Blades and Cherry Blossoms

Introduction
Table of Contents
Character
Abilities
Qualities
Genre Concerns
Defeat & Consequences
Why Cant I Play....

Equipment & Daily Life
Weapons
10
Armor
13
The Supernatural World

Mythic Cosmology
16
Interactions with Spirits

Glossary of Terms
17
Bestiary
Creatures
20
Spirits
Demons
For the remainder of this document, when
referring to the people, I will use the term Japanese,
but when referring to the country I will use Nihon. If
your group wishes to be more correct, you may
refer to the people as Nihonjin, which is what they
call themselves.
Blades & Cherry Blossoms

Version 1.0
by Byron D. Molix
(siroh_amano@yahoo.com)
Introduction
Acknowledgements
I have to acknowledge Robert J. Schwalb and
the rest of Green Ronin for creating the game rules
this handbook is based on. I also want to
acknowledge the unknown artist who created the
piece serving as the handbooks cover art, and
Devon Cady-Lee the artist of the piece on page 23.
The name of this handbook corresponds to the

linkage between a warrior class striving for purity,
fulfillment of duty, perceiving the natural order, the
complete willingness to kill or die as required at a
moments notice, and the fragile flower that bursts
into bloom then spectacularly falls from its tree in a
beautiful display.
I intend to add a full bestiary section and

perhaps paraphrase some brief essays on daily life,
samurai philosophy and the realities of life under
the shogunate. This is a free, non-profit document
made for fans by a fan. The words and layout
contained herein are copyrighted (c) 2009 to protect
the spirit of this production without violently
violating the rights of the previously acknowledged.
There are surprisingly few changes needed to

play a game set in Feudal Japan, or more properly
Nihon, with the A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying
game rules. I have tried to be as detailed as I can in
capturing some flavor from the feudal era, without
holding the gameplay ransom.
Section Name
Character
Character
Because Japanese can be very deferential to
those who have earned respect, or who are in
honored professions (such as blade smith, priest,
etc.) such characters should keep track of their
original Status, and what they raise it to. Total
strangers will treat them according to their original
status in most cases.
Abilities
As previously mentioned, no new or changed
abilities are required to create Feudal Era Japanese
characters. Even the class system of Japan is roughly
analogous to that of the base game. To help people
pick Status, a Nihon specific table is provided
below.
Qualities
Status
Rank
Availability of Existing Qualities

Remove the following Qualities or chains, as
they have been altered or replaced below:
Description
Untouchables (Eta), !Foreigners
Lesser Merchant
Peasant, Merchant, Masterless Samurai,

Wandering Priest
Village Leader, Landless Samurai,

Minor House Functionary, Shrine Priest
House Functionary, Member of a

Minor House
Landed Samurai, Minor House

Advisor , Temple Priest, Minor House
Heir, Member of a House
Minor House Lord, Great House

Advisor, Member of a Great House,
House Heir, Leader of a Sect
Blood of the Andals

Blood of the First Men
Blood of the Ironmen
Blood of the Rhoyne
Blood of Valyria
Braavosi Fighter chain
Brother of the Night's Watch
Greensight, Knight of the Kingsguard
Skinchanger
Third Eye
Third Eye Opened
Tourney Knight
Water Dancer chain
The following Qualities are harder to acquire:
Axe Fighter
Sohei, warrior monks, are one of the few groups
that teach this chain, other people with it tend to
develop it on their own through trial and error as it
is not a typical samurai fighting art.
House Lord, Great House Heir
Great House Lord (Daimyo)
Member of the Imperial Family, Shogun
Master of Ravens
10
*The Emperor (the Mikado)
Japanese nobles usually send messengers,

usually on horseback, rather than using animal
messengers. Clandestine messages could
conceivably be transmitted this way, as ninja are
said to use bird messengers.
* This rank is included for comparison

purposes. PCs cannot play the Emperor.
! Foreigners are afforded only as much
deferential status as the Japanese see fit at the
time. All foreigners, regardless of birth or
position are considered non-persons, albeit nonpersons that it may or may not be advantageous
to interact with and humor.
Polyglot & Worldly

Feudal Nihon has only one language, and the
insular Japanese don't travel far beyond their shores
as a matter of course. For a person born in Nihon to
have been to China or Korea, or outside of Asia is
highly unlikely.
Character
You may add your Fighting rank to all Agility
tests results. When threatening violence as the
consequence of an intrigue, you may add a +2
modifier to a Persuasion test.
Shield Mastery
Japanese use shields purely as protection from
arrows. Most shields are free standing slabs of wood
for archers to seek cover behind on the battlefield,
or small shields used to siege a castle. They don't
interpose them between themselves and melee
strikes, so this Quality is not taught anywhere.
Fighting Spirit III / Martial

Your battle spirit has become legendary.
Requires Fighting 6, Fighting Spirit II

You may add your applicable Brawling, Long
Blades, or Short Blades Specialty to your Combat
Defense.
Bastard Born
Bastardy and family ties are important, in a way,
to the Japanese, but uncertain parentage would be
glossed over. While the character is unlikely to be
acknowledged as a child of the local samurai or
lord, they would be given a house position, and be
expected to fulfill it well. Those who want to take a
flaw related to their bastardy should probably look
at Flaw-Wretched (-1D to Status) instead.
Flashing Blade Style / Martial

You can weave a curtain of steel about you.
If you are playing in a completely non-magical

game, do not choose Benefits with an asterisk (*)
behind the name.
Requires Fighting 5
When armed with a Long Blade or Short Blade,
you perform a series of cuts and maneuvers to
deflect incoming attacks. As a Greater Action,
sacrifice all of your bonus dice and make a single
attack against an adjacent opponent. A hit deals
normal damage. However, for every full 5 points of
your test result, you also increase your Combat
Defense by 1 until you next make a Fighting test.
Devil Master* / Fate
Flashing Blade Style II / Martial
New Qualities
You slip your blade into openings your foes

leave you.
You can compel even the most powerful of

yokai to do your bidding, for the threat of
combat with you is great.
Requires Fighting 6, Flashing Blade Style I

Whenever an opponent armed with a Fighting
weapon attacks you and misses, you may make a
Free Attack against him. This single attack occurs
after their attack ends, but before a second Lesser
Action could take place.
Requires Cunning 4, Ghost Master

When interacting with spirits, you have the
ability to engage them in physical confrontation
with much greater ability. Building on the bonuses
from Ghost Master, all of your attacks deal +2
damage, and you may grab spirits at close range.
Your attacks ignore AR on manifest spirits.
Additionally, this prowess translates into a +1D
bonus on all Intrigue tests versus spirits.
Flashing Blade Style III / Martial

Your blade becomes a hail of steel too
devastating to ignore.
Requires Flashing Blade Style II

As a Greater Action, you can sacrifice all of your
bonus dice to add your Agility rank to the damage
of your strike. This damage adds to the total, after
accounting for degrees of success. In addition, add
the Vicious quality to your weapon for this strike.
Fighting Spirit I / Martial

Your training has sharpened your senses.
Requires Fighting 4
You may add your Fighting rank to all Awareness
test results and to your passive Awareness result.
When threatening violence as the consequence of
an intrigue, you may add a +1 modifier to a
Persuasion test.
Fox-born* / Heritage
Your ancestry is intertwined with the spirit
world. One of your parents was spirit-touched,
or a spirit themselves.
Fighting Spirit II / Martial

Your battle spirit has become amazingly sharp.
Before engaging in an Intrigue with a Spirit or

Demon, your Status counts as one rank higher for
Requires Fighting 5, Fighting Spirit I
Character
the purposes of influencing a target without fully
engaging in an intrigue. In addition, whenever you
test Persuasion to secure a Service, you add +2 to
the test results.
blessed, or mystical nature. The caveat is that you

only retain damage bonuses from weapons that
remain in your hands, so thrown weapons are
harmless to spirits, even if thrown by a Spirit Talker.
Finally, you have a Spirit Armor rating one

higher than normal and do +1 damage to spirits
when facing them in combat.
Charm paper, and other tools of the trade of an

