Other book mechanics

[Mirumoto Masuyo]

To go along with the poll about mechanics from other books that might be added I am going to put the info from the various books here, to be editted by the GM team if such things fit the setting. (In other words the is just a resource collecting and arranging some 4e data) As well, I am linking it to the respective poll so people can read possibilities.

[Mirumoto Masuyo]

Imperial Archives

New Skills
Swordsmanship (Ring-sword)
Mastery

• 3: When using a ring-sword, you may perform a Disarm maneuver against an opponent using a Small or Medium weapon.
• 5:You may ready a sword as a Free action instead of a Simple Action.
• 7:When using a ring-sword you gain +1k0 damage, and you may perform a Disarm Maneuver against an opponent weilding a Large weapon for one less Raise.

Crossbow
Note: Crossbow is considered Bugei by the Yobanjin and other gaijin cultures, and a Low skill in Rokugan.
Mastery

• 5:You may now reload a crossbow with only one Complex action.

New Weapons
Yobanjin Ring-Sword
Keywords: Medium, Gaijin
DR: 2k2
Price: 10 koku

Crossbow
Keywords: Medium, Peasant
DR: 4k2
Range: 150'
Special Rule: Reloading a crossbow takes two complex actions
Price: 5 koku
Note: A crossbow relies on it's own mechanical force to deliver damage, and thus does not add the user's strength to its DR.

New advantages:
Student of Shourido [Mental] (9 Points, 6 for Spider characters)
Truly dedicated followers of the Way of Victory are able to prevail despite their rejection of Bushido. When rolling to resist Temptation, Intimidation, or Fear, you may choose to add +5 to your roll instead of adding your Honor Rank to the roll.

Well-Connected [Social, 3 points per Rank]
Choose one court when you purchase this Advantage. One time each session per level of the Advantage, you may roll Courtier / Awareness at TN 20. If successful, you gain the benefit of one minor favor from someone else at court. This favor should not be something that inconveniences the benefactor, and it will only be a small piece of information (e.g. "the daimyo intends to go hunting tomorrow") or a simple bit of assistance ("I assigned you to a later guard shift"). The favor, however, will always be useful to some task you are currently pursuing. Courtiers may purchase this Advantage for one point less.

New Disadvantages
Debt [Material, Social] (2/4/8 points)
Whether through bad luck or simple imprudence, at some point you found yourself short of money and "solved" this problem by taking out a loan, either from a wealthy commoner or a fellow samurai. You are expected to repay this loan, and until you do, the shame of your indebted state hangs over you. For 2 points, your debt is equivalent to one quarter of your yearly stipend - a small amount, but you will have to save carefully to repay it. For 4 points, you owe your entire yearly stipend, and for 8 points, you owe substantially more than that. If others learn about your debt, you will at a minimum lose Glory (probably at least a Rank, more if your debt is large) and your fellow samurai may come to look down on you; your lord may also disapprove of your irresponsibility. In the long term, a persistently indebted samurai may be publicly shamed, losing Status or worse. Moreover, even if you keep the debt secret, your creditor may decide to use it to pressure you into doing things on his behalf (this should be handled by the GM through role-play). This Disadvantage is worth one additional point for courtiers.

[Mirumoto Masuyo]

Naishou Province

New weapon:
Magari-yari(Lion clan three pointed spear)
Keywords:Large
DR:3k2
Special rules: may be thrown a max range of 30', has DR 2k2 when thrown
Price:7 Koku

New advantage:
Naishou Citizen (3 Points)
You are an inhabitant of Naishou Province, a proud and ancient area which has remained dedicated to the worship of the Fortunes through difficult times. You can buy a Seven Fortunes’ Blessing Advantage for one less Experience Point. With the GM’s agreement, you can later buy the Advantage again for a different Fortune, although you lose the original Advantage when doing so. Finally, you gain a Free Raise on all Social Skill rolls dealing with monks aligned to the Fortune for which you currently have the Seven Fortunes’ Blessing Advantage.

[Mirumoto Masuyo]

Strongholds of the Empire

New Advantages:
Broken Wave Citizen [Social] (3 points)
Broken Wave City is the beachhead of the Yoritomo family’s influence upon the mainland, and as such is a center of commerce, education, and military organization. Those who dwell within the city have an incredible wealth of opportunity available to them due to the city’s importance to the clan. You gain a bonus of +1k0 to the total of all Commerce and Sailing Skill Rolls.

Inheritance: Kobune [Material] (10 points)
One of your relatives was a successful captain for the Mantis, and his ship has passed to you now that you have come of age. You may not be the most prepared for such a task, but the option is available if you wish it. You possess a small kobune, one that can be successfully crewed with perhaps a half dozen men including yourself. You are capable of making a trip between the mainland and the Mantis islands in two weeks, assuming it is not storm season, and a single voyage should cover expenses and end with a profit for you. The exact size of the profit should be determined by the GM (possibly with the assistance of Commerce Skill rolls from you), but will typically range between 5 and 10 koku per voyage. If your campaign utilizes the optional rules from Emerald Empire, this Advantage also confers 2 Duty Points.

Clear Water Native [Social] (3 points)
Your time spent in Clear Water Village has allowed you to build a beneficial and discreet network of contacts in the world of mercantile interests. It may be distasteful but none can deny that it has proven quite useful. You gain a bonus of +1k0 to all Commerce skill rolls. The amount of koku you receive as part of your School's outfit is increased by 50% (rounded up.)

Dark Edge Native [Social] (2 points)
As a native of Dark Edge village, the administrative aspects of iaijutsu are almost second nature to you. You gain one additional rank of Lore:Iaijutsu. When arranging a duel or representing a duelist, your Status is treated as if it were one rank higher.

Inheritance: Asahina Blade [Material] (9 points)
The near-mythical priest smiths of the Phoenix Clan have a venerable tradition to honor the memory of Isawa Asahina, one of the clan’s great heroes and a symbol of their clan’s alliance with the Crane Clan. An Asahina Blade is a 3k2 wakizashi. When you use the Guard Action while wielding this weapon, the bonus to your charge’s Armor TN is increased an additional amount equal to your Honor Rank.

Nikesake Citizen [Social] (3 points)
As a citizen of Nikesake, you have gained important contacts within the Crane Clan, and your prestige within court has increased as a result. You gain a bonus of +1k0 on any Social Skill Roll made interacting with a member of the Crane Clan. You also may purchase the Allies Advantage for one point less than normal when purchasing Allies within the Crane (the Ally still has a minimum point cost of 1).

Ruined City Shadow [Physical] (3 points)
Being stationed in the Ruined City is a dangerous assignment, even for the most sinister samurai among the Spider Clan. If the environment were not dangerous enough, the area is rife with potential enemies, and remaining undetected is the first priority for both Yotsu patrols and Spider operations within the city. You gain a bonus of +1k0 to the total of all Stealth (Ambush) Skill Rolls made in urban environments.

Stolen Identity [Social] (6 points, 5 points for Spider characters)
The city of Otosan Uchi was once the largest and grandest in Rokugan, and remained so for more than one thousand years. Even in its ruined state, there are secrets buried within that can reach across the face of an Empire. Among the ruins, you have discovered the trappings of another life, and can masquerade among the Great Clans in an established identity, complete with all the proper equipment. You may choose any one family and School from another Great Clan, as well as an alias. When using the Acting Skill to deceive others as to your identity, and using this alternate identity, you gain two Free Raises on any Acting Skill Roll. You gain the Outfit (but not the koku) of the selected School as well. Needless to say, getting caught in your false identity will lead to dire consequences.

Inheritance: Water Hammer Armor [Material] (Special)
You have been bequeathed a suit of armor that was forged upon the great scale of the Water Dragon in the heart of Suigeki Toshi. Only a handful of such suits exist, and few indeed are honored to wear them. Your armor has its Reduction value increased by 2. The point cost of this Advantage is dependant upon the type of armor granted. Ashigaru armor is worth 4 points, light armor 7 points, heavy armor 12 points, and riding armor 15 points.

Water Hammer Citizen [Social] (3 points)
Your time spent within Water Hammer City has given you an affinity for crafting, even if you have not devoted your life to the pursuit of such things. You gain one rank in a Craft Skill of your choice (this may not take you over the maximum beginning rank of 4). When determining the time required to craft any particular item, the cost of the item is considered one coin type smaller for you (for example, an item that has a cost measured in koku would determine its crafting time as if it were measured in bu, and an item with a cost measured in bu would determine the time as if it were measured in zeni).

Imperial City Citizen [Social] (2 points)
Being stationed in the Imperial City is a tremendous honor for anyone, even among the Crane, and indicates both your level of skill and the degree of faith that your clan places in you. Your Glory is considered one rank higher when interacting with members of any Courtier School.

Imperial City Veteran [Social] (2 points)
Being stationed in the Imperial City is a tremendous honor for anyone, even among the stoic Lion Clan, and indicates both your level of skill and the degree of faith that your clan places within you. Your Glory is considered one rank higher when interacting with members of any Bushi School.

Zakyo Toshi Citizen [Social] (3 points)
Being raised in a city that wholly embraces commerce, gambling, and other such pursuits has allowed you many opportunities to improve your financial lot in life. You gain an additional rank in one Games Skill of your choice. The starting koku of your School’s Outfit is increased by 50%.

New Disadvantages:
Broken Wave Stigma [Social] (2 points)
Your status as a citizen of Broken Wave City is a constant reminder of the past difficulty between your clan and the Phoenix. Despite their inclination toward pacifism, many have found the War of Fire and Thunder difficult to forgive. You suffer a penalty of -1k0 to all Social Skill Rolls made targeting members of the Phoenix Clan. You gain one less point than normal when purchasing the Sworn Enemy or Nemesis Disadvantages if the other party is a Phoenix Clan samurai.

Clear Water Stigma [Social] (2 points)
Growing up in Clear Water Village has left you with an unpleasant stigma: many among your clan assume you are involved in the mercantile interests and obsession with money and material goods so common in the city. Even in the Crab, who care so little about such things this is considered distasteful. Your Glory is considered one rank lower when dealing with the other Crab, and you must choose to forfeit either all the Koku that would normally be a part of your School's starting outfit or one Weapon normally included in your starting outfit. (Your lords think you are wealthy and offer you less of a stipend.)

Dark Edge Reputation [Social] (2 points)
Unfortunately, being a native of a village such as Dark Edge Village, one that has a very well known reputation for a specific reason, can have a negative impact on one’s personal life. Many inattentive individuals without any real knowledge of you or your training assume that, since you are from Dark Edge Village, you are a talented duelist, and will seek to duel you to prove their own level of skill. Roughly once per two game sessions, someone will attempt to challenge you to a duel, sometimes friendly and sometimes not, regardless of whether you have any talent in that area or not. When a campaign is taking place in an inappropriate setting, such as the Shadowlands for example, the drawbacks of this Disadvantage are temporarily suspended.

Nikesake Stigma [Social] (4 points)
The emphasis placed upon peace and serenity that is so omnipresent within Nikesake has had a dramatic effect on your training. Even bushi are not immune to the effects of this atmosphere, as the bushi dojo within the city place a great emphasis on diplomacy and fighting defensively rather than offensive warfare. You suffer a penalty of -1k0 on all Weapon Skill Rolls that are not also School Skill Rolls.

Ruined City Survivor [Material] (4 points)
A duty posting within the Ruined City is a difficult one at best. The city is dangerous and short of resources, save what can be taken from the ruins, refurbished, and turned into an asset. Still, many stationed within the city must make the best of sub-standard equipment as a result of availability. You receive no koku as part of your starting Outfit, and two items from your Outfit are missing as well (you choose which ones are missing).

Water Hammer Stigma [Social] (2 points)
Being raised within a city devoted to the pursuit of perfection above all else has left you a little desensitized to the social niceties that are so important elsewhere in the Empire. Artisans and smiths from Water Hammer City tend to be somewhat brusque, after all, and completely absorbed in their work. As a result, you suffer a penalty of -1k0 on Social Skill Rolls made with members of any clan other than the Dragon Clan.

Imperial City Stigma [Social] (Special)
The unfortunate aspect of being stationed within the Imperial City is that it places one in situations where it is a very simple matter to earn the enmity of others, even if only for short periods of time. This Disadvantage functions exactly as the Sworn Enemy Disadvantage, save that it provides 1 additional point and that the identity of your enemy changes periodically. The identity of your current enemy is always determined by the GM, and one enemy may last as short as a month or as long as a year before someone else takes their place.

Trials of the Imperial City [Social] (varies)
A duty posting in the Imperial City, while it can lead to glory and honor, can also result in a great deal of difficulty from the tense political climate, a climate to which many Lion find they are ill-suited. This Disadvantage functions exactly as the Sworn Enemy Disadvantage, save that it provides 1 additional point and that the identity of your enemy changes periodically. The identity of your current enemy is always determined by the GM, and one enemy may last as short as a month or as long as a year before someone else takes their place.

Zakyo Toshi Stigma [Social] (3 points)
The stench of gambling reached you while you were still a child, and you have not yet purified yourself of its embrace. You suffer an almost overwhelming compulsion to engage in games of chance. Any pastime with an element of randomness can be turned into an opportunity to gamble. When gambling or games on which the outcome could be wagered are taking place, you must succeed at a Willpower Roll (TN 20) or be compelled to forsake whatever else is going on to participate. You may make an additional Willpower Roll every ten minutes you are involved with the game in an attempt to break free.

Bounty [Social] (2, 4, or 6 Points)
A price has been placed on your head due to your involvement (or suspected involvement) in a crime. The severity of the crime itself dictates the cost of this Disadvantage, the amount of the bounty on your head, and who will be willing to hunt for you. A minor offense (2 points) generates a bounty of 1-5 Koku, and generally only magistrates from that province, or ronin who hunt for bounties, will search for you. To identify you as a bounty target, the hunter must make a Lore: Law / Perception roll at TN 25. A serious offense (4 points) generates a bounty of 10-15 Koku. Any magistrate from the Clan which assigned the bounty will be aware of it. To identify you as a bounty target, the hunter must make a Lore: Law / Perception roll at TN 15. A violent or heinous act (6 points) generates a bounty of at least 20 Koku. Magistrates from every Great Clan are on the lookout for you, and you are likely to be executed in short order if taken into custody. The offended Clan may even send a specific request to the Tsuruchi Bounty Hunters if your crime was exceptionally awful. To identify you as a bounty target, the hunter must make a Lore: Law / Perception roll at TN 10.

Wanderer (2 Points)
You get lost easily. Even with written directions in hand you never seem to be able to find the place you’re looking for. You practically can’t get anywhere - even in a city you know well - without a guide. You suffer a -15 penalty when using the Navigation emphasis.

[Mirumoto Masuyo]

Imperial Histories

New Skills
Bugei:

Firearms (Intelligence)
Sub-types: Weapon skill, considered a Low skill
Emphases: Pistol, Musket
Special: Unless permitted by the GM, only gaijin may learn this skill, takes 3 Complex actions to load and fire
Mastery

• 5:Loading a firearm takes one less Complex action.

Cannon (Intelligence)
Sub-types: Weapon skill, considered a Low skill
Special: Unless permitted by the GM, only gaijin may learn this skill
Note: takes a team of four men to load and fire, but only the commander uses the skill
Mastery

• 5: Can be operated with a half-crew.(two men)

New Weapons:

Pistol
Keywords: Small, Gaijin
Range: 20 feet
DR: 3k2
A pistol's Damage Rating is modified by Perception instead of Strength. Possession of a pistol is an Imperial crime and should also entail Honor loss of an amount chosen by the GM.

Musket
Keywords: Large
Range: 150 feet
DR: 4k3
A musket's Damage Rating is modified by Perception instead of Strength. Some gaijin cultures mount a short blade on the front of their muskets, allowing them to double as a crude polearm. A musket with one of these blades can be used for melee with the Polearms skill, and has a DR of 2k2. Possession of a musket is an Imperial crime and should also entail Honor loss of an amount chosen by the GM.

Nageteppo (smoke)
Keywords: Ninja, Small
Range: 30'
DR: 1k1
Craft: craft:explosives/intelligence at TN25, and requires access to gaijin powder and alchemical supplies. Making Nageteppo is touchy business; failing to hit TN10 while doing so results in a small explosion, inflicting 2k1 for smoke nageteppo.
Throwing a nageteppo is a Simple Action. When they are broken (either by accident, crushing, or most commonly by being thrown against a hard surface) the contents ignite and emit a thick cloud of choking white smoke. The smoke covers an area roughly 15’ diameter and obscures all vision within (those inside the smoke are considered to be Blind). The smoke normally lasts five Rounds before it disperses, although it can be blown away in a single Round by a strong wind.
If a smoke nageteppo directly strikes a person, the burning smoke charge inflicts 1k1 damage per Round for two Rounds (or until extinguished with dousing, smothering, etc).

