Skills

Characters with this skill have training in theater. There are two kinds of theater in Rokugan: Kabuki theater and Noh theater. Kabuki theater is flamboyant and full of action and color. It is "samurai" theater, telling the great and tragic tales of lords from the past. Noh theater is not Kabuki theater; it is quiet and subtle, with light music and little movement against a black backdrop. Characters must choose which form of theater they are trained in. Most characters will probably be more interested in Kabuki theater.
Characters with the Acting skill gain the ability to disguise themselves (ninja often use Acting to disguise themselves as geisha). Characters with Acting can convince others that they are not of the same caste, profession or even gender. Using Acting in the manner is usually a simple Awareness+Acting roll with the TN being another character's Perception x5. If the character has to actively engage in conversation while in disguise, the simple roll becomes a contested roll.

Acrobatics, Dancing, Ikebana, Jester, Music, Noh/Kabuki, Origami, Painting, Poetry, Storytelling
These skills are designed to be used by Kakita artisans with their maya abilities. However, it is not unreasonable for any character to have working knowledge of an art. These skills grant the knowledge of how to perform the ability, including basic knowledge of things associated with it. For example, a character with the Origami skill might have knowledge of papermaking, and a character with the Noh skill would have knowledge of theatrical literature, makeup techniques, and costume making. These artistic knowledges are not designed to grant complete competency in all their related fields, but rather to give a working comprehension of those areas.

This is the skill of identifying heavenly bodies and patterns, such as stars and constellations. It allows a shugenja to determine what astrological omens are currently in effect and what their connotations are. This skill can be used for simple divinations about the future, and for determining the appropriate time for the creation of certain items and fetishes. Also, it can be used to identify certain character traits according to the day, date, and year of someone's birth, and to predict certain future events or omens. If a character wishes to use Astrology as a divination tool, their TN is 15, and the GM should give them a general view of events in the future, simply supplying a list of adjectives such as "pleasant, peaceful, and uneventful," or "dangerous, death is in the future."

This skill is derived from the Naga's attentive love of the Celestial Heavens. All Naga are raised to respect the stars in the night sky as distant cousins, who are always watching from their divine plane far above. They are also thought to be part of the Akasha, observing each Naga's spiritual progress towards Atman.
Thus, watching the skies has become as much a pleasurable pastime as a source of religious verification to the Naga. Entire branches of scholarly thought are devoted to interpreting the myriad things seen in the heavens, and the most advanced methods available are applied to the effort. These include such devices as rudimentary lenses (mainly imported from the wastes beyond the Ivory Kingdoms), near-precise maps, and pincer-like measuring devices.
Note that this skill differs from Astrology in that it is a direct source and application of information first, and interpretation of such second. Astrology deals primarily with discerning omens and divining the future, while Astronomy is principally concerned with documenting the paths and patterns of the stars and planets visible by the Naga. Astronomy is by far the more literal and fact-based of the two skills, and less prone to subjective opinion. This reduces its appeal to most "classically-minded" Rokugani.

This is the skill of telling a story well. Storytelling in Rokugan is an ancient tradition. Every lord has a bard in his court, telling tales of samurai of long ago.

Calligraphy, or shogaku, is the art of writing in the ancient language that was given to man by the Fortunes. A character with Calligraphy can read and transcribe the ancient scrolls in the shugenja libraries.

This advanced form of Calligraphy allows the encryption or decoding of written information. The Asako use an even more developed version of this to keep their texts from being read by outsiders. Magical and sensitive knowledge is often coded in this manner for this reason. In game terms, an Intelligence+Cipher roll is made secretly by the GM whenever a player with the skill tries to encode something. Later, when someone with the same skill tries to decode it, they are rolling their Intelligence+Cipher vs. the original total. Calligraphy will not permit the decoding of ciphered material.

The ability to find, and lead conversations towards, interesting yet inoffensive topics. For instance getting a band of grumpy Crab Bushi talking about which types of armor is the best, instead of getting violent.

A character skilled in being a courtier knows all the ins and outs of court life. He is aware of who is making the power plays, who is in debt, and who pulls the strings.

There are two styles of dancing in Rokugan: court dancing and folk dancing. Court dances are performed almost exclusively by women. Folk dancing is performed by the peasant folk, both men and women alike.

