Experience 50 (50)

CHARACTER

Bonus Insight
Total Insight 100
Rank 1
INITIATIVE

Insight Rank / Reflexes #NAME?

Initiative Bonus
Current Initiative #NAME?
Type Unarmored TN 15
TN Bonus Armored TN 15
Reduction Dual Weild Unarmored TN 16
ARMOR

Quality Dual Weild Armored TN 16

Earth X5 / Healthy 10 Earth X2 / Level 4

Wound Level Penalties Value Bonus Total Current
Healthy 0 10 10
Nicked 3 4 0 14
Grazed 5 4 0 18
WOUNDS

Hurt 10 4 0 22
Injured 15 4 0 26
Crippled 20 4 0 30
Down 40 4 0 34
Out -- 4 0 38
HEAL

Stamina X2 + Insight Rank

Bonus Healing
5
Healing Rate 5
School
Rank 1 0
Effect
GENJA)
 Effect
SCHOOL TECHNIQUES (NON-SHUGENJA)

Rank 2 0
Effect

Rank 3 0
Effect

Rank 4 0
Effect

Rank 5 0
Effect
 Earth 2 Water 2 Air 2 Fire
RINGS

Stamina 2 Strength 2 Reflexes 2 Agility

Willpower 2 Perception 2 Awareness 2 Intelligence
Void 2 0 0 0 0 0 0

Skill Name Rank Trait Dice Bonus Final Emphasis () a

#NAME? #NAME?
SCHOOL SKILLS

#NAME? #NAME?
#NAME? #NAME?
#NAME? #NAME?
#NAME? #NAME?
#NAME? #NAME?
#NAME? #NAME?
#NAME? #NAME?
#NAME? #NAME?
#NAME? #NAME?
#NAME? #NAME?
#NAME? #NAME?
#NAME? #NAME?
#NAME? #NAME?
ADDITIONAL SKILLS

#NAME? #NAME?
#NAME? #NAME?
#NAME? #NAME?
#NAME? #NAME?
#NAME? #NAME?
#NAME? #NAME?
#NAME? #NAME?
#NAME? #NAME?
#NAME? #NAME?
#NAME? #NAME?
#NAME? #NAME?
#NAME? #NAME?
#NAME? #NAME?
#NAME? #NAME?

Weapon 1 Weapon 2 Weapon 3

Type

Attack Damage Attack Damage Attack Damage

WEAPONS

Dice
Bonus
Final #NAME? #NAME? #NAME? #NAME? #NAME? #NAME?
MISCELLANEOUS MECHANICS WEAPONS

Notes

Name
Description
 Fire 2 Honor Glory

1 1
STATUS
Agility 2
Intelligence 2 Status Taint
0 0 1 0
Emphasis () and Mastery Abilities

eapon 3 Arrows
Type Damage Count

Damage

#NAME?
escription
 Name Description
ADVANTAGES

Name Name

Ring / Mastery Duration Ring / Mastery Duration

KATAS

Sex Age Koku Zeni

MONEY

Height Weight
 MONEY
Hair Eyes
Father 1 Koku = 5 Bu = 50 Zeni / 1Bu =10 Zeni
Mother Name
Brothers
/ Sisters

EQUIPMENT AND POSESSIONS

Marital
PERSONAL

Status
Spouse
Children
 Type Points Name Description

DISADVANTAGES

Name

Duration Ring / Mastery Duration

Zeni Bu Lifestyle
NOTES
/ 1Bu =10 Zeni
T H Name T H

NOTES
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
escription Type Points
 Name Earned Spent Total
Starting Experience 50 50
E LOG
EXPERIENCE LOG
Total 50 Spent 0
WHAT CLAN DOES YOUR CHARACTER BELONG TO?
This is one of the most important questions of your character’s development. Each of the different
Clans have a wide range of philosophies, ideals, and histories that will influence how your
character is raised and treated by others. Conversely, it will also tend to color how your character
will approach others. To help you get an idea of which Clan you may want to join, take a look at
the Clan descriptions in the Book of Earth.

HOW WOULD OTHERS DESCRIBE YOUR CHARACTER’S APPEARANCE?

Start with the most obvious here and work your way to the details. Go from defining your
character’s gender to mentioning any sort of scars or facial ticks they might have. Appearance is
an important aspect of Rokugan’s social interactions, and most people tend to rely heavily on
outward appearances for first impressions. Does your character have a warm, inviting smile, or do
his eyes dart around constantly, nervously searching for any sort of threat? Maybe he dresses as
plainly as is acceptable and makes himself almost completely bland so as not to be noticed.

