Player Character Bonds (New Mechanic)

[Vutall]

The relationships between people are a vital part of stories that revolve around character drama, and Legend of the Five Rings relies heavily on related motifs.

Bonds are a new way to spend experience points, reflecting the deepening of the connection between two people as they invest energy and emotion in one another. This is commonly done by spending time together, but it can also happen via letter writing, or even during times of separation, as long as the two are deeply connected. Bonds can take many forms. Friends can obviously have bonds, and so can lovers, family, and colleagues. However, rivals and even enemies can also have bonds that define their relation-ships; many samurai stories are driven by a character’s desire to vanquish a specific foe, or to surpass a fellow warrior whose strength inspires them to obsession.

What Makes a Good Bond?
Notably, bonds are more than just close relationships: they are close relationships that are important to the story the GM and players want to tell, and they are by their nature dynamic. A bond is a relationship that can change and grow. A character might have a very close relationship with someone, but if that relationship is not going to be focal to the character’s narrative arc in some way or if the player doesn’t think it could really develop significantly, it shouldn’t be represented mechanically with a bond.

Importantly, bonds do not vanish if the person with whom a character shares a bond leaves or even perishes. The relationship will always be a part of the character who was in it, and the lessons they learned and strength they gained from that connection are permanent. A character can even continue to advance a relationship with a dead person, provided they can still learn more about them, or come to better understand the time the two once spent together. In Rokugan, rein-carnation or spiritual echoes might even lead the two characters to cross paths again, in this life or the next.

Bonds generally exist between two characters, but they can exist between more than two characters at the GM’s discretion (rather than having many individual bonds, for example, a close fellowship of companions or a family might have a single bond shared by all members of the group).


Forging and Advancing a Bond
If two or more PCs are forging or advancing a bond, each PC must individually spend the full amount of XP for the bond at the same time (as they all gain its benefits). Bonds must start at Rank 1, and can be increased by each character in the bond paying the full amount of XP for the new rank, in order (So a 1 could go to 2, but a 1 could not go to a 3)

Calling Upon a Bond
A character can call upon a bond to use the unlocked bond abilities. A character can call upon a bond a number of times per session equal to the bond’s rank.

Types of Bonds
Family
Family obligation is tremendously important in Rokugan: a samurai is expected to respect their parents and elder family members while offering support and guidance to younger family members. Formal adoption, even in adulthood, is a common practice in many parts of Rokugan, both to secure lines of succession that might have gaps, and as part of treaties and other agreements. Marriage is another way characters can form the bonds of family. The following are suggested narrative effects for a character with a Family bond:

• Family generally watch out for your reputation and help with modest favors that promote your well-being (providing you with hospitality, giving you a good character reference, assisting in your training), even if you did not ask for these things. They expect the same from you, and they expect you to uphold the family name.
• Allies of your close family members are likely to know all about your most notable successes (but they have suspiciously never heard of your less auspicious endeavors), and they are favorably disposed toward you. Enemies of your family view you as an enemy.
• If your bond rank is 3 or higher, a family member can be expected to also watch out for your personal happiness. They are willing to take more notable risks on your behalf (such as lending you heirlooms or trusting you to handle important tasks in their name), and they might ask the same from you

“Strong Roots Grow Deep” (Bond Ability):
Once per thread/session you can call upon your family bond. Choose a trait. For the rest of the thread, you gain a bonus of your bond rank to all rolls with that trait


Comrade
Just as bands of warriors often form friendships on the battlefield, so too do courtiers, priest, and monks find close friends as they go about their daily work. Members of the same army might be comrades, as might members of two different clans who serve in the same court and pursue the same end, such as their sworn lord’s justice, or the preservation of a region. The following are suggested narrative effects for a character with a Comrade bond:

• A comrade generally watches out for your interests and be willing to do mod-est favors for you ( helping you with a task for a few days, getting you home without embarrassing yourself after a night of revelry, lying about your whereabouts to your enemies), and they might ask the same from you.
• Allies of a comrade treat you as an ally, and they are favorably disposed toward you unless you give them reason not to be. They might even do you significant favors, especially if the two of you are working together in a deceased comrade’s memory. Enemies of your comrades tend to steer clear of you, or view you as an enemy.
• If your bond rank is 3 or higher, a comrade can be expected undertake major tasks in your name (such as staking significant amounts of honor or glory on your choices, risking their life on your behalf, or adopting your dependents should you perish), and they might ask the same from you.