Onmyouji or Priest are not considered weapons and
should be liberally described as the character
pursues their craft or conducts combat against spirit
beings. Charm paper thrown by a Spirit Talker
always interacts with spirits and serves as the anchor
for their power.
Ghost Master* / Fate

Kami must respect your desires and obey your
commands.
Requires Will 3 (Dedication 1B), Spirit Talker
The character has gained a potent aura and is
considered a threat to spirits.
In the special case of a sealed spirit, it is

impossible to see the spirit, but its voice can be
heard if near the object or location that binds it. This
means that while a powerful ancestor that was
sealed away in a mystic battle could be
advantageous to free using the Summoner Quality,
there is no way to know it is your ancestor and not a
demon simply wishing to regain its freedom and
perhaps take revenge on the humans who
imprisoned it.
You may add your Dedication Specialty to the

test results of all Intrigues made against spirits.
When engaging in a physical interaction with a
spirit, you may use your Cunning Ability instead of
Fighting or Marksmanship, your Will plus
Dedication is treated as an Armor Rating, and your
attacks do damage equal to your Knowledge rank. If
comparing "strength" with a Spirit, you may use
your Will (Dedication) instead of Athletics
(Strength).
Lastly, a Spirit Talker may take spirit companions

as well as human companions with the Cohort
Quality.
If you possess the Knowledge Focus (Occult)

quality, your attacks deal extra damage equal to
your Education bonus dice.
Summoner* / Fate
You can awaken the sleeping spirits of physical
objects, tsukumogami, or call spirits, (kami,) or
demons, (yokai,) of all types to audience with
you.
Spirit Talker* / Fate

You have the spark necessary to see, hear, and
communicate with kami. This is a basic skill of
Onmyoudou and Shinto religious training.
Requires Knowledge 4 (Education 2B), Spirit

Talker
By making a Knowledge test versus the desired
spirit type's Passive Will result, you can attract the
nearest spirit of a certain type to your location. This
can be as specific as a benevolent gaki of a
particular form without a specific name. Names are
required to summon a ghost, as a dead person has a
funeral name given to them during the funeral.
Dead who were never granted proper funeral rights
must be summoned based on their name in life
which introduces uncertainty for all those who were
not nobility, (or otherwise recognized with a
specific name or nickname).
The character can clearly see spirits and

demons, and communicate or interact with them. In
general, a spirit talker does not have to
acknowledge every spirit he sees, as they exist
everywhere. Rather, when a spirit is causing
problems, or he seeks a favor, he will specifically
interact with a spirit. With a Will check versus
Routine Difficulty, the spirit talker can choose to
ignore spirits. This means that he is still aware of
their presence, but he no longer sees or hears them
clearly. This is normally handled with a Routine
Success, but if agitated, distracted or otherwise
disturbed it is considered a pressure situation.
Attracted spirits come at a pace corresponding

to the Degree of Success achieved, a marginal
success results in the spirit wandering in your
direction at a normal pace, while an Incredible
Success would cause the spirit to move at its
When interacting physically with a spirit being,

you may use your physical abilities, and may gain
damage bonuses from Fighting weapons. Armor and
other sorts of objects have no effect unless of a
Character
greatest possible speed to you. If the summoning is
successful, you know how far away the spirit is, and
can roughly gauge how long it will take to see it
(seconds, minutes, hours, days).
Sword Drawing Style III / Martial

You are so fast on the draw that you may draw,
strike, and sheath your blade in the time it takes
others to perform an attack.
Tsukumogami have a Will rank equal to the

Cunning of the craftsman who created the object.
Awakened tsukumogami do not automatically
return to a sleeping state.
Requires Fighting 6, Sword Drawing Style II

You may sacrifice all of your bonus dice to gain
a Free Attack when drawing your weapon and
striking in one movement. This Free Attack may be
against the same target as your primary attack, or a
nearby target, but must be made without the benefit
of bonus dice as well. At the end of your action, you
have the option of sheathing your sword as a Free
Action.
Summoning Sealed Spirits

Some spirits are sealed, and to break the seal
and summon the spirit, a Will (Dedication) test
must be made against the Will (Dedication)
passive result of the person who sealed the spirit
to begin with). In this case, no Knowledge test is
required to break the seal, but the object or
location where it is sealed must be present.
Making the Knowledge test gives a rough
direction to the sealed item or location.
Sword Drawing Style I / Martial

You can draw your blade and attack in one fluid
motion, also known as Battoujutsu or Iajutsu.
Requires Fighting 4( Long Blades 2B)

When your sword is sheathed, you may draw it
as a Free Action. Add your Agility rank to the
Fighting test result of your first strike on an
opponent, due to the surprising speed of your blade.
If your first strike on an opponent is part of a
Divided Attack, your Agility rank must be split as
equally as possible against each target, even if one
of the targets was previously attacked by you and
the bonus would not normally apply.
Sword Drawing Style II / Martial

You can draw and attack so quickly that
assailants are cut down before they can strike
you.
Requires Fighting 5, Sword Drawing Style I

When attacked by an opponent with a Fighting
weapon when your own sword is sheathed, you
may as a Greater Action, sacrifice all of your bonus
dice to interrupt that opponent and strike first as a
normal attack. If both you and the opponent possess
this quality you must compare bonus dice from
Quickness to resolve the tie. At the end of your
action, you have the option of sheathing your sword
as a Free Action.
Character
Character
Genre Considerations
continue their activities using this new opportunity.
The case in which this would be considered a
desired option for an opponent who is not a warrior,
is when spilling their blood would provide too
much stain on the victor's honor, such as killing the
Emperor.
Defeat & Consequences

Death, Maimed, Ransom, and Unconscious are
the same as in the core rules. Take the Black is
replaced with Monkly Banishment. There is also a
new Consequence: Honorable Death.
Actual versus Perceived Status
Honorable Death
Every player character should keep track of

where his or her status began in the game. Outside
of direct promotion by a daimyo, or the shogun,
promotion to a higher advisory position under your
lord or marriage to a higher status husband for
female characters, it is difficult for a character to
change their actual status. However, when ones
deeds are well known, or one has become known
for a holy profession or otherwise given treatment
by the highest echelons of society, one has a
perceived status increase. Player characters can
choose to increase their status with game master
approval just like any other Ability.
This refers to ritual suicide, known as seppuku

or harikiri. To succeed at a ritual suicide is to use a
short blade, commonly your wakizashi for a
samurai, to stab into your own abdomen, turn the
blade and cut across so as to disembowel yourself.
When performed with a second, this is very
painful but ends quickly when the second separates
your character's head from his body. To succeed at
ritual suicide, one must make a Will (Courage) test
versus a Difficulty of Formidable for a warrior, or
Hard for a non-warrior. To simply kill oneself in a
less agonizing way does not require a Will test.
The difference in actual and perceived status

comes about when the character is outside of his or
her element. A low born sword smith who has
impressed his lord with wisdom and humility could
be as high as Status 5 or 6 in his Lord's court, but
when traveling and separated from members of his
House' retinue, he status is much lower. When
encountering characters who have no particular
reason to know who your character is, use your
actual, lower status. When in your element, your
higher, perceived status is used.
In certain cases, any form of suicide is

considered honorable, such as avoiding capture for
ransom, or maintaining purity in the face of worse
fates. An opponent may only select Honorable
Death for an important adversary who has been
conquered through warfare and captured, or an
opponent who has publicly committed an action
that stains their own honor. If you have time or
opportunity, you may select this consequence
yourself if you would otherwise be ransomed.
Monkly Banishment
Why cant I play....
In rare instances, your opponent may demand

that you give up life as a warrior, and become a
priest of a local religion. Without spending a destiny
point, the only alternative to this consequence is to
choose Honorable Death. For many, this is a fate
worse than death, as it is sometimes seen as a form
of cowardice, and releases the character from all
ties of servitude, family and any right of inheritance
for the character and his heirs.
Observant readers may have noticed that there

are no provisions to play foreign characters, ninja,
or spirit beings.
Foreigners are not well treated by the Japanese
during the Pre-Shogunate and Shogunate Eras,
which this handbook assumes are the time periods
your game is set in. The rare foreign dignitary may
be given a tour, humored, or just treated as a
curiosity, but that same foreigner is one very minor
misunderstanding away from being killed by a
random samurai.
The character is likewise stripped of status