Nageteppo (incendiary)
Keywords: Ninja, Small
Range: 25'
DR: 3k2 (ignores 3 points of Reduction)
Craft: Craft: Explosives / Intelligence at TN 25, and requires access to gaijin pepper and alchemical supplies. Making nageteppo is a touchy business; failing to hit TN 10 when doing so results in a small explosion, inflicting 3k2 damage for incendiary nageteppo.
Throwing a nageteppo is a Simple Action. When an incendiary nageteppo is broken the contents ignite violently and spray outward, igniting everything within 5’. Someone who is directly hit by an incendiary nageteppo will take 3k2 damage per Round for three Rounds (or until the fire is doused/smothered). Someone who is caught in the spray radius takes 1k1 damage per Round instead. The fire from an incendiary nageteppo is hot enough to ignore 3 points of Reduction.

Demolition charge
Skill to Craft: Craft: Explosives / Intelligence at TN30, plus access to gaijin pepper. Failure to hit TN 10 when crafting a demolition charge results in an explosion, inflicting normal damage for the charge.
Skill to Set: Engineering (Siege) / Intelligence at TN 30, or Craft: Explosives / Intelligence at TN 20. Either way, setting a demolition charge requires fifteen minutes per charge. Missing the roll by 15 or more results in immediate detonation.
Damage: 9k6 to all within a 10' radius
Area: 7k5 damage out to a 30' radius, 4k3 out to a 50' radius.
Damage from demolition charges is gunpowder damage, which means it ignores Reduction on living targets. It also ignores 20 points of Reduction on inanimate targets (buildings, castles, etc). Shinobi sometimes use smaller charges for more limited targets - GMs may represent this by reducing the damage dice and explosive radius.


New siege weapon:
Cannon
Skill: Cannon
Crew: 4
Range: 1,200 feet
DR: 10k10
Area: The gaijin cannon used in the White Stag era fired "roundshot"- that is, solid cannonballs. These inflict full damage to the target and then blast through and inflict 5k5 damage to anything within a line thirty feet beyond the target. (This follow-through may be stopped by a solid target such as a thick stone wall)
Rate of fire: 1 shot per two minutes, half that with a crew of two. A cannon cannot be operated with a single man.


New Advantages
Imperial Scribe [Social] (4 Points)
Requirements; Status 2+, Calligraphy 4+
You have been trained as a scribe in the Imperial City, which is both a recognition of your considerable skill at calligraphy and means of ensuring that you remain among the most respected calligraphers hereafter. You gain a bonus of +1k0 on all Social skill Rolls made against shugenja and artisans, who have a great appreciation for your skill and position. Additionally, you gain a Free Raise on Calligraphy Skill Rolls.

New Disadvantages
Anachronism [Mental/Social] (2 Points) [IH]
Although the society of Rokugan embraces traditionalism and for the most part eschews all change, some degree of social evolution is inevitable. For those spirits returned through Oblivion’s Gate, these changes can seem profound and extremely confusing. You are out of touch with modern conventions and styles. The Target Number of all artisan, Craft, and Social Skill Rolls you make is increased by 5. Only returned spirits may purchase this Disadvantage.

[Mirumoto Masuyo]

Sword and Fan
New Advantages
Sage of the Sword and Fan [Mental] (7 Points)
This Advantage may be purchased (with the GM’s permission) after reading an original copy of the Book of Sun Tao or the original copy of The Subtlety of the Court. Reading this work allows the character to realize that war and politics are fundamentally one and the same. You gain the Mastery benefits of both the Battle and Courtier Skills, based on whichever of the two skills you have at a higher Rank. A number of times per day equal to your Insight Rank, you may use the higher Rank in those Skills when making a Contested Skill Roll with either of them. This Advantage costs 1 less point for courtiers.

Strategist [Mental] (5 Points)
You have studied the key strategic treatises such as The Book of Sun Tao and Akodo’s Leadership and gained an instinctive grasp of their philosophies regarding strategy in war. You understand the necessity of maintaining focus on the larger picture, of seeing each battle as part of a greater campaign, and how these will contribute to achieving your strategic objectives. If your character is the commander of an army or one of its senior subordinate commanders (for example, the commander of the Vanguard, or of an entire wing of the Main Body), or is part of the commander’s staff, then your side receives a +2k0 bonus to the Battle (Mass Combat)/Perception Roll made to determine who is Winning each Battle Turn. You also receive a +1k0 bonus to any other Battle Skill Roll you make during a Mass Battle Turn. Lion characters may purchase this Advantage for 4 Points.

[Yasuki Ginkarasu]

A number of these are already posted in the references section I believe.

[Mirumoto Masuyo]

Book of Air

New Kata
North Wind Style
Ring/Mastery: Air 4
Schools: Any bushi School
Effect: You may add your Air Ring to the total of any attack roll made while attempting the Increased Damage Maneuver.

South Wind Style
Ring/Mastery: Air 4
Schools: Any bushi School
Effect: You may add your Air Ring to the total of any attack roll made while attempting the Called Shot or Knockdown Maneuvers.

New Spells
Air Kami's Blessing
Ring/Mastery: Air 3
Range: Personal
Area of Effect: Caster
Duration: 8 hours
Raises: Special (double the bonus for 4 Raises)
A unique prayer that is as much a meditation as anything else, this spell is only taught in shugenja Schools which have an Air as an Affinity. It causes the Air kami within the soul of the caster to become more properly aligned, giving the caster a far greater grasp on the hearts and souls of other men, along with a certain quickness of reaction. While the blessing lasts, the shugenja may add his Air Ring to the total of all Awareness-based rolls, as well as to his Armor TN. Typically, those who know this spell perform the Blessing each morning during their daily meditations. The effects of this spell cannot be stacked.

Arrow's Flight
Ring/Mastery: Air 1 (Battle)
Range: Touch
Area of Effect: 1 arrow
Duration: 3 Rounds
Raises: Duration (+1 Round per Raise), Special (one additional arrow per Raise)
A prayer used by shugenja to aid bushi when an arrow absolutely must hit its target. The shugenja entreats the Air kami to play a game by guiding the arrow, and if the arrow is fired within the duration of the spell, it will unerringly strike its target. (It must still be fired by someone with a minimal understanding of archery - at least one Rank of Kyujutsu.) However, because it is the kami who ultimately ensure the arrow will hit, the shot cannot benefit from the effects of Raises or Techniques.

Castle of Air
Ring/Mastery: Air 4 (Defense, Illusion)
Range: Self
Area of Effect: 20' radius around the caster
Duration: 10 rounds
Raises: Duration (+2 Rounds per Raise), Special
The prayer commonly known as Castle of Water protects the caster by creating a physical barrier of water kami to obstruct attackers. The Castle of Air, by contrast, protects the caster by creating a cunning illusion that confuses and bewilders attackers. The Air kami create a circular barrier of false sounds and images, making it incredibly difficult for attackers to actually perceive the correct location of anyone within the bounds of the Castle of Air. An attacker may believe he is striking at the caster when he is actually swinging at empty space.
The circular barrier of illusions is centered on the caster. Once cast, it remains in place regardless of whether or where the caster moves. The illusions can only be fully perceived by those who were outside of the Castle of Air when it was cast; those within the Castle when it appears can easily perceive the shadowy, insubstantial nature of the illusions. If foes from outside the Castle attempt to attack those within it, the illusions will try to misdirect or fool them. Mechanically, such attackers must make a Contested Roll of their Perception against the Caster's Air each time they try to attack someone within the Castle. A success means they manage to briefly see through the illusion and may attack normally for that Round (only). A failure means the illusion tricks them and they suffer a -5k0 penalty to their attack rolls that Round. The illusions cannot affect enemy spells, since the Air kami cannot fool other kami.

Defender From Beyond
Ring/Mastery: Air 5 (Battle)
Range: 30'
Area of Effect: 1 summoned spirit
Duration: 5 minutes
Raises: Duration (+1 minute per Raise)
Special: Must be a Kitsu shugenja
Among the innermost circles of the Kitsu family are the ancestral shugenja who carry the bloodlines of the first kitsu spirits. These secretive shugenja have discovered rituals which can persuade the Air kami to carry a message to Yomi itself, calling for the aid of an ancestral shiryo. Only Kitsu Shugenja may learn this spell, which is a secret of the sodan-senzo order.

When the spell is cast, the shugenja beseeches the ancestral spirits of Yomi to send aid. If the Spell Casting Roll succeeds, a shiryo - a spirit from Yomi - will arrive on the scene in five Rounds. Once it arrives, the spirit reclaims its mortal form, but its spiritual nature is easily sensed from the celestial glow which surrounds it. It will offer whatever aid it can to the caster, whether that be advice, knowledge, or combat, but it will not do anything dishonorable. Mechanically, a typical shiryo will have the creature trait of Spirit, and will possess a Rank of 3 in all of its Rings and Traits and a Rank of 4 in any useful Skills.

Once the spell's duration expires, the shiryo immediately returns to Yomi. It also leaves for Yomi if its physical body is destroyed (e.g. it is reduced to zero wounds).
Although this spell normally calls a "generic" shiryo, the GM may opt to allow the shugenja to summon a specific named ancestral spirit with additional Raises. The GM may also choose to have a more powerful or famous shiryo answer the spell if the specific circumstances seem to warrant it. More powerful Shiryo will possess a School as appropriate for their ancestral clan, typically with a School Rank between 3 and 5.

Elemental Cipher
Ring/Mastery: Air 2 (Illusion)
Range: Touch
Area of Effect: 1 written page
Duration: 1 month
Raises: Duration (1 additional week per Raise), Area of Effect (1 additional page per Raise)
Special: This spell is known only to the Imperial families, and is a favored spell of the Seppun shugenja.
Understanding the ways of the Air reveals the indistinct line that exists between language and cipher. A shugenja can cause a piece of writing to be placed under an elemental cipher, enticing the kami to play a small game with those who read the text. The block of text becomes completely unintelligible unless read by the original author or the intended recipient, whose name is whispered as the spell is cast. Normally, an Elemental Cipher is not breakable by traditional decrypting and the kami will only reveal the true text to the intended recipient. However, other shugenja can decipher the kami's game and read the text by making a Spellcraft / Intelligence roll with a TN equal to the total of the original spell-casting roll.

Flight of Doves
Ring/Mastery: Air 2 (Illusion)
Range: 25'
Area of Effect: Story told by 1 target person
Duration: 10 minutes
Raises: Range (+5 feet per Raise), Duration (5 minutes per Raise)
This spell was originally devised by the Shiba Illusionists, and is one of their few significant contributions to the ways of magic in Rokugan. In keeping with the traditions of the Shiba Illusionists, this spell is intended primarily for entertainment, but it can sometimes have more practical applications (such as helping a courier describe his experiences to his lore).
The spell invokes the Air kami to "illustate" a story being recounted by another individual (designated by the caster). The spirits will supply a visual and auditory illusion to accompany the story, drawing the sounds and images from the mind of the storyteller. The resulting blend of story, sound, and imagery can be quite compelling, and Kakita storytellers have been known to seek out masters of this spell to assist their art.

Freedom of the Air
Ring/Mastery: Air 2 (Wards)
Range: 50'
Area of Effect: 1 house or other residential building
Duration: hours equal to caster's Air
Raises: Area of effect (3 Raises to affect a building as large as an inn, 6 Raises to affect a castle)
A cleansing ritual used by shugenja when preparing a house or other building for an important even such as a wedding or a festival. The spell entreats the Air kami to raise a soft but carefully controlled wind which sweeps all the dirt, insects, and other filth out of the building. The spell also has a spiritually purifying effect, making evil or malignant spirits reluctant to remain within the dwelling - any kansen, ghosts, or other hostile disembodied spirits within the building will leave for a number of hours equal to the caster's Air. (Evil spirits which are exceptionally strong or which have an extremely strong attachment to the building cannot be banished by this basic spell, however - it is the GM's discretion whether a spirit is strong enough to resist Freedom of the Air.)
The spell was originally devised by the Seppun shugenja, but due to its great usefulness it later spread across the Empire. The Seppun Shugenja School technique may be applied to this spell.

Funeral Rites
Ring/Mastery: Air 4
Range: N/A
Area of Effect: N/A
Duration: 5 minutes
This ritual was originally devised by the Kitsu sodan-senzo, but due to its widespread applicability it quickly spread to other shugenja families and schools. The Kitsu wished all Rokugani to properly venerate the ancestors, and thus had no difficulty sharing their discovery with the Isawa and the other clans as well. For those who do not have Kitsu blood, this spell is one of the very few ways in which shugenja can actually communicate with the ancestors while in Ningen-Do.
The spell is actually an hour-long ritual prayer which can only be performed in the company of a recently deceased individual's relative within twenty four hours of the funeral (which both the shugenja and the relative must have participated in properly). Other shugenja may assist in the ritual if they also know the spell; they do not need to make Spellcasting rolls, but are still considered to use up a spell slot. Once the prayer is properly completed (a successful Spellcasting Roll by the lead shugenja), the caster and the relative may both converse for a few minutes with the spirit of the recently departed. (If extra shugenja assist in the ritual, each assisting shugenja adds +1 minutes to the duration of the spell.)
Typically, this ritual is only used in situations where the living relatives want to make quite sure they are properly remembering and honoring their newly-departed ancestor. The exact results of communing with the departed relative are at the discretion of the GM, but could include learning important information, receiving advice and guidance, or taking up a task which the dead samurai left incomplete.

Facing Your Devils
Ring/Mastery: Air 5
Range: 30'
Area of Effect: 1 target person or creature
Duration: 10 Rounds
Raises: Range (+10' per Raise), Duration (+2 Rounds per Raise)
This is a dangerous and powerful spell which had appeared among ronin shugenja from time to time for almost a thousand years of Rokugani history. The spell is often regarded as wicked by clan shugenja, so those ronin who learn it guard its secrets carefully and only pass it on to their most trusted students. Typically no more than one or two shugenja in a generation will learn it. In the time of the Clan Wars, the spell's most famous user was the ronin Heichi Chokei, who claimed to be a descendent of the long-lost Boar Clan. When he was asked about the purpose of the spell, Chokei replied with a smile: "It is for whoever is brave enough to use it." In later years it also gained fame as a favored spell of Naka Kuro, the so-called Grandmaster of the Elements, and his student and successor Naka Tokei.
Facing Your Devils appears to call on the Air kami to test the kharmic and elemental balance of a soul by deliberately misaligning the target's Elements. The spell switches the highest and lowers Traits of the target for the duration. This may result in changes to the target's Ring Ranks, with potentially severe consequences (e.g. a dropping Earth Ring reducing available Wounds, for example). The caster may choose the affected Traits in case of a tie.
Those who use Facing Your Devils see it as a means to teach others the importance of balance in all things, but much more nefarious and cruel uses are certainly possible and have been employed more than once, lending the spell to a sinister reputation. The Air spirits seem to find the spell amusing, since they do not always recognize the harm it can cause.

Gathering Swirl
Ring/Mastery: Air 1
Range: Centered on caster
Area of Effect: 20' radius from caster
Duration: 1 Round
Raises: Area of Effect (+5' radius per 2 Raises)
This spell, most often found in the scroll-satchels of magistrates and their assistants, seems to be a simpler version of the same prayer used for Freedom of the Air. It causes the Air kami to blow furiously through the area of effect, and while initially this seems to produce nothing but chaos, within a few moments the winds gather several unattended items and deposit them in a neat stack (though not an organized one) at whatever location within the area the caster might desire, including in someone's hands if that is preferable. The caster must name the items to be collected when the spell is cast, and only those items will be collected - a convenient way to gather scattered papers, find a note buried under a pile, or otherwise retrieve something important with a minimum of effort. It can also be used, more cleverly, to retrieve a concealed or hidden item, a use which magistrates find quite valuable. However, it cannot be used to snatch items from someone else's grasp or person - the Air spirits consider that to spoil the fun.

Garbled Tongue
Ring/Mastery: Air 3 (Illusion)
Range: 30'
Area of Effect: 2 conversing persons (one may be the caster)
Duration: 5 minutes
Raises: Area of Effect (+1 person per 2 Raises), Duration (+1 minute per Raise)
Originally developed by Asahina shugenja, this spell found its way into the hands of the Soshi and a few other orders after several minor incidents in court. It is sometimes considered to be a dishonorable spell, but in fact its uses need not be for subterfuge. Rather, much like the Crane courtiers' technique of Cadence, the spell allows discretion in communication in situations where this would not normally be possible. It relies on the playfulness of the Air kami and the subtleties of language.
The spell causes the kami to obscure a conversation between two or more persons. The Air spirits create a second layer of speech, one heard by everyone except those actually participating in the conversation (who may include the caster). Though the speakers are aware of this false layer of speech, they will clearly hear the actual conversation taking place. The illusion cannot normally be penetrated except by reading lips (since they will not match the false conversation), although a shugenja can pierce the deception by winning a Contested School Rank / Air roll against the caster.

Howl of Isora
Ring/Mastery: Air 4 (Thunder)
Range: 100'
Area of Effect: 40'diameter
Duration: Instantaneous
Raises: Range (+20' per Raise), Area of Effect (add 5' to diameter for 2 Raises), Special (+1k0 damage per Raise)
This spell calls on the power of Isora, the Fortune of the Seashore, to unleash a blast of storm-wracked air and lightning that smites an area within range. The sudden roaring onslaught of wind, rain, and lightning inflicts 3k2 damage on everyone within the area of effect, and they must roll their Earth at TN 30 or be Fatigued by Isora's howl. The spell also damages weak or vulnerable physical objects - paper walls will be blown out, scrolls soaked with water, etc.
Those who are fortunate enough to be blessed by the Blood of Osano-Wo are immune to the effects of this spell.

