Roleplaying game

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Chapter 9: A Ronin’s Path
The Kuni Ritual
If the PCs have spoken to Kuni Terumi and convinced Tomonatsu to 
keep her and the Kuni shugenja in reserve, read the following aloud as 
the skirmish begins:
The oni’s figure dominates the tower, and it glares at you as you 
reach the upper level. Its eyes are two red-hot embers, the air dis-
torted around them from the sheer heat. It is then that you notice 
the growing sound of ritual chanting, coming from the shugenja 
gathered around the lowest level of the tower. Rays of glowing jade 
energy spread across the floor in an angular pattern, weaving 
together and piercing the oni’s flesh where it touches the floor. It 
writhes with pain and screeches, yet it doesn’t fall. “Hurry! We have 
tied it to the tower and weakened it, but the kami can only contain 
it for so long!” you hear one of the shugenja scream.
The Jade Labyrinth ritual weakens the oni. Once completed, it counts 
as having been performed successfully with 4 bonus successes, plus one 
per PC who assisted Terumi in her research.
Jade Labyrinth
Prerequisites: School rank 1   XP Cost: 3 (1 for a PC who helped Terumi 
research it)
Description: The character inscribes a snaking pattern across the ground 
in jade powder, creating a maze of sacred energy that weakens unholy be-
ings and restricts their movement. Struggle as they may, they must walk 
the intricate path before them to escape, wasting their time and leaving 
them vulnerable to even mundane attacks.
Type: Downtime.
Activation: As a downtime activity, make a TN 4 Theology (Earth) 
check targeting a position at range 0–1.
Effects: If you succeed, for the next hour, the first time a Shadowlands 
creature enters the targeted position, it suffers the Immobilized condi-
tion and is dealt supernatural damage equal to your bonus successes as 
though it were attacked with a weapon possessing the Sacred quality. 
While the creature is trapped, Attack checks targeting it deal as though 
they were made using a weapon with the Sacred quality. At the begin-
ning of each of its turns, it must make a TN 3 Theology (Water 5, Air 1) 
check to find its way free; if it fails, it suffers the Immobilized condition 
and is dealt supernatural damage equal to its shortfall as though it were 
attacked with a weapon possessing the Sacred quality.

+: Choose one additional position at range 0–3 to be encompassed by 
the labyrinth. It can still trap only a single creature.
Siege Weapons
If the PCs assisted Kaiu Masae in repairing the Wall, she was able to 
spend some of her time installing a number of siege weapons atop it. 
These massive ballistae are not mounted to rotate to fire at a target atop 
the Wall, but with a bit of jury-rigging, they could be tilted to target Ka-
zanagan no Oni. There are two such ballistae nearby at range 4 of the oni.
The ballistae are much too large for a single person to heft, but they 
can be adjusted to hit the monster. As an action, a character at range 0–1 
of a ballista may make a TN 1 Labor (Water) check to modify one of its 
mountings or a TN 2 Fitness (Water) check to force it into place. Then, 
any character at range 0 of the ballista may fire it, using the following 
profile. Each weapon has five bolts loaded, and it must be reloaded (as an 
action) after these are fired.
The Absolution of Keinosuke
Should he still be alive, Keinosuke joins the battle against the oni, eager to 
redeem himself after his involvement with Michiru, the mahō-tsukai. The 
first time Tomonatsu or one of the PCs suffers a critical strike of severity 
8 or higher, he intercepts the blow and suffers it instead, allowing him to 
regain his honor (albeit possibly in death). Aftermath
Once the oni is defeated, the battle is essentially over. Some Shad-
owlands creatures fight to the very end, but without Kazanagan no 
Oni’s direction, their army falls apart, and many retreat deep within the 
Shadowlands. The characters are praised for their actions during battle 
that contributed to the victory, and should Tomonatsu still be alive, she 
considers herself in their debt. This might be only the beginning for the 
PCs, however, as Seppun Hirohide still awaits their return, which the GM 
could use to set up another story. Alternatively, the PCs could remain at 
the Wall, particularly if the attack is later found to be part of a larger pat-
tern indicating a change in the behavior of the Shadowlands. Regardless, 
the GM should reward the PCs with experience points as well as glory 
and honor where appropriate, as they have thwarted a major threat to 
Rokugan through their actions.
Third Watchtower Command Ballista
Skill
Range
Damage
Deadliness
Martial Arts [Ranged] Range 2–5
12
10