IS YOUR CHARACTER A BUSHI, SHUGENJA, MONK, OR COURTIER?

This is an important distinction, as the Empire’s rigid social system advocates that everyone
knows their role and acts accordingly. This is not entirely a straightjacket, however – many bushi
are well known for their scholarly pursuits, and there are tales of courtiers who maintain great
courage under fi re during physical conflicts.

WHAT FAMILY DOES YOUR CHARACTER BELONG TO?

Much like your character’s Clan choice, the family he comes from will have a significant impact on
his history and interactions with others. Where each Clan tends to have very general traditions and
philosophies, each family has unique ones. For example, the Lion are well known for their martial
prowess and general disdain for the Crane and Scorpion Clans. However, the Ikoma family is a
family of historians and diplomats in a Clan of warriors, and often works in alliance with the
Shosuro family of the Scorpion Clan. In addition, some families have much greater standing within
the Clan than others. The Moto family of the Unicorn are the undisputed leaders of the Clan, and
warriors of the family take positions of glory and leadership, while the Horiuchi toil in obscurity in
their small temples. Some characters are more interesting if they begin from such humble origins
as the Horiuchi, while others seem destined for greatness from birth.

WHAT IS YOUR CHARACTER’S MAIN MOTIVATION?

Though all samurai are ideally devoted to their lord and their duty above all else, each individual
character may have different reasons for this – or different goals entirely. For some characters,
this motivation may be as simple as maintaining the honor of your ancestors by never failing the
duty they have performed for the Clan for generations. Others may be more specific, carrying a
heart full of vengeance against another samurai from a different (or even the same) Clan.
Powerful motivations tend to revolve around revenge, love, honor, pride, or any number of ideals
that will keep your character going when all else seems lost.

WHO IS THE PERSON YOUR CHARACTER TRUSTS MOST?

Samurai should be able to trust another honorable samurai without hesitation, but there are
usually one or more figures that a character knows he can rely upon. This may be a supportive
father, a dedicated sensei, a sibling, or someone completely unrelated to the character.
Determining who the character trusts is not as important as determining why. What is it exactly
that your character knows about this person that makes them so trustworthy? What impresses
your character in such a fashion can go a long way to defining his psyche.

WHAT IS YOUR CHARACTER’S GREATEST STRENGTH? GREATEST WEAKNESS?

Others may have an opinion about what is great or flawed about your character, but what is truly
the worst and best qualities he carries? It is important to remember that a character’s strengths
are the things that he would be looked up to for, while his weaknesses are there to remind himself
and possibly others that he is still only mortal. These traits don’t necessarily have to be epic to
define your character, but they should be aspects that help you understand your character’s
limitations and purpose.

WHAT DOES YOUR CHARACTER THINK OF BUSHIDO?

The philosophy of bushido is ideally practiced and observed by all warriors, and even non-bushi
look to bushido for guiding principles. As with any such code of conduct, there are those who
adhere to it as if it were life itself, those who only find some of the tenets important, some who see
it more as a set of loose guidelines, and others who believe it is little more than an unrealistic
dream. Characters with a high Honor Rank will most likely take bushido seriously, but that doesn’t
necessarily they believe all parts are of equal importance.

WHAT IS YOUR CHARACTER’S OPINION OF HIS OWN CLAN?

This one is difficult. Much like bushido, samurai are expected to embrace their duty to their Clan
without hesitation or question, but that does not always happen. Does your character believe
completely in the ideals and goals of his Clan, or does he find fault occasionally with some of their
actions? A good example would be a Daidoji bushi – a steadfast and practical warrior in a Clan of
peacemakers and artisans. Does that Daidoji see his cousins as self-deluded idealists that need
his protection? Perhaps he understands that it is his place to protect the Crane so that the other
families can lead more peaceful lives.

IS YOUR CHARACTER MARRIED?

This is an important question for a number of reasons. Will your character have any dependents
he will be responsible for? It’s also important to remember that marriage is an arranged business
in Rokugan, and many marriages are made to cement political ties or treaties and not anything
beyond that. Perhaps your character’s spouse is a worthless pain in the neck that you have to live
with in order to maintain your Clan’s alliance with another Clan? Though arranged marriages
seldom result in true love, it’s also likely that you and your spouse have come to respect and
understand one another, creating a harmonious household. In either respect, a marriage can
possibly grant you political ties to the more powerful samurai in your own family, other families in
your Clan, or other Clans entirely. Naturally, such a tie can easily be a blessing and a curse at
once.

