oriental classes (revised)

8/13/2019 Oriental Classes (Revised)

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Oriental ClassesA Supplement for B/X and LL

Edited by Ned Martell (Revised: September 2013)

This document contains a conversion of the oriental player character classes contained inother rulebooks into a format more compatible with B/X & LL. I do not take writing creditfor this work, I am merely an editor.

In editing this collection, I tried to keep some of the flavour of the original classes, while atthe same time removing many of the fiddly details. I also generally made the ExperiencePoints & Hit Dice equivalent to each class Basic counterpart, and reduced the classrequirements and prime requisites to be in closer accord with the Basic classes.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

BUSHI.. 1

HENGEYOKAI... 1

KENSEI 2

KOROPOKGURU.. 3

NATURE FOLK.. 3

NINJA.. 4

SAMURAI.... 6

SHUGENJA. 6

SOHEI.. 7

WU REN.. 7

YAKUZA...... 8

APPENDIX I: A BRIEF NOTE

ON ORIENTAL WEAPONS

AND ARMOUR 9


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BUSHI

Bushi are wandering

mercenaries or bandits.

Most are of low birth.

The prime requisite for

bushi is Strength. Bushiwith a Strength score of

13 or higher gain a bonus

on earned experience.

RESTRICTIONS:

Experience Points, Hit

Dice, Attacks, Saves: as

Fighter.

Bushi may use any

w eap o n o r a rmo u r

(including shields), and

may be of any alignment.

SPECIAL ABILITIES:

Bushi are always able to gain employment in a village,

town, or city. However, the pay may only be enough to

cover their basic needs (simple food & rudimentary

shelter).

At 9th level, a bushi may become a warlord by capturing

and clearing an area of land and marking its boundaries.

He will then attract 30-60 1st level bushi to serve him,

however they must be paid or they will desert! If he is a

good and successful leader who pays well, more bushi

may apply. At 12th level he will attract 1-6 1st level

samurai. This will legitimize the bushi's social standing and

allow him to start his own Family Clan.

HENGEYOKAI

Hengeyokai are a race of intelligent shape-shifting animals.

They are normally mischievous, independent, and self-

centred. Many are also malicious, however some rare few

may be benevolent. There are many sub-races, each a

different type of animal. All use magic and trickery.

The prime requisites for hengeyokai are Intelligence and

Charisma. Hengeyokai whose Intelligence and Charisma

are both 13 or higher gain a 5% bonus on earned

experience, a 10% bonus if Charisma is 13 or greater and

Intelligence is 16 or greater.

RESTRICTIONS:

Experience Points, Hit Dice, Attacks, Saves, Spells: as Elf.However, they may advance to 9th level maximum.

Hengeyokai may use any weapon or armour (including

shields), and may be of any alignment. The vast majority

are Chaotic, a few may be Neutral, and only very rarely

are they Lawful. Hengeyokai must have a minimum

Intelligence score of 9.

Hengeyokai have a reputation among humans for being

Chaotic: mischievous at best and malicious at worst.

Humans therefore treat allhengeyokai accordingly, if their

identity is discovered. Hengeyokai are a solitary, secretive

race, and have no clan loyalty or kinship; they do not

attract followers, establish families, or build strongholds.

SPECIAL ABILITIES:

Hengeyokai memorise and cast spells as a wu ren of the

same level, however they know their spells innately and

do not use spellbooks.

At the time of character creation the player must choose

one animal form for his hengeyokai character. This is a

permanent choice and may not be changed at a later time.

Some traditional hengeyokai sub-races are: bakeneko

(cat), hebi (snake), inugami (dog), kitsune (fox), mujina

(badger), okami (wolf), tanuki (raccoon dog), and

tsuchigumo (spider). Other choices could include carp,

crab, crane, drake, hare, monkey, otter, rat, sparrow, or

another to be decided between the player and the DM.

Hengeyokai may change shape between Animal, Human,

and Bipedal (mixture of animal & human) forms. They

may change shape a number of times per day equal to

their level (note that changing into a form and then back

again counts as twoshape changes!) Changing form takes

one full round, during which time the hengeyokai may

take no other actions. Armour, weapons, clothing, and

equipment do not change form along with the

hengeyokai! They retain their level, hit points, and ability

scores while in all three forms. Hit points lost in any form

are carried over when the hengeyokai changes.

Animal Form: A hengeyokai in animal form is almost

undetectable from a normal animal. She has the

movement, Armour Class, and damage of a normal

animal of her type (see table below for some examples).