(down to 2) and wealth. Characters who are
attempting to simply avoid death may choose this
consequence disingenuously. These characters are
still stripped of status and wealth, but instead of
seeking a new religious life they seek revenge, or to
In some periods, foreigners were ordered to be

killed on sight. So the romance of Shogun and the
Last Samurai aside, it wouldnt be fun to be the red
headed giant who has to remain quiet during all the
intrigue scenes, and is always being harassed.
tended to be called Name son of Name, and other

peasants might be Name of Village in Province.
Whether you accept the existence of ninja in

your campaign or not, ninja in a historically
influenced game are not romantic or heroic
characters. They are given orders, disappear for a
while, and come back with information or reports of
dead enemies. They are effectively plot devices and
adversaries.
Members of an important clan family would

also have a family name. This is separate from the
daimyos clan name, and history would be a good
guide for choosing these names. Again, obvious
placement tends to serve more than poetry. If your
family was historically the attendant to important
imperials, Otomo would be your surname, as it
literally means great attendant, or companion.
For every action packed infiltration or fight

scene for a PC ninja, there would be ten boring
ones due to the characters deep cover as a peasant.
That said, its your campaign, if you go ahead and
include them as PC archetypes, I suggest the All
Ninja option or the Lone Ninja option.
As this is a game you should stop as soon as you

arrive at a name that rolls off your tongue, since
youll be saying it only a bit less than the game
master. Dont try to go as far as creating all of the
use names that a japanese person would have had
in feudal times. That is like arguing at the table
about the correct japanese honorifics for every
important NPC that you come across. You are here
to play a game, so dont sweat the details you dont
know enough about.
Character names
Your best path to authentic Japanese names is to
find an English to Japanese dictionary, or a true
resource on japanese names. Japanese characters, of
noble birth, have given names and surnames in this
era. Commoners would not have surnames, even
merchants would be named after their brand or
business name. These names may be traditional, but
often a character would have been named after the
first thing his parent saw on the day of his or her
birth. Being named after an environmental feature,
or omen is common.
Male names
Female names
Clan names
Hayabusa(m) means falcon, Midori(f) means the

color green, Umiko(f) means ocean, Ichiro(m)
means first born son as does Taro(m), Fuuko(f)
means wind, Tetsuro(m) means iron, Natsumi(f)
means summer. If you add RO or TO to the end of a
word it makes it sound like a masculine name. If
you add MI, KA, NA or KO to the end of a word it
makes it sound like a feminine name. As this
practice has resulted in myriad variety, a list of
actual names or a dictionary is the only way to find
especially appropriate names.
Samurai surnames
Sons may also be named using numeric suffixes,

such a Kenichi or Kentaro, Kenjiro, Kenzo, Kenshiro,
and Kengoro, ken being the word for blade.
Japanese of common birth tend to have
nicknames or to be referred to by their profession.
As the nobles didnt care to learn any given names
ascribed to many of them. They would instead be
called Farmer, or Woodcutter, or Tailor. Farmers
10

Weapon
Specialty
Training
Damage
Qualities
Blowpipe
Blowpipe
1B
Agility -2
Close Range, Poisoned, Slow
Bokken
Long Blade
Athletics
Adaptable, Reach 1
Daikyu
Bow
1B
Agility +2
Long Range, Mounted, Piecing 1, Two-Handed
Gunsen or Tessen
Bludgeon
Athletics -2
Defensive +1, Off-hand +1, Reach 0
Hankyu
Bow
1B
Agility -1
Long Range, Two-Handed
Jitte or Sai
Short Blade
1B
Athletics
Jo
Bludgeon
Athletics -1
Fast, Off-hand +1, Reach 1
Kama
Axes
1B
Athletics -1
Off-hand +1, Reach 0
Kodachi
Long Blade
Athletics -1
Reach 1
Konsaibo
Bludgeon
Athletics +1
Fast, Two-Handed, Reach 2
Kusari
Chains
1B
Agility -2
Reach 1
Kusarigama (Axe)
Axes
1B
Athletics -1
Reach 0
Kusarigama (Sickle)
Chains
2B
Agility
Entangling, Reach 3
Manriki-Gusari
Chains
1B
Agility -1
Entangling, Reach 2
Naginata
Pole-Arm
1B
Athletics +2
Two-Handed, Reach 2
Nekode
Brawling
1B
Athletics -2
Off-hand +1, Reach 0
Nunchaku
Brawling
2B
Agility +1
Fast, Two-handed, Unwieldy, Reach 1
Shuriken
Thrown
1B
Agility -2
Close Range, Fast
Tetsubo
Bludgeon
Athletics +2
Bulk 1, Powerful, Shattering 2, Slow, TwoHanded, Reach 2
Tonfa
Brawling
1B
Agility
associated with warrior monks. Consequently,

anybody who is not a monk using an axe as a
weapon, particularly as a main weapon, will be
considered a savage.
Weapons
To convert weapon statistics for non-advanced
reach, treat all weapons without Reach of 2 or more
as not having the Reach quality. Samurai, the
warrior nobility, view axes as tools, although some
weapons still use that skill. Someone could
specialize in their use, but ono are rare and often
A new Fighting specialty for chains and

blowpipes exists. Lastly, samurai use Daikyu, or
Yumi, and practice zen archery (aiming is frowned
upon), while dishonorable types such as bandits and
12

ninja prefer Hankyu. Hunting Bows are sometimes,
though rarely, supplied to foot soldiers in armies
and castle guards, which is one of the few legitimate
uses of bows outside of the Daikyu.
practice swords made of bamboo are called shinai

and have the same statistics, with one less damage.
Warriors view specific weapons as part of their

soul. This is the daishou, a set of katana and
wakizashi, presented to a samurai by his family or
lord, the Yumi, and the daikyu. To touch one of
these weapons without permission is very rude, on
the order of committing adultery or worse. Samurai
treat these weapons with such reverence that a
sword will not be lightly abandoned for a different
sword. Theft of a daishou or simply the katana is the
worst affront that could be visited on the samurai
and retaliation will be immediate, swift and all
consuming.
The Daikyu, or Yumi, is a large recurved bow

favored by samurai archers that is easily as tall if not
taller than its adult owner. It is a hunting or war
weapon with a much larger bend along the top part
of the weapon. Treasured by archers, Daikyu are not
to be touched by people other than their owners.
Daikyu
Gunsen
The war fan, the gunsen, is a collapsible fan
with metal construction instead of wood and fabric.
Some even feature sharpened tips. The fans primary
purpose is to signal orders on a battlefield, but were
sometimes used to fend off blows or strike as a club
when necessary. Also called a tessen. Outside of
battle gunsen were primarily used to cool the
owner, while tessen were more often used as
weapons.
Weapons that remain the same from the SIFRP

