The Game of Twenty Questions

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Core Rulebook Core

The Game of Twenty Questions

Ever since the publication of its first edition in 1997, the Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Game has used the Game of Twenty Questions to help players create the backgrounds and personalities of their characters. The game encourages you, the player, to ask key questions about your character: What kind of character do you want to play? What is their history like? What are their goals? What is the most important thing in the world to them?

These questions are also used to build your character mechanically. As you answer the questions, you will be instructed to note down ring and skill increases, as well as other static values to be applied to your character. You will want to keep a running tally of your current ring and skill ranks.

Character Sheets

To get started, go to www.FantasyFlightGames.com. There you can print out a copy of the Character Sheet as well as the Twenty Questions Worksheet, both available to download. While you don’t need the character sheet or worksheet and can use a piece of paper to record information about your character, having those sheets makes the process eaiser.

When recording information on your character sheet or the worksheet, it’s best if you use a pencil, as your character will grow and evolve over the course of the campaign. You will also need a ten-sided die for some tables.

Limits on Skills and Rings

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All characters begin with 1 rank in each ring and 0 ranks in each skill. You cannot raise a ring or skill above rank 3 during character creation. If a choice would result in a ring rising above rank 3 during character creation, then you must choose a different ring to increase instead, as long as that ring would also not be increased above rank 3.

Similarly, if a choice would result in a skill rising above rank 3 during character creation, then you must choose a different skill that is not already at rank 3 to increase instead.

For more information on what the different ranks mean for rings and skills, see page 22 in Chapter 1: Playing the Game.

Part I: Core Identity (Clan and Family)

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The first few questions will define your character in general terms.

1. What clan does your character belong to?

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The seven Great Clans of Rokugan have ruled in the name of the Emperor since the founding of the Emerald Empire, and generations of legendary heroes have fought and died to maintain their power, prestige, and influence. A samurai of one of the Great Clans is inheritor to a weighty legacy. Each clan has an ancient and unique assortment of beliefs and ideals it imparts upon its members, set forth by the clan’s founding Kami and developed over the centuries.

When creating a character, you should choose a clan whose culture and values you find interesting from a storytelling standpoint. Whether your character wishes to rigidly adhere to these strictures, chafes under the pressure of them, or perhaps does a bit of both, clan identity is very important to who your character is and how they exist in the world.

The Crab Clan

The Crane Clan

The Dragon Clan

The Lion Clan

The Phoenix Clan

The Scorpion Clan

The Unicorn Clan

Starting Values

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When you begin to answer the Game of Twenty Questions, keep in mind the following baseline values for your character:

Rings: 1 rank in each ring.

Skills: 0 ranks in each skill.

Honor: Determined in Question 3.

Glory: Determined in Question 2.

Status: Determined in Question 1.

Endurance: Calculated based on your final ring values; (Earth + Fire) x 2.

Composure: Calculated based on your final ring values; (Earth + Water) x 2.

Focus: Calculated based on your final ring values; Fire + Air.

Vigilance: Calculated based on your final ring values; (Air + Water) / 2.

Creating NPCs

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While GMs certainly can use the rules in this chapter to create NPCs (non-player characters) if they wish, these rules are more suited to the creation of PCs (player characters). While this chapter contains many useful ideas that could shape the desires and motivations of NPCs, NPCs created in this manner would be more mechanically detailed than most of the examples that can be found in Chapter 8: Non-Player Characters.

What does your character know? — Crab Clan

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All Crab Clan characters have a greater awareness of the following topics:

You have a general awareness of the politics within Crab lands. You can name major family heads and other leaders, and you know their respective positions and allegiances.

You can identify common Shadowlands creatures such as goblins, ogres, and zombies, and you know how to dispatch them.

You grew up hearing stories and songs of heroes who faced greater evils still, such as oni, but you likely have not encountered such horrors personally.

You know all too well the befouling Taint of the Shadowlands and how best to avoid it, and you can recognize the advanced stages of this unnatural corruption.

What Does Bushidō Mean to Your Clan?

Courage is the greatest virtue in Crab lands, for the Kami Hida placed an especially grave task on the shoulders of his descendants. The Crab safeguard the most perilous border of the Emerald Empire, warding it against the terrible hordes of Fu Leng. The consequences of failure are obvious and dreadful to contemplate.

Rough and warlike, the Crab have never truly adopted the strict social refinement the other clans have come to demand of their constituents, and so Courtesy is defined somewhat more loosely for the Crab.

See page 301 for more information on how these can affect your honor and glory.

What does your character know? — Crane Clan

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All Crane Clan characters have a greater awareness of the following topics:

You have a strong awareness of the politics within Crane lands. You can name major family heads and other leaders, and you know their respective positions and allegiances.

You know about the general state of political affairs between the clans.

You know proper etiquette and protocol in the Imperial Capital.

You have a working knowledge of the high arts and the great masters of old (at least, among the Crane, for who else truly warrants note?).

What Does Bushidō Mean to Your Clan?

Courtesy is of deep importance to you, as your clan’s political power rests upon propriety and the idea of others respecting their proper place—and your own.

While many members of the Crane Clan are deeply brave, Courage in excess can lead to foolhardiness. Cool heads must prevail, and sometimes that means avoiding a fight altogether.

See page 301 for more information on how these can affect your honor and glory.

What does your character know? — Dragon Clan

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All Dragon Clan characters have a greater awareness of the following topics:

You have a general awareness of the politics within Dragon lands. You can name major family heads and other leaders, and you know their respective positions and allegiances.

You know more about monastic life and traditions than most other clans, having likely interacted with the Togashi Order throughout your life.

Due to the rugged nature of your homeland, you know how to properly prepare mountain flora and wildlife for human consumption.

You have a working understanding of many physical phenomena of the natural world, which others dismiss as uninteresting or beneath their station.

What Does Bushidō Mean to Your Clan?

Sincerity—aligning one’s words and deeds with one’s intentions—is the greatest virtue to the Dragon Clan. In this way, its samurai may remain true to themselves even if they should fail.

While members of the Dragon Clan take their obligations seriously, they define Duty and Loyalty somewhat differently than most other samurai. To a Dragon, unquestioning loyalty is not loyalty at all, and Dragon Clan lords have been known to tolerate and even value criticism that others would see as grave insubordination.

See page 301 for more information on how these can affect your honor and glory.

What does your character know? — Lion Clan

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All Lion Clan characters have a greater awareness of the following topics:

You have a general awareness of the politics within Lion lands. You can name major family heads and other leaders, and you know their respective positions and allegiances.

You know military history quite well, especially as it pertains to the glorious deeds of your forebears.

You can identify and know the proper purpose of all Rokugani battlefield weapons, even if you are not personally proficient in their use.

You know about most common military maneuvers and engagements, such as feigned retreats, flank attacks, raids, and sieges.

What Does Bushidō Mean to Your Clan?

Honor is at the center of the Lion Clan’s view of Bushidō, especially in the context of martial virtue. Its samurai learn to be the harshest judges of themselves and their actions, for without honor, the other virtues ring hollow.

This emphasis on Honor colors the clan’s perception of Compassion, for only those who comport themselves with Honor are worthy of the Lion Clan’s benevolence.

See page 301 for more information on how these can affect your honor and glory.

What Does your character know? — Phoenix Clan

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All Phoenix Clan characters have a greater awareness of the following topics:

You have a general awareness of the politics within Phoenix lands. You can name major family heads and other leaders, and you know their respective positions and allegiances.

You are familiar with the religious practices of Rokugan, such as the rites practiced by various priesthoods, the invocations of shugenja, the Tao of Shinsei, and even the traditions that existed before the Kami, such as the Fortunist traditions of the Isawa and the animist practices of the Yobanjin who dwell in the Great Wall of the North Mountains.

You know some of the most significant kami who reside in Phoenix lands by name from stories or perhaps even personal interaction.

You know the names and locations of all major shrines in Rokugan.

What Does Bushidō Mean to Your Clan?

Righteousness drives the samurai of the Phoenix Clan in their pursuits, and they are willing to sacrifice themselves to ensure the right thing is done. They know that when samurai do not govern their lands justly, the Heavens themselves will voice their displeasure.

At the same time, some truths must not be revealed to the world, and some mysteries are not meant even for the other samurai clans. The Phoenix Clan takes a selective view of Sincerity, certain in their belief that they are the best equipped to protect and wield certain knowledge.

See page 301 for more information on how these can affect your honor and glory.

What does your character know? — Scorpion Clan

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All Scorpion Clan characters have a greater awareness of the following topics:

You have a strong awareness of the politics within Scorpion lands. You can name major family heads and other leaders, and you know their respective positions and allegiances.

You know about the general state of political affairs between the clans.

You are aware of the most substantial criminal cartels in the Emerald Empire, especially as their interests overlap or conflict with those of the Scorpion Clan.

You know the state of court matters in the Imperial Capital.

What Does Bushidō Mean to Your Clan?

Duty and Loyalty is the core tenet of the Scorpion Clan. They must be prepared to do— and sacrifice—anything and everything in the service of the Empire.

Honor and Righteousness fall by the wayside for most Scorpion. While they are not wholly unimportant, obsessing over such matters would make many vital tasks impossible.

See page 301 for more information on how these can affect your honor and glory.

What does your character know? — Unicorn Clan

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All Unicorn Clan characters have a greater awareness of the following topics:

You have a general awareness of the politics within Unicorn lands. You can name major family heads and other leaders, and you know their respective positions and allegiances.

You know many basic facts of life about foreign lands, particularly the Burning Sands, the Ivory Kingdoms, and beyond, even if you have not journeyed there yourself.

You know at least some foreign words from numerous languages, such as Nehiri, Ivindi, Myantu, and Portuga, and might fluently speak one of these or even a language wholly unknown in the Emerald Empire.

You know the basics of mounted combat tactics, along with various other aspects of the proper handling and care of horses.

What Does Bushidō Mean to Your Clan?

Compassion is the most significant tenet of Bushidō to the Unicorn Clan, for mutual understanding and cooperation was the key to the clan’s survival during its long journey across the wider world. On this journey, members of the Unicorn Clan met many people with a wide variety of beliefs, cultures, and values, and they became far more accustomed to coexistence with strange outsiders than are most Great Clan samurai.

The Unicorn Clan has had several centuries to acclimate to the Emerald Empire, to which it has returned, but the customs and culture they adopted during their travels remain a powerful force within the clan. These customs often clash with the Rokugani concept of Courtesy, and the Unicorn’s seeming dismissal of Rokugani politeness is one of the most contentious ways in which Shinjo’s clan differs from those of her siblings.

See page 301 for more information on how these can affect your honor and glory.

2. What family does your character belong to?

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Even within a single clan, the customs and traditions of the various families inform the creation of a wide variety of characters. Once your clan is chosen, pick which of the clan’s families your character hails from.

The Hida Family

The Hiruma Family

The Kaiu Family

The Kuni Family

The Yasuki Family

The Asahina Family

The Daidoji Family

The Doji Family

The Kakita Family

The Agasha Family

The Kitsuki Family

The Mirumoto Family

The Togashi Order

The Akodo Family

The Ikoma Family

The Kitsu Family

The Matsu Family

The Asako Family

The Isawa Family

The Kaito Family

The Shiba Family

The Bayushi Family

The Shosuro Family

The Soshi Family

The Yogo Family

The Ide Family

The Iuchi Family

The Moto Family

The Shinjo Family

The Utaku Family

Part II: Role and School

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A character’s rings represent their potential, but their school and skills represent their learned expertise. Each school grants a character access to a number of starting skills, techniques, abilities, and equipment, along with a curriculum through which the character can advance by spending experience (see page 97).

