Samurai

     The samurai are professional warriors, members of the noble class who are trained in the arts of warfare, horsemanship, archery, swordplay, noble court, and art.  They are not only trained for their role in society; they are born for it -- born into a system of allegiance, loyalty, and honor that influences every stage of their lives.  A samurai cut loose from this system is no longer a samurai; he is an ordinary fighter, a ronin with no honor and no standing in society.

     Adventures: A samurai's first responsibility is obedience to his lord, his daimyo, usually the head of his clan.  This is simultaneously an endless source of adventures and a potential hindrance to a life of adventure.  A low-level samurai's lord may command him to investigate a mysterious occurrence or subdue a gang of bandits.  If he performs these duties well, his lord will call on him to deal with more significant problems.  However, a samurai usually cannot simply disappear on an expedition without his lord's command or at least permission, and if a samurai's lord has an important mission for him, he must make that his top priority.  Whether this is a significant hindrance or not is up to the DM.

     Characteristics: Samurai are distinguished from ordinary fighters by their adherence to bushido, a code of honor, loyalty, and obedience.  They have combat training from premiere sword schools that rivals that of most fighters.  If a samurai remains honorable and true to his code of condut, his weapon -- a masterwork weapon passed down through the generations -- may awaken in his hands, manifesting increasing magical abilities as the samurai advances in levels and invests spiritual energy within it.  To a samurai, dishonor is worse than death, and the loss of his weapon is possibly the worst dishonor imaginable.

     Alignment: Bushido, the code of the samurai, demands strict obedience to standards of behavior and honor.  Only lawful characters can adhere to this code and call themselves samurai.

     Religion: The samurai pray to the kami as most from the Eastern Empire do.  In particular the samurai revere Hachiman, an elven general who's deeds, honor, and loyalty were so great that the kami elevated him to their ranks.

     Background: Samurai learn their combat techniques and the principles of bushido in established, well-organized sword schools.  In Tengoku no Niwa, at least one family in each of the great clans is responsible for training the samurai of the clan.

     Races: Although there is a wealth of different races from the lands of Tengoku no Niwa, the samurai come almost exclusively from the elven clans.  Spirit folk who are born into the elven clans have,been born into the ranks of the samurai.  Likewise the few hengeyokai who are adopted into the elven clans have been permitted into joining the samurai caste.  The nezumi and the vanara do not have the caste system or great schools of combat to produce a figure in their societies to equal the samurai.  Of all the non-elven races of Tengoku no Niwa only the tengu have a society that produces samurai of their own, complete with their own swords schools, many of which mirror those of the elves.  The eta, half-elves, are never permitted to be samurai.  If an eta is found to be masquerading as a samurai, they are put to death for their transgression.

     Other Classes: The samurai consider the pinnacle of the order that structures their society.  The shugenja are their equals in this order, but in a world where honor is virtually equated with battle prowess, shugenja have a lesser hold on that position.  Samurai only respect other samurai -- as well as other characters permitted to wear the daisho and uphold the code of bushido.  They are prone to treating members of other character classes as servants, sidekicks at best, unless such characters are obviously well respected by the samurai or his lord (such as the other PCs).

Game Rule Information

Fighters have the following game statistics.

     Abilities: Strength is especially important for fighters because it improves their melee attack and damage rolls.  Constitution is important for giving fighters lots of hit points, which they'll need in their many battles.  Dexterity is important for fighters who want to be good archers or who want access to certain Dexterity oriented feats, but the heavy armor that fighters usually wear reduces the benefit of a very high Dexterity.

Alignment: Any Lawful

Hit Die: d12

Class Skills

The samurai's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Auto Hypnosis (Wis), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gamble (Wis), Handle Animal (Cha), Iaijutsu Focus (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Int, nobility), Knowledge (Int, planes), Knowledge (Int, religion), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Swim (Str) and Tea Ceremony (Wis).

Skill Points at 1st-Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the samurai.

     Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The samurai is proficient with the following weapons and armor:

• Armor Proficiency (light)
• Armor Proficiency (medium)
• Simple Weapon Proficiency (all)
• Martial Weapon Proficiency (all)

     Note that armor check penalties for armor heavier than leather apply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Pick Pocket, and Tumble.  Also, Swim checks suffer a -1 penalty for every 5 pounds of armor and equipment carried.