A trademark of the Miya, this skill focuses upon solving disputes quickly and amicably. The diplomat immediately places himself at the center of a dispute as a neutral party, hoping to make some sort of compromise. If one or more sides do not wish for assistance, the diplomat may make an opposed Awareness + Diplomacy roll against the Willpower of the main representative of each unwilling party (particularly bitter foes may roll extra dice to contest this, at the GM's discretion). If the diplomat's roll is higher than the rolls of all unwilling parties, then some form of common ground has been found upon which to build diplomatic discussions. If the first opposed roll fails, then the diplomat may make no further attempts to resolve the matter until something significant changes in the conflict (GM's discretion as to what constitutes a significant change). A series of successful opposed rolls combined with good role-playing will eventually bring the conflict to a peaceful resolution.

Using certain tools, this skill allows the character to catch a brief glimpse into the future. The foresight is not a mental picture of any kind, simply an answer given by the tools. The character must spend one hour in meditation and ritual for the divination, at the end of which he may ask the GM one question. The question cannot pertain to any event beyond one week ahead per the character's rank in this skill. The GM then assigns a TN according to the difficulty or importance of the question, and makes the roll for the character in secret. Failure means either an unreadable answer or (in the case of missing the TN by more than 15) a completely false answer.

This is the skill of knowing what to say and how to say it. A character with Etiquette is confident in his social skills, and never makes mistakes in front of the wrong people. This is a very important skill for those who wish to spend time at court, for the court of Rokugan is very formal. Demonstrating a lack of concern for etiquette demonstrates a person of low character.

Falconers have the ability to train and care for all birds of prey - hawks, falcons, and osprey. In order to train a bird of prey to respond to command, the falconer must spend upwards of 20 hours a week with the bird, all the while wearing a heavy leather cloth on the hand to protect it from the strong claws of the bird. It can take months to train a single bird, depending on the trainer and the bird. A master falconer can train a bird in five weeks, while a beginner may need four months. Once the falcon is trained, it responds to verbal commands and gestures, usually in the forms of a single word or hand signal or show of colored cloth or ribbon.
The base time to train a falcon is two months, at 12 hours per week. if the time is exceeded by 8 hours per week, or by one month, the falconer earns a free raise against the final training check. For each week short of the two months that is spent in training, the TN is raised by 5. No less than 10 hours a week can be spent to train a bird of prey. A TN of 20 is rolled each week to see if the time spent was valuable. If not, the week is lost and the trainer must extend the training time by another week.
When the training is completed, the falconer rolls a contested roll against the bird's Intelligence. Success finds the falcon loyal, with each raise increasing the level of difficulty in commands that the falcon understands. Failure results in the animal's escape.

Those who are more religiously incline than the average Rokugani occasionally observe holy days and festivals by fasting. Characters with this skill are able to fight off the effects of starvation for a total number of days equal to their Stamina Each day past this limit, the character must check Willpower + Fasting at a TN of 10 times the number of days he has fasted. Failure means the character must eat something soon or pass out from starvation.

A character with Heraldry has studied the banners and sigils of the Clans and Families. With a simple Perception+Heraldry roll vs. a TN of 20, a character can know one of four things about a person when viewing their banner: 1) their name; 2) their Clan and Family; 3) their Honor Rank; and 4) their Glory Rank. With every raise, the herald can know an additional fact from viewing the banner.

This character has studied history and is familiar with all the pertinent events that have led up to the current political situation.

Samurai are master horsemen. A character who has Horsemanship knows how to ride a horse, how to fight from horseback, and how to shoot a bow from horseback (this was amended in the Way of the Unicorn; see Horse Archery).

A character with Hunting is skilled in all manner of outdoor skills. He knows some falconry, how to track, how to make a fire, set up camp, etc.

Ichi Miru ("first look") is the art of observation. A character with this skill can glean information from another character through observation (what modern shysters call a "cold read"). From observing the character's actions and behavior, he can determine nature, disposition, temperament, habits, and mannerisms.

When on a crime scene, this character (with Perception) knows where to look for clues, how to put disparate facts together (Intelligence) and (using Awareness) how to interrogate suspects.

Kagaku is the practical application of nazo bubun no Agasha. It is the study of elemental observation, experimentation and reaction. Characters with this skill are knowledgeable in the cause and effect of chemical reactions and will be able to create items and effects.

This character is familiar with the inner workings of Rokugan's legal system. He may argue cases with magistrates, defend or prosecute the accused and write up legal documents.

There is much to be learned about a variety of subjects, and this skill is the general knowledge of those subjects. A character may specialize on any subject, but Shugenja Lore and Shadowlands Lore are among the most popular in Rokugan at this time.

