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    Legend of the Burning Sands

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    Legend of The Burning Sands

    Hochgeladen von

    joe horrieks
    l5r rpg LBS add on

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Als PDF herunterladen oder online auf Scribd lesen
    Markieren Sie unangemessene Inhalte
    von 304
    RXKMKKK EKER ax By Cx os WRITING. Dan Comite, Jed Carltint, Shawn Cannan, 4 Douglae Sun, Lucas Tiyman, Brian Yoon EDITING Rob Hobart, with Jon Hall, Brent Keith, Biegore jon pinto, Todd C7 Roplacd COVER ART Filge Entertainment INTERIOR ARI Drew: Baber, Pal Caerick, Liz Danforth Cadl Frank, Scott Jam Sr Malelin MeClinton, Anson Maddocks, David Greig Males, Jennifer Mahr, M.A. Nelion, } Wilhinn O'Connor, Ben Peck, Michael Sutfin, ALA. Williams CARTOGRAPHY Ep Ed Bourelle GRAPHIC DESIGN Rodney Saenz, jim pinto CREATIVE MANAGER :| jim pinto | PRODUCTION MANAGER David Lepore ih ALES MANAGER (jase Ray SHIPPING MANAGER Hon Hall BRAND MANAGER Todd C. Rowland STORY/WORLD DEVELOPMENT. Shavm Carman Le CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER John Zinser PLAYTESTERS Lynn Ablgren, Becky Anderson, Alex Andersson, Dave Aes ‘Terry Baldwin, Brian Bates, Kathryn. Bayad, Dasid Black, Ton Becxeaifersty Bellis Chris BacawlalGurletony Byatt Cre, Ryan Carman, DJ Chagnon, Patrik Chen, Christan Corsiveau, Scott Couicher, Rob Dake, Steve DiPbsa, Aien Eli, Charles Eth JacasGer Filzimmons, Charles Fox, Joel Fry, Los Fulbrook, Darrick Harring, Angela Harris, Jim Hares, Poul Hartmann, He ee) Heath , cause Paul Jenkins Ast iene ‘Alex Jones, fan Keng, Chod Resdall, Ki Chang Kim, Bric King, Chris Kock, Erin Kogan, Chistopher LaHaie, Roger Liang, C. Le Tom Lewis, Paul Meador, Steven Mileham, ae ‘Mills, Cory Mills, Brad Monster, Dan Moenster, Arthur Nguyen, Benjemin L. Noble, Jobs O'Neil, ‘Alan Olio, John Olsan, Ed Oven: Jones; Eutiir ‘A. PtGnafis Donny Pichotis! Jamie Elizabeth Pinaule: Melly Poole, Catherine Prickett, Mare ‘Qudatard, Stowen Rioux, David Robotham, Mate Schenck, 2h Schwartz, Milze Scott, Jason Shafer, Nathan Shafer, Alexander J Skrabut, David Smith, Liza’ Strout, Matt Strout, Mark Turner, Mike Webb, Joe White, Roger Winter, Matt Weight DEDICATION ‘This hook is dedicated the fans of LBS who survived: in the desert all these years. Lego Of the He Ring Lend Of The Burning Sands, Rokugan, Emerekd Empite, Medinoat Al- Edlsam nnd all slated mals are ™ and @ Alltoc Trsledainment Group Inc. All rights reserved u | i 4 SS SSS See fintRoDucTION Dabebi Mertant Diglons) TL Introduction . Shanta ut [| Tales of Yesterday and Today. ed The Qubal. 12°F How to Use this Book 8 “The Palitice of Soree 14 ‘What is Familiar..... lee 8 Mechanics... 116 Whint is Unlitisliseingc cy gcc caietsetcl ‘Quhal Factions 116 ‘A Foreign, Not Alien Land BD. Qahal Agent (Diplomat) 116 The Line of the Prophet. 10 Oabal Summoner (Sabi 117 Roksugan and the Gaij roll Magi ce CHAPTER ONE: RULES OF PLAY Hee SP Basie Gane Moca 9 —— Roll and Keep CHAPTER THREE: THE ASHALAN | _ Ringe and Traits Ree . Ng ‘Cheracter Creation. ere : History. + Advantages 1) Diente jauipment | Pliying the Game Combat Resolution .. Tahaddi (Knile-Fichting) Spellcastings Noid Points. Siuffocation/ Drowning. . Poison and Diseore Bowrlers. Bailding Character "| CHAPTER TWO: MEDINAAT AL-SALAAM Mena alae, 3 vee es Government ... 84 as 86 bi Demogeaphion. sc : Re Re , 4 Cpe a he all eSB Cigale Today. 09 = Glinkte ad et eet S109 ne ees idi Today. aaa is ie 1 Mallinict ees Gi feel Wenge, See 100 A Sl glthe Cy Gd cats OL > in é 102, A te Heartless Kid... sauna Aan io “103 ogee of Dal 0k : ee cae “104 re Fy aes of Daal Toiey a 0 J the Sole, o “108 i es i 107, | Mecha Se 108 Ni the Howse of Dobah 108 1 Dakabi Enforcer (Wastiog 109 | Dalabi Bangainer (Gabi). “110 Vand Social Organization peo : That Crataa Religious Beliefs and Myth Dado lee Coren of Soule The Miss Mos Ftemally Faithful Glue sl Tanain Top Reproduction... Seodemithing Language Mechanics. Heart Beckers Sun-Riders (Diplomat)... Ashalan Sandsmith..... Magic Htoms.. ‘Ashalan NPCs CHAPTER FOUR: THE ASSASSINS ‘The Assassin Overview. Secret History. Bio gs Political and Social Onsnization Mechaniies ‘Assassin Factions ‘Assassin Equipment. Assassin Slayer (Warsios ‘Assassin Keeper (Diplomat) ..... Ascossin Duolist. New Skill/ Emphasis New Disadvantage Magic Reeme san Assassin NPCs... | “CHAPTER FiVE: THE RA'SHARL (Chapter Five: The Ra’Shari: eel tS * Overview. 175 © History. : 7" b Political and Social Organization wocnren 12 Groat Caravan of Mysticism 4 “The Great Caravan of Entertainment “The Great Cannyanval Commsiee.. The Great Caravan of Memory 5 Religious Beliele and Mythology. 1¢ Ra’Shari and the Jinn. © Calsure and Lancuage The Life of aNomad ‘Language and Naming Practices Mechanics Ra'Shari Factions... Ra'Shari Knife Fighter (Warsi). © R'Shari Tradee (Diplomat). 4 RulShari Diviner (Sahin) ‘The Cokaloi of Dawn. “The Cobaloi of Dusk. The Cokalos of Night ‘Ra’ Shari NPC. CHAPTER SIX: THE SENPET. Chapter Six: The Senpet..ocsceeene nme OT Overview 197 ester co andege 199° Political And Social Organization. 204 Belson Bel nd tol 2206 Culfute and Language aie c208 Mechanics. mare ee Senpet Characters 21 aca 241 ‘Senpet Legionnaine (Warrior) 2212 Senpet Charioteor (Warrior) ot | Sonpot Sahir (Sabie)... ee New Path 215 Avatar of Ten Thousand (Wartion sj. 218 New Spall. 216 ‘Magic Ttems Sonpet NPCS i CHAPTER SEVEN: THE YODOTAL ‘Chapter Seven: The Yodotai .... 221. Bete Meter ee Political and Social Onganization of Egon Belsl and Nth Calfure and Language . Mechanics. Yodotai Character. Xedos: Equipeeat Pied be vacate (Wersio!) Yodotai Mercenary (Warrior), Yodotsi Bemerker (Wasion) = os New Maneuver Nie Aten ‘New Disadvantaztes ‘Magic Items Yorotai NPCs... CHAPTER EIGHT: THE JACKALS Chap Highte The Jackal, sti ss Tole and @ocal Oreuntzition Reis Bele nl Mytholy. Glee er rmed Mle Jackal Weapons: Jackel Chee aes at Necromancer (i dei) a Kabir (Diplomat) Magi Vers. Tacha NPC. CHAPTER NINE: THE EBONITES Chapter Nine: The Ebonites ou Overview Hato Poli a Socal Organization Political Structure... Sovel Stator es 7 Religious Beliefe and Mytholowy Sits thee See The Virtues ‘The Code. Other Religions = Calture and Language Culture Language Naming C Mechanics Ehonite Equipment Ebonite Templ (Wario. New Path... Magic Item. Martial Arts Ebonite NPCs... APPENDIX: Appendix. Ge iuea clshe Russia hale james en Mahe Visas ation Tova plateeeiect Jeon Caton Tle Negotaiting with Jinn. Mer thie Bassinet ter Sheets. Index TABLE OF ENS “230 240 BAO 240 ee 245, 246 ie Waray Warstes Op heme Peal years From the Journal of Juchi Yue da tot remember how long it has been since 1 came lo this cccured plc, truth thore is much Lcan no longer semember. There tine na dayhht inthe room whore they hase kept me, ino micas jor me to measure the passage of time. Teel since T was taken, | quite cotain that it has boon yea A but Toannot say with amy certainty. Months, at the very et TF anmder what my family blors has become of me. [At the von last they think [fied them, and Tsuppoce thet iv tra, That pane me for more than any of the xfer my captor hav inflicted upon me My family sce charged sith protecting an ancient tifa ofgroat power, js pousrfd ome ener wivught by He hands of man. A crhape one ofthe mastdangerous Bleck Sool, which contained a fragment ofthe power of the davk god, Pu Lang. Orit did once. We could novor be crtain oft sas eff a poterel as it Bd i matier? It as no bss dangerous. As daimyo of was, but what he Tuc, Takis honored sith the duty to protect i, a3 those who eure thir loyally tom failed my Khan. The eral as stl Eoan now after so long, Edo not hie for cerkain sho took i The Fimpire bletes that Moto Chagatat i a deabarian, but my Khan isnot