     Ancestral Weapon: All samurai begin play with an ancestral weapon; a masterwork weapon of ancient descent that has been passed down through the generations.  Protecting this weapon is the most important point of honor for samurai.  The type of weapon is chosen by play upon creation of the samurai, and is typically selected from traditional samurai weapons.  The most commonly selected weapon is the katana or wakazashi, but may also include the dai-kyu, die tsuchi, hoko yari (heavy lance), ono (greataxe), odachi (greatsword), tetsubo (great club), nagamaki, naginata, and yari (short spear).  Other weapons may be selected at the DM's discretion, however a ninja or peasant style weapon should never be allowed, this includes most simple weapons).

     When rolling on the honor tables during character creation, the samurai deducts on roll on the Birthright table, the ancestral weapon takes place of this.  But in turn, the samurai receives the standard +4 honor bonus due to a weapon of such quality.

     At any time, a samurai may retreat to a temple or shrine and spend time in prayer in order to awaken the ancestral spirits in his weapon.  This requires the samurai to invest a bit of his own soul in the weapon, investing his own experience points as shown in the table to the right.  The samurai must
spend one day in prayer per 40 experience points spent, and must spend at least eight hours per day kneeling before the shrine and his weapon, pausing neither to eat or rest.  The samurai may not expend experience points if doing so would cause him to lose an experience level, but he may choose not to advance in level for the purposes of investing his experience in his weapon.

     The values listed on the table are the total sacrifice required.  If a samurai already has a +3 katana, he can raise it to a +4 katana by spending an additional 560 experience points and spending two weeks in prayer.  If the samurai wished to awaken his masterwork katana, making it a +1 katana, he would have to sacrifice 80 experience points.  Before a samurai’s ancestral weapon is awakened, it is merely a masterwork weapon receiving a nonmagical +1 bonus to
attack rolls.

     If a samurai wishes to remove a power invested in his weapon (perhaps for the purpose of replacing it with a different ability) he may do so by meditating over the blade for eight hours.  The selected power is lost and the XP invested into the weapon is available to the samurai again.

     Weapon Focus: At 1st-level, the samurai receives as a bonus feat Weapon Focus.  This must be used for the weapon type the samurai took as his ancestral weapon.

     Sword School Feat: At 1st-level, the samurai declares which sword school he is going to study in.  Once this decision is made, that determines which feat he gains at 1st-level, and what sword school techniques he has access to.  Every four levels, up to 12th-level, the samurai receives another bonus feat and opens a new tier of sword school techniques.

     If a samurai takes a sword school feat before he achieves that level in his sword school, he still does not unlock those techniques until achieving that level.

     Ki Pool (Su): All living things have a natural energy that lives within them, the samurai refer to this as ki.  At 1st-level, the samurai has a pool of 2 ki points + his Wisdom modifier (if positive) + his Charisma modifier (if positive).  Thereafter the samurai gains 1 additional ki point at every class level.  This pool represents the amount of ki points the samurai may call on to power his sword school techniques and some of his class feats.

     A samurai regains his ki points at a rate of his Wisdom modifier (minimum 1) per hour of peaceful meditation.

     A samurai who chooses to multiclass to a monk can add his samurai and monk levels together to determine his ki pool.

     When a samurai uses up his ki pool, he may use his own hit points to power his sword school techniques and feats.  This is treated as subdual damage and is healed as such.  When using his own hit points to power ki techniques, the samurai can sacrifice them at a 1-to-1 ratio.

     Bonus Feat: At 2nd-level, the samurai may choose a bonus feat.  A samurai is more than just swordsmanship, they are trained in a variety of different techniques and arts, martial and otherwise.  At 2nd-level when he selects his first bonus feat, the samurai chooses a feat group from which all his bonus feats must be selected from (except artistry).  The samurai may choose an additional bonus feat at levels 6, 10, 16 and 18.

     Archery: Dead Shot**, Improved Critical (bow), Point Blank Shot (Far Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Shot on the Run), Weapon Focus (bow).

     Artistry: Skill Focus (any craft or perform skill).  (Artistry is not a feat group that must be taken individually.  A Skill Focus feat used for craft or perform can be taken individually despite having selected another feat group.)

     Horsemanship: Mounted Combat (Flanking Horse**, Improved Horse Shield**, Improved Mounted Archery**, Lightning Mount**, Mounted Archery, Stamp**, Trample, Ride-By Attack, Spirited Charge), Skill Focus (handle animal), Skill Focus (ride).

