Roleplaying game

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Chapter 7: The Game Master
Any time a character wants to make an important promise or statement 
of intention, the GM may ask the player to stake some amount of honor 
on this. Generally, the amount of honor they must stake is equal to the 
amount they would have to forfeit to intentionally break their word (see 
Makoto [Sincerity] in Tenets of Bushidō, on page 183), but the GM 
might adjust this value up or down based on circumstances.
Awarding Honor for Performing Honorable Deeds
Honor cannot be gained without adversity. As such, the GM should 
award honor to characters for deeds that put their code above their im-
mediate needs or desires.
Characters generally should not be awarded honor for things that cost 
them nothing or are not accompanied by risks. For instance, being cour-
teous to someone of higher status is simply expected—but maintaining 
perfect etiquette when faced with a hated enemy is exceptional, even in 
the Emerald Empire. The Tenets of Bushidō, below, contain a number of 
examples of how much honor a character should be awarded for making 
a sacrifice in the name of honor.
The Tenets of Bushidō
Each of the seven virtues listed below is accompanied by a number of 
examples of situations when a character might have to forfeit honor to 
disobey it, need to stake honor on upholding it, or receive an honor re-
ward for giving something up to pursue it.
Gi (Righteousness)
Set lies aside. A samurai does not make Righteousness a matter 
for debate; he knows that there is only truth and falsehood, justice 
and injustice.
Table 7–1: Bushidō Tenet: Gi (Righteousness)
Action
Honor You 
Must Forfeit
Examples
Trifling 
Breach
1
Abetting or covering for a comrade’s 
minor breach of honor 
Lying to preserve someone’s feelings or 
protect someone
Minor 
Breach
Honor equal to 
honor rank
Abetting or covering for a comrade’s 
major breach of honor 
Lying to someone of equal or lower 
status for personal gain
Major 
Breach
Honor equal to 
honor rank x 2
Abetting or covering for a comrade’s 
massive breach of honor 
Lying to someone of higher status for 
personal gain
Massive 
Breach
Honor equal to 
honor rank x 4
Murdering someone of equal or higher 
status in cold blood (with or without 
anyone else knowing) 
Lying to your lord for purely selfish gain
Table 7–2: Bushidō Tenet: Gi (Righteousness)
Action
Honor 
Reward
Examples
Trifling 
Sacrifice
1
Correcting someone’s (positive) 
misconception about your abilities 
Giving proper credit to someone else, 
forfeiting a portion of your glory reward for a 
heroic deed
Minor 
Sacrifice
3
Delivering unpleasant news to your lord 
without deflecting blame from yourself 
Taking responsibility for the failure of a 
subordinate or character of lower status under 
your charge
Major 
Sacrifice
6
Retiring honorably from a position you are no 
longer capable of fulfilling properly 
Relinquishing your claim to something in 
favor of someone of equal or higher status
Massive 
Sacrifice
9
Refusing to deny true allegations of a failure 
or misdeed that require you to forfeit 9 or 
more glory or status

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184
Chapter 7: The Game Master
Chapter 7: The Game Master
Yū (Heroic Courage)
Only fear of death can destroy life; the samurai replaces it with an under-
standing of danger.
A samurai is expected to be ready to give up life and limb for their 
daimyō at any moment. The people of Rokugan not only believe in rein-
carnation, but also believe that the actions of this life will affect a thou-
sand lifetimes to come. Karma, the moral state of the spirit that persists 
from lifetime to lifetime, is not erased by death. A samurai knows that 
selflessly giving this life in service of their lord will let them be born into 
a higher station still in the next lifetime. Common folk allow fear to swal-
low their hearts. An extraordinary soul is one who has the courage to 
truly live life to its limits, to live as if each moment were the last one.
Jin (Compassion)
Just as the farmer does not grow crops merely to fill their own belly, the 
warrior does not fight for just their own sake. A samurai must be con-
stantly aware of their duty to protect others.
Table 7–3: Bushidō Tenet: Yu (Courage)
Action Honor You 
Must Forfeit
Examples
Trifling 
Breach
1
Allowing fear for someone else’s well-being 
to influence your actions 
Fleeing from battle (rather than being sent 
elsewhere to perform another task) at your 
lord’s order 
Concealing your identity in battle or a 
similar situation
Minor 
Breach
Honor equal 
to honor rank
Allowing fear for yourself to influence your 
actions 
Fleeing from a lost battle to protect your 
lord’s interests
Major 
Breach
Honor equal 
to honor rank 
x 2
Allowing fear to prevent you from acting 
entirely 
Fleeing from battle purely to save your 
own skin
Massive 
Breach
Honor equal 
to honor rank 
x 4
Allowing fear to drive you to a despicable act 
Sacrificing someone else to save your own 
life
Table 7–4: Bushidō Tenet: Yu (Courage)
Action Honor 
Reward
Examples
Trifling 
Sacrifice
1
Refusing to back down when faced with a 
numerically superior force 
Accepting a challenge from an enemy of 
unknown skill
Minor 
Sacrifice
3
Refusing to back down from an armed enemy 
while unarmed 
Accepting a challenge from a foe you know to 
be a superior warrior
Major 
Sacrifice
6
Refusing to back down from an inhuman 
enemy such a Troll, ogre, or oni 
Attempting to stop a comrade from doing 
something deeply dishonorable (a major or 
massive breach) 
Suffering a critical strike with severity 8 or 
lower in direct defense of your lord
Massive 
Sacrifice
9
Acting to stop your lord from doing something 
deeply dishonorable (a major or massive 
breach) 
Suffering a critical strike with severity 9 or 
higher in direct defense of your lord
Table 7–5: Bushidō Tenet: Jin (Compassion)
Action Honor You 
Must Forfeit
Examples
Trifling 
Breach
1
Saying something deeply cruel to an enemy 
Failing to offer proper respects to an animal 
you have killed or letting its sacrifice go to 
waste 
Letting someone die when attempting to 
save them would likely have cost your own 
life
Minor 
Breach
Honor equal 
to honor rank
Saying something deeply cruel to someone 
you do not know well 
Failing to assist someone with a significant 
problem you could trivially solve 
Tormenting an animal
Major 
Breach
Honor equal 
to honor rank 
x 2
Saying something deeply cruel to a friend 
or ally 
Physically harming another human being 
for no reason but revenge 
Letting someone die when you could have 
attempted to save them without meaningful 
risk to yourself
Massive 
Breach
Honor equal 
to honor rank 
x 4
Murdering someone of lower status in cold 
blood (with or without anyone knowing) 
Physically harming another human being 
for no reason but your own satisfaction
Table 7–6: Bushidō Tenet: Jin (Compassion)
Action
Honor 
Reward
Examples
Trifling 
Sacrifice
1
Showing kindness to someone of lower status 
in a context where this requires forfeiting 1 or 
more glory 
Sharing your rations with a person or animal 
that has no food 
Acting as second to someone who commits 
seppuku to cut short their suffering
Minor 
Sacrifice
3
Giving someone a useful item you could 
replace, such as a knife or piece of clothing 
Spending your time (two or more downtime 
scenes) helping a friend instead of advancing 
your own interests 
Treating your foe’s wounds after a battle
Major 
Sacrifice
6
Giving up your chance to do something heroic 
(an act that awards 6 or more glory) so that 
someone else can achieve it 
Saving someone’s life despite knowing that 
they bear you ill will and may trouble you later
Massive 
Sacrifice
9
Giving someone a useful item you can never 
expect to replace, such as an heirloom or relic 
Completing a dangerous heroic task for 
someone else who cannot repay you or spread 
word of your deeds

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