without mercy So many others woull simply have demanded I take my own Ke cas poriance for my failure, but the Khan only told me correct my mistake. He sont me out into the Empire to fina the scroll to bring it back. gefuly agreed, cager for the sweet release of rx Pibiclol- tes hie ithe Pons Saad. U mck a strange Wile ding T. thought pethaps he was one of these whe took the son. [discover lets that heweas a Phoenix Inquisitor «mon who devoted his entre ie to darkness that consumes the soul of man. sh that I could remember hie name, but that fone af the many things that las bsen taken from me by time aod aufring Heel Task tegther for tins, but the scroll and those eho tok it escaped cur grasp. In Sie ea et rae erin cht | happened sfisr that. Treandered the nerdhern Phoenée Tans, hoping to find ung che of cht had happened to the scroll T went to eleep one night in my camp, I coke tip, somevhere cee boon. Edo not lot ‘mon.and women are who hold mo. I am kept in a dank Ido not know whore I has | ! NPiseable rom with vor hte hht. Th cher ese. They syplassantness. At fist they came if ws dal bo, then i became days: I belece now that wicks oF ever E) monthe passin between ther attempts to get inf from me. Lil not teaver Lil not allo thems to break [me Lui tl them nothing L] thes fi my Khon, But Fal ns Btay him ‘| Tro daye ago Tow ths swt Tt sas so bright thot 1 sformation Gli (may hewponoe al Decal atl Berio Day AIR porate H pasa he bi Da f peeled ee rartasae ad Fes oo oe eiieeeiis acts es oth fy dicing fardeeal TaoaldleD i Br ould ans bebterelony Ws ect Snasr Gi ace Ae thither pet ah a dorky ame ight may he: My aptore have chang Ihave but to reach out my hand for is nec, and they wil [be ot my side ctting my tract. T do ot ca: Daath [5 would bea release | Limay sil fd deseo Trust he says, nothing Uhase to say would be accurate, How lng? How log was Tin the darkness? [hate ben supped sch serll ond rh, Lam fre to crite whatever Taish, Evander f they sil rad it while 1 hep? Somehow I doubt it. I belove the man when he said | that thre ie nothing Ihave toy that ould interest hi My “host” tells me that Lave boon given o few dave of ‘rondo to build my stringth, The quay of fod ey ase given me is much improved, and I can feel the stungth E| once fo, 20 long age. My host cays that we ae taking a jeune 2 long sojourn that wil tke us wall utc of the boundaviae of Robugan. He has not caid thot Lwilnot be ralurning but blow tha i hie intention Tel 20 many things right Ldo not kira. shat iroubles ma nos Toit that I may nover see ny home again? I it that Tam so escited to ee the lands my ancestors once traveled? Is it that these men no bger think Tam a threat? Qri8 that in my heart, Fb they are right? i cel his it a Ts scoreline aTo eh that fl baclani ag et OEM ha bere valecbic lohan bY sie! Me leg, Devel bare CMO Dipescs Now oN ‘ i } S) Far from the borders of the Emerald mpi, there hes avast desert, Mnsted barren ages ago by the wrath of Lady San, inlaid by race d E thoroughly foreign tothe E: ake leriod pore ne eee ces for atures and civilizations alll Empire. Te place P) temity yet blessed with » miraculous oasis on which © the great city of Medinaat al-Salaamn, the Jewel of the IB Dest, sito — promperng for thowsud eu F The samurai of the Emerald Empire as a whole view foreigners 2» abominations who do not bslong in the BCelestis) Order, and would rather aot have any contact vith it and its inhabitants. And yet they cannot deny dstence; the KERin Clan spent centuies exploring at great hazard to themselves hofore mtuening to the P Emerald Empire as the Unicorn. Their evsrent vulng P) Family traces its history to « time when they were PE farbasian-nomade-wandetiig through i Bi The Scorpion Clan spent years of exile ther, returning By from Medinet al-Salaam with one of the myeto-rious ME Ashclan race in their company: More recently, the 9 ack cult known as the Jocksls has mado overtures to Daigotsu’s Spider Clan, warning them of dark portents wasteland, This is the land known ae the Burning Sands. It Sa rich and wondrous world all to itself, and yot its history ic bound with that of the Emerald Erapire, so st one could not undo the tales of their inte swith undoing the entire shein of Time itself section of Yesterday and Today Het a series of stoves belonging to dillerent p st happen to intersect in time and place. Unlike Be Empire of Rokugen, which (despite ite political earl) te populated by » singh BF aoe same religion and people guided by thology and who express & tively unitary culture, ng firically and culbacally: digeeetieeeelt ‘Their stories are told through historical timelines ‘a variety resented at the beginning of Chapters 2-9, each of which iS devoted to ene or more different Faction ‘The intenestion of those stories is also xecounted through. the storyline ofthe Lazend.of the Burning Sands Coloctible Cand Gams “That fniersection, and what has happened to the sarious peoplee of the Burning Sands inaybe he summarized thinly ‘The greet city of Medinaat al-Salaam was founded by a coalition of tes living inthe most bi in the Burning Sands, a-place where popular trade and travel conteséamne togetlion deen by geography and a f sare abundance of water and other natural resources ‘The city grow and prospered, and developed int alate govomed by two distinct, but lined offic of the Silian, who decreed the laws ofthe Caliph, who admin lieutenants Emown ae gad ty andthe ‘The modem history of Medinast al Salaam and the Buming Sands hogins wth the rine to power of former slave gil named Hanan, who’ acquined the Senpet Boob ofthe Dead and made herself tmmertal using the became a sahir (masfic= sser) of great power, and Caliph hy wide acclaim. Irnowledge gleaned from it Once installed in office, however, she supplanted the Iackeys, and bumed all of the no one could ever learn fal with bor unde lbratiaen,the ‘enough arcane Hinowledge to match her power. Known | as the Immortal Caliph, Hanan usel her considerable powers and immortality to rule the Jewel of the Des for two centuries, reducing the Sultanate to a mere figurehead. When the Immortal Caliph was at the height of her pow Senpet appro people from the west known a: the hed Medinaat al- cmpire, the Senpet had wasted much sam. Once a srt on constructing monimenls and neglested. proper agriculbure and other esential underpinnings of great poe tee ne. The Caliph, forever alba coull,theic empire wae begining to bac: ds eee Honsatti, and began incorporating tho Seapet into her sdovernment. Refugees from the Empire of Rokugan — ince then, ;! cet red those lave acrsted by judicial ices If with the Senpet Pharoah |4 INTRODUCTION t | ‘i Hi | INTRODUCTION tes Scorpion Che baba adie ae in the disappearance of Emperor Toturi I — came with the Senpet, who had enslaved them. A race of astoundingly successful conquerors called the Yodotsi also appeared in the Buming: Sands at ‘around this time, laiching an unprecedented (if ultimately unsucoessfl)atsack on the Jouel itself ‘Tho Ieamortal Caliph’s mle came to an end with the "cataclysmic eents known collectively a5 the Awalwning _ Honan as finally defeated, and the shattering of an ancient and mysterious object non asthe Black Stone FY bruglt forth poner jm led by one nmol Kale, “Intent on the destriction of the world, Only-a coalition Bolsa Med tag te Coad Allccc, could eppose them, The Celestial Alliance prevailed, hut this strgle hetween light and dark move than Kft its ‘mark on the Jetel of the Desest. The Scorpion Clan slippe thie shackles and returned to Rokengan At this point, the storyline told in the Legond of tho 5] Bursing Sands CCG came to an end. Over 30 years Thave passed in lie Burning Sande since thon, The tyrant Hanan was sasceeded as Caliph by Adi, a member of the Order of the Mountain, the sest