If a school’s starting techniques or curriculum grants a character a technique or the ability to purchase that technique, the character ignores any other prerequisites listed for that technique. These prerequisites are found in the technique’s entry in Chapter 4: Techniques. Techniques granted in exception to their prerequisites are marked with the symbol.

3. What is your character’s school, and what roles does that school fall into?

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In Rokugan, duty is central to every samurai’s life. Samurai fulfill many different positions for their lords. Bushi are warriors, guards, and instructors by trade, and courtiers are politicians, emissaries, and civil servants. Artisans are creators, advisors, engineers, and scholars of art. Shugenja are priests of the samurai caste who share a special bond with the kami. This bond and the secrets of their ancient schools let them invoke miraculous powers that more common religious leaders cannot wield. They are few in number, but substantial in their influence.

Monks nominally stand aside from society, but many samurai enter a monastic order. Most commonly, they do this in their old age, but some become monks much earlier. At various points in history, monks have been known to wield considerable political influence, even if they are supposed to be above such earthly concerns.

Finally, some samurai serve their lords as shinobi— though none admit to it openly, for the work of these assassins and spies is incompatible with adherence to the Code of Bushidō. Shinobi are often deniable assets, and many were never samurai; however, some members of the samurai caste are trained in these arts, especially among the Scorpion Clan. While shinobi are quite rare, their influence over the course of history has been as substantial as it has been difficult to prove.

Each school fits into one or more of these role categories. A school’s role has little in the way of direct mechanical effect, but it is descriptive of the preparation and duties that will affect your character’s mind-set and options during the campaign. For instance, if you want to play a character who wields supernatural powers, you should select a shugenja or monk school. If you are more interested in social exploration than combat, you should choose a courtier or artisan instead of a bushi (or vice versa). If you want stealth and deception to be an important part of your character’s story, you might choose a shinobi.

During this step, a player chooses a single school within their clan for their character. If you wish for your character to study at another school outside of their clan, ask your GM’s permission and work out a set of circumstances that have allowed for your character to receive their unusual training.

4. How does your character stand out within their school?

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Even in a training system as regulated as that of a dōjō, different students excel in different areas. Even a pair of twins from the same family attending the same school might differ in temperament, aptitude, or inclination.

Choose one of the following options and increase your ring rank by the specified amount:

Creativity, passion, or drive (+1 Fire Ring): Your character is recognized by their teachers and peers for their inventive ideas, their sincere love for the craft of their school, or their intense and irrepressible desire to succeed in their field. Their energy and enthusiasm inspire fellow students and galvanize rivals to put forth their best as well.

Grace, eloquence, or empathy (+1 Air Ring): Your character stands out in their school for their finesse, the refinement with which they express themself in social situations, or their sensitivity to the feelings of others. To other students, their successes often appear effortless, but the truth of the matter is that their innate attention to detail means that they work as hard as anyone else, if not harder.

Adaptability, friendliness, or awareness (+1

Water Ring): Your character’s willingness to roll with the punches, gregariousness, or understanding of their environment stands out among their peers. Your character tends not to get stuck in mental ruts the same way many people do, or at least they have ways to get out of them.

Thoroughness, patience, or calm (+1 Earth

Ring): Stoicism is a trait valued greatly in Rokugan, and your character bears challenges and hardships without complaint. Your character’s teachers might have come to rely upon them as an assistant instructor, while their peers are likely to see them as a source of wisdom and stability.

Self-awareness, insight, or mysticism (+1

Void Ring): At a certain point, all arts become a study of the universe, oneself, and the relationship between the two, and your character is more adept at seeing things within both than most of their peers are. They might even seem to have a supernatural sense of things, and to act based on hunches about what is to come in addition to possessing insight about their place in the wider universe.

Part III: Honor and Glory

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Honor and glory are everything to a samurai. Honor reflects one’s inward opinion of how well one adheres to the tenets of Bushidō, while glory reflects how well-known one’s name is throughout the Empire. In a perfect world, samurai could bring glory to themselves and their clans while maintaining their moral integrity, but in Rokugan, samurai are frequently tested to see which one they value more highly.

For more information, see the sections on Honor and Glory in Chapter 1: Playing the Game.

5. Who is your lord and what is your character’s duty to them?

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Your samurai’s lord is a figure of utmost importance in their life—the individual to whom they have sworn their fealty directly. While your samurai’s lord might in turn have a lord of their own, your character’s oath is to their lord directly rather than the hierarchy in which they exist. Who is this individual, and how does your character serve them? Your lord might be a provincial daimyō, an official of some kind in the Imperial bureaucracy, a great general, or someone of humbler status (but still higher than your own). Ask your GM if they want you to invent this figure on your own, or if they intend to provide the identity of your character’s lord. Your character’s lord in intrinsically tied to your character’s giri, a motive that should play a major part in their dramatic arc.

After you decide who your character’s lord is, you should work with your GM to determine specifics: What is their name? What role do they serve in their clan? What sort of personality and history do they have? Depending on the type of campaign your GM is running, your character’s lord might be a clan magistrate, a city governor, a provincial daimyō, or even a Great Clan family daimyō. The GM should give players a large degree of leeway in their selection of a giri, as long as it is not disruptive to the story, as it should be something that the player is invested in seeing their character pursue during the campaign.

Your character might even have two lords, such as if they are an Emerald Magistrate. In this case, not only would your character be expected to serve the Emerald Champion on behalf of the Emperor, but their family daimyō would still expect them to work toward the clan’s interests at the same time. If your character possesses or acquires a title from, or a major obligation to, a different lord or bureaucracy, the GM might ask you to create another giri for them based on this other lord’s expectations. Again, the GM and player should collaborate to create something both are excited to explore in the story.

Once this is established, add in a few details about your character’s relationship with their lord, and then determine the most important aspect of their relationship: how does your character serve their lord on a day-to-day basis? In theory, samurai care only about serving their lord (in practice, however, they are human). What is the primary service that you render to your lord? How does your lord call upon your skills?

Write down your answer on your character sheet under “Giri.” Giri is how your character acquires esteem in the eyes of their lord, and thus is related to your character’s reputation within the Empire, their glory. See more under Giri, on page 39 of Chapter

1: Playing the Game.

Bushi characters might be given tasks suited to bodyguards (yōjimbō), guards, soldiers, magistrates, executioners, or generals.

Courtier and artisan characters might be given tasks suited to craftspeople, performers, guides, diplomats, magistrates, seneschals, or spymasters.

Shugenja characters might be given tasks suited to priests, researchers, librarians, warrior-priests, shrine keepers, or spiritual advisors to daimyō. Rarely, shugenja might be guards, artisans, or magistrates.

Monk characters who no longer belong to a clan generally serve the interests of their order instead of their lord. They might be given tasks suited to priests, temple caretakers, charity workers in their community, librarians, teachers, or pilgrims. Monks who still belong to a clan usually have duties similar to those of a shugenja.

Shinobi characters are hired assassins and infiltrators, but they usually have a cover guise. A shinobi’s giri is almost always a secret; the player of a shinobi should also decide what their character’s outwardly stated giri is when selecting their true objective.

Selecting One’s Giri Properly

Giri provides characters with the first of their two primary drives within the story. You should be able to answer the following questions in the affirmative when considering your character’s giri and ninjō (personal feelings) together, and if you cannot, you should talk to your GM about selecting a different giri:

Is this giri something you want to see your character pursue or contend with during the story? This does not mean that your character should always enjoy the weight of their duty, but you, the player, should be excited by the prospect of getting to watch your character struggle with it.

Can your character make progress toward completing this giri no matter where the campaign takes your character? A good giri has clear paths you can explore with it even when it does not tie in with the main plot, and it should be something that can influence your character’s choices no matter what location they travel to or what obstacles they face.

Is this giri likely to conflict with your ninjō at least occasionally? Being pulled between duty and desires is a key part of many works of samurai fiction, and even if the two are not diametrically opposed, your character should sometimes have to make hard decisions about which is more important in the moment.

6. What does your character long for, and how might this impede their duty?

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In theory, samurai care only about serving their lord, but in practice, samurai possess their own individual desires as well. What is the greatest, most pressing personal goal or belief that your samurai carries within their heart? And what prevents them from finding resolution on this matter?

Write down your character’s personal question, goal, or core desire on your character sheet under “Ninjō.” Ninjō is a challenge that you set before your character, forcing them to confront the ideals of Bushidō and the cost to uphold them as they pursue their desire—thus, it is related to their honor. Another way to look at ninjō is to ask yourself: what goal might tempt the character to disobey their lord or do other dishonorable things? What would be worth such risks to them? See more under Ninjō, on page 38 of

Chapter 1: Playing the Game.

Samurai drama revolves around competing desires. To create quandaries for your samurai that enhance drama and make for enjoyable roleplaying, you should think about how your character’s giri and ninjō might come into conflict. They do not need to be in constant opposition, but there should always be the possibility for friction between the two—and the conflict your character would feel at such times should be interesting to you!

If you can’t imagine a few exciting moments that might arise from your character being forced to choose between the two (or you wouldn’t enjoy roleplaying those moments), modify one or both selections until you can. The GM will be working to bring both up during the course of the campaign, which leads to difficult choices for your character (and thus, interesting choices for you, the player!).

Selecting One’s Ninjō Properly

Ninjō provides characters with the second of their two primary drives within the story. Some classic personal desires from works of samurai fiction include variations on the themes of ambition, art, beauty, belonging, enlightenment, envy, family, glory, greed, love, justice, knowledge, peace, safety, or revenge, or a combination thereof. Things like “to be an honorable samurai” or “to obey my lord” are poor selections for a character’s ninjō. These are simply baseline requirements of being a samurai and, more importantly, they do not provide the character with the clear moments of fallibility that make characters in Legend of the Five Rings interesting to play.

By comparison, similar but slightly more involved ninjō such as “to punish samurai who abuse their power by dishonoring themselves” or “to win my lord’s love” provide enough room for conflict with the general precepts of being a samurai to function well as ninjō because they invoke the character’s personal desire rather than mere societal expectation.

You should be able to answer the following questions in the affirmative when considering your character’s ninjō and giri (duty to one’s lord) together, and if you cannot, you should talk to your GM about selecting a different ninjō:

Is this ninjō something you want to see your character pursue or contend with during the story? This does not mean that your character should always find pursuing their desire pleasant, wise, or even healthy, but you, the player, should be excited by the prospect of getting to watch your character struggle with it.

Is this ninjō likely to arise no matter where the campaign takes your character? A good ninjō tugs at your character’s heart regardless of where they wander, and it should be something that can influence your character’s choices no matter what location they travel to or what obstacles they face.

Is this ninjō something for which your character might sully their honor or defy their lord? A good ninjō means enough to the character that pursuing it is a serious temptation, while ignoring it has serious enough stakes that it would cause the samurai to be unhappy or unmotivated to continue serving their lord.

