THE TANUKI FAMILY: +1 STAMINA The Tanuki was a small Family of simple samurai, who mostly came from other Minor Clans and as such were used to a lack of luxuries. Used to the toughening forester lifestyle and avid consumers of sake and all kinds of food, many Tanuki were quite rotund, but it would have been foolish for anyone to interpret it as a sign of softness.
T
ANUKIB
USHIS
CHOOLThe majority of samurai thought the Tanuki were somewhere between lunatics and buffoons, pointing to their large consumption of alcohol and odd superstitions, such as never going outside without wearing a broad straw hat, or bowing to the tanuki effigies at the entrance of their home when coming in. A small minority thought their explorations were bearing fruit though, and found the Shinomen Forest to be a somewhat safer place in their presence. The Tanuki never seemed to care much for any opinion, preferring their
forest expeditions to discover more about the spirits hiding there, and the parties they held after such trips. To protect themselves, they developed an odd fighting style, which didn’t attract much praise from other bushi Family. Still, the Clan thrived in a dangerous environment, so they must have done at least one thing correctly... or been extremely lucky.
Bonus: +1 Agility
Skills: Chain Weapons, Defense, Hunting (Survival), Jiujutsu, Kenjutsu, Lore: Shapeshifters, any one High or Bugei Skill
Honor: 4.5
Outfit: Sturdy Clothing, Travelling Pack, Light Armor, Daisho, Any 1 weapon, Sake Jug, 1 koku
TECHNIQUES
RANK 1:DANCE OF THE TANUKI
The Tanuki’s movements may seem odd to an observer, but still have the same aim as any warrior’s: landing blows on the target. Once per day, after an attack roll (but before re- rolling any dice because of any emphasis), you may turn a single die which rolled a one into a ten, which doesn’t explode.
RANK 2:SACRED BEVERAGE
A real Tanuki samurai is rarely seen without his trusty sake jug in hand, and seems to be constantly sipping from it, even before a fight. Yet this never seems to play against the Tanuki in combat. You suffer no penalty for inebriation in combat. Furthermore, if you’ve had at least one cup’s worth of sake in the thirty minutes preceding the fight, you may add +3 to your Armor TN.
RANK 3:SWING, SWING, SWING
Missing is not something which bothers a Tanuki samurai; he just keeps attacking, regardless of the circumstances. You may attack as a Simple Action when using a samurai weapon or a chain weapon.
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Needless to say that if this happens in your establishment, the victims need to pay for their drinks (business is business). Failing to do so may incur an Obligation to you, at the GM’s discretion.
NEW KIHO
T
HEG
URU’
ST
HOUSANDF
IRESRing/Mastery: Fire 5 Type: Spiritual
Taught to the Tanuki Clan since their transportation to the colonies by ‘Yogi Gurus’ (under the direction of Sainka Guru
‘Dhalsim’), this kiho allows a Tanuki samurai to turn his most reliable companion, sake, into a most potent weapon. To activate this kiho, you must spend a Void Point and then drink some sake as Simple Action. For a number of rounds equal to your Stamina Rank, you are considered to be mechanically benefiting from the Breath of the Fire Dragon spell (see pg. 183, 4ED Core rule book).
NEWADVANTAGE
ABLEDRINKER[PHYSICAL]
(1POINTS)
You can really put the liquor away. This could be due to naturally high constitution, or maybe just a lot of experience. Add 2k1 to the total of Earth Rolls to resist inebriation. Tanuki, Crab and Mantis characters add a 3k1 to the total of Earth Rolls to resist inebriation.
KINCHOTHESIXTH
(CURRENT DAIMYO OF THE TANUKI CLAN)
Kincho is a man of refined tastes and considers himself a true expert on sake. After visiting many sake houses across the entirety of Rokugan with his father, Kincho the Fifth, Kincho has come to the escapable conclusion that Rokugan samurai are missing out on something truly sublime. Most samurai only ever get to enjoy the regional blends of sake and miss out on some of life’s most truly excellent brews. To remedy this, he has gathered up many of his Tanuki vassals to
open-up a new sake-house, the House of the Blue Tanuki. The House of the Blue Tanuki offers up some of the strangest and strongest sake available in Rokugan and, as a result, has gained sort of an infamous reputation amongst proper samurai (no doubt due to machinations from the Peacock Clan). However, rumors persist that some of the finest sake masters of the different clans, ranging from the Crab, Unicorn, and Dragon, have made pilgrimages to the establishment. If this is true, Kincho is tight-lipped about it, but the strange gaijin juices and “fire” brews are evidence that the House of the Blue Tanuki offers a most comprehensive, albeit strange, assortment of sake.
KINCHO THE SIXTH
………..
AIR: 3 EARTH: 3 FIRE: 4 WATER 3: VOID: 5 STAMINA: 6
……….. Honor: 2.7 Status: 7.5 (Most samurai assume 1) Glory: 3.5 Infamy: 5
School/Rank: Tanuki Sake Master 5 Skills: Athletics 3, Defense 2, Craft: Brewing (Sake) 7, Commerce 5, Etiquette
(Conversation) 4, Intimidation 4, Jiujutsu 3, Kenjutsu 2, Lore: Sake (Various) 10, Medicine (Antidotes, Wound Treatment) 4, Meditation (Void Recovery) 4, Sincerity 3, Staves (Bo) 5, Tea Ceremony (Sake) 6 Advantages: Allies (Many), Bland
Forbidden Knowledge (Sake Brews), Gentry (Sake House), Hero of the People
Social Position (Tanuki Clan Champion) Disadvantages:
Compulsion (Brew the Best Sake) 4, Dark Secret (Tanuki Clan Champion), Infamous Sworn Enemy (Peacock Clan)
Kiho: Chi Protection, Cleansing Spirit, Harmony of the Mind, The Guru’s Thousand Fires, Root the Mountain, Slap the Wave, To the Last Breath, Spin the Kharmic Wheel, Unbalance the Mind, Waves in All Things