book and are available are the Battleaxe (Ono),
Woodsman's Axe (Masakiri), Quarterstaff (Bo), Club
(Keibo), Fist, Improvised, Knife, Bastard Sword
(Katana), Greatsword (Nodachi), Long Sword (NinjaTo, Tachi), Dagger (Wakizashi), Dirk (Tanto) and the
Spear (Yari)
Hankyu
The Hankyu is a hunting bow, and when used
by peasants and non-samurai that is its only lawful
purpose. That said, bandits and assassins often favor
this bow to the Daikyu primarily because it is easier
to use, and easier to hide.
Weapon Descriptions
Arrows
Japanese use three types of arrows for war, the
yanagiba, or willow leaf arrow, is the normal type.
The togariya, or sharp arrow, provides Piercing +1,
as it is designed to punch through armor. The
watakushi, or bowel raker, is barbed to cut up an
enemy's vitals as much as possible, and has the
Impale trait and is treated as having Impaled the
target on any hit that deals damage.
Jitte
Jitte are sword catchers carried by magistrates
and detectives, short metal prongs with strong
angular handguards. Jitte are actually blunt, not
sharp, but their usage most closely matches the use
of a short blade, or pair of short blades, thus that
Specialty is listed instead of bludgeon. If a character
who carries a staff also picks up the jitte or sai, the
Narrator can choose to allow the bludgeon specialty
to work with them.
Blowgun
Blowguns are assassins weapons. They are
always poisoned, and considered cowardly choices
for a warrior. Even using knock-out poison is
considered a cowardly exploit, so the weapon is
included here primarily for NPC adversaries to use.
Jo
The jo is a baton made of wood, often wielded
in pairs. It is used primarily by peasants for selfdefense.
Bokken
Kama
The bokken is a practice sword, made of hard

wood. They are used by warriors who desire to duel
but do not wish to risk a life-ending injury. That
said, they are not risk free, as a bokken can break
joints, crush ribs or smash skulls. Less lethal
The kama is a sickle constructed as a straight or

curved blade, sharpened on the inside attached to a
wooden haft. It is a farming implement, but
13

assassins and bandits have appropriated it as a
weapon.
wrap around the hand of the wearer to place the

claws below the palms. The plate is often strapped
to the hands of the wearer, and they provide a +3
modifier when used for Atheltics (Climbing) tests.
Kodachi
The kodachi, or short sword, is often the same
length as a wakizashi but with a decent amount of
curve. This sword is short enough that merchants are
allowed to wear it for self-defense.
Nunchaku
Nunchaku are pairs of batons attached to each
other by a length of chain or rope. They were
invented by monks, but adopted by some peasants
as means of self-defense.
Konsaibo
The konsaibo is a weighted staff, more obviously
a weapon than the bo, and less massive and
dangerous than a tetsubo.
Sai
Sai are sword catchers, prongs with double
handguards forming a fork or trident tip shape. Like
Jitte they can be used with the bludgeon specialty.
Kusari
The kusari, also called the kusari-fundo, is a
weighted chain, often no longer than 30 inches in
total, used as a weapon. This weapon was rumored
to be invent for use by guards at the Imperial Palace
to prevent bloodshed on hallowed ground when
defeating attackers.
Shuriken
Shuriken are assassins weapons meant to
confound opponents. They come in two varieties:
throwing stars and needles. Shuriken are always
sharpened and often coated with poison. Needle
shuriken have often been used with blowguns.
Kusari-Gama
Uchiwa
The kusari-gama is a chain weapon with a

weighted ball on one end, and a kama, or sickle, on
the other. Most of these are deliberately
manufactured by assassins, as they have no
perceivable honorable usage. Because of its
disparate parts, the kusari-gama may be used from
strike to strike as an axe or a chain weapon.
Uchiwa are also war fans. They differ from the

gunsen in that they are not collapsible and meant to
be placed in ones kimono sash, but are instead
large metal plates vaguely resembling clover plants
with a handle. They are painted differently on both
sides so that they may be used to signal orders.
Manriki-Gusari
Tetsubo
A manriki-gusari is a long chain weapon with

weighted ends. With a length as long as 10 feet, the
range of possible opponents is very good. As it can
be used to ensnare, maim or kill an opponent
without shedding blood, it is again a weapon
employed primarily in protecting hallowed ground.
The tetsubo, or war club, is a large unwieldy

monstrosity of wood and spiked metal strips.
Tonfa
Tonfa are batons with handles at right angles
roughly one third from one end. Designed by
peasants for self-defense, tonfa are originally
okinawan in origin. They are unmistakably
weapons, but often overlooked by samurai as a
necessary flaunting of the spirit of the law.
Naginata
Naginata are long blades on long wooden hafts,
resembling a katana with a three and a half foot
haft. Used exclusively by the samurai class, the
naginata is popular with female bushi.
Weapon Grades
Nekode
All samurai weapons are of great quality when

compared to those available to peasants, but only
the katana, the wakizashi, and the daikyu are likely
to be made by artisan craftsmen and have Superior
or Extraordinary weapon grades. Peasant crafts can
Nekode are climbing claws employed by thieves

and assassins, but these devices were sometimes
employed as weapons by the desperate. They
resemble plates with claws on the underside that
14

create Common Grade weapons, but aside from
rich merchants, samurai and conscripted troops, it is
unlikely anybody would have them. Most peasant
weapons, most of which are hastily created from
farming implements, are Poor Grade weapons. If a
weapon is constructed entirely or primarily out of
wood, then Common and even Superior Grade
weapons are more available to non-samurai and
merchants.
Partial Armor
Partial Armor is the standard image of samurai
armor, consisting of a breastplate, helm, shoulder
and hip guards, fore-arm and lower-leg guards. It is
worn only by samurai, particularly those who favor
freedom of movement in a large battle.
Full Armor
Full Armor is the full battle armor set, including
a metal face mask and intricate layers of plate that
must be laboriously tied into position. It is worn
most often by generals and lords, but any samurai
with the means can wear it into battle. Outside of a
battlefield situation, no one would wear this armor
as it would be impractical. More than any other suit
of armor, this one must be sized to fit its wearer.
Lastly, it is completely illegal for any nonsamurai to own certain weapons, particularly the
daishou (katana and wakizashi). A rich commoner
may have a tachi, or even a naginata, but he would
be killed if found handling an unsheathed katana
unless he were a bladesmith.
Armor
Japanese battle armor, or Yoroi, is made of
lacquered layered plates of leather or metal.
Ashigaru, footmen, often wear breastplates with
shoulder guards, helmets, and occasionally lowerleg armor or fore-arm armor. Samurai can wear
anything from this to full yoroi including a helmet
with a metal face mask. Shields are used to avoid
missile fire, particularly when sieging a castle, but
not for melee combat. This means that Large Shields
are available, but they have the AR of wood.
Stationary shields with similar size to Tower Shields
can be found on a battlefield serving as free
standing cover. Neither type would see much use in
an adventuring party.
Armor
Besides Battle Armor, Clothing, Robes, Soft

Leather, and Hide armor exist in the setting as well.
As a special note, Leather and Hide are not worn by
anyone but the lowest classes, as to wear animal
flesh pollutes the wearer in the shinto religion. The
following entries are specific to Nihon.
Light Breastplate
This suit of armor is little more than a
breastplate and a helm. It is worn by the poorest
outfitted ashigaru, foot soldiers.
Heavy Breastplate
This suit of armor is the full breastplate with
shoulder guards, helmet and lower leg guards. It is
worn by well outfitted foot soldiers and samurai
who prefer their mobility over protection.
15
AR
Penalty
Bulk
Weight
Light Breastplate
-2
25 lbs.
Heavy Breastplate
-2
30 lbs.
Partial Armor
-3
45 lbs.
Full Armor
-4
60 lbs.
16
Section Name