Look into the Soul
Ring/Mastery: Air 4 (Divination)
Range: 50'
Area of Effect: 1 target person or creature
Duration: 1 Round
Raises: Area of Effect (1 additional target per 2 Raises), Special (learn additional Ring per Raise)
When a priest invokes this incantation, the Air kami gather together and form a mystical lens through which the shugenja may see the world as the spirits themselves perceive it. The lens lasts only a few moments and the caster can normally only use it to observe one person or creature. That brief moment of observation, however, allows the caster to learn the target's 2 lowest Rings and the values of their constituent Traits, in effect showing part of the person's Elemental composition. Additional Rings may be learned with Raises. (If the character's Rings are all equally balanced, the spell reveals them randomly.) However, the spell cannot and will not reveal the target's Void, for that level of understanding and perception is only possible through mastery of Ishiken-do.

Piercing the Heavens
Ring/Mastery: Air 6
Range: N/A
Area of Effect: N/A
Duration: 5 Rounds
Raises: Duration (+1 Round per 3 Raises)
Special: Must be Phoenix Clan shugenja
Known only to true masters of magic, this spell is a secret of the Phoenix and has never been intentionally shared with any other shugenja school, not even the Imperial one. It is considered a sacred trust among the most high-ranking of Phoenix priests, and not even all of the Elemental Masters have been considered worthy of its power… for to abuse this prayer is to call down the very wrath of Heaven.
This prayer calls for the direct attention of a Fortune named by the shugenja. It may only be performed within a temple or shrine specifically devoted to that Fortune, and may never be cast more than once a month lest it anger the entirety of Tengoku. If the spell is successfully cast, a mote of the Fortune's essence will manifest within the shrine's sacred icon and the shugenja will be permitted to briefly commune with the divine being. The Fortune is neither compelled to answer questions asked nor to fulfill boons requested, and the utmost reverence must be maintained lest its immediate and terrible wrath be unleashed. However, if true reverence is offered and the cause is worthy, the Fortune may offer help available nowhere else.

Quiescence of Air
Ring/Mastery: Air 2 (Wards)
Range: Caster
Area of Effect: 30 foot diameter sphere
Duration: 10 Rounds
Raises: Range (change to 50' for 2 Raises), Duration (+3 Rounds per Raise)
Security in communication is of paramount importance in many situations, and shugenja often find themselves in situations where a conversation is intended to be completely private, or when they cannot allow themselves to be interrupted by extraneous sounds. By placating the spirits of the Air, a shugenja can convince them to create a barrier against sounds, a bubble of silence through which sound will not pass. The spherical sound-barrier is normally centered around the caster, although with greater effort it can also be centered on a physical object up to fifty feet way. Once this spell is cast, the kami will not allow any sound to enter or leave this bubble, creating absolute privacy for anyone inside of the space. Once created, the bubble of silence will not move, even if the caster for the target object relocates.
Characters on one side of a Quiescence of Air spell's barrier gain two Free Raises on Stealth Rolls made against characters on the other side.
Ninube shugenja may cast Quiescence of Air as a Nothing Spell.

Request to Hato-no-Kami
Ring/Mastery: Air 2 (Travel)
Range: 150'
Area of Effect: 1 bird
Duration: 1 hour
Raises: Range (+50' per Raise), Duration (+1 hour per Raise)
A specialized variation of Nature's Touch, this spell is a prayer to the Fortunes that is carried by air kami to the ears of a random bird within the spell's range. (If no bird is available, the spell as no effect.) The bird flies down and lands on the caster's hand, and the caster may instruct it to perform a simple task (such as carrying a message or distracting an enemy) for the duration of the spell. With a successful Animal Handling / Awareness roll at TN 20, the caster may persuade the bird to perform a more complex task, such as searching the area for potential enemies and reporting back. This sort of task is subject to the GM's judgement, since if the task is too complex the bird will not be able to comprehend it.
In either case, the bird will not take suicidal actions (such as flying into a fire) and will immediately break off and flee if it is injured.

Seeking the Way
Ring/Mastery: Air 4 (Illusion)
Range: Touch
Area of Effect: Caster's trail for 1/2 mile
Duration: 3 hours
Raises: Duration (+1 hour per Raise), Area of Effect (1 additional person's trail per Raise), Special (Additional quarter mile of trail per Raise)
This spell is a subtle illusion used to conceal a shugenja's trail from pursuers. The spell convinces mischievous Air kami to hide the tracks of the shugenja (and his mount, if any), along with any other evidence of his passage (such as broken branches). In their place it create a false trail of similar evidence leading in a completely different direction for the same distance. The illusionary trail will follow a reasonable route (e.g. it will not go straight up cliffs or directly into a lake, for example) and will normally be flawless to others' perception; however, someone tracking by scent will be able to sense the original trail, and skilled trackers can potentially see through the illusion by rolling Hunting / Perception against the caster's Spellcraft / Air.
Powerful shugenja can persuade the kami to conceal the trails of their companions (and mounts) as well as themselves, as well as lengthening the amount of trail which is concealed and replaced.

Soul of Kaze-no-Kami
Ring/Mastery: Air 3
Range: 20'
Area of Effect: 1 target person (may be the caster)
Duration: 10 minute
Raises: Duration (+2 minutes per Raise)
This spell calls on the Fortune of Wind to infuse the target's soul with the cooling serenity of an icy northern breeze, rendering him or her resistant to the pressures of emotion and stress. The target seems impervious to any sort of emotional manipulation or psychological pressure; in reality, he does feel normal emotions, but the presence of the Air kami mute their impact, so the target can perceive his own emotions as something distant and abstract.
The target of this spell gains a bonus of +2k2 to resist the effects of any Social Skill Roll or Fear effects. However, the same icy serenity which makes him resistant to others' manipulation also makes it difficult for him to perceive the emotions of others; he suffers a -2k0 penalty to any Awareness-based Social rolls.

Tenjin's Ear
Ring/Mastery: Air 4 (Travel)
Range: Caster
Area of Effect: 30' radius around the caster
Duration: 5 minutes
Raises: Range (change to Touch for 3 Raises), Area of Effect (+5' radius per Raise), Duration (+1 minute per Raise)
Special: Must be Unicorn Clan Shugenja
Named after the Fortune of Scribes, this powerful invocation was originally created by the Unicorn and derived from their secret Meishodo magic. So far as anyone knows, the spell has never been taught to anyone outside of the Unicorn Clan. The spell persuades the Air kami to carry the true meaning of words to the caster's ear, allowing him to perceive the tongue of foreigners. for the duration of the spell, all audible human speech within the area of effect is made intelligible to the caster, regardless of what language is used. The spell does not grant any enhanced hearing (so whispers still cannot be heard), nor does it bestow any capacity to speak in return.

Touch of Air's Grace
Ring/Mastery: Air 3 (Illusion)
Range: Touch
Area of Effect: 1 target person (may be caster)
Duration: 1 hour
Raises: Duration (+10 minutes per Raise)
This illusion was originally devised by the Soshi family, but similar prayers have since been developed among other clans who spend time in the halls and gardens of Rokugan's courtly palaces. The spell entices the Air kami to subtly enhance the target's physical attractiveness, emphasizing his or her fest features and smoothing away any imperfections. The Air kami find this a delightful game and will often be quite creative in the tiny tricks they play to improve the target's appeal.
Mechanically, the spell negates the effects of the Disturbing Countenance and Benten's Curse Disadvantages for its duration. If the target does not possess one or both of those Disadvantages, he or she instead gains the benefits of the corresponding Advantages (Dangerous Beauty and Benten's Blessing). If the target already possesses both of those Advantages, the spell does not award any additional benefit (the Air kami find it boring to try to improve someone who is already so attractive).

Voice of the Wind
Ring/Mastery: Air 1
Range: Touch
Area of Effect: 1 target person (may be caster)
Duration: 10 minutes
Raises: Range (change to 20' for 2 Raises), Duration (+2 minutes per Raise)
The kami of Air are fond of sounds, which are carried through their Element, and can lend their power to strengthen the beauty, passion, and conviction of the human voice. The recipient of this spell finds his or her voice gains timbre, depth, and resonance, becoming in every way more impressive. For the duration of the spell, the target benefits from the Voice Advantage (if he already has Voice, the benefits stack) and also gains a +1k0 bonus to any Social Skill Rolls that involve speech.

Whispers of the Forgotten
Ring/Mastery: Air 4
Range: 50'
Area of Effect: 1 target person (may be caster)
Duration: 5 minutes
Raises: Range (+25' per Raise), Duration (+1 minute per Raise)
Men's memories are shaky, distant things, lodged deep within their minds, and nearly all mortals possess some past sin, some shame they would rather have forgotten. This spell, a favorite of the Scorpion, causes Air kami to evoke the memories and visions of past crimes. The constant painful memories distract and distress the victim of the spell, making it difficult for him to accomplish anything. For the duration of the spell, he must call one Raise for no effect on any Skill rolls or Spellcasting rolls which he makes. if he has 3 or more points in Mental or Social Disadvantages, he must call 2 Raises instead.
It may be noted that there are a handful of stalwart souls in Rokugan who truly do not have any sins haunting their past. Such rare persons are immune to the effects of this spell; it is left to the GM's discretion whether a particular target is truly noble enough to shrug off the Whispers of the Forgotten.
Some priests of a more ascetic nature have also been known to cast this spell on themselves in order to remind themselves of their past failings and the need for humility in the face of their human frailties.

Wind of the Moon
Ring/Mastery: Air 6
Range: 50'
Area of Effect: 1 target Person
Duration: 1 minutes
Raises: Duration (+1 minute per 2 Raises), Special (+1k1 on the Contested Air roll for 3 Raises)
Air acolytes of some potency realize it is possible to read the minds of others, but a few shugenja have looked at this as only the beginning of what can be done with Air. Through extremely advanced and powerful invocations of the Air kami, it is possible for a shugenja to not only read the surface thoughts of another but to transit his own thoughts into the mind of that person. This is considered a highly questionable act, and the Phoenix Clan considers this spell to border on blasphemy. However, the immense advantages that can be gained from such total manipulation of another means the spell continues to circulate covertly through the Empire.
In order for this prayer to succeed, the caster must know the name of the target and must be able to see him or her clearly. Without the visual connection, the thoughts of the target will be too garbled to be decipherable, resulting only in a painful headache to both caster and target. If the name which the caster knows is false (e.g. the target is using an alias) the Spellcasting Roll suffers a +10 TN penalty as the false name confuses the spirits. Furthermore, in order to successfully impose his thoughts on the target's mind, the caster must succeed in an Contested Air Roll against the target; failure means contact is broken and both sides suffer a severe headache as above. However, if the Air roll is successful, the target will be unaware of the mental contact and for the duration of the spell will believe the thoughts springing into his mind are entirely his own. The caster must maintain partial concentration for the duration of the spell - if this is disrupted, the spell ends immediately.
A peculiar side effect of this spell is that for an hour after it ends, the caster and target will find it difficult to lie convincingly to each other, inflicting a +10 TN penalty to any Sincerity (Deceit) rolls they make against each other.

Wind-Born Slumbers
Ring/Mastery: Air 2
Range: 50'
Area of Effect: 1 target person
Duration: 5 minutes
Raises: Range (+10' per Raise), Area of Effect (+1 person per 2 Raises), Duration (+1 minute per Raise)
This spell causes the Air kami to subtly insinuate themselves into the target's body, urging him toward weariness and sleep. A target who is physically and mentally inactive (such as a guard standing post at night, or a samurai meditating in his dojo) will automatically fall asleep when targeted by this spell. (The target will awaken normally if he is touched or hears a loud noise, but otherwise sleeps until the spell's duration expires.) If the target is physically or mentally active, the spell will not put him to sleep, but he will suffer the effects of being Fatigued for the duration of the spell. (If the target is already Fatigued, his Fatigue penalties increases as though he had gone another day without rest.)

Wisdom of the Kami
Ring/Mastery: Air 4
Range: Touch
Area of Effect: Caster
Duration: 1 minute
Raises: Duration (+1 minute per Raise), Special (+1 additional Skill Rank, once, for 3 Raises)
This prayer invites the kami of the Air into the mind of the shugenja himself, enhancing the shugenja's mind and thoughts, causing him to be able to make better use of his skills and knowledge. For the duration of the spell, the caster gains 1 Rank in all Skills hie normally possesses, and may benefit from any Mastery Abilities that this would award. This can only grant ranks in Skills the shugenja already possesses - the Air kami cannot evoke knowledge the caster does not possess. When the duration of the spell expires all benefits are lost and any memories of the knowledge or insight which the shugenja gained during the spell's duration are at best fuzzy; no precise or detailed account can ever be given, and severe headaches are known to plague those who try too hard.
The benefits for this spell only apply to Skills which the caster actually knows - it cannot increase the Rank of Skills which the caster has temporarily acquired through magic, nor can it combine with Advantages such as Crafty.


Internal Kiho
Eye of the Eagle
Ring/Mastery: Air 5
Type: Internal
The power of the wind can carry messages and information well beyond the boundaries of human weakness. Some natural creatures with an affinity for Air already possess remarkable abilities that go unnoticed and unappreciated, and certain monks can mimic these abilities. While this Kiho is active, you may as a Complex Action focus your chi by remaining utterly still and unmoving. Once this is done, so long as you maintain concentration and do not move from your current position, you can see a number of miles equal to your School Rank. The level of detail is sufficient to notice things like the physical characteristics of individuals, but not so acute as to allow for extremely fine detail, such as reading.

The Wind’s Vision
Ring/Mastery: Air 4
Type: Internal
This Kiho was developed early on by the more martial sects of the Brotherhood, but was rarely learned or used until the Wind’s Grace Order adopted it for use in its training. By focusing on the omnipresence of Air and letting go of mundane perception, you are able to fire an arrow at a target that is out of sight but may be in range. The arrow must still be able to travel in a straight line to the target—it will not suddenly pierce stone or turn corners, for example, but firing through a paper screen, amid total darkness, or through heavy smoke are all possible. You must know the target exists and its approximate location within 30 feet of its actual location.

Martial Kiho
Calling the East Wind
Ring/Mastery: Air 5
Type: Martial
The East Wind is generally considered exotic and fraught with mystery, most likely because it blows from the sea and the strange lands that exist somewhere far across its waters. This Kiho calls on that same wind to buoy the monk into the air and carry him to his opponent, delivering not an exotic or mysterious magical effect but rather simply a violent attack. When this Kiho is activated, you make a single unarmed kick attack. As part of this attack, you may leap through the air a significant distance, up to a maximum equal to your Air Ring x 10 feet. The power of this sudden movement adds an additional +1k0 damage to any successful attack landed as a result of this Kiho, and you gain one Free Raise toward use of the Knockdown Maneuver on this attack.

Censure of Thunder
Ring/Mastery: Air 7 (Atemi)
Type: Martial
The power of Thunder is not something that can be dismissed by any adherent of the Brotherhood, even those who favor the teachings of the Tao over the precepts of Fortunism. The Thunder Dragon, regardless of its dispensation, favors the bold and the heroic in all things, and those brothers who choose to face armed opponents with an empty hand are well within their rights to call upon its favor with this powerful Kiho. If you deliver a successful unarmed atemi strike while using this Kiho, your target immediately suffers 1k1 Wounds from the minor electrical shock that accompanies your touch. He also automatically drops his weapon as if suffering from a successful Disarm Maneuver, as your strike interrupts the flow of chi through his body. The target may spend two Void Points to negate the Disarm, but if he does so he suffers an additional 2k2 Wounds from the more severe electrical shock. The damage caused by this Kiho bypasses Reduction conferred by armor.

Hurricane Palm
Ring/Mastery: Air 7
Type: Martial
The raging force of a hurricane is nothing compared to the strength of a properly prepared spirit, or so the Tao of Shinsei says. Certainly there are many among the Brotherhood who seem able to prove such a point true. By externalizing their chi, certain monks are able to hurl away their foes, even those prepared for such an impact. After making a successful unarmed strike, you spend one Void Point. Your strike inflicts only half normal damage (rounded down), but it knocks your opponent back a number of feet equal to twice your Air Ring, after which he falls Prone. Any opponent successfully struck by this attack is moved by the Kiho’s effect, even if they do not suffer any Wounds from the blow.

Touch of the Storm
Ring/Mastery: Air 6 (Atemi)
Type: Martial
By drawing on the essence of the Elements themselves, a Brotherhood monk is capable of pulling the fury of the air from his surroundings and unleashing it upon an opponent. This Kiho requires a successful atemi strike. When such an attack is landed successfully, you make a Contested Air Roll against your opponent. If you are successful, your opponent suffers damage (with a DR equal to your Air Ring) in the form of a violent electrical discharge from the air around him. The damage from this Kiho ignores all forms of Reduction unless it specifically mentions electrical damage.