7. What is your character’s relationship with their clan?

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Not every samurai lives and breathes their clan’s creed, and individuals often diverge considerably from their clan on specific issues of philosophy, politics, or other personal matters. Now that you know who your lord is, does your character embrace their clan’s ideals and goals, or do they find themself in conflict with them? Does your character agree with current policies or regard them as mistakes? Perhaps a militaristic samurai is born into the Crane or the Phoenix Clan, or a pacifistic samurai is born into the Lion or Crab Clan. Perhaps a Scorpion disagrees with their clan’s sinister behavior. Perhaps a Lion believes their clan’s enmity for the Crane is an error.

Consider not only how your character differs from clan orthodoxy, but how they arrived at that point. Perhaps an ancient grudge with another clan was revealed as foolishness when they had to journey alongside a member of that clan—or maybe one of the clan’s allies uses methods your character cannot tolerate. This can help flesh out not just your character’s worldview, but also their story so far.

Choose one of the following:

If your character believes firmly in the precepts of their clan and the values it holds dear, gain +5 glory based on their reputation as an upstanding member of their community.

If your character has a fundamental disagreement with their clan’s beliefs, policies, or practices and has defied these in the past, gain 1 rank in a skill in which you have 0 ranks. Consider why this skill represents a divergence from the clan’s training or values.

8. What does your character think of Bushidō?

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All samurai are supposed to respect and venerate the Code of Bushidō, but some clans and families pay more attention to some tenets than others (see each clan’s particular view on Bushidō in their entries earlier in this chapter), and there are always a few samurai who refuse to believe in Bushidō at all. Does your character agree with their clan’s views, or does your character differ on certain points or even disregard certain elements of Bushidō? If your character’s belief in Bushidō is completely in alignment with their clan, what past experiences have reinforced it or renewed their faith in it? If your character has come to believe that Bushidō is flawed, or at least that most people are misguided in the way they practice it, what events drove them to this development?

Choose one of the following:

If your character’s belief in living by an orthodox interpretation of Bushidō is very staunch, gain +10 honor.

If your character diverges from some or all common beliefs about how samurai should behave honorably, gain 1 rank in one of the following skills to reflect past behavior that was unbefitting of a samurai or deeply defied the norm: Commerce, Labor, Medicine, Seafaring, Skulduggery, or Survival.

Part IV: Strengths and Weaknesses

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Beyond their rings and skills, characters are also defined by their advantages and disadvantages—the quirks and vulnerabilities that make them tick. Each advantage or disadvantage is assigned to a single one of the character’s rings and is classified with one or more types. Different school abilities and techniques may interact with the different types of advantages and disadvantages.

During character creation, a character is assigned two advantages (one distinction and one passion) in Questions 9 and 11, two disadvantages (one adversity and one anxiety) in Questions 10 and 12, and one additional advantage or disadvantage of your choice in Question 13.

9. What is your character’s greatest accomplishment so far?

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What is your character’s greatest achievement so far in life, and how did they accomplish it? Your character might have won a tournament or event thanks to innate ability, created a work of art that caught the eye of their daimyō, slain a remarkable beast while on a hunt, or even taken the initiative to cultivate a politically advantageous marriage.

Your character likely possesses some ability or strength of character that assisted in this noteworthy achievement, which you should also select at this stage. It can even be interesting to create a contrast between what the character thinks are their strengths, and what these really are—your character might not be aware of their own best quality, or they might mistakenly believe they succeeded for unrelated reasons.

In addition to deciding on your character’s greatest achievement in their life so far, choose one distinction advantage that was key to accomplishing this success, or that your character developed as a result of it. See Specific Distinctions, on page 101, for a list of options. If you want to create your own distinction, consult with your GM using the guidance in Creating Custom Advantages and Disadvantages, on page 137.

10. What holds your character back the most in life?

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Many things are expected of samurai in the Emerald Empire, and nearly all samurai have some ongoing challenge in their life that makes these expectations harder to live up to. This challenge might be a personality quirk such as naïveté, selfishness, or a bad temper; it could be a physical ailment or disability; or it might even be a spiritual vulnerability such as a family curse. When choosing a challenge, you should select something that you think you will enjoy roleplaying (especially at times when your character does not enjoy facing this difficulty).

Choose one adversity disadvantage for your character. See Specific Adversities, on page 116, for a list of options. If you want to create your own adversity, consult with your GM using the guidance in Creating Custom Advantages and Disadvantages, on page 137.

11. What activity Most makes your character feel at peace?

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The answer to this question could be anything from food and drink to specific activities, certain material possessions, or particular persons. Why does the character like or dislike these things? Does it stem from sharing the activity with a loved one in the past or a seemingly spontaneous fascination with the

subject itself? How has an enjoyment of this activity shaped your character’s life? Have they made friends— or enemies—as a result of this hobby?

Choose one passion advantage related to your character’s interests or hobbies. See Specific Passions, on page 111, for a list of options. If you want to create your own passion, consult with your GM using the guidance in Creating Custom Advantages and Disadvantages, on page 137.

12. What concern, fear, or foible troubles your character the most?

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Samurai are expected to maintain a controlled façade befitting their station at most times, but no human can avoid having some things that make them anxious, afraid, or angry. Are your character’s fears or frustrations derived from past experiences, trauma, or personal failure? Are they related to a person or specific event? Does your character fully understand the source of their emotional turmoil, or do they have trouble expressing or processing these feelings? As with the adversity you selected, you should select something that you think you will enjoy roleplaying when it challenges your character.

Choose one anxiety disadvantage for your character. See Specific Anxieties, on page 130, for a list of options. If you want to create your own anxiety, consult with your GM using the guidance in Creating Custom Advantages and Disadvantages, on page 137.

13. Who has your character learned the most from during their life?

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An instructor in your character’s school might have set them on their current path, or a parent’s influence might still guide their actions. Your character’s lord might have served as a political mentor, showing them the value of compassion—or of ruthlessness—and thereby shaped their ethos for life. A good marriage might have led your character to a true peer who helped them overcome a challenge or personal obstacle, while a bad marriage might have left your character jaded about relationships overall. Having to care for a younger sibling or child might have caused your character to develop in unforeseen ways. Losing a loved one might have driven your character into anguish, or it might have forced them to grow in ways they never thought possible to stand on their own. A disastrously bad relationship or a long-running feud with a hated rival could have forged your character into the person they are today. Your character might even have met a supernatural being who has served as a guide or patron, or one who set a curse upon your character in exchange for giving your character power or as punishment for transgressions against the Celestial Order.

In the Relationships section of the character sheet, record the name of the person from whom your character has learned the most, along with the nature of their relationship. Then, choose one of the following options and gain the listed feature:

One advantage related to your character’s mentor and their relationship.

One disadvantage related to your character’s mentor and their relationship, and 1 rank in a skill that your character developed as a result of your character’s closest confidante and their relationship.

If you want to create your own advantage or disadvantage, consult with your GM using the guidance in Creating Custom Advantages and Disadvantages, on page 137.

Part V: Personality and Behavior

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Your character is more than a set of statistics on paper; knowing how they are likely to behave in a situation is important when you are roleplaying their decisions and interactions.

14. What do people notice first upon encountering your character?

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In a given region and especially within a particular clan, samurai are expected to behave, dress, and comport themselves in certain ways. Customs vary somewhat by region, and certain allowances are made for outsiders—a battle-hardened Crab bushi on business in a Crane court is hardly expected to be able to maintain perfect etiquette, although their manners are sure to be subtly criticized by the courtiers present.

Within their homeland, however, any aspect of a character that veers from the norm, from slight oddities of appearance to trivial mannerisms, tend to attract attention. A character might stand out for their unusual looks, strange dress, or ancestry that can be traced to far-flung parts of the Emerald Empire (or even beyond, in the case of some families). A minor behavior, like chewing one’s lip when nervous or clasping one’s hands to hide trembling fingers, can be the thing that others remember about a character. Perhaps the character always says the same thing when meeting a stranger. All these things add subtle depth to the character—and so does a deliberate absence of memorable details.

Record the answer in the Personality, Habits and Quirks section of your character sheet.

Additionally, choose one distinctive aesthetic accoutrement that your character carries or wears most of the time (e.g. a scarf, hair ornament, engraved scabbard, eyepatch, etc). This bit of personal flair might accent their striking features or stand in contrast to them.

15. How does your character react to stressful situations?

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Although samurai are supposed to maintain proper decorum and conceal their emotions, few of them are truly able to control their feelings at all times. Even the most stoic and rigidly self-controlled samurai occasionally lets out a true sign of feeling, especially when they are being berated by their lord or treated disrespectfully by their subordinates. What emotions does your character show, and why? What events or feelings can make them lose their self-control? Conversely, what emotions can they always control, no matter what?

Describe a noteworthy physical response that your character has during times of stress and note it under the Personality, Habits, and Quirks section of the character sheet. As your character’s strife approaches their composure, your character might display this behavior, and it could play a part any time they unmask.

Using Strife and Unmasking for Roleplaying

Moments when your character unmasks are great opportunities for their personality to shine through, so you should think about how stress affects them. In the Personality, Traits, and Quirks section of the character sheet, record some physiological, verbal, or mental signs they display as their strife rises.

Does your character get loud and abrasive when enraged, or does their voice fall to an icy whisper? Do they fall to their knees in prayer when wracked with uncertainty or respond to everything as if it is a violent threat? Perhaps they have a simple mannerism they display as they grow more anxious, such as idly flexing their fingers or shifting subtly to a guarded posture. Do they have a particular turn of phrase they tend to use upon growing excited or frustrated? Come up with one or two examples that help breathe life into your character as they approach their emotional threshold.

With the GM’s permission, you can even mix and match the narrative and mechanical effects of various ways to unmask, re-flavor the narrative side of an example unmasking to better fit your character, or make up a wholly new way your character unmasks.

16. What are your character’s preexisting relationships with other clans, families, organizations, and traditions?

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A character is exposed to many other groups during their life in numerous ways; diplomacy, marriage alliances, trade, wars, and travel all may bring a person into contact with groups they do not belong to (at least initially). What other groups within the Emerald Empire has your character been exposed to, and what impression have these exposures left? Is your character betrothed or married to a member of another family or clan? Did they marry into that family or clan and suddenly need to acclimate to a very different set of expectations and social strictures? Are your character’s marriage prospects poor due to bad relationships or due to bad blood with neighboring families or clans? Has your character been too involved in battles or even all-out war against another clan? Did victory or defeat harden their heart against members of this clan, or did the pointlessness of war against other clans become obvious during the war? Does your character have a personal reason to feel sympathy for a particular group or to hate them, and if so, how did this develop?

Record any noteworthy history, quarrels, alliances, or grievances your character has with other groups in the Relationships section of your character sheet.

Additionally, choose one item of rarity 7 or lower that your character received as a gift from one such group, took in battle fighting against them, or that otherwise relates to or symbolizes the character’s past and ongoing relationship with them. Add this item to your starting outfit.

Part VI: Ancestry and Family

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Now is the time to determine who your character’s parents and ancestors are, and how that has defined your character.

17. How would your character’s parents describe them?

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Parental devotion is an expected virtue in a land where the family, not the individual, is the repository of honor and reputation. However, despite this ideal, there are plenty of samurai who have a fractious relationship with their parents, or who offer outward veneration while concealing a lack of respect. Does your character have a proper relationship with their parents, or are they estranged? Was the character’s childhood a happy one. Were they a torment to their parents, or vice versa? Are their parents still alive?