Spirits that do not care for humans may modify
their starting Disposition by -1 or -2 steps. As kami
often do not have the Persuasion or Deceit abilities,
they substitute Will instead. Consequently, nature
spirits are often quite honorable, not having the
capacity to deceive. Demons are often nothing but
deceptive, but there are honorable demons.
Knowing your target is a great help in determining
the true success of a potential intrigue or combat.
Mythic Cosmology
The supernatural world of Nihon is one
combining a reverent respect for the spiritual and a
constant battle between taint and purity. There are
spirits, or kami, in every piece of the landscape and
in every object. Dead people become kami, and
improperly revered kami become monsters. Thus,
families go to great lengths to honor their ancestors.
Achieving success in a simple intrigue is usually

enough to coerce a neutral spirit to leave an area,
stop pestering people or provide useful information.
A standard intrigue is required to placate an angry
or vengeful spirit. Benevolent spirits are often
placated for long periods of time, while malicious
ones often return to cause trouble within a few
months or following the first insult they perceive to
their person afterwards.
It is sufficiently complex in terms of beliefs that

it is simplest to model the world as follows: the
world of mythic feudal Nihon is an animist one,
with the leaders of the Empire being descended
from the kami of the sun, known as Amaterasu.
Those descendants are the primary priests in the
country, and the lords and common folk do their
best to follow a path of maintaining purity, or
undergoing purification rites in order to follow this
divine will.
Because of their place in the celestial order it is

often required to use a standard intrigue to attempt
to compel a yokai or Great Kami.
Least Kami are the spirits that inhabit objects,

small areas such as hearths, and ancestor spirits in
gentle repose. Least Kami cannot manifest without
being summoned by a human, but they can still
affect the world in accordance with their Athletics
ability or powers.
Attempting to perform a Sealed result via a

standard Intrigue is possible, but requires an
objective of Service, and the Intimidate technique.
Sealing a spirit is not something that endears one to
them, but sometimes is a necessary act. In this case,
the spirit is so cowed that it meekly submits to the
Lesser Kami are the common spirits that inhabit

the world, they make up the majority of
encountered monsters and include unquiet dead
(gaki or hannya), kami of groves, and haunted
castles.
Defeating Spirits and Demons

The consequences for defeating a spirit are
slightly different than for defeating a human.
Death is replaced with Destruction, Ransom is
replaced with Sealed, Unconscious can last for
days or weeks instead of hours, and even spirits
can be Maimed if the opponent is lucky or
strong enough.
Lesser Yokai are powerful monsters, technically

demons, they are often perversions of natural
creatures. This includes powerful monsters such as
fox spirits (kitsune), kappa, and goblins (tengu).
Greater Yokai are the most powerful demons,
creatures that only heroes can defeat and often lose
their lives in the process of accomplishing the deed.
In terms of effects, destruction is total

dissolution of the being, yet certain powerful
spirits and demons may come back, or be
brought back by other spirits or humans.
Great kami are the most powerful spirits in

existence, holding the status of gods. Spirits of the
Mountain, a large Lake, and dragons are examples
of greater kami.
Sealed is a condition of imprisonment, in

which the spirit can sense what is going on
around it, even see the events of the world, but
can not affect anything, and may only speak to
other spirits or Spirit Talkers. Only powerful
spirits can free a Sealed spirit, and few would
bother.
Interactions with Spirits

Any character with the Spirit Talker Quality may
initiate intrigues to attempt to coerce or placate
spirits, but without other Qualities he holds no
respect in their eyes and is just a curiosity.
18

sealing ritual which causes it to be locked inside a
vessel (for least or lesser kami), or a locked location
(for anything greater). The sealing object or location
must have an empty space prior to sealing and be
closable. Great Kami can choose to hide themselves
inside objects, but cannot be sealed within them.
It provides a bonus equal to the Dedication

specialty of the one who blesses it, although
anybody can make the physical charm itself. This
bonus applies only to the narrow focus of the charm
and adds its rating to the result of one roll once per
game day.
This is the manner in which the Onmyouji

commands the supernatural, spirits do his bidding
through hidden negotiations. When he does battle
with spirits, his spirit aura is his weapon. Feel free to
describe heightened natural phenomena, or even
colored auras and magic while the Onmyouji does
his work, but mundane humans often dont see nonmanifest spirits or magical effects unless the
confrontation is high level.
A PC can choose to save the bonus until a later

time, but typically an NPC, especially a peasant,
benefits from a charm as soon as the conditions are
right.
Blessed Artifacts
Any priest can bless an object, turning it into a
spiritual artifact. The ritual is one taught to all miko,
kannushi, and bonze, and the ritual can be used on
numerous items at once. It takes an hour and
requires the priest to succeed at a Routine (9)
Knowledge test. After the ritual, the object remains
blessed for a number of weeks dependent upon its
Simple Acts of Mysticism

Simple acts of mysticism occur throughout
Nihon, and have the same effect whether you are
playing a supernatural game or not. The effects of
anything besides spirit talking and direct combat
with spirits is effective because of the faith of the
blessed.
Grade
Blessings
Priests may bless a person. In the shinto faith
this involves actually purifying the target of base
impurity through invocation of the kami. In the
buddhist faith it entails a simple blessing, but some
of the energy, luck, karma, what have you, of the
priest transfers to the target.
Poor
Common
Superior
Extraordinary
Regardless of the religion of the holy man

involved, the blessing confers a +1B bonus to the
first Difficult or harder task a character attempts per
day. This blessing lasts until a roll made with the
blessing is failed. It takes no game mechanical effort
to produce this effect.
Weeks of Duration
Permanent, see below
craftsmanship, plus one week per degree of success

of the priest's result above marginal. This imbues the
object with an aura of spiritual power, and in game
terms allows the object to interact directly with
perceived spirits. The devout can sense the power of
blessed artifacts, and blessed food seems more
wholesome, blessed sake more potent, etc.
Charms
Mystic Artifacts
Charms are often created and then blessed to

provide benefits to individuals. Charms are very
specific, such as luck in love, or glory in battle. A
charm, which is often obtained in the form of an
elaborate paper trinket, takes some effort, but
requires no game mechanics to make. The priest or
bonze should hold the charm and concentrate for a
few minutes. Only one type of charm may be
created at once, but the priest can bless several at
the same time.
A craftsman who creates an Extraordinary grade

item has created a mystic artifact. Over time any
exceptionally well-made items may take on
additional benefits and powers as the spirit of the
item itself is awakened. Even a poorly made item
that is used for legendary deeds can awaken, but in
general assume all Superior items become
Extraordinary through usage by heroes, and all
19

Extraordinary items become even more special and
unique.
Glossary of Terms
Each item should have its own story and unique

capabilities that separate it from merely
Extraordinary items of the same type. A mystic
lantern might shine a light towards the bearer's
desired destination, while a mystic statue might heal
all who touch its forehead.
Kannushi
Kannushi, or god master, is the term for a shinto
priest while Miko is the term for a priestess. In
addition to serving as a medium between the kami
and the people, kannushi maintain shrines, and lead
worship rites for the kami they commune with.
Predictions and Omens
Mahou
Onmyouji often make predictions using stellar

charts, seasonal information and observing
phenomena. Kannushi or miko will instead query a
spirit, but the result is the same. When a prediction
is desired, the character makes a single Knowledge
(Research) check if analyzing the world, or a single
Persuasion (Bargain) check if invoking a spirit. The
former requires Knowledge Focus (Magic), and the
latter requires Spirit Talker.
Literally magic, is the practice of twisting kami

into hurtful creatures for the purpose of fulfilling the
practitioners wishes. In terms of effects it focuses on
curses and summoning.
Mahoutsukai
Practitioner of Mahou. A mahoutsukai has the
connotations of being a witch.
After achieving a Great or better success, the

