist will add to his own. those other characters’ direct, hands-on Then, the duelist gives the Second back the involvement. It doesn’t make sense for others same number of cards from their combined to physically join in a one-on-one duel hand. Your Second gets no additional cards. between two samurai, as that could violate codes of dueling ethics. On the other hand, On any of your turns during the duel, the involvement of the Cohort would make your Second can volunteer to act by saying perfect sense in a full-on battle. “I got this” or the equivalent. If you allow it, they then act in your stead, playing a card In these cases, each additional involved from their own hand. During the Duel, your player can choose to place a number of cards Second’s Strike Range is determined by your from their hand face-up on the table in front answers to the initial duel establishment of them, up to the number of evolutions they questions, applied to their stats. Should they have spent on Cohort Bonus in their Pack use techniques, they spend their own Ki. tree. When acting normally, the primary Duelist or Second can choose to play a Your Second must be physically present Cohort card as if it was a Faction, allowing in-game at the time of the duel, but need the contributing player to narrate how their not necessarily be directly involved in the motobushi is providing assistance. Regardless physical action. Even should this be a strictly of whether or not the duelist chooses to one-on-one duel, Seconds can still provide draw from their cards, characters in the active inspiration just by being present. The Cohort are now considered Seconds for all choice of narrative must somehow affirm purposes of determining Consequences. this, without breaking any established terms This can place them in significant danger, of the fight. should the Duel be lost. When the duel ends, the Second can At the end of the Duel, any unused and should be included in the narration Cohort cards get discarded, and each player of consequences. draws back up to their base hand size.

72 Does each duelist fight for her own interests, or in the interest of the Pack? Ask this one to the other players. If they decide the former, then her bonus Card Draw is determined by her Nomad bonus from the Law of the Pack. If the latter, then she uses her Brotherhood bonus instead. Each duelist should immediately draw the appropriate number of cards into Step 1: The Questions their hand. This does not apply to SCs. After Seconds (if any) are chosen, Sensei Results will ask the following questions, which By now you should have drawn additional the duelists must then answer aloud and cards (if any) into your hand and established truthfully, in the judgment of Sensei and your base Strike Range. Pack. The answers establish important variables for the duel at hand. Sensei Action: Your Initial Draw and your Strike Range are both equal to the What is the field, and what are your combined Agencies of the acting SCs, weapons? plus one for each Omen in play. Should an Is this a parlor-room duel of words, coin, Omen be revealed during the duel, your and paper? Is this a bedroom duel of honor Strike Range is immediately increased and romance? Is this a street duel of blades +1. If your SCs are samurai and have and grease? Establishing the location and techniques, you get temporary Ki equal to weapons sets the tone for the rest of the their Agency. scene. Keep in mind that if this is a duel in the saddle, then the playing field of course Extended Example: Sensei must accommodate bikes. asks the questions, resulting in the following: The battlefield is a campsite, What do you Demand? the weapons are words and deals. Ask each acting duelist this question, Haruna demands Influence, and will starting with the challenger. The answers use threat and posturing, which calls determine what the players can achieve upon her Steel (5) as her Strike Range through victory. There are three answers: for this duel. The other players agree Blood, Honor, and Influence. If you answer that she is most definitely acting in Blood, you will find it easier to cause pain their interests, so she draws 4 cards and death. If you answer Honor, you will into her hand (her Brotherhood score), find it easier to cause and mitigate Stains. adding to the two already there for If you answer Influence, you will find it a total of 6. She had 4 points of Ki easier to secure Resources and cause greater remaining before the duel, and that narrative impact. amount is unchanged. How do you seek to attain that Sensei declares that Gojobu (War demand? Pigs leader) demands Blood. The War The duelists’ answers to this quesiton will Pigs’ Agency is 5, and there is already decide which of their two Way of the one Omen in play, so his Strike Range Sword stats will be used to determine their is 6, and he draws a starting hand of 6 Strike Ranges. Answers focused more cards. Gojobu is a samurai (although he around fluidity, strategy, and resilience will has no Techs), and his Ki for this duel tag Water, while those focused on direct is 5 (Agency). approach, intimidation, and straight-up murder will tag Steel.

73 Step 2: The Duel initiative card, or instead push it aside and take a different action. Read on. Each duel consists of one to three Stages of back-and-forth action and narration, Extended Example: Haruna starts and the stakes and danger rise as the by flipping her Initiative card: a three stages advance. The first Stage isThe of Diamonds. It’s beneath her Strike Confrontation and involves back-and- Range, so she takes no Stains, and she’s forth posturing, insults, intimidation, in the lead. Her player says: “Gojobu, showmanship, hard stares, and maybe you need to man up and do what’s best even a shove or punch. Weapons have not for your pack, this offer won’t be on the been drawn yet! This stage is all about table beyond tonight.” establishing atmosphere, as the opponents play out what usually amounts to the Turns and Maneuvers Prelude to the actual fighting. Turns go back and forth, with each player Once weapons enter the picture, the duel playing a Maneuver and narrating their moves into its second Stage, The Struggle. character’s actions, until one side concedes The opponents are now physically sparring victory to their opponent. On your turn, with one another, exchanging blows, feints, you must employ one and only one of the and other direct actions. No one is going for following Maneuvers: the kill just yet! For now, strikes are aimed to TT Counter: Narrate your follow-up action wound and maim at worst. and play a card that is higher than your Finally, when either side decides to raise opponent’s. the ante to mortal conflict, the duel moves TT Block: Narrate how you stop your into the third stage, The Finishing Blow. opponent’s last-stated action, and play All bets are off. Each duelist is now actively a card that is the same rank as your trying to kill their opponent, or at least to opponent’s, but of an equal or higher suit inflict a fate narratively equivalent to death. (see p. 59 for suit order). It is a very rare duel that ends with flawless TT Concede: Lay down your cards and victory for one side of the fight. Many duels accept that you have been beaten. can and will end in mechanical ties, and sometimes even mutual death. TT Escalate: Push the conflict to the next stage, moving past words into a clash, or Initiative: Resolve the Initial pushing the clash into a mortal conflict Challenge Additionally, before choosing to perform Whoever issued the challenge must act first. this maneuver you can choose to use any Flip over and reveal the face-down card. combination of the following extra actions Strike Range most definitely applies (explained further in the following sections, here! Play your Initiative card as if you are starting on page 78): Countering against a value of Zero. Thus, if TT Use one or more Role and/or your Strike Range is 5, then you can play a Style Techs . 2, 3, 4, or 5 without worry. Anything played outside your Strike Range gains you a single TT Activate one or more Deeds for Stain. Yes, this means that a Strike Range bonus cards. of 1 cannot initiate a duel without suffering TT Attempt a Bike Stunt in order to change a stain! the card value of your Block, Counter, or Escalation. With your initiative revealed, you are in the lead, and it is now the other player’s turn The Maneuvers Explained to react (see “Turns and Maneuvers,” below). To Counter, narrate your character’s They can choose to reveal and play their own follow-up and play a card that beats

74 and give them an Allowance, and push forward into the next Stage. Now play a new card for the next Stage, and of course narrate how you are pressing this engagement to the next level of intensity. There can only be two escalations per conflict (from Confrontation to Struggle, and then from Struggle to Finishing Blow). After you escalate, it is again your your opponent’s. Your goal is to have the opponent’s turn. difference between your card and your opponent’s be no greater than your current Remember: Strike Range applies to Strike Range. You can certainly play and win escalation! Like with Initiative, you are outside of this Strike Range, but doing so effectively Countering against a value of Zero. means you are acting in a manner somehow This means that if you have a Strike Range of unbefitting a samurai. Playing outside your 3, then you need to play a 2 or 3 in order to Strike Range earns you Stains. After you escalate without fear of Stains. You can still counter, it’s their turn again. most certainly play any card you wish, but if your escalating card is outside of that range, Remember: Aces can counter Kings, but you gain Stains per the new escalated Stage Twos can counter Aces and start the flow of the Duel. But if you don’t care about the back at the bottom again. Stains, then feel free to Escalate with that King in your hand. To Block, play a card of the exact same numerical rank as your opponent’s, and of the same or higher suit. Narratively, this Counter played after… involves you stopping their action from TT Initiative: If your opponent plays initiative occurring. Mechanically, it negates their and you follow with a counter, then it is last-stated Maneuver. Both cards are flipped now your opponent’s turn, and you’re in face-down and pushed aside. Blocks can even the lead to win this stage. prevent escalations. TT Counter: If your opponent counters and you follow with a counter, then it is now However, if you successfully Block an your opponent’s turn again, and you’re in action that earned your opponent Stains, the lead to win this stage. those Stains remain! TT Block: If your opponent blocks and you To Concede, lay your cards down and follow with a counter, then it is now your acknowledge that your opponent has bested opponent’s turn again, and you’re in the you. The terms of your defeat will depend lead to win this stage. upon the current Stage of the Duel (see TT Concession: You cannot counter a conces- Consequences, on p. 78). Knowing when to sion. fold is as important as pressing on towards victory, and strategic concession is an TT Escalation: If your opponent escalates and extremely important part of dueling strategy you follow with a counter, you have agreed to continue the conflict at the new stage in Motobushido. If you cannot counter, block, of intensity. You are now winning, and it is or escalate, you must concede. their turn again. However, the Duel doesn’t end until Block one side Concedes and the other side played after… accepts that concession. TT Initiative: If your opponent plays initiative and you follow with a block, flip your To Escalate, push aside the already- blocking card and their initiative card played cards, but do not discard them. You over and push them aside. It is now your concede the current Stage to your opponent opponent’s turn again, and no one is in the