also known as the Assassins. Adica tired controvery hy bringing many of Jus Glow Assassins nto the Caliphate’s administrative P| structure, bt otherwise her mile restored much-needed salar tothe Jewel of the Desert. After 20 yeas as Caligh, 9 ber health failed, and she stepped down in favor of hor on Po, who atl ies Some of the Factions whose tales wwe together to form the moder history of the Burning Sands have sone into eclipae; the Ashalan and the Ra'shari joined the Celestial Alliance duringthe Ayaboning, and many of them ascended into the heavens with thetx victory Fy tied ce she rl sicrbl sgl The Ole fl ef the Bhon Hand, knoam as the Ebouite Ato guard the Black & AY and now that they lave defied thectiatiaten se) and the Jackals — thsi two prim. F time before the Awakening — they have eitered the formed ne; now that it is shattered, y enemies from the Galiph’s service as a sort of police force forthe Jewel "of the Desert: The decline of tho Sonpet Empire only yorsened after the death oftheir ally Immortal Caliph; the Yodotai quickly recovered from thelr failure. to take Medinaat al-Salaam, omshed the Senpet and SSS Ss So although the tale of one age came to an ond vith te Awabonng the left ag that allow oso ‘to be told in full Legend ofthe Burning Sands is aimed at two categories of readers, One ie players who ace already familiar vith Legend of the Five Rings Rolplying Came, and who ave curious about how thie exotic, gaijin laid == sau hints of which have alwady appented within the bordexs of the Empire of Rokugan— imight he made to fit with their existing experience of the game and the cetting, The other group is readers interested in the Burning [i Sands ava setting, but who might n. Legend of the Five Ringe the ‘Third Es To that end, Lagond of the Bursing Sands contains not juat detailed information on nis ley Factions from the Burning Sands (dhe Khadi;the Houses of Debaby Qo, the Ashalan, the Asmasins, the Ebonies, the! Jackals, the Re’Shasi, the Senpet and the Yodotai, bul altos chaptor coutaising as much of the Legend of the Fies Rings Robplaying Game rales as you need to get { started roleplaying in the setting: May rules (Chapter [ 1) wil be faniias to sisting player, but some will ask f —and we will explain what this book, shares vith other hooks inthe product line, and what i dowsn’t share WHAT IS FAMILIAR |: 1f you wish to roleplay in the Burning Snr ong 4 Burning Sanus character into Rokugani conten, | yout wll ue just about all of the basics of the Lege off the Fiso Rings Roleplaying Game Third Edition system: Some terminology appropriate for Rokagan, but not for the Burning Sands; ix changed here, ht the mechanical } conagpts underlying these term are the sane. Character be farsiliae with fy ion rales, eration and advancement, using Skills, and resolving f Skirmisher all work just the same, WHAT IS UNFAMILIAR Howeves, these’ are also important mechanical differences between roleplaying in the Burning Sanda isnd in Rokugan. The most significant of these i= Jf tbe mazic system; though the five Hloments make ep the fabric of the physical universe just as thay do fn Rokugan, the civilizations of the Burning Sande B eve developed approaches to magic thar difer from 9 the Rokugani practice of cultivating thore horn with Epc silt of speching tothe hemi. Those ore desrbed in the Faction chapters a= approprints, particularly in Behe port of Chapter 2 that describes the Qabal, and G esles enumerated therein by and large supplant the F mesic sistem lid out in the Lagond of the Five Ringe G Rikplaying Game Thind Editon. Another important. difereice”iavolves the, Taite Honor and Glory, both of which are social constructs thet hove meanings very specific to Rokugan. Outside Hof the Empire, in cultures with diferont miore, they fare rather les meaningful: Therefore, Burning Sande FF chorocters have Tests that are soughly comparable, hut i €ranslating Across Cultures _ sasadleaaapgupeagata tang] eaate, sip emsaee ‘The fact that the Rokugani concepts of Honor and Glory are belly sinilar to the Barning Sends ‘baits of Integrity and Reputation, yet do sooltinnclate diretly Into ier, de not without | mechanical implications. When a character ane evans enter the other, some aftempl SL conmring one ita the olfer omy Incas ae {fs Sluafion arises where approsimating Honor fee, Bees Codeclontac esas ioe Rolngani character barnes avsessary reckon thot the foreign lint ie half of his equivalent native Trail, rounded down toa minimem of 1.0. For instence, if you needed to determine Honor Be Sandee ce 3, it would be 3.1, Use the same formula to secon Gloty and Repatation. INTRODUCTION TOE Guactly the ame: Integy instead of Honor, an Repuletion steed of Glory Their act. definttan aa | imedhonicallunctions are disc isa in Chapter iscilatscullually gomoslic maces thee dete noel fatale (eu leon te ee Bacntng’ Sante Ce Ahdlng ste of aja, However the eles that sbare | Nel eee eee | a Lg aro Called lad al Els (ihcog wills Vesle fa Gah hand anon of seworl-f Gaver] detente les fo omeslcg a lath al ceplacing hells the njieu rea that are pot cf lis ESR ROG epteet Cuipte: Lala meena Skill and'an Emphasis clled Tah, to cover exparton in this stylized form obectnbat "The Tajulsu Sbll © reaped Roe Mae the uci ne cae ihe Baring Sent, ages lee aniseed sme Advantaea/Disadvantager that mle relatively 4 Fle ae cau Sea eat eet a ealen'e leer er ewe tet aU existing there only through the f, altered co that they are more/compatible with Burning [/ Sands character. \ A FOREIGN, NOT ALIEN LAND ! Tagond of tha: Burniag Sandécaeratboobabeee plas that ie foreign to the Rolaugani, but not unknown by | any means; and about peoples whom the Roker \ id would (hy and large) sather not know, but whose existence they cannot deny: The Burning Sande is not Rokugan, hut neithse ao the two completely separate "Thi histories tin in parallel, aad sometimes intersect in odd and intersting ways; one might even say that their fates are more closely connected than anyone ia sither togion walizes, We invite you, then, to welcome thi book ag anf ‘expansion of the Lagond ofthe Five Ringe universe, not a.replscement for it or a more appendix to it. Tt is a opartu from our usual focus on Rokugon's epic saga | and an ivitation into an exotie place with its own sich tapestry of stories to tll Iisa place that, admittedly, Rokugon would rather not acknowledge. But the Burning Sands and the Empire of Rolugan are part of the came world joined under Heaven, and one can anly } conchide that thir occasional intersections are part of |/| I Heaven’: insemtable will In the ancient history of the cealm whore Modin: Salaam now sts, there was a prophet longayo, abriliant I | but onigmatic ttle man who helped the various peoples Ny of the Sands find some degree: of common ground wher helen thene existed only hoslity and ani | Hic mame was Mebhem, and he was known simply as F the Lite Pgh. Wis wisdom was rsopniaad by all Aedecerpal porie atoms He acepiel pple of al stripes and ereeds, without exception. Any sho honored to call him master eventually xetuined to their f } ished to learn at his foet were welcome, and those {5 people and spread his message of understanding and tolerance to all who heard them. In time, hie wisdom sas given form ina hock: simply called The Forty-Seven Sf Sayings of Mekdiem, The Prophet's ultimate fate is unkinown, but many believe he simply accomplished whet he set out to accomplish within the Sands, ead then moved on to a different land. Centuries later, theline ofthe Prophet would reappear jin the fomtof Dugay, the descendant of Mekhem. Dacai{ 920 cut fom the same doth ax his ancestog tel coutaluted « grost deal to the individual geoups of the region. He aided in preventing disaster during the Awakening, and contnbuted his