Creating Your Character
A man is a castle, a man is a stone wall, a man is a moat, mercy is your friend, revenge is your enemy. - Takeda Shingen
- Roll Attributes
- Roll Hit Protection (HP)
- Choose a Background
- Backgrounds
- Starting Gear
- Inventory
- Inventory Slots
- Finishing Touches
- Traits
- Complication (2D10)
- Female Names
- Male Names
Roll Attributes
Player Characters (PCs) have just three attributes:
Strength (STR) / 筋力 (Kinryoku – Strength)
Used for saves requiring physical power, like lifting gates, bending bars, resisting poison, etc.
Dexterity (DEX) / 敏捷力 (Binshouryoku - Agility)
Used for saves requiring poise, speed, and reflexes like dodging, climbing, sneaking, balancing, etc.
Willpower (WIL) / 気合 (Kiai – Fighting Spirit)
Used for saves to persuade, deceive, interrogate, intimidate, charm, provoke, manipulate, etc.
When creating a PC, the player should roll 3d6 for each of their character’s attributes, in order. They may then swap any two of the results.
Roll Under System: When rolling a save, PCs roll a d20 against an appropriate attribute. If they roll equal to or under that attribute, they pass. Otherwise, they fail. A 1 is always a success, and a 20 is always a failure.
Attributes are not universal descriptors. A PC with a low STR is not necessarily hopelessly weak; they can still attempt to lift a heavy door or survive a deadly fight! Their risk is simply higher.
Roll Hit Protection (HP)
Roll 1d6 to determine PC’s starting Hit Protection (HP), which reflects their ability to avoid damage in combat.
Remember: HP stands for “hit protection,” reflecting a PC’s ability to avoid damage through speed, guile, strength, or other non-armor means.
HP does not indicate a character’s health or fortitude; nor do they lose it for very long.
A PC’s base HP can be increased by Wounds and gameplay but can never be higher than 3d6.
Choose a Background
Players may choose or roll d20 against the Background Table to determine part of the PC’s past.
Backgrounds provide flavor to PCs. While not a Class, a background helps inform knowledge and skills which may be handy in certain situations. It may also impact interactions within the game.
Backgrounds
| D20 | BACKGROUND | D20 | BACKGROUND |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bandit (Sanzoku) | 11 | Miner (Kofu) |
| 2 | Blacksmith (Kaji) | 12 | Mountain Ascetic (Yamabushi) |
| 3 | Carpenter (Daiku) | 13 | Ninja (Shinobi) |
| 4 | Cleric (Souryo) | 14 | Performer (Geinoujin) |
| 5 | Gambler (Tobakushi) | 15 | Pirate (Kaizoku) |
| 6 | Farmer (Hyakushou) | 16 | Ronin (Ronin) |
| 7 | Fisherman (Ryoushi) | 17 | Samurai (Samurai) |
| 8 | Herbalist (Kusushi) | 18 | Servant (Kerai) |
| 9 | Hunter (Shuryousha) | 19 | Soldier (Ashigaru) |
| 10 | Merchant (Gyousha) | 20 | Tea Master (Chajin) |
Starting Gear
All PCs begin with a kate-bukuro (provision bag) with 6 slots and Starting Gear listed for their Background. The Guide may allow players to select gear from the Equipment Table.
Inventory
PCs have a total of 10 inventory slots:
-
six slots in a kate-bukuro
-
one slot for each hand
-
two slots for their upper body
Inventory is abstract and can be rearranged per the Guide’s discretion.
Anyone with a full inventory (filling all 10 slots) is reduced to 0 HP.
A character cannot carry more items than their inventory allows. Carts, horses, mules, or other equipment can increase inventory. Retainers can also be paid to carry equipment.
Inventory Slots
-
Most items take up one slot, unless otherwise indicated.
-
Petty items do not take up any slots and can be bundled together.
-
Bulky items take up two slots and are typically two-handed or awkward to carry.
-
A bag of coins worth less than 100 ryo is petty and does not occupy a slot.
Finishing Touches
Roll PC’s Age (2d20+10).
Players may fill out the rest of their character sheets using the following tables.