She also has infravision to 60 feet, and can speak with

normal animals (although conversations will be very basic

and simplistic). She may not speak any languages other

than those of normal animals and hengeyokai, although

she can still understand any language she knows. She may

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not cast spells in animal form, nor can she use any

armour, weapons, or equipment.

Hengeyokai Animal Form Table

Animal AC Damage Move

Badger 6 1-3 60' (Burrowing: 30')

Cat 7 1 120'Dog 7 1-4 150'

Fox 6 1-2 150'

Raccoon

Dog 8 1-2 90'

Snake* 7 1-3 90'

Spider* 9 1 30'

Wolf 6 1-2 150'

Carp 7 - - (Swim: 120')

Crab 8 1 30' (Swim: 60')

Crane 9 1 60' (Fly: 120')

Drake 8 - 60' (Fly: 120', Swim: 90')

Hare 5 - 180' (Burrowing: 30')

Monkey 8 1 120'Otter 7 1-2 60 (Swim: 120)

Rat 6 1 60' (Swim: 30')

Sparrow 3 - 30' (Fly: 150')

*poison is not strong enough to require a saving throw

Bipedal form: Hengeyokai in bipedal form have the

appearance of a human-sized upright animal. Her body

resembles that of her animal form, except that she stands

on two legs (or whatever) to the height of a normal

woman, and her two front paws (or wings/fins/etc.)

change into hands able to hold and use normal

equipment. In this form the hengeyokai may speak any

language she knows, has infravision to 60 feet, may cast

spells as normal, and may use any armour, weapons, and

equipment as normal. Many hengeyokai may also be able

to bite in this form, for up to 1-6 points of damage (exact

damage range will need to be determined by the DM).

However, bipedal hengeyokai may not use any of the

special movement abilities of her animal form (whether it

be increased speed, flying, swimming, etc.), instead she

has the normal base movement rate for humans of 120',

and may swim using the normal rules for humans, etc.

Human Form: A hengeyokai in human form is almost

undetectable from a normal human being. However, she

will always retain at least one distinctive feature of her

animal form (a mujina may have a silver stripe in her hair,

a sparrow may have an unusually sharp nose, etc.), the

choice is left up to the player (subject to DM approval). In

this form hengeyokai may cast spells as normal and may

use any armour, weapons, clothing, and equipment as

normal. However, she does nothave infravision, and may

not speak the language of normal animals (although she

can still understand it).

Hengeyokai Forms Summary Table

Animal Bipedal Human

Special Movement? Yes No No

Infravision? Yes Yes No

Spoken Languages

Normal Animal? Yes Yes No

Hengeyokai? Yes Yes Yes Human? No Yes Yes

Spells? No Yes Yes

Equipment? No Yes Yes

At 9th level, hengeyokai of Lawful alignment may choose

to become the protector of a human family or village. She

defends the land from outsiders and sees to the overall

well-being of the inhabitants. In exchange, she receives

offerings of food, gifts, and service from those she

protects. These offerings are enough to meet the day-to-

day needs of the hengeyokai, but rarely more.

All hengeyokai know the following languages:

Hengeyokai, Common (Trade), and the language ofnormal animals. However, they may not be able to speak

all these languages in every form (see above).

KENSEI

Kensei devote themselves to combat with one chosen

weapon, their aim is to become a perfect master of that

weapon.

The prime requisites for kensei are Wisdom and Dexterity.

Kensei whose Wisdom and Dexterity are both 13 or

higher gain a 5% bonus on earned experience, a 10%

bonus if Wisdom is 13 or greater and Dexterity is 16 or

greater.

RESTRICTIONS:

Experience Points, Hit Dice, Attacks, Saves: as Fighter.

Kensei may use any weapon, but may not wear any form

of armour, shield, or magical defence. At the time of

character creation, the kensei must select one melee

weapon to be his chosen weapon. He may choose an

unarmed martial art instead of a standard melee weapon,

in which case his hands or his feet become his chosen

weapon and he will inflict 1-6 points of damage in

unarmed combat. Kensei gain only half XP for defeating

an opponent using any weapon other than his chosenweapon (or using a magical version of his chosen

weapon), even if only a portion of the fighting was done

with the other weapon. Kensei gain double XP for

defeating another kensei in a duel, but may only duel any

particular opponent once per level.

Kensei may be Lawful or Neutral alignment, but may not

be Chaotic due to the self discipline required for their

class. They must have a minimum score of 9 in Dexterity.

