Dance the Razors Edge

Run Like the Wind

Veil of the Spirits

Hiruma Scout Rank 1

Hiruma Scout Rank 2

Hiruma Scout Rank 3

You may add your Stealth Skill rank to the total of your
Initiative rolls (unless caught by surprise or otherwise
unaware). You can make all food, water, and jade
rations last twice as long as normal for a number of
people equal to your Hunting Skill Rank. While in
the Shadowlands, you gain +1k0 to Stealth rolls and
always know the direction of the Empire and roughly
how far away it is.

You may make Free and Simple Move actions

while in the Full Defense stance. You can run
at high speed for a number of hours equal to
your Stamina + School Rank, after which you
are Exhausted until you have one hours rest.

As long as you do not move and have some form of

cover, concealment, or camouflage available (GMs
discretion), you may spend a Void Point to make
yourself all but invisiblein mechanical terms, this
adds a number of kept dice to your Stealth roll equal
to your School Rank. This effect lasts until you move
or make a noise.

Harness the Wind

Strike of the Stalker

The Eternal Stone Unleashed

Hiruma Scout Rank 4

Hiruma Scout Rank 5

Hida Pragmatist Rank 1

You may make attacks as a Simple Action instead of

a Complex Action when using any samurai weapons,
knife, or bow. You may also attack as a Simple Action
regardless of weapon when fighting any Shadowlands
creature or other known Tainted nonhuman (such as
zombies or gaki).

If you are striking a surprised or unaware

foe, your Raises are not limited by your
Void, and you can ignore 10 points of
Reduction (from any source).

You gain a bonus of +1k0 to any roll made to resist

Intimidation or Fear effects. You also gain a bonus
of +1k0 to the total of your attack and damage rolls
when fighting unarmed or with improvised weapons.
However, you must always keep high dice with any
attack rolls or damage rolls that benefit from this
Technique.

Wearing Down the Mountain

Fury of the Avalanche

Stone Turns Steel Aside

Hida Pragmatist Rank 2

When fighting unarmed or with an
improvised weapon, you may make the
Extra Attack Maneuver for only 3 Raises
instead of 5.

Hida Pragmatist Rank 3

Hida Pragmatist Rank 4

You may make attacks as a Simple Action

when fighting unarmed or with an
improvised weapon, or when wielding a
Samurai keyword weapon.

Regardless of your Stance, a number of times per skirmish equal to your

Void, immediately after you are attacked with a melee weapon (after damage
is rolled, if the attack hit) you may take a Free Action to make a Contested
Roll using Jiujutsu / Agility against your enemys (Weapon Skill) / Agility. If
you win the roll, you immediately strike the enemy with his own weapon
(thus, you use your own Strength when determining damage rolled with this
Technique). You may Raise on this Contested Roll to perform the Increased
Damage Maneuver.
This technique cannot be used during an iaijutsu duel.

Fight to the End

The Kaiu Method

The Path of Stone

Hida Pragmatist Rank 5

Kaiu Engineer Rank 1

Kaiu Engineer Rank 2

At the start of your Turn you may spend a Void Point

to allow you to make an attack as a Complex Action
that ignores your Wound penalties (including Down
and Out) and any restrictions or penalties from Status
effects or physical Disadvantages you are currently
suffering. You gain a +3k1 bonus to your damage roll
with this attack.

You gain a bonus of +1k0 when making

any School Skill Roll. When spending a
Void Point to augment a School Skill Roll,
you gain a bonus of +2k2 instead of +1k1.
These effects are not cumulative.

When constructing any large structure (temple-sized

or larger), you may make an Engineering Skill Roll at
TN 25 to add an additional number of Wounds to the
structure equal to your School Rank x 100. Also, when
commanding a siege engine, you may re-roll once any
of the siege engines damage dice that roll below your
School Rank.

The Path of the Shell

The Path of War

The Path of Steel

Kaiu Engineer Rank 3

Kaiu Engineer Rank 4

Kaiu Engineer Rank 5

When crafting any set of armor, you may

double the crafting time and cost in order
to add your School Rank to the armors
Reduction value. You may also add half
your School Rank (rounding up) to the
armors Armor TN bonus.

When you roll on the Mass Battle Chart, you

may modify your result (up or down) by an
additional amount equal to half your School
Rank. Additionally, when fighting with a
katana, dai tsuchi, or war fan, you may make
melee attacks as a Simple Action rather than a
Complex Action.

When crafting any weapon, you may choose to confer

either a +1k0 bonus to all attack rolls made with that
weapon, or a +0k1 bonus to all damage rolls made
with that weapon. If the weapon is a katana, you may
expend all your Void Points (a minimum of one point
must be spent) to make the blade unbreakable (as per
the Sacred Weapon: Kaiu Blade Advantage). Doing
so renders you unable to recover Void Points for one
week.