In the Lion Clan, those who have come and gone, fought and fallen, are held in the utmost reverence. Even those who failed in their duty to the clan are remembered, if only to be learned from. Thus, it is considered honorable to know as much about one's ancestors, and the ancestors of your neighbors, as possible.

This skill provides a detailed knowledge of Rokugani festivals, the days upon which they occur, and how they are celebrated. A successful skill roll provides knowledge of the appropriate rituals and ceremonies involved with a particular festival, superstitions and taboos, and what rewards are commonly bestowed for important contests and competitions.

A master of ghost lore has detailed knowledge of gaki, yokai, yurei, ubume, and other varieties of potentially malevolent haunting spirits. This skill provides only the most basic awareness of shiryo and oni, mostly in how they relate to ghosts. Characters with this skill are particularly adept at telling good ghost stories.

This skill does not provide any talent for writing. It does, however, provide an extensive knowledge of famous poets, authors, playwrights, and their respective works. This skill may be used to remember a particular piece of written work, or simply to cite a clever quote for the amusement of the court. This skill provides an awareness of Rokugani literary traditions and conventions, which is always a boon in a land as steeped in tradition as Rokugan. When combined with Calligraphy and Rhetoric or Poetry, a character can compose letters that are works of art unto themselves.

Naga Civilization, Naga Myth, Naga Ruins, Naga Religion, Pearl Magic
There are several fields of knowledge not commonly available to Rokugani that Naga may be familiar with at the start of the game. All rules for standard Lore skills apply to these specializations.
Rokugani may learn these skills, but are required to pay twice the normal cost (in character or experience points).

This skill is required for Naga (or any foreign character) to understand Rokugani and their ways. It is used whenever a Naga seeks to puzzle out some aspect of Rokugani culture. The Rokugani need not purchase this skill; for them, it is considered default.

Manipulation is the art of using psychology and character interpretation in order to predict someone's actions. It can be used to determine wants, needs and desires, and can also tell the character how to fulfill them. As with many other Awareness-based skills, conversation is required for this skill.

This character is familiar with the medical practices of Rokugan. He may treat diseases and cure wounds to make certain that they don't become infected. He is familiar with massage techniques (used to center energies) and acupuncture.

A character with the Meditation (Za-zen) skill can make a simple Void+Meditation roll vs. a TN of 20 to gain back all his spent Void Points. Meditation requires complete, undisturbed silence for one hour to complete.

A character with Mountaineering is skilled at climbing mountains, knows how to forage for food in rocky terrains and has a basic knowledge of mountain passes and the like. This is considered a High skill for samurai-caste characters, and a Low skill for heimin and himin.

This is the skill of playing musical instruments. For every Rank taken in this skill, a character may learn another musical instrument. The biwa is a wide bodied flute; the fue is a very popular long, bamboo flute; a hichiriki is a double reeded flute, not unlike an oboe; a koto is the Japanese zither; a sanisen is the lute/banjo instrument; and san-ko are the three drums.
While playing an instrument is a demand on the character's manual dexterity (Agility), it is also a demand on his sense of tempo, pitch, and harmony (Awareness). When a character plays an instrument, he must use the lower of those two Traits.

Naga do not begin with the skill to speak Rokugani, and must purchase Rokugani Language to learn the language of the humans. But all Naga can speak Nagash, a combination of sibilant sounds and long, meaningful pauses, coupled with soft motions of the face.
With a skill of 1 in Nagash, a character may converse with other Naga in simple words and phrases. With a 3, the Naga is considered fluent in their own language, and can converse freely. At Rank 5, the Naga has mastered its language, and is capable of showing off his study and large vocabulary with ease.
Naga begin the game with Rank 3 in this skill, which does not add to their Discipline. They may purchase Ranks 4 and 5 during character creation or later in the game at the normal costs.
It is extremely difficult for humans to learn this skill. They must pay twice the normal cost (whether in character or experience points) to acquire it.

This is a special version of the Investigation skill, available only to Dragon characters. This skill operates exactly as the Investigation skill, but characters with Nazodo can also use this skill to solve puzzles, riddles and logic games. Nazodo is also effective when attempting to understand omens, portents, and other natural conundrums.