onmyouji or kannushi may make 4 statements of
general or minor importance in regards to future
events. With a Great success, one of the predictions
is true. With an Incredible success, two of them are
true. With an Astonishing success, three of them are
true. The Game Master secretly decides which of
these statements will occur and which will not.
Onmyoudou
Mystical Cosmology combining natural science
with animist philosophy. In terms of effects it
focuses on exorcism and divination.
Onmyuouji
Practitioner of Onmyoudou. Has the
connotations of being a sage or wizard.
The process for correctly interpreting omens is

the same mechanically, but instead the Game
Master decides how much truth to impart to the
predictionist or spirit talker based upon their degree
of success.
Osho
Osho is the term for a revered zen buddhist
monk. Like all buddhists, japanese monks are
concerned with finding enlightenment through
meditation and philosophy. Their asceticism and
mysticism provides a doorway to becoming an
exorcist.
Example: Hayabusa is attempting a series of

predictions for his lord. He states that The spring
will be an auspicious time to enter into marriage
negotiations with a neighboring daimyo in his clan,
that the night of the new moon will be particularly
good fortune for his mother, there will be a skirmish
with a neighboring clan which will lead to war, and
that he should not trust the man who defeats the
mountain ogre that has been terrorizing his
peasants. He rolls and achieves an Incredible
success. The Game Master then decides which 2 of
these predictions is true and which two are not.
Shugenja
A follower of the shugendou faith, which arose
around 7th century melding aspects of buddhism,
shinto and taoism. Shugenja raise their spiritual
power through rough pilgrimages and personal
experience. Those who succeed can function as
exorcists.
20
Bestiary
Bestiary
All yokai and great kami can manifest
themselves without help, although yokai tend to
manifest themselves only near their home territory,
while lesser kami can only manifest themselves at
night without help. Least kami may only manifest
themselves with the aid of a spirit talker. Spirits that
are not manifest are immaterial, invisible, and
inaudible. Powerful spirits, such as yokai, can
become partially visible when attempting
intimidation or using their powers without
manifesting. Spirits suffer a -4D penalty to affect the
mundane world when not manifest.
Bestiary: Creatures and

Spirits
There are many natural beasts in Nihon. The ones
most likely to be encountered in an adventure as a
help-mate, a target, or a threat are listed below.
Bear (Higuma)
Bears are fairly common animals living in the
mountains and forests of Nihon.
A manifest spirit can return to being immaterial

at any time as a lesser action. To change states
under duress requires the spirt to succeed at a
Routine Will (Dedication) test. This roll is penalized
by any appropriate distractions. If it takes no further
actions in combat after becoming immaterial, only a
spirit-talker can detect its presence, effectively
ending the combat. Usually, only a spirit that is
consumed with hatred for the living will remain
manifest long enough to lose a pitched battle.
Deer (Shika)
Deer are common animals living throughout the
wilderness. They are also domesticated as beasts of
burden.
Horse (Uma)
Horses and ponies are animals that have been
part of japanese history and culture for millennia. As
soon as the people arrived and set up an empire,
there were horses.
Fox Spirit
Oxen (Ushi)
(Kitsune) - Lesser Yokai
Snake (Hebi)
Fox spirits are mischievous and sometimes

malevolent beings that love to see humans fail at
their attempted achievements. When well treated,
fox spirits may treat a group of people as a kami
would, protecting them from outsiders, and
occasionally giving advice. When challenged they
attempt to humiliate their challengers. Fox spirits
also tend to fall in love with holy men or women
above reproach, and when they are found out
brutally murder them out of embarrassment fueled
rage.
Snakes are not terribly common, and any large

snakes are considered monsters, but they certainly
exist.
Wolf (O-kami)
Wolves are present in Nihon, but in the most
civilized areas have been hunted extensively.
Manifest spirits
Manifest spirits have the equivalent of flesh and
blood. They can easily affect the physical world, be
plainly seen with the naked eye and heard with the
ear, and may be slain with a mundane weapon.
However, any creature killed in such a manner has
the potential to return as they are not Destroyed, but
merely rendered Unconscious. If a blessed or mystic
weapon is used, or the opponent is a spirit talker,
then a Destroyed result is possible. If a particular
form of spirit being has a weakness or is known to
be killable via a secret method, then even non-spirit
talkers may destroy them if all the appropriate steps
are taken.
Agility 5 (Dodge 2B)

Awareness 4
Cunning 4
Deception 5 (Act 2B)
Persuasion 4 (Charm 2B)
Stealth 3 (Blend In 2B)
Will 4
Combat Defense 11 Armor Rating 0 Armor
Penalty 0
Health 6 Movement 8 yards
Claw 2D : 1 Damage : Powerful
Illusion: Kitsune can weave illusions, primarily
centered around themselves, but the most powerful
can shroud an entire village or disparate areas in
22
Bestiary
false imagery. To see through these illusions requires
a Formidable (12) Awareness test. Characters who
fail the initial test may only test again if they are
convinced by someone else that it isn't real via a
Simple Intrigue, or whose circumstance requires
them to check disbelief again (such as after
receiving a Wound from an illusory source). Even
making this check only clues the viewer into the
fact that something isn't right in a big way, it does
not dispel the imagery. A Superior or better success
allows the victim to see the reality underneath the
illusion, although ghostly images of the illusion
remain.
Deception 3
Fighting 3 (Brawling 1B)
Penalty 0
Fist 3D+1B : 2 Damage : Grab, Off-hand +1
Long Claws 3D+1B : 4 Damage : Powerful
Aura of Death: Yurei emit an aura of otherness
associated with the grave. It is capable of spooking
living creatures in the area. Living creatures within
10 yards of the yurei must succeed on a Challenging
(9) Will test or take -1D on all tests during the
remainder of the encounter. Those who roll a
Critical Failure must flee each round until they
succeed on another Will save. If attempting to draw
in a victim, a ghost will dampen this aura so that
only those succeeding at a Formidable (12)
Awareness test can sense something is wrong. Those
who succeed the Awareness test do not have to test
versus fear unless confronted by the yurei.
Characters who believe an illusion can take

damage from it, whether it be leaping flames,
attacking animals, or falling into a ditch.
Unconsciousness is the worst consequence that can
befall a victim of illusory damage. Seeing through
the illusion does not remove damage previously
received from it. However, characters who cannot
see the truth underneath an illusion can easily fall
into a real ditch or fire pit. Powerful kitsune can
produce real effects as well as illusions.
Ghoul
(Jikininki) - Lesser Yokai
Ghouls are lesser monsters created from the
restless spirits of warriors, or at least those who died
horrifically on the battlefield. Often visible only at
night, they tend to manifest in mist covered fields
and turn their hateful eyes and flashing blades on
those who discover them. Ghouls have horrifying
features, barely resembling their human forms.
Unless destroyed ghouls will haunt the field where
they died for eternty.
Shape Change: Kitsune can shapeshift into myriad

convincing forms to fool victims. Kitsune can
become any form they choose that is not a specific
person, and they tend to assume slim angular forms
as well, but this is not a requirement. Whatever
convincing form the creature takes, its appearance
is flawless. The demon must make a Deception (Act)
test versus the character's passive Awareness.
Ghost
Agility 2 (Quickness 1B)

Athletics 4 (Run 2B)
Endurance 3
Fighting 4 (Long Blades 2B)
Persuasion 3 (Intimidate 1B)
Will 3
Combat Defense 6 Armor Rating 4 (Heavy
Breastplate) Armor Penalty -2
Fist 4D : 1 Damage : Grab, Off-hand +1
Katana 4D+2B : 5 Damage : Adaptable
(Yurei) - Lesser Kami

