V^/e((^ome \o *t^e €w.

m\d €mp(Ve
This is an era of sudden change and upheaval in Rokugan, \where the Emerald Empire has ruled for over a thousand
years. Mortal schemes, natural calamities, and celestial turmoil alike have disrupted the political, military, and
spiritual equilibrium of the land. Long-simmering rivalries and fresh betrayals ripple through the courts and on the
battlefield. The Chrysanthemum Throne is beset by threats from without and within, and the honor of the seven
Great Clans—the families descended from the heroes of legend and sworn to rule their lands in the Emperor's
name—shall be put to the test.

READY TO START?
If you're already familiar with Rokugan, the clans of the Emerald Empire, and the other cultural aspects of the
Legend of the Five Rings setting, then you can skip the remainder of this page and jump straight to the next
page to learn about roleplaying and more about your character.

youf Clan: life Code

"Findyour own path." The Way of the Warrior, or Bushido, elevates samurai
For a thousand years, the Dragon Clan has watched from the rest of society while also chaining us to near-
over the other clans, recording the history of Rokugan. unattainable ideals. When you become a samurai,
Our armies march only rarely, intervening in the clashes you must embody Righteousness and Honor, Loyalty
of the Great Clans for reasons they can never fathom. It and Duty, and Courtesy and Compassion, as well as
falls on the Dragon to ensure that the future of the Em­ Courage in the face of death. You will be expected to
pire continues in an orderly and elegant manner. uphold these virtues in your every word and deed, even
We are diverse in our pursuits, but unified in one phi­ when these ideals conflict with one another. The tenets
losophy: the betterment of ourselves and, in so doing, of Bushido would not be ideals to strive toward, after all,
the betterment of the Empire. This can sometimes mean if they were easy to achieve...
coming down from our seclusion in the northern moun­ The Dragon hold that the tenet of Sincerity—
tains to experience the Empire face to face. finding the truth of oneself—is the greatest virtue.
Lies obscure not just the world, but one's own path to
yoiif S(^^|ool: tattooeff Seebr* greater understanding.

Schools in Rokugan train and prepare us for our role as W/(Sc Mfds Sendee..
samurai, such as bushi (warriors), shugenja (priests who
can call on the spirits for aid), courtiers (those skilled in Honor and glory are everything to a samurai. Honor
political matters), and monks (seekers of enlightenment). reflects your inward opinion of how well you adhere
Our monastic order welcomes anyone willing to to the tenets of Bushido, while glory reflects how well
embrace our teachings and accomplish the challenges known your name is throughout the Empire. In a perfect
required to join. The first of challenge is usually finding world, you could bring glory to yourself and the Dragon
one of our Togashi monasteries high in the mountains, while maintaining your moral integrity, but in Rokugan,
such the High House of Light. Togashi students wander we are frequently tested to see which one we value
the Empire, known to all by our skill with koan and the more highly.
martial arts, as well as by the beautiful and mystical Know that your life as a samurai will often feature
tattoos that grant us supernatural abilities. much turmoil over competing desires—especially over
what you personally want (your ninjo) and what society,
your clan, and your lord expects of you (your giri).
 yoidf C\\md\^f yoKr Sfory So
You are part of a roleplaying game (RPG), an exciting The recent untimely and mysterious death of the Emerald
cooperative storytelling experience. Like many games, Champion, Doji Satsume of the Crane Clan, has thrown
it has rules, components, and dice to help describe and the Emerald Empire into turmoil. Each of the Great
resolve the action. Unlike most games, an RPG has no Clans suspiciously eyes the others and wonders whether
winner or loser and no opposing teams. If everyone has the death was no tragic accident, but a dishonorable act
fun, then everyone wins! of murder.
The other players (like you) are hero players. Each of In these times of strife, a group of youths approaches
you controls one player character (PC)—your character the village of Tsuma for the Topaz Championship and
is Togashi Yoshi. Hero players make decisions for their their gempuku, the coming-of-age ceremony that will
PCs, describing what they want their characters to do mark them as fully fledged samurai. Each contestant
and how they react to the plot and setting created by has come from a different clan and dreams of being the
the game master (GM) who runs the game. Whenever highest-scoring contestant in the tournament, earning
you want your character to do something, simply tell the title of Topaz Champion. Despite being pitted
the GM what that is; the GM will then tell you the result. against one another, they are all united in their desire to
Sometimes, the GM may say a check is needed to see if succeed and bring honor to their clan and family.
you succeed in your request, like if you wanted to leap Not everyone in Tsuma has honorable motives for
over a chasm or attack a foe. You'll learn how to make the contest, however. Personal vendettas, supernatural
checks on the next page. visitations, and deadly sabotage may undermine the
following days—unless the new arrivals stay true to the
Code of Bushido and act as the honorable samurai they
seek to become.