75 lead to win. If your opponent concedes of the conflict. The conflict is now over at this point, the duel ends with and you should determine consequences, no Victor. unless your opponent chooses to Escalate against your concession. TT Counter: If your opponent counters and you follow with a block, flip your Escalation played after… blocking card and their countering card TT Initiative: If your opponent plays over and push them aside. It is now your initiative and you choose to escalate, give opponent’s turn again, and you’re in the your opponent an Allowance. Flip over lead to win this stage. the Initiative cards and push them aside, TT Block: You cannot block a block. then play a new card to indicate the escalation. The stage is now escalated, it TT Concession: You cannot block a concession. is your opponent’s turn again, and you’re TT Escalation: If your opponent escalates in the lead to win this stage. and you follow with a block, flip your blocking card and their escalating card TT Counter: If your opponent counters over and push them aside. The escalation and you choose to escalate, give your fails and you continue at the current stage opponent an Allowance. Flip over all of the duel. It is now your opponent’s current-stage cards and push them aside, turn again, and you’re in the lead to win then play a new card to indicate the this stage. escalation. If the rank on your escalating card is higher than your escalating Strike Concede played after… Range, take Stains equal to the new TT Initiative: If your opponent plays stage. The stage is now escalated, it is initiative and you follow with a your opponent’s turn again, and you’re in concession, then your opponent has won the lead to win this stage. this stage and the conflict as a whole. TT Block: Escalating against a block works The conflict is now over and you should exactly like escalating against a counter. determine consequences, unless your opponent chooses to Escalate against TT Concession: If your opponent concedes your concession. and you choose to escalate anyway, you will suffer great Stains. Give your TT Counter: If your opponent counters opponent an Allowance. Flip over all and you follow with a concession, then current-stage cards and push them aside, your opponent has won this stage and then play a new card to indicate the the conflict as a whole. The conflict is escalation. When you escalate against now over and you should determine an opponent who has surrendered, you consequences, unless your opponent automatically accrue Stains equal to the chooses to Escalate against your newly-escalated stage of the conflict, in concession. addition to any you might accrue if the TT Block: If your opponent blocks and card you played is outside of your Strike you follow with a concession, then Range. You are now in the lead of the new your opponent has won this stage and stage, and it is once again your opponent’s the conflict as a whole. The conflict is turn to react. This is theonly way to con- now over and you should determine tinue a duel after one side Concedes. consequences, unless your opponent TT Escalation: If your opponent escalates chooses to Escalate against your and you either don’t have a card that can concession. beat their escalation, or you just want to TT Concession: This is technically impossible. push further, you can escalate to the final stage. Give your opponent an Allowance. TT Escalation: If your opponent escalates and you follow with a concession, then Flip over all current-stage cards and your opponent has won this new stage push them aside, then play a new card

76 to indicate the escalation. If the rank are prepared to do just that!” and Haruna on your escalating card is higher than reveals the gunmen that she has hidden your escalating Strike Range, take Stains around the location, with their barrels equal to the new stage. It is now your trained on the War Pigs. She puts down her opponent’s turn again, and you’re in the new Five of Hearts, which is exactly within lead to win this new stage. her Strike range. This escalates the Duel and Extended Example: Sensei is next. gives Sensei 1 potential Allowance. He leaves his initiative card face-down Back to Sensei again, “Gojobu laughs and plays a different card from his and laughs, and suddenly you hear the howl hand instead: a Counter with the eight of engines bearing down on this location of Diamonds. It’s within Strike Range from the highway. The War Pigs had as well, and Sensei says “Gojobu just contacted an ally gang in advance, who scowls and spits, unimpressed by your will be here any moment to back them up.” threat, but otherwise takes no action.” Sensei plays a Six of Clubs as a Counter. Back to Haruna’s turn, Nioboyuki’s Haruna’s options are getting slim. She player says “I got this,” and narrates: activates her “The Lord’s Fist” Tech for a “Gojobu, you are not blind to your own cost of 2 Ki (current stage), allowing her to pack’s past. You know how this will go now counter with her King of Diamonds down if you refuse: just like every time without Stains. She says: “It’s a good thing before, with your brothers dying before we set those roadblocks in advance, then. the next morning.” He plays an eight Accept the agreement, Gojobu, and this of Spades, Blocking Gojobu’s last play. won’t have to get bloody.” Both cards are flipped over and pushed aside, leaving only Haruna’s initial Sensei laughs, and plays a King of three on the table. Diamonds as well, Blocking Haruna’s play and flipping both over. “We dismantled the Sensei’s turn again, he says “Gojobu roadblocks, you filthy whore. You relent to us growls, curses at you, calls you a and we will agree, otherwise, this ends with word-heavy coward, and dares you to bloodshed, and most of it will be yours.” back up your threats with steel.” He plays a King of Spades, which is ten Frustrated, Haruna’s player takes the ranks higher than the three and thus Four of Spades she previously invested outside his Strike Range. His attempt in the War Pigs’ Faction when she had to provoke Haruna is thus deemed a impressed them in combat in an earlier cowardly move in and of itself, earning duel. She uses it to escalate to the third and the War Pigs a single Stain (since final stage: “I give a signal, and one of the they’re only in stage 1 of the duel). Pigs – a secret ally of ours! – steps forth and forcibly restrains Gojobu. Haruna Haruna’s turn again. She doesn’t steps right up to him and says ‘No more have any Aces, and while she does have words: sign the accord or I snap your neck a King it is of Diamonds, and thus of here and now.” This escalates the duel a lower suit than the King of Spades on second time, and gives Sensei another the table. Haruna evokes her “Did not potential Allowance. flinch when being burned alive” Deed, stating that that experience has made Sensei exhales. He pauses, then sets her infinitely more patient. She spends the King of Hearts down on the table, 1 Ki and draws another card – a Five assuming (correctly) from previous flow of Hearts. She has nothing to beat that that Haruna cannot counter. “Gojobu King, so she chooses to Escalate, which quickly drops a hidden knife and guts the will require suitable narration of taking man behind him. He looks at Haruna and it to the next level. She narrates: “We draws his sword.” 77 Additional Actions Performing Bike Stunts There are some special action options Bike Stunts are available only to duelists available to you to use on your turn. who are fighting astride their Bikes. Stunting allows you to substitute a relevant Bike Stat Getting More Cards (Tight, Open, Rugged, or Badass) for the Aside from specific Techs and powers, you value of a card you just played, giving you can get more cards mid-duel through two greater versatility under fire. methods: Evoking Deeds, and spending Favor. To attempt a Stunt, it must be your turn. Evoking Deeds Select a card from your hand (or an invested If you need more cards once the duel has card from a Faction) and play it face-down, begun, you can call upon your Deeds for stating the Maneuver you are performing inspiration. On your turn, before playing (Block, Counter, or Escalate). Spend an your chosen Maneuver, you can spend amount of Ki equal to the current Stage of Ki equal to the current Stage (1, 2, or the Duel (1, 2, or 3), and then name the Bike 3) to nominate a Deed and describe how stat you are using. The value of that Stat the events of that Deed are making you a now counts as the value of the face-down more capable person in this conflict. If your card you just played, with a Suit of your choosing. Note that Strike Range still justification is valid,Sensei may allow you to does draw a bonus card into your Hand. apply when Stunting. The stat you choose must be relevant to Spending Favor the current battlefield. If you’re fighting on Favor currently invested in Factions can the Highway, for example, then you would be played as if it were cards in your hand. use Open. You can always choose to use Spending favor costs no Ki. Just narrate how Badass instead, but the narration of your that Faction is assisting your character in action must likewise be suitably badass. this moment (likely indirectly), and play the card immediately. Ending the Duel: Out of Options The Duel does not end until one duelist Sensei Action: You use Disfavor in the plays the Concede maneuver, and the exact same fashion. other duelist accepts the concession. When you Concede, you are declaring your Using Techs opponent the Victor of the Duel. Both sides Every motobushi should have one or immediately count their cards and discard or more techs at their disposal, which can draw back to their standard hand size. Then be activated on your turn to enhance set your cards down, and determine the your chosen Maneuver, or produce other Consequences of the Duel (see below). simultaneous effects. Most fighting style Techs require expenditure of Ki to activate. Extended Example: With no Unless otherwise noted, the cost in Ki is better cards in her hand, no applicable Deeds to evoke, and no other invested equal to the Tier at which you learned the Tech. You can activate any number of Techs favor on Factions. Haruna can only on your turn, as long as you can afford them concede. The duel is concluded. It’s time and they can legally be played. to determine just how badly she lost… Sensei Action: Some SCs might also Step 3: The Consequences be samurai, with their own techniques. When one side of the duel Concedes, the When a SC samurai enters a Duel, he duel ends and the remaining player is declared has Ki equal to his Agency. That ki can Victor. The outcome of the Duel is based on be used in Duels, for the purpose of only the Victor’s original Demand (Blood, Honor, empowering Techs. or Influence) and how far the Duel went

78 before concession. The conceding Duelist may also apply Allowances to the outcome, if any were earned. Each Duelist should look below to I won during the Finishing Blow: Deliver a determine outcome. If you conceded and total of three points of Stains and/or Bike scored any Allowances, look under the Damage to your opponent, and force them section relevant to your initial Demand to make a one-point Alignment shift of your and apply that result. Otherwise, only the choice. Alternatively, activate the Mutual Victor applies their results, based on their Death clause. Demand as written below. Allowances are I won during the Finishing Blow and my always applied before the Victor, and are opponent scored no Allowances: Kill your only available to the player who conceded opponent, their Second, and any involved the Duel. cohort, regardless of their demand. For the Defeated: I Chose Blood I have one Allowance: State a minor narrative For the Victor: fact about the outcome, then deliver a single I won during the Confrontation: Deliver point of Stain or Bike Damage to your a single point of Stain or Bike Damage to opponent. your opponent. I have two Allowances: State a minor narrative I won during the Struggle: Deliver a total fact about the outcome, then deliver a total of two points of Stains and/or Bike of two points of Stains and/or Bike Damage Damage to your opponent. to your opponent. Alternatively, activate the Mutual Death clause.

79 T he Mutual Death clause: one point of a Resource (narrate how this If both victor and defeated chose Blood, and came to be), B) Invest once in a relevant the defeated earned two Allowances, both Faction (narrate how this came to be), players can choose to mutually kill each other. C) Remove one Disfavor from a relevant This death does not affect any Seconds. Faction (narrate how this came to be), or D) Eliminate one of your Stains (narrate I Chose Honor how this came to be) For the Victor: I won during the Struggle: As above, but I won during the Confrontation: Deliver a choose twice. Stain to your Opponent, or remove one of I won during the Finishing Blow: As above, your own. but choose four times. I won during the Struggle: Deliver two I won during the Finishing Blow and my Stain to your Opponent, or remove two of your own, or do one of each. opponent scored no Allowances: As above, but choose seven times. I won during the Finishing Blow: A total mix of three points of Stains delivered For the Defeated: and/or removed, and force your opponent I have one Allowance: State a minor to make a one-point Alignment shift of narrative fact about the outcome, then your choice. Alternatively, activate the Choose One, narrating how it came to be: Mutual Seppuku clause. A) Gain one point of a Resource (narrate I won during the Finishing Blow and how this came to be), B) Invest once in a my opponent scored no Allowances: relevant Faction (narrate how this came You can either A) Eliminate all of your to be), C) Remove one Disfavor from a stains and shift up to two alignment relevant Faction (narrate how this came spaces, B) Cause two alignment shifts to to be), or D) Eliminate one of your Stains your opponent and seven Stains, or C) (narrate how this came to be) Demand your opponent’s suicide. I have two Allowances: As above, but choose twice. For the Defeated: I have one Allowance: State a minor Extended Example (Conclusion): narrative fact about the outcome, then With Haruna’s concession in the either deliver a Stain to your Opponent, third stage, Sensei wins the Duel. If or remove one of your own. Haruna had earned any Allowances, she would get to apply them first. But I have two Allowances: State a minor narrative fact about the outcome, since she escalated both times, the only then either deliver two Stain to your Allowances given went to the War Opponent, or remove two of your own, or Pigs, and since the Pigs won those do one of each. Alternatively, activate the points are discarded. Since the War Mutual Seppuku clause. Pigs chose Blood, this means ultimate victory, including the final death of The Mutual Seppuku clause: both Opponent (Haruna) and Second If both victor and defeated chose Honor, and (Nioboyuki). Nioboyuki’s got a spare the defeated earned two Allowances, both Cheat Death on his sheet, so he uses it players can choose to mutually demand each afterward to narrate his survival. But other’s suicide. This death does not affect Haruna has none… any Seconds. Stains I Chose Influence While Stains are more fully explained For the Victor: elsewhere (p. 50), one rule is important here: I won during the Confrontation: Choose Stains earned during a duel are not applied One, narrating how it came to be: A) Gain until the consequences of the duel have been

