Most bushi are well-trained in primary techniques of kendo when they reach hari waza, and frequently stop improving at this level. Hari means "to sweep". As such, this weapon technique aims to "sweep" enemy sword out of the way. You perform this technique while being within 5 feet of hostile creature. You must use your bonus action first. Make a Reflexes check contesting enemy Reflexes check (if the enemy had not learned hari waza, they have disadvantage on this check). If you win, you push enemy's sword out of the way. If you lose, your sword is pushed away instead. Draw means that you clash against yourselves and nothing more happens. Then you use your action to make an Attack action. If you won previous Reflexes check, you have advantage on your melee weapon attacks you make against this creature. If you lost previous Reflexes check, you have disadvantage on your melee weapon attacks you make against this creature instead. Hari waza never works more than once against a single opponent, since they usually don't fall for the same trick twice. The opponent must be of small, medium or large for you to use this technique, and must be armed with a melee weapon. You don't have to move in asumi yashi to use this technique, but you must still hold your style weapon in both hands to use it. Idei Kendoka Level prerequisite- 7th. Weapon technique prerequisite- ki ken tai ichi, asumi yashi, kirikaeshi, ji-geiko, hari waza. You mastered primary kendo techniques. As such, your skills are honed to the deadly precision, and the blade sings in your hands. Above all, you grasped the principle of dodging and counterattacking and you know how to put it to good use. There is no limit to attacks of opportunity you can do, as they no longer cost you any reactions. Sample file PART 2 15 Kiri-tsuke Iado Level prerequisite- 4th. ----It is banal to tell the difference between a fool trying to Weapon technique prerequisite- jodan. pose as a swordmaster and a true iadoka- ask them the A technique translated loosely to "finishing cut", kiri-tsuke question, "how long did it take you to master nuki-tsuke?". is a performed from jodan stance with style weapon held in If they answer, "less than 10 years", you know they're two hands. lying."- Esshin of Minsen, old monk You strike in a blink of an eye with terryfing power, making A practice specific to the world of Idei Takoshime, iado use of sword's centrifugal force as an action. Make a single means "to draw" and describes a peculiar fighting technique melee weapon attack against the target within 10 feet of you specific to some of the takoshian samurai. In battle, iado (even though you normally would have only 5 feet range). If focuses on an extremely quick attack performed while you hit, the target receives maximum physical damage, that is drawing a sword from its sheath. 10 for katana, 8 for nijian and 6 for ninja-to or wakizashi. If you have Extra Attack feature, you may use kiri-tsuke to Iado as a weapon style finish your opponents off. If the target is still above 0 hit You may learn iado weapon techniques on level 2nd, 3rd, points after you deal damage with this technique, you 4th, 5th, 7th and 9th. immidiately deal the damage again. Its style weapons are: a katana, nijian, ninja-to, uchi- Kiri-tsuke may never be used more than once against a tomo, idei katana or wakizashi. You can hold one of these single opponent, and it is considererd honorless to fail killing weapons in two hands or one hand (unless stated otherwise), your opponent with it. but then the other hand must be left free. Kiri-tsuke also finishes your jodan stance. Jodan Yonhonme Level prerequisite- 2nd. Level prerequisite- 5th. Weapon technique prerequisite- asumi yashi. Most of the iadokas stop achieving in the iado weapon style Jodan is a special position you assume with your legs in after they master yonhonme. This technique puts to use sempo, your elbows raised and the sword almost years of practice into a masterful sequence of strikes which perpendicular to you body axis. usually finishes your enemy off. You may enter jodan as a bonus action. This causes you to As a bonus action, you lash out like a quicksilver and hit be ready for perfect-timing dodge, than counterattacking solar plexus of a humanoid enemy with style weapon's hilt. slash. If you enter Guard as an action during this turn, your They must make a Constitution saving throw (DC is equal to attack of opportunity made as a part of this specific Guard 8 + your Dexterity modifier + your Strength modifier). If they action deals extra damage of the weapon's type equal to your fail this saving