Record the nature of the relationship between your character and their parents or immediate family members in the Relationships section of your character sheet.

Additionally, gain one rank of one skill in which your character has 0 ranks, and determine whether your character’s parents approve of this extracurricular interest or see it as a regrettable deviation, and why.

18. Who was your character named to honor?

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When receiving or choosing a name at their coming of age ceremony, many samurai adopt a name that honors a recent or particularly noteworthy ancestor. In the Emerald Empire, using a portion of an ancestral name combined with other syllables to change its meaning is one common practice for many families. Whose name is your character’s derived from? What was meant by the bestowal of this name upon your character? What did this person accomplish during their life? How did they die, or do they still live? Did or does your character have a personal relationship with this ancestor? Does your character feel pride in the name they carry, or do they fear failing to live up to the person it represents?

First, roll a ten-sided die twice. Consult those numbers in Table 2–1: Samurai Heritage on the next page to see entries on two potential famous relatives from the last few generations. Choose one of those two options as the relative for whom your character is named. Then, roll a ten-sided die again as specified by that entry.

At the GM’s discretion, all players in a game may choose the first result, the second result, or both results.

19. What is your character’s personal name?

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After you have chosen the name of the ancestor your character’s name honors, choose the personal name derived from it that your character is be known by. It might be the same name or an alteration with significance to your character. This is the name that is recorded in the family register, replacing the name they used as a child. In the Rokugani style, the character typically is addressed by their family name (chosen in Question 18), with the appropriate honorific, but close associates may refer to them simply by their personal name. What does your character’s name mean? Does your character’s appearance fit with their name, or are the two incongruous?

20. How should your character die?

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All proper samurai fully expect to die in the service of their lord, and it is said that every samurai lives at all times three feet from death—the length of a katana blade. However, some deaths have more meaning than others, and there are plenty of samurai whose outward façade of courage hides a deep-seated fear of mortality. How would you like your character to end? Will they fulfill their destiny and join their ancestors in Yomi, the Realm of Sacred Ancestors, or will their soul be forced to undertake another cycle on the Celestial Wheel of reincarnation?

This has no mechanical implications, but you should keep it in mind. Your GM certainly will…

RESULT | MODIFIERS | OTHER EFFECTS

Path of Waves – The Essential Guide to Rōnin PoW

A Revised Game of Twenty Questions

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In the Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook, the Game of Twenty Questions is an integral part of developing and getting to know a character. For players seeking to play a rōnin, gaijin, or peasant character, the revised set of questions better tackles the differences and nuances of struggling, surviving, and succeeding in a society that loathes those who do not fit neatly into the Celestial Order—or those who scandalously reject it.

The questions provided within this chapter are used to breathe life into a character, giving them desires, bonds, histories, and regrets. Mechanical attributes and modifiers are assigned as players make these choices. Throughout the process, players are instructed to write down skill and ring increases as well as other static values to be applied to each character. Players will want to keep a running tally of ring values and skill ranks as they are acquired. Players will need access to the Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook for various portions of the character creation process.

Character Sheets

To get started, go to www.FantasyFlightGames.com. There, players can download and print copies of the Path of Waves* Character Sheet and the Path of Waves* Twenty Questions Worksheet. Players can also choose to use a blank piece of paper instead of the provided sheets to record information about their character.

When recording information on the character sheet or worksheet, it’s best if players use pencil, as characters grow and change over the course of play.

limits on skills and rings

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All characters begin with 1 rank in each ring and 0 ranks in each skill. Rings and skills have a maximum rank of 3 during character creation. If a choice would result in a ring rising above rank 3 during character creation, then the player must choose a different ring to increase instead, as long as that ring would not be increased above 3.

Similarly, if a choice would result in a skill rising above rank 3 during character creation, then the player must choose a different skill that is not already at rank 3 to increase instead. For more information on what different ranks mean for rings and skills, see page 22 of the core rulebook.

Part I: Core Identity (Region and Upbringing)

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The first few questions will define your character’s origins in general terms.

1. what region does your character come from?

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For a character who doesn’t fit into samurai society, the lands they hail from are as important to their identity as a clan is to a samurai. Even within Rokugan, the geography and character of the land can shift dramatically as soon as one passes over the next hill or crosses a hungry river. The place where a character has spent many years of their life imparts particular skills and may impress upon them certain inclinations regarding how to approach the world, both within and outside the environment to which the character is accostumed.

When you create a rōnin character, you choose a regional option that interests you. A character may be boldly colored by their experiences in this region, may care little for the area but remember its lessons, or may feel shame about their association with that location. You should take this opportunity to start thinking about what sort of childhood your character had and what major life events may have led them down the path they follow now.

Urban Region

Rural Farmland Region

Sea, River, or Lake Region

Forest Region

Mountain Region

Haunted Region

Regional Options for

Gaijin Characters

Status: Begins at 0 in Rokugan, can be increased.

Ujik of the Plains of Wind and Stone

Qamarists in the Cradle of the World

Yodha of the Ghostlands

The Sheelavaan of Bhavyatapura

starting values

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When you begin to answer the Path of Waves Game of Twenty Questions, keep in mind the following baseline values for your character:

Rings: 1 rank in each ring.

Skills: 0 ranks in each skill.

Honor: Determined in Question 3.

Glory: Determined in Question 1.

Status: Determined in Question 2.

Endurance: Calculated based on your final ring values; (Earth + Fire) x 2.

Composure: Calculated based on your final ring values; (Earth + Water) x 2.

Focus: Calculated based on your final ring values; Fire + Air

Vigilance: Calculated based on your final ring values; (Air + Water) / 2.

Creating NPCs

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While GMs certainly can use the rules in this chapter to create NPCs (non-player characters) if they wish, these rules are more suited to the creation of PCs (player characters). While this chapter contains many useful ideas that could help shape the desires and motivations of NPCs, NPCs created in this manner would be more mechanically detailed than most of the examples found in

Chapter 8: Non-Player Characters in the core rulebook (starting on page 308) and

Chapter 7: Non-Player Characters in this book (starting on page 227).

what does your character know? — Urban Region

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All residents of urban regions have a greater awareness of the following topics:

You have a general awareness of the political climate within your city of origin. You can name major families, prominent merchants, and other leaders in the city as well as their respective positions and allegiances.

You know the layout and local residents in the neighborhood where you grew up or where you live now, along with any unusual features, shortcuts, or hidden wonders in your chosen area of the city.

You have knowledge of the impact of crime, poverty, or political unrest that you have experienced in your city during your lifetime.

Due to the cosmopolitan culture of cities, you have made many connections during your time in your city. You personally have a family member, friend, or business associate who has traveled abroad or knows about political or business dealings in another land.

You have moderate knowledge of some form of crime or legitimate trade related to the industry or commerce of your city.

what does your character know? — Rural Farmland Region

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All residents of rural farmland regions have a greater awareness of the following topics:

You have general knowledge of the political climate within your region. You can name major families, prosperous local farmers, and important government officials to whom your family or local community reports.

You grew up hearing stories from your parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents of major political upheavals or forces that moved through your region and can relate either detailed or exaggerated accounts of any notable events that may have taken place in your family members’ lifetimes.

You are aware of past and predicted harvest times, the timing of the seasons, and any peculiar weather phenomena in your region. You are also keenly aware of the impact of any events (political or otherwise) that interfere with your community’s livelihood: the harvest.

You have inherited a strong oral tradition and can sing or recite folk songs or stories passed down from your ancestors.

You have a working knowledge of agricultural practices and how to make a living in your region.

You are largely unaware of larger political movements and concerns, and your cultural awareness is mostly confined to your local community.

Glory

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When considering samurai characters, glory represents how well a character is acting as a samurai and how well-known they are for representing the tenets of Bushidō.

For non-samurai, glory instead represents personal reputation other characters who exist outside of polite samurai society view glory as a measure of how people generally view them, including their honesty, good works, and history of paying their debts (both their promises and monetary obligations). Personal reputation is very important for others’ willingness to work with them, offer them jobs, and give them information.

what does your character know? — Sea River Or Lake Region

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All residents of a sea, river, or lake region have a greater awareness of the following topics:

You have a general awareness of the politics of cities and strongholds connected by the trade routes along your river or body of water. You can name major merchants, family heads, and significant leaders in these areas, and you know their respective positions and allegiances.

You either have experience with, or have heard stories of, the extreme destructive power of water and the devastation wrought by storms, floods, and violent natural and unnatural phenomena that comes from living so close to water. Conversely, you are also aware of the advantages (both social and material) that come from harnessing the power of water.

Your life near the waves has taught you how to prepare for floods and hurricanes, and how to travel on the water, whether by swimming, piloting watercraft, or other means.

You know stories of heroes or antagonists who either prevailed over, or succumbed to, the local waters of your region, and their significance.

You are familiar with folk songs and tales passed down in your local community, particularly those that portray the spiritual and natural hazards of the water, and can recite at least one from memory.

You have exposure to cultural customs from distant regions that trade with your people.

what does your character know? — Forest Region

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All residents of a forest region have a greater awareness of the following topics:

You have a general awareness of the politics and border disputes that affect your region. You know the names of major nobles, family heads, and other leaders, and you are aware of their respective positions and allegiances.

You are aware of any legends and stories, of spirits or otherwise, that are popular or seem dangerous in your region.

Your experience navigating dense foliage and shrouded terrain has given you basic instincts that help you avoid getting lost and to find your way again in wilderness circumstances.

You are able to forage, and you possess basic knowledge of hunting techniques, which helps you survive in the forest. You know how to prepare what you find and hunt for consumption.

You value the power and terror of the deep undergrowth and have a healthy respect for the dangers of your region due to either first- or secondhand experience of these hazards.

You have working knowledge of animal behaviors and are familiar with the local wildlife of your region.

what does your character know? — Mountain Region

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All mountain region residents have a greater awareness of the following topics:

You have a general awareness of the politics of your region. You can name major nobles, family heads, and other leaders, and you know their respective positions and allegiances.

Having lived in the mountains in your early life, you know major trails and pilgrimage routes, either from traveling them yourself or from hearing from others who take them. You also possess an understanding of the convictions and tenets of nearby monasteries from the pilgrims and adherents who travel along these routes.

You have a unique understanding of the demands of living in such an extreme environment and have learned how to survive and secure food and water for yourself by foraging, hunting, or both. You have experience traversing your region and thus can handle similar terrain. You are also familiar with how to navigate steep slopes in extreme weather conditions.

You are able to identify the names of peaks and features of the mountains and valleys of your region, and you can recall associated myths, tales, or firsthand accounts relating to them.

what does your character know? — Haunted Region

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All residents of haunted regions have a greater awareness of the following topics:

You have a general awareness of the politics of your region, and you can name major nobles, family heads, and other leaders in your area. You know their respective positions and allegiances.

Your exposure to the everyday evils of the Taint or another haunted place has numbed you to the strange and the supernatural. Firsthand or secondhand experiences of loss and decay have given you a hard-bitten edge, or at the very least relentless pragmatism when faced with the evils from beyond the Wall.

You have a general knowledge of either farming, mining, or another marketable technique, based on where you were raised.

