Roleplaying game

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Chapter 8: Non-Player Characters
Chapter 8: Non-Player Characters
Crafty
Conflict Rank: Intrigue +1
Ring: +1 Air
Skills: +1 Social and Scholar skills
Advantages (choose 0–2): Excellent Liar (Air) [Social], Patience (Earth) 
[Scholar], Haggling (Water) [Trade]
Disadvantages (choose 0–2): Fear of Failure (Fire) [Martial], Narcissistic 
(Earth) [Social], Unmemorable Face (Air) [Social]
Demeanor: Ambitious or Shrewd
Gregarious
Conflict Rank: Intrigue +1
Ring: +1 Water
Skills: +1 Social and Trade skills
Advantages (choose 0–2): Well-Spoken (Air) [Social], Prim (Earth) [So-
cial], Seemingly Trustworthy (Water) [Social]
Disadvantages (choose 0–2): Doomed Love (Fire) [Social], Lack of Em-
pathy (Air) [Social], Bad Eyesight (Water) [Scholar]
Demeanor: Assertive or Shrewd
Knowledgeable
Conflict Rank: Intrigue +1
Ring: +1 Earth
Skills: +1 Scholar and Trade skills
Advantages (choose 0–2): Forbidden Knowledge [Mahō] (Fire) [Schol-
ar], Exact Memory (Earth) [Scholar], Well-Read (Fire) [Scholar]
Disadvantages (choose 0–2): Bitter Marriage (Water) [Social], Know-It-
All (Air) [Social], Frailty (Earth) [Martial]
Demeanor: Detached or Shrewd
Warlike
Conflict Rank: Combat +1, Intrigue +1
Ring: +1 Fire
Skills: +1 Martial and Social skills
Advantages (choose 0–2): Master of Many Arms (Earth) [Martial], Fear-
some Presence (Fire) [Social], Veteran’s Instincts (Water) [Scholar]
Disadvantages (choose 0–2): Bad Dreams (Void) [Martial], Quick to 
Anger (Fire) [Social], Shattered by War (Earth) [Social]
Demeanor: Assertive or Gruff
Perceptive
Conflict Rank: Combat +1, Intrigue +1
Ring: +1 Air
Skills: +1 Martial and Scholar Skills
Advantages (choose 0–2): Analytical Mind (Fire) [Scholar], Self-Aware-
ness (Void) [Martial], Sharp Eyes (Water) [Scholar]
Disadvantages (choose 0–2): Disbeliever (Fire) [Social], Haughty Tone 
(Air) [Social], Severe Allergy (Earth) [Martial]
Demeanor: Gruff or Shrewd
Spiritual
Conflict Rank: Intrigue +1
Ring: +1 Void
Skills: +1 Artisan and Scholar Skills
Advantages (choose 0–2): Partial Enlightenment (Void) [Scholar], Em-
pathy (Air) [Social], Friendly Kami or Spirit (Fire, Earth, Air, or Water) 
[Scholar]
Disadvantages (choose 0–2): Poverty (Water) [Trade], Fanaticism (Fire) 
[Social], Suppressed Emotions (Fire) [Social]
Demeanor: Detached

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195
Chapter 8: Non-Player Characters
Sample NPCs
The following profiles are intended to provide GMs with a basic set 
of options for the non-player characters in their Legend of the Five 
Rings games.
Humans
In most campaigns, humans will likely make up the majority of NPCs. 
While there are other sentient species in the Emerald Empire, they 
tend to live in enclaves, hidden away in the shadows of Rokugan or 
in the places where the borders between physical and spiritual realms 
grow blurriest.
Peasant (Minion)
Most of Rokugan’s inhabitants are peasants. These hardworking people 
live their lives largely beneath the notice of samurai (except when it 
comes time to collect taxes from them), and yet without their toil, society 
would not exist.
EARTH
RESILIENCE
COMPOSURE
FOCUS
VIGILANCE
PHYSICAL 
RESISTANCES
SUPERNATURAL
RESISTANCES
FIRE
AIR
WATER
VOID
2
1
2
4
3
0
4
2
0
1
1
Conflict Rank: Combat 1, Intrigue 1 
Skills: Social 1, Trade 1
Advantages: Salt of the Earth (Earth) [Trade; Interpersonal, Physical]
Disadvantages: Deferential (Water) [Social; Mental]
Demeanor: Shrewd (Fire –2, Water +2)
Typical Outburst: Expose a Weakness
Honor: 20 
Glory: 30  
Status: 15
Abilities: None
Gear (equipped): Rags, cloth headband, shoddy farm equipment, a 
handful of zeni.
Ashigaru (Minion)
Most armies consist of a small number of samurai who form elite units 
and the command cadre. They are backed by a large number of ashigaru: 
levied or even career soldiers who serve the Great Clans but are drawn 
from the lower classes. Many ashigaru are veteran campaigners, and 
some are expertly skilled in the arts of battle—though the profile here re-
flects an especially average rank-and-file soldier rather than a particularly 
notable warrior among the ashigaru.
EARTH
RESILIENCE
COMPOSURE
FOCUS
VIGILANCE
PHYSICAL 
RESISTANCES
SUPERNATURAL
RESISTANCES
FIRE
AIR
WATER
VOID
3
2
2
6
3
3
5
2
0
1
1
Conflict Rank: Combat 2, Intrigue 1
Skills: Martial 1, Social 1, Trade 1
Advantages: Strength in Numbers (Water) [Martial; Physical, Mental]
Disadvantages: Jaded by Battle (Fire) [Social; Mental]
Demeanor: Gruff (Earth +2, Air –2)
Typical Outburst: Inappropriate Remark 
Honor: 25 
Glory: 10  
Status: 19
Abilities: Rank Tactics (When an ashigaru provides assistance (see page 
15) to the Martial skill check of another character at range 0–2, that 
character adds one kept die showing a  result instead of rolling an ad-
ditional die.)
Gear (equipped): Yari (Range 2, Damage 5, Deadliness 3, Wargear), 
peasant’s garb, ashigaru armor (Physical 3, Wargear), helmet, a handful of 
zeni and bu.
Bandit (Minion)
Wherever there are people, there are some who prey upon those weaker 
than themselves. In times of famine, plague, or war, many peasants and 
even some samurai turn to banditry, taking at swordpoint what they can-
not otherwise acquire. Most bandits in Rokugan are ill-trained, ill-man-
nered ruffians. Many fall into the life because they lack better prospects; 
others have always had a knack for unsavory work, or even enjoy it.
EARTH
RESILIENCE
COMPOSURE
FOCUS
VIGILANCE
PHYSICAL 
RESISTANCES
SUPERNATURAL
RESISTANCES
FIRE
AIR
WATER
VOID
2
2
2
5
4
1
6
2
0
2
1
Conflict Rank: Combat 1, Intrigue 1
Skills: Martial 1, Trade 1
Advantages: Nothing to Lose (Fire) [Martial; Mental]
Disadvantages: Only in It for the Money (Water) [Social; Interpersonal, 
Mental] 
Demeanor: Gruff (Air –2, Earth +2)
Typical Outburst: Inappropriate Remark 
Honor: 15 
Glory: 05  
Status: 01
Abilities: Ambush Tactics (When performing an Attack action against 
a target with the Dazed or Disoriented condition, increase any damage 
dealt by 2.)
Gear (equipped): Yari (Range 2, Damage 5, Deadliness 3, Wargear) or yumi 
(Range 2–5, Damage 5, Deadliness 3), worn robes (Physical 1, Damaged, 
Mundane), sake jug (empty), a pouch containing a handful of zeni.

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