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Strength and Wisdom are also particularly important, but

have no minimum.

SPECIAL ABILITIES:

Kensei gain a bonus to initiative, Armour Class, to hit,

and damage (given in the table below). The bonuses given

below for to hit and damage only apply when the

kensei is using his non-magical chosen weaponin melee combat! (The initiative and Armour Class

bonuses apply to all normal situations.) Kensei must also

apply the normal combat modifiers from Strength or

Dexterity if applicable, and those modifiers apply to all

normal situations as they do for any other character. If the

DM does not normally use the individual initiative optional

rule, it is highly recommended that the kensei be allowed

to add his initiative bonus to the group roll (although only

applying to himself), allowing him to act before the rest of

the group. Note that the kensei's to hit bonus will also

allow him to hit creatures normally only damaged by

magical weapons.

Kensei Table

Chosen Weapon

Initiative AC To Hit Damage

Lvl Bonus Bonus Bonus Bonus

1 0 -1 0 0

2 0 -1 0 +1

3 0 -2 +1 +1

4 0 -2 +1 +1

5 +1 -2 +2 +2

6 +1 -3 +2 +2

7 +1 -3 +2 +2

8 +1 -3 +3 +3

9 +2 -4 +3 +3

10 +2 -4 +4 +4

11 +2 -4 +4 +4

12+ +2 -5 +5 +5

At 9th level, kensei attract 1-6 1st level kensei pupils, all

with the same chosen weaponas their new master. If a

kensei master ever loses a duel to a lower-level kensei,

each pupil has a 3-in-6 chance of leaving him. If a kensei

master wins a duel against a higher-level kensei, he will

gain 1-2 new 1st level kensei pupils. Each time a pupil

gains a level, there is a 1-in-20 chance (per level of the

pupil) that he will leave his master to make his own way.

KOROPOKGURU

Koropokguru are a race of nimble, forest-dwelling

dwarves averaging up to 3 feet tall. They have large

heads, large flat noses, and the men often have bushy

beards. They prefer to live in small villages or camps,

away from human contact. Their dwellings are crude huts,

or even simply leaf-covered pits in the ground. They exist

on a much more primitive level than humans, although

they have family clans much as humans do. They are

generally backwards, rude, pugnacious, and boastful.

The prime requisites for

koropokguru are Strength

and Dexterity. Koropokguru

with a Strength score or

Dexterity score of 13 or

higher gain a bonus of 5%

on earned experience, a

10% bonus if both Strengthand Dexterity are 13+.

RESTRICTIONS:

Experience Points, Hit Dice, Attacks, Saves: as Halfling.

However, they may advance to 10th level.

Koropokguru may use any weapon, armour, or shield

which has been "cut down" to their size ... thus they may

not use two-handed weapons or long bows, but they may

use normal swords and short bows (for example).

Koropokguru may be of any alignment, and must have a

minimum Dexterity and Constitution of 9 each.

SPECIAL ABILITIES:Koropokguru have a 4-in-6 chance to identify any normal

animal or plant. They are difficult to spot outdoors, having

the ability to seemingly vanish into woods or underbrush,

and will only be spotted 10% of the time in this type of

cover. Koropokguru gain a +1 bonus to their initiative rolls

in addition to any Dexterity adjustments. Due to their

small size, koropokguru have a -2 bonus to their Armour

Class when being attacked by creatures larger than man-

sized. All koropokguru speak the following languages:

Koropokguru, Common (Trade), Nature folk, and

Hengeyokai. However, they may not learn any further

languages, even if they have a high Intelligence score.

Koropokguru may be of any alignment.

At 9th level, koropokguru may build a village in a remote

forest: whether it be a dense jungle, a snowy mountain

forest, or anything in between, so long as it is far from the

prying eyes of humans. At this time, he will attract a whole

community of koropokguru and start his own Family Clan.

NATURE FOLK

Nature folk are descended from humans and nature

spirits, and they have strong ties both to human society

and to nature. They look like humans with delicate

features and pale, smooth-shaven, golden complexions.

All have a lust for life and nature. There are three distinct

varieties of nature folk: Bamboo, River, and Sea.

The prime requisite for nature folk is Strength. Nature folk

with a Strength score of 13 or higher gain a bonus on

earned experience.

RESTRICTIONS:

Experience Points, Hit Dice, Attacks, Saves: as Dwarf.