80 resolved. Count them as you earn them, Final Notes on Strategies but don’t apply them until the duel is over. There is no one true way to win, but And remember: any Stains earned while in there are some important strategies you will the saddle can be absorbed by your Bike’s learn over time. I will highlight a few here. Endurance. Strategic Concession Invest Excess Sensei Cards At the end of a Duel, if Sensei’s SCs are “Every battle is not won by advance. still alive and in play, Sensei can choose to Every retreat is not loss. Advance is invest any remaining of cards in his hand strategy. Retreat is also strategy.” as Disfavor on those SC’s Factions, up to a - Suzume-no-kumo, 1600 limit of their Agency. Sensei then discards (Takashi Matsuoka, Cloud of Sparrows, 2002) the rest of his hand, and returns to a Hand Knowing when to relent is to size of Zero cards. crucial survival in this system. The urge to just Advanced Dueling Options plain win can sometimes be over-strong, but frequently you must let it go. If you can Alternate Duel Formats control the rules of your loss, then in a way, As stated before, these rules are not just for you can control the outcome of the fight. when two samurai are trying to chop each Never forget this. other to pieces. The back-and-forth flow of Dueling has been proven to work for a On Kings, Aces, and Twos much wider variety of scenarios, including Like everything else, the cards are cyclical. vehicular chases, epic feats of human Kings beat everything but Aces. Aces beat prowess (Man vs The Mountain), haggling, everything. Twos beat Aces. Everything beats foot races, and tea ceremonies. Twos. The circle completes and begins anew. Non-violent duels will require you to get No cards are inherently good or bad. Do not creative with your narration of counters and forget this. escalation, but that application of creativity is most of the fun. Remember: someone’s death can be just as easily achieved with a signature as with a sword.

81 82 SECTION THREE Master, Teacher, Student: Sensei

83 What Sensei Does Let the Circle Turn Always be on the lookout for opportunities “One should perceive their nature to bring relationships and past events back to be one of quiet strength.” into play. The lives of themotobushi should - Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Hagakure be exciting and full of coincidence and portent alike. Everything they do should As Sensei, your job is to give the come back into play, connected to the people motobushi a place to roam, and then fill that they meet and the places they visit. If they place with challenges. kill someone, have a friend of that someone come after them. If they help a town out in a Describe, Listen, and React big way, have that make a difference in a later Being Sensei is almost entirely a matter of encounter. Choices from the past should laying forth descriptions and then reacting affect events of the present and future, over to the players’ following actions and stated and over again. Using Flashbacks, you can intentions. Describe features of the setting dig up some real juicy conflict fodder from or actions of SCs, and listen and react to the the Pack’s yesteryears. players’ responses. When possible, connect new SCs to the Ask Questions samurai, or to their past actions and con- Use questions to push your players to flesh tacts. The tea merchant they meet in the out their characters. Where did you get your next town might be the cousin of the miller current bike? Who taught you your fighting they cut down in the street of the previous style? How old were you when your uncle town. The lord of the town could be the killed your mother? When was the last Shinmai’s estranged uncle. The madam of the time you kissed a man? When was your last geisha house could be a survivor from the home-cooked meal? same plague that took the Shigakka’s wife so long ago. Keep Things Moving The game works best if the group pushes Follow “Yes” and “No” with “And” forward constantly, dueling opponents and or “But” seeking their goals. You facilitate this by There are no simple successes or failures in giving them clear objectives and making Motobushido. When the samurai succeed, sure one or more potential courses of they either do so with smashing victory, or action are apparent. Don’t play the secret- at a steep price. Likewise, every failure is an information game with your scenarios; opportunity just waiting to be seized by the give them leads to follow so they don’t get heroes. In other words, there are no simple bogged down. If they choose to ignore “spot checks” or “climb rolls” in Motobushido. those leads, that’s okay too—but it should If there is secret information to find, give be their choice. it to them without test, but make it costly. If the players start deliberating too If there is a wall to climb, either let them much, establish eye contact with either the climb it, or make it a Gambit and add some leader or the otherwise most influential extra consequence. personality within the group, and visibly Make Them Feel Like Outlaws flip over the next card of theSensei deck into the discard. If the player doesn’t take This game is about outlaws, most of whom the hint after a few seconds, do it again, and will have done very bad things in their past, again, and again, putting Omens into play and many of whom will do very bad things if they come up, until the players get back in the games to come. As such, bad things on task. Later you’ll learn about Waves and can, will, and should happen to them in Storms (p. 91); this little trick is called a return. Karma’s a bitch, and in Motobushido, Ripple. that bitch is Inescapable.

84 The Pack should have enemiesevery - immediately damaged, but they will sure set where. This isn’t to say thatevery new SC the riders back as they try and fix their gear. should already hate them, but it is a good Threats like these raise narrative tension idea to keep the players guessing. Friends without actually requiring you to take direct will double-cross them, allies will abandon mechanical action against the Pack. them, and old enemies will come looking to settle scores. The past should catch up with Use Omens and Ripples them. Take note of their previous crimes, The layersp should feel that fate is conspiring and bring them into play whenever possible. against their motobushi. Sinister portents for In particular, flashbacks are great sources of the future will arise, darkening the spirits of fodder for the present. the samurai as Fate turns against them. This is built into the game’s mechanics but it should Make Them Feel Like Samurai be woven into the narrative as well. During “One should constantly give Pack Creation, the players will have come up the impression that he is doing with some taboos, and you should poke at something exceptional.” those taboos whenever possible. Don’t hesitate – Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Hagakure to draw from classic stories and well-known portentous tropes as well. In a pinch, even a Despite their outlaw lifestyle, the charac- well-placed black cat can work wonders. ters in Motobushido are still samurai, and you need to reinforce that. Anyone who sees them Remember Your Threes and Sevens will instantly know who they are, and likely Everything happens in threes and sevens. cower. They are to be shunned, hated, and There are seven heroes that must fight the most of all: respectfully feared. In other words, great evil. There are three cabals in the the world sees them as vicious badasses and broken town. There are seven passions you should not let them forget that. a geisha must master. There are three participants in every ritual suicide (the Other people won’t directly mess samurai, the second, and the witness). There with the Pack unless those people either are seven oaths along the path to greatness. have a death wish or consider themselves There are three soldiers on the patrol. There exceptionally tough. Make it obvious to are seven required voices in the great Song players that SCs who elect to confront the of the Lost. There are three stages to the Pack are really brave, really capable, really duel. Seven deaths await you, each but three stupid, or some combination thereof. breaths away. Seventy-seven steps lead up to the lost temple, where the three hundred and When in Doubt, Threaten thirty-three prayers must be said if you wish If you are stuck in a situation and cannot to bring your lover back from the Echoing think of anything to do next, add a direct Plains of the After-Death. threat to the Pack. Set fire to their camp. Evoke threes and sevens whenever you Infest their food with weevils. Have bandits need a number. They are quite common salt their gas tanks, or thugs knock over numbers in samurai stories and legends, as their bikes. Make the Pack’s lives consistently well as many other classic hero stories. And difficult. Let them have sporadic moments once you get your players used to expecting of victory and satisfaction, but don’t let those threes and sevens, dropping in the occasional moments linger too long. two or six is a great way to ratchet up Normally you can’t deplete their the tension. resources without using Waves and Storms, but in the above examples, no resources were “In the words of the ancients, one actually taken away. Weevil-filled food is still should make his decisions within technically edible, even if the Pack won’t eat it the space of seven breaths.” unless they’re desperate. Salted tanks aren’t – Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Hagakure

85 The Quick Basics from your last session, so restore their investments, if applicable. Your Cards 4. Set Up the Decks: At the beginning The layersp have a deck of cards, and so do of a game session, set up your deck by you. Unlike the players, you do not carry shuffling it (with Jokers reversed) and a hand except during a Duel. You draw setting it out front. Set up the players’ cards at the beginning of Duels, and discard deck likewise. everything at the end. You make all your Gambits and Disfavor investments directly 5. Deal the Cards: Deal each player a from the top of your Deck, drawn at random. number of cards from the player deck equal to their character’s hand size Like the player deck, yours has two (three for the First Founding). If any get Jokers in it, also shuffled in face-up. When Jokers, leave them out as game-starting a Joker is revealed, immediately set it aside Omens. face-up next to the deck as a new Omen (p. 91). Your deck is not reshuffled until either 6. Set up Ki Tokens: If you’re using Ki tokens, give each player a number equal both Jokers are on the table, or you’ve run out of cards. Jokers are not returned to the deck to their character’s current Ki Pool. until a Storm blows through. 7. Begin Play

First Session Play Flow Your First Session 1. Go through the Setup Process When your group is together at the table 2. Ask The Question (p. 12) for the very first time, you should read aloud the story and question on the very first page 3. Run a Quick Duel of this book (p. 12). Let the players answer 4. Run the First Founding on their own before you give them the 5. Guide Pack Creation only true, acceptable answer. Then do the following: 6. Note any Omens in play 7. Salute and Conclude 1. Don’t Pre-Write the Story! 2. Pre-Explain the rules! Second Session and Beyond Don’t 1. Go through the Setup Process 3. (Optional) Run a Quick Duel 2. Return Omens to the table, if Any 4. Run the first founding 3. Run the First Flashback 5. Run pack creation. (p. 25) 4. Resume the Ongoing Story Stop there, and take a few days to set up a good intro scenario for the next session 5. Find a Suitable Stopping Point (p. 95) 6. Run the Lessons Vote 7. Salute and Conclude Don’t Pre-Write Your job as Sensei is mostly a reactive Session Setup one. The game works best when the players 1. The Salute: Open each session with the come fresh to a new campaign and are Salute (p. 16). encouraged to explore the ideas they find 2. Set out Basic Supplies: Character most interesting. As such you should not sheets, pencils, index cards, note pre-write any story elements before the first paper, etc. session. The First Founding should inform Pack Creation, which should in turn inform 3. Ready Factions: Have some index the scenarios you write. Let the players water cards ready to bring your Factions the seeds of the game’s basic ideas on their into play. Some might carry forward own, and great stories will blossom.