4s^oi( tr^fvel to tSttw Jfom

You reflect upon your recent love affair with your fellow
student Togashi Kaie, which ended badly. There must
be lessons to learn from the experience.
You find the interest that Togashi Yokuni, the Dragon
Clan Champion, has shown in you to be unsettling. You
still cannot see his reason for sending you to Tsuma for the
tournament, something monks don't normally bother with.
The Phoenix Clan has declared the Perfect Land
Sect heretical. You wonder why the Phoenix are worried
about what may be a worthy way of life.
RINGS AND RING VALUES
ENDURANCE 1

PERSONAL UNMASKING

Your reaction when you exceed your Composure

Inappropriate laughter and ridicule

VIGILANCE

2 _______ iS

CONTEST POINTS 10

CURRENT
1
J

____
SKILLS AND DICE THEY ADD APPROACHES AND DICE THEY ADD
ARTISAN 1 RANK/DICE
Air Ring: 1
Aesthetics: Create visual works of art 0 / -
Graceful, cunning, and precise
Composition: Compose literature 0 / -

Design: Fashion and select clothing 0 / - ® Earth Ring 3 /

Smithing: Craft weapons and armor 0 / - Steady, grounded, and thorough
MARTIAL 1 RANK/DICE
Fire Ring: 2 /
Fitness: Perform feats of physical prowess 2 100
Direct, ferocious, and inventive
Martial Arts [MeleeJ: Use close combat weapon 1 / O

Martial Arts [Ranged]: Use ranged weapon 0 / - Water Ring: 2 / |

Martial Arts [Unarmed]: Use fists in combat
1 / 6 Balanced, flexible, and perceptive
Meditation: Process and control emotions 2 1 OO
® Void Ring: 2 / ■■
Tactics: Command and control in a battle 0 / -
Enlightened, centered, and mystical
SCHOLAR 1 RANK/DICE

Culture: Know Rokugani traditions and trends 0 / -

Government: Know how the Empire operates 0 / -

Medicine: Know the body and how to heal it 0 / - CONFLICT STANCES

Sentiment: Understand emotions of others 0 / -

Theology: Understand religions and the spirits 2 / OO

Air: Enemies add +1 to the target
number (TN) of their checks against you
SOCIAL 1 RANK/DICE
® Earth: Foes can't spend to injure you
Command: Issue orders to others
..... 0 /
Courtesy: Control conversations and arguments -
Fire: You may count your Co results in a
Games: Play and understand games 0 / -
successful check as bonus successes
Performance: Entertain and impress others 0 / -

1 RANK/DICE Water: You can perform an additional,

TRADE
different action that doesn't need a check
Commerce: Buy and sell goods for profit

Labor: Conduct manual tasks such as farming ® Void: You ignore strife from Co results in
Seafaring: Operate boats and subsist at sea your check
Skulduggery: Steal and spy on others