DOES YOUR CHARACTER HAVE ANY PREJUDICES?

probably pass on their broad views of other Clans on to him. Beyond that, has he developed any
such viewpoints on his own? Or does he even agree with the ones that are largely accepted by his
kin?
TO WHOM DOES YOUR CHARACTER OWE THE MOST LOYALTY?
The easy answer would be “The Emperor,” but few samurai have the honor of serving the Son of
Heaven directly in their day to day duties. Think of who your character would show the most
loyalty in his everyday activities. Is he strictly bound to obey his lord without any other influence?
Perhaps he has a wise sensei that he goes out of his way to consult and serve even if the sensei
has no direct authority over him. Even trickier would be a samurai with a secret love that he places
above anything else. Every samurai must be prepared to give their life without hesitation on the
command of their masters, but every samurai would also do so for someone of their choosing.
When the time came, who would that person be?

WHAT ARE YOUR CHARACTER’S FAVORITE AND LEAST FAVORITE THINGS?

This is a broad question that is meant to help establish a pattern of behavior. When answering
this, start with the rational and move to the irrational. Rational dislikes could be explained for
purely logical reasons – such as a fondness for poetry due to his family being famous writers, or a
dislike of flower arrangements because you failed your lessons in ikebana and embarrassed your
father. Irrational dislikes can be much more entertaining and far less likely to change – a dislike of
Noh theatre actors because your father was shamed for an affair with one, or being partial to red
because you won your first duel while wearing a red kimono.

DOES YOUR CHARACTER HAVE ANY RECURRING MANNERISMS?

Since everyone tends to act according to the same protocol and etiquette, the minor and
inoffensive details of behavior tend to get noticed more. Does your character bite his lip when he’s
deep in thought? Perhaps he has a particular phrase he greets everyone with. When his hands
aren’t doing anything, what does he do with them?

WHAT ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER’S EMOTIONS?

Even the most disciplined minds have their weaknesses, not that your character necessarily has
an unusually strong control of his emotions. Does he have a hard time controlling his disdain for
others he sees as acting improperly? Is there a certain situation or “button” that always arouses
your character’s sympathy? Perhaps it’s nearly impossible to get your character really angry… or
sad… or jubilant.

HOW WOULD YOUR CHARACTER HANDLE A SUBORDINATE’S IMPROPER BEHAVIOR?

This applies to both subordinates from the samurai and lower classes, though the answer might be
different for each. Some characters might see the fallibility of the peasants as expected, a result of
their low station, but misbehaving samurai are unacceptable because they should know their place
better. On the reverse, perhaps he thinks peasants must be kept in line with harsh consequences,
while samurai can be reprimanded effectively with lesser severity.

HOW WOULD YOUR CHARACTER’S PARENTS DESCRIBE THEM?

A samurai’s relationship with his family is important, and his relationship with his parents even
more so. Filial devotion is expected from a true samurai, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that
there is any real respect between a parent and child. It’s entirely possible that one parent thinks
the world of their child while the other sees him as little more than a failure. A samurai’s
relationship with his parents not only speaks volumes about his nature, but also tends to be used
by others as a measure of his worth.

WHAT IS YOUR CHARACTER’S HIGHEST AMBITION?

It’s important to note that while desire is a sin, ambition tempered with duty is perfectly acceptable.
Many bushi aspire to be great leaders or revered teachers, while shugenja tend to yearn for the
life as a respected scholar or advisor. Maybe your character doesn’t have any specific goals, and
is happy right now with just serving his lord to the best of his ability. Once you’ve discovered your
character’s goals, take a moment and decide just how far he’s willing to go to achieve them…

HOW RELIGIOUS IS YOUR CHARACTER?

Proof of the supernatural is evident to most samurai, but those who do not directly deal with the
mystic arts don’t necessarily find themselves overly concerned with them. Some believe that while
the Fortunes and kami are all very well and good, in the end one can only rely on his own abilities.
Others spend hours a day in prayer, constantly attempting to attune themselves to the rhythm of
the universe in search of true enlightenment.

IF YOU COULD, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR CHARACTER?

One of the most important aspects of enjoying the role you have chosen for your character is
seeing just how distanced you are from it. Does your character closely resemble your own
attitudes and mannerisms, leaving little to say? Maybe, upon closer inspection, you think your
character should change a thing or two? This question isn’t intended to find faults in your character
with the intention of fixing them. Instead, recognize the differences, if any, between the character
and yourself to help keep you in character once the game starts.
Select this cell & Insert > Image > Image in Cell
 School 1
Affinity Deficiency
Effect

School 2
Affinity Deficiency
SCHOOL TECHNIQUES (SHUGENJA)

Effect

School 3
Affinity Deficiency
Effect

School 4
Affinity Deficiency
Effect

School 5
Affinity Deficiency
Effect