86 Don’t Pre-Explain How to Run the First Founding If you’re running for a group of new players, don’t overwhelm them by Set Up the Materials frontloading the rules. Incorporate, illustrate, You will need a single deck of cards for the and explain mechanics through action, as players, and one for yourself just in case they become relevant. SCs should somehow get directly involved. Remove the Jokers from both decks for now. (Optional) Run a Quick Duel Set up four Faction cards (I use index If the players are up for it, have two of cards), and on each of them write a one of them each grab a default character template the following: Commanding Officer, Yo u r and go to town. This can be a lot of fun and Unit, The Enemy, and The Spirit of Battle. give your players an initial taste of the me- These will enter play when you ask the chanics if they’re nervous about diving in cold. Opening Question (see below). When done, move on to the First Founding. Quick Explanation The First Founding Scene Read aloud the following, or at least Part tutorial, part world construction, the something like it. “Before we really begin the First Founding should take place immedi- game, we’re going to run the First Founding. ately before actual character creation occurs. In this scene you will play out a flashback In this flashback scene, the group plays out from the end of the War, in the roles of a moment from the past, right at the end of characters who served together in the same the War. At the core of this event is a clash military unit at a crucial moment of battle. of intentions and a crucial decision: Do you The survivors of this scene will eventually go follow the almost certainly suicidal orders of on to found the Pack in which your future your commander, or do you accept that the war motobushi will ride.” is lost and retreat to fight another day? Pass Out the Templates A good First Founding is stained with There are eight different “First Founding” blood and death, and this is most likely character templates. Their stats are listed in to happen if players don’t yet know the the Character Creation Chapter (p. 25), and strategies of card-play. The conflicts are likely you can find full-page sheets for them as a to be intense and bloody, as the players keep free download on the Motobushido website. pushing ahead, unaware that holding back If you somehow end up with more than is even an option. This is intentional: since eight players, print out extra copies of the these aren’t necessarily their actual long-term Ashigaru character for the additional players characters, they will be able to experiment (and good luck with that crowd, my friend). more readily with conflict, and personally Establish Aspects of the War discover just how bloody it can be. Suicide or Have each player state one defining feature retreat, survivors or slaughter, this event sets or incident of the War. These features will up the legacy of the Pack that is to follow. not only provide color, but set the tone for the entire rest of the game. Features can Rules Light! include weaponry, technology, tactics, causes, The First Founding is intentionally “rules light” background, geography, political landscape, in play. The bulk of the extended mechanics and so on. Examples might include Vicious will not come into play during this scene. The War Beasts, Giant Steam Robots, They following systems should not be used or even Came for Our Children, Cannons, Civil mentioned during the First Founding: Power Struggle, Slave Revolt, War of TT Ki Pools and Techniques Attrition, Ships from the Stars, etc. Keep players focused on features that relate to the TT Bike Stunts actual war, not just the game world. TT Omens, Ripples, Waves and Storms

87 Draw Sides news to the rest of your unit (indicate the The layersp must now draw cards to other players).” determine which side of an argument they will initially take during the upcoming scene. Explain to everyone else: “The cards you Don’t explain why they’re drawing just yet. were dealt earlier decide what side of this Take the number of players (not including conflict you start on. If you drew ared card, you) and subtract one. Then remove that your character is in favor of suicide and glory. number of black cards and an equal number If you drew black, you are in favor of escape of red cards from the player deck (so, if you and survival. Your sheets show possible have four players, you should have three inspiration for whichever side you drew.” black and three red cards). This ensures Allow each player to invest one of their that at least one player will get a different- cards into a Faction of their choice by taking colored card than the others. Shuffle these a card from their hand, laying it face-up next cards and then deal one to each player, face- to that base, and then drawing another card down. Each player may look at the card he from the deck into their hand to replace was dealt but should not show the card to the card invested. Explain how these can anyone else. Tell them to remember which potentially benefit the characters by being colors they drew, then get all the cards back, played in the middle of duels (p. 78). and reshuffle the player deck. Deal Initial Hands Begin Play Deal out three new cards to each player. Explain the importance of the conflict at They’ll use these in the scene to play their hand: Will the unit charge, or will it retreat duels. For now, they can look at their own before the full force of the enemy comes cards but should not reveal them to each crashing down? This scene will ultimately set other, or to you. the stage for the first moment of your Pack’s history. Is it founded in survival, or glory? Ask the Question and Set the Stage Hand the reins to the players, and let the You will now set the scene, then allow the scene begin. players to join in and take over. Turn to the highest-ranked character in the group Running the Scene and recite something along the lines of the You can mostly just sit back and let the following aloud, while laying down each of players take over. Hand it off and let them the Factions as indicated: take on the roles of the characters and play “A courier has just arrived and passed out this deciding moment in their Pack’s you a special sealed message. As he hopped history. Encourage them to push opposing back astride his bike and sped off, you read agendas, and push the tension and drama to your final orders from yourCommanding its fullest. Officer (lay down this Faction). Your orders If they start to clash in-character, play are to gather Your Unit (Faction) together devil’s advocate and encourage the conflict, for your most glorious task ever: you will and be on the listen for a good moment be the vanguard of the entire army, leading of tension. When it comes, offer to let the them into one final all-or-nothing suicide players involved use the cards to resolve charge in the name of the Emperor. The things. If they want to bring out the cards, Enemy (Faction) has all but routed your tell the more aggressive of them to slam a forces, and everyone knows that the battle card down face-down and issue a challenge. is lost. But perhaps if you make one last This will introduce the basic three-stage stand in the name of glory and sacrifice, dueling mechanic: Confrontation, Struggle, the Spirit of Battle (Faction) will ride with and Finishing Blow. Explain that the you, and carve one last bloody chunk out stakes start small, and get more intense of the enemy. You now need to break the with each escalation (but don’t go into

88 too much detail). Re-read the Dueling new scene over to the players again, and see mechanics to make sure you got at least the what happens. basic flow down, and understand how the consequences work (p. 78). What Would it Take For You Guys to Scrap? Chances are that they will start to This is the last-ditch solution: just ask murder each other. That’s okay! That is the players to come up with a reason why meant to happen, and hopefully they do it they would fight right now. Explain “this with gusto. And if they clash with SCs for scene should show you the mechanics of some reason, just consider everything to have conflict, so you need to come up with a Agency of 2 for the sake of your draw. narrative justification to use them,” and At some point, the group will reach a hopefully they’ll get the hint. general consensus on whether or not to stay and die. That’s when you should bring things Just Go With It to a close. Thedecision is the most important If all your players are experienced at the thing here, so don’t worry about going on game, just move on. You don’t really need to and playing through its outcome. teach experienced players the rules, and if they really want a bloodless Founding, let What if They All Agree? them have it. This happens more often than you would think: the players are hesitant to initiate Concluding the First Founding conflict with one another, and resolve their The point of this scene is for the players to issues through role-playing and negotiation reach a decision: run and live, or charge and without calling on mechanics. That’s totally die honorably. Playing out the results of that fine - the players aremost certainly allowed to decision is not important. Simply reaching have their characters change their minds. the decision is enough to bring the scene to a conclusion—what happens afterward can But since the First Founding is meant be embellished in later gameplay, and serve to serve as both Pack establishment and as juicy fodder for future flashbacks. Once mechanics tutorial, a scene without a duel the decision is reached, the First Founding just isn’t acceptable if you are dealing with is over. new players. Here are some ways to work around consensus to initiate conflict. Sensei should now set all the playing cards aside. They won’t get used again until Have a Plant the beginning of the game proper, which will If one or more of your players has played likely not be until another session. before, talk to them beforehand and ask If this is the first session of what you them to press conflicts with newer players. intend to be a multi-session story, then take Chances are that the seasoned players will be a break before moving on to the actual Pack on board. Creation process (p 25). Any stains earned by players during the First Founding carry Move the Scene and Insert New forth to new characters! Samurai If the scene comes to a close with no conflict, pick the most story-active player of The Second Session the group and move them to a new follow- and Beyond up scene. Pass the less-active players the unused remaining templates, and set up Between the First Two Sessions a scene in which the new characters must By the time the first session concludes, directly confront the returning one, and you should have a fresh new Pack with some cannot take no for an answer. Turn the colorful history, ready to ride forth into a

89 half-painted world of your collective design. forward with the story, give the characters Take some time between sessions to design a more challenges, and refer back to the “What good starting scenario for the new Pack. Read Sensei Does” pages (p. 84) as necessary. If over this section and the following Scenario this is a new scenario, then go ahead and Design section (p 95) during the break, and kick it off with some new scenario hooks and prepare to guide the next chapters of the story. investment questions. Otherwise, the flow is identical from session to session. Session Structure Find a Suitable Stopping Point After Pack Creation is complete, the basic As the clock ticks down toward the end of flow of every session should be as follows: your session, be on the lookout for a good place to leave things for the evening. If your Salute! scenario isn’t complete yet, ending with a Open every session with the Rider’s Salute cliffhanger is a good way to guarantee that (p. 16). your next session will start with some solid Return Omens to Play action. However, if you know you’re not If this is your first session after Pack Creation, going to meet again for a few weeks, and be sure to explain how Jokers and Omens are concerned about losing tension during work. If there were Omens in play at the end the downtime, it might be better to end the of the last session, and you are continuing current session with action and deal with the the same scenario, put them back into play at consequences next time. the start of the new session. If this is a new Run the Lessons Vote scenario, then no Omens carry forward. “It is a difficult thing to truly Deal Out the Cards know one’s own limits and weak If you haven’t already, reshuffle the player points.” deck (shuffle in the Jokers face-up) and deal - Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Hagakure each player cards equal to their character’s Hand size. If any Jokers are revealed, leave With the session of play concluded, it’s them in play as Omens. Yes, you can start the time to discuss and vote upon the Lessons game with Omens, which can make for some that motobushi may have learned during play. really tense session kick-off. Provided everyone took part in the session- opening flashback, then they should each Reshuffle the Jokers face-up intoSensei ’s have at least one Lesson, in addition to any deck at this point as well. earned during play from in-game Flashbacks Run the First Flashback and other dramatic actions. Every new session should start with a In addition to their own characters’ whole-party flashback (see p. 59). The only Lessons, players should be encouraged to difference between this Flashback and others suggest Lessons for other motobushi based on is that when finished, everyone’s Ki isfully the events of the session. Sometime a session replenished, and everyone involved gains a may pass with no Lessons learned. This is new Lesson. uncommon, but not unheard-of. If it happens, If your players don’t mind, it might be try and make the next session more eventful. more narratively appropriate to involve only a few of the characters. Regardless Starting with the Shinmai (if present), of participants, everyone still fully have each player read off the Lessons they replenishes Ki. have written down that session and make a case for each one. The group should then Resume the Ongoing Story discuss and decide whether or not they feel If this is part of a multi-session scenario, that character learned anything important then pick up where you last left off. Push from that Lesson. If yes, that Lesson

