Roleplaying game

Chapter 8: Non-Player Characters
Chapter 8: Non-Player Characters
Shadowlands Creatures
The Shadowlands are filled to the brim with terrifying creatures that are 
corrupted by the power of Jigoku and bound to the will of Fu Leng, the 
fallen Kami. From the walking dead to massive Trolls to unspeakable 
oni, there is no end to the horrors a samurai might face in these lands 
of darkness.
Zombie Peasant (Minion)
Rokugani funerary rites involve cremation. Despite the difficulty of doing 
so in many places, this is afforded even to the lowliest members of soci-
ety—for in Rokugan, the dead do not sleep soundly, and ancient stories 
tell of the days when powerful cults of mahō-tsukai wandered the land 
backed by vast armies of the hungering dead. Those days are long gone, 
but so ingrained is their memory that dead bodies are still considered 
unclean, and they are disposed of with great haste after an individual’s 
passing. While the vast majority of the inhabitants of Rokugan have 
never seen one, many Crab Clan warriors are well versed in dealing with 
zombies. All varieties of these undead are extraordinarily dangerous, but 
most are not especially intelligent, for the false semblance of life imbued 
into them is a pale, flickering thing that does not rekindle their minds 
as it does their bodies. Intelligent undead are whispered to exist, but it is 
said by members of the Kuni Purifier School that they are usually created 
under exceptional circumstances or raised through complex, taxing rites 
that bind a greater portion of the spirit to its fleshly cage.
EARTH
RESILIENCE
COMPOSURE
FOCUS
VIGILANCE
PHYSICAL 
RESISTANCES
SUPERNATURAL
RESISTANCES
FIRE
AIR
WATER
VOID
3
3
2
4
2
3
∞
2
0
2
0
Conflict Rank: Combat 2, Intrigue –
Advantages: Hungry for Flesh [Martial]
Disadvantages: Forgetfulness (Earth) [Scholar; Mental], Shambling Gait 
(Water) [Martial; Physical]
Demeanor: None
Typical Outburst: Enrage
Abilities: Shadowlands Creature (Weapons with the Sacred quality ig-
nore this creature’s resistances.)
Putrid Flesh (The first time a zombie peasant would otherwise be 
defeated each scene, if it has no scar disadvantages, it receives one scar 
disadvantage of the GM’s choice instead.)
Cadaverous Bite (After a character suffers a critical strike result of 3 or 
higher from an Attack action by a zombie peasant, the target suffers the 
Afflicted condition for the ring they used to resist the critical strike [see 
page 170].)
Gear (equipped): Ragged robes, bloodied teeth (Range 0, Damage 3, 
Deadliness 3, Natural), grasping hands (Range 0–1, Damage 3, Deadli-
ness 1, Natural).
Techniques
Pile On
When performing an Attack action check with assistance from one or 
more other zombie peasants, this character may spend  as follows:
•• 
+: Count the target’s physical resistance as 2 lower per  spent this 
way.  spent this way cannot exceed the number of zombie peasants 
assisting with the check.
Shadowlands Goblin (Minion)
Shadowlands goblins often serve as the foot soldiers in the armies that 
march under the name of Fu Leng. While a single goblin is a trifling chal-
lenge for an experienced samurai, there is never only a single goblin.
EARTH
RESILIENCE
COMPOSURE
FOCUS
VIGILANCE
PHYSICAL 
RESISTANCES
SUPERNATURAL
RESISTANCES
FIRE
AIR
WATER
VOID
2
2
1
3
3
1
4
2
0
2
1
Conflict Rank: Combat 1, Intrigue 1
Skills: Martial 1, Trade 1
Advantages: Sneaky (Air) [Martial, Trade; Physical]
Disadvantages: Cowardice (Earth) [Martial; Mental]
Demeanor: Cowardly (Fire –2, Earth +2)
Typical Outburst: Flee
Honor: 0  
Glory: 02  
Status: 0
Abilities: Silhouette (1)
Unsightly Rabble (: One character other than the target at range 0–2 
suffers 4 damage. This  can be activated a number of times per round 
equal to the number of goblins assisting with the check.)
Shadowlands Creature (Weapons with the Sacred quality ignore this 
creature’s resistances.)
Gear (equipped): Goblin-sized yari (Range 1, Damage 5, Deadliness 3, 
Wargear) or goblin-sized yumi (Range 1–4, Damage 5, Deadliness 3), 
salvaged scraps of armor (Physical 1, Damaged).
Shadowlands Goblin Chieftain (Adversary)
Goblin chieftains usually rule their wretched kin through cunning and 
occasional bouts of unexpected brutality. They claim the best spoils for 
themselves, and thus have modestly better weapons than their minions.
EARTH
RESILIENCE
COMPOSURE
FOCUS
VIGILANCE
PHYSICAL 
RESISTANCES
SUPERNATURAL
RESISTANCES
FIRE
AIR
WATER
VOID
3
3
2
7
4
3
8
3
1
2
1
Conflict Rank: Combat 3, Intrigue 2 
Skills: Martial 2, Social 1
Advantages: Sneaky (Air) [Martial, Trade; Physical], Desperate Strength 
(Fire) [Martial; Physical]
Disadvantages: Cowardice (Earth) [Martial; Mental]
Demeanor: Assertive (Earth +2, Water –2)
Typical Outburst: Flee 
Honor: 0  
Glory: 20  
Status: 0
Abilities: Silhouette (1)
Shadowlands Creature (Weapons with the Sacred quality ignore this 
creature’s resistances.)
Gear (equipped): Spiky club (Range 0–1, Damage 5, Deadliness 3, Mun-
dane), scavenged ashigaru armor (Physical 3, Wargear, Damaged).

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