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Nature folk may use any weapons and armour (including

shields), and may be of any alignment. Nature folk must

have a minimum Charisma score of 9.

Nature folk belong to a family clan on their human side,

but are also responsible to their spirit lord on their nature

side (Lord of the Wood, Lord of the Rivers, or Lord of the

Sea). If these two loyalties conflict, nature folk areexpected to side with their spirit lord. Refusing their spirit

lord in anything can lead to natural disasters affecting both

themselves and/or their human family clan.

SPECIAL ABILITIES:

Bamboo Folk : Bamboo folk

normally live near forests. They have

a 3-in-4 chance to identify normal

plants, and a 2-in-4 chance to identify

normal animals. They have a 75%

chance to hide in shadows and to

move silently when in forests or

woods. When travelling alone throughforest, woodland, or grassland, they

leave no trail. Even when travelling

with others through these areas, the

chance of evading pursuit is increased

by 20%. The life force of a bamboo folk is tied to a

bamboo grove deep within a forest. When the bamboo

folk enters his grove, he is cured of all wounds and

disease. However, if the bamboo grove is damaged, the

bamboo folk takes equal damage! If the grove is

destroyed, the bamboo folk dies instantly. This grove can

never be moved, nor do shoots sprouted from the grove

have any special effect. Bamboo folk speak Common

(Trade) and Nature folk. In addition, for every level of

experience the Bamboo folk has he may learn to speak

the language of one particular forest animal species,

chosen by the player.

River Folk: River folk are associated with one particular

river or stream, and usually live near it. They may breathe

normally in any type of fresh water, and may swim in any

type of water at their normal

movement rate (reduced for

encumbrance). When swimming, all

items they carry remain perfectly dry

even if submerged. Once per day they

may lower the water level of a river or

stream by up to 10 feet for up to 5rounds, allowing others to cross safely.

The life force of a river folk is tied to a

particular river (chosen by the player

and subject to approval by the DM) as

it runs in its natural banks (water

drawn or diverted from the river is no longer considered

part of the river). Bathing in this river cures the river folk

of all wounds and disease. However, changes in the flow

of the river will change his characteristics: lower water level

due to drought will weaken the character, lowering his hit

points and ability scores temporarily; major flooding will

make him wild and uncontrollable; damming and other

engineering changes to the river will make the character

progressively weaker until he finally dies. River folk speak

the Language of Fishes, Common (Trade), and Nature

folk.

Sea Folk: Sea folk

are the most numerous

of all nature folk, and

usually live near the

ocean . They may

breathe normally in any

type of salt water, and

may swim in any type

of water at their normal

movement rate (reduced for encumbrance). When

swimming, all items they carry remain perfectly dry even if

submerged. Once per day, they may attempt to predict

the weather for the next 24 hours with a 3-in-4 chance of

being correct. Once per year they can receive one favourfrom the sea: a violent storm, fair sailing winds, rain, the

recovery of a particular item from the sea bottom, etc. Sea

folk must choose the particular favour, but if two sea folk

ever have conflicting requests then neither are granted and

the favour for the year is still lost. At 9th level, a sea folk

will receive one gift from the Lord of the Sea. This may be

valuable treasure from the bottom of the ocean, a special

service, or a magical item (likely with a suitably marine

theme). This gift is given freely with no conditions or

expectation of repayment. Sea folk are not affected by

changes in the sea, nor are they healed by it. Sea folk

speak Common (Trade) and Nature folk.

At 9th and 12th level, all varieties of nature folk may

become warlords in an identical manner to bushi of the

same level, capturing and clearing an area of land,

attracting human bushi and samurai, and starting a Family

Clan.

NINJA

Ninja are spies and assassins,

trading in secrecy, trickery, and

stealth.

The prime requisite for ninja is

Dexterity. Ninja with a Dexterity

score of 13 or higher gain a

bonus on earned experience.

RESTRICTIONS:

Experience Points, Hit Dice,

Attacks: as Elf;

Saves: as Thief, +2 bonus.

Ninja may use any weapon or

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armour (except shields). However, Move Silently,

Tightrope Walk, and Pole Vault may not be used

while wearing metal armour; Climb Walls and Fall

may notbe used while wearing metal armour other than

chain mail. Ninja must be Neutral in alignment (Lawful

characters are too law-abiding, and Chaotics are too

disloyal and disobedient). Ninja must have a minimum

Intelligence and Dexterity of 9 each.