knowledge to « School of Astronomy that hears his namo, as well 26 i ij I | various other domains of learning. In time; he repeated eS age a ee nto. obsodeily with ab" erplaustion for his fate, Like | Mekhem, his rayis snd wiedom wie collected by (| thoe who knew hin daring his brief stayin the Sands although disputes over hie teachings have prevented one universally accepted version from ever being widely i imately fomiliae with both the history of Rokugan and the-history of Medinaat al-Salaam, the | liming and actions of the Prophet and his descendant | make it quiteclearthat Mebhem wos the nameky which Shinsei, the legendary “Little Prophet” of Rokugan, wal ere er eel lowe et crea taadeet OE tothe Shadowlands alongside t defeated 1s Leng only to leave Rokugan behind aad apical his wiedom, to ‘others, Likavive, his descendant Daag was known in Rober as the Hooded Ronin, who aided the rebom Thunders in deleating Fu Leng in, then retina to th 1 shaping the Awakening. Both Mekhem and Dugay disappeared when theie work was done in onler to ensure that thelr line ‘Sands to continue his continued, for there Js much work to be done before this age comes to its conclusion, The'son of Dugaq, a man known a Rosoku in Rokugan, returned to || Rokugan far eadier than anticipated, only to,be lille | by an assastin, So far as anyone lnoms, the Prophet's t line hag ended. Rumors persist of Rovoku's infant son being’talen into seclusion by the Kesper of the Five Rings to be trained to canny on his father's work, hut gone can confirm euch things ROKUGAN AND THE GAIJIN The people, ‘The Unicorn and Mantis have been to deal with fore nations, but most Clans give full eight to Hontei's prohibition ageinst dealing with foiin: All Rokugoni view the-warld as pact of a stiict | Celestial Onder and knows their place in the Onder | Forigners pose a special problem to the Rokugen! Rokugeni are, as a whole, an incredibly insular | | | mindset, ar they not only do not acknowledge the |! etal Order — thoy lack plac in the Onder | u leads to the common Rohugeni view that foroignors are actually not human at all, Mera, gods have walked the earth in living memory, and demons Reset alk Ika man claw at the edjex,cftlt gta ace et tise of the Empire alli of the universe and the possible inhu king fore F This assumption as only ben reinforsed hy th other nations, While eas jing the str sanity of the stange- Rolugan's interactions thore have heen a few exceptions (like the Iuetative nthe Mantis and the Ivory alings with the Uisk-He ith other nations deat the Battle of e earliest recorded encounters Between Rokugan and fore J example it ended with the death of the Empress and the faced nothing but-hardebip’ dering their long travels @ lack-market trade betw nis, or the: Moto's ruction of most of the’gaijia, The Unicom H through foreign lands, and the Scorpion wore enslaved { by the Seripet daring their banislanent INTRODUCTION i kee ae eee Wee aprigg ae RALgta foreigi influe entirely acour Jore in the Tinperal Clans has long maintained a few ambas Court, and the Unicorn, Mantis, and Tortois both with regularly make deals with fon and without Imperial approval. The Sco accompanied by many. Senpet. expaty foreigners when they retumed to the Emp Crane snot he aoticed. [n lave dealé with foreign interests whon it would | fact, one of their most honored Hess, Daidoji Uji, made careful study of gaijin 14 weapons and lactics and maintained a amall collection {4 ¢ 1 of pis artes They of Golem, is hs ois among the Crane, a: loutish outlanders tend to offend | the sefined sensiilities of seazonod courtien Of the remaining Clans, the Crab aze tradition spend every ¢ for and Hinama have lite sympathy for.o hhoatile towards foreignoss, ae th ‘The Hida | lors, he they defending the Empire fromn in PAT ROB OO Be flooly enes Tee sanbmifathe Crab, molly among the Kuni and Kal who have gingerly approached the Ivory Kingdoms to study their magic, obtain more jade, or to study theiz amalitary ta | The Lion ete the most vocal opponents of gaijin, {| influence — although: this-dilingt laep, the koma frou closely studying the tactics utilized hy the Senpct general Abresox before Mate Gobet lille him 1 "The Phoenix have, in-the past, pads contact vith t wise inen from the Ivory Kingdoine and the Caliphate Hy in the hopes of exchanging studies of magic, but raditionalists inside: the Clan have prevented any Nee, eee ky Oy te |] Yobaniin, who border the Phoenix Less hove had 1 rear contact with the Clan, The Ieewa sccrtly believe these barhatians to be relatives oftheir Faaily’s founder, aid have beets lanowi to discretely trade with i then. Bias the Dragon re predictably silent om the matter 1 of gaijin. Whethir Bae Sateu or hie golly predecessors had dealings with outlanders, none eau sy Most silos to Rokugen come as Uaders or ambassadors (orhoth), and they are often oveewbielmned dy the Honpite' intiieate-web of cultural customs and SFeocial taboos. Many customs common outside the Emoreld Empire would be cousidered crass or even et es ee the Merenae, Yodotai, and other nations originating on. 1 the sesten end of the soni!) soushing evened a form of familiarity or inlienacy, but in. Rokugan it Js considered offensive to touch others in public. The £ ate ‘custom of refusing a gift thnoe times nearly {caused an international ineident between the former 8 F 4 q i ' Trory Kingdoms ambassador Rama Singh and a young Crane diplomat and the outhidens willingness to wear fur and leather disgusts most honor Even the ruling Moto Family of the Unisors, ones inhabitants of the Burning Sands, have stumbled yKimes in Rouges vmplex and en soil | sie oe cated. tat doapite the clnctc events f GE tas pus E0 Fens, Rokugan semaine « society that deeply adheres to ts adios The Toiari Dynastymoy allow foreign diplomate when in the past thay would Ihave been lailed om sight, but that does uot mabe the average Rokugani mate accepting of strange-looking visitors x guenlians of the Celestial Orde, samerat do wot looky on the new ides that foreign visions eieseat Many: whioper that it wes no surprise that the Univers = a Clas Bist allowed =o: many foscign, influences to spreal’— was tlie Clam that wos miost infested with the Kolo (kuowis in the Burning Sands ae the Qolat), the secret society that plots to bring down the Celestial Order: Mote revently, Juchiban’s terrifying foreign magies and the auti-Celestial Onder thetors of the Bloodspeakers served to coment the idea of foreigners as inkiinan villains in the eyes of the Tamera ak baat With thecemergingprcmnincses of tho Unicom Clan in the Empire's affairs, Rokugan’s relationships wih f the rest ofthe wold hang ina preatious balance. Lf the Uicorn emerge as leaders, the Empire could begin to | take steps tovanls interaction and beneficial trade with the rest of the wold, and perhaps prepare demas for the threats thot have begun looming at the wises of the world k Rokugen Hanis Phono thr Hos 0 Sf woblagih ty tha Ermchald Eire Tada) th the exspion of she magi rer : aie aca dlc tied Fhe Boe Bi i i Robplaying Cina Thid Elin Re rer ages ncieBe cepopiate othe Be fi Boring Sade prssanted hors are di Roll and Game and ite sister game, Rings Rokpluying Game, determine whether thei div lark This of ive, vnaly determined by “Tait, ad aeecting which di ee Gee bots aang a rolls added up ond compared the Game Master has establish total th equal Lo oF greater tha jaracter haz successfully Basic’ Game _., Mechanics i cen hak, a the Layond of the Burning “Sands Roleplaying ths ers roll 10 aided di the total is less than the Taxget N hhas failed, Distinguishing botwo Keep Lard af the Fie | | \ ers succeed or fail at a | al by rolling « mun character's isos Osa! talol their individ | tothe Tages Nummer sc forthe toch, Ifthe | a the Target Numer 