Survival: Travel and endure in wilderness areas

Success. If the total number of Q results Explosive Success. This counts as a Q

on kept dice are equal to or greater than
or the Target Number (TN) of the check,
then you succeed! Each O beyond this is a
@ result, and for each kept die with (J, you
can roll 1 extra die of the same type and
then choose whether to keep it or not.
bonus success. You can keep doing this each time you
get a result on a kept die.
 YOUR character's
HOW TO PERFORM A CHECK IN YOUR turn:
HEALTH AND
Describe to the GM what you want to
1. At the start of your turn, you should set STANDING IN THE
do, and they will determine the check your Stance if you're in a skirmish. This CHAMPIONSHIP
!■ ' you need to make, the skill to use, and determines which Ring you'll fight with.
^ the target number (TN) to succeed. Then you can move 1 range band, and Endurance represents your
2. Refer to the Skill to be used for the can perform one of the following Actions: stamina and willingness to fight,
r check, and select the associated while fatigue indicates damage
® Attack by using the Strike action. you have taken. When you suffer
number of O dice.
You'll probably use this frequently fatigue, mark it here. If this goes
3. Select the Approach (based on the Ring in skirmishes.
I you're going to use) and the associated above your Endurance value, you
fall unconscious!
I number of H dice. ® Move up to 1 extra range band.
’ 4. Roll the combined dice pool. Critical strikes represent serious
I 5. Keep a number of dice (of either type) ® Use a skill in a check, such as Medi­
injuries to your character. If you
I equal to or less than the Ring used in cine to remove fatigue or Fitness to
suffer one, mark it here. Erase the
the check. move a fallen tree out of your way.
mark if the critical strike is healed.
r 6. If you have at least as many Success­ You can also use your School Ability as
If your character suffers any health
es (O) on the kept dice as the TN,
you succeed!
part of making a check. This doesn't count o conditions such as becoming un­
as a separate action.
conscious, indicate them here.

Composure is your capacity to

RANGE DAMAGE
\\[) i.r \K

GEAR
o endure mental and emotional
pressure, while strife represents
WEAPON SKILL strong emotions that can over­
Martial Arts j 1 Common Clothing A Dragon needs no finery. come your inner control. When
Fists 0
[Unarmed] you suffer strife, mark it here.
1 Useful items when on the road,
Traveling Pack When the strife you've suffered
Martial Arts 1 like bedmat and traveling clothes
Staff 1 2
[Melee] exceeds your Composure value,
Prayer Beads 1 Small items to aid in meditation
you become Unmasked!
1 5 koku (enough money to sustain
Money
You deal damage to the target equal to the weapon's 1 you for five months) Focus represents how fast you re­
base damage plus your bonus successes. You may also
spend ij? from the check to inflict a critical strike! o act to threats. It helps determine
the order in combat!

Vigilance is your wariness and

e overall ability to notice things that

could be a threat.

Void points will be available for

e you to use after the Interlude on

the next page.

Honor represents your belief that

o you are upholding the values of

Bushido. Record any changes to
it here.

Glory reflects your social standing

o in Rokugan. Record any changes

to it here.

Track the contest points you

achieve here. Your goal is to reach
8 points, and thus show your read­
iness to become a samurai!

Opportunity. This represents a Strife. This reflects your emotional

0 positive, incidental effect of your
action. Your GM will indicate what
benefits this result will give you for
0 reaction to the task. It can represent
things like frustration or fear, or the
thrill of a challenge or joy. Too much
this check. strife, though, can make you lose
your Composure and Unmask!
CHARACTER NAME RINGS AND RING VALUES
ENDURANCE CRITICAL STRIKES CONDITIONS
yos\\i
CLAN

Pr^l^oM
 interlude: spending experience points (xp) You can now use Void points,
which allow you to call on your
During the Interlude, you gain 4 XP! You can spend XP to... inner strength and overcome im­
® Increase one or more Rings: Increasing a Ring value costs XP equal to twice the possible odds. While making a
new value. So advancing from 1 to 2 costs 6 XP, from 2 to 3 costs 9 XP, and so check, when assembling the dice
on. Each upgrade must be done separately, so increasing a Ring value from 1 to pool you may spend 1 Void point
3 would cost 15 XP (6 XP + 9 XP). You can never increase a Ring value greater to Seize the Moment! This allows
than your lowest Rings value + your Void Ring value. Mark the new value in the you to roll 1 additional ■ ring
entry space for that ring. die and then keep 1 additional
die (of any type) when resolving
® Increase one or more Skills: Buying +1 rank in a skill costs twice the new rank
the check.
value. So going from 0 ranks to 1 rank costs 2 XP, from 1 to 2 costs 4 XP, etc.
Each upgrade must be dgne separately, so going from 1 rank to 3 ranks would
Techniques represent advanced
cost 10 XP (4 XP + 6 XP). Mark the new value in the rank entry for that skill.
training that let you act in unex­
@ Purchase a Technique—Earthen Fist (2XP) Your training allows you to form hard­ pected ways or exploit openings
ened earth around your fists, making them into gauntlets of rock. If chosen, see that others would overlook. You
the rules below on this page and place a check next to its title. have two techniques available to
® Purchase a Technique—Earth Needs No Eyes (2XP) You can feel the vibrations of purchase during the interlude.
all around you in the ground, making you very hard to ambush! If chosen, see the
rules below on this page and place a check next to its title.