Ninja belong to an adopted ninja family clan, from whom

they receive orders and to whom they owe loyalty. All

missions come from the head of the family, although

instructions will most often be transmitted by others.

Disobeying the head of the family (including, but not

limited to, refusing to complete any mission) will lead to

never-ending assassination attempts against the character

(unless he manages to kill the head of the family and take

over!) If a character fails a mission, he may attempt it

again (if applicable), and this does not count as

disobedience (unless of course he deliberately failed).

SPECIAL ABILITIES:

Ninja may use the following abilities as thieves of the same

level: Open Locks, Find or Remove Traps, Move

Silently , Climb Sheer Surfaces, Hide in

Shadows, and Backstab. They also gain the following

new abilities:

Disguise: The ninja may disguise himself as any general

class of person, of similar height, weight, and age as

himself, such as a merchant, peasant, etc. He may attempt

to disguise himself as the opposite sex, but at half the

given percentage chance. He may also attempt to

impersonate a specific person at half the given percentage

rate, but on a failed roll he may never attempt to

impersonate the same person again. If he has a chance to

study the target for at least one month, his % chance is

normal instead of half.

Escape: Ninja may contort, wriggle, and twist their bodies

in an attempt to slip free from bindings such as ropes,

chains, and the like. The attempt takes 1-10 rounds, and if

the ninja is observed during this time he is easily foiled.

The attempt may only be made once.

Fall: Ninja may fall the given distance without taking

damage, providing he is near enough to a vertical surface

against which he can slow his fall. If he falls farther than

the given distance, he takes full damage.

Pole Vault: To attempt this, a ninja requires a springy

pole at least 4 feet longer than the character, and a run of

at least 30 feet. The pole must also be at least as long as

the vertical distance the ninja wishes to jump. The

maximum obstacle height is given on the table below. If

the ninja wishes to land on top of the obstacle, reduce the

maximum height by 1 foot. If the ninja wishes to vault

horizontally, the maximum distance is twice the length of

the pole (up to a maximum distance of twice the value

given on the table).

Tightrope Walk: Ninja may walk upright with hands

free along narrow ropes, beams, ledges, etc., providing it

is angled at 45 degrees or less (up or down) from the

horizontal. The ninja may move at 20 feet per round, and

a check must be made for each 60 feet (or portionthereof) walked. Using a balancing item (such as a pole)

gives +10% success; any but light winds will lower success

by -10% to -30% depending on their severity. The ninja

may attempt combat while balancing, but with a -5

penalty to hit, and with no bonuses to his AC (such as

from Dexterity).

Ninja Table

Pole Tightrope

Level Disguise Escape Fall Vault Walk

1 20% 10% 0 8.5' 20%

2 25% 15% 5' 9' 25%

3 30% 20% 10' 9.5' 30% 4 35% 25% 15' 10' 35%

5 40% 30% 20' 10.5' 40%

6 45% 36% 25' 11' 45%

7 55% 45% 30' 11.5' 55%

8 65% 55% 35' 12' 65%

9 75% 65% 40' 12.5' 75%

10 85% 75% 45' 13' 85%

11 95% 85% 50' 13.5' 95%

12 96% 90% 55' 14' 96%

13 98% 95% 60' 14.5' 98%

14 99% 99% 65' 15' 99%

A ninja may use his ki (spirit energy) to hold his breath for

a number of minutes equal to his level. He may use this

power once per day.

Starting at 5th level, the ninja may use his ki to walk

across smooth water. He may travel a maximum of 5 feet

per level, moving at the rate of 10 feet per round. This use

of ki requires concentration, which will be broken if the

ninja is injured. This usage of ki may be done a number of

times each day equal to the ninja's experience level.

At 12th level, the ninja learns how to pass through walls.

This uses up all the ninja's ki power for the day, and in

addition the ninja may not have used any ki previously

that day. The use of this power requires 3 rounds of

unbroken concentration before the attempt, during which

time no other action may be taken. If he is disturbed in

any way the power is broken but the ninja still loses all his

ki power for the day. The power lasts 1 round, and the

ninja may travel 1 foot per experience level. If he does not

make it completely through the obstacle, he will die inside

of it.

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SAMURAI

A samurai is a high caste warrior who serves a daimyo

(lord), even to his own death. He lives and dies by his

sword, and by his honour.

All ability scores are equally important to samurai, hence

samurai have no Prime Requisites and do not gain abonus on earned experience.