Strangely shaped clouds, shooting stars, odd planetary movements, dreams, and even sneezes can have profound prophetic meanings in Rokugan. This skill allows the character to identify omens when they occur, and divine their possible meaning. Omen reading is not a precise science. A dream that seems to foretell of death or great tragedy may just as easily mean nothing at all. The GM is the final arbiter in how useful and prophetic the character's omens are. This skill has long been common among shugenja. Lately, however, many Crane courtiers have begun to practice it, believing the ability to read the future to be a great way to display wit and cleverness. The Asahina sigh quietly; their cousins meddle with forces they do not understand. Meanwhile, the trend continues to grow in popularity.

A character with this skill has training in the art of speechmaking. Oratory - the art of performing a persuasive speech before an audience - can be used to convince a large group of people of a certain point of view. Characters with the Voice advantage gain a free raise when using Oratory. Rhetoric is the ability to write persuasive speeches for others to recite, and can be used in conjunction with other artisan skills in order to create a more effective document.

This is the art of paper-folding, the ability to transform scraps of tissue into cranes, horses, and other figures. A character skilled in Origami can use tiny creases in the paper to create a likeness of just about anything. It is primarily practiced in the courts of Rokugan.

This is the art of spontaneous ink painting. Many samurai are skilled in this painting style. It is done briskly and without forethought, relying entirely on intuition and inspiration, much like iaijutsu.

The Naga know how to turn a simple pearl into a work of tremendous beauty. More than simply working the pearl with tools and carving knives, the Naga use a series of prayers and meditations to help the pearl attain the form they desire. This skill works as the Tea Ceremony does for humans, taking one half hour (and requiring a non-enchanted pearl). When performing the ceremony, the Naga may invite any other Naga she wishes to participate. Each participant then enters a ritual trance, touching the mists of the Akasha and speaking with the spirit of the pearl. The artist carving the pearl may then make a simple Akasha+Pearl Carving roll; if she is successful, all Naga involved (up to the performer's skill Rank) regain a single spent Akasha Point (not to increase their Akasha Points beyond their Akasha Ring).
While humans may learn the basics of this skill, they gain no benefits from its use.

Haiku is the three-line, 17-syllable style of poetry. This style is very popular with samurai for its concise and impromptu nature.

Everyone in the Emperor's court knows that a Crane's heart is an honorable heart. Therefore, to disagree with a Crane (especially if he has logic on his side) is to turn your back on honor.
With this skill, the Crane can move opponents into the position of disagreement. This is done through simple conversation, but it must be done in public to gain the best effect. The Crane uses traps of logic to lead someone toward the Crane's chosen outcome. If the Crane is successful, their opponent will find that if they disagree, they appear dishonorable. If they agree, then they must do as the Crane has suggested.
The Crane rolls his Skill+Intelligence against a TN of his opponent's Awareness x5 (the character gets a free raise if his opponent has the Gullible disadvantage, and is penalized by 5 if his opponent has the Clear Thinker advantage). If successful, the Crane's opponent would be acting without honor if they were to disagree with the supposition, and must perform as the Crane has outlined. On the other hand, if someone is caught in the verbal trap and refuses to give in to the Crane, they will lose one point of Honor. This Honor loss may be increased by another point for each raise the Crane uses on his initial skill roll. This skill will automatically fail if used against someone with a higher Honor Rank.

This skill provides a mastery of the deft, precise movements required to control the marionettes used in Rokugani puppet shows. It requires practice and patience; many of the finer puppets have fully articulated eyes, fingers, and even eyebrows. No character with a Rank of less than 3 in this skill should even remotely consider performing a professional puppet show. This skill has grown very popular in the last few years, as many samurai patrons find it easier to host a single skilled puppeteer than an entire troupe of potentially unreliable actors to serve the same purpose. As such, a skilled puppeteer can nearly name his own wages in Rokugan.

This skill adds a one-time (per spell researched) -5 TN to a shugenja's researched spell roll, due to having this skill, no matter to what extent the shugenja has mastered it. It also reduces the shugenja's time to research a spell by one week per Rank of Research, which may not go beneath the one month minimum research time for any spell.

One difficulty that all awakening Naga face is learning the language of humans. Humans chitter, where Naga hiss. Humans chirp, where the more civilized tongue uses long syllables and open vowel sounds.
With a skill of 1 in the Rokugani tongue, a foreigner may converse with Rokugani in simple words and phrases ("Where are the horses?"). With a 3, the character is fluent in the Rokugani language, and may converse freely ("Excuse me, honorable Kakita-sama, but where are the stables located?"). At Rank 5, the character has mastered the Rokugani language and is capable of showing off his study and huge vocabulary with ease ("Excuse my interruption, oh exquisite maiden of the lineage of the Kakita daimyo, but I am in turmoil over the distressing loss of my equine. Could you, with all eloquence, assist me in locating the magistrate?").
Rokugani start with Rank 3 in this skill, which does not add to their Insight. They ay purchase Ranks 4 and 5 during character creation, or later in the game, at normal costs.
Naga do not begin with this skill, and must purchase it to speak with humans. It is extremely difficult for Naga to learn this skill; they must pay twice the normal cost (in character or experience points) to acquire it.