     Iaijutsu Student: Blind-Fighting, Improved Critical (katana), Improved Initiative, Inner Calm** (Still Thought+), Quick Draw (Deadly Draw**), Signature Skill (Iaijutsu Focus), Skill Focus (iaijutsu focus), Skill Focus (intimidate), Skill Focus (sense motive),  Weapon Focus (katana).

     Ki Training: Ki Activation** (Ki Survival**), Ki Channel** (Ki Capture**, Ki Harness**, Ki Healing**, Ki Reservoir**).

     Master Strategist: Combat Reflexes (Expert Tactician+), Grateful Leader**, Leadership, Remain Conscious* (Undying Defense+), Retainers**, Skill Focus (battle), Skill Focus (bluff), Skill Focus (sense motive).

     Social Etiquette: Alertness+, Iron Will, Skill Focus (bluff), Skill Focus (diplomacy), Skill Focus (gather information), Skill Focus (innuendo), Skill Focus (intimidate), Skill Focus (sense motive), Socially Graceful**, Venomous Tongue**.

     Sword School: Most samurai traditions are schooled in at least two forms of combat.  A samurai may use his bonus feats to train in a second sword school available to him.

     Unarmed Combat (Martial Arts): Blind-Fight, Dodge (Karmic Strike*, Mobility, Spring Attack), Expertise (Defensive Strike*, Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, Superior Expertise*, Whirlwind Attack), Improved Grapple* (Choke Hold*, Earth's Embrace*), Improved Unarmed Strike (Defensive Throw*, Deflect Arrows, Eagle Claw Attack*, Falling Star Strike*, Fists of Iron*, Freezing the Lifeblood*, Grapple Block*, Great Throw*, Stunning Fist, Unbalancing Strike*, Pain Touch*), Power Attack (Improved Bull Rush, Roundabout Kick*, Flying Kick*), Prone Attack*.

*: see Oriental Adventures

**: see The Quintessential Samurai

+: new or modified, see Feats

     Daimyo's Cause (Ex): The purpose of the samurai is to serve and fight in his daimyo's (master's) name.  Most of a samurai's adventuring career involves undertaking quests in his daimyo's name and battling the enemies of his lord.  A samurai's devotion to his daimyo is so great that he gains special bonuses over his daimyo's enemies.  At 3rd-level, a samurai gains a +2 bonus to all Bluff, Intimidate, Perception, and Sense Motive checks when using these skills against the enemies of his daimyo.  Likewise, he gets a +2 bonus on weapon damage rolls and a +2 bonus to confirm critical hits made against these enemies.  This bonus increases as the samurai increases in level.  (Note this is a fairly abstract ability and is left open to the DM's discretion as to what constitutes and enemy of the PC's daimyo).

     Staredown (Ex): At 5th-level, a samurai becomes able to strike fear into his foes by his mere presence.  He gains a +4 bonus on Intimidate checks and can demoralize an opponent (as described in the Intimidate skill description).

     Aura of Courage (Ex/Su): At 7th-level, a samurai is immune to fear (magical or otherwise).  Allies within 10 feet of the samurai gain a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against fear effects.  Granting the morale bonus to allies is a supernatural ability.

     Mass Staredown (Ex): At 9th-level, a samurai has sufficient presence that he can cow multiple foes.  Using an Intimidate check the samurai can demoralize all opponents within 30 feet as an attack action.

     Improved Mass Staredown (Ex): At 13th-level even a glance from the hard eyes of a samurai is enough to give his foes pause.  The samurai can demoralize opponents within 30 feet as a standard action instead of an attack action.