4 performed the task. If | ot {4 hes, the ae CHAPTER ONE, RULES OF PLAY Ae lel Vee any a beds glee se Ry oes te | ef"), then a second number denoting how many ere Aire gue at wicca B should rll» total offour dice at beep two. Fo any given task: that players wish their choractete to attempt, the Game Master-decssea which Trait or Ring and, if appropriate, which Shell is appropiste | lor the task. The player then takes « number of dice ‘equal to their character's Ranks in the chosen Ring! Fait and Shall. These dive ore all rolled together, and | are referred to as the solled dice. After secing what numbers come up, the player selects a nusher of rolled dice equal to his character's rating in the chosen: Ring or Trait. Typically, players beep the highest ive they 1 soll, although they are not required to do se, and there may be circumstances where a player prefers to keop “Tower numbers. ‘The resulls on the kept dice are tatale fj and compared to the Target Number EXPLODING DICE ‘ay dis thet natatally sells w 10m salered to a an “exploding” die. An expling die i= reeled and the serult is added to the oviginal roll. Ifthe die rolls « 10 | ching tothe [4 je total fi gata, it explodes goin and is rolled agai Se ieee leer cielen 6 considered ts have buen rolled on that single die thier eflects such ax Techniques, Skills, and Advantages may cause dice to explode on results other | than 10, La some cases (uch au Unailled Rolls) dice ‘may pot explode at all. TAR IMBERS |. The Target Nunber or ‘TN, is the difficulty the Game Master sets fora task that a character wants to siomplis. Ifthe taskis simple one, the Game Master | sety alow TN, As the tak tnereasee in complesity and dificulty, the Game Master increases the TN to mabe) it more difficult for characters to accomplish. Retr Vers roll cru apel uaa Bee een ol oul be challenging but not imposible in ondar to void frustrating the players. Az a goncral guideline 2GBceltics axe a8 follows: sy IN BL Nverage 1N15 © challenging? TN2D) Birt N25 © Wien Haid TN SORE Exraowdinarly Hard TN) Legendary TWisD BANG wusy chs Le: rolled by the specific B sicumstances in which the soll & made, It is harder to perform a task in a howling sandstorm than when Be you ar lft snintemupted and unmaleted, for example © A fall discussion of TN modifiers is found on page 66. RAISES ers eae achiew sxtraontinary success, Perhaps they donot want to Bercly hit tagel with’ anfartow, but hit another Ganow that's already sticking in the target. This sort | of improved resule can he accomplished hy voluntary increasing the'TN of the declared ask by an imorement | Of5, which i called'a Rate. Py Players usually male a Raise when they are confident their characters can easily excead-a/“TN=the Game Master has declared. Every Ruse increases the TN of task by 5. A character snay scrmally only Raise a number of times equal to his Void Ring. Ifthe roll i a ill Roll, the character may instead Raise « numbee sf ie equal to his Ronk in the Skil, thot is hisher than his Void. A warrior with Void 2 and Knives 2, for instance, may make one oF two Raises with a Knives ill Rol, ut not direc. Raises must be declared before a roll is made. Ifthe soll does not mect the new TN, it is a faihare, even if i heats the original ‘TN. This is the risk inherent in trying to accomplish sonicthing extra Raises can be made on virtually any voll, including fing, and social interaction. The are for the most past up to the combal spell Presale of « | Gam Mastor snd plays, hut generally spenbing they result ina greater succes, The Combat section lists a D) sxumaer of cffects that can he achieved throssgh Rais Additionally, the Skills sction lists the effocte of Ra ils within the description of specific CHAPTER ONE SES OF PLAY Lo en moustache without hitting him. The aoraial TN to: bit hie enemy is 20. The GM declases four Raisos are | fox ouch n presine move: Agqhes law Vaid a hhe declares 4 Raises, increasing his TN to 40. Spellaating Fsamplo: Jehel the Wise wishes to leoen additional information from hie divination spell, which normally has ¢ TN of 26 to cast. The spall | specifies that additional clues may bo lesrned from the j! divination by calling 3 Raises, so Jebel declares these ;! Raises and increases the spell’ TN to 40. Social Example: Sufiya, courtier in the Caliph’s palace, believes someone is lying to her. She prepares | to roll Petception/havestigation to sce if she ean tel, and the Garie Master sets a TN of 15. Sufya can make that easily, 50 she declares two Raibesto get more } infetmation, resulting ina TN of 25, Wauccenful, she wall not only lear if the person's ving, but alo glean other information at the GM's discretion. EREE RAISES | Some Character Class techniques, Alvantoges, pels, and other effects can geant a character Free Raises Free Raises grant the same henefit as a regular Rais, | but do not increase the TN ofthe attempted tsk. Free Raises ate not lied hy « character's Void Ring, and aay be added to regular Raises for trp spectacular results. Some Free Raises define veay epesifcally how [ they must he spent Unless the effect that grants a Fro Raise-says otheewiso, any Free Raice inay be used. to | add 5 to the reult of your roll, rather than sing it for | « more complete mice TEN DI ‘Kenanimum of ton dee maybe roll. you are entitled to roll more than ten dive, evecy fo dice yon would have rolled heyond ton founding | down} are converted into a single hept die. Each die | ‘you would have Hept beyond ton is converted to a Fre | Raise, All extra rolled dice are converted into leapt dive ofore extra kept dice are converted to Rats Extra dice gained from spending Void Points are added tothe dice pool hefore any dice are converted. welled on any given die [] | CHAPTER ONE RULES OF P PLAY SSS Fecarple: Caligh Adie ie attempting to make an Ayarsnes/Courtier Skill Roll, Adis is an extremely shilled courtier, with an Awareness of 8 and a Couatice Skill of 9, Ths she ix entitled to a rll of V7K8. The extra sever rolled dice become three extma kept dco. | Thea, Alicas now eld oll 10k, This ext | kept di i convertal into a Free Raise, so Adita actually rolls 10110 and gains an additional Free Rais: If Adira had spent a Void Poist on this roll (gee page 7), she would have beon entitled to soll 1849. This | would have vonverted o-10K13, and then to 10k10 ith thiee Free Raises. SKILL ROLLS This iy the mos! Yomnion wort of wll To use a SI poplar lata w pee eae + Shil 5} When | ae Teaie/Slll with any necessary Empha Tecping o oumber of dice qual to tho Tait Skill Roll is called for its typically dashed Skills, page 23) in porentheses, For example, if you are called upon tombe Skil Roll using Awareness and [| Comtior with the Manipulation Eniphavin, the game text says, ‘| (Manipulation) roll Attempting to perform a task without the appropriate "You must make an Avareness/Courtier || level of Shall also imposes significant penalties, since [you are then considered to be making an Unalilled Roll (ee below) Example: Jackson's character, Keshtw the Swift, is [* aitempting to hita target gith his how and ar rove The 15 target is not very far awayy'and there is no wind, so. 4 Ryan, the Game Master; decides the Target Number 1 to hit itis only 15. Firing a how and arrow uses the Reflexes Trait and the Archery Skill. Keshtu has the q Peete orl Gt roa und hu Reeen etewala | Rank 3 Jackson tales six 10-sided dice (three for the F. Skill, three for the Trait) and coll thein. He solls « £13.44, 6, 7, and 10, Jackson sells the exploding N 10nd ges =, focatambeeio Hebe ied | highest-rllisi die, the 6, Z, and 13, and als thems ij ete fe eta tal epee! 26, He compare sh stains the Target Number of 16 and sees that he Character may allempt to make a Skill Rollwithout the appropriate Slall, but faces 2 munaber of