Roleplaying game

196
Chapter 8: Non-Player Characters
Chapter 8: Non-Player Characters
Experienced Bandit (Adversary)
Bandits and other criminals who are successful for more than a short 
time are usually those who are good at talking others into taking the most 
extreme risks their dangerous lifestyle entails, and using their less cun-
ning comrades for all they are worth. Failing that, they tend to be fast on 
their feet—at least, faster than the other bandits.
EARTH
RESILIENCE
COMPOSURE
FOCUS
VIGILANCE
PHYSICAL 
RESISTANCES
SUPERNATURAL
RESISTANCES
FIRE
AIR
WATER
VOID
3
3
3
9
6
2
8
3
0
2
1
Conflict Rank: Combat 2, Intrigue 1
Skills: Martial 2, Trade 1, Social 1
Advantages: Fleet of Foot (Air) [Martial; Physical]
Disadvantages: Fool’s Avarice (Water) [Social; Mental]
Demeanor: Ambitious (Air –2, Fire +2)
Typical Outburst: Compromise
Honor: 10 
Glory: 10  
Status: 05
Abilities: Dirty Tricks (When performing an Attack action check, an 
experienced bandit may spend  in the following way: 

: One character at range 0–2 suffers the Disoriented condition.)
Gear (equipped): Katana (Range 1, Damage 4, Deadliness 5/7, Ceremo-
nial, Razor-edged), ashigaru armor (Physical 3, Wargear), sake jug (half 
empty), a pouch containing a handful of bu.
Bandit Lord (Adversary)
While most bandits end their career when they grow too old (or too wise) for 
its risks or they are finally served justice, some reach a venerable age while still 
pursuing their criminal endeavors. The oldest bandit in a group is not always 
the most dangerous, but reaching a certain age often is a good indicator of a 
degree of experience, cleverness, and sheer will to survive among criminals.
EARTH
RESILIENCE
COMPOSURE
FOCUS
VIGILANCE
PHYSICAL 
RESISTANCES
SUPERNATURAL
RESISTANCES
FIRE
AIR
WATER
VOID
4
3
4
14
6
3
10
4
–
2
1
Conflict Rank: Combat 4, Intrigue 3
Skills: Martial 3, Scholar 1, Social 2
Advantages: Good Liar (Air) [Social; Interpersonal], Fast Draw (Air) 
[Martial; Physical]
Disadvantages: Arrogance (Fire) [Social; Interpersonal, Mental] 
Demeanor: Assertive (Earth +2, Water –2)
Typical Outburst: Become Enraged 
Honor: 05 
Glory: 15  
Status: 01
Abilities:  “… Get Them” (As an action, a bandit lord may have up to 
two bandits or experienced bandits immediately move 1 range band and 
perform a Strike action. They count as having skilled assistance (see page 
15) on this check.) 
Age and Cunning (When performing an Attack action check, a bandit 
lord may spend  in the following way:
•• 
: One character at range 0–2 suffers the Disoriented or Dazed con-
dition.)
Gear (equipped): Katana(Range 1, Damage 4, Deadliness 5/7, Ceremo-
nial, Razor-edged) or yari (Range 2, Damage 5, Deadliness 3, Wargear) 
or tetsubō (Range 1, Damage 8, Deadliness 3, Cumbersome, Durable, 
Wargear), yumi (Range 2–5, Damage 5, Deadliness 3), ashigaru armor 
(Physical 3, Wargear), sake jug (full), a pouch containing a handful of bu.
Rōnin (Adversary)
Rōnin are masterless samurai, and thus exist in a strange place in society: 
they are of the warrior class, but they lack prestige, financial backing, 
and the privilege of status. They fight for money, but nominally do so for 
noble ends. Thus, the line between rōnin, mercenaries, itinerant laborers, 
and bandits can be indistinct, and it often shifts depending on whether 
a rōnin can find legitimate work at a given time. What sets a rōnin apart 
from any other rootless warrior is honor: a desire, on some level, to up-
hold Bushidō and its virtues in the way of the samurai class.
EARTH
RESILIENCE
COMPOSURE
FOCUS
VIGILANCE
PHYSICAL 
RESISTANCES
SUPERNATURAL
RESISTANCES
FIRE
AIR
WATER
VOID
2
2
3
9
5
1
11
3
0
3
2
Conflict Rank: Combat 3, Intrigue 2
Skills: Martial 3, Scholar 1, Trade 2
Advantages: Killer Instinct (Fire) [Martial; Mental]
Disadvantages: Rude (Fire) [Social; Mental]
Demeanor: Detached (Void –2, Fire +1, Earth +1)
Typical Outburst: Shut Down 
Honor: 30 
Glory: 40  
Status: 20
Abilities: School of the Wolf (Once per round, when an Attack action 
check targeting the rōnin succeeds, the rōnin may spend 1 Void point to 
change the target to another character (other than the attacker) at range 
0–1 of the rōnin.)
Gear (equipped): Daishō (wakizashi [Range 0–1, Damage 4, Deadliness 
5/7, Ceremonial, Concealable, Razor-edged] and katana [Range 1, 
Damage 4, Deadliness 5/7, Ceremonial, Razor-edged]) or one other 
weapon, worn robes (Physical 1, Damaged, Mundane), empty sake jug, 
straw hat, a pouch containing a handful of koku, bu, and zeni.
Techniques
Iaijutsu
Activation: As an Attack action using one sheathed katana or wakizashi, 
the rōnin may make a TN 2 Martial Arts [Melee] check targeting one 
character at range 1–2.
Effects: The rōnin draws and readies the sheathed katana or wakizashi in 
a one-handed grip.
If the rōnin succeeds, they deal physical damage to the target equal to 
the weapon’s deadliness plus their bonus successes.
Striking as Water
Activation: When the rōnin makes a Martial Arts [Melee, Ranged, or 

---