90 becomes eligible for evolution (see p. 48 for actions cause ripples and waves in the world evolution rules). If the party decides it’s too around them and crash back upon them soon to tell, leave the Lesson written down sevenfold. Most of this book is dedicated and discuss it again after the next session to the mechanics of chance as expressed of play. Taking turns, discuss and have the via the cards, but the section below covers players vote on each Lesson still eligible. Fortune and Consequence, and how Your own vote should be reserved for they intertwine. breaking ties. Omens and Ripples Sometimes it will be pretty clear that a Both Omens and Ripples involve character did not learn anything useful from tension and foreshadowing, but Ripples a Lesson, or even blatantly defied it. In such are usually minor mechanical responses a case, cross it off the list entirely. Remind to portentous in-game narration, while the players that it is not necessary for every Omens are major mechanical happenings Lesson to result in a character evolution, that require spontaneous narration of and it is perfectly acceptable for them to new portents. decide that one or more characters did not really learn anything from their Lessons. Whenever an entirely story-driven Remember, actions speak louder than words: portent arises during play, a Ripple occurs even if a player insists that their character as a response. Flip a card from a deck learned something, their actions in-game and place it in discard. If the portent was might say otherwise. introduced primarily by Sensei’s narration, use the Sensei deck. If it was introduced Expanding the Pack Legacy through or as a reaction to player character If the end of this session also signals the actions, use the player deck. The following conclusion of the current scenario, the in-game event examples would each be group must now decide upon a new Deed Ripple-worthy: to add to the Legacy of the Pack sheet. This T A Pack Taboo is broken inadvertently Deed must be based on the events of the T scenario. Individual character Lessons are TT Someone insults the dead. often good clues as to the most significant TT A character rolls three sevens in a game events. “Defeated the Sunken Skulls at the of dice. Battle of Black Hill Briar” is a good Pack Deed. “Acquired the Patronage of Lord TT Sensei Blocks three times in a row. Momokawa” is another. See the Pack Legacy TT A motobushi is killed early in the rules for more examples (p. 47). scenario. Salute and Conclude The triggers for Ripples are entirely Repeat the salute to end each session. spontaneous, and there is no hard science to bringing them into play. Just be on Omens, Ripples, Waves and the lookout for strange coincidences and unintentionally dark moments of story that Storms may arise, and remember your Threes and In addition to whatever forms of direct Sevens. The primary purpose of Ripples is to opposition you may throw at your players, push through the cards and bring forth new three major forces will be working around Omens more rapidly. and against the at all times. The motobushi Omens are dark and serious portents, first is Chance, played out through the a step up in intensity from Ripples. When use of the cards. The second is Fortune, a Joker is revealed, an Omen enters play. brought into play through dark omens and When this happens, you must immediately foreshadowing of violence to come. The narrate the nature of this unexpected third is Consequence, as the characters’ own new Omen to fit the moment in which

91 it was drawn. Some examples of possible With the Omens mechanic (described Omen narration: above), the players’ deck is both the source of players’ power and the bringer of their TT A passing cart splashes a mud puddle potential doom. Each of the two decks upon your hakama. in play contains two Omens. When both TT Your sheath’s blade-catch snaps when have been drawn from the Player Deck, the drawing your sword. Pack’s actions have disturbed the stillness of the pond, and the town makes one of TT When your opponent charges at you, the trees suddenly begin shedding blossoms its special maneuvers. These maneuvers are the color of your opponent’s clan crest. called Waves. Sometimes they are even more disastrous in effect—Storms, which occur TT You see the face of your dead when all four Omens are on the table. brother—the one you killed—suddenly superimposed upon that of a stranger. Triggering Waves and Storms Once narrated, place the Omen ( Joker) When both Omens are revealed from the face-up on the table next to its deck, and not Player Deck, a Wave maneuver is triggered. in discard. The Omen is nowin play. While However, if both of the Sensei Omens are in play, each Omen provides the following already on the table when the second Player constant and cumulative boons to Sensei: Omen is revealed, a Storm occurs instead. Remember: it is always the Players’ TT One additional card flipped during Ripples Jokers that trigger Waves and Storms— never Sensei’s. TT One additional card added to Sensei’s Hand at the start of a new Duel When a Wave or Storm is triggered, first finish resolving the event in which the TT +1 to SCs’ Strike Ranges during a duel triggering Omen was drawn, and then pick TT One additional card drawn during any an appropriate Maneuver from the options Gambit, its rank added to the first. below. If a Wave is triggered during the Omens remain in play until they are re- middle of a Duel or Gambit, wait until after shuffled, which only happens after resolving the Duel or Gambit is resolved to choose Wave and Storm Maneuvers. Read on below. and resolve the Maneuver. Omens and Ripples have similar thematic In either case, after the Maneuver is feel, but there is a distinct mechanical resolved, the decks are reshuffled and the difference in how they enter play. What we Jokers are put back in. If it was a Wave, only call Omens are mechanical responses to the the Player deck is reshuffled. It a Storm,both revelation of Jokers, and are accompanied by decks are reshuffled. additional reactionary narration. Ripples on the other hand are mechanical reaction to Wave and Storm Maneuvers “ominous events” that occur spontaneously Each of the following maneuvers has a Wave during play, and are not reliant upon Jokers. and a Storm version. Remember, there must always be a good narrative reason to back up Waves and Storms any maneuver. As the Pack explores a town and pursues Bike Down its goals, the samurai inevitably affect the A motobushi’s bike has suffered damage. It environment around them. Like drops in a still could be accidental, or an issue of long-term pond, even the simplest pursuits of a single wear, but maybe enemy forces have actually can drastically alter the lives of those motobushi dared to mess with another man’s bike (not nearby, however unintentional those alterations cool, man). may be. Sometimes, those ripples can become waves, upsetting the entire balance of a place As a Wave: Reduce the Bike’s Endurance and sweeping everyone up in the chaos. by half (round up), and apply a narrative 92 hindrance. The Bike has suffered a minor Shift in Power setback, like a flat tire or an oil leak. Folks in the town are getting tired of the Spending a point of Operations and half a presence of the motobushi, and previously- day or so of in-game time can get it running established goodwill is quickly souring. Perhaps again (fixing the narrative hindrance), and a rival force is turning allies against the Pack, or the usual Operations costs apply to restore otherwise forcing their hand. lost Endurance. As a Wave: Take an invested Favor card As a Storm: The Bike’s Endurance is from a narratively appropriate SC Faction and reduced to zero. The damage is great and the convert it to disfavor on that Base. If no favor bike is out of commission for the duration of was already invested, then play a new card into the scenario, or until the Pack can finagle some that Base’s disfavor instead. really skilled assistance through role-playing. As a Storm: All of the invested favor in one Faction is converted. If there isn’t any favor Burn Resource Due to unforeseen circumstances, the invested, immediately invest Disfavor equal to Pack’s Resources have taken a hit. This may the Faction’s agency. be an issue of faulty maintenance, bad roads, or pestilence—or even sabotage. Strike! A Faction or another significant force moves As a Wave: Shift a Pack Resource directly against one or two of the samurai, one rank down (Surplus, Subsistence, either socially or physically. Enemies will come Threatened, or Depleted). seeking blood, and rivals will move politically to lock out the Pack’s future goals. If this is a As a Storm: Deplete the Pack’s highest Storm, then entire pack has been targeted by resource entirely. their enemies. Perhaps the town tries to eject the Pack, or enemy samurai set up a highway Eliminate Faction ambush. An avenue of information and support within the town has been removed from play. As a Wave: This will almost always result Perhaps an ally was murdered, or the spirit in a Duel over the subject of conflict. of town was exorcised, or a few motobushi have been involuntarily separated from the As a Storm: Before striking, place four new rest of the Pack. Waves are temporary, and Disfavor cards on the Faction of the acting SC. the Faction may be restored. Storms result in the Faction’s permanent removal. Custom Maneuvers You can create custom maneuvers for any As a Wave: Pick a Faction and flip scenario, based on the story particulars in play. it over along with any invested Favor or For Waves, things like “the road out of town Disfavor cards. The players must now find collapses” or “local businesses all close up” a way to narratively “restore” that Faction would fit some scenarios. For Storms, “The through exploration and narrative. Those Local Lord kills his son” would be a harsh one cards remain unavailable until the Faction (especially if the son is an ally of the Pack), is restored. as would “Explosions cascade through the mines.” Waves should be major inconveniences, As a Storm: Using suitable narration, and their effects should not outright cripple remove the Faction entirely from play. This the Pack. On the other Hand, Storms could involve local powers moving against should be almost devastating, and change the each other, or even something entirely new fundamental nature of the scenario. When of which the Pack wasn’t aware. It cannot designing your scenarios, also develop a list of be invested or used by players or Sensei, and Waves and Storms that might fit the particular cannot be restored. story and environment.

93 Managing SCs and Factions TT 9-10 = Masters and Warlords Throughout the book, the termsSensei- TT 11+ = Legendary Allies and Controlled Character (SC) and Faction Adversaries. Defeating such SCs would are used more or less interchangeably. be a task nigh impossible for all but the Pretty much any SC or group of SCs with most dedicated motobushi, and earning any relative importance to the saga will their favor will signify significant changes eventually be implemented as a Faction. Any in the Pack’s fortunes. SC that is not a Faction technically has little Managing Disfavor to no mechanical impact on the game, but Once an SC is revealed in the game, lay can still certainly provide some color. down its card for all to see. If it is revealed Designing SCs and Factions in a moment of conflict, invest one or more Every SC should be prepared on a special Disfavor cards upon it. sheet or card (index cards work well for To invest Disfavor, draw a card from the this). Don’t reveal any of these cards until top of the Sensei deck and place it face-up on the SCs are introduced in-game. Every SC/ the revealed Faction. You can use Disfavor Faction has the following traits and stats: cards during Duels in the same way that the players can use Favor cards. A SC can TT Agency: A numerical rating of the SC’s ability to affect the game mechanically have a number of Disfavor up to its Agency. Disfavor and Favor do not cancel each other TT Favor: What actions can earn this SC’s out. To differentiate between Favor and support and alliance. Disfavor cards on the same Faction, place TT Disfavor: What actions can earn this them at opposite ends of the Faction card. SC’s displeasure and enmity.

TT Goal: What this SC is seeking in this Managing Stains scenario. Like player characters, SCs can earn and carry Stains. An SC’s Stain limit is T Blood Price: What would he be willing T equal to her Agency. When an SC’s Stains to kill for? To for? die reach that limit, they too suffer Karmic For examples, see the included demo Retribution, albeit slightly differently than scenario “Willow Ridge,” on p. 97. do player characters.