Mystical kiho
Inari’s Wrath
Ring/Mastery: Air 8
Type: Mystical
It is in the Air that the essence of the seasons is contained. The warm humid air is what most people remember about summer, and the biting frigid wind is the most severe memory of winter. A true master of the paths of Air can draw it into his own body and use his chi to cool it, then exhale it and strike with all the wrath of Inari, the Fortune of Rice, whose wrathful aspect is the Frost Dragon. You must spend a Void Point as a Free Action to activate this Kiho, then as a Complex Action you take a deep breath and hold it. You unleash the breath on the following Round as a Complex Action. It creates a cone of freezing air extending a number of feet equal to your School Rank x 5, as broad at the end as your School Rank x 2 in feet. Any living creature caught within the area of effect suffers cold damage with a DR equal to your Air Ring. At the GM’s discretion, certain physical materials may suffer damage as well.

Strike through the Wind
Ring/Mastery: Air 5
Type: Mystical
Most mortal souls never give a moment’s consideration to the air they breathe and move through almost every second of their physical existence. The notion that Air can contain force or become as hard as steel is something they never even consider. Some monks, however, are able to transmit force through the Air as if it were an extension of their body. You channel the force of your blows through the air, striking targets at range as if they were at arm’s length. You must spend a Void Point as a Free Action to activate this Kiho. While this Kiho is active, you make unarmed melee attacks as a Complex Action, and your melee attacks may target opponents as far away as your School Rank x 25 feet.

Thunder’s Word
Ring/Mastery: Air 6
Type: Mystical
This strange Kiho was allegedly developed by the monks who adhere to teachings inspired by the founder of the Mantis Clan, Kaimetsu-Uo. The sect’s name causes an obvious association with the Mantis Clan, which in turn leads many samurai to misinterpret its philosophies; in truth, the monks of Kaimetsu-Uo are generally rather introspective and are devoted primarily to the Fortunes. Which, truthfully, makes their development of this Kiho even stranger than its effect. This Kiho invokes the power of the Thunder Dragon, a patron of the Mantis Clan, and fills the lungs with the power of Thunder. As a Complex Action you draw a deep breath and shout a single word of power, a command filled with the essence of the Thunder Dragon itself. All living beings capable of hearing your shout must make a Contested Air Roll against you (each of them rolls separately and compares to a single roll by you). Those who fail the roll are Dazed for a number of rounds equal to your Air Ring.

Tattoos
Cloud: You can call upon the essence of the wind and the sky, granting you the same ethereal qualities as they possesses. While this tattoo is active, any melee attack that successfully strikes you must immediately make a second attack roll. If the second attack roll fails, the strike misses. However, while this tattoo is active you may not make attacks of any kind.

Whisper: This very rare tattoo usually takes the form of a person turned aside, hand held to the mouth as if silencing someone or masking something being said. When invoked, the tattoo allows those who bear it to send brief silent messages over long distances. When this tattoo is active, as a Complex Action you may send a whispered message to anyone within a number of miles equal to 10 x your School Rank. You cannot receive messages from the target unless they share the same tattoo or have some other means of transmitting such information.

[Mirumoto Masuyo]

Book of Earth

Kata
The Power of the Mountain
Ring Mastery: Earth 3
Schools: Hida Bushi, Hiruma Bushi, Matsu Berserker, Ichiro Bushi
Effect: When this Kata is activated, you reduce your Armor TN by an amount up to your Earth Ring; this lasts until you deactivate the Kata. All damage rolls you make while this Kata is in effect have their totals increased by the same amount.

The Strength of the Mountain
Ring Mastery: Earth 3
Schools: Hida Bushi, Hiruma Scout, Shiba Bushi, Daidoji Iron Warrior
Effect: When this Kata is activated, you reduce your Initiative Score by an amount up to your Earth Ring. (This cannot reduce your Initiative below 0.) This Initiative penalty lasts until you deactivate the Kata. While this Kata is in effect, your Armor TN is increased by the same amount.

Lee of the Stone
Ring Mastery: Earth 4
Schools: Hida Bushi, Hida Pragmatist, Shiba Bushi, Daidoji Iron Warrior
Effect: While you are in the Defense or Full Defense Stances, your Armor TN is increased by an additional amount equal to your Earth Ring

Strike as the Avalanche
Ring Mastery: Earth 3
Schools: Hida Bushi, Hiruma Bushi, Ichiro Bushi, Moto Bushi, Moto Vindicator
Effect: When using the Heavy Weapons Skill, your Strength is considered one Rank higher for the purposes of determining damage.

Weathered and Unbroken
Ring Mastery: Earth 5
Schools: Hida Bushi, Hiruma Bushi, Hiruma Scout, Ichiro Bushi
Effect: Your Water is considered two Ranks lower (to a minimum of 1) for the purpose of movement. All attack rolls made with the Heavy Weapons Skill gain the benefit of one Free Raise which may only be used for the Knockdown Maneuver.

New Spells
Drawing on the Mountain
Ring/Mastery: Earth 5 (Battle, Defense)
Range: 300’
Area of Effect: One target structure (up to a small castle)
Duration: 1 day
Raises: Range (+150’ per Raise), Area of Effect (one additional structure for 3 Raises), Duration (+1 day per 3 Raises)
This spell invokes the strength of Earth to strengthen a physical structure against harm. The wood and stone o the target structure – which may be as large as a castle are infused with the strength of the mountains themselves, allowing it to withstand floods, earthquakes, and the assaults of siege engines.
When using the Siege rules from the L5R 4th edition supplement The Great Clans, for the duration of this spell the Wounds and Reduction of the target structure are doubled. When the spell expires, the extra Wounds are lost – if this reduces the structure to zero Wounds, it immediately collapses into ruin.

Earth dragon’s Ward
Ring/Mastery: Earth 4 (Wards, Jade)
Range: Touch
Area of Effect: 20’ radius
Duration: 10 minutes
Raises: Duration (+5 minutes per Raise), Special (+1k1 to the caster’s Willpower roll per two Raises)
This spell calls on the power of the Dragon of Earth to protect an area against dangerous spirits. It was originally pioneered by the Isawa but was soon embraced by other shugenja families, especially the Yogo and the Kuni. The spell requires a warding symbol be inscribed on a solid surface (the ground, a wall, etc) prior to casting; this takes five minutes. Once successfully cast, the spell wards the area against possessing spirits and effects, making it extremely difficult for any individual within the area of effect to be possessed (whether by a ghost, a gaki, an oni, a spell, or in any other manner). Any spirit or being attempting a possession within the area of effect must first succeed in a Contested Willpower roll against the caster. (The caster will be aware that something tried to penetrate the Ward, and will know whether or not it was successful, but will not know the nature or identity of the possessing force.) This spell cannot drive out a spirit which is already possessing someone; it only protects against new possessions.

Grounding Energy
Ring/Mastery: Earth 5 (Defense, Wards)
Range: Centered on Caster
Area of Effect: Caster and all allies within a 20’radius
Duration: 3 Rounds
Raises: Duration (+1 Round per two Raises)
This spell, originally devised by the Yogo, calls on the spirits of Earth to fortify the caster and his companions, allowing them to resist the power of accursed maho spells. Any maho spell that targets the caster or any of the caster’s allies within the area of effect has its Spell Casting TN increased by an amount equal to 10x the target’s Earth.

Groves of Stone
Ring/Mastery: Earth 3 (Craft, Defense)
Range: Centered on caster
Area of Effect: Circular barrier 15’ in radius
Duration: 10 Rounds
Raises: Area of Effect (+5’ radius per two Raises), Duration (+2 Rounds per Raise), Special (+5 TN to climb rocks per Raise)
This spell is a specialized variation of the more commonprayer known as Wall of Earth. It entreats the Earth spirits to draw an array of huge stones up from the ground, erupting in an instant through most intervening physical obstacles (such as the floor of a house) to create a circular barrier around the caster. The stones are too strong to break through with anything short of a siege engine (against a siege engine they are considered to have 500 Wounds and Reduction 15), but can be clambered over with a Complex Action and a roll of Athletics / Strength against the caster’s Earth x5.
When the spell expires, the stones crumble away to loose earth and dust.

Jurojin’s Curse
Ring/Mastery: Earth 2
Range: 30’
Area of Effect: One target creature
Duration: 1 day
Raises: Range (+10’ per Raise), Area of Effect (+1 creature per two Raises), Duration (+1 day per two Raises)
This spell calls on the Earth kami to remove all protection of Jurojin, the Fortune of Health and Longevity, from the target. For the duration of the spell, the target’s Earth is considered to be 3 Ranks lower (to a minimum of 1) for the purpose of healing injuries and resisting disease or poison.

Maw of the Earth
Ring/Mastery: Earth 4 (Battle)
Range: 40’
Area of Effect: Approximately 10’ in radius
Duration: Permanent
Raises: Range (+20’ per Raise), Special/Damage (extra ten feet of depth and 1k1 of damage per two Raises)
This prayer causes the Earth spirits in the ground to wrench open a large pit roughly 20 feet deep, swallowing up anyone in the vicinity. Anyone at or within 10’ of the pit must roll their Reflexes against the caster’s Earth or fall into the pit, suffering 3k2 damage. They are also trapped in the pit until they are rescued or can climb out. (Climbing out of the pit is a Complex Action and requires an Athletics / Strength roll at a TN equal to the pit’s depth in feet.)

Murmur of Earth
Ring/Mastery: Earth 3
Range: Touch
Area of Effect: 100 foot radius around caster
Duration: 1 round
Raises: Area of Effect (+50’ radius per Raise), Special (+5 to TN per two Raises)
This spell excites and angers the Earth spirits in the ground around the caster, causing them to briefly shake the ground in the manner of an earthquake; however, the spirits refrain from shaking the ground immediately beneath the caster himself. Although this spell does not produce a true earthquake, the brief tremor can still cause damage and alarm. Any persons within the area of effect must roll Agility at TN 20 or be knocked Prone, suffering 1k1 damage and being Dazed for one Round. Furnishing and other such items will be knocked over by the tremor, which may have a variety of effects as the GM chooses
(e.g. a table with a lantern falling over might start a fire).
When using the Siege rules from the L5R 4th edition supplement The Great Clans, Murmur of Earth will cause 4k2 damage to all structures within its area of effect, ignoring their Reduction.

Rites of Preservation
Ring/Mastery: Earth 2 (Imperial)
Range: 10’
Area of Effect: One human corpse
Duration: 1 day
Raises: Duration (+1 day per three Raises)
This spell is used to preserve the bodies of the dead until they can be properly disposed of (typically by cremation). It was originally developed to allow Imperial and other high-ranking nobles’ bodies to be preserved in dignity until their funerals, since the funeral rites of such major lords are not only lengthy but also tend to draw guests from great distances. The Crab have also found it useful for protecting their dead against the Taint, although the spell is difficult to use on the battlefield.
Rites of Preservation is a ritual spell that requires one hour to cast. When a corpse is blessed with this prayer, the Earth kami are entreated to protect the body against
putrefaction and other unclean influences, allowing it to remain pristine and untouched until cremation. This blessing is one of the more important religious duties of shugenja, and despite its association with dead flesh is considered an honorable task.
A body which is blessed by the Rites of Preservation will not putrefy for the duration of the spell. Moreover, because the blessing repels the attentions of the kansen, the corpse is immune to being animated by maho or the Taint until the spell expires.

Sapphire Strike
Ring/Mastery: Earth 4 (Jade, Crystal, Thunder)
Range: 50’
Area of Effect: One target creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Raises: Range (+20’ per Raise), Targets (+1 target per Raise), Damage (+1k1 per Raise)
During the War Against the Darkness, the Kuni family of the Crab came to realize that the forces of the Lying Darkness were uniquely vulnerable to the power of crystal. The Kuni threw themselves into researching the ways of crystal and learning how to call on its power through the medium of the Earth kami. This prayer was the result.
A Sapphire Strike appears much like the far more well- known Jade Strike, but the blast of elemental energy which is unleashed shows a distinctive blue-green tinge, quite different from the bright green color of a Jade Strike, as the Earth kami call on the essence of Lady Sun’s tears. The Sapphire Strike has a DR of 4k4, but only against targets who are specifically vulnerable to Jade or Crystal. It is considered to be both Jade and Crystal for the purpose of game effects such as whether it penetrates Invulnerability or Reduction.

Shelter of the Earth
Ring/Mastery: Earth 3 (Craft, Illusion)
Range: Touch
Area of Effect: One target creature (may be the caster)
Duration: 30 minutes
Raises: Duration (+10 minutes per Raise)
This spell entreats the Earth kami to hide and conceal the targeted creature. Earth flows up to cover the target with a realistic-looking facsimile of some natural object, such as a tree or a boulder; this shell collapses back into loose earth when the spell expires. The target can hear and breathe normally, but has no other interaction with the world outside of the concealing shell of Earth; if he speaks, moves, or is actually hit by an attack, the spell immediately ends and the concealing shell collapses as above. From outside, however, the false object will seem perfectly normal and will resist physical blows with the same strength it would have if it were real.
When creating the false shell, the Earth kami will try to choose an object that is appropriate for the area (such as a boulder on a mountainside), but they do lack imagination and in any case cannot create the false form of a manmade object – thus, the utility of this spell within a town or a castle is somewhat limited.

Soldiers of Clay
Ring/Mastery: Earth 6 (Craft, Battle, Jade)
Range: 100’
Area of Effect: N/a
Duration: 1 hour
Raises: Duration (+1/2 hour per Raise), Special (+2 soldiers per Raise)
Most famously used by Isawa Tadaka and Isawa Sezaru in the early twelfth century, this powerful variation of Rise, Earth is found solely in the Phoenix libraries. Thus far the Phoenix have not shared it with any other clan, although they seriously considered doing so during the Kali-Ma Invasion. Depending on specific campaign settings, the GM could also have this spell introduced to the wider Empire in an earlier era. The spell creates ten human-sized warriors, forming them from earth and stone and animating them with the power of the Earth kami which infuse them. The warriors will move, fight, and otherwise act as the caster commands, obediently and fearlessly. They have Traits and Rings equal to the caster’s Earth, attack (with swords made of stone) as though they have Kenjutsu of 4, and have Reduction equal to twice the caster’s Earth. Their swords are considered to have the Jade property. When destroyed (or when the spell’s duration ends) they collapse into piles of loose earth.

Stone’s Endurance
Ring/Mastery: Earth 1 (Travel)
Range: Self or Touch
Area of Effect: One target creature (may be the caster)
Duration: 6 hours
Raises: Duration (+1 hour per Raise)
This spell calls on the strength of stone to enhance the target creature’s physical endurance and toughness. This spell was originally devised by the Unicorn to allow their
horses to ride for long periods of time without tiring, but after the Unicorn returned to the Empire other clans also saw value in the spell – particularly the Crab, who found it quite useful for situations where their soldiers had to remain on duty for long periods of time. For the duration of the spell, the target is immune to being Fatigued due to a lack of rest, and is considered to have a Stamina that is one Rank higher for the purpose of any rolls or effects which specifically key on Stamina (such as resisting poisons, determining how long one can avoid drowning, etc).
The spell may be cast multiple times on the same target, but the Earth spirits cannot sustain the effort beyond a total of 24 consecutive hours. Once the spell expires, the target is automatically considered Fatigued until he rests for at least half as long as he was under the spell’s effects.

Strike as Stone
Ring/Mastery: Earth 3 (Battle)
Range: Self or Touch
Area of Effect: One target person (may be the caster)
Duration: 5 minutes
Raises: Duration (+1 minute per Raise)
This spell calls on the spirits of Earth to strengthen the target’s hands and forearms, making them as hard as stone. The target’s hands cannot be physically harmed for the duration of the spell (allowing him to perform a variety of feats, such as prying open a lock with his fingers), and his unarmed Damage Rating is increased by +2k0.

Taming the Beast
Ring/Mastery: Earth 2
Range: 50’
Area of Effect: One target natural creature
Duration: 1 hour
Raises: Area of Effect (one additional creature per 2 Raises), Duration (1/2 hour per Raise)
This spell is a secret of the Kitsune family and thus far has never been taught outside of their ranks. It calls on the power of Earth to soothe a wild animal’s temperamental spirit, causing it to become temporarily tame. After completing the prayer, the shugenja makes a Contested Earth roll against the target creature (as a Free Action); with a success, the creature ceases all hostile activity for the duration of the spell, and the caster may persuade the creature to obey simple commands by means of the Animal Handling skill (TNs determined by the GM based on the complexity of the command). When the spell’s
duration expires, the animal returns to its normal behavior – however, in some cases, repeated castings of this spell on the same animal have resulted in its being effectively
permanently tamed (GM’s discretion).
This spell only works on natural creatures (such as snakes or bears) – it has no effect on spirits, supernatural creatures, or Tainted creatures.

The Earth Flows
Ring/Mastery: Earth 4 (Battle)
Range: Centered on Caster
Area of Effect: 1 square mile
Duration: 1 hour (or two Mass Battle Rounds)
Raises: Duration (+1/2 hour or one Mass Battle Round per two Raises)
This spell was originally developed by the Kitsu family of the Lion, but quickly spread to other families due to its value to any army on the field of battle. It calls on the Earth kami to re-arrange the landscape of a battlefield in a manner favorable to his side of the battle. For example, a hillside might shift to allow the caster’s side to charge downhill, or a cliff that shields the enemy flank might change into a gentle slope. The spell awards a +3k2 bonus to any roll made by the commander of the caster’s side to determine who is winning a Mass Battle, and a +1k1 bonus to any Mass Battle Table rolls made by individual samurai on the caster’s side. Because this spell invokes the Earth kami on such a large scale, casting it on both sides of the same battle can lead to a violent spiritual backlash – typically triggering a massive earthquake (equivalent to the Rank 5 spell Earthquake).