throw, they become incapacitated until the proficiency modifier. You then leave jodan position. end of their next turn. To enter and stay in jodan, you must hold your style Next, as an action, you deliver deadly slash that literally weapon in both hands. bisects the enemy. Make a single melee weapon attack (it hits If you do anything else after you assume jodan (aside from automatically if your enemy is incapacitated). You deal 2d10 kiri-tsuke or karada ni koeru) it immidiately ends. plus your Strength and Dexterity modifier slashing damage on a successful hit. That damage is increased to 4d10 if you have Extra Attack feature. You must hold your style weapon Nuki-tsuke in two hands when performing this action. Level prerequisite- 3rd. Yonhonme is hard to use again on the same opponent- they To perform basic technique, called nuki-tsuke, one must have advantage on the Constitution saving throw if you try to have their style weapon stashed in scabbard, be within attack them with this technique again. melee attack range to an enemy creature and make a You may perform this technique only against humanoid Reflexes check as an action. enemies. Should the check's total amount be equal or exceed the target's AC, the target immidiately receives damage as if it Yonhonme, tsukate was hit by a melee weapon attack from said style weapon. Level prerequisite- 7th. Regardless of the roll, the character draws his weapon as a Weapon technique prerequisite- yonhonme. part of this attack, even if they did something similar during their movement. Note that this is not a melee weapon attack; A perfected version of yonhonme, this technique enhances it is a skill check, so it is not affected by disadvantage on it twofold and it is practiced only by a chosen handful in Idei attacks (but is affected by disadvantage on skill checks Takoshime. instead). If you fail to reduce the target's hit points to 0 with What's more, if the character performing this technique yonhonme, you may immidiately a melee weapon attack acts before the enemy target has acted in this encounter, against the target. If you manage to incapacitate it, the attack they aSampledd their proficiency bonus to the damage roll. hits automatically. file Note that nuki-tsuke can be performed only once per encounter, as it relies on an element of surprise. PART 2 16 Karada ni koeru Level prerequisite- 9th. Weapon technique prerequisite- jodan, nuki-tsuke, kiri- tsuke, yonhonme, yonhonme, tsukate. Karada ni koeru means "to cross the body" and is the living embodiment of iado weapon style. Only kensei Yamada Shikegichi no Toraware is said to master this weapon technique, indeed art. You must use your bonus action first, to focus your mind and clear it of all that clouds it. This is achieved by making a DC 15 Focus check. If you fail it, you may use your action on something else, but not on carrying out karada ni koeru. Should you make the check successfuly, you may use your action to dash forward in a blink of an eye- a technique so quick that nobody can defend from it. You move up to 15 feet and make two melee weapon attacks with advantage against a single hostile creature. Every strike deals 4d10 plus your Dexterity modifier damage. Make a damage roll even if the attack misses- this attack deals half the damage it normally would if it hit the target creature. To use this technique, you must hold your style weapon with two hands. Using karada ni koeru is famously taxing and, as such, it may be performed once per encounter. Sample file PART 2 17 Nagimasu o takeishi Nagamaridoka Level prerequisite- 4th. ----"A monstrous shape descended from the very sky, figure of Weapon technique prerequisite- nagimasu . massive build clad in flowing silk. With demonic laughter, she bisected Yuni before I could even act. My legs failed me and I saw her spinning and slashing through my brothers in arms A perfected version of nagimasu, this weapon technique until I passed out"- Takaraki Minomishi, samurai of Fujiwara offers a perfect counterattack after blockade or dodge. family, minutes before his seppuku When you become a target of melee weapon attack while Though it is rare, there are those in the Idei Takoshime the enemy is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to that practice with naginata- or onnanigata- from the very block the attack with naginata handle or special, ironclad childhood. Amongst those two groups of takoshians can be glove some nagamaridoka pracitioners use. This imposes found: female samurai of the Arigawa family and amidan disadvantage on enemy attack roll. If enemy misses this monks from Iasho school.