penalties | for doing so. 1. No dice cau explode on an Unchilled Rell 2, No Raises may be declared on an Uncilled jj Roll, and Free Raises cannot be used. Be Ualalled Rolle may not he used in conjunction ‘vith Techniigues. ‘Though Void cam he spent on an Unskilled Roll, Techniques that allow you to spond mllisle Void Points on a single roll | | ‘cannot he used. | FAILED SKILL ROLLS Tf you fail at a Skill Roll you can generally make | | another attempt. However the price of failure must stil be paid. If, for instance, ous were eraing an stem, | tho materiale are now wasted. If'yon ware attempting | to manipulate someone, they now realize your intent and will he resistant to future attempts. If you were attempting to meak past eomeone, they now realize you are there and sneaking becomes impossible unless yan an eféape'theiratiention, Naturally if your character H} docs not realize that you failed a Skill Roll, you cannot | make another attempt In general, telligense- and Perception-hasod Skills cannot be attempted again if they are filed unles new linowledge i pained (puch as new evidence coming to | light or an increase in your Shall Rank). Ifyou do not posters the knowledge orwislom to solve. problem the {j fiat time, a scoond try willbe feta 1 Tamiost cast, Shall Rolls reseed ly a single player ngle Skill Roll represents the efforts ofan entire group. Many Shull lst what sort of Grow f Skil Rolls ae gonenly sed and ow they se Usngh al the @ i might be Qvoasionally, a '5 option almost am performed as a Group Skill Roll if it makes sonze for the efforts of multiple chaencters 4 he reprosented that [' wes: i There arc two hesic sorts of Group Skill Roly and [) each ia resolved in a different manner OF PLAY | COOPERATIVE SKILL ROLLS EA Cooperative Skil: Rell is‘used when the efforts of © ditional pasfy members donot necessarily make E, the tach easier, and when in fact a lesstrained party erraes ae Beisrtrclera ott i bdetia ne ofaare stalled i Be thet eit cansle hla wadt bets io Skill, when an entite group of characte is attempting to avoid detection. Another example yould hea party using the Climbing Skill to seale x mountain, FA coping themselves ogethetTor safety. Thought ¢ mare Aalente! member might be able to cover the mistaees BE of his party members to some degree, a clumsy party ember will hamper the party's overall efforts When miabing a Cooperative Skill Roll, use the B average Skill and average Trait (rounsling down) of the BF cate group performing the roll AF half or moral the chacacters involved-n-tha’SHall Rall are nnchiled, the oll mast he made as an Unsiled Skal Rol Example: plu Cophrax, and Tshmal are all attempting to sneak past 2 Yodotai checkpoint. Apt Tras Stealth 5 and Agility, Cephrax has Stealth 2 and Agility 3. Ishmal has no Stealth Stall and Agility 2 The average Stealth Slall (counting Iehioal's Stealth 5 7010) is 2 (5+240, divided hy 3 = 2). The average Asgilitye 3 (44342, divided by 3 = 3). Thus the party is rlling S13 on thie Skill Rol. The party moves» bit Tess quietly thom Apts could move alone, but without This friends’ help hal would bo anable to maks the attempt at all Note that if Cephrax alo didnot possess the Stealth Hall the patty would be forced to make the roll az an Unshilled Roll Apts could alvays sneak on alone, of coarse, but he would ba unable to compensate for the HB chumsy actions of both his friends, Of course, Cephrax “could alvaye spend 2 Void Point to. be considered Skilled fora single Sail Roll, but doing 30 might be quite reky if second Skill Roll were suddenly roguired i and Ceplisx found himelf ont of Void. Ce CHAPTER ONE, RULES CUMULATIVE SKILL ROLLS _ A Canlative Skill Roll is used when, the efforts of ‘additional party members are beneficial, even if some of those involved are significantly les killed. A. good example of this would be the Tavettgation Skal, where rultiple inyestigstors search a single area for clues. While the most talented. investigator vould likely find the most useful information, he might ako help this est skilled comuades to discover clues they might ‘otherwise have overlooked. Multiple craftemen working ‘on a single large project is another example ofthis sort cof Skill Roll When making 2 Cumulative Skill Roll, a single imember of the group isdesinatel the leader. This leader. declates how many Raises he intends to make and this sets the overall ‘TIN for the roll. Hach other member of the group must now foll against a TN his (the task is not quite ax hey are merely assisting): Any ore ne Aiffoult for them si Free Raises the leader gains for this oll ds not aflect the TN for other group members, tough they may sly iy Tete cy saree teal eat Each participant who successfully meets this assistance "TN grants the leader a Free Ratze when he makes his ‘Skill Roll. Hach participant who fails this Stall Roll | con TRIS Sette the aay lendacele tee Grad Skil Roll thon the attempt fails even ifthe res of the aouaeue de Example: Apis, Copheas, Iehmal, and Zaif are ‘questioning a group of servants to determine if any of therncanbat NB Vesta garrison i thecreningbelore Apta has Awateness 5 and Lnvestigation-¥, Cephrax has Awareness and Investigation 4 and Investigation 2, and Zaif has Awareness 5 and oa Taeetiquidesclille Aver eclecial ashlar anti Inder, The GM decides the TN for leaming any usefal information is 15, but Aptu feels this investigation will See eae all crosshiiess,-20 ha docks thane Raises, increasing the "TN to 30. Bach other member assisting Apta must now roll against TN 25 as they. esata Wis RevoundantOudiat’ hued sal ae ade 29, 18, and 32, respectively. When Apt makes his own Skil Rol ws. TN 30, he gsins two Free Raises, as two of his companions miccessfully aessted him, Ishmal has Awareness CHAPTER ONE, RULES OF PLAY EMPHASES Some Skills lists number of Emphases in their description. Exaphases applications of that Skill. For example, while extremely specific the + Swordsmanship Skill gives mastery of several types of * evonls, the Scimitar Exnphasis gives greater knowledge of that specific weapon. Likewise, while tho Courlior $] Shall gives ome a general knowledge of courlly intrigue and political maneuvering, the Manipulation Emphasis | grants a leener ability to convince ethers to do what you desire. ‘When using a Skill in an area where its Emphasis | spol, you may add your Skill Ranke to the total of 4 single rol, you only goin the honus from one. Some Brine: srt Emphasis Abies tht allow you ts Ease your Skill in unusual ways, Any Skil eppications | chat fall under a Skll's Etnphasis Abii tise unless you poses that Emphasis. RAW. ‘Though less common than Skill rolls, Raw Trait Rolls also ocour, In this situation a player rolls and keeps a yourrall, I'more than one possible Emphasis applics to sant he umber of dice equal to his character's relevent Trail [Any task that does not-apply directly to a given Stall | is | In some cases, a Raw Trait Roll aay apply to the same situation ae a Shall Roll, Torexample, « character night rogue a Tat ral, For example, lifting « heavy boulder might require « Raw Strength Roll. Leaping wide chasm might demand a Raw Asilty Rell ig an important detail might demand a Rew Perception Roll 1 might notice the signs of an impending ambush with fy seit Sh Rl ut Ra Rosen FE Roll would also he acceptable (and thus would not {be conridered an unskilled roll). The default Target Number of a normal Raw Tait rll ie 10. However, 5 if Raw Trait ell ie used in a sitnation where « Skill Rall could also apply the TN of the Raw Trait rll is 1 typically $ or 10 higher than the TN ofthe Skill Roll ‘Additionally, the added benefits inherent i having | ranks in a Skil, sich as making Raises to determine the number of enemies in an ambush using the Battle Skul, cannot be gained from a Raw Trait