Time’s Deadly Hand
Ring/Mastery: Earth 3
Range: Touch
Area of Effect: One physical object
Duration: Permanent
Raises: Range (change from Touch to 50’ with three Raises)
This spell causes the Earth kami within a physical object to abandon that object, weakening its physical strength. Wood warps and flakes, stone and metal turn weak and brittle, cloth becomes thin and fragile, and so forth. The spell’s effects are permanent.
Mechanically, any weapon which is affected by this spell will lose 2k1 from its DR, and any armor will lose 5 from its Armor TN bonus and 3 from its Reduction. A variety of other non-mechanical effects can also take place, subject to the GM’s adjudication - for example, a kimono affected by this spell will rip if it is subject to the slightest tension or stress, and a scroll will tear and crumble the moment it is unrolled. Weakened stones or beams could be used to sabotage a bridge, to facilitate breaking into a besieged castle, and so forth.
In general, this spell will not affect awakened items (e.g. nemuranai), since their empowered spirits resist the shugenja’s entreaty.

Whispers of the Land
Ring/Mastery: Earth 2
Range: Centered on Caster
Area of Effect: 50’ radius
Duration: 10 minutes
Raises: Area of Effect (+50’ radius per Raise), Duration (+5 minutes per Raise), Special (+1 day of tracks per two Raises)
This spell was originally developed by the Kitsune family of the Fox Clan, who used it to help track intruders in the lands of their modest clan. It has since spread to other families who find its properties useful, such as the Yogo and the Kuni. The spell causes the Earth spirits to reveal the tracks of any person who has walked upon them within the last three
days. The surface – whether it be stone, earth, or wood – literally pushes up in the shape of the tracks, creating a clear and easily-followed path.
(Note that, unlike revelatory Air spells such as By the Light of the Moon, this spell does not merely reveal actively concealed tracks but also normal unconcealed tracks that are too faint or old to normally be seen. For example, By the Light of the Moon would not reveal the barefoot tracks of a servant who walked across the floor of a dojo, but Whispers of the Land will do so.)

Wooden Prison
Ring/Mastery: Earth 3 (Defense)
Range: 50’
Area of Effect: One target creature
Duration: 5 Rounds
Raises: Range (+10’ per Raise), Duration (+1 Round per Raise), Special (+1k0 to the plants’ Strength per Raise)
This spell entreats the Earth kami inhabiting living plants and trees, causing them to make the plants rapidly grow and twine themselves around a designated target. Within seconds the target finds himself ensnared in a dense tangle of vines, creepers, and branches. The target is automatically Entangled at the moment the spell is cast; on his subsequent Turns, the target may attempt to escape as a Simple Action by making a Contested Strength roll against the plants’ Strength of 4. (Alternatively, the target can be cut free by allies – it takes two Turns’ worth of effort to slash away enough of the plants to free the target.) If the target escapes, or the spell expires, the plants drop away and shrivel up as the Earth kami cease to stimulate them.
This spell can only function in an area where living plants are present, e.g. it will not function inside a building, in a desert, on a barren mountainside, or other such environments. It cannot target a flying creature.

New Kiho:

Shadowed Mountain
Ring/Mastery: Earth 6
Type: Internal
Many sohei orders are considered reckless and wild by outsiders, and to some extent this is true. The Temple of Osano-Wo and the fierce warrior monks of the Spider Clan are brutal fighters who focus far more on offense than on protecting themselves. Many of them simply rely on their physical endurance to carry them through the fight, while others master the Shadowed Mountain Kiho to surprise and confuse their enemies. When this Kiho is activate, you may choose to enter the Full Defense Stance immediately before you are attacked. This does not have to be the first time you are attacked after activating this Kiho, but it may only be done once per activation. After you activate this kiho, you cannot change Stances during your next opportunity to do so (during your normal chance on your Turn or due to another effect). This Kiho lasts for the remainder of the day or until used.

Depths of the World
Ring/Mastery: Earth 4
Type: Internal
Earth and Water are similar in that they have seemingly endless depths to their power and influence. However, where Water is relentless in its strength and power, the Earth knows no bounds in its purity and focus. This basic Earth Kiho is taught to monks of all aspects of the Brotherhood, as it helps them re-focus and center their chi in stressful or dangerous situations. When this Kiho is activated, you may immediately roll to recover from a non-permanent Condition or other effect that allows rolls for recovery, such as Dazed. This Kiho can only be activated as a Complex Action, but may be activated (spending the Void point) even when you are not allowed to perform actions, such as when you are Stunned.

Harmony in Earth
Ring/Mastery: Earth 6
Type: Internal
More of a meditative art than many Kiho, Harmony in Earth is often used as a lesson in how to understand purity and harmony in the Realm of Mortals and the Celestial Order. This Kiho is a favorite of orders and sects that delve into the mysteries of the supernatural and mystical lore, though it is also known among several orders that face such threats in battle. By aligning his Earth with the natural world, the Monk gains the ability to perceive with an additional sense.
When this Kiho is activated, you must remain perfectly still for a number of Turns equal to ten minus your Earth Ring. Once this is accomplished, you are immediately able to detect any spiritual and physical impurities within a range of fifty feet times your Earth for one Round. ("Impurity" in this sense is not confined to things such as the Taint, but encompasses anything that the GM judges to be out of place either physically or spiritually.) You learn the direction of the impurity, its general nature (Shadowlands Taint, poison, disease, things not native to Ningen-do), and its relative strength compared to others in the area. The GM may choose to allow you to make an appropriate Lore Skill roll for the subject in question to learn one more piece of useful information of his choice. You will only sense a total number of impurities equal to your Void, detecting the strongest ones first. This Kiho is not precise in pinpointing the location of the impurity. You will know a general direction but not a specific location. Intelligent beings who could be detected by this Kiho (such as the Lost) can attempt to defeat the Kiho’s power by making a Contested Earth Roll against you. (The GM may substitute a different type of Contested Roll if the specific circumstance seems in his judgment to require it.)

The Rolling Avalanche
Ring/Mastery: Earth 5
Type: Martial (Atemi)
The principles and strengths of Earth usually deal with the Element when it is at rest, but the fury of moving Earth can be a terrible thing. Sohei who focus on a study of Earth find this Kiho extremely useful, as it channels the usually benign Element into devastating power. This Kiho is delivered via an atemi attack that deals normal unarmed damage. However, if the strike is successful, your damage roll is increased by +Xk0, where X is your Earth Ring.

Earth Palm
Ring/Mastery: Earth 6
Type: Martial (Atemi)
While the Elements of Fire and Water are highly important for the success of a warrior (or an army) in battle, without a proper harmony with Earth, both of them crumble. This rare Kiho assaults the victim’s very Earth, disrupting its harmony with the other Elements, and it is not widely taught amongst the Brotherhood. Those who master it are greatly feared in combat, as they can reduce the most stalwart combatant to a helpless, stumbling wreck in just a few strikes.
This Kiho is activated with an atemi strike. If the strike is successful, you must declare whether you are attacking your target’s Fire or Water. If you attack the target’s Water, he suffers a -4k0 penalty to all damage rolls. If you attack the target’s Fire, he is forced thereafter to make two Raises with no benefit on every attack roll. (However, these Raises do not count against the maximum number of Raises the target can make for the roll.)
These effects may be combined through multiple applications of the Kiho, and both last a number of Rounds equal to your Earth Ring, ending on the Reactions stage of the final Round. Each re-application of the Kiho resets the duration for the chosen effect. However, you cannot use this Kiho more than once per Turn.

Bishamon’s Grasp
Ring/Mastery: Earth 7
Type: Kharmic
Rokugani history is full of tales about quiet and unassuming monks fending off multiple attackers, all the while never striking them down. The monk instead waits for his many opponents to wear themselves out in the futility of their fury. Patient members of the Brotherhood tend to prefer this style of combat, though it often earns them the undying ire of their humiliated foes. This Kiho is common among monks who understand the need to defend oneself but prefer not to beat someone senseless.
This Kiho can only be activated when you are in the Defense or Full Defense Stance. While the Kiho is active, on your Turn you may make Grappling attack rolls as Free Actions against opponents who have attacked you since your last Turn. (You may make one such Free Action attack against each qualifying opponent, and this ability overturns the normal rulebook constraint on attacking while in these Stances.) Opponents in a Grapple which you control while using this Kiho may be Thrown as a Free Action rather than a Complex Action; however, if the GM allows Throws in Grapples to cause damage, the damage roll suffers a -1k1 penalty. While this Kiho is active, you may remain in the Defense or Full Defense Stances while maintaining a Grapple.

Rising Mountain
Ring/Mastery: Earth 6
Type: Kharmic
One of the greatest lessons of Earth is not its endurance, but its resilience. As a man chips away at a stone, he finds harder and harder stone beneath. The strength of one who would break a mountain stone by stone will fail long before the strongest layers are even seen. So, too, does a master of this Kiho become more and more difficult to harm as an attacker tries harder and harder to do so. Once activated, this Kiho lasts a number of Rounds equal to your Insight Rank +1. While this Kiho is active, every time an attacker makes a Raise when attacking or otherwise taking an offensive combat action against you (not including spells), you gain Reduction equal to twice the number of Raises made. (This effect does not trigger from Free Raises.) The Reduction is gained the moment the Raises are declared; the enemy attack does not have to be successful. These increases in Reduction are cumulative, but the total Reduction gained cannot exceed your Earth x 5. The Reduction lasts until the Kiho is deactivated or the skirmish ends, whichever comes first.

Wholeness In All
Ring/Mastery: Earth 6
Type: Kharmic
An extremely rare Kiho only taught among some of the older Orders, this remarkable ability destroys toxin, disease, and other impurities in the body of the Monk. The focus and calm required to master this Kiho is rare, and the Brotherhood knows it could lead to reckless behavior in the wrong hands. This Kiho can only be activated after two hours of uninterrupted meditation. After the time has passed, you may activate the Kiho as a Complex Action (it can only activate in this manner). You must call a Raise on the activation roll for every mundane poison, disease, or similar non-supernatural effect affecting you. If the roll is successful, your body is purged of a number of such impurities equal to the number of Void Points you have at the time (not counting the Void Point spent to activate the Kiho). All of these remaining Void Points are then spent as part of the Kiho’s effect. This Kiho does not work on most supernatural afflictions, such as the Shadowlands Taint or magical plagues, but the GM has discretion on whether unusual or semi-magical conditions may be cleansed by it.

New Tattoos:
Bear: The bear is a primal being of nature, a force to be reckoned with even at its weakest moments. Those who possess this tattoo can summon that same incredible strength and endurance, although not simultaneously. While this tattoo is active, you may choose to increase your Stamina by an amount equal to your School Rank. Alternatively, you may instead choose to increase your Strength by an amount equal to half your School Rank, rounding up.

[Mirumoto Masuyo]

Book of fire

New Kata:

The Empire Rests on its Edge
Ring/Mastery: Air 3 or Fire 3
Schools: Any (Mirumoto and Kakita bushi reduce the Ring requirements by 1)
Special: Can only be used with a katana or daisho
Effect: Upon learning this Kata, choose one High Skill that is not a combat skill. You must spend +2 Experience Points each time you increase your Rank in that Skill. When you are utilizing this Kata, you gain a bonus to the total of your Kenjutsu or Iaijutsu Skill Rolls equal to your Rank in the chosen High Skill.

The World Is Empty
Ring/Mastery: Air 4 or Fire 4
Schools: Any (Mirumoto and Kakita bushi reduce Ring requirements by 1)
Special: Can only be used with a katana or daisho
Effect: When this Kata is activated, you gain a bonus of +Xk0 to your Kenjutsu or Iaijutsu attack rolls, where X is equal to the number of Void Points you currently possess. This Kata’s benefit lasts for a number of Rounds equal to the number of Void Points you possess when you activate it, ending during the Reactions stage of the last Round. When it ends, you lose 1 Void Point.

Victory of the River
Ring/Mastery: Air 5 or Fire 5
Schools: Any (Mirumoto and Kakita bushi reduce Ring requirements by 1)
Special: Can only be used with a katana or daisho
Effect: When you successfully strike an opponent while this Kata is active, his Armor TN is reduced by 10 against your subsequent attacks for a period of three Rounds. However, your own Armor TN is also reduced by 10 while this benefit is active. You may only have one opponent affected by this Kata at a time, and the effects are not cumulative, although subsequent strikes can "re-set" the three-round time limit.

Standing on the Heavens
Ring/Mastery: Air 6 or Fire 6
Schools: Any (Mirumoto and Kakita bushi reduce Ring requirements by 1)
Special: Can only be used with a katana or daisho
Effect: Once per Round, when you are struck by a successful attack roll during combat, you may spend a Void Point as a Free Action to force your opponent to immediately re-roll the attack

New Spells

Fire Kami’s Blessing
Ring/Mastery: Fire 1
Range: Touch
Area of Effect: One target creature (may be caster)
Duration: 1 hour
Raises: Duration (+1/2 hour per Raise)
This prayer calls on the Fire kami to stimulate the mind and memory, allowing the recipient to recall the most obscure information, details he may have encountered only once or briefly. For the duration of this spell, the target gains a +Xk0 bonus (where X is the caster’s Fire Ring) to any High or Merchant Skill rolls using the Intelligence Trait.

Gift of Amaterasu
Ring/Mastery: Fire 1 (Defense)
Range: 50’
Area of Effect: 50’ radius sphere
Duration: 10 minutes
Raises: Range (+25’ per Raise), Duration (+5 minutes per Raise)
This spell is a prayer to Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess, asking her to bestow her favor on the caster in the form of radiant Fire kami. (In the twelfth century, when Amaterasu is superceded first by Yakamo and then by the Jade Sun, the name and forms of this spell changes, but the effects remain the same.) Once the prayer is completed, warm sunlight blazes down on the chosen area, bathing it in full daylight even if it is at night, indoors, or underground. This spell is particularly popular among shugenja who are assigned to assist in the protection of castles and other vital locations, since a sudden blaze of daylight can bea very effective deterrent to thieves, assassins, and spies.

Osano-Wo’s Blessing
Ring/Mastery: Fire 1
Range: 100’
Area of Effect: 40’ radius
Duration: 30 minutes
Raises: Range (+25’ per Raise), Area of Effect (+10’ radius per Raise), Duration (+10 minutes per Raise)
This prayer acts in the exact opposite way of the commonly-used spell Extinguish; instead of urging the Fire kami to depart and thus put out flames, it urges them to greater energy and vigor, making flames harder to extinguish. For the duration of this spell, all fires within the area of effect become impossible to extinguish by normal means, and any magical effort to put them out (such as the aforementioned Extinguish spell) must succeed in a Contested Fire roll with the caster of Osano Wo’s Blessing. This spell is controversial, since it can result in otherwise controllable fires in cities and villages raging out of control. Pacifistic shugenja such as the Asahina and Isawa generally eschew its usage.

Warning Flame
Ring/Mastery: Fire 1 (Battle)
Range: Touch
Area of Effect: One target person (may be caster)
Duration: 10 Rounds
Raises: Duration (+2 Rounds per Raise), Area of Effect (+1 person per 2 Raises)
Fire is the Element of wit and intellect as well as the Element of destruction. This spell excites the Fire kami within the mind, allowing the target to notice threats and react to them far more quickly than normally. For the duration of the spell, the target is immune to being surprised, adds +1k0 to any Initiative rolls he makes, and may add +3 to his Initiative total during the Reactions stage of each Round.

Purity of Shinsei
Ring/Mastery: Fire 2 (Defense)
Range: 50’
Area of Effect: One target person/effect
Duration: Instantaneous
Raises: Range (+10’ per Raise), Area of Effect (+1
target per 2 Raises)
This spell was originally devised by the Isawa to deal with the threat of Yobanjin magic, and later spread to the rest of the Empire when other gaijin threats became more frequent. The spell calls on Shinsei’s principles of Elemental unity and harmony to oppose unnatural foreign magic, using the energy of Fire as a focus. Purity of Shinsei ends the effects of a gaijin spell or spell-like effect. Typically this means targeting an individual who is being afflicted by an ongoing gaijin spell effect (such as a samurai laboring under a foreign curse), though it can also target an effect which is not afflicting a specific individual (such as a foreign curse on a castle, a village, or a physical item). The GM has final discretion on whether a particular gaijin magic effect can be countered with Purity of Shinsei. If the optional Counterspelling rules as in use, the GM may opt to let a shugenja who knows this spell attempt to Counterspell meishodo spells and gaijin magic.