RESTRICTIONS:

Experience Points, Hit Dice, Attacks, Saves: as Fighter.

Samurai may use any weapon or armour (except shields).

A samurai's preferred weapons are normally his katana

(sword) and his daikyu (long bow).

Samurai must be Lawful in alignment. Samurai follow the

code of bushido (the way of the warrior), which stresses

loyalty, honour, and courage. Some examples are:

! The samurai is obedient to his daimyo! There is no failure, only success or death! Dishonour to the daimyo or family is dishonour to the

samurai! No dishonour may go unavenged! All debts, both of vengeance and of gratitude, are

repaid! Mercy is not due the enemy! Cowardice is dishonourable

SPECIAL ABILITIES:

A samurai is adept at horsemanship and etiquette, as well

as courtly arts such as calligraphy, painting, and poetry.

At 7th level, the samurai is offered a jito (stewardship)over one of his daimyo's properties. The jito must collect

taxes in addition to protecting the property, settling

disputes, quelling rebellions, and so forth. He may keep

1/4 of all the taxes he collects. He need not remain on the

property, and may assign his duties to an underling (for a

portion of the tax). He will be under the supervision of the

daimyo's shugo (constable of the province). He will also

be given 10 bushi and 1-4 samurai, all of whom are loyal

to the daimyo but will serve the character unless the

daimyo intervenes. Although he does not own the

property, he may keep the stewardship in perpetuity, so

long as he does not grossly mismanage the land and turns

over the daimyo's portion of the taxes. He need not

accept the offer of a jito, in which case he will be offered a

home in the city or bakufu (camp off ice) instead.

At 8th level, the samurai is offered the position of shugo(constable of a province). If he accepts, he must oversee

the protection of an entire province, administering justice

and overseeing the jito. As shugo, there is a 2-in-10

chance that a ninja will infiltrate his household. He will

also attract 10-100 bushi as followers, loyal to the samurai

as long as they are given pay, food, shelter, and their

future does not look too bleak.

At 9th level, the samurai attracts 2-20 1st level samurai

who are loyal to the player character. He will also attract

2-7 specialists (armourers, smiths, etc.), and there is a 1-

in-10 chance that a ninja will infiltrate his household at this

time (no more than one ninja will ever operate in any one

household, however).

SHUGENJA

Shugenja are priests or monks; having left their temple or

monastery, they live a wandering life of poverty and

service to the gods. They are respected by all classes of

society. (There are no organised churches, each temple is

more or less independent of all others. All religions are

respected and venerated in daily life, their teachings

intermingled by the peasants.)

The prime requisite for shugenja is Wisdom. Shugenja

with a Wisdom score of 13 or higher gain a bonus on

earned experience.

RESTRICTIONS:

Experience Points, Hit Dice, Attacks, Saves: as Cleric.

Shugenja may use any one-handed weapon except

swords & daggars [also may not use scimitars if using LL

rules], and they may use a staff. They may not use bows

or crossbows. They may wear only leather armour and

may not use shields. Shugenja must be Lawful in

alignment.

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Shugenja are expected to provide aid (physical and

spiritual), advice, and healing to all who require it

(particularly the weak and helpless). They must refrain

from violence of all kinds (especially killing), the exception

being against evil monsters, ghosts, and spirits, which

shugenja are sworn to fight! They may not eat meat, nor

may they eat or drink immoderately.

SPECIAL ABILITIES:

Shugenja gain cleric spells as a cleric one level higher than

their shugenja level (so a first level shugenja gains spells as

a 2nd level cleric). [Or, as a cleric of equal level if using LL

rules.]

Shugenja may perform purification rituals. These have a

1-in-20 chance per level of the shugenja to remove

curse. They may also purify an area to ward off evil:

everyone within a 10 foot diameter circular area gains the

benefit of the spell protection from evil against evil

ghosts, spirits, and monsters, as long as the shugenja does

not leave the area. (Once set, the purified area does not

move with the shugenja, and the shugenja may not purifya second area without leaving the first area.) The

purification ritual in both cases takes 1-4 turns, and

multiple purifications have no additional effect.

SOHEI

Sohei are warrior-monks (more warrior than monk) who

defend a monastery and advance its ambitions in the

outside world.

The prime requisites for Sohei are Strength and Wisdom.

Sohei whose Strength and Wisdom are both 13 or higher

gain a 5% bonus on earned experience, a 10% bonus if

Wisdom is 13 or greater and Strength is 16 or greater.