Another popular courtly game, sadane is the art of impromptu criticism. Sadane is not a mere insult but rather a biting denouncement of a piece of art, a book, or even the ethics and morality of another person. Sadane is almost always based upon the legitimate faults of the target. If a person or piece of art is genuinely without fault, sadane may be impossible. At night during Winter Court, many young courtiers meet secretly to engage one another in bouts of sadane.

Teaching in itself is an art form; those who wish to do so must learn how. This character may impart knowledge of his own skills or school Techniques to others who are ready to learn them. The GM may dictate how much time this takes, at the end of which the character with the Sensei skill rolls Intelligence + Sensei at the rank of the skill or Technique being taught x 10. The roll includes the Intelligence of both the student and the teacher. The sensei may not teach skills or techniques above his rank in this skill (i.e., a character who is a rank 3 Sensei may not impart rank 4 Shintao to another).

This is the study of the Tao of Shinsei, the guiding philosophy of Rokugan. Note: A character cannot have Traits higher than 5 without also having at least a Rank 3 in this skill.

The nobility of Rokugan do not value honesty, they value sincerity: the ability to give the appearance you believe what you are saying. Characters with Sincerity are the most skilled in this respect.

This skill provides the shugenja with enhanced knowledge of magic and the kami. A shugenja with this skill can roll Intelligence+Spellcraft vs. a TN of 20 to sway a kami's view of them from hatred to mere dislike, or neutral to friendly. Further, it can be used to identify spells being cast in the area, and to understand complexities about an unfamiliar spell. Lastly, a successful roll of Intelligence+Spellcraft vs. a TN of 20 can determine if a spell has been cast in the area recently, or to identify what spell has been cast on a person. This skill can be used to identify the residual effects of a spell that was cast in the recent past (up to 1 hour per Rank of Spellcraft).

The tea ceremony is far from simply brewing tea. It is a detailed ritual, designed to free the mind of outside concerns, thus liberating and cleansing it of distracting thoughts. It takes about a half an hour for a character with this skill to perform a ceremony (a simple Void+Tea Ceremony roll) and all involved (up to the skill Rank of the performer) will gain back a single spent Void Point.

Characters with this skill are familiar with all the rites and practices of worshipping the many gods of Rokugan. Religious services are highly formal, and improper procedure may draw wrath from the gods... at least, that's what the people of Rokugan believe.

This skill bestows knowledge of the care and maintenance for one particular breed of rare tropical fish. Koi, fighting fish, weatherfish, lionfish, blowfish, eels, and even small sharks are possible breeds, so long as they are small enough to live in a samurai's garden pond. Tropical fish are frequently very delicate animals, prone to shock and strange diseases. The expense of maintaining their health and strange diets can be phenomenal. A samurai with knowledge of this skill can pass conversation upon the subject at court. The subject of tropical fish is considered to be a humble method of bragging about one's wealth, for only a wealthy samurai can afford to own and maintain such animals. The GM may disallow this skill unless the character is wealthy enough to afford a proper fish pond.

This is the skill needed for an Asahina shugenja to create the minor, one-use magic talismans (or "fetishes") which are popular among the Crane. Such talismans often require an amount of time (as much as a week) to be spent finding the appropriate materials for creation, and a successful use of Astrology must be made (by someone, not necessarily the creating shugenja) to determine the correct time and day for the ceremony to be performed. Lastly, the item must be made on a sacred site appropriate to the item's nature - an ancestral shrine, for example, or on temple grounds.

This is the footman's equivalent of the Horsemanship skill. It can be used just like Horsemanship in all ways but one: it does not allow the character to ride into battle. It can be used to evaluate horses for purchase, treat injured horses, break and train horses, etc., and while the character can ride a horse just fine to go to the ocean and back, he or she is as lost as any peasant when it comes to mounted warfare.

Characters with Archery (kyujutsu) are practiced in the skill of shooting bows. However, the style of kyujutsu is very spontaneous, relying on instinct rather than aim. "The arrow knows the way" is a common phrase among archers of Rokugan. Characters use Reflexes+Archery when firing bows.