Agency The outcome of an SC’s Karmic TheAgency stat estimates a SC’s Retribution depends on whether the SC has mechanical sway within the scenario. Agency currently invested Disfavor cards or not. If is a single-number stat that determines yes, then discard one Disfavor card (Players’ the SC’s card draws and Strike Ranges choice), and erase a number of Stains equal during duels, maximum amount of Favor to the SC’s Agency rating. and Disfavor that can be invested into the If no, then one of two things will happen. SC as a Faction, and how many Stains If the SC is relatively minor, remove it from the SC can accrue before suffering its own play entirely, discarding any invested Favor Karmic Retribution. and Disfavor. If the SC is significant to the Agency should be set using the current scenario, drop its agency by one and following guidelines: erase a number of Stains equal to its new Agency rating. TT 1-2 = Minor Leaguers, just barely significant. Chances are that removing a SC from play will result in some pretty intense in- T 3-5 = Moderate Threats T game narrative and role-playing. Death by TT 6-8 = Major Players Stains should be no light matter, and should

94 serve as a poignant lesson to the players: loss can follow. The game works best if they keep of honor and face costs everything. trying to push forward, and lures are the major sources of that momentum. SC Samurai, Techniques, Bikes, and Lures can usually be incorporated Stunts into the answers to the Investment SCs can themselves be motobushi. Questions, below. While you don’t need to worry about their alignment codes (Agency covers those Repellants mechanics), you should still put some time What would deter them from this location? and care into their crafting. Develop their Do they have personal connections to this sacrifices and deeds, choose their techs, place that they’d rather avoid? Have they and otherwise develop them as if they were heard rumors of angry spirits that murder actual people within your setting. While outsiders? Is this plague territory? The they shouldn’t ever steal the deeper spotlight players and characters don’t need to know from the player characters, they should still these details up front, but maybe they’ve be fairly deep and interesting figures. heard some rumors. SC samurai must learn their techniques Like Lures, Repellants can usually in tiers, just like player characters. When be developed through the Investment an SC with Techniques enters a Duel, he Questions, below. enters with a temporary Ki Pool equal to his Agency (but he can only use Ki within Investment Questions Duels). SC motobushi can also have Bikes, The haractersc should have some personal and use Stunts in the same fashion as investment in the scenario and its setting. player characters. If you don’t already know who is connected to this place, then prepare some initial Scenario Design questions to ask at the beginning of the new scenario, such as: Before you jump right into scenario design, you may want to skip ahead to page 97 and TT One of you grew up here. Who? read over the sample Willow Ridge scenario, TT One of you was once chased from here to get an idea of the final structure toward long ago, suspected of a terrible crime. which you’ll be working. Which one of you was it? What was the crime? Did you actually commit it? Design Broken Down T This was the location of one of your Designing a good scenario is a matter of T initial character sacrifices. Which one of piecing the following elements together. you, and what sacrifice?

Lures TT One of you was directly involved in the This is perhaps the most important part: battle that salted this town’s fields. What what is the Pack doing here in the first place? was your involvement?

The answer to this question serves as the TT One of you once fathered a child here, scenario’s driving goal. What has drawn but that child is now dead. How did it the Pack to this location? Are they seeking die? revenge against an enemy who is hiding out there? Are they in need of supplies that only The Local Color this town has? Create a handful of initial SCs and Factions. Give them Agency limits, as well as Favor In scenarios for new players, you should and Disfavor notes, if applicable. You should make your lures clear and simple. Let the be prepared to create others on the fly as the players know why they’re there, and give game proceeds. them both objectives to seek and leads they

95 The Status Quo you want to involve in this scenario, and be What is the state of things when the prepared for the players to take things in motobushi arrive in town? What are the their own directions. inter-resident tensions? What events are already unfolding? Is this town a powder For this process, I encourage you to keg waiting to blow, or is it just a simple, remember the rule of threes and sevens (see peaceful village with no conflict, ripe for the p. 85). Get out a planning sheet and jot samurai to come along and ruin everything? down some sets of three and seven, using the Consider the state of affairs in the town at following template: the moment the Pack arrives, and consider TT 1-3 lures and repellants (at least one the eventual course of the town’s future if the should be personally connected to a Pack had never arrived in the first place. motobushi)

Conflicts TT 3 Investment Questions What sources of conflict exist in this town? TT 3 conflicts Examples: TT 3-7 Factions TT The Roadblock: Something large and physical is complicating the Pack’s usual TT 3 contingencies methods. TT 7 ways a motobushi could reasonably die here TT The Black Hat: A bad guy is out for blood. Balancing the Scenario’s Challenge TT The Power Struggle: Multiple factions A really good scenario will challenge are trying to kill each other, and anyone the Pack by hitting their weaknesses with who gets between them. narrative force. To best accomplish this, TT The Ancient Evil: A horrible fate long you will need to be intimately familiar with prophesized now looms close. characters’ weaknesses and their countering strengths before writing your extended T The Rotten Core: Corruption from T scenario outline. There is a simple math trick within is slowly tearing the town apart. you can use to help you out with this. Contingencies Before really getting to work on your What certain predefined events can you new scenario, look over all of the character expect to happen, given what you know sheets and jot down their three sets (six of the scenario, the players, and their stats) of alignment balances. Average each characters? What do you think the samurai stat separately (rounding normally), so you are likely do, and how might the locals have an average layout for the group as a respond? On the other hand, since players whole. For example, if the group has three often do things completely unexpected, characters, with respective Nomad scores of consider some things that you might not 1, 1, and 5, then their average Nomad score initially expect them to do, and likewise the would be 2.33, rounded off to 2. Balancing town’s reaction to such events. Contingencies that would be an average Brotherhood score usually take the form of pre-written Waves of 4 (5 + 5 + 1 = 11, averaged to 3.66, and Storms. rounded to 4). Using Your Threes and Sevens The first thing all of this allows you to do The basic scenario design process can is pinpoint the Pack’s weak points. If they be condensed to making some fairly quick are low on Water, then you can challenge lists of things to incorporate. Planning out them with more non-violent Duels, and a beat-by-beat adventure should be avoided, push them to develop more strategies in due to the intentional openness of the game. those areas. Likewise, if their Nomad scores Instead, list some important elements that are fairly low, push them towards more

96 individual conflicts which pit the characters’ well-knit team of brothers. With a high Steel own wants and desires against those of the score, they will be seen as violent, hard, and Pack as a whole. dangerous. With a high Destiny, they will be known as wanderers, vagrants, and fly-by- But this also lets you gauge how the rest nighters. of the world will see the Pack. With a high average Brotherhood score, they will gain a reputation for working together as a fierce,

The Willow Ridge Scenario

Following a series of rumors, the Pack them? Which one of you has a direct rides forth to the war-ravaged town of personal connection to your quarry? Willow Ridge, seeking someone who hides TT One of you was raised in this town. from them. Once known for its mystical hot Who? springs, the town was all but ruined during the war, and now survives as a sad relic of TT One of you fought in the battle in which older, gentler times. this town was ultimately lost to the enemy. Who? You should read over the entire scenario TT One of you once committed a great before you proceed to run it. There are atrocity against someone who now some twists and turns, and special bits of resides in this town. Write down who knowledge that you should know going against and what atrocity, and pass it to into it. There are also a lot of open areas for me (or just say it aloud, if that’s how your you to embellish on your own. I’ve run this group rolls). scenario many times as demos and one- shots, and the outcome is always different. The answers to these questions can drastically alter the flow of the game. New SCs and Factions could get created at this The Pack point, and entire power balances might This scenario can be used as a demo, or change. As always, be prepared to improvise. as part of an ongoing campaign. The core character templates work especially well with The Situation the events contained herein. Once a border town astride a lush river basin Player Questions: between the two old states, valued for its When the players are sitting down and ready strategic location in the war, Willow Ridge to play, ask them the following questions: has fallen into decay since the War. Its fields, salted by the conquerors, are mostly barren, TT Who is this person you are chasing, and why do they not want your Pack to find and the once-legendary hot springs all but destroyed. Today, scarcely two hundred 97 souls reside in the town and the surrounding the next few turns of season, the region will region, working the remaining fields and hit one final, unyielding drought, and the trying to rebuild the springs. Purple Blossoms will get bored, burn the In the last few months, a gang calling town down, and roll out. This final act of themselves The Purple Blossoms has been destruction will transform the maddened harassing locals. Men of the town have spirit into a full Oni, and it will terrorize the been pressed into service by the gang, and region for the rest of eternity. forced to ride and terrorize along with them The Scenario Goals or be killed. This has led to two specific Depending on the Pack’s reasons for coming serious problems. First, the town now lives to town, the main scenario goal might in complete fear of and subservience to involve seeking out a quarry or rebuilding the Purple Blossoms. Second, the Spirit of some supply stores before moving on. Those Willow Ridge is furious. who take an interest in local affairs might be In what seems like an age ago, the hot drawn into the current power struggle, and springs near Willow Ridge were a popular take pity on the residents. vacation destination for the people of this If the players become involved in the land. It was said that visiting the springs local situation, then there are a few common could change your life, and make you a new possible outcomes. The official “best” person. These rumors were true, due to the outcome involves defeating the Purple spirit living in the hot springs. To this spirit, Blossoms and then getting all the men to each person who came, stripped, and stepped go rebuild the Springs. This will in time into the springs was offering a sacrifice of result in the renewed favor of the Spirit their worries, stresses, and outer masks. The of the Springs, returning good fortunes more visitors, the more pleased the spirit and prosperity to Willow Ridge. There are grew, and the greater the luck that befell the a few possible variations on this, but the residents of the town. crucial component to long-term renewal is rebuilding of the springs. Without that, even During the War, the Hot Springs was defeating the Purple Blossoms will only slow reduced to a state of near rubble. Most of the the region’s inevitable decay. men had been conscripted into the army or slaughtered during the battle for the region, and so after the war was over there were The Details few able-bodied folk among the survivors Scenes to rebuild. An effort was made, but it was Below are some of the most common short-lived, as the survivors soon set to tasks scenes from previous demos of this scenario. more immediately vital to their survival and Do not expect all of them to go according the subsistence of their own families. to these notes. Some of these might never Over the time the springs have lain happen at all in your game. in ruin, the spirit has grown increasingly morose. As such, the region has decayed, and The Road into Town (First Scene) the town today is barely a blown-over scrap The first scene takes place at a crossroads of what it once was. just outside of town, and serves to introduce the feel of the town. If the Pack has a The Future Kusawake, they will meet back up on the The owlyl Blossoms currently reign with road just outside of town. The road cuts violence and fear. The Spirit is half-mad across the ridge and down along it into a and depressed as all get-out. The few basin, and at the end of the road they can remaining townsfolk are destitute husks of see the small town of Willow Ridge. Right their former selves, hostage to the gang. If here at the split in the road, they notice a nothing changes this course of decay within large number of motorcycle tracks coming