WEAPONS AND GEAR IN YOUR turn:

WEAPON SKILL RANGE DAMAGE At the start of your turn, set your
Martial Arts
0 1
Common Clothing A Dragon needs no finery. Stance if in a skirmish.
Fists
[Unarmed] Then you can move 1 range
Useful items when on the road.
Traveling Pack
Martial Arts
1 4
like bedmat and traveling clothes band, and can perform one of the
Katana
[Melee] following Actions:
Prayer Beads Small items to aid in meditation

5 koku (enough money to sustain ® Attack using Strike

Money
You deal damage to the target equal to the weapon's you for five months)
base damage plus your bonus successes. You may also ® Move 1 extra range band
spend sj: from the check to inflict a critical strike!
® Use a skill

® Use one of your new

r'"“~——^■ It Techniques, if it is described
YOUR SCHOOL ABILITY: as an action
YOUR PERSONAL TURMOIL
You can also use your School
You have very close bonds with your BLOOD OF THE KAMI
Ability as part of making a check.
family, but you also wish to become When making a Martial Arts [Unarmed] This doesn't count as a sepa­
trustworthy enough to become a spiritual check, you may add one rolled ■ Ring die rate action. You may also use a
advisor for your clan—which might mean showing 1 result. This doesn't increase
Technique if it isn't described as
letting your family connections lapse. the number of dice you can keep.
% an action.

YOUR ADVANTAGE _____ NEW TECHNIQUES

Keen Sight: You can spot details of
objects at a much greater distance than t j EARTHEN FIST
others can, and can pick up on small As an Attack action, you may make a TN
visual details that others might overlook. 3 Martial Arts [Unarmed] (Earth) check to
strike one target character at range 0-1.
You may reroll up to 2 dice of your If you succeed, you deal 3 damage to the
choice when your advantage helps target plus bonus successes.
you on any check.
f , EARTH NEEDS NO EYES

As a Support action, you may make a

TN 3 Meditation (Earth) check to gain
an awareness of your surroundings. If
you succeed, you become aware of all
living creatures and objects touching
the ground within range 3. Increase your
vigilance by 3 until the end of the scene.
 CMtcif the CmeeflW Cmp(Ve
vVfth yoshf ■
You would be wise to select this character if you want to:
® Be an expert at martial arts and athletic feats

® Belong to a clan that focuses on enlightenment and diverse paths to achieve it

® Solve your problems with compassion and patience

It would be unwise, however, to chose Togashi Yoshi if you desire a play a character
who excels at diplomacy or the use of weapons, or who wields the power of the elements.

ijos\\h
Yoshi was surrendered to the Togashi Order as a young child by a man claiming to be his
uncle. Orphans weren't uncommon in the monastery of his youth, and the monks who
raised him were welcoming, but still Yoshi has always felt the lack of personal connections,
even as he tries to put aside earthly desires. Perhaps it was this desire for connection that
led him begin his relationship with Kaie, a senior student at Yoshl's monastery. Their love
was deemed inappropriate by the masters of the monastery, and Kaie was sent away to
another temple, while Yoshi was assigned to study under Togashi Tadakatsu and sent on a
pilgrimage through Dragon lands.
While traveling with Tadakatsu as a pilgrim, Yoshi at last saw the stark divisions in life
between peasant and samurai. He asked his mentor why the two peoples were treated
so differently, given that Yoshi could see no difference between them. His mentor only
shrugged, and said that there was no difference, only people struggling to climb Shinsei's
karmic ladder toward Enlightenment. The Perfect Land sect teaches something similar
to this. Although many hold the sect heretical, Yoshi thinks there could be wisdom to be
found here.
Now, Yoshi has been dispatched to the Topaz Championship at the personal request
of Togashi Yokuni, the inscrutable Champion of the Dragon Clan. It is rare that a monk of
the Togashi order would bother with the gempuku—passage to adulthood—ritual of the
samurai class, but such is Yokuni's will. Now, perhaps, Yoshi has a chance to help those less
fortunate than he was, and find his place in the world.