You are familiar with the signs of either the Taint or hauntings, and can identify such effects much earlier than others can.

gaijin status

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Those that hail from a gaijin culture effectively have two statuses. The first is the most important; every gaijin begins with a status of 0 in Rokugan, though this value can be increased during character creation and during play by normal means. This value reflects that gaijin are considered to be outside of the Celestial Order, and therefore have no standing in the Emerald Empire. With that being said, even though gaijin are technically illegal within Rokugani borders, they can gain status and some level of renown among individuals when traveling in the Empire.

The second status value reflects the gaijin’s status in their own homeland. This value will very rarely be used, as the Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Game is designed to help players and GMs tell stories that take place in Rokugan. There are only a limited number of circumstances in which a gaijin’s homeland status might come into play. Perhaps, during their adventure, the group must briefly travel the Sand Road and encounter more Ujik, or the group encounters a gaijin NPC while traveling in Rokugan. In case such a circumstance arises, the player and GM should discuss the gaijin’s standing in their culture during character creation. When they agree on a value (using the table on page 305 of the core rulebook as a guideline), the player should note this value on their character sheet. Unless a gaijin is interacting with someone from their culture, their cultural status value cannot change unless the GM determines it should. For more information on different ways to run games with gaijin, see Chapter 6: Untold Stories, starting on page 173.

what does your character know? — Ujik Of The Plains Of Wind And Stone

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All Ujik characters have a greater awareness of the following topics:

You have a detailed knowledge of the tribes that make up the Ujik people. You know the various tribal leaders, the specific customs and beliefs of the tribes, and their respective rivalries and allegiances. You also have a reasonable understanding of the numerous dialects of the Ujik language used by the different tribes.

You are an expert in handling and riding horses, as well as in tending to herd animals such as sheep, goats, camels, and cattle. You are also well versed in eking out a living from a harsh and barren land, being skilled at navigating, tracking, hunting, and herbalism in such places.

You are skilled in mounted combat. Ujik begin play with a Unicorn warhouse; see the Unicorn Warhorses sidebar on page 327 of the core rulebook for more information.

what does your character know? — Qamarists In The Cradle Of The World

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All Qamarist characters have a greater awareness of the following topics:

You have a good knowledge of the various ethnic groups that fall under the sway of the Caliphate. You know the various important figures and specific customs of each group and their respective rivalries and allegiances. You also speak the language of at least one such group—your own—fluently, and you are at least conversant with the languages of most of the others.

You have detailed knowledge of the Caliphate, including both the secular and religious politics that affect it. You also know about the caliph as well as the important and influential people who surround the caliph.

You are familiar with what, to the Rokugani, would be strange folklore, some of which supposedly arises from a time before mortals. This includes creatures such as the foul undead ghul; the powerful and dangerous spirits known as djinn; the massive eagle known as roc; and the shahmaran, or Queen of the Snakes, which may be a reference to the enigmatic creatures known in Rokugan as the naga.

what does your character know? — Yodha Of The Ghostlands

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All Yodha characters have a greater awareness of the following topics:

You have a good knowledge of the many political entities that make up the Ivory Kingdoms and of the secular and religious tensions, rivalries, and alliances that exist among them. That said, there are gaps and flaws in that knowledge, as the numerous kingdoms and relationships among them are constantly changing. Yodha speak their own language and the common language spoken by most citizens of the Ivory Kingdoms, as well as the languages of those kingdoms and states close to the Ghostlands.

You have a detailed understanding of Shadowlands threats insofar as they apply to the Ivory Kingdoms. While the Shadowlands Taint functions the same as it does in Rokugan, many other Shadowlands aspects you know about are different, reflecting the different creatures in the Ghostlands and the ways your group has developed to combat them. For example, you know about the nature of rakshasa. The more traditionalist Yodhaviy*a*, who dwell outside the Ghostlands, are particularly adept at recognizing these dangerous creatures irrespective of the form they assume. You also know that, with application of the correct rituals, gold and coral are powerful weapons against the Shadowlands and its minions.

Yodhaniya—particularly those who wage war deep in the Ghostlands rainforest— know how to purify even the most fouled food and water using a ritual known as Nikta. You are also aware of the existence of the Pillars of Purity, ancient and mysterious stone columns that stand astride the Nadati River, removing the taint from its waters as they flow past.

The Yodha, like most citizens of the Ivory Kingdoms, not only know the naga are real but have come to know the naga well, including some aspects of their language and culture. Known in the Ivory Kingdoms as shahmaran, naga are common in the region.

what does your character know? — Sheelavaan Of Bhavyatapura

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Regardless of a Sheelavaan’s particular ethnicity, culture, or religious background, they have a greater awareness of the following topics:

You have a general knowledge of the many factions that make up the Ivory Kingdoms, but they are particularly aware of those specific to Bhavyatapura. This includes the many rivalries and alliances that exist in this massive, rambling city. You speak your own language as well as the common language of the Ivory Kingdoms, and often one or more languages of the various factions in Bhavyatapura.

You are most at home in urban areas and have a great facility for quickly understanding not just the physical layout of a city, but also its key power structures, factions, and underlying tensions.

You have a good understanding of trade and commerce, being able to discern the value of most goods and items and to bargain for favorable prices or trades. More generally, you tend to be quite persuasive in any dealings you have with others—particularly those not familiar with the eloquence of the Sheelavaan.

Close proximity to the naga has given you an even better knowledge of the enigmatic serpent folk than most—at least, to the extent any human can understand this mysterious species. The Sheelavaan, like most citizens of the Ivory Kingdoms, not only know the naga are real but have come to know the naga well, including some aspects of their language and culture. Known in the Ivory Kingdoms as shahmaran, naga are common in the region.

2. what was your character’s upbringing?

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Many rōnin were raised in the samurai caste, but some were not. Any peasant with a sword and the courage to claim they are a lordless samurai may be able to pass themselves off as rōnin. But even beyond that, playing a peasant character can be an interesting choice in rōnin-style games. The early years of characters from lower castes, from far-off lands, or who are otherwise outsiders in the eyes of samurai can vary wildly.

Because most regions include the opportunity for myriad upbringings, these are not tied to specific areas. Regardless of which region you choose for your character, you should pick an upbringing you feel is appropriate for them. If you have a very specific character idea and none of the following options fit, feel free to discuss adjusting one of these upbringings with your GM. For those playing gaijin characters, these descriptions can be adjusted to fit within the region you hail from, whether it is substituting in a different military structure for the military upbringing or replacing geisha house with a more thematic entertainment establishment.

Depending on what type of character you choose, you have a particular base status value that is modified by your upbringing.

+f yoW are a rōnin (even one with a secret upbringing) your status begins at 24.

If you are a peasant (and are open about your upbringing) your status begins at 15.

If you are a gaijin your status begins at 0. For more information on how gaijin status works, see Gaijin Status on page 38.

Craftsperson Upbringing

Fallen Noble Upbringing

Farmer Upbringing

Geisha House Upbringing

Hinin Upbringing

Hunter or Fisher Upbringing

Law Enforcement Upbringing

Military Upbringing

Rōnin Family Upbringing

Organized Crime Upbringing

Street Urchin Upbringing

Temple Upbringing

Tradesperson Upbringing

Part II: Role and School

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If a school’s starting techniques or curriculum grants a character a technique or the ability to purchase that technique, the character ignores any other prerequisites listed for that technique. These prerequisites are found in the technique’s entry. Techniques granted in exception to their prerequisites are marked with the symbol.

3. what is your character’s school, and what are its associated roles?

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Rōnin exist in the tumultuous position of being technically samurai but cast away from samurai society. Most have lost their lord through political scheming, tragic circumstance, or their own personal failure. Some skillful peasants take up a sword and act as rōnin do, whether to defend what little they have or to attempt by some miracle to fool a lord into taking them on, advancing their social status considerably. Then, there are gaijin, the foreigners who come to Rokugan seeking trade or alliance, or perhaps to escape pursuit, hoping they will be safer in the Emerald Empire.

4. What gets your character in and out of trouble?

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In the rough-and-tumble world of merchants, guards, and thieves, every character has some method they use to try to get themselves out of trouble––and that same method probably gets them there in the first place! Depending on a character’s history, they are likely to approach situations very differently from others, whether because of training or because of natural temperament.

Choose one of the following options and increase your ring value by the specified amount:

Abrasive, honest, driven (+1 Fire): A character who naturally leans toward the Fire approach tends to get into trouble because they are abrasive, too honest, painfully curious, or just driven to a fault. Once they’re in trouble though, that honesty might in turn win them allies, their curiosity might translate into an inventive solution, or their drive might propel them to succeed.

Empathetic, tricky, clever (+1 Air): A character who gravitates toward an Air approach might find themself in trouble because they empathize deeply with others’ situations, because they get caught in the middle of a con, or because their glib attitude rubbed someone the wrong way. Once they’re in trouble, these characters are quick to come up with another brilliant plan or ploy, or to use their persuasive personalities to talk their way out of sticky situations.

Gregarious, adaptable, charming (+1 Water): Characters who go with the flow and prefer using Water approaches in their day-to-day lives tend to get in trouble because they’re a little too friendly and often too charming for their own good. Once they’ve gotten themselves into a less-than-favorable situation, their adaptability can help them out of it, or they can use that charm and social prowess in a plan of escape, often smoothing over faux pas with a liquid grace.

Patient, stoic, thorough (+1 Earth): A character who prefers the grounded approaches of Earth can sometimes finds themself at odds with those around them, as their patience and desire for thoroughness can lead to indecision. A character who favors Earth also tends to exemplify Rokugan’s typical reserved stoicism, but at its extreme, this can appear to others to be simple indifference, defiance, or worse. When such a character gets themself into trouble, their thoughtfulness and patience usually allow them to win out in wars of attrition, and their attention to detail allows them to consider all possible plans of escape.

Contemplative, self-aware, insightful (+1 Void): Those who favor the comfort and endlessness of the Void and prefer to use its approaches tend to be contemplative and filled with a wealth of insight, although their ability to use these observations to facilitate action can be limited. Characters like this tend to get into trouble because they know themselves and follow their insights rather than following protocol, and this can lead to catastrophe when unknown variables rear their heads. Once in a predicament, these characters are able to use that same insight and thoughtful nature to overcome their obstacles.

Part III: The Past and the Future

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A character’s past and how they interact and process it is integral to fulfilling their desires, confronting their struggles, and, ultimately, determining their future.

5. What is your character’s past and how does it Affect them?

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Selecting One’s Past Properly

A past is a story, one that can deeply impact a person. Because rōnin have lost their place in samurai society their stories tend to be tragic, ones of circumstances that have kept them from fulfilling their promise or destiny. While Table 2–1: Sample Pasts provides a wide range of different pasts, players should feel free to develop their own rather than roll if they desire. The pasts presented here can be used as inspiration to help tell unique, personal stories that offer fun narrative moments!

A past should be a force that propels the character forward, similar to giri, or duty. A past is usually some sort of personal obligation, antagonizing entity, or choice that the character or someone else made that haunts the character even now.

their ninjō, getting them into trouble, or even threatening their life. There might be hard decisions or tough fights ahead for the character when their past rears its head, and selecting a past that strikes a chord with a player is important in having fun! Characters will struggle, and that struggle should remain fun for players as they watch their character grow.

Table 2–1: Sample Pasts

ROLL | PAST | DESCRIPTION

01–06 | Spiritual Troubles

Because you desecrated a shrine, ignored an oath, or crossed the Fortunes (or other spirits) in some other way, these forces hound you at every turn. You face curses; misfortune; subtle distrust from those around you, even if they do not know what you did; or direct attacks by spirits.