To See the Darkness

To Ride the Darkness

To Strike the Darkness

Kuni Witch-Hunter Rank 1

Kuni Witch-Hunter Rank 2

Kuni Witch-Hunter Rank 3

You may attempt to detect the Taint in another person by holding your
jade pendant (or another piece of jade) and staring intently at them. This
is a Complex Action and requires your to make a Contested Roll of your
Investigation (Interrogation) / Awareness against the targets Sincerity
(Deceit) / Willpower. You gain a +1k0 bonus to this roll for every full Rank of
Taint the target possesses. If you succeed in the roll and the target is Tainted
(has at least 1 Rank of Taint), you are able to sense the presence of the Taint
and its approximate strength. If you fail this roll or the target is not Tainted,
you gain no information. In addition, you gain +1k1 to your rolls to resist
the Shadowlands Taint and to your attack rolls when attacking a foe who is a
Shadowlands creature or who you know to be Tainted.

Any time you are confronted by a Shadowlands

creature, you may take a Free Action to roll Lore:
Shadowlands / Intelligence at TN 20 to recall either
one specific strength (such as Invulnerability) or one
specific weakness (such as jade) for that creature. You
choose whether you recall a strength or a weakness,
but the GM chooses the exact information. You
may Raise on this roll to learn additional pieces of
information - one strength or weakness per Raise.

You may make melee attacks as a

Simple Action when your opponent is a
Shadowlands creature or when you know
your opponent to be Tainted.

To Repel the Darkness

To Shatter the Darkness

The Flames of Purity

Kuni Witch-Hunter Rank 4

Kuni Witch-Hunter Rank 5

Defender of the Wall Advanced School Rank 1

You gain a +3k0 bonus to all rolls for your Rank One
ability to detect the Taint and to the roll for your Rank
Two ability. In addition, you may learn one Kiho. (If
the optional rule allowing Kiho for non-Brotherhood
monks is in effect, this Kiho does not count against the
maximum number of Kiho you can learn, although it
is subject to their other mechanical limitations such as
Mastery Level.)

You gain +4k1 bonus to your attack

and damage rolls against Shadowlands
creatures and against foes you know to be
Tainted. This stacks with the attack bonus
from your Rank One Technique.

Creatures with the Shadowlands Taint

may not reroll 10s on attack or damage
rolls against you.

Hidas Strength

The Crab are the Wall

Berserkers Rage

Defender of the Wall Advanced School Rank 2

Defender of the Wall Advanced School Rank 3

Crab Berserker Rank 2 Alternate Path

You gain Reduction 8. This stacks with any

other Techiques or armor which grant you
Reduction.

Once per round, you may immediately

negate one Condition on yourself
(other than Mounted or Grappled).

Once per skirmish, you may enter your rage during the Reactions Stage.
Once begun, the rage lasts for a number of Combat Rounds equal to double
your Earth Ring. (You may end it during an earlier round by spending a
Void Point during the Reactions Stage.) While in your rage, you cannot take
the Center, Defense, or Full Defense stances, and cannot use any non-Bugei
skills. While in the raging state, you ignore all penalties and effects of Wound
Ranks. You also gain a +2k1 bonus to all attack and damage rolls. If you are
killed while raging, you remain alive and can continue to attack until the
rage ends, but you cannot be healed (unless you are first targeted with the
Force of Will spell) - you are dead, your body simply does not know it yet.
The rage ends if you sustain Wounds equal to twice the amount that would
normally kill you.

Warrior of Earth

The Crabs Eyes

One Blade, Both Hands

Crab Defender Rank 2 Alternate Path

Hiruma Sniper Rank 4 Alternate Path

Crab Knife-Fighter Rank 3/4 Alternate Path

Rather than try to strike faster than their

opponents, Defenders learn to call on their own
Earth to endure the foes first strike, allowing
them to defeat their enemy in a longer fight.
During the Strike step of an iaijutsu duel, you
are considered to have additional Reduction
equal to your Earth x 3.

You may attack with a yumi as a simple

action. When making a ranged attack with
a yumi, you may ignore all of the targets
natural Reduction (e.g. Reduction from
armor or natural protection) and half that
much Reduction from magical effects.

When fighting with one open hand and a

tanto, you add +3k1 to your damage with
tanto and may ignore all effects of your
opponents armor. (If your opponent is
a creature with inherent Reduction, you
may ignore 5 points of that Reduction.)

Spotting the Prey

Deny the Horde

The Crabs Shell

Falcons Strike Rank 2 Alternate Path

Hiruma Slayer Rank 4 Alternate Path

Hiruma Yojimbo Rank 3 Alternate Path

When making a range attack with a bow,

you may use your Perception in place of
your Reflexes for attack rolls. When using
a yumi, you may also use your Perception
in place of the bows Strength for damage
rolls.

You suffer no penalties for using a masakari in your

off-hand (although you still suffer normal penalties
for wielding two weapons). You may attack as a Simple
Action with a masakari. When using a masakari in
the Full Attack Stance against any foe, or in the Attack
Stance against a Shadowlands creature or a foe you
know to be tainted, you gain an additional +3k0 bonus
to your damage rolls.