Ghosts appear in common variations owing to
the circumstance of their demise. Those who died of
starvation are called Gaki, or hungry ghosts,
terrorize the living for morsels of food. Jikiniki, or
ghouls, are wandering spirits that cluster on
battlefields taking victims where they can. If their
bones are not found and given even a token burial,
they return to plague the area further. The Hannya,
or Hag, is the ghost of a scorned woman, often one
who committed suicide for a false love. A
considerable amount of yokai are yurei.
Additionally, neglected ancestors can become gaki
if food offerings are stopped altogether.
Athletics 5
Endurance 3
23
Bestiary
Poison Bite: Goblin-Spiders that get a Great or
better success with their bite have injected a potent
poison into the victim's body. Virulence: 6, Toxicity:
3, Frequency: 1/ minute, Diagnosis: Challenging (9)
- On a successful test, the poison imposes -1D to
Athletics, with an additional -1D for every degree
above. If the character ever has more penalty dice
than ranks of Endurance, he is paralyzed. It also
deals one wound for every degree above the targets
passive total on each test. Recovery - The penalty
fades 2 hours after the poison is first applied and the
wounds heal normally.
Goblin
(Obake) - Lesser Yokai
Goblins are ugly creatures, with hunched over
posture that leads many to consider them short.
However, their frames are roughly human sized,
and any goblin is a threat because of the vicious
teeth and claws they possess. Goblins are often
hidden in forest glades, mountain caves, and other
out of the way places, and while they can be
encountered in groups are most likely to be
encountered alone.
Hag
Agility 3 (Acrobatics 1B)

Athletics 4
Awareness 2 (Notice 2B)
Deception 3
Stealth 2 (Sneak 1B)
Survival 2 (Track 2B)
Combat Defense 9 Armor Rating 3 (Thick Skin)
Armor Penalty 0
Bite 3D+2 - 4 Damage
Claw 3D+2 : 3 Damage : Off-hand +1
Fist 3D+2 : 1 Damage : Grab, Off-hand +1
(Hannya) - Lesser Kami

The hag is a demon born from the festering,
smoldering hatred of a dead woman. This is usually
a woman who was abused, murdered, or mistreated
and died not only with a purpose unfulfilled but
sheer hatred on her lips. A hag often pretends to be
a hapless woman, going so far as to disguise its
hideous features beneath an illusion, and lies in
wait for a human to appear. It then works its way
inside that person's guard, transforms back into itself
and murders them as soon as they are alone. Hags
are cunning creatures and are not above poisoning
their prey, to facilitate the murder or simply to thin
out numbers so she may assault a master without
the interference of retainers.
Goblin-Spider
(Jikumo) - Lesser Yokai
The goblin-spider is a huge spider monster,
easily four or five feet in length. Despite their
unusual size, goblin-spiders also have spiky
carapaces and their mandibles drip poison as they
work themselves into a killing frenzy. Because of
their size, goblin-spiders do not necessarily have the
ability to climb all sheer surfaces, but they are
strong enough to leap a decent distance and are still
excellent climbers. In some legends goblin-spiders
can speak, and these are the most dangerous of the
breed, as they do not act mindlessly, but rather
methodically and with an insidious will.
Athletics 3 (Strength 2B)

Deception 3 (Bluff 1B)
Will 3
Penalty 0
Claw 4D+1B : 2 Damage : Grab, Off-hand +1
Frightening Appearance: Hags are so ugly in their
natural form that they gain a +2D for intimidation
purposes, and the first time a character sees the hag
as she really is, he must make a Challenging (9)
Willpower (Courage) test or be frozen with fear.
Shapeshift: Hags can effortlessly choose to look as
they did in life, assuming a fully normal human
appearance. They can affect a creepy half-dead
appearance as well, which gives them +1D to
intimidate their prey.
Agility 4
Athletics 3 (Climb 2B)
Cunning 1
Endurance 2 (Resilience 2B)
Fighting 3
Combat Defense 10 Armor Rating 3 (Hard Shell)
Armor Penalty 0
Bite 3D : 3 Damage : Powerful
Mountain Goblin
(Tengu) - Greater Yokai
24
Bestiary
Tengu are potent spirits that have unnaturally
long noses and comically exaggerated features in
their natural form. They are often classified as
demons because they are highly magical. Tengu
have great balance, and great power, being able to
land on structures that should not bear their weight,
and being able to summon storms over time from
clear skies, and possessing supernatural strength
and endurance. Tengu are often considered wise as
well, and many travel with the customary ringed
staff of a bonze. However, Tengu tend to persecute
monks and priests, rather than engage in discourse
with them. As such they carry these staves as either
a visible mockery of monks, or as weapons. Given
that they have the strength to destroy a tree with a
single blow from their staff, it is a formidable
weapon indeed.
that the night stalking beast's capabilities do not

change. These creatures are associated with
misfortune and projecting nightmares.
Agility 3
Endurance 3
Stealth 3 (Sneak 2B)
Will 4
Penalty 0
Health 9 Movement 8 yards, Fly 6 yards
Bite 3D+3B : 4 Damage : Powerful
Claw 3D+3B : 3 Damage
Aura of Misfortune: If the Night Stalking Beast stays
near a structure overnight, the owner of that
structure will have horrible nightmares, preventing
them from attaining restful sleep, as if they stayed
up instead. Affected characters begin to take injuries
and then wounds instead if the beast continues to
haunt them.

Deception 4
Endurance 4
Fighting 5 (Bludgeons 5B)
Will 6
Penalty 0
Health 12 Movement 4 yards, Fly 6 yards
Staff 5D+5B : 5 Damage : Fast, Two-handed
Shape Change: Tengu can choose to appear as any
species of bird, as a human (usually a monk), or as a
winged, bird-headed humanoid hybrid. Their
capabilities are not different in any form.
Shape Change: A night stalking beast can appear to

be almost anything, but its capabilities do not
change. The demon must make a Deception
(Disguise) test versus the character's passive
Awareness to fool a character with its disguise.
Object Spirit
(Tsukumogami) - Lesser Yokai
Object Spirits, or awakened objects are usually
discarded items that have gained enough anger at
being abandoned to wake up and take action in the
world. In other words, their inner spirit becomes
active. In terms of dangers, object spirits move of
their own accord, and may perform poltergeist type
activities. They often seek to frightened humans as
revenge for their fate, but rarely are they truly
murderous.
Summon Storm: Tengu can create storms by flying

in a particular manner for an extended time. The
storm impairs visibility and slows travel. A guideline
is that each hour a character is in the storm they
must make a Routine (6) Endurance test. Each
failure results in an injury or a level of fatigue,
player's choice.
Night Stalking Beast
Because they are so average, all of their Abilities

are 2, which means a Combat Defense of 6 and a
Health of 6, if they are engaged in physical combat.
Object Spirits that cease to manifest are not
particularly safe, as the object itself houses the
existence of the spirit. If the underlying object is
destroyed the spirit ceases to be.
(Nue) - Lesser Yokai