07–14 | Bad Family History | Your family may or may not have been falsely accused, but sometimes the accusation is enough. Too many people know and judge you for it.

15–22 | Bad Reputation

Due to an actual or imagined wrongdoing, your name is a burden to you. You, or a close relation associated with you, may have:

• Been accused of murder • Authored an inappropriate work (a pillow book, a heretical tract, or a satire about the Emperor) • Had a messy affair and perhaps produced a child • Engaged in thievery • Voluntarily left your liege

23–30 | Debts to Pay

You owe a vast sum of money to some individual or family, and you must pay back a percentage of it on a regular basis. If you fail to make a payment, you may find yourself the target of a bounty.

31–38 | Desertion

Whether due to cowardice or for admirable reasons, you left your post. Your commander, liege, or peers intend to bring you back to answer for your crime.

39–46 | Duty

You still adhere to an ideal, whether it comes from a clan, your monastic vows, a governmental post, your family, or other outsiders. Without this ideal, you would fall apart. If you choose this past, you may optionally use the rules for giri in the core rulebook, with your GM’s approval (pages 88–90).

47–54 | Fallen Family Legacy

Your family once had a name, land, and title. You still have the name, but nothing else. Your name, however, does not protect you from bitter heimin or ruthless bandits, and other samurai treat you worse than dirt.

55–62 | Family in Need

Your family needs money, medicine, care, attention, rescue from a rival clan or mysterious captors, or some other thing from you. Without it, they will perish.

63–70 | Forsaken Vows

Perhaps you still keep your head shaved, but you were expelled from a monastery or left for personal reasons. You cannot return until you resolve those issues.

71–78 | Long Path of Waves

After your gempuku, you set out to explore the world. You have not returned to your home, and your family seeks to take you back.

79–86 | Lifelong Enemy | An individual or a family has competed against you for the same love, position, power, wealth, or fame all your life. They block you at every turn.

87–93 | Unearned Heroism

94–100 Witness

You won a duel or contest against a master by accident or via nefarious means. The master or their subordinate seeks you out, and the pressures of your reputation follow you.

You know too much, having observed a crime, spied on some evil magic, or seen nobility where they shouldn’t have been. You’ve kept your mouth shut, but the spied-upon party wants you silent permanently.

Fitting Your Advantages And Disadvantages To Your Past

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In questions 9, 10, 11, and 12 players will choose advantages and disadvantages. Pasts can be a great source of inspiration for these choices! If it makes sense, players should consider catering their selections to their pasts or using them as a framework in developing their own advantages and disadvantages with their GM (see pages 137–139 of the core rulebook).

6. what does your character long for, and how might their past impact their ninjō?

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Selecting One’s Ninjō Properly

Table 2–2: Sample Ninjō only represents a tiny sample of potential desires (and players may roll or choose one from here, if they desire); players and GMs can use them to galvanize their own imaginations. To create a good personal desire for a character, this desire needs to have the potential to conflict with their past. On pages 90–91 of the core rulebook there is more infor-mation on creating interesting and impactful ninjō. For this book, that advice can be applied to the conflict between ninjō and pasts, rather than ninjō and giri.

7. what is your character known for?

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No two people follow the same path as they journey through life. While two or more rōnin and travelers far from home may band together to increase their chances of survival, their values, abilities, and actions may vary wildly, affecting how each is remembered by the people they meet along the way.

help peasants. A gaijin might be known for their skilled craftsmanship or their exemplary fighting style. Or perhaps they are known for a being an embarrassment, which has caused them to leave home and wander Rokugan instead of staying with their own people.

If your character is known for an intentional deed, skill, or pattern of behavior that has helped others, even if they have been shunned or embarrassed about it, they gain +5 glory to represent their social prestige.

If your character is known for deeds, actions, skills, or even a single event that others have perceived as wicked, harmful, or exceptionally selfish, or if your character did something badly at odds their culture’s or family’s values, then your character gains 1 rank in a skill that they currently have 0 ranks in. This skill should represent the choices your character has made that have upset the normal order of things in the eyes of their family or society.

8. what does your character think of bushidō?

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Everyone who lives or travels within Rokugan must decide how they feel about the core of its society: Bushidō. The tenets and teachings of Bushidō encompass all that samurai do—and it is difficult, if not impossible, to do anything within the Emerald Empire without being affected, at least tangentially, by the samurai class. Though peasants are not expected to adhere to Bushidō in most contexts, and rōnin are in a strange position of being samurai with none of the inherent benefits, each should understand what Bushidō is enough to have feelings about it.

However, this may not be true for gaijin characters. Someone who has just arrived in Rokugan may know very little about its culture, which puts them at a big disadvantage. Still, it is more likely that a gaijin visitor would be somewhat versed in the ways of the Empire—at least enough to know how to avoid an untimely death.

All Who Walk in Rokugan

Whether you are playing a character from the Emerald Empire or a gaijin from a faraway place, stories set in Rokugan work best if you to decide how your character feels about Bushidō and the other primary aspects of the Empire’s culture.

Table 2–2: Sample Ninjō

ROLL | NINJŌ | DESCRIPTION

01–04 | Achieve Mastery

Whether at swordplay, art, calligraphy, poetry, or even butchery, you seek to be the best through constant challenges. You may, however, settle for merely being seen as the best.

05–08 | Amass Followers

You claim to be a bandit leader, crime lord, or head of a heretical cult. You may actually be charismatic or have an elitist or populist message, but you still need an audience to appreciate you.

09–13 | Assist the Spirits

While others deal with the corporeal, your concern lies with the spiritual. Plenty of spirits are lost, abused by humans, or unmoored from where they belong, and they require compassion.

14–18 | Atonement | You did a great wrong and must make up for it. Your guilt drives you, as does the belief that your death can’t correct the mistake: only your actions can.

19–23 | Construct a Great Work

24–28 | Discover a Family Heritage

You are driven to construct a masterwork, whether a gate, sculpture, painting, text, or shrine. You need the best materials, ideal location, and perfect inspiration, however, to make your magnum opus last the ages.

Your family has lost a claim to greatness. You must find it. It could be a lineage scroll, an ancient relic, or a piece of art or architecture.

29–33 | Enact Justice | The Celestial Order has been disrupted. You intend to embody justice by exposing a vicious secret, revealing evidence of a crime, or getting a criminal to confess.

34–38 | Establish a Family | You want to begin a grand lineage. Love in this case is secondary, but your partner, or partners, must share your goal for this family to be strong and united.

39–43 | Find a Lord to Serve

44–48 | Find a Sensei

You wish to do what many rōnin long to forqqfind a lord, a house, and a place where you belong. You wish to regain a status you once lost, improve your station, or integrate into a foreign society as fully as you are able.

To study under the great masters is the path to becoming a great master yourself, and a sensei’s recognition of your potential is the greatest compliment. For those less scrupulous, this also means benefiting from a sensei’s reputation.

49–53 | Find True Love | Love may be a frivolous emotion, but it brings you happiness. The world scoffs at such trivialities, making true love rare, but rarity makes it all the more valuable.

54–58 | Gain Mystical Power

You want the power to change the world—reality itself—through legitimate study or as a mahō-tsukai, a blood magic practitioner. You might obtain this power through ancient knowledge, bargaining with a spirit, or supernatural insight from kami or kansen.

59–63 | Kill Monsters

Demons cause misery and weaken society. They may also have caused harm to you or your loved ones. You must destroy these spirits of corruption, both for your own sake and for the sake of the world.

64–68 | Regain Your Home

Perhaps you have traveled far from your homeland and have since lost your way, or maybe your home was destroyed by a natural event, a supernatural creature, or an angry noble. Whatever it was, your home is gone, and you desperately wish to return to or rebuild it.

69–73 | Personal Security

Be it a parcel of land, money to buy your way into a more secure living situation, or a financial stipend, you want some reliable material resource to ensure that you and your family have a future.

74–78 | Recover a Relic

History is a story, and stories carry power. A relic holds all three, connecting you to the past. The relic you strive to recover—whether it has cultural, monetary, or spiritual power—can grant you a future.

79–83 | Build a Reputation You want your reputation to spread throughout Rokugan, to samurai and heimin alike. Perhaps with a little inspiration, your deeds will be written into history.

84–88 | Tame a Great Beast

89–93 | Uncover a Conspiracy

Terrifying creatures roam Rokugan. They harass farmers and hunters and disrupt the order of life. Only you can end this threat, by taming it, but there is always another one in the next forest.

Whispers in the shadows and behind walls hint of a plot to overthrow or murder those in power. Friends may be foes, and trust is a rare commodity. You walk in those same shadows to bring the conspirators into the light.

94–100 Wreak Vengeance | A villain has wronged you or someone you care about. The wrongdoer may or may not know or remember you. You have pledged something worse than death for them.

If you are playing a foreign character, you might choose to think about Bushidō’s tenets as a guideline for thinking about core values of your character’s home country. The tenets cover a wide range of values, and though your character may not believe in Bushidō, they do believe in something.

The Tenets of Bushidō

Like the Great Clans, individuals and cultures place different levels of emphasis on various tenets and values. To represent the individuality and nuances of your character’s personal beliefs, choose one tenet of Bushidō as paramount and one tenet as less significant (see The Clanso Views of BWshidō, page 301 of the core rulebook, for more information). Then, choose one of the following options:

Your dedication to Bushidō affects all that you do. If your character’s belief in living an orthodox interpretation of Bushidō is very staunch, gain +10 honor.

If your character’s values diverge from some or all of the common values of Bushidō, gain one item of rarity 5 or lower to represent a time when that divergence both benefited your character and pulled them further from the true path.

You know little about Bushidō and its significance to Rokugani culture. Your ignorance will be short-lived, however, because you will either learn quickly or meet your end at the hand of an angered samurai. Gain 1 rank in one of the following skills to represent your ignorance of Bushidō: Commerce, Labor, Medicine, Seafaring, Skulduggery, or Survival.

The Seven Tenets Of Bushidō

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The code of Bushidō, or “the way of the warrior”

is comprised of seven tenets that act as a guide

for samurai. The tenets

are Compassion (Jin), Courage (Yū), Courtesy (Rei), Duty and Loyalty (Chūgi), Honor (Meiyo), Righteousness (Gi), and

Sincerity (Makoto).

More information on these tenets can be found

on page 13 of the core

rulebook, and more information on how rōnin may feel about these tenets can be found

beginning on page 15.

Part IV: Strengths and Weaknesses

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Beyond their normal rings and skills, characters are made up of many life experiences, both positive and negative. Many of the following questions dive into the hardships and triumphs of your character, helping to define what makes them unique.

9. what is your character’s greatest accomplishment so far?

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What is your character’s greatest achievement so far in life, and how did they accomplish it? Your character likely possesses some ability or strength of character that assisted in this noteworthy achievement, which you should also select at this stage. If desired, it can be interesting to create a contrast between what the character thinks are their strengths and what their strengths really are; your character might not be aware of their own best quality, or they might mistakenly attribute their success to a quality that did not in fact affect it. This is an excellent time to look back at your previous choices regarding your past and ninjō and incorporate those into your choices for questions 9–12.