RESTRICTIONS:

Experience Points, Hit Dice, Attacks, Saves: as Cleric.

Sohei may use any weapon or armour (except shields).

They must be Lawful in alignment.

They may not eat meat (except fish), or display any

excessive behaviour. Sohei are obedient to the head of

the monastery which they serve, and must always act in

the cause of their monastery.

SPECIAL ABILITIES:

Sohei gain and cast spells as a cleric 2 levels below his

current level (for example, a 4th level sohei gains and

casts spells as a 2nd level cleric) [or 3 levels below his

current level if using LL rules]. However, his spell list ismuch more limited [spells in brackets indicate additional

spells available if using LL rules]:

! 1st level spells: Resist Cold! 2nd level spells: Bless, Resist Fire! 3rd-level spells: Striking, [Dispel Magic]! 4th level spells: Neutralize Poison, [Detect Lie]! 5th level spells: Dispel Evil, [Flame Strike, True Seeing]! [6th level spells: Blade Barrier, Find the Path]! [7th level spells: Holy Word, Symbol]

If a sohei is in a fight and he is reduced to 0hp or less, he

may continue fighting! He must continue the current fight

without pause. He will continue fighting until he reaches-10hp, or until the enemy is defeated, whichever comes

first. In either case, he collapses and dies immediately

thereupon.

At 9th level, the sohei is commissioned by the head of his

monastery to build a new monastery. At this time he

becomes leader of the sohei of the new monastery,

gaining command over 40-60 1st level sohei. He must

escort the priests and monks to the new location, clear the

land, defend the site, and build the new monastery. He

gains command over an additional 10 sohei for every level

above 9th. Furthermore, additional sohei will arrive to

replace those who fall in combat (on a 1-for-1 basis),

providing the entire command is not slain. The new

monastery (including the player character sohei) is still

subject to the orders of the head of the parent monastery.

If the new monastery rebels, the parent monastery will

send a force of sohei to correct the situation.

WU REN

Wu ren are hermits, they live

alone in the wilderness and are

able control the invisible forces of

nature, spirits, and the elements.

The prime requisite for wu ren is

Intelligence. Wu ren with an

Intelligence score of 13 or higher

ga in a bonus on earned

experience.

RESTRICTIONS:

Experience Points, Hit Dice, Attacks, Saves: as Magic

User.

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Wu ren may use the following weapons: Club, Daggar,

Staff, Short Sword, Short Bow, Sling [+ Darts if using LL

rules]. They may not wear any armour (including shields).

Wu ren may be of any alignment, but they must abide by

taboos. They have one taboo at first level, and gain an

additional taboo every level. The player may choose the

taboo from the following list, or suggest any other (subjectto DM approval).

! May not eat meat! May not keep more treasure than he can carry! Must make daily offerings (food, flowers, incence, etc.)

to spirit powers! May not bathe! May not cut hair! May not touch a dead body! May not drink alcoholic beverages! May not wear a certain colour of cloth! May not light a fire! May not sit facing a particular direction (West, East, etc.)

SPECIAL ABILITIES:

Wu ren cast spells as a magic-user of the same level.

Instead of a single large spellbook, they typically have a

collection of smaller scrolls and books, one for each spell

they know.

At 10th level, wu ren attract 1-4 1st level wu ren pupils.

They will faithfully serve until they reach a level one-half

of their master's, at which point they will leave and be

replaced by another 1st level pupil.

YAKUZA

Yakuza operate in urban

areas; they are extortionists,

thugs, and thieves, who

direct and control illegal

activities. Yakuza often act

as an unofficial police force,

getting rid of troublemakers

in the areas they control.

They are both respected

and despised.

All ability scores are important to yakuza, however their

prime requisite is Charisma. Yakuza with a Charisma score

of 13 or higher gain a bonus on earned experience.

RESTRICTIONS

Experience Points, Hit Dice, Attacks, Saves: as Thief.

Yakuza may use any weapon, but may only wear leather

armour [and padded armour if using LL rules] and may

not use shields. Yakuza must be Neutral in alignment

(Lawful characters are too law-abiding, and Chaotics are

too disloyal and disobedient).

