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).