Allies
You may purchase allies at Influence 3 (not just 1, 2, and 4).
Blissful Betrothal [Social] (2 points)
Your connection with your spouse transcends human understanding. Once per session, when helping or defending your spouse, you may add +1k1 to the relevant roll. However, this advantage cannot be applied to Damage rolls.
Contrary
The TN of the Willpower roll is always 20.
Dangerous Beauty
The bonus to Temptation provided by the Dangerous Beauty advantage applies regardless of gender or sexual preference.
Different School
Because of political alliances between the Clans, characters may be able to purchase this advantage for four points, depending upon the Clan with whom they choose to train.
- Phoenix Clan: Discount for choosing Unicorn schools.
Unicorn Clan: Discount for choosing Phoenix schools.
Hare Clan: Discount for choosing Kuni schools.
Firefly Clan: Discount for choosing Crab schools.
Fox Clan: Discount for choosing Lion schools.
Shark Clan: Discount for choosing Mantis schools.
There is a subject about which you possess considerable knowledge and insight. The problem is that this subject is forbidden, and considered grossly socially inappropriate if not outright illegal. Anyone who discovers your expertise in this area might rightly wonder how you came upon it. The benefits of the Advantage vary depending upon the nature of the information, and players should discuss with their GM how this Advantage will work. The most common examples of Forbidden Knowledge include:
- Kolat: You are intimately familiar with the nature and operations of the blasphemous Kolat order, and may be a member of that organization. You gain one rank in Lore: Kolat and gain a bonus of +1k1 on Social Skill rolls with known members of the Kolat.
Lying Darkness: You are familiar with the entity known as the Lying Darkness, its methods, and its minions. You may have come into conflict with it in the past, and perhaps it hunts you still. You gain one rank of Lore: Lying Darkness, and you may observe an individual and make a Lore: Lying Darkness / Perception Roll (TN 30) to determine if he has been corrupted by the Lying Darkness.
Maho: You are familiar with the forbidden and blasphemous magic known as maho, and may in fact be a practicing maho-tsukai (black sorcerer) yourself. You gain 1 rank in Lore: Maho and, at the GM’s discretion, might begin play knowing a maho spell.
Mushin: You are familiar with the alien Mushin and may have in fact fought them on Hida Secundus. You gain one rank of Lore: Mushin, and you may observe an individual and make a Lore: Mushin/ Perception Roll (TN 30) to determine if he has been infected by the Mushin.
Prophecies of Agaha: You are familiar with the convoluted prophecies of Agaha and are aware of their significance. You gain one rank in Divination, and a Free Raise on all Divination checks. This advantage costs 1 point less for Dragon characters.
Karushan: You are one of the few individuals allowed to study the records of Ide that include interviews with the crew that spent considerable time with the alien culture. You are knowledgeable of most basic principles of Karushan culture and manners. You gain +1k0 on all opposed Social rolls with a Karushan should you ever meet one. This advantage costs 1 point less for Ide characters.
This disadvantage forces you to become an unaligned monk. That means you do not gain a technique for belonging to a specific sect of the Brotherhood (though you still gain kiho as normal).
Inheritance
If you take Inheritance (Iaijutsu), the bonus only applies to Iaijutsu rolls made during the Assessment and Focus phases, and not the Strike phase.
Sage
The Sage advantage does not provide ranks in Lore skills that are gained through the Forbidden Lore advantages, such as Kolat and Maho.
Servant (5 Points)
A servant has been assigned to assist you by your family, or possibly one whose help you purchased with your own resources in order to make life a little bit easier. You may have a maximum number of servants equal to twice your Status Rank. Different kinds of servants have different useful abilities and can more easily be supplied by different Clans. Typically, a servant has all Traits at rank 2 and a single Skill at rank 3. You may add additional Skill Ranks or Emphases to a servant at the time the Advantage is purchased by paying 3 additional points per Skill Rank or Emphasis. Consult the following table for sample servants and their costs:
[Seven Fortunes' Blessing (Benten)
This advantage only applies to Courtier, Etiquette, and Sincerity Skill Rolls.
Touch of the Void:
If you are spending a Void Point to enhance a roll of any type, you make the check to see whether or not you are Dazed before you make the enhanced roll. The character is considered dazed before rolling the augmented skill roll if they fail the Willpower roll.