Wings of Fire
Ring/Mastery: Fire 2 (Travel)
Range: Touch
Area of Effect: Self
Duration: 10 minutes
Raises: Duration (+5 minutes per Raise), Special (move at +1 Water Rank for 3 Raises)
This prayer is a simpler and less potent form of the spell Wings of the Phoenix, although it is also slightly more flexible in that it does not require a suit of armor to act as an "anchor" for the Fire kami. When this spell is cast, a cloud of Fire kami gather and take the form of large feathery wings sprouting from the caster’s arms and back. The caster may use these wings to fly slowly (normally moving at a speed equal to Water 1, regardless of his actual Water Ring). If the caster is able to glide (e.g. he is already at a significant height above the ground), he can move more quickly, as though he is Water 4. While the spell is in effect, the caster cannot use his arms for anything but flapping and moving his fiery wings, severely limiting his potential actions; also, he will set fire to any easily flammable objects (such as paper or spell scrolls) he touches, although the Fire kami will avoid harming his clothes. When the spell ends, the Fire kami immediately disperse, regardless of whether the caster is on the ground or in the air - unlike the friendly Air kami, the mercurial and aggressive Fire kami do not particularly care about the caster’s fate once they depart.

Agasha’s Shield (Tamori’s Curse)
Ring/Mastery: Fire 3 (Defense, Wards)
Range: Touch/Self
Area of Effect: 30’ radius around caster
Duration: 6 Rounds
Raises: Area of Effect (+5’ radius per Raise),
Duration (+1 Round per Raise)
Originally devised by Agasha shugenja who were working with hanabi (fireworks), in modern times this spell has been renamed Tamori’s Curse by the Tamori family. The spell creates a zone of protection in which Fire kami friendly to the caster reject any intrusion by other Fire kami. Any hostile Fire spell cast within the Area of Effect suffers a -4k0 penalty to the Spell Casting Roll. Any hostile Fire spell cast from an outside location that attempts to project Fire effects into the Area of Effect (such as spells like Fires From Within) will suffer a -3k0 penalty to its DR as Agasha’s Shield disperses and weakens the kami.

Oath of the Heavens
Ring/Mastery: Fire 3
Range: Touch
Area of Effect: Two target persons (see description)
Duration: 5 Rounds
Raises: Duration (+1 Round per Raise), Special (+1k0 to the bonus per 2 Raises)
This spell was originally a secret spell of the Agasha family, and has sometimes been credited as being invented by Agasha herself during her rescue from goblins by Mirumoto Hojatsu. In modern times, both the Phoenix Clan Agasha and the Dragon Clan Tamori know the spell, although the Tamori use it far more often. The spell calls on the Fire kami to form a link between the ferocity of a bushi and the intellect of a shugenja, allowing both to work in concert to greater effect. The caster traditionally targets himself and one friendly bushi (usually, though not always, a yojimbo), although it is also possible for the caster to bestow the spell’s benefits on a different shugenja rather than himself. For the duration of the spell, both recipients receive a +2k0 bonus to all rolls involving the Fire Ring and Fire Traits (e.g. all rolls involving Agility and Intelligence). However, the links also makes each recipient vulnerable to effects on the other - if either recipient becomes Fatigued, Dazed, or Stunned, the other immediately shares the same Condition. Moreover, if either recipient is reduced to Down, Out, or Dead, the spell’s effects immediately end.

The Breath of Battle
Ring/Mastery: Fire 3 (Battle, Imperial)
Range: 30’
Area of Effect: One target person
Duration: 5 Rounds
Raises: Area of Effect (+1 target per 2 Raises), Duration (+1 Round per Raise), Range (+10’ per Raise)
This prayer, variously credited to the Isawa, the Kitsu, or the Seppun, is the positive counterpoint to the notorious Haze of Battle prayer. Where Haze of Battle drives its target into a maddened frenzy of combat by exciting the Fire kami within him, The Breath of Battle invokes a positive and honorable ferocity by using Fire to call on the divine favor of the Sun. The target of this spell gains a +1k1 bonus to all Agility-based Skill Rolls and a +1k0 bonus to all Damage rolls so long as he remains under the direct light of the Sun. The spell cannot function underground, at night, or when the Sun is obscured by clouds (although the spell Gift of Amaterasu can circumvent this restraint), but it ignores minor obstructions to sunlight such as foliage or shoji screens.

Whispering Flames
Ring/Mastery: Fire 3 (Illusion)
Range: 50’
Area of Effect: All persons within 10’ radius
Duration: 3 Rounds
Raises: Range (+10’ per Raise), Area of Effect (+5’radius per 2 Raises), Duration (+1 Rounds per Raise)
The creation of this spell is credited to Asahina himself, who sought ways to use Fire magic peacefully after he joined the Crane Clan, but in modern times it is found in the ranks of many different families. The spell causes the Fire kami to gather and dance in a pleasing visual shape and with a soothing rhythmic light. Those who gaze upon the Fire kami see an entrancing and appealing vision that distracts them from taking violent actions. All persons within the Area of Effect find themselves entranced and are considered Dazed for the duration of the spell. However, the targets may attempt to shake off the spell’s effects during the Reactions Stage of each Round with a Willpower roll against a TN of the caster’s Fire x10. This spell’s effects are most potent against Rokugani, since the Fire kami find it more difficult to create entrancing images for those they do not understand. The GM may award gaijin and nonhuman targets a bonus to their Willpower roll to resist the spell’s effects. Animals, bestial creatures, and mindless creatures such as undead are completely immune to the spell.

Blessing of the Sun
Ring/Mastery: Fire 4
Range: Touch
Area of Effect: One willing target person (may be caster)
Duration: 3 Rounds
Raises: Range (may change to 10’ with 2 Raises), Duration (+1 Round per Raise)
This spell infuses the target’s limbs with a rush of aggressive Fire kami, allowing him to move and think more quickly and to ignore pain and weariness. However, there is a price to be paid for such Elemental vigor, since once the kami depart the body becomes even more weary than before.
The recipient of this blessing feels a rush of burning energy and a quickening of thought. He instantly recovers from the Dazed Condition if it is in effect. Moreover, for the duration of the spell, the target’s Fire-related rolls (e.g. any roll using Agility or Intelligence and any Spell Casting Roll using the Fire Ring) may ignore both the effects of being Fatigued and the TN effects of Wound Penalties. However, once the spell expires, the target becomes Fatigued (this stacks with any pre-existing Fatigue effects) and cannot recover from this Fatigue in any way (rest, magic, or Techniques) for 24 hours.

Essence of Fire
Ring/Mastery: Fire 4 (Wards, Imperial)
Range: 10’
Area of Effect: Two target duelists
Duration: One iaijutsu duel
Raises: Special (see text)
This spell was originally developed by the Asahina to prevent magical tampering with iaijutsu duels. In the Crane view, iaijutsu is a test of the duelist’s own inherent skills and talents, and using the kami to aid in a duel violates its proper nature as the sacred judge of right and wrong. (The Crane also suspected certain other clans, such as the Scorpion and Dragon, of "cheating" with magic during duels.) This spell ensures that no magical effects will dilute the duel’s test of skill. In Crane lands it is traditional for shugenja to invoke this spell as a blessing on an iaijutsu duel, and the custom sometimes appears in other clans and families as well - particularly the Seppun. When this spell is cast, a flow of Fire kami race through the chosen targets and drive out any other active kami on them, immediately ending any ongoing spell effects they may have on their persons. The Fire kami remain until the end of the duel, protecting against further interference - any spell which targets either duelist before the duel concludes will suffer a -3k0 penalty to its Spell Casting Roll In modern times, a few shugenja have developed a more controversial variant of this spell which also uses the Fire kami to interfere with the targets’ memories and suppress their knowledge of bushi Techniques. This tactic is especially popular with shugenja from clans which do not focus on dueling, since it makes a duel purely a test of raw skill with no advantage to those descended from Kakita or Mirumoto. Casting the spell with this additional effect requires 4 Raises.

Eyes of the Phoenix
Ring/Mastery: Fire 4 (Illusion)
Range: 25’
Area of Effect: One target creature
Duration: 1 hour
Raises: Range (+5’ per Raise), Area of Effect (+1 creature per 2 Raises)
This spell’s name is somewhat ironic, and has sometimes been credited to a Scorpion shugenja with a low opinion of the Isawa. Regardless of its origin, the spell’s effect is to persuade a small cloud of strong Fire kami to float directly in front of the target’s eyes. This makes it appear to others as though the target’s eyes have caught on fire, an unsettling effect to say the least. When the spell is cast, any allies of the target suffer a Fear 3 effect (if they are vulnerable to Fear - undead are immune, and the GM may rule that other creatures are resistant or immune if it seems appropriate). More importantly, for the duration of the spell, the target is considered to be Blinded.

Castle of Fire
Ring/Mastery: Fire 5 (Battle, Defense)
Range: Centered on caster
Area of Effect: Circle with a radius of 30’ from caster
Duration: 10 Rounds
Raises: Area of Effect (+5’ to radius for 2 Raises), Duration (+2 Rounds per Raise)
Like the other Castle spells, Castle of Fire is a defensive prayer, in this case a more sophisticated version of Wall of Fire. It calls on the kami of Fire to erect a barrier surrounding the caster. The fiery barrier is 1’ thick and 10’ high; anyone who is standing on its location when it appears must roll Reflexes at TN 20 to leap away (either inside or outside the Castle) and avoid being burned. The Castle’s barrier instantly incinerates any arrows or other missiles which try to pass through it. Creatures which pass through the Castle’s barrier (or are caught by it when it appears) suffer 6k6 damage and are set afire.

Consumed by Five Fires
Ring/Mastery: Fire 5
Range: 100’
Area of Effect: One target creature (and caster)
Duration: Instantaneous
Raises: Range (+50’ per Raise)
One of the most potent and deadly of Fire spells, but also one used only by those facing the most desperate need. The spell invokes an array of powerful Fire kami to strike down the target with incredibly powerful heat and flame - but in order to persuade so many kami to strike with such immense power, the shugenja must bestow them with a gift of his own life-force.
The target of this spell is instantly killed, reduced to Dead and then burned down to ashes in a matter of seconds. However, the caster immediately suffers the same number of Wounds as were inflicted on the target - an effect which is often, though not always, lethal. This damage cannot be reduced or mitigated in any way, and if it is lethal the caster cannot avert death. This spell will automatically fail if it targets a creature which is resistant to Fire, and it cannot kill divine entities such as Fortunes.

The Dragon’s Talon (Kuro’s Fire)
Ring/Mastery: Fire 5 (Battle)
Range: 100’
Area of Effect: Up to 10 target creatures within range
Duration: Instantaneous
Raises: Range (+25’ per Raise), Area of Effect (+2 targets per Raise)
A potent battle spell favored by the Elemental Master of Fire and also used by high-ranking battle shugenja from several clans; in the twelfth century Naka Kuro, the Grand Master of the Elements, also used this spell and it came to be called Kuro’s Fire in his honor. Regardless of its name, this spell calls on the unmatched power of the Dragon of Fire to strike down large numbers of lesser foes. When the prayer is completed, bolts of fire resembling the snarling heads of dragons streak out from the shugenja’s hands, striking down the chosen targets. Each target suffers 8k6 damage. However, the nature of this spell is such that the Fire kami will only attack targets who they consider weak and unworthy; in game terms, the spell can only target foes of Insight Rank 1 or 2, or nonhumans of comparable power (GM’s judgment).

Curse of the Burning Hand
Ring/Mastery: Fire 6
Range: 10’
Area of Effect: One target creature
Duration: Infinite
Raises: Range (+5’ per Raise)
A truly powerful curse which has only been employed a few times in the Empire’s history, the Curse of the Burning Hand binds a hostile Fire kami to the soul of the target, making it all but impossible to remove. The spell is difficult and requires a full minute to cast; also, the caster must succeed in a Contested Fire Roll against the target in order to inflict the Curse. Once it is in place, the target finds himself constantly wreathed in flames; these fires do not harm him, but harm any friends, allies, or innocents who touch him. The fire inflicts 3k3 damage on anyone who touches the cursed individual, and set alight any physical objects he touches which are flammable (e.g. wood, paper, clothing, etc). However, because the Fire kami is hostile, it will not help its victim against his enemies - the flame will suddenly recede any time he tries to use it as a weapon. Barring any outside interference, the spell’s effects will last indefinitely. However, other spells which remove magical effects can potentially end the Curse of the Burning Hand if the GM judges them to be appropriate; likewise, other effects which drive out kami (such as Banishment) can remove the Curse.

Rise, Fire
Ring/Mastery: Fire 6
Range: 30’
Area of Effect: One summonedspirit
Duration: Concentration
Raises: None
Fire itself arises and takes physical form to defend you. The ultimate realization of the Summon spell, this prayer summons a massive kami of pure Fire to serve you. It takes the form of a fiery humanoid shape, roughly ten feet in height, its outlines constantly shifting and changing in a perpetual dance of fiery energy. The huge Fire spirit can move up to 10 x your Fire per Round, and it ignites all easily flammable objects within ten feet of itself - paper, leaves, grass, silk, and so forth. The manifest kami is treated as if it has all physical Traits equal to your Fire Ring, and attacks with a Jiujutsu Skill equal to half your Fire Rank; the DR from these attacks is equal to your Fire Rank. Anyone struck by the Fire kami will catch on fire, suffering an additional 1k1 damage per Round until the flames are extinguished. (This effect does not stack.) For purposes of taking damage, the kami is considered to have Wounds as though its Earth is equal to your Fire Ring, but suffers no Wound penalties; it is Invulnerable. If it is successfully reduced to zero Wounds, it is dispelled.

The Elements’ Fury
Ring/Mastery: Fire 6
Range: Self
Area of Effect: Caster
Duration: Instantaneous
Raises: Special (+1 additional spell per 3 Raises
A supremely advanced form of the lesser spell known as Hurried Steps, this spell has been used by only a few highly advanced masters of magic; its creation is credited to Naka Kaeteru, the first Grand Master of the Elements. When this prayer is completed, the caster’s mind and body are infused with energetic Fire kami to such an extent that his thoughts, movements, and speech become all but superhuman. He may immediately cast a number of spells of Mastery Level 4 or less equal to his Fire Ring, casting each spell as a Free Action regardless of its normal casting time. Spell Casting Rolls must be made and spell slots are used as normal, but there is no need to Raise for a shorter casting time.

New Kiho

The Mind’s Fire
Ring/Mastery: Fire 4
Type: Internal
The truly enlightened mind can easily grasp that Fire is the source of creation and inspiration as well as simple destruction. By focusing his Fire-aligned chi into ascendance, a monk can gain incredible clarity. When active, this Kiho grants you a bonus of +2k2 to all Intelligence-based Skill Rolls. When the Kiho ends, you are immediately Fatigued.The truly enlightened mind can easily grasp that Fire is the source of creation and inspiration as well as simple destruction. By focusing his Fire-aligned chi into ascendance, a monk can gain incredible clarity. When active, this Kiho grants you a bonus of +2k2 to all Intelligence-based Skill Rolls. When the Kiho ends, you are immediately Fatigued.

Seven Storm’s Fist
Ring/Mastery: 6
Type: Martial (Atemi)
The chi of Fire flows through the body as all forms of chi do, but when its flow is disrupted, it can be particularly painful and disorienting for those not accustomed to the sensation. When this Kiho is active, a successful atemi strike against an opponent forces a Contested Fire Roll between you and that opponent. If you are successful, your opponent is Stunned for one Round

Sever the Dark Lord’s Touch
Ring/Mastery: 5
Type: Mystical (Atemi)
A mind at one with the universe can perceive and affect the bonds that tie the physical world to the world of spirit, even when the world in question is as insidious and despicable as the Realm of Evil. While this Kiho is active, a successful atemi strike against an unintelligent undead creature results in a Contested Roll, pitting your Fire against the undead’s Shadowlands Taint. If you are successful, the undead is instantly destroyed, its connection to Jigoku severed.
Special Notes: This Kiho is quite popular among the more aggressive members of the Kuni family, and its Mastery requirement is considered 1 Rank lower for Kuni Shugenja and Kuni Witch-Hunters.

New Tattoo
Volcano: While this tattoo is active, the skin of the monk’s torso and upper limbs takes on the appearance of lava, a surface of searing-hot blackness riven with brightly glowing fiery cracks. Any flammable object which strikes the monk’s body - including wooden weapons and arrows - will sear to ash within moments, and consequently the monk is considered to have Reduction of 5 against such attacks (due to their burning up before they can deliver the full impact of their blows). Metal weapons inflict normal damage, but the wielders of such weapons must succeed in Contested Fire rolls against the monk or be forced to drop their weapons due to the intense heat (Sacred Weapons and nemuranai are immune to this effect). Unarmed attacks (including the Strike option while grappling) inflict normal damage and suffer no ill effects, since their impact does not crack the fiery surface of the lava.

[Mirumoto Masuyo]

Book of Water

New Weapons

Dragon beard hook (Longxu Hook)
Keyword: Large
Skill: Chain Weapons
DR: 1k2
Special rules: the dragon beard hook may be used to initiate and maintain a grapple at a distance of up to 15 feet
Price:5 bu

Three section staff
Keyword: Large, monk, ninja
Skill: Staves
DR: 2k2
Price: 1 koku


Pitchfork
Keyword: Peasant, Large
Skill: Staves
DR: 1k2
Special rules: If a pitchfork inflict more than 20 damage in a single attack, it breaks.
Price: 3 bu

Torch
Keyword: Peasant, improvised
Skill: Jiujitsu(improvised weapons)
DR: 0k1
Special rules: Enemies hit with a torch must roll Reflexes at TN10 to avoid catching on fire. Foes who are set on fire take 1k1 damage during the Reactions stage of each round until they extinguish the fire (such as by jumping on water, or taking a Complex action to smother the flames)
Price: 1 bu

New Kata

Waves upon the Breakers
Ring/Mastery: Water 3
Schools: Akodo Bushi, Kakita Bushi, Shinjo Bushi
Effect: This kata channels a samurai’s chi such that it enhances their natural strength and focus and brings it to bear on the battlefield. When this kata is active and you are wielding a weapon in which you have at least three skill ranks, your damage is Increased by +1k0.

