‘Tattooed monk of the Dv'agov1lI1

TURN TO THE BACK OF THIS BOOKLET TO SEE IF

TOGASHI YOSHI IS THE RIGHT CHARACTER FOR YOU!
 Welcome to ‘l'l(e Emerald €mpire
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?
of the Emerald Empire, and the other cultural aspects of the
If you're already familiar with Rokugan, the clans
Legend ofthe 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.

your Clan: The Dragon The Code of ‘Bushido

”Find your 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 $incerity——
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
greater understanding.
your $dl(ool: ‘l’ogasl(i ‘lixttooeol $eel<er
Schools in Rokugan train and prepare us for our role as
samurai, such as bushi (warriors), shugenja (priests who ‘Mae Words from flour $evisei...
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).
 Playing your Character your $torg $0 Far...
You are part of a roleplaying game (RPG), an exciting The recent untimely and mysterious death ofthe 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.

43 goat travel to Tsuma from the

ugh House of Light...
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.
CHARACTERNAME RINGS AND RING VALUES
Togaslii goslii
CLAN

Drqgoii
Your reaction when you exceed your Composure:
Inappropriate laughter and ridicule

I 2 t 2 I
MAXIMUM CURRENT

iii, s
" STARTING STARTING
I

SKILLS AND DICE THEY ADD APPROACHES AND DICE THEY ADD

?RANK/0'“ I
Craft or Repair

@ AirRing: 1/
a Work of Art

- -

Aesthetics: Create visual works of art

eeeeeeee ~ Graceful, cunning, and precise
Composition: Compose literature 0 I - V A H _

Design: Fashion and select clothing 7 0 I — ® Earth Ring: 3 I

Smithing: Craft weapons and armor 0 Steady, grounded, and thorough
— I —

®
., ._

MARTIAL RANKlDlCE Fire Ring: 2 I

Fitness: Perform feats ofphysical prowess 2 I Direct, ferocious, and inventive
Opponent
Overcome

MaitialArts [Melee]: Use close combat weaponi I I """"'“ ' “ " ' ' ‘ ‘ ' " ' ' " ‘ " ‘ "'

Martial Arts [Ranged]: Use ranged weapon 0 — © Water Ring-' 2 l

_Martial Arts [Unarmed]: Use fists in combat 1 I Balancedi flexlblei percnewlratlve
an

N ‘

Meditation: Process and control emotions ® Void Ring: 2 I

Tactics: Command and control in a battle 0 I Enlightened, centered, and mystical
SCHOLAR RANK/DlCE

BEU Culture: Know Rokugani traditions and trends 0 I _

3‘ ,, . ._ .12
g N Government: Know how the Empire operates 0 I - ‘E ‘

E §‘D Medicine: Know the body and how to heal it 0 I —

,
F CES
5 t‘ t: U d t d f h 0
~‘
T:nT1en‘U:ler:ar;
‘

ercfnons Odo; ers__ r~-2r~l— O0 — _

@ Air: Enemies add +1 to the target

.

— eo °gy' n ers an re lglons an t e spmts I number (TN) of their checks against you
SOCIAL RANK l DICE

§ 5
V’ Command: Issue orders to others 0 I - < ® Earth: Foes Canlt sperld 5': to lnlure You
®
l

% 5) Courtesy: Control conversations and arguments 0 I — ’ Fire: You may Count your 6) results in a
T M Games‘ Play a”d “”de’5ta"d games 0 l ' successful check as bonus successes
Performance: Entertain and impress others 0 / -

TRADE RANK/DICE @ Vllater: You. can perform an additional,

0 I different action that doesn't need a check
5 3 Commerce: Buy and sell goods for profit
_g g Labor: Conduct manual tasks such as farming 0 I — ® Void; You ignore strife from Q results in
3 '5! Seafaring: Operate boats and subsist at sea 0 I — your check 1