ral oe RAW RING Rous} These are even mater than Raw Trait Rolls, and for the most pact apply only when some sort of supematural effect is invelved, A character might have to maka | Row Earth Roll to resist « powerful spell effect, for example: In these situation, the player rolls and keeps fy a number of dice eqnal to his char leant Ring. "There ie no. default Targot Nuwher for thie cort of || situation, az these vorts of rolls aro rare enough that tho GM alwayp defines their Target Number CONTESTED ROLLS K Conteited Roll i eesentally any of the previous types of sole mado in direct compstition with anather character ox group of characters (cither a PC or anf NPC) For example; two characters engaged in a poetry contest would makes Contested Skill Roll. A | footrace might result ia + Contested Raw Asility Rell ‘These are resolved just libs any roll, except the Target Nutberis equal to the compatitor's result. The highest result wine. Depending on the nature of tho tack at hhand, more thon two conspetitors might be involved in s single Contested Roll, Inthe rave eanaple, cach competitor's recults would determine how wll he did, while in contested taske like a poetry contest only the || iwiaoer mightbe relevant. LL is also possible that all participants in a contested roll may be competing 1 | reach a TN set hy the GM, Hor example, three courtiers might compete in the pootry contest to impress the [) Teumortal Caligh, but in the end ll of them fail to impreds her, a3 they did not most the: GM's IN (Ol) course filing to impress the Immortal Caliph mht carry other penaltion) Ifa Contested Roll results in ti and the situation Ieing contested would not sensibly walt in tio, any tied participants must reroll to determine the winner amoug themselves, For example, if five Re’ Shari are inthieg @ foot ace and’thStowalting sole aro 24,°5, h 13, fini 12, 18, the two 18's must reroll to determine who ed second, Even if one of the rannere were to roll 4 12 ot less when breaking the tic, he would not be | surpassed by the runner in fourth place on the original "_RAISES IN A CONTESTED ROLL Raises may be madeynormallyin a Contested Roll. The F sesulty vary depending on the nature of the eoll, but Hj can generally achieve any of the normal effects of @ [Bass Louch a owatng « work of Jani Heat in a D poetry contest). During a Contested Roll, any Raise © you make wll duce your opponents! TN by 5 fom B) sour final roll. Fee Raises in a Contested Rol may he Bese to hoost your rll normally COMBAT AND MAGIC fommbat and tuagic are specialized tasks which are B detailed further in theic own sections of this chapter © Generally, combats resolved as a Skill Roll, though the Target Number varies depending: on one's opponent. Magic, when it requires a roll, i typically based ona | Ring andthe power level ofthe caster. CHAPTER ONE, RULES OF PLAY Rings and Traits ‘The’ most basic Yeprcscntation of Charaster abilideg ia legs de asic Mga igulge tear tenenit the Sleraen which are the building blocks of the universe. Although || the people of the Burning Sands do not share the Emerald Empire's religious veneration ofthe elements, they recognize o-siilor division of reality into basic ements, vo” these concepls may be applicl to them wath litle change, Each Ring i composed of to Tails, one mental and one physiedlthat represent the character's innate [| aeatal and physical abilities, Vriually every roll made dhsing play will involye one-or another of these Rings or Tels, Baginning characters start with all Rings and their | Se ete oe een a roe he increased at character creation through faction or Character Class homuses, or through the expenditure CHAPTER ONE, RULES OF PLAY Sans Weir ccis icesthcy me beac Oe ken te ine oh eine rial. Rings onl Tniahven sel of 9:10, yh Thain Fe ca Toile ipl cst ieee Fo Burning Sande Vere aeeetie 2 and € Exoptonal duals nay poe Ringe af 6007 and tele homs mao oe cr now Ri Hy cr even 0 Nanactl etuc lan rar achicieds sy GEAO ase tes cece pete Ge ve [ AGE 8 dor aid Tata atlevse om ne say the Vow leg emcee lolly Th ler Tout dispar sles enulto tbllayec of a6 vo Tints Asin meee sleds Vane: Ads bas Ha Reflexes of 4 and an Awareness of 2; then hie Air Fy Rag ie slersentmnde ip of Rellen nel Aveta) fe Adige Atala incu to bine i | would also increase to 3, AIR ‘Airis mersaaland enigmatic, obintuition and understanding. Air exhale everywhere save in the deepest domain of other lements, and ia witness to all things that transpire there. Ai isthe exsence of subtlety and iamuenda, but also,the source of speed and storms. [} The waathfal aspect of Sir con tear down buildings, size ships, and lend apeod to even the sviltest of | anions, Those strong in Air senso things they cannot lkoow, and follow their instincts as often ae they use reason, Those weak in the element are alugsish in body 1 and oblisious to even obvious ewonts, Airis represented 15 by the tin rita of Awaronoos end Refloes jo Atwarenoée roprowenis «character's intuition and | empathy, Awareness allows « character to sense others! q feelings and motivations, even on scant evidence. It also i permits characters to altertheirdemeanorto better elect tho ioode of others, allowing them to influence those fF aroand them with charisma, persuasion, and outright ‘manipulation. Awareness isthe catchall Tit for social { interaction, asd many important Skille employ it. Reflocos measures how quickly characterscan react o 4 events unfolding around them. Characters with a high k Rellexes Trait react without thinking, relying on their NY superior instincts to guide them, Reflexes determine ¥ Tnitative in combat, a character's Target Nusuber tobe I, and most types of ranged atac rll oe coeceer SS aoe < H arth iscternaland unchanging, While Water represents active strength, Earth is the quiet realionce that | endhres centuries, Earth is the mownlata, the rscrvoie|| of power and endurance that all each for in times | of stele, The power of Earth i not merely physical, [j at abo represents strength of will. The mountain is Tasebianging qo i is also poticnt. Thoze who hoar the strength of Each wie tilese in hoth mind and bods, ver ready for whatever trials avait ther, Those weale in Earth tire quickly and cannot foous on tho tasks at had. Earth is represented by the twin Traits of Starnina and Willpower. Stamina roprosonts a charaster's inner reserve of physical energy. A high Stamina allows « character to hold his breath for long periods of ime, or cary a heavy load father than othe could. Stamina ala’ aflests the vate at which a character recovers from tho effects of wounds, poison, or lxeans ‘ Willeowor measaree & charactors ability 10 focus imental energy. A high Willpower allows a character ish resist others’ manipulations, or to remain attentive tof something foralong period of tise, peshaps listenin to ion of a poorlytold story. Willpower is also used to resist certain mental effects from chills, spells, or natural abilities. a teacher's instruction or the FIRE Five i dynamic and enersetic, an element of potential and chauge, Force and motion axe the province of Fire sare inspiration ond illumination. Pinedsives a Waar to greatness, siding bsshual aud steel ta « pfs} strike, Fire burs in the wind of the them to devoux existing scholarship a : Jove. Those strong in Fite are skilled combatants with tremendous agility, or brilligt scholaw who stun the Quah with their vast storehouse of knowledge. Those | swealein Fireare clumsy and askeward, and have difficulty cowipreheuiing even simple concepts, The twin Tests | cl Fite are Agility aad Intellisonce. Agility meassces 0 character's hondeye coordination. ‘Vintually all physical feats that do not depend specifically | con speed or strength are hazel! on Agtlity. The vast inajority of weapon Skills aze based