Leaves in the Stream
Ring/Mastery: Water 3
Schools: Bayushi Bushi, Hiruma Bushi, Mirumoto Bushi, Shiba Bushi
Effect: This kata teaches the samurai to embrace the flowing speed of water, allowing him to move significantly faster across the battlefield. While this kata is active, you may reduce your Armor TN by up to 5 x your Water (but cannot reduce it below 5). In return, you may increase your maximum possible movement distance for the Round by the same amount.

Power of the Tsunami
Ring/Mastery: Water 4
Schools: Daigotsu Bushi, Hida Bushi, Moto Bushi
Effect: While this kata is active, once per Round when attacking an opponent you may ignore an amount of Reduction equal to your Water Ring. For example, if you possess Water 4 and attack an opponent with Reduction 5 while this kata is active, once per Round that enemy would be treated as if he only possessed Reduction 1.

New Advantages
Battle Healing [Mystical] (5 Points)
Some of the most ardent and militant shugenja of the Empire, including the Kuni family and Bishamon’s Chosen among the Kitsu, understand that the essence of all Elements can be used to suffuse the broken flesh of an honorable warrior and make it whole. Water is superior for such things, of course, but the other Elements can suffice when necessary. Once per day per person, you may expend one Water spell slot or two spell slots in any other Element(s) to heal one Wound Rank of a Rokugani you are touching.

Spy Network [Social] (8 Points)
You have access to an intelligence network that can provide you with a variety of covert information. Once per session if you can contact your spy network you can acquire a piece of useful information which would otherwise be unavailable. The GM has the fi nal say on what you learn, but it will always be something useful to your current endeavors. This Advantage cannot be used in environments where it would be impossible to make contact with your spy network (e.g. wandering the desert, exploring the Shadowlands or the Shinomen Mori, etc).
Daidoji family characters may purchase this Advantage for 7 points, Scorpion characters may purchase it for 6 points, and Kolat characters may purchase it for 5 points.



New Spells
Purification of the Kami
Ring/Mastery: Water 1
Range: Touch
Area of Effect: Body of water up to 500 feet in radius
Duration: Permanent
Raises: Area of Effect (+500 feet radius per Raise)
This prayer invokes the purity and cleansing strength of the Water kami to purge flth and contamination from a body of water such as a pond, a moat, or some of a stream or river. The caster touches the water as part of the casting ritual, and the purifcation ripples out from that point in waves of glowing light. This spell renders all the water within the area of effect wholly pure and safe to drink, removing all dirt, disease, and toxins. (However, it cannot purge the Taint.) The purifcation is a one-off event and cannot prevent dirt or poison from returning to the water later.
This spell can also be cast on water inside a single container (such as a bucket, barrel, or bottle). If the spell is cast on an alcoholic beverage (such as sake, shochu, or plum wine) it will purge the drink’s favor and alcohol content, leaving it as pure water.

The Swell of the Storm
Ring/Mastery: Water 1 (Defense)
Range: 25’
Area of Effect: One target creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Raises: Range (+10’ per Raise), Area of Effect (+1 target per two Raises), Special (+1k0 on the Con- tested Roll per Raise)
This spell evokes a sudden blast of water that strikes with the heavy, irresistible power of the tide. The water is summoned into existence, fying out from the caster in a heavy mass and striking the target with gentle but nigh-irresistible power. The target must make a Contested Roll of his Strength against the caster’s Water – failure means Knockdown (the target is knocked Prone). The spell will also extinguish any open fames the targets are carrying (torches, lanterns, candles, etc).
This spell can affect Huge creatures, although the GM may wish to award them a bonus on their Contested Roll to refect the greater diffculty of knocking down such large targets.

Suitengu's Curse
Ring/Mastery: Water 1
Range: 20’
Area of Effect: One target creature
Duration: 10 Rounds
Raises: Range (+10’ per Raise), Duration (+3 Rounds per Raise)
This prayer invokes Suitengu, the Fortune of the Sea, to drag down the target with the weight of his sullen wrath. The target feels a great weight on all his limbs, as though he is trying to swim in heavy seas. Mechanically, Suitengu’s hostility lower’s the target’s Refexes Rank by 1 and causes him to move as though his Water is 1 Rank lower for the duration of the spell.

Strength of the Tsunami
Ring/Mastery: Water 2
Range: Touch
Area of Effect: Caster
Duration: 3 Rounds
Raises: Area of Effect (cast on someone else for two Raises), Duration (+1 Round per Raise)
This spell calls on Water’s affnity to physical strength. The surge of Water kami through the body briefy enhances the muscles, allowing the targeted person to perform prodigious feats. For the duration of the spell, the target’s Strength Rank is increased by an amount equal to half the caster’s Water Ring (rounded down). This cannot raise the Strength Rank higher than 9.

Surging Soul
Ring/Mastery: Water 2 (Battle)
Range: 10’
Area of Effect: One target person
Duration: 3 Rounds
Raises: Range (+10’ per Raise), Duration (+1 Round per two Raises)
In contrast to the more peaceful and healing aspects of Water, this prayer evokes the power of Water on the attack, unleashing a surge of chi through the target’s limbs to empower his strikes. However, the massive surge of Water kami through the body also makes it diffcult for the target to remain still. The recipient of this prayer enjoys a +1k1 bonus to all Attack rolls, but cannot enter or beneft from the Center Stance and must take at least one Move Action every Round for the duration of the spell. Surging Soul is greatly favored among war-shugenja such as the martial wing of the Kitsu, the Tamori, the Kuni, and the Iuchi, but fnds less acceptance in families like the Asahina and the Isawa.

Yuki's Touch
Ring/Mastery: Water 2 (Travel)
Range: Touch
Area of Effect: Body of water 100’ radius from caster
Duration: Instantaneous
Raises: Area of Effect (+50’ radius per Raise)
This spell, named after the legendary spirit known as the Yuki no Onna, persuades the Water spirits in a stream, river, or lake to expel all Fire from their presence, causing the water to instantly freeze. A single natural body of water freezes solid out to a distance of 100’ from the caster. Although this has uses in combat, the most frequent employment of the spell is to allow travelers or soldiers to cross water barriers. Any persons or creatures within the water will be trapped, and if they are under the surface they will suffocate (treat as Drowning). Breaking free of the ice will require a Contested Roll of Strength against the caster’s Water. The ice will melt normally.

Heaven's Tears
Ring/Mastery: Water 2 (Crystal)
Range: Centered on caster
Area of Effect: 30’ radius around caster
Duration: 2 Rounds
Raises: Area of Effect (+5’ radius per Raise), Duration (+1 Round for two Raises, may only be done once)
This prayer evokes the sorrow of the Heavens, unleashing a brief deluge of rain which is endowed with the spiritual purity of the Sun. The spell summons divine rain from the sky, and thus can only be used effectively outdoors – it cannot cause rain to fall indoors or underground. Those of pure soul (no Taint or Shadow corruption, Honor Rank 4.0 or better) who are bathed in Heaven’s Tears are healed each Round by a number of Wounds equal to the caster’s Water. Conversely, those with Taint or Shadow corruption suffer 1k1 Wounds for each Round they are exposed to the Tears.

Endless Deluge
Ring/Mastery: Water 3
Range: Centered on caster
Area of Effect: 1 mile diameter
Duration: 12 hours
Raises: Area of Effect (+1 mile per two Raises), Duration (+6 hours per Raise)
This spell calls on the Water spirits in the sky to congregate and descend to the earth, unleashing a massive rainstorm. Casting this spell is a ritual requiring at least ten minutes; at the GM’s option, casting this spell in an especially dry region, or during a drought, may require more casting time or require Raises to succeed. Rainclouds gather while the spell is being cast, and once it is completed the clouds open up and rain begins pouring down, continuing without cease for many hours.
The chief value of this spell is to extinguish fres (even large confagrations such as forest fres will be doused within a half hour or so) and to abate the effects of drought. However, the relentless pouring rain also obscures visibility and slickens objects, imposing a -1k0 penalty on all physical actions and a -2k0 penalty on ranged attacks. The rain also imposes a -1k1 penalty on Spell Casting Rolls for Fire spells within it, since the relentless water makes the Fire spirits reluctant to act. Finally, due to the large volume of rain over a short period of time, the spell can potentially cause
fash-fooding (GM’s option).

Sanctuary of the Waves
Ring/Mastery: Water 3 (Defense)
Range: 50’
Area of Effect: One target person
Duration: 10 Rounds
Raises: Duration (+3 Rounds per Raise), Area of Effect (+1 person per Raise)
“The sea is a thing of great destructive power, but also great mercy and salvation.” - Asako Chukage
This spell calls on the power of Water to protect and hide the chosen targets (who must be willing, and can include the caster). The spell can only be cast within range of a large quantity of water in a natural environment – e.g. a pond, stream, or something larger. When the spell is cast, the water lunges out, scoops up the targets, and draws them into the water, concealing them beneath its surface. The targets have enough air to breathe for the duration of the spell, but no longer. The surrounding barrier of water completely protects the targets, but also completely blocks them from any sort of attack against those outside – indeed, they will not even be able to see what is happening above the water unless they can roll Perception at TN 20 to make out the blurry images.
Once the spell’s duration expires, the water releases the targets where they are – they must swim to the surface on their own.

The Inner Ocean
Ring/Mastery: Water 3
Range: 50’
Area of Effect: One willing person
Duration: 5 minutes
Raises: Range (+20’ per Raise), Duration (+1 Minute per Raise)
This spell evokes the target’s inner Water to the ultimate degree, strengthening it to the point where it completely
overwhelms the target’s other Elements. The target – who may be the caster – is physically transformed into pure
clear water, along with anything he might be wearing or carrying at the moment the spell is cast. This state persists until the spell expires, and while the target is water he cannot speak, attack, cast spells, or directly manipulate physical objects. However, he can move more quickly (performing Move Actions as though he has +1 Rank in his
Water Ring), can indirectly manipulate objects by pushing against them, and can fow his liquid body through narrow openings. (The target’s physical mass does not change, so he cannot squeeze himself into a small box or otherwise evade the constraints of his size.) The target is effectively immune to most physical harm, but Fire spells can damage him, as can truly intense heat such as a burning castle or a lava fow. At the GM’s option, certain types of physical events – such as being scattered or partially soaked up with towels – might also harm the transformed person.
Once the spell’s duration ends, the target’s Elements rebalance and he returns to normal.

Typhoon's Surge
Ring/Mastery: Water 3
Range: 50’
Area of Effect: One or more target allies
Duration: Instantaneous
Raises: Range (+10’ per Raise), Area of Effect (+1 Target beyond caster’s Water per two Raises)
This spell, sometimes called by the more mundane name “Renewed Energy,” is a variation on the more commonly-
used prayer Rejuvenating Vapors. The spell targets a number of allies within range up to the caster’s Water Rank (additional targets beyond the caster’s Water may be taken with Raises). All of the targets experience a sudden and powerful surge of energy as the spell foods them with invigorating chi. They are freed from the effects of the Fatigued and Dazed conditions, and each target heals a number of Wounds equal to the caster’s Water Rank.

Steed of the Ebbing Tides
Ring/Mastery: Water 4 (Travel)
Range: 25’
Area of Effect: One summoned steed
Duration: 4 hours
Raises: Duration (+2 hours per Raise)
This prayer was originally developed by the Iuchi, although the Isawa have since devised a similar spell on their own. It summons forth a number of powerful kami, who take the physical form of a watery, translucent horse. The Steed will bear the caster (or one other person designated by the caster at the time the Steed is frst summoned) in the same manner of a normal horse, can be controlled with Horsemanship in the normal way, and will fght selfessly in its rider’s defense; for game purposes, the Steed is considered to have the same mechanical statistics as an Utaku Warhorse, but also has Reduction 15. It is untiring for as long as it remains in existence. Once the spell expires, the Steed collapses into normal water – which can be an unpleasant surprise if someone is still mounted on it.

Master of the rolling river
Ring/Mastery: Water 4 (Battle)
Range: 100’
Area of Effect: Up to 25 allies in one group
Duration: 5 minutes
Raises: Range (+50’ per Raise), Duration (+1 minute per Raise), Special (affect non-samurai, see description)
This spell was originally devised by battle shugenja of the Kitsu and Iuchi families, and remains a favorite among
them. It infuses a military unit with the fowing speed and relentless strength of Water, allowing the soldiers to move more quickly and strike more powerfully on the battlefeld. The caster chooses one group of allies (up to roughly a squadron) to receive this blessing; all troops in that unit may move as though their Water is 1 Rank higher and are considered to have a Strength 1 Rank higher for the duration of the spell.
This spell normally only benefts samurai, but a skilled caster can extend to the blessing to cover other allies. Two
Raises will allow the spell to affect non-samurai humans (e.g. ashigaru), while four Raises will allow it to affect non-human allies such as Naga or Ratlings.
This spell may also be used to affect Mass Battle scenarios. Each casting of the spell during a Mass Battle
awards a bonus equal to the caster’s Water Ring to the total of the commanding general’s next Battle Skill roll to
determine winning or losing.

Seed of Qanan
Ring/Mastery: Water 4
Range: Touch
Area of Effect: Any two people
Duration: 5 Rounds
Raises: Duration (+2 Rounds per Raise)
A Unicorn secret spell based on gaijin magic, this spell uses the Water kami’s control over internal energy to briefy create a temporary connection between two people, merging their chi and allowing them to call on each others’ knowledge and skill. The targets must be touched simultaneously by the caster to establish the initial link of Water kami, and must remain within 50’ of each other for the link to continue functioning – if this distance is exceeded, the spell immediately ends.
In game terms, the linked people are able to use each others’ Skills, employing whichever Skill Rank is higher
for a given task. However, they do not gain the benefts of Mastery Abilities.

The emperor's road
Ring/Mastery: Water 4 (Travel, Imperial)
Range: Touch
Area of Effect: One Imperial road up to ten miles in length
Duration: 8 hours
Raises: Area of Effect (+1 mile per Raise)
This spell was originally devised by the Seppun for the purpose of easing and supporting the Emperor’s journeys
to and from the annual Imperial Winter Court. Since then the spell has been applied more widely, but is still quite rare outside of the Seppun family. The spell creates a powerful aura of friendly Water spirits along a specifc Imperial road, easing travel along its length. The road is cleared of all minor obstacles and irregularities (a major physical obstacle such as a fallen tree or a rockslide will not be affected), and the Water spirits cause honorable travelers who are loyal to the Emperor to move as though their Water is 2 Ranks higher so long as they remain on the road. Moreover, the blessing infuses these travelers and their mounts with the energy of Water, causing them not to become Fatigued due to travel so long as they remain on the road.

Within the waves
Ring/Mastery: Water 4 (Travel)
Range: Self
Area of Effect: 10’ diameter sphere
Duration: One hour
Raises: Duration (+1/2 hour per Raise), Special (add an additional person within the bubble for three Raises)
This spell was originally devised by Isawa shugenja trying to locate the legendary undersea kingdom which was supposedly the home of Shiba’s wife. Although they never succeeded in that goal, the spell they created has seen considerable use in the centuries since. Within the Waves persuades the Water kami to hold themselves away from the caster in a spherical formation, thereby forming an air bubble around him. The caster can move the bubble by concentrating, allowing him to explore freely beneath the surface of a river, lake, or even the ocean. (Such movement is at the normal speed based on the caster’s Water.) Other persons can enter and leave the bubble by swimming, and a skilled caster can carry a few passengers along within the bubble’s center. When the spell’s duration expires, the Water kami push the bubble to the surface.

Chi reversal
Ring/Mastery: Water 5
Range: 20’
Area of Effect: One target person/creature
Duration: 1 hour
Raises: Range (+20’ per Raise), Duration (+1/2 hour per Raise), Special (one additional pair of Traits per two Raises)
This prayer invokes Water’s connection to the fow of Chi through the body, taking control of that fow in order to alter the target’s balance of energy. One “pair” of the target’s mental and physical Traits from the same Element (chosen by the caster) have their Ranks fipped for the duration of the spell. Thus, if the caster chose to fip a target’s Fire Traits, an Intelligence of 2 and Agility of 4 would become an Intelligence of 4 and an Agility of 2 for the duration of the spell. The caster may Raise to affect additional pairs of Traits.