Running, jumping, lifting and similar physical actions fall under the jurisdiction of Athletics. If a character is running, for instance, and wants to test his speed, he uses Reflexes+Athletics. However, if he wants to test his endurance, he would roll Stamina+Athletics. Athletics is a Bugei skill for samurai-caste characters, and a Low skill for heimin and himin.

This is the study of warfare. Characters with Battle have studied the successful strategies and tactics of famous battles and the philosophies of war. This skill is used for both large-scale battles and for smaller skirmishes.

The weapons skills of the L5R RPG cover weapons with similar size and weight distribution. Here is collected the entirety of them (referred to by Rokugani as bujutsu) here for clarification. For game purposes, if a character has one of these skills, he is assumed to have the same Rank while using all weapons listed with it.
Iaijutsu is not included, as it is not a weapons skill per se, but the application of such knowledge. These terms do not supersede previous material, but may be used in place of those in parenthesis in future supplements.

• Bojutsu (Bo Stick): bo, jo
• Chisaijutsu (War Fan): tessen
• Jiujutsu (Hand-to-Hand): Mizu-do, Kaze-do
• Kenjutsu: katana, no-dachi, wakizashi
• Kyujutsu (Archery): dai-kyu, yumi
• Nofujutsu (Peasant Weapons): jitte, kama, nunchaku, sai, tonfa (Low skill)
• Subojutsu (Tetsubo): die tsuchi, tetsubo, ono
• Tantojutsu (Knife): aiguchi, tanto
• Umayarijutsu (Lance): lance
• Yarijutsu (Naginata): nagamaki, naginata, yari, nage-yari, sasumata, sodegarami
• Ninjutsu: ninja-to, shuriken, blowgun, nageteppo, tetsubishi, han-kyu

This skill can only be used in a natural environment, such as forest, mountains, or underwater. It allows the player to hide objects or other people within natural surroundings, using the terrain as cover to obscure their location. Tracks may also be hidden using this skill, though time and effort are required if the character with the skill is also concealing his own trail.
Use of this skill is always contested. The total rolled by the character using the Conceal skill becomes the TN for others to discover what he has hidden, or successfully follow the tracks he has obscured. This TN is reduced by 5 for those with Way of the Land in the area.

Every character knows how to get out of the way (that's their Fire Ring). This character knows how to do it effectively. Any character who does not purchase at least Rank 1 in Defense cannot make the Full Defense Maneuver.

This skill represents the character's experience with the small explosives used in stink bombs, smoke bombs, flash paper, etc.

A character with the Horse Archery skill can not only fire a bow from the back of a moving horse, but can do so without falling off and with a reasonable expectation of hitting the target. The bow used for this skill is the dai-kyu, a long, asymmetrical bow particularly suited to the task.
The strength of the dai-kyu comes from its size and greater draw, thus giving more force to the arrow; and a bowman on horseback is at least three feet taller than one on the ground, affording a much broader field of fire and range.
The Horse Archery skill is based on the Unicorn method of archery (and uses the same mechanics), and so is not generally available to non-Clan members. A character who knows Archery, but not Horse Archery, has his TN raised by at least 10 when firing from the back of a horse; characters who don't know how to handle a bow at all probably ought to hope for divine intervention. A similar penalty would apply if, for some reason, a character trained solely in Horse Archery were forced to fire from the ground.

Those who practice iaijutsu practice the art of the "fast draw." Iaijutsu is only practiced by samurai and katana are the only weapons that are used. It is a formal duel that must follow explicit rules (given in the L5R RPG, page 108), or the offending party is dishonored and expected to commit seppuku.
A samurai with his sword in its saya must use Iaijutsu if he wishes to attack in the current round of combat, or must spend the round drawing and preparing his weapon. A drawn weapon cannot be used with the Iaijutsu skill.
Two samurai stand a few feet apart with their katana sheathed. Then, in a furious explosion of motion, both suddenly draw their swords and attack.

Intimidation is the ability to coerce others through fright or the intention to harm. Crab samurai are the unquestioned masters of menace, and can intimidate others with a mere pause or the raising of an eyebrow.

Jiujutsu is the art of fighting with bare hands. Legend has it that Shinsei brought this skill with him from across the mountains. Damage from a Jiujutsu strike is Strength+0k1.