     Jito: At 16th-level, the samurai is made jito, a steward, to his lord.  in this, the samurai is given command of a portion of his daimyo's forces.  Upon becoming jito, the samurai gains the following benefits:

• Gain the Leadership feat as a bonus feat.
• In addition to followers and cohorts gained through the Leadership feat, the samurai gains 5 npc retainers.  These men and women are non-combatants and are most often used to run errands, manage households, or otherwise tend to a samurai's mundane needs.  If asked to fight, they will do so but their loss will weigh heavily on the samurai's honor.  Retainers are all of the Expert npc class and the samurai player may choose their skills and feats, they have 1 level of Expert for every 3 samurai class levels the character has (so a 16th-level samurai will start with 5 5th-level retainers).  These retainers does not count towards followers gained by the Leadership feat.  Loss of these retainers results in a 5 point honor loss per retainer.  Once the retainers are lost, they are not regained.
• The samurai has access to his lord's resources.  He may requisition supplies for individual missions.  The maximum value of the supplies requisitions from the samurai's lord is equal to his samurai class level x his Charisma modifier (if positive) x 1,000 gp.  Thus a 16th-level samurai with a Charisma 14 (+2) could have up to 18,000 gp worth of supplies (including weapons, armor, transportation, or other equipment -- this could also include magical items the lord has at his disposal, see gp values in the Dungeon Master's Guide).  In general, the samurai should return requisitioned equipment in a reasonable time frame: however, no specific limits (other than the DM's discretion) are assigned.  If any requisitioned equipment is lost or destroyed, its value counts as a permanent penalty to the samurai's maximum value.

     Frightful Presence (Ex): 17th-level samurai's bravery, honor, and fighting prowess have become legendary.  When the samurai draws his blade, opponents within 30 feet must succeed on a Will save (DC 20 + samurai's Cha modifier) or become panicked for 4d6 rounds (if they have 4 or fewer Hit Dice) or shaken for 4d6 rounds (if they have from 5 to 19 Hit Dice).  Creatures with 20 or more Hit Dice are not affected.  Any foe that successfully resists the effect cannot be affected again by the same samurai's frightful presence for 24 hours.

     Samurai's Wrath (Ex): At 20th-level, a samurai may, once per day, unleash his wrath upon his enemies.  Upon doing so he gains the benefits of the Die Hard feat, a +4 bonus to Strength, a +4 bonus to Constitution, and a +2 bonus on all saving throws for a number of minutes equal to his samurai class level + Charisma modifier (if positive).  The increase in Constitution increases the samurai's hit points by 2 points per level, but these hit points go away at the end of the samurai's wrath when his Constitution score drops back to normal, and are not lost first the way temporary hit points are.

     The samurai may choose to end his wrath voluntarily at any point, but whenever it ends, the samurai is fatigued for a number of minutes equal to the time spent in his wrath.

*: A weapon can't actually have a bonus higher than +5.  Use these lines, and the magic weapon creation rules in the Dungeon Master's Guide to determine cost when special abilities are added in.  Example: A samurai who has a +4 katana can transform it into a +4 thundering katana with a sacrifice of 1,600 experience, since thundering is a special ability equivalent to +2.

Iaijutsu Duels

     Samurai believe the greatest honor and the truest expression of their training is their expertise in the martial arts.  The pinnacle of the armed martial art is the iaijutsu ("fast draw") duel: a dramatic face-to-face confrontation in which each samurai focuses his ki, then attempts to strike his opponent while drawing his blade in a single motion.

     The process of conducting an iaijutsu duel is highly formalized.  Since iaijutsu duels are often fatal to one or even both duelists, they are never provoked by minor insults or passing arguments.  When a samurai has been deeply wronged and decides to challenge his enemy to an iaijutsu duel, he must first get his lord's permission to issue the challenge.  Since his life and body belong to his lord, the lord must consent to a duel that could mean the loss of this property.  If his lord agrees, the samurai seeks out his enemy and formally requests a duel, stating the reason for the challenge and precisely naming the terms of victory.

     If the second samurai is willing to fight the duel, he must ask his lord's permission to accept.  The challenged samurai may himself refuse to accept the duel, though this is not a particularly honorable course of action.  His lord may refuse permission, or may name another samurai to accept the duel in place of the challenged samurai.  Assuming permission is granted, the challenged samurai has the right to name the place where the duel will occur (always a public place, with witnesses from both sides), as well as the time (no more than one year in the future).  If the circumstances prevent one samurai from appearing at the appointed time for the duel, his lord may name a samurai to fight in his place.

     Once this formal process has been followed, the actual duel can occur.  An iaijutsu duel has three phases: stance, focus, and strike.  In order to meaningfully participate in a iaijutsu duel, a samurai must have, at least, the Quick Draw feat.  Spending a move action to draw a katana in the strike phase of the duel would almost certainly be fatal.  Specialized duelists master the Iaijutsu Focus skill as well.