New Advantages
Alien Languages [Mental] (3 or 5 Points)
While the Empire has several local dialects, every samurai can speak and understand common Rokugani as well as High-Rokugani. The Celestial Empire, however, has encountered a wide variety alien cultures, each with their own language. For each instance of this Advantage, you may learn one alien language from any encountered races including but not limited to: the Alakhai, Silith, Demien, Karusha, Merfolk of Hekikai, etc. Due to the nature of the alien language this confers only an ability to roughly interpret aline scriptures. If five point version is chosen, character is also able to express very basic concepts verbally. This Advantage costs one less point for Spider, Unicorn and Phoenix characters.
Prestigious Line [Social] (4 Points)
You can trace your bloodline back to the first kuge of your family. The social connections and wealth established by your forebears allow to purchase the following Advantages for two points less each (to a minimum of 1 point): Gentry, Allies (within your clan only), Social Position, and Wealth.
Ocular Fleshcraft [Material] (7 points)
The character has mechanica eye-implant(s). You may roll one extra die on all Perception-based Skill Rolls. A character with the Bad Eyesight disadvantage may not purchase this advantage during character creation, but may purchase it afterwards; at which point they lose the Bad Eyesight disadvantage. Crab and Spider characters may purchase this advantage for 6 points.
Limb Fleshcraft [Material] (5 points)
Your character has a mechanical arm or leg, granting them a +1k0 bonus on all Athletics rolls made using the limb in question. The character also gains Reduction 1 for each Fleshcraft limb they possess. A character with the Lame or Missing Limb disadvantage may not purchase this advantage during character creation, but may purchase it afterwards (at which point they lose the Lame or Missing Limb disadvantage). Crab and Spider characters may purchase this advantage for 4 points.
Gunfighter [Physical] (5 points)
The character is a proficient user of sidearms and is accustomed to close-quarters fighting. Characters with this advantage suffer no penalties for using sidearms in melee. Attacks performed with sidearm within 5’ of the opponent count as melee attacks for all purposes. The penalties for using ranged weapons in close combat still apply to other ranged weapons. Mantis and Dragon characters may purchase this advantage for 4 points.
Advanced Equipment [Material] (varies)
Each clan's research has made new discoveries over the centuries, carefully guarded from other clans. While most samurai still prefer their rusty rifles, sidearms, and blades, others are more eager to acquire new technologies made available to them. Difficult to manufacture or acquire, these items are still relatively rare among the buke, but some have earned the right to use these modern wonders.
- Crab - Silksteel Armor [Sanran Kouken Yoroi] (6 points)
Kaiu-crafted from durable and flexible artificial spider-silk fibers woven into a cloth, Silksteel Armour is widely regarded as some of the finest armor made. Silksteel armors are lighter and more durable than conventional armor and highly prized. Silksteel Armor is a Light Armor that does not give its user any penalties and that has its Reduction increased by two (total of five).
Crane - Personal Holofield [Shikijou] (7 points)
A small belt mounted device that disturbs the air kami around the wearer, effectively breaking the wearer's outline, making them harder to see. Originally developed by the Asahina for Kakita actors and dancers, this device quickly found use among Daidoji scouts, who employ it to further obfuscate their form.
In game terms, the item grants its wearer +1k0 to Stealth skill rolls as well as +3 to their TN to be Hit against ranged attacks. The effects of this item count as an Illusion spell for purposes of spells and techniques. Many of the Crane's talented dancers also wear this device to add an ephemeral touch to their art. To represent this, the device also grants a free raise on any Perform: Dance rolls as long as the character has at least 3 ranks in dancing. Activating this device is a simple action.
Dragon - Tamori Stave [Tamori no Jo] (3 Points)
A six inch long, beautifully crafted, radiant-steel cylinder charged with dormant Earth kami. When the activator signs are pressed in the correct order, the spirits with the device waken and shoot out from the both ends of the cylinder, solidifying into hardened steel, thus turning the small cylinder into a stave. Easy to carry and conceal the Tamori Stave is favoured by both the Tamori the Togashi wandering around the galaxy. The Tamori Stave is a 2k2 unbreakable Jo that counts as ‘small’ weapon for the purposes of concealing it.
