The New Winds

All Shuenja regardless of their other school tags MUST participate in this event if their Topaz Points are 75 or higher. The exception is Meishodo users, as their magic does not work the same way, and thus they are banned from this event. Meishodo wielders, lease make your selection for which event you are participating before Day 6 ends. Then, all participants find the thread in this forum with your name on it in this forum to conduct your duel.

Spells: Not allowed, as the instructors would consider it outsider interference and not a true representation of your abilities
Kiho: Not allowed, as the instructors would consider it outsider interference and not a true representation of your abilities
Kata: Not Allowed, as this is not a Combat.
Tattoos: Allowed, as the Instructors would not be able to tell you are getting outside assistance. Note that Taru-Jiai takes place over 3 rounds

Participants both roll their Initiative in their first post Their second post, they conduct the Assessment.

Assessment:
Characters enter the Assessment stage on the Initiative Turn of the faster duelist. During the Assessment stage, each participant assumes the Center Stance and makes a Spellcraft (Taryu-jiai)/Awareness roll against a TN equal to 10 plus their opponent's School Rank x 5. If successful, a duelist's roll reveals any one of the following pieces of information, plus an additional piece of information per Raise.

• * All of the opponent's elemental Affinities.
  * All of the opponent's elemental Deficiencies
  * The value of one of the opponent's Rings of your choice (may be chosen multiple times).
  * The opponent's Spellcraft skill.
  * Any Spellcraft Emphases the opponent may possess.
  * The current number of Void Points the opponent has available.
  * The opponent's current Wound Level.

If a character's Assessment roll exceeds the total of their opponent's roll by 10 or more, whether or not it gained any information, the winning character gets a bonus of +1k1 on his subsequent Focus roll. (Raises and Exceptional Successes have no effect) At this point, it is possible for either of the duelists to concede defeat, recognizing his opponent as superior.

((Example: If my Spellcraft is 5 and my Fire is 4, I would roll 9k4, vs opponents TN 15)

On their Third post, characters conduct the Focus.

Focus
During the second Round of the duel, both characters enter the Focus stage on the Initiative Turn of the faster duelist. The shugenja gather the kami to their side as each prepares to unleash their chosen spell at their opponent. Both characters make Contested Spell Casting Rolls using an Elemental Ring of their choice, rolling dice equal to their School Rank plus their chosen Ring and keeping a number of dice equal to the Ring. Affinities and Deficiencies apply to this Spell Casting roll as normal, but only shugenja with the Ishiken-Do Advantage may select the Void Ring for this roll.

If one shugenja beats the other's roll by 5 or more, that shugenja has earned the right to make the first strike. He gains a Free Raise toward his strike roll for every additional increment of 5 points by which he beats his opponent's roll. (Exceptional Successes do not apply) If neither shugenja beats the other's roll by at least 5, then a simultaneous "kharmic strike" takes place.

((Example: If I am a Rank 1 Isawa Shugenja and my Spellcraft is 5, my Fire is 4, and my Affinity is Fire, my Focus roll would be 7k4+a free raise that does nothing as there is No TN and raises have no effect for this roll))

On their Forth post, characters conduct the Strike

Strike

On the third Round of the duel, both characters enter the Strike stage on the Initiative Turn of the slower duelist. The shugenja who won first strike makes a Spellcraft (Taryu-jiai)/Trait attack roll against his opponent's normal Armor TN. The Trait used in this check is the mental Trait associated with the shugenja's chosen Ring (Willpower for Earth, Intelligence for Fire, etc). Any Free Raises gained during the focus stage apply to this roll, and additional Raises may be called as if it were a normal attack, and Exceptional successes can be used as well. The attack deals XkX wounds if successful, where X is equal to the shugenja's chosen Ring.

The second duelist may then make his Spellcraft (Taryu-jiai)/Trait attack roll against his opponent's normal Armor TN, assuming he still lives. In a duel to first blood, the second duelist has lost the duel if his opponent struck him, but because of the difficulty of halting a fireball or razor sharp shards of rock in mid-air, the second shugenja must still make this attack roll. In the event that neither opponent won the Contested Roll during the Focus stage, both make their attack rolls simultaneously, an event known as a kharmic strike. In this case, neither participant is considered the winner.

((For example, if I am Isawa Shugenja with Spellcraft 5 and Fire 4/Intelligence 5, my attack would be 11k5=10k5 vs Opponents TN to be Hit. Called raises and exceptional success raises may be used as if this were an attack (so in this case, calling for damage. My damage would be 4k4, +1k0 for each Extra Damage raise.))


Notes:
Advantages:
Friendly Kami does not apply
Friend of the Elements does not apply
Heart of Vengeance: Applies if your opponent is the clan you selected. Only applies to the Focus roll.
Inheritance does not apply as you are not allowed to bring anything to the debates other than the ceremonial robes the organizers provided you the previous evening
Kharmic Tie does not apply
Magic Resistance applies to your TN to be hit
Paragon: Compassion does not apply
Paragon: Duty applies to the Focus roll
Prodigy applies if Spellcraft is a school skill to the Assessment and Strike rolls
Reincarnated applies if you selected Spellcraft to the Assessment roll, but then you suffer the drawback, thus increasing your Strike roll TN by 5
Sacrosant does not apply
Seven Fortune's Blessing: Hotei's Blessing: You can use the bonus void point, but the rest of this advantage effects do not apply
Touch of the Spirit Realm: Gaki-Do applies
Touch of the Spirit Realms: Yomi applies if you selected Spellcraft to the Assessment and Strike rolls

Disadvantages:
Bad Eyesight does not apply
Blind does not apply
Brash: If you loose, you must pass your willpower roll or continue to fight even after the duel has ended, keeping the same initative and using normal spellcasting/combat rules
Cursed by the Realm: Toshigoku: If your opponent suffers wounds, you must pass your willpower roll or continue to fight even after the duel has ended, keeping the same initative and using normal spellcasting/combat rules
Doubt If you selected Spellcraft, the penalty applies to the Assessment and Strike rolls
Enlightened Madness applies to the Assessment and Strike rolls and failure of the Willpower roll means the GM will pilot your character without your input for the next 8 hours in game
Epilepsy applies after you are struck, and if you fail the willpower roll, you cannot strike back
Failure of Bushido: Courage applies and increases the TN of your Strike Roll
Failure of Bushido: Duty applies
Soft-Hearted: Applies before the Strike roll. If you fail the willpower roll, you cannot strike
Touch of the Void applies, please note that you must make the Willpower roll before your enhanced roll and failure means you are Dazed for the remainder of the duel
Wrath of the Kami applies to your opponents Strike roll if they are using the element you selected for this disadvantage


Rewards:
The winner is the player who struck first (and is still alive).

If there was a Karmic Strike, neither player wins the debate.

Players who win advance to the next stage of the tournament, where players who lose are eliminated. At the very end of the tournament, the overall winner has their Topaz points compared to the overall winner of the Iaijutsu tournament and the Courtier debates, the highest point player between the three being declared the Topaz Champion