< § Skulduggery: Steal and spy on others 0 I — y , _ , IE‘

Survival: Travel and endure in wilderness areas 1 I O

Q Success. If the total number of

on kept dice are equal to or greater than
C results ® Explosive Success. This counts as a C‘
result, and for each kept die with #3, you
or the Target Number (TN) of the check, can roll 1 extra die of the same type and
Skm Ring then you succeed! Each O beyond this is a then choose whether to keep it or not.
_ _ bonus success. You can keep doing this each time you
Dle . Dlelj get a 6} result on a kept die.
 YOUR CHARACTER'S
HOW TO PERFORM A CHECK IN YOUR TURN: HEALTH AND
1. Describe to the GM what you want to 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.
Then you can move 1 range band, and Endurance represents your
the target number (TN) to succeed.
can perform one of the following Actions: stamina and willingness to fight,
Refer to the Skill to be used for the
while fatigue indicates damage
check, and select the associated e Attack by using the Strike action. you have taken. When you suffer
number ofO dice. You'll probably use this frequently fatigue, mark it here. If this goes
Select the Approach (based on the Ring in skirmishes. above your Endurance value, you
you're going to use) and the associated fall unconscious!
number of.
dice. 9 Move up to 1 extra range band.
Roll the combined dice pool. Critical strikes represent serious
e Use a skill in a check, such as Medi-
Keep a number of dice (of either type) injuries to your character. If you
cine to remove fatigue or Fitness to suffer one, mark it here. Erase the
equal to or less than the Ring used in
move a fallen tree out of your way.
the check. mark if the critical strike is healed.
If you have at least as many Success- You can also use your School Ability as
If your character suffers any health
es (0) on the kept dice as the TN, part of making a check. This doesn't count
conditions such as becoming un-
you succeed! as a separate action.
conscious, indicate them here.

Composure is your capacity to

endure mental and emotional
pressure, while strife represents
WEAPON SKILL RANGE DAMAGE GEAR strong emotions that can over-
come your inner control. When
. Martial Arts Common Clothing A Dragon needs no finery.
0 I
,

Fists .

: [Unarmed]
r
;
.

i y
you suffer strife, mark it here.
Travelin Pack Useful items when on the road,
When the strife you've suffered
‘ ,

Martial Arts 9 like bedmat and traveling clothes

l
:

Staff [Melee]
2 7 2 exceeds your Composure value,
Prayer Beads Small items to aid in meditation
l you become Unmasked!
1 5 koku (enough money to sustain
You deal damage to the target equal to the weapon’s Money you for five months) Focus represents how fast you re-
base damage plus your bonus successes. You may also act to threats. It helps determine
spend :5: 2: from the check to inflict a critical strike! the order in combat!

Vigilance is your wariness and

overall ability to notice things that
B‘ ‘E. — H M M] V V
could be a threat.
youn PERSONAL TURMOIL YOUR scHooL ABILITY: Void points will be available for
You have very close bonds with your BLOOD OF THE KAN” you to use after the Interlude on
f3mllY- but YOU also Wish to become When making a Martial Arts [Unarmed] the next page.
trustworthy enough to become a spiritual i, check, you may add one rolled I Ring die
Honor represents your belief that 7

3dVl50|’ for YOUF Cla“-—Wh!Cl') might meafi showing 1 :3: result. This doesn't increase
you are upholding the values of
;

3‘ letting your family connections lapse. JEN the number of dice you can keep.
Bushido. Record any changes to
it here.
5' 7 " “TE:

YOUR ADVANTAGE Glory reflects your social standing

in Rokugan. Record any changes
Keen Sight: You can spot details of to it here.
objects at a much greater distance than
others can, and can pick up on small Track the contest points you
visual details that others might overlook. achieve here. Your goal is to reach
8 points, and thus show yo ad-
You may reroll up to 2 dice of your ll

inessiug become as
choice when your advantage helps
you on any check.

Opportunity. This represents a Strife. This reflects your emotional

positive, incidental effect of your
action. Your GM will indicate what
benefits this result will give you for
@ reaction to the task. it can represent
things like frustration or fear, or the
thrill of a challenge orjoy. Too much
Don't turn the
page until the GM
this check. strife, though, can make you lose
your Composure and Unmask! instructs you to.
CHARACTERNAME RINGS AND RING VALUES
‘l'qgasl1i goski
CLAN

Drqgon

‘T Your reaction when you exceed your Composure:

Inappropriate laughter and ridicule

MAXlMUM CURRENT

STARTING CURRENT STARTTNG CURRENT

SKILLS AND DICE THEY ADD APPROACHES ANQDICE THEY App

L
Tc 7: @ Air Ring: -

%$ Aesthetics: Create visual works of art

Graceful, cunning, and precise
. .

n: 0 ~-

3 4,5 Composition: Compose literature . ._4.».._4_._. __. . .