“Just Like Old Times” (Bond Ability):
When performing a check for a skill that your bond has, you gain a bonus unkept dice equal to your bond rank


Lover
Samurai are expected to place romantic love below their obligations to family and clan—but the human heart is not so easily confined. Many samurai who fall in love keep their relationship secret, while others are more overt. The following are suggested narrative effects for a character with a Lover bond:

• A lover seeks to spend time with you, writes letters to you, and is willing to assist you in ways that do not require publicly acknowledging your bond (giving you information key to pursuing a desired goal, encouraging you to pursue your personal interests, helping you to deal with emotions you usually must keep to yourself), and they expect you to do the same.
• Generally, your lover’s allies do not acknowledge your relationship. Some might be favor-ably disposed to you covertly if you make their ally happy (and unfavorably disposed if you make them unhappy), while others might be jealous of the attention you receive. Your lover’s enemies might target you to attempt to gain leverage over your lover.
• If your bond rank is 3 or higher, a lover is more overt about your relationship, allowing them to assist you more publicly (such as giving you let-ters of introduction to officials above your status, allowing you to use their name to pursue your goals, and even helping you directly), and they expect the same from you.

“With You, the Storm Subsides” (Bond Ability):
Once during a Thread/Scene involving your lover or reminders of them, you may call upon your bond. If you do, for the remainder of the thread your wound penalties are reduced by twice your bond rank


Rival
Not all deep and interesting relationships are completely amicable or totally hostile: such is the case with rivalry. A courtier might find the duplicitous methods of a fellow member of a court repugnant, but agree that both serve their lord well. Rivals are characters who might often come into conflict, but do not hate and may even respect each other. The following are suggested narrative effects for a character with a Rival bond:

• A rival generally seeks to oppose you when the opportunity presents itself and is unfavorably disposed toward you. However, their enmity toward you lends gravity to your position, and it makes those outside of your conflict more convinced of your importance.
• Allies of your rival treat you with grudging respect and suspicion. Your rival’s enemies might seek your aid in when they face your rival, or might offer you aid in doing so (such as advice for defeating your rival, quiet political backing, or medical attention after fighting the rival).
• If your bond rank is 3 or higher, your rival views themself as your true foe, and they look dimly upon anyone else who acts against you. They can be relied upon to attempt to keep other people from harming you (so that they can defeat you on their own terms someday)

“I Will Surpass You!” (Bond Ability):
When making a check involving your rival, once per thread you may reroll dice equal to your bond rank


Evolving Bonds
Bonds can change over time. If the nature of two characters’ relationship changes, such as if a pair of rivals work together for so long that they come to consider each other comrades or if a family member’s shocking betrayal turns them into a nemesis, the GM and player can work together to change the nature of the bond. The ranks in the bond remain, but its type changes to the new type.

Advantage Discounts:
Kharmic Tie:
If a character has any bond, they may purchase this advantage for -1xp (to a minimum of 1) with the target of the advantage being the character you have the bond with.

Blissful Betrothal:
If a character has a Lover bond, they may purchase this advantage for -1xp with the target of the bond. This also changes the bond from Lover to Family.

[Vutall]

Rank 1
3 XP
Bond Ability (Varies by Bond)
In addition to any narrative benefits of your bond, you call upon your relationship with one bonded character in a manner based on the type of bond described above.