Night Stalking Beast are potent mountain spirits,
and like most spirits have the ability to appear as
something other than themselves to mortals. The
natural form of the night stalking beast resembles a
large pale tiger, with dark stripes, the head of a
monkey and a snake for a tail. They can fly in any
appearance, so whether as a human, a dark cloud,
or a more common animal it is important to note
25
Bestiary
Will 3
Penalty 0
Shape Change: Obakemono can shapeshift into
convincing forms to fool victims. Weak obakemono
can assume only one or two forms, while powerful
demons have an unlimited repertoire to work with
and can easily assume the form of a victim's loved
ones. Whatever convincing form the creature takes,
its appearance is nearly flawless. The demon must
make a Deception (Act) test versus the character's
passive Awareness. Most yokai don't have the
patience to study a particular human for longer than
a few hours to learn how to impersonate them, thus
positive modifiers are often unnecessary for this test.
Ogre
(Oni) - Greater Yokai
Oni are large humanoids, often with fanged
teeth, and horns. Their hair is usually wild and
unkempt and their skin coloration is often black,
red, blue, green or some other non-human shade.
Specific oni may take up residence in a mountain
cave, under a bridge, or in some other out of the
way place. Groups of oni are rare, but so are oni
operating under the authority of other yokai or
kami.
Deception 3
Fighting 6 (Bludgeons 2B)
Will 5
Penalty 0
Maul 6D+2B : 7 Damage : Bulk 1, Shattering 1,
Slow, Staggering, Two-Handed*
Claw 6D : 5 Damage : Grab, Off-hand +1
Ferocious: Oni have the ability to take Injuries from
damage in combat.
Snow Woman
(Yuki-Onna) - Lesser Kami
A snow woman is a spirit created when a
woman passes away in the frigid cold. She is often
returned to a wandering existence where she seeks
to lure victims to a similar fate. Snow womwn are
extremely beautiful, and tend to be pale. They often
appear wearing white, or light colored clothing as
they do not stand out strongly against the snowy
backgrounds they haunt. In the presence of a snow
woman, the temperature drops, and those who
fraternize with one find their fingers beginning to
freeze soon enough.
* Oni are strong enough to wield a maul onehanded with only a -1D penalty.
Shapeshifting Demon
Aura of Cold: A snow woman generates a field of

cold on her own. In the frigid climes she is likely to
be found in, this heightens the danger of any
Endurance tests against extreme cold by requiring
rolls every 10 minutes, rather than every hour.
(Obakemono) - Lesser Yokai

Shapeshifting Demons, known as Obakemono,
or hengeyokai, are creatures that have grown
dissatisfied with a mundane existence, and through
great desire have learned the art of transformation.
This ability to transform gives them greater
locomotion, and a capacity for great mischief.
Obakemono often walk on two legs, even when not
pretending to be human. Examples of obakemono
include Bakeneko (devil cat), Tannuki (raccoon
dogs), and Kenku (bird-men). The most well known
and most powerful are Kitsune and Tengu.
Spider-Queen
(Kumo-Onna) - Greater Yokai
Goblin-Spiders pay homage to rulers, and these
rulers, known as Spider-Queens, are truly massive
monstrosities. They are more dangerous than their
minions because their poison is more toxic, and
they have the ability to throw webs onto enemies or
target to immobilize them. Perhaps the most
frightening thing is their appearance, a demonic
womans torso attached to the body of a truly
gigantic spider, easily 10 feet long.
Agility 4 (Balance 2B, Quickness 1B)

Athletics 3
Deception 4 (Act 2B)
Fighting 4 (One Specialty 2B)
Knowledge 3
26
Bestiary
Penalty 0
Athletics 4 (Climb 2B, Strength 2B)

Fighting 4
Will 5
Combat Defense 12 Armor Rating 5 (Thick-Shell)
Armor Penalty 0
Bite 4D : 2 Damage : Powerful
Claw 4D : 1 Damage
Poison Spray: Spider-Queens can expel a stream of
poison at will that affects a small area. Targeted
characters must succeed at a Challenging (9) Agility
(Dodge) test or be subject to the poisons effects.
Virulence: 6, Toxicity: 3, Frequency: 1/ minute,
Diagnosis: Challenging (9) - On a successful test,
the poison imposes -1D to Athletics, with an
additional -1D for every degree above. If the
character ever has more penalty dice than ranks of
Endurance, he dies. It also deals one wound for
every degree above the targets passive total on each
test. Recovery - The penalty fades by one die per
day after the poison has run its course and the
wounds heal normally.
Water Demon
(Kappa) - Lesser Yokai
Kappa are water demons that make their homes
in ponds, swamps, and under bridges. They are
known to be expert bone setters, and can easily
serve as a doctor if a local doctor is too far away.
The trick is convincing the demon to help. They are
often proud and demand sacrifices of cucumbers to
be left for them in baskets near their domain, or
given for services rendered. They are also
competitive and may demand a wrestling or
unarmed fighting contest.
All of a Kappa's unnatural strength comes from
it's bowl shaped head being filled with water. They
are easy to scare or best in combat without the top
of their head being moist, but they are extremely
conscious of this fact and it is impossible to tip the
water out of their bowl without physically
overpowering them. However, considering
themselves the soul of politeness, a Kappa often will
return a bow in greeting, forgetting the consequence
and causing the water to spill from their heads.
Web casting: A Spider-Queen can throw webs at

targets which must succeed at Challenging (9)
Agility (Dodge) tests or be entangled. Escaping is an
Formidable (12) Athletics (Strength) test, or another
character may use a greater action using a blade to
free you. Once entangled the character is
considered pinned and therefore helpless.
A Kappa without a moist head has -2D to all

actions which is cumulative with any other penalties
they may suffer.
Tree Spirit

Endurance 5
Healing 5
Knowledge 2 (Education 2B)
Persuasion 4 (Intimidate 2B)
Penalty 0
(Kodama) - Least Kami

Tree Spirits are an example of a standard kami.
They do not manifest without help unless enraged,
and they can affect the world for a skilled spirit
talker or provide local information. Tree Spirits in
general arise or arrive in favored old trees, and
resemble diminutive humanoids with large heads
and eyes. Priests often put ceremonial markers on
such trees to warn woodcutters not to chop them
down. Enraged tree spirits don't gain much in terms
of Abilities, but their malicious actions continue
until dealt with by a spirit talker. Tree Spirits often
band together, and when one is enraged, an entire
group of them may gather and share in the anger. As
they often act with a single purpose, they are often
summoned by spirit talkers to act together.
Will 2 (Coordinate 2B)
27

Blades and Cherry Blossoms

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Introduction

Why Cant I Play....

The Supernatural World

Interactions with Spirits

Blades & Cherry Blossoms

The name of this handbook corresponds to the

I intend to add a full bestiary section and

There are surprisingly few changes needed to

Availability of Existing Qualities

Untouchables (Eta), !Foreigners

Peasant, Merchant, Masterless Samurai,

Village Leader, Landless Samurai,

House Functionary, Member of a

Landed Samurai, Minor House

Minor House Lord, Great House

Blood of the Andals

House Lord, Great House Heir

Great House Lord (Daimyo)

Member of the Imperial Family, Shogun

*The Emperor (the Mikado)

Japanese nobles usually send messengers,

* This rank is included for comparison

Polyglot & Worldly

Fighting Spirit III / Martial

Requires Fighting 6, Fighting Spirit II

Flashing Blade Style / Martial

If you are playing in a completely non-magical

Devil Master* / Fate

Flashing Blade Style II / Martial

You slip your blade into openings your foes

You can compel even the most powerful of

Requires Fighting 6, Flashing Blade Style I

Requires Cunning 4, Ghost Master

Flashing Blade Style III / Martial

Requires Flashing Blade Style II

Fighting Spirit I / Martial

Fighting Spirit II / Martial

Before engaging in an Intrigue with a Spirit or

Requires Fighting 5, Fighting Spirit I

blessed, or mystical nature. The caveat is that you

Finally, you have a Spirit Armor rating one

Charm paper, and other tools of the trade of an

Ghost Master* / Fate

In the special case of a sealed spirit, it is

You may add your Dedication Specialty to the

Lastly, a Spirit Talker may take spirit companions

If you possess the Knowledge Focus (Occult)

Spirit Talker* / Fate

Requires Knowledge 4 (Education 2B), Spirit

The character can clearly see spirits and

Attracted spirits come at a pace corresponding

When interacting physically with a spirit being,

Sword Drawing Style III / Martial

Tsukumogami have a Will rank equal to the

Requires Fighting 6, Sword Drawing Style II

Summoning Sealed Spirits

Sword Drawing Style I / Martial

Requires Fighting 4( Long Blades 2B)

Sword Drawing Style II / Martial

Requires Fighting 5, Sword Drawing Style I

Defeat & Consequences

Actual versus Perceived Status

Every player character should keep track of

This refers to ritual suicide, known as seppuku