Kemari is a soccer-like game often played at court. The rules are simple: a group of players stand in a circle and kick a leather ball, trying to keep the ball from hitting the ground. Though it seems straightforward, players always wear full courtly dress (tall peaked cap and kimono), making it much more complicated (the rules for playing kemari are available on page 65 of Winter Court 2). Note that with an extra raise, kemari can be played using the Athletics skill, so this skill is not necessary to play. Die-hard kemari addicts, however, will certainly want to learn this skill.

This skill is used when a character is using a katana, wakizashi, etc.

A character with this skill picks one particular bushi school that he has attended or studied with some regularity. The character gains Free Raises against anyone using that school equal to his rank in this skill. In addition, anyone trying to use that school to strike this character has his TN raised by 5.

Unicorn bushi (and occasionally shugenja) use this skill when trying to lance (for example, with a yari or a naginata). Obviously, lancing an enemy can only be done from on top of a moving horse. If the Unicorn samurai succeeds in hitting his target with a lancing attack, he does not add his own strength to the roll. Instead, if his mount is charging, he rolls the weapon's DR plus the number of rounds he's charged for damage. He must also make a Strength+Lance check against a TN equal to x5 the number of rounds he charged. This extra roll is not considered an action. If the bushi fails this roll, he loses his grip on his polearm. If he fails it badly (GM's discretion), he can even be unhorsed.
Lancing from horseback is a Unicorn specialty, something they learned in distant lands. It is rare for any other Clan's samurai to use their polearm in this way, but it is not unheard of. For a non-Unicorn samurai to use a polearm as a lance, he must either have a Unicorn teach him, or else survive such an attack and make a Perception+Yarijutsu check against a TN of 30 (less 5 for every time he's seen it) and spend an Experience Point.

Characters with this skill are knowledgeable in the ways of black magic and can identify those who practice it. This is not the same as learning maho; those who have it can not summon oni, drain the soul, or perform other unwholesome maho spells. Rather, it gives them an overview of the discipline, allowing them to recognize signs of maho activity if they come across it. They also know which particular spell is being practiced, and the protective wards against it, if any exist. It is rare to find this knowledge outside of the Kuni Witch-Hunters, for only they have need of it. It is a Bugei skill for the Witch-Hunters, but a Low skill for anyone else.

The Mai Chong is the epitomal weapon of the Boar Clan, which their school of bushido is based upon. Purchasing Yarijutsu does not confer any particular ability with the Mai Chong, because of the many differences in style needed to effectively utilize the weapon. A character must purchase at least one rank in this skill in order to master any of the Techniques of the Boar.

This is a specialized form of the Intimidation skill, used only by members of the Imperial Guard, or the Emerald Legions (including Emerald Magistrates on duty for the Emerald Champion). By appealing to the target character's belief that the Emerald Legions are the best-trained, most frightening bushi in the Empire, and that the entire Celestial Order stands behind them, a member of the Imperial Houses can freeze a samurai in their tracks. The guard makes a contested Obiesaseru roll against the target's Willpower to freeze the target for one round. Raises can increase the number of rounds this works, or the number of people frozen. The character can still move to flee or defend himself, but cannot move forward or attack the Seppun or anyone behind him. Against non-humans or non-Rokugani, this becomes the same as the normal Intimidation skill.
In order to use this skill, the character must have some obvious token of Imperial authority - the armor of an Imperial Guard, wearing the mon of the Seppun, or some other easily-seen token. If the skill roll fails, the individual who was being intimidated immediately knows what the Imperial Guard was attempting, and will most likely have a very bad impression of his would-be oppressor.

If engineering is building, Siege is tearing down. Siege represents a character's ability to gauge the strength of a given fortress and devise the best way to breach it. By observing the target for a given length in time, a siege master can determine the number of samurai guarding it, the shifts in their patrols, possible escape routes from the castle, and the most effective direction to launch an attack. It also covers the ability to operate a siege engine - such as a catapult or firebreather - and to direct it where it will inflict the most damage.

The tessen, or war fan, is an iron-ribbed fan that has two purposes. It is used as a weapon, typically to parry strikes from unsuspecting attackers. It is also used to give silent signals on a battlefield. To give signals on a battlefield is a simple Agility+Tessen roll.