Open the waves
Ring/Mastery: Water 5 (Battle)
Range: 300’
Area of Effect: Trench up to 30’ wide and deep and up to 300’ long
Duration: 15 minutes
Raises: Area of Effect (increase width or depth of trench by 5’ per Raise), Duration (+5 minutes per Raise)
This spell calls on the Water kami to hold themselves apart, creating a “trench” through a body of water to allow the passage of men, animals, or even wagons and war machines. The spell is employed primarily by martial shugenja who need to help their clan’s armies to cross river obstacles, but has also been used for more benign purposes, such as helping peasants to escape foods. The spell’s chief limitation is that it cannot always clear the water all the way to the bottom – there is only so much that can be asked of the kami.

Whirlpool
Ring/Mastery: Water 5 (Thunder)
Range: 1 mile
Area of Effect: Whirlpool 200’ in radius
Duration: 10 minutes
Raises: Area of Effect (+25’ radius per Raise), Duration (+2 minutes per Raise)
This prayer is a favorite among the Yoritomo, who are credited with frst creating it. It can only be cast near or on
a large body of open water – a lake or sea. The spell excites the Water kami into a tremendous rage, causing them to create a huge and powerful whirlpool that will suck down any ships or swimmers in the vicinity. Any swimmer caught within the area of effect will be in danger of being sucked under, requiring a roll of Athletics (Swimming) / Strength at TN 30 each Round to avoid this. A ship within the area of effect will likewise be in danger, and the ship’s captain must roll Navigation / Intelligence at TN 30 every minute to keep the vessel from being sucked under.
Once under water, all victims will be subject to Drowning, and can only reach the surface again by rolling Athletics (Swimming) / Strength at TN 40.

Opening the Veil
Ring/Mastery: Water 6 (Travel)
Range: 10’
Area of Effect: One spirit portal
Duration: 1 hour
Raises: Duration (+10 minutes per Raise), Special (reach Sakkaku or Yume-do for one Raise, Gaki-do or Toshigoku for two Raises, Yomi for four Raises)
This prayer, a spell known only to the Kitsu and Isawa, invokes the Travel aspect of Water to open a temporary portal into the Spirit Realms. The spell can normally only access the realms of Meido or Chikushudo, but extremely powerful casters can sometimes access Yomi, Sakkaku, Toshigoku, Yume-do, or Gaki-do. The portal lasts only a short time, so passage through it is fraught with risk.
Also, this spell cannot work in any area which has been warded against the infuences of the Spirit Realms (GM’s discretion).

Breath of mist
Ring/Mastery: Water 6 (Defense)
Range: ½ mile
Area of Effect: A circular area 200’ in radius
Duration: 30 minutes
Raises: Area of Effect (+25’ radius per Raise), Duration (+10 minutes per Raise)
This spell is especially popular among the more pacifstic types of shugenja, since it provides a way to avert a battle without actual violence. The spell evokes the full power of hundreds of Water kami to reduce the ground to a half-liquid mire while, at the same time, flling the air with water vapor to obscure vision. Entire armies have been rendered effectively helpless by this spell, unable to move or to strike out at their foes.
In game terms, the spell turns all the ground within the area of effect into Diffcult terrain. The fog reduces normal visibility to 10’. Between 10’ and 30’, characters can discern vague outlines – this imposes a +15 TN penalty on any ranged attacks. Beyond 30’ all characters are effectively Blind.

Staff kiho

Musubi
Mastery: Water 5
Type: Internal (Staff)
This kiho invokes the flowing strength and motion of Water to protect the monk. While the kiho is active, the monk moves his staff in a constant whirlwind of motion, swift and relentless yet also graceful and without pause or pattern, guided only by the innate perception of Water. Enemy attacks are deflected away by these motions, suppressed and turned aside by the flow of Water’s power. So long as the Kiho is active and the monk is holding and moving his staff (for mechanical purposes moving the staff in this way is considered a Free Action), the monk adds the combined total of his Water Ring and his Staves Skill Rank to his Armor TN. Furthermore, if the monk devotes more of his time and effort to the whirling and flowing motions of the staff, his defense becomes correspondingly more potent; for each Simple Action in the same Round the monk uses to enhance the Kiho, he may increase his Armor TN by his Water Ring again for that Round. (This additional Armor TN bonus ends at the beginning of the monk’s next Turn.)

Dharma Technique
Mastery: Water 7
Type: Martial (staff)
A more advanced form of Musubi, this Kiho calls on Water’s defensive powers to protect the monk not only physically but also spiritually. Much like Musubi, this Kiho requires the monk to have a staff and maintain it in motion; however, this Kiho requires the monk to expend a Simple Action on the staff’s movement each Round in order to provide a sufficient focus for his chi. While this Kiho is in effect, the monk has the ability to deflect kami with the Water chi which he focuses through the staff. In game terms, when a spell specifically targets the monk (not an area-effect spell), the monk may make a Contested Roll of his Staves/Water against the shugenja’s Spell Casting roll. If the monk wins the roll, his chi disrupts the spell and disperses it, negating its effects against him. (If the spell is targeting multiple people, the other targets are not protected by the Kiho.) The monk may do this a number of times per skirmish equal to his Water Ring. At the GM’s option, this Kiho may also be able to defend against maho spells, using the pure Water chi to disrupt the kansen. However, the monk must make 3 Raises on the Contested Roll in order to succeed.

Tasaii-Do
Mastery: Water 6
Type: Martial (Staff, Atemi)
This Kiho focuses the monk’s Water chi offensively, channeling it through his staff in order to overwhelm his opponent. It is activated with an attack in the same manner as an atemi Kiho, but using a staff attack instead of an unarmed attack. After striking his opponent (typically in a chi-focusing location like the head, chest, or stomach), the monk unleashes his chi through the staff and makes a Contested Roll of his Water against the target’s Earth. With a success, the target is Stunned.

New Tattoo
Wave:This tattoo invokes the mighty power of the tsunami to resist enemy force and drive your opponents to their knees. While this tattoo is active, you gain a +Xk0 bonus (where X is your Insight Rank) to the Contested Strength Roll used to determine the success of a Knockdown maneuver you perform with an unarmed attack. You also gain an identical bonus to resist all enemy Knockdown attempts, regardless of whether they are made unarmed or with weapons.

[Mirumoto Masuyo]

Book of void

New Advantages
Reincarnated [Spiritual] (6 Points, 5 For Henshin and For Characters With Ancestors)
Despite having passed through Meido, you retain some faint recollection of your previous life. You gain +1k0 to any three non-School Skills of your choice (subject to GM’s approval). Any time you spend a Void Point to enhance a roll using one of those Skills, you suffer the effects of the Anachronism disadvantage for 1-10 hours. In addition, you will occasionally have dreams or vague memories from your previous life, which may or may not become relevant to your current existence.
Note: GMs who allow Naga characters may also opt to make this Advantage available to Naga to represent the ancestral memories of the Akasha. If used in this way, it costs 7 points and does not impose the Anachronism penalty

Watanu-Trained (Mental) [1 Point]
The Watanu ronin of Iron Heart Village are well known throughout the region for their superior skills in smithing. Select one Craft Skill related to the creation of metallic goods (not weapons or armor). When making Skill Rolls to create such items, you gain a bonus of +1k1.

Iron Heart Native (Physical) [2 Points]
Your ancestors are from the region near Iron Heart Village, and the traits common to that region remain manifest in you. You gain a bonus of +1k0 to any Stamina Trait Roll or to any non-damage roll using the Strength Trait (including rolls to control Grapples).

Laughing Plains Native (Mental) [2 Points]
You possess the traits indigenous to the people of Laughing Plains Village, from whence some distant ancestor of yours originated. Your dour and bleakly stoic outlook on life grants you a bonus of +5 when rolling to resist any Fear effect.

Sacred Forest Native (Mental) [2 Points]
The spiritual folk of Sacred Forest Village consider you one of their own due to the nature of your ancestry, which includes someone from that region. You gain +1k0 to rolls with Lore: Theology and Lore: Spirit Realms.

New disadvantages

Uncentered [Spiritual] (Monk only, 2 points for Clan Monks, 4 points for Brotherhood Monks)
Whether it is due to poor teaching, a lack of understanding on your part, or simply an absence of true harmony within your soul, you are incapable of mastering the deepest mysteries of the Void. You may not learn any Void Kiho and you cannot take the Ishiken-do or the Void Versatility Advantages.

New Spells
Commune with the Void
Ring/Mastery: Void 2
Range: N/A
Area of Effect: Self
Duration: 1 Round per question (must maintain concentration)
Raises: Special (+1 question per three Raises)
Commune with the Void allows the caster to enter into a direct communion with the ineffable Void and thereby gain
information in a manner which is superficially similar to the basic Commune spell in the other four Elements. Much
like the other Commune spells, this spell allows the caster to seek information. However, the answers tend to be far
more enigmatic and unpredictable than those offered by the Elemental kami. The Void, after all, is not an array of individual spirits but a single all-encompassing whole. Thus, while in game terms the caster is still allowed to ask two questions (and can Raise to gain the ability to ask more), in practice the shugenja is not actually “asking” anything, but is using the Void to follow the connections between things and seek insight into their nature and history.
In essence, the GM may answer these questions as completely or as confusingly as he might wish, and can
provide information not only from the past but also from the future. (Of course, a wise GM should be wary about
being too specific about things that have not happened yet.) The GM can even go beyond the specific question if he
wishes, giving the player information not actually sought. On the other hand, the Void is difficult to comprehend - the GM should also feel free to deliver confusing or misleading information, but nothing outright false.

Strengthen the void
Ring/Mastery: Void 2
Range: N/A
Area of Effect: 20’ radius from caster
Duration: 5 Rounds
Raises: Area of Effect (+5’ radius per two Raises), Duration (+1 Round per Raise)
This spell allows the caster to thin the veil separating the Void from reality, enhancing the power of the Void within the local area. This is often used when training young ishi, allowing them to touch the Void more readily, but it has a practical value in that anyone within its effect can better harmonize with the Void and thus better reach their own physical and spiritual potential.
While this spell is in effect, anyone within the Area of Effect gains a Free Raise to casting Void spells; however, the intensity of the Void in the area makes it harder to focus enough on individual Elements cast other spells, inflicting a +5 TN penalty on all non-Void spells. Also, anyone who spends a Void Point within the area of effect gains a +2k1 bonus instead of the normal +1k1.
Any creature of the Lying Darkness (and any mortal with at least 1 Shadow Rank) who enters the area of effect will feel a deep sense of discomfort. Such creatures and individuals must roll Willpower at TN 20 or suffer a +10 TN penalty to all their Skill rolls and attack rolls made while they are within the area of effect. If they fail the Willpower roll by more than 10, they must try to leave the area of effect and cannot voluntarily re-enter it.

Banish the void
Ring/Mastery: Void 3
Range: N/A
Area of Effect: 20’ radius from caster
Duration: 5 Rounds
Raises: Area of Effect (+5’ radius per two Raises), Duration (+1 Round per Raise)
This spell is the exact counterpoint to Strengthen the Void; it thickens the veil between the Void and reality, making it more difficult to perceive the Void or to call on the inner harmony which the Void represents. This spell is normally used by ishiken to control the activities of their more powerful and dangerous apprentices, but is sometimes employed in more practical venues as well.
Within this spell’s area of effect, casting other Void spells suffers a +10 TN penalty. Also, anyone wishing to spend Void Points within this area must spend two Void Points to gain the effects of one. If the character only has one Void Point, he cannot spend it within the area of effect.
GM’s Note: It is left to the GM’s decision whether the effects of Strengthen the Void and Banish the Void also apply to “Void-like” effects such as Naga Akasha or the ratling Name.

Essence of void
Ring/Mastery: Void 4
Range: 50’
Area of effect: One target creature
Duration: Concentration
Raises: Range (+10’ per Raise), Special (+1k0 to Contested Roll per Raise)
This spell allows the ishiken to suffuse another living creature with the pure essence of the Void, overwhelming
the creature’s bodily functions and rendering that creature inert and unmoving so long as the spell remains in effect.
The caster must be able to see the target, and the spell requires a successful Contested Void Roll (creatures without a Void Ring may resist with Name, Akasha, or Willpower at the GM’s discretion). If the target fails the Contested Roll, it is held immobile, unable to move, speak, or otherwise act of its own volition so long as the caster maintains concentration. On the second and subsequent Rounds of the spell, the target may make another Contested Roll during the Reactions Stage to throw off the spell’s effects.

New Kiho

Knowledge from Within
Type: Internal
Mastery: 4
The power of the Void allows a centered monk to sense the presence of other magical effects in the area. You must be meditating or in the Center Stance to activate this Kiho. Once it is active, you become generally aware of the presence of Elemental spell effects and nemuranai (within a radius equal to your Void x10 in feet) so long as you maintain the Kiho. You will know the general direction and nature of the effects/objects (e.g. "a Fire spell in that direction") but not their specific identity or specific location.

Mind/No-Mind
Type: Mystical (atemi)
Mastery: 6
Monks practice meditation in order to attain the thought-free clarity of a pure soul on the path to Enlightenment. This Kiho allows a monk to briefly bestow this clarity on another person- whether or not that person wishes it. You make an atemi strike and a Contested Roll of your Void against your target’s Fire. If you win the Contested Roll, your target’s mind is momentarily purged of all thoughts, and he forgets everything that has happened during the last minute. At the GM’s option, this might also cause the target to be Dazed for one Round. (It may also be noted that this Kiho has helpful applications, such as calming someone who is overwhelmed with fear, rage, grief, or other uncontrolled emotion.)

Rebuke of the Heavens
Type: Kharmic
Mastery Level: 5
Your holy authority can cow disruptive spirits and weaken their influence. This Kiho may target any one supernatural creature (an entity not native to Jigoku or Tengoku). It is activated as a Complex Action by performing some gesture of spiritual rebuke, such as chanting a sutra, shaking a ringed staff, or forming a mudra with your hands. (This is in addition to the normal roll to activate a Kiho.) Make a Contested Roll of your Meditation / Void against the creature’s highest Ring - if you succeed, the creature suffers a -xk1 penalty to all rolls, where X is your Monk School Ranks. This penalty continues until the creature is slain or it departs from your presence. This Kiho is only available to monks, not to shugenja.

Sense the Balance
Type: Kharmic (atemi)
Mastery Level: 6
The spiritual balance of individuals can be felt in the flow of their chi. The Air kiho called Harmony of the Mind allows monks to sense a few of another person’s inner secrets, but those who follow the path of Void can do so far more effectively. If you succeed at an atemi strike on your target, you may spend a Void Point to learn the total number of Spiritual Advantages or Disadvantages (one or the other, your choice) which the target possesses. If you succeed in a Contested Void roll, you may also learn the name and specific nature of the Advantage / Disadvantage with the highest point value - e.g. you not only learn the target is Cursed by the Realms, but also which Spirit Realm has cursed him. Subsequent uses of this Kiho against the same target can reveal a new Advantage or Disadvantage each time, until there are no more to learn.

Striking Through the Void
Type: Martial
Mastery: 7
This rare martial Void Kiho allows you to channel the power of the Void into your unarmed strikes. It is controversial within the more peaceful sects of the Brotherhood, who believe that the Void should not be used as a weapon. When active, this Kiho allows you to spend a Void Point on damage rolls for your unarmed strikes (one Void Point per attack).

The World Disappears
Type: Internal
Mastery: 6
Those who are approaching the edge of Enlightenment are said to float slightly above the ground, their pure souls buoying them up toward the Heavens. This Kiho allows you to temporarily attain this rarified state. You must be meditating or in the Center Stance to activate this Kiho. Once it is active, you float a few inches above the ground for as long as it remains active, and can move at your normal speed across any surface (ground, water, molten lava) without touching it. This serene disconnection from the ground also makes you immune to Grappling and Entangling attacks while the Kiho remains active.

[Mirumoto Masuyo]

Secrets of the Empire

New Weapon
Sling
Keywords: Small, Peasant
Range: 100'
DR: 1k2
Special rules: the sling uses athletics/agility skill to attack; GMs may opt to allow a Sling emphasis. Strength is not added to the DR for slings. Reduction is doubled against sling attacks.
Note: Members of the Sparrow consider the Sling to be an acceptable weapon and thus should not lose honor for its use. At GM's discretion this may also be true for Unicorn.

New Spell
Dart of Void
Ring/Mastery: Void 4
Range: 100’
Area of Effect: One target creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Raises: Range (+100’ per Raise), Targets (+1 target per two Raises, maximum targets equal to your Void Ring)
The Dart of Void spell was created by the shugenja Ekuro in his famous battle. The spell has been preserved as a secret of the Order of Five Weapons, but it is believed the Phoenix may also have the spell in their libraries, and it is possible other shugenja families have copies as well. Casting this spell requires spending a Void Point; the spell summons forth a missile of pure Void which flies out and unerringly strikes any one target within range. The Dart inflicts damage with a DR equal to your Void. This damage ignores Invulnerability and Reduction from all sources.

[Mirumoto Masuyo]

Second City
Nothing of use, all mechanics are alt paths and schools.

[Mirumoto Masuyo]

Imperial Histories 2
Placeholder!

[Mirumoto Masuyo]

A number of these are already posted in the references section I believe.

Yeah, divided differently. I didn't notice til after. This is mostly to aid in the book poll. GM and already discussed and decided to leave it up for now.

[Vutall]

There's only a small handful of things here that I think would be problematic, in all honesty. None of the advantages or disadvantages are an issue, nor are any of the items, kata or kiho.