Traits
| D10 | PHYSIQUE | D10 | SKIN | D10 | HAIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Athletic | 1 | Birthmark | 1 | Bald |
| 2 | Brawny | 2 | Dark | 2 | Braided |
| 3 | Flabby | 3 | Elongated | 3 | Curly |
| 4 | Lanky | 4 | Pockmarked | 4 | Filthy |
| 5 | Rugged | 5 | Rosy | 5 | Frizzy |
| 6 | Scrawny | 6 | Round | 6 | Long |
| 7 | Short | 7 | Soft | 7 | Luxurious |
| 8 | Statuesque | 8 | Tanned | 8 | Oily |
| 9 | Stout | 9 | Tattooed | 9 | Wavy |
| 10 | Towering | 10 | Weathered | 10 | Wispy |
| D10 | FACE | D10 | SPEECH | D10 | CLOTHING |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bony | 1 | Blunt | 1 | Antique |
| 2 | Broken | 2 | Booming | 2 | Bloody |
| 3 | Chiseled | 3 | Cryptic | 3 | Rancid |
| 4 | Elongated | 4 | Droning | 4 | Soiled |
| 5 | Pale | 5 | Formal | 5 | Frumpy |
| 6 | Perfect | 6 | Gravelly | 6 | Elegant |
| 7 | Rat-like | 7 | Precise | 7 | Frayed |
| 8 | Sharp | 8 | Squeaky | 8 | Foreign |
| 9 | Square | 9 | Stuttering | 9 | Livery |
| 10 | Sunken | 10 | Whispery | 10 | Filthy |
| D10 | VICE | D10 | VIRTUE | D10 | REPUTATION | D10 | MISFORTUNE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aggressive | 1 | Ambitious | 1 | Ambitious | 1 | Abandoned |
| 2 | Bitter | 2 | Cautious | 2 | Boor | 2 | Addicted |
| 3 | Craven | 3 | Courageous | 3 | Dangerous | 3 | Blackmailed |
| 4 | Deceitful | 4 | Disciplined | 4 | Entertainer | 4 | Condemned |
| 5 | Greedy | 5 | Gregarious | 5 | Honest | 5 | Cursed |
| 6 | Lazy | 6 | Honorable | 6 | Loafer | 6 | Defrauded |
| 7 | Nervous | 7 | Humble | 7 | Oddball | 7 | Demoted |
| 8 | Rude | 8 | Merciful | 8 | Repulsive | 8 | Discredited |
| 9 | Vain | 9 | Serene | 9 | Respected | 9 | Disowned |
| 10 | Vengeful | 10 | Tolerant | 10 | Wise | 10 | Exiled |
Complication (2D10)
A PC’s complication can be used to drive their adventures and story.
| D10 | CHARACTER | D10 | NPC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Is being blackmailed by… | 1 | …a powerful local lord. |
| 2 | Has been framed by… | 2 | …a respected monk. |
| 3 | Knows a secret about… | 3 | …a cunning merchant. |
| 4 | Was betrayed by… | 4 | …a jealous rival. |
| 5 | Is sworn to protect… | 5 | …a ruthless bandit leader. |
| 6 | Is responsible for harming… | 6 | …a noble’s closest advisor. |
| 7 | Owes a debt to… | 7 | …a disgraced former ally. |
| 8 | Is being hunted by… | 8 | …a vengeful spirit. |
| 9 | Is seeking revenge against… | 9 | …a rival clan leader. |
| 10 | Knows the true identity of… | 10 | …a renowned samurai. |
Female Names
| NAME | MEANING | NAME | MEANING |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aiko | Love, Child | Mio | Beautiful Cherry Blossom |
| Akane | Deep Red, Brilliant Red | Mitsuki | Beautiful Moon |
| Akemi | Bright and Beautiful | Nana | Seven |
| Ayame | Iris Flower | Naomi | Straight and Beautiful |
| Chie | Wisdom, Intelligence | Nozomi | Hope, Wish |
| Chiyo | A Thousand Generations | Rei | Beautiful, Elegant |
| Emi | Blessed, Beautiful | Rina | Jasmine, Village, Flower |
| Fumi | History, Beautiful | Saki | Blossom, Hope |
| Hana | Flower | Sakura | Cherry Blossom |
| Haru | Spring | Satsuki | May (the month) |
| Hikari | Light, Radiance | Sayuri | Small Lily |
| Iyo | Great, Superior | Seiko | Truth, Success |
| Katsumi | Win, Overcome | Suzume | Sparrow |
| Kiku | Chrysanthemum | Tamiko | Child of Many Beauties |
| Koharu | Autumn, Little Spring | Yoshiko | Good, Beautiful Child |
| Maiko | Dance, Child | Yui | Bind Clothing |
| Michi | Pathway | Yumi | Reason, Cause, Beautiful |
Male Names
| NAME | MEANING | NAME | MEANING |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akira | Bright, Clear | Kazuya | Harmony, Peace |
| Arata | Fresh, New | Ken | Strong, Healthy |
| Chikara | Power, Strength | Kenji | Strong, Intelligent Son |
| Daichi | Wisdom, Great Land | Kenta | Healthy, Strong |
| Daigo | Great Enlightenment | Koji | Little One, Second Son |
| Daisuke | Great Help | Makoto | Sincere, True |
| Eiji | Prosperity, Eternity | Masato | Righteous Person |
| Genji | Two Beginnings, Origin | Minoru | Truth, Reality |
| Hideo | Excellent Male Child | Naoki | Honest Tree, Straight Tree |
| Hiroshi | Generous, Tolerant | Noboru | Ascend, Climb |
| Hitoshi | Motivated, Even-Tempered | Ren | Lotus, Love |
| Ichiro | First Son | Ryo | Refreshing, Cool |
| Isamu | Brave, Courageous | Ryoma | Dragon Horse |
| Jiro | Second Son | Satoshi | Wise, Intelligent |
| Kaito | Ocean, Sea, Soar, Fly | Shin | Real, True, Heart |
| Kaoru | Fragrance | Shun | Speed, Talented |
| Katsu | Victory | Takashi | Noble, Prosperous |
Upon reaching adulthood, children would receive a call name (azana) to be used instead of their given name.
Genpuku is a coming-of-age ceremony which originated during the 8th century. The ceremony marked the transition from childhood to adulthood around the age of 11-15. Often involving a sponsor of higher rank, this ceremony included the exchanging of a childhood name for an adult name (eboshi-na) as well as a courtesy name (azana), the adoption of adult clothing, and assumption of adult responsibilities.
An azana would typically be used instead of one’s given adult name for everyday use. It was believed that knowing someone’s real name could grant power over them. A real name was typically used only in interactions with the emperor, official acts and appointments, or in death.