on Agility, making | Wone of the most important combat Tests aE ee ae | apply knowledge, A character sith a high Tatelligence Us gathers and” provesses information quickly, and recalls it cleats, Characters with low Intelligence Shave difficulty remembering even hasic detail. Like i Awareneze, Intelligence ie the base fora lange number of portant Salle that govern all manner af nanphysical B activitios. « Woler i the least static clement, over changing. This © the clement of strength. Unlike the mountain, whose BF strength lice dormant, Water's strength is never stl, | wearing avay at obstacles with tireless intensity, Water aleo represents clarity, bringing the world into sharper foous, Thove etrong in Water are powerful physically ‘and possess heen senses, Those weal in Water are Physically weak and dullvited, noticing very litle of H] the world around them. The twin Traits of Water are Perception and Strength. Psrccption measures how attentive a characteris to frente around him. A character with a high Peeception F) sotices small detaile such as tears in clothing or small anges to common insigila. Characters with low eee ce gewedy enc Strength isthe amount of physical power a character onsets. Ieéasuresdhser foreo, with no consideration loffinese, Strength detormines the amount of damage characters inflict with melee weapons or haindtoband techniques. It also determines how much they ean cond eam, Characters with » high Strongth can bo F Aevsstating navtioss, while those with a low Strength Hare often ineffectual on the battlalield. ve PTs fi aad Gal clement is Void, Void ts poodly derstood hy mortals, who seek to quantify all things. fd i everything and nothing; # hinds the other four Ringe together, nd ot the sanne Une i the nothingness that exists hetneen them, It isthe divine spark that all humans possess, represouting their unity with the Unlike the other Rings, Void docs not have Tats sociated with it, Instewd,o character gains a number of Void Points per day equal to his Void Ring. Void Pf Points hove many vues (sce page 71), but their most CHAPT! por “world, a flash of insight, or something similar. E, RULES OF PLAY ERON Trasic use isto enhance the number of dice « chazagt rolls and keeps on any given task. At the heginning of ‘a round, before dice are rolled, a character may declare Iho spending» Void Point. This allows him tool and lheep one additional die for whatever rol he is mak “The phenomenon ie experienced by the character at a moment of incredible larity and oneness with the Example: Dalton's character Sadiq, a Jackal, attempting to use Stealth to sneak past a sentry With an Agility of 3 and Stealth 2, he wil roll 5k3. Concerned that this is not enough, Dalton declares that he is spending a Vaid Point, increasing Sadiq ‘hice from 815 to 6h Avhigh eating in Void indicates » character hag # deep spidttal conection to the world around him. Convery « low Void Ring indicates a alfsentsned individual who has not opened himeelf up tothe things around him. Hit Jack of Void pints pil veatsict bie chances for moments of epiphany. SKILLS © While Reage adieate omnia clear eae physical and mental abilities, Shille represent the abilities they acquire through training and experience In a very ral sense, Traits define what a characteris, othile Stills define what he knows, Characters hegin to loam sila when they are very young, and in most cases tis ie represented by the starting Skis assisted with ‘hele Chatacter Clase; these represent the knowledge the character woul have gxinal from eginning a life in that ocoupation. Howevey, no tao individuals wll learn exactly the same things; 10 while two characters ‘who have the samo Character Clase always have cartain ey may have wildly diffrent teaining in other Skil areas Like Rings and Traits, Shill Ranks range from 1 10, A Rank of | ins particular Sill indicates that the cliaracter hap been introduced to the hasio elements of that particular activity. A Rank of 10m » Skill is exceptionally sare, posressed hy only » handlal of individuals throughout the world, A newly trained Dahabi Merchant, for exemple, might have a Courtior Shall of L or 2, whereas the foarrome Master Roo, of the Skills in common, ane of the wot powell people ia the Hox Dahab, exight have a 9 ox 10. reer CHAPTER ONE, RULES OF PLAY SSS SSS Most role combine a single Sle with » Trait. In this | combinstion, Skills add additional dice rolled for the attempt, dramatically increasing the chances ofaucvess with each die rolled. Beyond this, many Skills offer additional benefits at high ranks — those are eilled | Mastery Abilities, Fora vomplte Hat of Skill and the edvantages they convey, ace the Skill action, io Part ‘Ts of this chapter earnest, Chaptets 2-9 describe the vasious Factions of the Burning Sands in more detail — ite ommended thst players review thove chapter to decile which faction best suits their character preferences. Each X| faction has at least one Character Class. (For those players Tamil with the Leyend of the Fie Ringe | roleplaying game, these are equivalent to the Basie Schools of the Emerald Empire.) ‘The first dhree steps to creating » character aie | Once lives uadestand how Ris, iit and hill Rie ee rk ccanfenn begin et to select his Faction, sub-faction (if relevant), and 5 Character Class © _STEP ONE: CHOOSE A FACTION 5 The most defining clement of a character is the faction to which he belongs. Each faction in the Burning Sands thas a particular character and set of relationships to a the other faction cribed in detail in Chapters 2-9 Choose one that suits the type of ablivities you want | your character to pursue and the personality you wish | ‘him to have. A tough, battle-hardened soldier would be a good ft for the Youotai (see Chapter 7) or the City | Guard of Medinaat al-Salaam (see Chapter 2), while a cholaly practitioner of the magical arts would most Holy belong to the Qabal also Chapter 2) Some Factions, such as the Dahab merch: SSS Your choice of faction usually awards 9 +1 to one Trait oy, less frequently, the Void: Ring. For instance, all Jackal charactors start with +1 Agility. There are | ee Sub-Factions bslow: STEP TWO: |) CHOOSE A SUB-FACTION |' xt of Srlieetetalsasa (co Chapter 2), aco divided into] pa tle ar eee tea | Jevlencionarelt malta Sorter dines! itech {oa single Tait at charactor creation, For istatoe, a charidioe belangetel Bones Mesiea ctthe Uo date roitiver ‘41 cHbreoption! meaning his, Ereep itn Tiere oe Mandlerettceredl kG sauecleraty (GF pouty hiches iE ther bomuss ar vosived). STEP THREE: |: CHO! _A CHARACTER CLASS Not everyout withinns Faction ptteriin the mania tole Ench Faction in the Buming Sands has ot leest one Character Class, htt most have several Classes availabe, exceptions — “The Clara generally conform to one of the following archetypes: worsior sais (sellastens): aad Uiplomet ‘4 Character Clam confers 2 second €1 hom bo specific Tiuity much lke the one soined from selecting faction/sub-faction, A chomacter's Clase also dstersins ifs Begotee Wreee Rank, oieten ea (o2"GutGv"), ace his inital Shall Ranke, Many Classes Pi fee re eee es characters to choore the final ong ets Skills ‘Quer the sub-faction honus ard basic Character Clase information have been recorded, iachiding Bait bonuses and beginning Slells aid Integsty, the predetermined portion of a character's abilities ic complete. In onder to }} further develop «characters abilities and background, H they resive Character Points to purhaee adiionl | benefits beyond those received from sub-faction, Faction, and Character Class. Character Points are used daring character creation to round out a concept, developing it in-whatevse direction dlesies, Chataeters begin with 45 Character ff h may be spent in the following manner: the play Points, whi