Lion - Shimmershield [Meijou] (6 points)
A small netsuke shaped device that contains spirits of Earth. When activated, the apparatus projects brightly shimmering force field around its wearer, slowing down the blows and shots entering its space of influence. The peculiar, Kitsu-devised netsuke powers this protective field by tapping into the very honor of its bearer to bolster and strengthen the protective kami. The Shimmershield grants the character Reduction equal to his or her honour -3. Hiding while surrounded by the Shimmershield force field is nigh impossible, and the character suffers -2k0 penalty to all of their Stealth rolls.
Scorpion - Soshi’s Gift [Soshi no Gohoubi] (6 points)
A drug-dispensing fleshcraft concealed within the wearer's chest-cavity, bound with spirits of water and connected to his or her circulatory system. Charged with the most potent combat drugs the Shosuro have created, the wearer can activate the device by muttering a specific code-phrase (simple action), releasing the performance-enhancing chemicals into his or her body. After the drugs wear off, the user is left in an enfeebled and dulled state. Needless to say, the device is only employed by the Scorpion and its existence is denied in public. The Shosuro combat-drug increases the character's Reflexes and Strength by one for ten rounds. After this, the effects wear off and for the next hour, the characters Intelligence and Agility are reduced by one.
Mantis - Electro-Ink Tattoo [Densen Irezumi] (7 points)
Known also as Osano-Wo's Raiment, the Electro-Ink tattoo consists of a small power source installed near the person's heart connected to special liquid-metal ink tattoos covering the characters lower arms in intricate patterns. Neural-grafting ensures that the wearer is able to activate the circuit at will, causing his or her arms to crackle with electrical power. Only installed to the devout worshipers of Osano-Wo, the electro-ink tattoos are practically unheard of outside the Mantis as most find the idea of such fleshcrafts distasteful and borderline blasphemous. Mechanically, the character's melee attacks performed with metal weapons or bare hands inflict +1k1 extra damage.
Phoenix - Revitalizer [Hoyakuki] (5 points)
A favorite of Phoenix doctors and field medics, the revitalizer is a silver bracelet linked to rings on two fingers, and covered with small beads full of spiritually charged water. The beads draw power from the wearers Water, charging slowly when not in use. In game terms the device can be used once per day to cast Path to Inner Peace without knowing the spell or expending a spell slot, with the casting roll equaling to the wearers Water x10.
Spider - Void-Forged Boarding Axe [Mukitaeta Kougekietsu] (6 points)
The Spider stole the secrets of Void-Forging from the Demien smith-priests, adopting this technology for the Spider armies. The black steel of these axes seems to swallow sunlight itself and they cut through armor and bone with ease. Within the dark metal lies an another secret, a specially designed spiritual network that imbalances the victim's inner Fire upon impact. This causes excruciating pain as a victim's nerves burn out through constant overstimulation. The Void-Forged Boarding axe counts as a Masakari that ignores an additional 2 points of reduction. Additionally, any sentient being wounded by the weapon has their wound penalties increased by 3 for the duration of the combat. The wound penalties do not stack from multiple hits.
Unicorn - Kuwagatan Husk Pendant [Kuwagata no Karayoraku] (5 points)
Known for its massive insects, the planet Kuwagata is also known for the blessed pools and fountains of the Aramizu rain forest. The water kami are particularly strong and active throughout the forest, and many of the creatures living there end up thoroughly infused with their blessings. The Unicorn gather the cast off husks of several varieties of water beetle. These translucent shells are enclosed in clear or amber resins, fastened in lockets, or even gilded with precious metals and worn by shugenja who make use of the husks' powerful connection to the water kami. The bearer of one of these pendants gains an additional Water Spell Slot. Only Shugenja may purchase this Advantage.
Traditionalist [Mental] (2 points)
Only shugenja may take this disadvantage. Modern shugenja have their prayers inscribed on holo-slates that can display the desired prayer with few finger swipes. Traditionalists who eschew such modern ways of storing the prayers will only use paper scrolls and do not prepare digital copies of their prayers, meaning that they can only hold a singular scroll in hand at a given time. (Shugenja using Holoslates can change the spell displayed as a Free Action, as long as they are holding nothing in their free hand.)
Banned Advantages
Gaijin Gear - no gaijin exist and any gear kept this long has become normal, or an archeological relic
Gaijin Name - see above, some names have been passed down through families, but no longer carry a stigma
Higher Purpose - this does not work well in PbP games