Rank 2
4 XP
“Like you always say...”:
You always count as having one bonded character’s assistance on a check in which the bonded character is skilled as long as they are in the Thread/Scene

Rank 3
6 XP
“A familiar presence draws near...”:
You and that PC’s player may agree to have your bond join in an event, regardless of event limits.

Rank 4
8 XP
“You taught me this!”:
Use one bonded character’s ring or skill ranks for a check instead of your own as long as they are in the Thread/Scene.

Rank 5
10 XP
“We are bound by this fate we have made!”:
Once per Scene/Thread, transfer one of your Void points to the bonded character or gain 1 Void point after they spend a Void point in a Thread/Scene you are together in.

[Vutall]

New Bonds: (Mechanics WIP, you may not select these bonds yet)

Old Flame
Rōnin are given to wandering, and sometimes their romances are short-lived by necessity, as work springs up in another town, societal circumstances make the relationship impossible, or the relationship dissolves of its own accord. But as circumstances can fling people apart, so too can they bring them back together. Two rōnin might cross paths again years later only to find themselves employed by rivals, or a rōnin might return to town to discover that their lover of old is now the magistrate whom they must petition for work. Or those who parted on ill terms might discover they must now work together again. Regardless of the particulars of their dissolution and reunion, this bond represents people with a romantic history who find themselves crossing paths frequently, thrown together once again, or otherwise entangled in one another’s circumstances.

• An old flame knows your best and worst qualities ­and any advantages or disadvantages you possessed at the time you were together—and you know theirs), and is likely willing to use these to achieve their own goals as long as it does not significantly harm you. However, some fondness lingers, and they will do you small favors, such as giving you hints about opportunities you might pursue, warning you of oncoming danger, or pointing you in the direction of someone who has something you are seeking. This help most often arrives when it has not been requested
• Your old flame’s allies are cautious to hostile when dealing with you, depending on how the relationship dissolved, and are generally unwilling to help you unless you offer another incentive. Your old flame’s enemies are likely unaware of you, though if they become aware of your past involvement, they might attempt to use you against your old flame ­or vice-versa).
• If your bond rank is 3 or higher, your old flame will take more significant steps on your behalf, although still usually without your request. They might pay off a significant debt of yours without asking for recompense, arrive to rescue you from a bad situation, or put your name into the ear of someone wealthy or powerful who is seeking a rōnin with your particular skills.

"It's Always Like This With You" (Bond Ability)
At the end of a scene involving your old flame or reminders of them, after removing strife and fatigue, you may call upon your bond to remove additional fatigue equal to your bond rank, then gain that much strife.


Partner
To rely on another person completely is an act of great vulnerability, and for many rōnin and outsiders, such vulnerability can seem a fatal flaw others will exploit. Even so, sometimes individuals make long, lasting bonds that build into a true and unconditional trust. Whether partners are close friends, spouses, lovers, fellow soldiers, or simply other survivors of the outskirts of society who rely on each other’s helping hands to get by, this bond represents a group that has come to work almost perfectly as a unit, without hesitation or fear that they stand alone

• A partner trusts you implicitly, and is willing to assist you with nearly anything so long as you can offer a rational explanation of why it is necessary or important. However, they will also intervene to stop you from doing things that they think will be harmful to you.
• Friends and allies of your partner at least tolerate you, will generally give you the benefit of the doubt, and will at least hear you out if you need something, though they generally will not do favors for you unless the favor also benefits your partner directly. Enemies of your partner view you as an enemy, and will seek to remove you from the equation if they think you will impede their schemes against your partner.
• If your bond rank is 3 or higher, your partner will more proactively intervene on your behalf instead of being asked for assistance, and may be more assertive in insisting that you grow beyond tendencies that are harmful to you, such as recklessness. However, if you insist that something is important, your partner will back you with the full means at their disposal, even if you do not explain why it is important to you.

