Common Trickster [Courtier, Shinobi]
The "school of the caterpillar" is one based on a plain truth of Rokugani life: nobody fears the meekest. This is not because they think bonge (peasants) and burakumin (non-people) honorable, but because they think them harmless. They are wrong. Through disguise and misdirection, Tricksters can tilt the most disadvantageous playing field.
Tricksters generally hail from non-samurai classes. The least power they project, the more likely their schemes can go unnoticed until it is too late. It is then no surprise that many Tricksters are burakumin or even choose to present as such.
Ring increases: +1 Void
+1 Air or +1 Water
Starting skills (pick five): Sentiment, Theology, Courtesy, Games, Performance, Commerce, Labor, Skulduggery
Honor: 20
Techniques available: Ninjutsu, Rituals, Shuji
Starting techniques:
Shuji (choose three): Look out!, Flowering deceptions, Fluent bargaining, All in jest, Sensational distraction, Shallow waters, Whispers of court
Ninjutsu: Skulk
School ability: Rope to hang oneself: When performing a check to influence a character of higher status, the Trickster may change a number of kept dice equal to his school rank to opportunity results or suffer strife up to his school rank to add an equal amount of bonus successes.
Additionally, when succeeding at a check to influence a character of any status, the Trickster may regain 1 void point or reduce two strife or an amount of strife equal to the strife gained by the target character as a result of the check.
Starting outfit: common or traveling clothes, profession kit or thievery kit, knife, sling, up to two mundane weapons of any rarity, up to two mundane personal effects of any rarity, trinket
School curriculum
Rank 1
Trade skills
Martial skills
Design
Medicine
Command
Rank 1 Shuji
Goading taunt (Shuji)
Rank 2
Scholar skills
Social skills
Fitness
Tactics
Rank 1-2 Kata
Rank 1-3 Shuji
Swirling viper style (Ranged Kata)
Rank 3
Artisan skills
Culture
Performance
Commerce
Skulduggery
Silencing stroke (Ninjutsu)
Pillar of calm (Shuji)
Rank 4
Meditation
Government
Rank 1-3 Kata
Rank 1-4 Shuji
Veiled menace style (Kata)
Bend with the storm (Shuji)
Watch my back (Shuji)
Rank 5
Scholar skills
Social skills
Aesthetics
Commerce
Rank 1-5 Shuji
Roar of encouragement (Shuji)
Laughing fox style (Kata)
Mastery ability: Flight of the caterpillar
The Trickster gains access to any technique type as long as they can personally and frequently have downtime interactions with a character who they know to have access to said technique type.
Once per game session, when making a check with a Social or Trade skill, the Trickster may reroll all of their dice. If they do not succeed, they gain 1 void point.
This post presupposes you have the core rulebook and Path of Waves. Whenever I reference Path of Waves I use italics. I absolutely recommend also checking out the player options included in Courts of Stone for use with this school as it includes a lot of interesting new techniques, particularly Shuji and Ninjutsu.
Starting skills (pick five): Sentiment, Theology, Courtesy, Games, Performance, Commerce, Labor, Skulduggery
Honor: 20
Techniques available: Ninjutsu, Rituals, Shuji
Starting techniques:
Shuji (choose three): Look out!, Flowering deceptions, Fluent bargaining, All in jest, Sensational distraction, Shallow waters, Whispers of court
Ninjutsu: Skulk
School ability: Rope to hang oneself: When performing a check to influence a character of higher status, the Trickster may change a number of kept dice equal to his school rank to opportunity results or suffer strife up to his school rank to add an equal amount of bonus successes.
Additionally, when succeeding at a check to influence a character of any status, the Trickster may regain 1 void point or reduce two strife or an amount of strife equal to the strife gained by the target character as a result of the check.
Starting outfit: common or traveling clothes, profession kit or thievery kit, knife, sling, up to two mundane weapons of any rarity, up to two mundane personal effects of any rarity, trinket
School curriculum
Trade skills
Martial skills
Design
Medicine
Command
Rank 1 Shuji
Goading taunt (Shuji)
Rank 2
Scholar skills
Social skills
Fitness
Tactics
Rank 1-2 Kata
Rank 1-3 Shuji
Swirling viper style (Ranged Kata)
Rank 3
Artisan skills
Culture
Performance
Commerce
Skulduggery
Silencing stroke (Ninjutsu)
Pillar of calm (Shuji)
Rank 4
Meditation
Government
Rank 1-3 Kata
Rank 1-4 Shuji
Veiled menace style (Kata)
Bend with the storm (Shuji)
Watch my back (Shuji)
Rank 5
Scholar skills
Social skills
Aesthetics
Commerce
Rank 1-5 Shuji
Roar of encouragement (Shuji)
Laughing fox style (Kata)
Mastery ability: Flight of the caterpillar
The Trickster gains access to any technique type as long as they can personally and frequently have downtime interactions with a character who they know to have access to said technique type.
Once per game session, when making a check with a Social or Trade skill, the Trickster may reroll all of their dice. If they do not succeed, they gain 1 void point.
This post presupposes you have the core rulebook and Path of Waves. Whenever I reference Path of Waves I use italics. I absolutely recommend also checking out the player options included in Courts of Stone for use with this school as it includes a lot of interesting new techniques, particularly Shuji and Ninjutsu.