98 in and out of this road leading to the town jars. The aggressor is Daigo, one of the (the Kusawake would have noticed this and lieutenants of the Purple Blossoms. He was stopped to inform the rest of the Pack). upset at what he felt was an insufficiently At this crossroads, they will notice obsequious bow from the tea shop owner, some kind of lettering carved into a chest- and took it out on him by throwing him high rock formation just that side of the through a table. Peeking around a corner branch road. Inspection shows an old, half from a room in the back are two terrified moss-covered inscription advertising the women, one of the same age as the owner, healing wonders of the world-famous hot one apparently teenaged. Three other Purple springs. The rock is cracked, and it looks Blossoms lounge near the door. like a number of folks have used it for target The situation here is that Kojuto and practice, given the number of bullet chips. three of his favorite lieutenants (Daigo, One or two are even still embedded in Katsuro, and Yasu) have chosen this the stone. occasion to once again drink sake on the The first building themotobushi pass house at the expense of the near-destitute on the road further into town will be a tea parlor owner, Ichi. Kojuto is actually in dilapidated junk yard with a small attached a fairly good mood today, and as such takes shack. See the Locations section below for no part in the action, but he will not stop his more details. underlings from belittling and threatening Ichi and his family. As they ride further into the town proper, they will see a scant few actual people. Hints How this plays out depends on the of faces looking out from behind ragged players, of course. The little man looks even curtains and broken windows vanish as the more terrified when the players arrive—after motobushi glance in their direction. If they all, they just look like more savage bikers are riding at full volume, there will be more here to take what they want. The scene could eyes in the windows and faces peeking from very likely end up in a duel or two. Kojuto behind corners, looking to see what terrible is a coward, but today he will put on a show new gang is coming in to further terrorize of measured indifference, turning down any the town. offers to duel. His lieutenants, however, will not tolerate any insult, and will fight to first Showdown at the Tea Parlor blood before conceding and running away. TheTea Parlor is a medium-sized one- Sit back, let the players explore, and react to story building with sliding wooden slat their choices. doors, a long and wide front porch, and a For this encounter, the Purple Blossoms simple swinging sign showing a teacup and have an Agency of 4. Fighting any of them a sake bottle. Parked out front are four ratty will most certain warrant one or more cards motorcycles, built from dirty scrap welded to of invested Disfavor. (Don’t forget to put the rusted junk. Each bike has the same emblem Purple Blossoms Faction on the table.) painted on it: a purple flower blooming on a circle of yellow. If he survives, Ichi should somehow If the motobushi decide to park and go in, direct the players to visit the Springs. His before they ascend the short steps up to the daughter might have run screaming out porch they will hear the crashing sound of the back, and he knows her favorite place splintering wood and shattering porcelain. to hide is the old Springs, and begs the They soon see the cause: a large dirty biker motobushi to bring her back safely. Or maybe wearing the same flower emblem from the he suggests the newcomers seek guidance bikes has just thrown a smaller middle-aged with the waters there—while a shadow man in a green smock onto a table, breaking of their former glory, they still contain the table and shattering teacups and sake much wisdom.

99 If the motobushi assist Ichi or are even will offer them tea, which she will serve up the least bit kind to him, he will grant them in the pagoda. The tea is bitter and tastes of Favor (play his Faction), and offer them his sulfur and tears, but the spirit will not notice hospitality. He can explain the basics of the any of the players’ reactions to it. She will situation, insofar as he knows: the Purple talk of the men that have gone away, and Blossoms, the press-ganged locals, the the children that no longer play among the complete lack of any real travel or trade since stones like they did ”yesterday.” the springs fell into disrepair, and the many The lady should not be immediately abductions throughout the region. identifiable as a spirit, but the players should definitely get the sense that something is off The Little Thief about her. She talks about ancient history At some point, the Pack might encounter (such as the War) like it happened only a very a tiny thief pilfering their saddlebags. This short while ago, and she mentions “that new could happen when they come out of the hotel they started building the other day, first tea shop, while they explore town, or when of its kind,” and so on. While fairly weather- they camp. The thief is Aki-chan, a girl worn, she appears to be in her late 20s—not about eleven years of age. She is daughter to nearly as old as her stories or dress imply. Hotaka the Grocer, and has been living by scrounging and stealing since he was press- It’s up to you how to portray the Spirit. ganged by the Purple Blossoms. Being the Spiritual force that she is, she If the Pack is cruel enough to outright has some sway over emotion. Those in attempt to murder her, Ichi might try and her presence will feel twinges of her state: step in, and either beg them to hold, or melancholy, as if something is on the grasp of even throw himself in the way. If the Pack being lost forever, and they are powerless to shows Aki-chan mercy, and somehow proves find it. If she is angered, so will they be; and if to her that they can be trusted (give her she finds mirth, they will laugh with her. food, or fight the Blossoms openly), she The purpose of this encounter should can be a good source of information on the ultimately be to illustrate the greater picture townsfolk, her favorite hideouts, and “the sad of the town’s problems. The Spirit wants the lady at the springs.” Springs to be restored, and somehow must express that desire to the players. Roadblock To get to the Springs via the most direct Locations route, the Pack must travel directly past the Three Corners Hotel, lair of the Purple The Old Junkyard Blossoms. If things went particularly sour at The lacep consists of a small shack with a the Tea Shop, this could very likely lead to covered workbench outside, both in a bad another Duel, state of disrepair. The yard is about an acre, full of rusted old bikes, jalopies, and farm Clever players can find alternate routes equipment. The previous operator, Mukaro, to the Springs. A Kusawake who asks hasn’t kept the place up since he was about alternate travel will be able to do conscripted by the Purple Blossoms when without without even need for a Gambit, or they first came to town. He can be found at perhaps Aki-chan will let them know of an their hideout, the Three Corners Hotel. See overgrown hiking trail. The path is on foot The Men of Town in the Factions section. only—no bike access. If the players spend a significant amount Speak with the Spirit of time (most of a day) scrounging through While exploring the Springs, the Pack will the junkyard, they can find up to 3 points soon run into the caretaker. She is, in fact, of Operations worth of salvaged parts. the somewhat crazy spirit of the springs. She This salvage is hard-earned, though, as the

100 place is overgrown, muddy, and downright she will immediately attack with a high kiai miserable: each point of Operations earned and a charge with her tanto, held forward costs one point of Morale. at her chest with both hands. If this starts a Duel with them, she will Concede if they If the Players deal with the Blossoms and show that they are clearly stronger than return Mukaro to his livelihood, he will offer she is. to help them out, bettering the Operations- Morale exchange (3 Operations for 1 The secret room contains a cot and Morale, up to 6 points of Operations). blankets, and fairly unisex clothing sized for an adolescent. There’s an old but still Ichi’s Tea Shop fully functional deep freezer in there, and a This simple tea and sake shop is operated by small electric grill. Aki-chan has used them Ichi and his wife Shiiko, and their teenaged to keep herself fed, but she’s almost entirely daughter Noeme. They are simple folk, who out of the frozen fish she’s been eating. live together in a small room attached to There’s no food of worth to be found now, the rear of the shop. The shop has enough but hidden behind the freezer is a pouch low long tables for twenty-four people to containing assorted regional coinage worth sit close together. These days they rarely 2 Sustenance. seat even one customer, aside from the Purple Blossoms, who drink too much and The Three Corners Hotel rarely pay. In the past, this spacious two-story building No matter when the players visit, the offered modest but comfortable lodging to first time they go to the tea shop they will travelers visiting the springs. It sits on the far encounter the Purple Blossoms. Use the end of town, on the road that leads out to Scene described further above to guide the hot springs. that encounter. In the years since the war, the hotel has been abandoned and fallen into near ruin. Hotaka’s Grocery and General Store The Purple Blossoms gang holes up here, Down the road from the tea shop is a and there are nearly always a dozen of them similarly-sized low building advertised as on the grounds, their ratty bikes and buggies a grocer and general store. Its windows parked in the gravel lot out front. are smashed in, and the place has been completely ransacked. The whole outside There are entrances to the hotel cellar lawn is covered in gravel, old crab carapaces, in both the kitchen and the back yard. broken furniture, and loose stone (a simple Large crate-sized cages fill the cellar almost alarm system for the shop’s sole, secret wall-to-wall. Half of them are occupied by resident). Unless the Pack specifically near-starved people in dirty clothes, and mentions wanting to keep as quiet as the whole place reeks of vomit, piss, shit, possible (requires a Gambit), then Aki-chan and blood. There’s a good two dozen people will be alerted to their snooping, should she down here of all ages. A few of the occupants be there. are recent corpses. Each of the occupied cages is locked with a heavy metal padlock. The interior of the store has been These folks are either hostages from the thoroughly trashed and picked-through. No town or abductees from the region awaiting traces of anything usable can be found here. a new life in slavery. There’s a cellar to the place, also completely ransacked. Deeper inspection will find signs If the place is given a thorough looting of a secret room, and exploring further (encourage the players to describe said without scrupulous caution will spring looting in glorious detail), then the a heavy crossbow trap (Gambit, possible Pack can acquire 3 points of Sustenance outcome of 4 Stains). If Aki-chan is hiding (assorted food and stashes of tradeables) there and not yet introduced to the players, and 3 points of Operations (scrap metal

101 and fuel). If the looting was particularly Why is it hiding? Has it sought the spirited, give them a point or two of Morale protection from a faction in town? Is it on top of that. hiding in the springs? Is it captive of the Purple Blossoms? Have they already sold it The Broken Springs to scoundrels or slavers? Maybe it hides in a A single trail leads out of town, and up a hut in the deeper river basin below? switch-back in the ridge to the hot springs. In fact, from the center of town one can look If you find that coming up with these up at the ridge and see the rocks and trees elements is taking too long, and you want to of the highest point. In the past, rickshaws run the scenario as a one-shot, then remove and horses would carry visitors up and down this element altogether. Instead, just have the switchback. Now it is mostly overgrown, the Pack roll into town after a long time and difficult passing by all but foot and good on the road, low on resources, seeking rest, off-road vehicles. entertainment, and fuel. Arriving at the springs, there is heat, Suiyou, the Spirit of the Springs but not much. Stepping into the grotto, (agency 5) each character will immediately be hit with The Spirit of the Springs appears in the a feeling of sadness as they see the decay guise of a worn-looking, once-pretty woman of what was clearly once a most wondrous in her late twenties, slender and pale. If asked and tranquil haven. During the war, an her name, she will say it is Suiyou. She wears errant artillery shell caused a landslide of an old kimono of a style long ago gone out of the once-meticulously-placed rocks around fashion, which is in a state of wear similar to the springs, filling the pools and damming that of her own general countenance. and diverting the waters which flowed into them. Still navigable by careful stepping, As described in the Scene above, the a partially-demolished path of stones Spirit’s emotional state will influence leads up to a single-story pagoda house anyone near her. Those who engage in active overlooking the remains of the springs. The conversation with her will feel it even more house is occupied by the current “caretaker” intensely as the conversation flows and their of the springs, and lightly furnished but auras synch more closely. very dusty, as if no one has been there in Favor: Shed clothes or visibly remove masks many years. in her presence, step naked into the If the motobushi investigate with any waters, make an offering of construction depth at all, they will meet the Spirit or repair, defeat the Purple Blossom gang of the springs, who appears as a worn- that poisons her, free and reunite the out caretaker. She will come to them in workers to restore the Hot Springs. the pagoda house, or near the springs, Disfavor: Insult her, damage or desecrate or wherever it is they take the most the springs, pollute the air of the grotto, immediate interest. help the Purple Blossoms. Goal: Suiyou wishes to restore the Springs Factions to their former glory. To her, each person The Unnamed Quarry (Agency 3-7) who sheds clothing and steps into the Developing this Faction is your first challenge. waters is making a sacrifice of respect. Since its nature hinges upon the players’ Blood Price: The spirit is not currently a answers to your initial questions, it could be vengeful force, and as such will not kill. anything from a missing horse or kidnapped Should the present course of events baby to a renegade brother or enemy warlord. continue unhindered, she will become Whatever it is, it (or someone else) doesn’t Oni, and at that point she will torture and want the Pack to find it. destroy anyone she finds in the region.

