Building a School
Texto
One of the fundamental aspects of a character is the school in which they train. “School” does not necessarily refer to a specific dōjō or guidance from a particular sensei, but it may act more broadly as set of beliefs and stylistic choices that characterize any who follow it. The schools found on pages 48–59 represent archetypal paths an outsider might walk in Rokugan, but these are only a few of the myriad paths available. A character born as a rōnin or a peasant very likely has never set foot in a proper dōjō, let alone trained in one. What distinguishes these characters from others is that they each follow a set of guiding principles that shape how they approach the world.
Below is a step-by-step guide on how to develop unique, interesting schools. A GM can use this to create schools tailored for their specific campaign that are available in addition to, or instead of, the default schools, or to create a school based on a concept that a player has proposed. Alternatively, if a player has a strong idea in mind, they can work with the GM to create a school using these guidelines. As always, the GM is the final arbiter of whether custom-created schools are an option for their individual campaign. Beyond rōnin and peasant schools, these rules can also be used to create new Great Clan, Minor Clan, vassal family, and gaijin schools.
A detailed example is interspersed throughout to show how school development can look with a player and GM collaborating.
Table 2–3: Role Breakdown
ROLE | DESCRIPTION
Artisan | Creators, advisors, engineers, and scholars of art
Bushi | Warriors, guards, and instructors
Courtier | Politicians, emissaries, and civil servants
Monk | Political influencers, traveling historians, pinnacles of monastic life and (supposedly) above earthly concerns
Sage | Those who wield supernatural powers differently from or beyond how a shugenja might wield them in Rokugan
Shinobi | Assassins and spies
Shugenja | Priests of the samurai caste or others who have a special bond with the kami or can control them
Texto do livro
Path of Waves – The Essential Guide to Rōnin · Chapter 2: Creating a Character › Building a School · p. 76
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One of the fundamental aspects of a character is the school in which they train. “School” does not necessarily refer to a specific dōjō or guidance from a particular sensei, but it may act more broadly as set of beliefs and stylistic choices that characterize any who follow it. The schools found on pages 48–59 represent archetypal paths an outsider might walk in Rokugan, but these are only a few of the myriad paths available. A character born as a rōnin or a peasant very likely has never set foot in a proper dōjō, let alone trained in one. What distinguishes these characters from others is that they each follow a set of guiding principles that shape how they approach the world.
Below is a step-by-step guide on how to develop unique, interesting schools. A GM can use this to create schools tailored for their specific campaign that are available in addition to, or instead of, the default schools, or to create a school based on a concept that a player has proposed. Alternatively, if a player has a strong idea in mind, they can work with the GM to create a school using these guidelines. As always, the GM is the final arbiter of whether custom-created schools are an option for their individual campaign. Beyond rōnin and peasant schools, these rules can also be used to create new Great Clan, Minor Clan, vassal family, and gaijin schools.
A detailed example is interspersed throughout to show how school development can look with a player and GM collaborating.
Table 2–3: Role Breakdown
ROLE | DESCRIPTION
Artisan | Creators, advisors, engineers, and scholars of art
Bushi | Warriors, guards, and instructors
Courtier | Politicians, emissaries, and civil servants
Monk | Political influencers, traveling historians, pinnacles of monastic life and (supposedly) above earthly concerns
Sage | Those who wield supernatural powers differently from or beyond how a shugenja might wield them in Rokugan
Shinobi | Assassins and spies
Shugenja | Priests of the samurai caste or others who have a special bond with the kami or can control them