Yakuza belong to an adopted yakuza family clan, led by

an oyabun (family head), from whom they receive orders

and to whom they owe loyalty. As a yakuza advances in

level, he is given responsibility over larger and larger areas

of his family's territory. Yakuza mark their rank with

tattoos, gaining one tattoo for each level they gain

(including first level). These will eventually cover the arms,

back, and chest (but never hands, feet, or face). Althoughyakuza are often tolerated or condoned by the authorities,

they are still criminals and are at risk for arrest and

punishment for their crimes, so they must be wary of the

law at all times. For this reason, the family likes to keep all

of their operations running smoothly and quietly; all

activities are controlled and supervised. If anyone creates

trouble (yakuza or otherwise) the offender will be hunted

down, betrayed to the police, or chased away.

SPECIAL ABILITIES:

Due to their skill in dealing with people, Yakuza gain a +1

bonus to all reaction rolls (except situations where law or

social status is involved). This is in addition to any bonus

they may receive from high Charisma.

Yakuza may use the following abilities as thieves of the

same level: Open Locks, Pick Pockets, Move

Silently, Hide in Shadows, and Hear Noise. They

also gain the following two new abilities: Contactsand

Investigate.

Contacts: A yakuza gains one contact every two levels.

Contacts need not be chosen by the player right away,

they may be saved until a particular contact is needed and

the player may choose the required contact for his

character at that time (subject to DM approval), recording

the contact's name and position/occupation on his

character sheet for current and future use by the yakuza.

Contacts are NPCs who provide the yakuza with

information or aid, but they will not do anything which will

put their own lives in danger (such as adventure with the

yakuza)! Their assistance is only guaranteed so long as

they are well treated by the yakuza and not implicated in

any crimes due to their involvement with him. Some

examples of contacts could be a gate keeper of a city

ward, a ship captain, a minor samurai, a district

magistrate, or a wealthy merchant.

Investigate: By questioning people in the area, this

ability allows yakuza to gain information about anything in

his region, such as floorplans, knowing where someonehides something, guard's schedules, who stole a particular

item, who is a police informer, who will buy stolen goods,

etc. Its use has restrictions (see tables below).

At 2nd level, a yakuza may summon his yakuza brethren

to help him in an enterprise. The maximum number of

brethren he may call is equal to his experience level, and

they will be no higher level than one less than his own

level (and furthermore will never be higher than 8th level).

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He need not summon the maximum number. Brethren

may only be called once per level, even if less than the

maximum number were summoned. The oyabun (family

head) must still approve any major enterprises.

Yakuza Investigate Ability (Table 1)

Type of Time Cost of ChanceInformation Required to Investi- to be

Sought* Investigate gation Inaccurate

Common 1 day 4-40cp 0%

Uncommon 1-3 days 4-40sp 10%

Confidential 2-12 days 4-40gp 25%

Secret 3-18 days 40-400gp+ 40%

*Definitions:! COMMON: known to a lot of people! UNCOMMON: known to only a few people, but not

secret! CONFIDENTIAL: known to only 1 or 2 people, and

told in confidence! SECRET: known to only 1 or 2 people, and highly

sensitive

Yakuza Investigate Ability (Table 2)

Level Investigate Area Covered*

1 20% 1 block

2 25% 1 block

3 30% 2 blocks

4 35% 2 blocks

5 40% 3 blocks

6 45% 3 blocks

7 55% 1 ward

8 65% 1 ward

9 75% 2 wards

10 85% 3 wards

11 95% 1 district

12 96% 2 districts

13 98% 3 districts

14 99% province

*Definitions:! BLOCK: The area within one block of the yakuza's base

of operations! WARD: An area of a city with its own police and local

government, composed of many blocks. Sometimes

separated from other wards by walls and gates.! DISTRICT: Often an unofficial designation, covering

many wards. Usually identified by a particular feature,

such as the type of businesses, a temple, or a

geographical feature. Cities with walled wards will also

normally have organised districts with guards and

officials.! PROVINCE: The yakuza may gather information from

the entire province.

APPENDIX I: A BRIEF NOTE ON ORIENTAL

WEAPONS & ARMOUR

Oriental weapons and armour will give a unique flavour to

oriental adventures, however no new game mechanics are

strictly required. Simply use existing mechanics for

equivalent items.

For example:! katana = sword;! daikyu = long bow;!

kama = hand axe;! shuriken = daggar [or dart if using LL rules];! nunchaku = club;

and so forth.

If you wish to use piece armour, you may simply choose

an equivalent existing Armour Class. Depending on the

size/amount of pieces worn, the character could be:

! lightly armoured (= leather/AC7);! medium armoured (= chain mail/AC5); or! heavily armoured, for a full o-yori (= plate mail/AC3).

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oriental classes (revised)

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