102 ITchi, the ea Shop Owner (agency 2) Aki-chan, the Grocer’s Daughter Ichi runs the tea shop and sake house in (Agency 2) town, and will first meet themotobushi when Aki is the 11-year-old daughter of the they come to his shop. There, the players press-ganged grocer, Hotaka. She lives now can also meet Ichi’s wife Shiiko, and their in a secret room in the cellar of her father’s teenaged daughter Noeme. Ichi is a middle- ransacked shop. She goes in and out at all aged man of smaller-than-average stature, hours, and is quite the master of stealth. She fond of cabbage and the color green. He is knows (and has even seen) the cellar where the only independent seller of tea and sake the Purple Blossoms keep their hostages, and for at least twenty or more miles in any she is well aware of what goes on in there. direction. Circumstances have aged her emotionally Ichi likes to talk. He can’t provide the ahead of her years, and she is not the silly players anything more than a place to little girl that others might initially take her sleep (he will let them sleep on the floor to be. of the shop if they protect it) and some Before being taken away, Hotaka conversation. He will lament the town’s managed to hide his daughter in a secret situation—he’s been here since he was room in his cellar. He gave her his family’s born; the visitors they used to have were so ancestral weapon, a tanto belonging to colorful; if only the Blossoms would go away, his late mother, Matsutomo Hikari, who we could rebuild the springs and get more was consort to a famous samurai from the travelers, and people would spend more Player’s own side of the war. She carries the money; and so on. weapon with her everywhere, hiding it in a hand-sewn makeshift baldric across her If any of the Pack seem like particularly back. She knows her grandmother’s legacy noble, dashing, and well-kept individuals, by heart and then some, and worships the he might even see this as his chance to save woman. his daughter, and implore them to take her away from this horrible life. Noeme is in her Aki has visited the Springs on multiple middle teens, and while not a striking beauty, occasions recently. She has had tea with “the she has enough charm to make a pleasant sad caretaker lady,” but it was pretty nasty. companion for the right-hearted samurai. She carries a tiny rock with her that the lady let her take for luck. The lady was especially Favor: Protect him and his family from the enamored by her tanto, as it reminded her of Purple Blossoms. someone she knew. Disfavor: Threaten him or his family, help NOTE: I’ve had multiple groups end the Purple Blossoms. up taking a willing and excited Aki-chan Goal: To live a nice and prosperous life with with them when they left town, as a possible his family, and die much later in life, in his future Prospect. In one of those groups, one sleep, of natural causes. He wants to one player even decided to play her in the very day see his daughter wed to a good man, next session as a replacement to his character should any ever come back around. If the who was killed in a duel with the Blossoms. Blossoms cannot be beaten, and the Pack If her family is killed and the Pack treated has gained his trust, he will implore them her with some measure of respect, she may to take him and his family out of this ask outright to join them. If her hidden place, at least as far as the next region. money hasn’t been found already, she could Blood Price: He would be willing to even offer that as payment. kill anyone who threatened his wife or daughter. He is not a brave or physically Favor: Treat her kindly, give her food, active man, but when pushed to their protect her, fight against the Purple limits, even the meek can bite. Blossoms.

103 Disfavor: Insult her in any way, threaten her Favor: Join their gang, harass the tea or her father, or disrespect the memory of shop, help them kill their enemies and her grandmother. make money. Goal: First and foremost, Aki-chan wants Disfavor: By arriving into town showing her dad back, Second, she wants the different colors, the players pretty much Purple Blossoms to all die horrible deaths. guarantee the disfavor of the Purple Blood Price: She’s small and weak, but Blossoms gang. Upsetting and taking if someone hurts her family, Aki-chan action against them will make it worse. will do her best to slit their throat Goal: Dominance of the local area, loot and in the middle of the night, using her plunder, whores and excitement. grandmother’s tanto. Blood Price: They’ll murder anyone who The Purple Blossom gang (agency 4, interferes with their action or their fun, or Potentially 7) even who just pisses them off. The Purple Blossoms are small-time, but The Men of Town (Agency 3) they make up for their inexperience with When the Purple Blossoms rolled into town vicious cruelty, and the town lives in fear last year, they conscripted the first able- of them. Led by a giant scumbag of a man bodied men they saw, and put anyone who named Kojuto, the Blossoms have been resisted to the sword. In the time since, every terrorizing the region for a bit over a year. other able-bodied adult male in town has Since setting up their base of operations in been conscripted, slain, imprisoned, or sold Willow Ridge, they’ve focused mainly on into slavery. Many of their families have been protection rackets and kidnapping. Those threatened, if not held hostage outright. who oppose them are usually killed (and fed to their dogs) or sold into slavery. Included in their ranks are Mukaro, the junkman of the town, and Hotaka, the Despite their reputation, the Blossoms grocer. If the Pack can win their favor, they are essentially just thugs with swords and could be convinced to round up a few of bikes. There are no true samurai among the other conscripts within the gang to turn them, although Kojuto claims to have been a against the Purple Blossoms and help bring great officer in the War (he did serve in the them down. War—but as a foot soldier, turned deserter and corpse looter). The Blossoms have scrap- Favor: Guarantee freedom from the gang, built bikes, grudgingly maintained by their and safety for their families. press-ganged mechanic, and their weapons Disfavor: Threaten their families. and armor are rusty and piecemeal. Goal: To get away from this miserable life Note that if the players act against and once again live with their families as the entire Purple Blossoms gang without free folk. first securing the favor of the Men of Blood Price: They’ll kill anyone who Town (below), then the Blossoms and threatens their families. By proxy, they’ll the Men of the Town’s Agency scores are kill for the Purple Blossoms, who are added together! A little under half of the threatening their families. gang consists of locals press-ganged into service. If those locals can be swayed away, the Purple Blossoms will be significantly weakened.

104 Final Words: Inspirations and Notes

Quite obviously, the three biggest influences in creating this game were the show Sons of Anarchy and the movies 13 Assassins and Seven Samurai. One day on a long ride through the Columbia Gorge, the idea came to me: if Sons of Anarchy had starred Toshirô Mifune and taken place during post- Tokugawa Japan, it would be the most wonderful thing ever. And thus was born Motobushido. It wasn’t until some time later, after seeing a kabuki rendition of Titus Andronicus that everything truly began to take greater form. There’s a great piece of samurai fiction you should read calledCloud of Sparrows, written by Takashi Matsuoka. The story justmoves in a way that few others do, and it is an excellent example of well-timed narrative flashback brought into play. You should also watch the television show Firefly for another fantastic flashback example right at the very beginning of the very first episode – in fact, I refer to this scene every time I run a First Founding for new players, as it sums it up quite nicely.

For some really good duel inspirations, watch the anime Rurouni Kenshin (or read the manga), and play the Bushido Blade video game series, if you can find them. Battle Angel Alita is another anime/manga that probably gets referenced more than any others during games, and usually by my players themselves, and it’s gotten so frequent that I’m considering just making an Alita-themed playset hack. Two other anime series really got to me during the primary writing of this game: The Hakkenden and Hyouge Mono. I felt that both of them really illustrated well many of the concepts behind bushido, and the deeply emotional sacrifices that one must make in order to follow the way of the samurai.

As for tabletop games, if it weren’t for games like The Burning Wheel and Apocalypse World, chances are I never would have gotten to write this one. Beast Hunters is the only other game I’ve played which features the concept of the player salute, and it’s an action I really loved. The “rider salute” is something I do so often when I ride that I just had to find a way to incorporate it, and the player salute seemed perfect for it. The music of Kodo and the Yoshida Brothers was listened to more than anything else while writing this text. Providing counterpoint was the absolutely perfect music of local band Federale, which can best be described as “music you want playing while you die in a gunfight.” The soundtracks to13 Assassins and Red Dead Redemption were mighty inspirational, as well. And I can't deny the inspirational power I found within the GZA's Liquid Swords album.

105 NAME: PACK: ROLE: RANK: STYLE: BIKE: BIRTH SIGN: STAINS: KR

DUEL MODS NOMAD/BROTHERHOOD: / HAND: (DETERMINES BONUS CARDS) STRIKE: YOUR MAXIM: KI POOL: 1ST DEED: SUIT ORDER: 2ND DEED: 3RD DEED: BIRTH SIGN 4TH DEED: KI TRIGGER: LAW OF THE PACK

LESSON TRIGGER: WATER/STEEL: / (DETERMINES STRIKE RANGE) RECORDED LESSONS YOUR MAXIM: 1ST DEED: 2ND DEED: 3RD DEED: 4TH DEED: WAY OF THE SWORD

WILL/DESTINY: / (DETERMINES BONUS KI) YOUR MAXIM: 1ST DEED: 2ND DEED: 3RD DEED: 4TH DEED: CODE OF THE HIGHWAY PACK

TIER 1 TECH: SECONDARY POWER: +1 HAND +1 COHORT BONUS

TIER 2 TECH:

+1 HAND +1 COHORT BONUS FRATRICIDE POWER:

TIER 3 TECH:

+1 HAND +1 COHORT BONUS

TIER 4 TECH: BIKE:

TIGHT: SWORD OPEN:

TIER 1 TECH: RUGGED:

BADASS: +1 STRIKE +1 CHEAT DEATH ENDURANCE:

RIDER POWER: TIER 2 TECH:

+1 STRIKE +1 CHEAT DEATH

TIER 3 TECH:

+1 STRIKE +1 CHEAT DEATH

TIER 4 TECH:

HIGHWAY

EVOLVE RIDER POWER

+1 Ki +1 BIKE MOD

EVOLVE RIDER POWER

+1 Ki +1 BIKE MOD

EVOLVE RIDER POWER

+1 Ki +1 BIKE MOD

EVOLVE RIDER POWER