     Iaijutsu duels are always performed with the katana.

     Stance: In the first round of an iaijutsu duel, the two samurai stand a few steps apart and appraise each other, looking for signs in their opponent's skill, training, and reflex in the samurai's ready posture.  Many duels go no further: one samurai may concede victory to the other, recognizing a clearly superior opponent.  Such duels are the only bloodless iaijutsu duels.  Conceding in this manner is not dishonorable.

     When the duelists assume their stance, they each make a Sense Motive check.  The check result determines how much information they discern about the other samurai:

Check Result        Information Gained

15 - 19                    Opposing samurai's character level and

                                 honor score

20 - 24                    Opposing samurai's ranks in Iaijutsu Focus

25 +                         Opposing samurai's total attack and

                                 damage bonus with his katana

     Focus: Both duelists make an Iaijutus Focus check.  If you do not have ranks in the Iaijutsu Focus skill, you can attempt to use the skill untrained by making a Charisma check (and you probably shouldn't be in an iaijutsu duel).

     In this phase, the samurai with the higher honor gains an advantage as he focuses his ki for the strike.  A samurai gains a +1 bonus to his Iaijutsu Focus check for every 10 points of personal honor.

     Strike: After both duelists attempt Iaijutsu Focus checks, they draw their katanas and strike.  The Iaijutsu Focus skill check from the Focus phase replaces the normal initiative roll.  The samurai may add any additional bonuses he normally gains for initiative (such as Improved Initiative) but not his Dex modifier.  (Note this bonus is for initiative purposes only, not for additional damage.)  The initiative loser is considered flat-footed.

     The first round of a iaijutsu duel's Strike phase is essentially a surprise round.  Each combatant can take only a partial action (usually a single attack) in addition to drawing the weapon (a free action, assuming each duelist has the Quick Draw feat, and those with Deadly Draw may add their +5 attack modifier to their Strike roll).  With a successful hit, a duelist deals bonus damage achieved through his Iaijutsu Focus check in addition to normal (or critical) weapon damage.  The initiative winner strikes first, naturally.  The initiative loser, if he survives, must attack on his action as well -- he cannot hold back the ki he has focused.  Note that since the loser is not attacking a flat-footed foe, he does not get the opportunity to strike with his bonus damage dice from Iaijutsu Focus.

     If the initiative check is a tie, the attacks actually occur simultaneously, with both samurai considered to be flat-footed.  On rare occasions, two samurai have been known to strike each other down in the same instant in what is called a karmic strike.

     After the initial round of the Strike phase, the two samurai can continue fighting in normal combat, if both survive.  They no longer receive any bonus to damage dice unless the circumstances under which Iaijutsu Focus checks may be attempted somehow rise again in the course of the fight.

Iaijutsu Duels

Multiclassing

Iaijutsu Duels

    An outcast among his own people, the ronin is a masterless samurai, one who no longer has a master to serve.  This can occur a number of ways.  The most obvious is that the samurai's lord is slain or dies with no heir and he is left with no one to serve.  Another possibility is that the lord has cast the samurai out and banished him from his service (any samurai who drops below 10 personal honor points will more than likely be automatically released from a daimyo's service.  Another option is that the samurai goes against the tenants of bushido and his alignment shifts away from lawful.

     Samurai turned ronin face restrictions; first they cannot advance in level as samurai until they somehow find a new lord to serve.  This is easier said then done as ronin carry a stigma with them, they are seen as unwanted and undeserving of being in a daimyo's service, whether this is deserving or not.

     Samurai who are ronin and wish to continue advancing in level have the option of multiclassing into a monk.  Of course they could multiclass into anything they wish, however if they choose the path of the monk they have the option of advancing their samurai levels again should they come into the service of a new lord.

     Ronin who slip from the path of bushido and change their alignment away from lawful, they face different restrictions.  First, a ronin who is not lawful looses some of his samurai abilities.  He retains all of his feats, including some of his sword school abilities.  However he looses the power to gather and use his ki, meaning that any sword school ability that requires ki can no longer be used.  Furhter, the samurai's ancestral weapon looses all of it's abilities and reverts back to a masterwork weapon.  Non-lawful ronin also loose the abilities of staredown, mass staredown, improved mass staredown, and frightful presence.