In addition to deciding on your character’s greatest achievement in their life so far, choose one distinction advantage that was key to accomplishing that success or that your character developed as a result of it. See the Specific Distinctions sections beginning on page 101 of the core rulebook and on page 68 of this book for various options. If you want to create your own distinction, consult with your GM using the guidance in Creating Custom Advantages and Disadvantages, which starts on page 137 of the core rulebook.

10. what holds your character back most in life?

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All rōnin have some ongoing challenge in their life that makes pursuing their survival and desires even more difficult. This challenge might be a personality quirk such as naiveté, selfishness, or a bad temper; it could be a physical hindrance; or it might even be a spiritual vulnerability such as a family curse.

When choosing a challenge, you should select something that you

[…] your character does not enjoy facing this difficulty). Choose one adversity disadvantage for your character. See the Specific Adversities sections beginning on page 116 of the core rulebook and on page 71 of this book for various options. If you want to create your own adversity, consult with your GM using the guidance in Creating Custom Advantages and Disadvantages, which starts on page 137 of the core rulebook.

11. what activity most makes your character feel at peace?

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The answer to this question could be anything from food and drink to specific activities, certain material possessions, or particular persons. Why does your character like or dislike these things? Does it stem from sharing the activity with a loved one in the past, or from a seemingly spontaneous fascination with the subject itself? How has an enjoyment of this activity shaped your character’s life? Have they made friends—or enemies—as a result of this hobby?

Choose one passion advantage related to your character’s interests or hobbies. See the Specific Passions sections beginning on page 111 of the core rulebook and page 70 of this book for various options. If you want to create your own passion, consult with your GM using the guidance in Creating Custom Advantages and Disadvantages, which starts on page 137 of the core rulebook.

12. what concern, fear, or foible troubles your character most?

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Samurai are expected to maintain a controlled facade befitting their station at most times, but no human can avoid having some things that make them anxious, afraid, or angry. Are your character’s fears or frustrations derived from past experiences, trauma, or personal failure? Are they related to a person or specific event? Does your character fully understand the source of their emotional turmoil, or do they have trouble expressing or processing these feelings? As with the adversity you selected, you should select something that you think you will enjoy roleplaying when it challenges your character.

Choose one anxiety disadvantage for your character. See the Specific Anxieties sections beginning on page 130 of the core rulebook and page 73 of this book for various options. If you want to create your own anxiety, consult with your GM using the guidance in Creating Custom Advantages and Disadvantages, which starts on page 137 of the core rulebook.

13. who has your character learned the most from during their life?

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Nearly every human owes some portion of their personality, strengths, and weaknesses to the people around them, and usually, a few people in particular stand out as mentors—although their influence is not always positive. Who has taught your character the most about life, for better or for worse? An instructor might have set them on their current path, or a parent’s influence might still guide their actions. Your character’s old lord might have served as a political mentor, showing them the value of compassion—or of ruthlessness—and thereby shaped their ethos for life.

A good marriage might have led your character to a true peer who helped them overcome a challenge or personal obstacle, while a bad marriage might have left them jaded about relationships overall. Having to care for a younger sibling or child might have caused your character to develop in unforeseen ways. Losing a loved one might have driven your character into anguish, or it might have forced them to grow in ways they never thought possible to stand on their own. A disastrously bad relationship or a long-running feud with a hated rival could have forged your character into the person they are today. Your character might even have met a supernatural being who has served as a guide or patron, or one who set a curse upon your character in exchange for giving your character power or as punishment for spiritual transgressions.

In the Relationships, Habits, Bonds, and Quirks section of the character sheet, record the name of the person from whom your character has learned the most, along with the nature of their relationship. Then, choose one of the following options and gain the listed feature:

One advantage related to your character’s mentor and their relationship.

One disadvantage related to your character’s mentor and their relationship, and 1 rank in a skill that your character developed as a result of that relationship.

For specific advantages and disadvantages, see the lists beginning on page 99 of the core rulebook and page 68 of this book. If you want to create your own advantage or disadvantage, consult with your GM using the guidance in Creating Custom Advantages and Disadvantages, which starts on page 137 of the core rulebook.

Part V: Personality and Behavior

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Your character is more than a set of statistics on paper; knowing how they are likely to behave in a situation is important when you are roleplaying their decisions and interactions.

14. what is your character’s most prized possession?

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When all of your life can fit in a pack on your back or in a few saddlebags, each possession is special and often holds more sentimental value than its monetary value might suggest. From a common garden trowel a grandparent gave a character to a pillow book they’ve read a hundred times, everyone has something they value above everything else among their belongings.

Choose one item, either something your character starts with (as listed under their school) or a single item of rarity 5 or lower (subject to your GM’s discretion). If you choose an item from your character’s starting outfit, you may add either the Ceremonial or the Resplendent item quality to it.

Record the answer in the Personality, Habits, Bonds, and Quirks section of your character sheet. Additionally, choose some aspect of the item or something you do with the item that makes it stand out. You might fiddle with it in public, it might be overly large or small, you may believe it is worth much more than it is, or perhaps you wear the item in a strange manner (such as wearing a gardening trowel around your neck on a strap).

Trinkets

Table 6–4: Trinkets on page 219 provides a sample of random items that players and GMs can use to add some strange, weird, or even mildly supernatural items to their campaigns. GMs can feel free to adjust any trinkets to better fit the theme of a given adventure or campaign. Players should take some time to jot down how their character obtained the item why they consider it significant.

15. how does your character react to stressful situations?

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What emotions does your character show, and why? What events or feelings can make them lose their self-control? Conversely, what emotions can they always control, no matter what? Describe a noteworthy physical response that your character has during times of stress and note it under the Personality, Habits, and Quirks section of the character sheet. As your character’s strife approaches their composure, they might display this behavior, and it could play a part any time they unmask. See page 31 of the core rulebook and page 182 of this book for suggestions.

16. what are your relationships to your family, the clans, peasants, and others?

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What experiences has your character had with other individuals and groups that have left impressions on your character? How does your character feel about those they travel with, peasants, lorded samurai, and gaijin? Does your character have sympathy for a particular people, or do they harbor resentment and anger toward certain groups?

Record any noteworthy history, quarrels, alliances, or grievances your character has with other groups in the Relationships section of your character sheet. Choose one item of rarity 7 or lower that was a gift from one of the groups your character has a positive relationship with.

17. what shared history do you have with your group?

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If your GM has decided to start your group off already knowing one another, choose one of the following questions, or come up with your own (with GM approval) and answer it with your group and GM. If you or your GM would like some or all members of your group to roleplay through the first time they meet, players may choose an NPC for any of these options instead of another player character:

Which PC (or NPC) have you gone through the unthinkable with? With whom have you survived, doing things you regret to this day? What did you do?

Which character knows a secret you would rather forget about? What is the secret?

You owe a debt to someone in your group. To whom do you owe a debt? What is the debt? How do you feel about it?

You have intense romantic or platonic feelings for someone else in the group. When you speak to them, you exhibit a quirk such as getting flustered, stammering, fidgeting, or otherwise acting strange. What is the quirk? Who is the other person, and do they know about your feelings?

You have conquered a great beast, whether mundane or supernatural, with two other members of your group. Which group members are they? If they hadn’t been with you, you surely would have perished. Do you admit you needed help? Do you resent their help, but stick around because you know you work well together? What was the beast?

You are impressed with or jealous of another group member’s skill in a particular area. Choose a skill you have 0 ranks in and then choose a group member who has one or more ranks in that skill. How do you feel about their talent? Is your goal to learn from them or to become better than them? When did you first witness their talent in this skill?

You share blood or history with one other member of the group. You both might have served the same lord, lived in the same village, or had the same parent. When you choose this question, ask another player to choose this question as well.

Once you choose and answer a question, you should work with your GM to determine an appropriate bond to apply to your relationship. See page 187 for rules on and options for bonds.

18. who raised you?

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Most people know who their parents are, whether they are noble samurai, humble peasants, or from a far-off land. Occasionally, however, a character does not know their parents or has been raised by others. A village might have pitched in to raise a child, or a child might have been abandoned outside a monastery, geisha house, or home of a samurai. Whatever the circumstances, your character’s parents or guardians undoubtedly affected the kind of person they have become.

Record the nature of the relationship between your character and their parents or guardians in the Relationships section of your character sheet.

Additionally, gain 1 rank in one skill in which your character has 0 ranks. Determine whether your character’s parents or guardians approve of this extracurricular interest or see it as a regrettable deviation, and why.

19. what is your name?

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Whether your character’s parents or guardians chose their name or your character chose it for themself, their name can say a lot about who they are or where they are from. Some characters may only have personal names, whereas others may still bear their family name (or names) as well. Feel free to come up with your own name or roll randomly on the name tables found on pages 228–232.

20. how should your character die?

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The death of a rōnin or a gaijin in a foreign land isn’t usually remarkable. Most succumb to the elements, illness, or malnutrition. Still, some meet their demise in a dramatic fight with a formidable beast or samurai. Depending on what cultures your group’s characters hail from and whether or not they hold the Celestial Order close to their heart, their opinions on what an honorable or good death looks like will vary. Some may fear the looming end, while others may look forward to having the chance to be born again, hopefully into a higher station.

How would you like your character to meet their end? Will they earn honor in a courageous death and ascend in the celestial hierarchy? Will they bring honor to their ancestors? Or will they find themself punished for their misdeeds or lost in one of the Spirit Realms, far from home? This has no mechanical implications, but you should keep it in mind. Your GM certainly will…

Writ of the Wilds WotW

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A Revised Game of Twenty Questions

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In the Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Game core rulebook, the Game of Twenty Questions is an integral part of developing and getting to know a character. This revised set of questions better tackles the differences and nuances of struggling, surviving, and succeeding in a society that often loathes those who do not fit neatly into the Celestial Order—or those who scandalously reject it.

The questions provided within this chapter are used to breathe life into a character, giving them desires, bonds, histories, and regrets. Mechanical attributes and modifiers are assigned as players make these choices. Throughout the process, players are instructed to write down skill and ring increases as well as other static values to be applied to each character. Players will want to keep a running tally of ring values and skill ranks as they are acquired. Players will need access to the Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Game core rulebook for various portions of the character creation process. Only the modified sections of the 20 questions are presented below.

1. What Region Does Your Character Come From?

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Rural Farmland Region

Forest Region

Mountain Region

What Does Your Character Know? — Rural Farmland Region

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All residents of rural farmland regions have a greater awareness of the following topics:

You have inherited a strong oral tradition and can sing or recite folk songs or stories passed down from your ancestors.

You have a working knowledge of agricultural practices and how to make a living in your region.

You are largely unaware of larger political movements and concerns, and your cultural awareness is mostly confined to your local community

Glory

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When considering samurai characters, glory represents how well a character is acting as a samurai and how well-known they are for representing the tenets of Bushidō.

For non-samurai, glory instead represents personal reputation and renown. Rōnin and other characters who exist outside of polite samurai society view glory as a measure of how people generally view them, including their honesty, good works, and history of paying their debts (both their promises and monetary obligations). Personal reputation is very important for rōnin, as it dictates others’ willingness to work with them, offer them jobs, and give them information.

What Does Your Character Know? — Forest Region

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All residents of a forest region have a greater awareness of the following topics:

You are aware of any legends and stories, of spirits or otherwise, that are popular or seem dangerous in your region.