"Always Got Your Back" (Bond Ability)
Once per scene, you may call upon your bond to know exactly what your partner is thinking ­or was thinking at a previous time), or to have your partner know exactly what you are thinking, without any direct communication between the two of you. You ­or your partner) must express this idea in five words or fewer, plus additional words equal to your bond rank. When you use this ability, you and your partner may remove strife up to your bond rank, divided between the two of you as you choose.


Protector and Ward
Most rōnin are responsible only for themselves, but some take up the life of a wanderer for the sake of another. A rōnin might have forsworn their rank and stature to protect the lost heir of their lord, hiding the child from those who see them as an inconvenient loose end—or they might have been the one to refuse such an order, and fled to protect someone their own lord desired to see dead. Or perhaps they simply encountered someone who needed them and their compassion forced its way through the rōnin’s world-weary exterior. Whatever the case, a character with this bond has someone who is dependent on them, and looks to them both for guidance and protection in a harsh world.

• Enemies of your ward view you as an impediment, and likely target you even before they target your ward, knowing that you will interfere with their plans anyway. Allies of your ward view you positively, and may even feel a great debt to you, assisting you in your quest to protect your ward with significant favors ­such as hiding you from your enemies, helping you acquire equipment, or giving you contacts in new places), within their means.
• If your bond rank is 3 or higher and you are the protector, you can always instinctively sense if your ward is in danger. Additionally, your ward begins to learn some skills from you more readily; if they are an NPC, they acquire 1 rank in 2 skill groups in which you possess 3 or more skill ranks. Your ward also starts to act on their own initiative to help you, and might even start to get you out of trouble!
• If your bond rank is 3 or higher and you are the ward, your protector can instinctively sense if you are in danger. Additionally, your protector begins to take an interest not just in your safety, but in the things you do for fun; if they are an NPC, they acquire 1 rank in 2 skill groups in which you possess 3 or more skill ranks, and go out of their way to look out for your happiness in addition to your safety.

"Under My Protection" (Protector Bond Ability)
Once per scene when you are protecting your ward, their interests, or their memory, you may call upon your bond to treat your endurance as increased by your bond rank until the end of the scene

"I've Been Learning" (Ward Bond Ability)
Once per scene when you or your protector makes a check in which the other has 1 or more skill ranks (or skill group in which they have 1 or more ranks, if the other is an NPC), you may call upon your bond to negate strife results equal to your bond rank


Wanderers’ Fellowship
With no lord, rōnin have nobody to rely upon and none to protect save themself, making their way through the world like waves rolling across the shore. But even the most independent-minded humans desire a degree of companionship, and there is a certain stability to be found in numbers. As a result, many rōnin form warrior bands, groups that work, fight, suffer, and laugh together. These bonds can become as tight as the tremendously strong bonds of family in Rokugan, or even stronger. In desperate circumstances, this bond can get a rōnin on their feet and back into the fight, helping them to fight on through the pain or face over-whelming odds to save their comrades in arms

• Other members of your fellowship watch out for your safety (if not always your dignity, especially when it comes to telling embarrassing stories). They help you with modest favors (offering you a cut in on a job they have taken on, giving you an introduction to someone hiring rōnin, buying your sake when your purse is empty and theirs is less empty), and generally expect you to reciprocate such favors.
• Those with whom your fellowship has worked before are generally inclined to regard you in the same way they do your fellows—if they are rowdy or well-behaved, they will assume the same of you. Your actions also reflect upon members of your fellowship, and if you step out of line such that it endangers the group’s reputation, they intervene to set you on the right path—or to remove you from the group, if you will not repent.
• If your bond rank is 3 or higher, your fellow-ship’s bonds of loyalty are extremely deep, and other members will accept dangerous jobs with you without question, join your side in battles that do not pay, and perhaps even buy your sake without reminding you about it three times in the next week.

"Sworn To Duty And To Death" (Bond Ability)
At the start of your turn, if you are Compromised or Incapacitated, you may call upon your bond to remove fatigue and strife equal to your bond rank