After making a successful melee attack, you may

immediately perform the Guard Action as a Free
Action (if your charge is close enough for you to
Guard). If you do so, you may add the amount by
which your attack roll exceeded your opponents
Armor TN to the Armor TN of your charge until your
next Turn.

The Hammer of Kaiu

Strike of Purity

Bound by the World

Kaiu Siegemaster Rank 5 Alternate Path

Kuni Crystal Master Rank 4 Alternate Path

Oni Slayer Rank 3 Alternate Path

During a siege, you may add or subtract your entire

School Rank to the total of your rolls on the Mass
Battle Table (this replaces the Kaiu Engineering Rank
4 ability to add or subtract half your School Rank).
If you are on the defending side in a siege, you gain
+2k0 bonus to any Engineering (Siege) rolls you make
to operate siege weaponry, and the Reduction of any
structures on your side of the siege is increased by
50%.

When you learn this technique, one piece of crystal which you possess
becomes awakened and is then used to empower your spells with the essence
of Crystal. (If this piece of crystal is lost or destroyed, you cannot use this
Technique until you acquire another one - it is the GMs discretion how
much time and effort this will require.) When casting a Fire or Earth spell
that inflicts damage (e.g. Jade Strike, Fury of Osano-Wo, etc) you may spend
a Void Point to channel the spell through your awakened crystal and infuse
it with the essence of crystal. This adds one additional Complex Action to the
casting time of the spell. The spell does an additional +1k1 damage is is now
considered to be Crystal for the purpose of what foes can be damaged by it,
whether it can penetrate Invulnerability or Creature Reduction, and so forth.

You may expend an Earth spell slot and make a Spell Casting
Roll (without TN, see below) in order to ritually prepare a
binding circle, a process which takes an hour. This circle may
encompass a maximum area equal to your School Rank x 5
in square feet, although you may combine efforts with other
Kuni to encompass larger areas by adding your School Ranks
together (ony one of you make the Spell Casting Roll). Once an
oni enters the circle, it becomes active. The oni may not leave
the circle without first succeeding at a Willpower Trait Roll
against a TN equal to the total of your Spell Casting roll. While
the circle is active, you gain one less Earth spell slot per day.

Strength of Bamboo

Purge the Darkness

Gentle Encouragement

Severed Hand Rank 4 Alternate Path

Toritaka Exorcist Rank 2 Alternate Path

Yasuki Enforcer Rank 2 Alternate Path

When rolling to resist an opponents

Social Skill or Courtier Technique, you
may use Willpower as your Trait instead
of the Trait normally used.

You can sense the presence of dangerous spirits (ghosts, gaki, yokai, creatures
from the spirit realms, etc) by making an Investigation (Notice) / Perception
roll. The base TN for this roll is 20, but may be increased by the GM for
spirits who are exceptionally difficult to notice. You may make 2 Raises on
the roll to learn the specific nature of the spirit you detect (e.g. a yorei, a gaki,
etc). You may take a Complex Action to attempt an exorcism on someone
who is possessed by a ghost, gaki, oni, kitsune-tsuki, or similar entity. You
expend one spell slot and make a Contested Willpower roll against the spirit;
if you first place an exorcism ward on the target, you gain +2k2 on the roll.
With a success, you force the spirit to leave the body it is possessing; it cannot
attempt to re-possess that same person for at least 24 hours.

You may make a Contested Roll against any individual, using

your Willpower / Intimidation against their Willpower /
Etiquette. If you are successful, you gain a bonus of +1k0 on
all attack rolls made against that individual during the first
Round of combat against them during your next skirmish.
Each successful Raise made on this Contested Roll increases
your bonus by an additional +1k0. If this Technique is activated
during a skirmish, the initial Contested Roll is a Complex
Action.

Do Me a Favor

Fear is a Gift

Yasuki Extortionist Rank 4 Alternate Path

Yasuki Taskmaster Rank 3/4 Alternate Path

If you have supplied something your target needs, whether money or

material goods (this coudl be achieved through role-play and/or by using
the Yasuki Rank 1 and Rank 3 Techniques), you may make a Contested
Social Roll of your Intimidation (Control) / Willpower against their
Etiquette (Courtesy) / Willpower. With a success, they find the arrangement
has left them deeply in debt to you. You may either inflict an Obligation on
that person (if the GM judges they have the ability to pay you back) or a
Blackmail on them (if the GM judges they cannot pay you back). The default
point value of the Disadvantage in either case is 3, but the GM may modify
this if circumstances make it appropriate.

The Taskmasters embrace Intimidation as a skill with many

more applications than others might expect. You treat
Intimidation as a Bugei Skill rather than a Low Skill. You may
use Willpower as your Trait on any Battle Skill roll, and may
use your Intimidation Rank in place of your Battle Rank when
rolling for Step 2: Determination on the Mass Battle Table.
Finally, any soldiers (samurai, peasant, or otherwise) under
your military command may add your Intimidation Skill Rank
to the total of any rolls they make to resist Fear effects.