     Further, the non-lawful ronin will have to multiclass into another class if he wishes to advance in levels.  Due to alignment restrictions, multiclassing into a monk is out of the question, so another class will have to be selected, usually a fighter or ranger.  Sometimes a barbarian in extreme cases.

     If a non-lawful ronin ever reverts his alignment back to lawful, he may regain his lost abilities, including the ability to use his ki.  Also, the ronin may re-awaken his ancestral weapon by infusing more of his spirit (experience points) into the weapon just as he did previously.  He can only awaken his ancestral weapon to his highest samurai level.

     A ronin that reverts back to a lawful alignment cannot increase his samurai levels after multiclassing into another class.

Ronin

     The path of the samurai demands adherence and dedication, it does not leave much room to pursue other interests.  Because of this, the samurai face multiclassing restrictions similar to the paladin and cavalier.  If the samurai ever takes a level in another class (or raises a level in another class if already multiclassed) he can never raise his samurai class level again.  The samurai may retain all his benefits and abilities already gained (with some exception, see Ronin below), however he cannot gain any new ones, nor awaken his Ancestral Weapon any more.

     Like the paladin and cavalier, there are exceptions to the samurai's multiclass restriction; the monk.  Many samurai have taken up martial studies in addition to their sword school.  Also, samurai who live long enough to be retired from their lord's service, often seek solace in their old age and seek a life of tranquility and meditation.  Hence, the monk is a perfect fit for some samurai.

Samurai Traditions and Sword Schools

     All the samurai of Tengoku no Niwa train in different schools of swordplay.  From the elven clans to the yuan-ti, but no one tradition is proficient in them all.

     Elven Clans: The various clans of the elves all have their own areas of specialty when it comes to the way of the sword.  Each clan having their own specialization among the ranks of the empire.  Note that the training of the elven clans includes any of the spirit folk that live among them as well as the hengeyokai that serve them.

     Silvercrest Clan: The elves of the Silvercrest are known for two things within the empire; exploration and oni hunting.  Their sword schools reflect this.  The Cleaving Thunder Style is the most commonly practiced among the Silvercrest, being a powerful style useful against mortal and extraordinary opponents alike, such as the oni.  It is also useful against the walking dead.  A lesser learned sword school practiced by the Silvercrest is Parting Waves Style, seemingly completely opposite the more destructive Cleaving Thunder Style, the Parting Waves Style allows the samurai to side step danger and practically toy with his opponents.  A Silvercrest samurai trained in both Cleaving Thunder and Parting Waves styles is a dangerous opponent indeed, using Parting Waves to side-step an attack, and then Cleaving Thunder for the finishing strike.

     Korobokuru: Though considered primitive by many standards in Tengoku no Niwa, the diminutive korobokuru do have what qualifies as a samurai caste.  Korobokuru samurai prefer heavy weapons such as the die tsuchi and tetsubo, and their schools of combat reflect this preference to damage over finesse.  Korobokuru samurai have access to the Cleaving Thunder Style and Returning Fortunes Style.

     Tengu: The tengu of Tengoku no Niwa are one of the few races outside the elves that have a samurai caste among them.  School of swordsmanship among the tengu are Dazzling Cascade Style and the Parting Waves Style.

     Yuan-ti (Naga): Almost all the samurai of the yuan-ti are purebloods with a few of them (roughly 5%) being halfbloods.  Abominations are never samurai, instead they are the lords that the yuan-ti samurai serve.  The most common style practiced among them is the Trampling Dragon Style, using their own sense of arrogance to defeat their opponents before the battle even starts.  The second most learned school among them is the Unwavering Strike Style, a school of swordsmanship that has been developed almost exclusively to combat other samurai.

Iaijutsu Duels

Entering into Debt                                                         -3

Fleeing a Fight                                                              -10

Forming an Alliance with a Powerful Family           +1

Gaining Ranks in the Following Skills*: Craft,

Diplomacy, Perform, and Profession                       +1

Leading a Losing Force in Battle                                -4

Leading a Victorious Force in Battle                         +3

Losing Item of Quality                                                   -5

Losing Magical Item                                                    -10

Losing Ancestral Weapon                                          -20

Refusing One's Lord                                                      -3

Taking a Bribe                                                                -1

Taking Prisoners                                                           +1

*: This applies only to the first time the samurai takes ranks in this skill, including any skills he took at 1st-level.

Samurai Honor Modifiers