0
N V N V

4...“ _,_:

5 3m
‘F5 Design: Fashion and select clothing
, ..,.... ... _ ,,,,, ., ,
® Earth Ring:
Smithing: Craft weapons and armor Steady, grounded, and thorough

Q E.
MAW
Fitness: Perform feats ofphysical prowess
EM @ Fire Ring:
Direct] ferocious, and inventive
g g Martial Arts [Melee]: Use close combat weapon "'*"*’**’*"““'""’ " ' * *

g & Martial Arts [Ranged]: Use ranged weapon 7 © water Ring:

5 0§ Martial Arts [Unarmed]: Use fists in combat Balanced! flexlblei and perceptlve
®
., ,._, __..____A.__.._,. ,_ ,, , ,. _, , . ,

Meditation: Process and control emotions Void Ring_

Tactics: Command and control in a battle Enlightened, Centered, and mystical
SC H 0 LA R Mc..,_-____..__,_._ ,,, , ,
Learn a Fact

Culture: Know Rokugani traditions and trends

or

Government: Know how the Empire operates

Know

Medicine: Know the body and how to heal it

so CONFLICT STANCES
St‘ t:Udtd t‘ fth 3 _ _

enlmen n ers an emolonso O erg * @ Air: Enemies add +1 to the target

Theology: Understand religions and the spirits
l
number (TN) of their checks against you

® Earth: Foes can't spend .3’: to injure you

Influence
a Person

Command: Issue orders to others

C 0U it 85)’ Contro I conversa t‘IONS and argumen t5
: ® Flrez You rnay count your 6) results In a
. .

Games: Fla)’ a”d “”de’5ta”d games successful check as bonus successes

Performance: Entertain and impress others
RANK @ Vllaterz You. can perform an additional,
different action that doesn't need a check
-5 5 Commerce: Buy and sell goods for profit
%‘ § Labor: Conduct manual tasks such as farming ® Void; You ignore strife from G) re5u|t5 in
3;‘: Seafaring: Operate boats and subsist at sea your check
3 Skulduggery: Steal and spy on others ‘E: _W_ _ _ W ,_ V H I _ V N N I5
Survival: Travel and endure in wilderness areas

Skill Ring
@ Success ® Explosive Success ® Opportunity
Die I Die El
 INTERLUDE: SPENDING EXPERIENCE POINTS (XP) You can now use Void points, -'

which allow you to call on your

During the Interlude, you gain 4 XPl You can spend XP to... inner strength and overcome im-
3 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 I ring
entry space for that ring. die and then keep 1 additional
die (of any type) when resolving
a 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 done separately, so going from 1 rank to 3 ranks would
cost 10 XP (4 XP + 6 XP). Mark the new value in the rank entry for that skill. 9 Techniques represent advanced
training that let you act in unex-
a 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 during the interlude.
e Purchase a Technique—Earth Needs No Eyes (2XP) You can feel the vibrations of
all around you in the ground, making you very hard to ambush! lfchosen, see the
rules below on this page and place a check next to its title.

IN YOUR TURN:
WEAPON SK|Lt RANGE DAMAGE GEAR the start of your turn, Set your
Fists Martial Arts 0 1 Common Clothing A Dragon needs no finery. Stance ll ln 3 5kl"ml5h-
[Unarmed] ‘ . Then you can move range1

Katana
_

Martial Arts
' f

1
7

4
' Traveling Pack Llseful ltems when on the road’
like bedmat and traveling clothes
b d
all
d
I all
rf f h
can P9 Orm one 0 t e
ll‘/leleel
Prayer Beads Small items to aid in meditation
following Actions:
5 koku (enough money to sustain
e Attack using Strike
You deal damage to the target equal to the weapons you for five months)
base damage plus your bonus successes. You may also — e Move 1 extra range band
spend :5: :5: from the check to inflict a critical strike!
e Use a skill

® Use one of your new

grin 42 5-‘ 2 1
Techniques, if it is described
_

YOUR PERSONAL TURMOIL YOUR SCHOOL ABILITY: 353“ a°"°” h I

Y also T1 SC 00
Abifi; :58 part Ofl:::k)i/neg; Check.
WW

You have very close bonds with your BLOOD OF THE KAN"
f3mllY« bu‘ YOU also Wish to become When making a Martial Arts [Unarmed] This doesn-t count as a 5epa_
l tFUStWO|'tl1y enough ‘[0 become 3 spiritual check, you may add one rolled I rate action You may also use a

E Y, N Y P - ‘E t e num ero ice you can eep. :6 an action as

Bl ‘E e__lQ
Y.9}13A.QyAN.TAG.E,,2,-_ NEW TECHNIQUES =

Keen Sight: You can spot details of

objects at a much greater distance than ,, A 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 Maftlal AFTS lUnaFmeCll (Earth) Check t0
H 2 d, f strike one target character at range 0-1.
YOU_ may rem up to '59 0 your If you succeed, you deal 3 damage to the
choice when your advantage helps target p|Us bonus successes,
you on any check. M . - .

51 J5‘ 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.
'5?
 Enter tlie Emerald Empire
with ‘lbgaslii goslqi l
You would be wise to select this character if you want to:
e Be an expert at martial arts and athletic feats

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

e 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.

‘liggaxlti goxliis 3tory

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 ofpersonal 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 Yoshis 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.