Your experience navigating dense foliage and shrouded terrain has given you basic instincts that help you avoid getting lost and to find your way again in wilderness circumstances.

You are able to forage, and you possess basic knowledge of hunting techniques, which helps you survive in the forest. You know how to prepare what you find and hunt for consumption.

You value the power and terror of the deep undergrowth and have a healthy respect for the dangers of your region due to either first- or secondhand experience of these hazards.

You have working knowledge of animal behaviors and are familiar with the local wildlife of your region.

What Does Your Character Know? — Mountain Region

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All mountain region residents have a greater awareness of the following topics:

You have a general awareness of the politics of your region. You can name major nobles, family heads, and other leaders, and you know their respective positions and allegiances.

You are able to identify the names of peaks and features of the mountains and valleys of your region, and you can recall associated myths, tales, or first-hand accounts relating to them.

Gaijin Status

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1. What Was Your Character’s Upbringing?

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The following options are appropriate for characters built outside of the samurai society of Rokugan. Because most regions include the opportunity for myriad upbringings, these are not tied to specific areas. Regardless of which region you choose for your character, you should pick an upbringing you feel is appropriate for them. If you have a very specific character idea and none of the following options fit, feel free to discuss adjusting one of these upbringings with your GM.

Craftsperson Upbringing

Farmer Upbringing

Hunter or Fisher Upbringing

Temple Upbringing

2. What is Your Character’s Past and How Does It Affect Them?

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When selecting a past, it’s important to keep in mind that this is not something that a character will be able to avoid! Players should choose a past that has the potential to cause problems that the player finds interesting, because the GM will be using these pasts to present challenges, interesting narrative scenes, and discord. When a character’s past comes up in a session, it will likely make a character’s day unpleasant, conflicting with their ninjō, getting them into trouble, or even threatening their life. There might be hard decisions or tough fights ahead for the character when their past rears its head, and selecting a past that strikes a chord with a player is important in having fun! Characters will struggle, and that struggle should remain fun for players as they watch their character grow.

6. What Does Your Character Long For, and How Might Their Past Impact Their Ninjō?

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Outsiders have as many desires as there are stars in the sky. The path of waves requires incredible fortitude, and no human can withstand that stress without wanting something. In general, players should have the freedom to come up with their characters’ ninjō. The Table 2–2: Sample Ninjō only represents a tiny sample of potential desires (and players may roll or choose one from here, if they desire); players and GMs can use them to galvanize their own imaginations. To create a good personal desire for a character, this desire needs to have the potential to conflict

Table 2—1: Sample Pasts

ROLL | PAST | DESCRIPTION

01-06 | Spiritual Troubles | Because you desecrated a shrine, ignored an oath, or crossed the Fortunes (or other spirits) in some other way, these forces hound you at every turn. You face curses; misfortune; subtle distrust from those around you, even if they do not know what you did; or direct attacks by spirits.

07-14 | Bad Family History | Your family may or may not have been falsely accused, but sometimes the accusation is enough. Too many people know and judge you for it.

15-22 | Bad Reputation | Due to an actual or imagined wrongdoing, your name is a burden to you. You, or a close relation associated with you, may have: • Been accused of murder • Authored an inappropriate work (a pillow book, a heretical tract, or a satire about the Emperor) • Had a messy affair and perhaps produced a child • Engaged in thievery • Voluntarily left your liege

23-30 | Debts to Pay | You owe a vast sum of money to some individual or family, and you must pay back a percentage of it on a regular basis. If you fail to make a payment, you may find yourself the target of a bounty.

31-38 | Desertion | Whether due to cowardice or for admirable reasons, you left your post. Your commander, liege, or peers intend to bring you back to answer for your crime.

39-46 | Duty | You still adhere to an ideal, whether it comes from a clan, your monastic vows, a governmental post, your family, or other outsiders. Without this ideal, you would fall apart. If you choose this past, you may optionally use the rules for giri in the core rulebook, with your GM’s approval (pages 88–90).

47-54 | Fallen Family Legacy | Your family once had a name, land, and title. You still have the name, but nothing else. Your name, however, does not protect you from bitter heimin or ruthless bandits, and other samurai treat you worse than dirt.

55-62 | Family in Need | Your family needs money, medicine, care, attention, rescue from a rival clan or mysterious captors, or some other thing from you. Without it, they will perish.

63-70 | Forsaken Vows | Perhaps you still keep your head shaved, but you were expelled from a monastery or left for personal reasons. You cannot return until you resolve those issues.

71-78 | Long Path of Waves | After your gempukku, you set out to explore the world. You have not returned to your home, and your family seeks to take you back.

79-86 | Lifelong Enemy | An individual or a family has competed against you for the same love, position, power, wealth, or fame all your life. They block you at every turn.

87-93 | Unearned Heroism | You won a duel or contest against a master by accident or via nefarious means. The master or their subordinate seeks you out, and the pressures of your reputation follow you.

94-100 | Witness | You know too much, having observed a crime, spied on some evil magic, or seen nobility where they shouldn’t have been. You’ve kept your mouth shut, but the spied-upon party wants you silent permanently.

with their past. On pages 90–91 of the core rulebook there is more information on creating interesting and impactful ninjō. For this book, that advice can be applied to the conflict between ninjō and pasts, rather than ninjō and giri.

Fitting Your Advantages And Disadvantages To Your Past

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7. What is Your Character Known For?

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Choose a talent, event, or other deed that your character is known for. It can be positive or negative, and it may or may not be connected to their past. A rōnin might be known for abandoning their lord, for having a way with animals, or for going out of their way to help peasants. A gaijin might be known for their skilled craftsmanship or their exemplary fighting style. Or perhaps they are known for a being an embarrassment, which has caused them to leave home and wander Rokugan instead of staying with their own people.

8. What Does Your Character Think of Bushidō?

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All Who Walk in Rokugan

The Tenets of Bushidō

Like the Great Clans, individuals and cultures place different levels of emphasis on various tenets and values. To represent the individuality and nuances of your character's personal beliefs, choose one tenet of Bushidō as paramount and one tenet as less significant (see The Clans’ Views of Bushidō, page 301 of the core rulebook, for more information). Then, choose one of the following options:

Your dedication to Bushidō affects all that you do. If your character’s belief in living an orthodox interpretation of Bushidō is very staunch, gain +10 honor.

Table 2—2: Sample Ninjō

ROLL | NINJŌ | DESCRIPTION

01-04 | Achieve Mastery | Whether at swordplay, art, calligraphy, poetry, or even butchery, you seek to be the best through constant challenges. You may, however, settle for merely being seen as the best.

05-08 | Amass Followers | You claim to be a bandit leader, crime lord, or head of a heretical cult. You may actually be charismatic or have an elitist or populist message, but you still need an audience to appreciate you.

09-13 | Assist the Spirits | While others deal with the corporeal, your concern lies with the spiritual. Plenty of spirits are lost, abused by humans, or unmoored from where they belong, and they require compassion.

14-18 | Atonement | You did a great wrong and must make up for it. Your guilt drives you, as does the belief that your death can’t correct the mistake: only your actions can.

19-23 | Construct a Great Work | You are driven to construct a masterwork, whether a gate, sculpture, painting, text, or shrine. You need the best materials, ideal location, and perfect inspiration, however, to make your magnum opus last the ages.

24-28 | Discover a Family Heritage | Your family has lost a claim to greatness. You must find it. It could be a lineage scroll, an ancient relic, or a piece of art or architecture.

29-33 | Enact Justice | The Celestial Order has been disrupted. You intend to embody justice by exposing a vicious secret, revealing evidence of a crime, or getting a criminal to confess.

34-38 | Establish a Family | You want to begin a grand lineage. Love in this case is secondary, but your partner, or partners, must share your goal for this family to be strong and united.

39-43 | Find a Lord to Serve | You wish to do what many rōnin long to for––find a lord, a house, and a place where you belong. You wish to regain a status you once lost, improve your station, or integrate into a foreign society as fully as you are able.

44-48 | Find a Sensei | To study under the great masters is the path to becoming a great master yourself, and a sensei’s recognition of your potential is the greatest compliment. For those less scrupulous, this also means benefiting from a sensei’s reputation.

49-53 | Find True Love | Love may be a frivolous emotion, but it brings you happiness. The world scoffs at such trivialities, making true love rare, but rarity makes it all the more valuable.

Table 2—2: Sample Ninjō

ROLL | NINJŌ | DESCRIPTION

54-58 | Gain Mystical Power | You want the power to change the world—reality itself—through legitimate study or as a mahō-tsukai, a blood magic practitioner. You might obtain this power through ancient knowledge, bargaining with a spirit, or supernatural insight from kami or kansen.

59-63 | Kill Monsters | Demons cause misery and weaken society. They may also have caused harm to you or your loved ones. You must destroy these spirits of corruption, both for your own sake and for the sake of the world.

64-68 | Regain Your Home | Perhaps you have traveled far from your homeland and have since lost your way, or maybe your home was destroyed by a natural event, a supernatural creature, or an angry noble. Whatever it was, your home is gone, and you desperately wish to return to or rebuild it.

69-73 | Personal Security | Be it a parcel of land, money to buy your way into a more secure living situation, or a financial stipend, you want some reliable material resource to ensure that you and your family have a future.

74-78 | Recover a Relic | History is a story, and stories carry power. A relic holds all three, connecting you to the past. The relic you strive to recover—whether it has cultural, monetary, or spiritual power—can grant you a future.

79-83 | Build a Reputation | You want your reputation to spread throughout Rokugan, to samurai and heimin alike. Perhaps with a little inspiration, your deeds will be written into history.

84-88 | Tame a Great Beast | Terrifying creatures roam Rokugan. They harass farmers and hunters and disrupt the order of life. Only you can end this threat, by taming it, but there is always another one in the next forest.

89-93 | Uncover a Conspiracy | Whispers in the shadows and behind walls hint of a plot to overthrow or murder those in power. Friends may be foes, and trust is a rare commodity. You walk in those same shadows to bring the conspirators into the light.

94-100 | Wreak Vengeance | A villain has wronged you or someone you care about. The wrongdoer may or may not know or remember you. You have pledged something worse than death for them.

The Seven Tenets Of Bushidō

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The code of Bushidō, or “the way of the warrior” is comprised of seven tenets that act as a guide for samurai. The tenets are Compassion (Jin), Courage (Yū), Courtesy (Rei), Duty and Loyalty (Chūgi), Honor (Meiyo), Righteousness (Gi), and Sincerity (Makoto).

More information on these tenets can be found on page 13 of the cor e rulebook, and more information on how rōnin may feel about these tenets can be found beginning on page 15.

Emerald Empire EE

What Does Your Character Know? — Imperial Families

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All Imperial Family characters have a greater awareness of the following topics:

You have a general awareness of the politics within Otosan Uchi. You can name Imperial family heads, ranking bureucrats, and other leaders, and you know their respective positions and allegiances.

You know Imperial history quite well, particularly as it pertains to the deeds of the Emperor and the Imperial families.

You know proper etiquette and protocal in the Imperial Capital.

Duty and Loyalty to the Empire and the Emperor drives the Imperial families in all they do. The ancient ties of blood and service between them and the Hantei line bind the Imperial families together.

The good of the Emerald Empire outweighs all other needs, and samurai of the Imperial families must often act with little Compassion.

See page 301 of the core rulebook for more information on how these can affect your honor and glory.