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220
Chapter 9: A Ronin’s Path
Appendix: A Rōnin’s Path NPC Profiles
Keinosuke the Rōnin (Adversary)
Keinosuke is genuinely remorseful for his involvement with Michiru, 
whom he did not know was a mahō-tsukai. Now, he has sought out a new 
identity and new home among the Crab Clan to atone for his sins.
EARTH
RESILIENCE
COMPOSURE
FOCUS
VIGILANCE
PHYSICAL 
RESISTANCES
SUPERNATURAL
RESISTANCES
FIRE
AIR
WATER
VOID
3
3
1
12
5
1
10
2
0
2
2
Conflict Rank: Combat 3, Intrigue 2
Skills: Martial 2, Scholar 1, Trade 2
Advantages: Killer Instinct (Fire) [Martial; Mental]
Disadvantages: Rude (Fire) [Social; Interpersonal]
Demeanor: Assertive (Earth +2, Water –2)
Outburst: Become Enraged 
Honor: 30 
Glory: 40  
Status: 20
Ninjō: Clear his name
Giri: Defend the wall
Abilities: School of the Wolf (Once per round, when an Attack action 
check targeting Keinosuke succeeds, Keinosuke may spend 1 Void point 
to change the target to another character (other than the attacker) at 
range 0–1 of Keinosuke.)
Gear (equipped): Daishō (wakizashi [Range 0–1, Damage 4, Deadliness 
5/7, Ceremonial, Concealable, Razor-edged] and katana [Range 1, 
Damage 4, Deadliness 5/7, Ceremonial, Razor-edged]) or one other 
weapon, worn robes (Physical 1, Damaged, Mundane), empty sake jug, 
straw hat, a pouch containing a handful of koku, bu, and zeni.
Techniques
Iaijutsu
Activation: As an Attack action using one sheathed katana or wakizashi, 
Keinosuke may make a TN 2 Martial Arts [Melee] check targeting one 
character at range 1–2.
Effects: Keinosuke draws and readies the sheathed katana or wakizashi in 
a one-handed grip.
If Keinosuke succeeds, he deals physical damage to the target equal to 
the weapon’s deadliness plus their bonus successes.
Striking as Fire
Activation: When Keinosuke makes a Martial Arts [Melee, Ranged, or 
Unarmed] (Fire) check, Keinosuke may spend  in the following way:
•  Fire +: Increase the severity of the next critical strike your target suf-
fers by 1 per  spent this way. This effect persists until the end of your 
next turn.
Hida Tomonatsu (Adversary)
Stern and unflinching, Hida Tomonatsu takes the charge of her ancestors 
very seriously. A veteran of many battles, she understands all too well the 
horrors the Shadowlands hold.
EARTH
RESILIENCE
COMPOSURE
FOCUS
VIGILANCE
PHYSICAL 
RESISTANCES
SUPERNATURAL
RESISTANCES
FIRE
AIR
WATER
VOID
4
3
2
12
4
4
14
1
0
1
2
Conflict Rank: Combat 3, Intrigue 1
Skills: Martial 3, Social 1, Trade 1
Advantages: No-Nonsense (Earth) [Social; Mental], Self-Sacrificing (Fire) 
[Martial; Mental]
Disadvantages: Culturally Obtuse (Air) [Artisan; Mental]
Demeanor: Gruff (Air +2, Earth –2)
Typical Outburst: Inappropriate Remark
Honor: 45 
Glory: 50  
Status: 55
Ninjō: Spend time with her family in Nishiyama village
Giri: Ensure that the Wall is not breached
Abilities: Sworn Protector (Once per round, when an Attack action 
check targeting another character succeeds, Tomonatsu may spend 1 
Void point to intervene. Tomonatsu becomes the target of the attack in-
stead of the original target.)
Gear (equipped): Ōtsuchi (Martial Arts [Melee]; Range 1; Damage 8; 
Deadliness 3; Cumbersome, Durable, Wargear), yumi (Range 2–5, Dam-
age 5, Deadliness 3), wakizashi (Range 0–1, Damage 4, Deadliness 5/7, 
Ceremonial, Concealable, Razor-edged), knife (Range 0, Damage 2, 
Deadliness 4, Concealable, Mundane, Razor-Edged), lacquered armor 
(Physical 4).
Gear (other): Plain robes (Physical 1, Mundane), miniature go set.
Techniques
Lord Hida’s Grip
As an Attack action, Tomonatsu may make a Fitness (Void) check 
targeting one creature of silhouette 3 or larger at range 0–1. The TN 
of the check is equal to the silhouette of the target. If she succeeds, her 
target suffers the Immobilized condition, and she counts as granting 
assistance (see page 15) to all characters who perform Attack actions 
against the target.

: The target must resist with a TN 3 Fitness check or suffer the Prone 
condition.

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