Most Rokugani practice what they call kyujutsu. This is a fast method of shooting the bow, and relies primarily on instinctive aim, feel, and experience. It's the equivalent of "hip-shooting" with a bow. In their travels to distant lands, the Unicorn learned a different method, involving careful aim. Instead of drawing and firing instinctively, the bowman looks down the shaft of the arrow and aims it. They found this method to be superior to the Rokugani method, for they could fire rapidly when they needed to, but they could also take their time and aim the arrow when scoring a hit was of critical importance. The Unicorn call this technique by its gaijin name, "yomanri," and all Unicorn samurai use it. As you might imagine, gaijin use this skill as well. The downside of this technique is the stillness it demands on the part of the archer: use of this skill is considered a Full Attack. No extra dice are rolled, but the TN to hit the archer is a 5.
For the Unicorn, the Archery skill is based on Agility rather than Reflexes. The Unicorn samurai can fire once a round like their counter parts, but they may also take time to aim their bow. For each round a Unicorn archer spends aiming (and doing nothing else), he or she gains a Free Raise on his or her to hit roll. An archer can only aim for a number of rounds equal to his Archery skill.
Also, the amount a target is moving also restricts the amount an archer can aim. Only half a character's skill can be spent in rounds aiming at moving targets.

This is the art of making and repairing weapons. While this is also a Merchant skill, it is one of the most honorable of all Craft skills.

This is sumai, the forerunner of sumo wrestling. It is a sport rather than a lethal skill. Using this skill, a character can throw his opponent with a successful contested Strength roll. If his opponent is thrown, he must make a successful Stamina roll at a TN of 5x the Strength of the thrower (plus 5 for each raise of the thrower), or he is stunned and can take no action next Round.

With this skill, characters can determine the approximate value of an item or group of items. Further, a character with the Appraisal skill has a greater chance of identifying forgeries and counterfeits.

This is yoroi-sei, the skill of making and repairing armor. It is one of the most honorable of all Craft skills.

This is the skill of bartering, handling currency and merchandising. It is dishonorable for a samurai to practice this skill.

This skill covers many different areas. It is the skill of making. Every manner of craft can be listed with this skill, except Armorer and Weaponsmith, which are regarded above all other crafts. Samples of Craft skills include: Farmer, Cook, Potter, Gardener, Shipwright, Brewer, Carpenter, Cobbler, Fisherman, Seamstress/Tailor, and Mason.

While this is not a magical skill, it is the physical ability to treat minor wounds or provide relief and healing for injuries and common sicknesses. Not all diseases can be healed through application of this skill, nor can all poisons be reversed, but it gives the user a chance to determine what poison or sickness affects the recipient, and counteract it. Characters with Acupuncture can use their ability with a successful Perception+Advanced Medicine roll vs. a TN of 15 (less if the wounds are not severe, greater if the wound is traumatic or the disease is an uncommon one) to successfully treat a patient. Such patients will heal at twice the normal rate thereafter. Patients can only be treated with this skill once per wound or disease. Poisons can be determined with a TN of 20 or higher, and can only be treated if the healer also has Lore: Poison, or the Poison skill.

Mitsugusuri is the art of making magical potions.

A character with this skill knows the art of tattooing. Raises allow more complicated and elaborate tattoos.

Engineering is the ability to design, build, and repair large structures. This can be as simple as constructing a lean-to in the forest or as complex as strengthening the foundations of the Kaiu wall. A character skilled in engineering knows how to survey the land for optimum building sites, can find the best places to cross a stream, and can warn other characters not to smash that load-bearing wall. All Kaiu are expected to have a point or two in Engineering.

Fletchery is much like Weaponsmith, but specializing in the art of making arrows. A fetcher can make arrows from small bundles of wood, and from loose brancehs. This is not considered a Bugei skill, as no samurai would make his own arrows.

This skill is the peasant version of Medicine. It is used to cure wounds and heal maladies. Instead of acupuncture, it uses herbs.

This skill not only allows a character to make locks, but to break them. When a locksmith creates a lock, he makes a simple Agility+Locksmith roll. This sets the TN for the lock. When another locksmith attempts to pick the lock, he must make a simple Roll vs. the lock's TN.

This skill provides needed information about shoring up weak walls, where and how certain ores travel through the ground, and the ability to recognize unworked metals with only a few simple tests.

The Unicorn, Crab, and Mantis occasionally find it necessary to go to unexplored places without roads, maps or townsfolk they can ask for directions. Using stars, triangulation, and memory, a character can use this skill to plot journeys through uncivilized terrain with Intelligence or find their way with no stable reference point (e.g. left blindfolded in an unknown forest) with Perception.

Knowledge of this skill includes how to sail simple kobune craft, maintain a course on coastal seas, and understand the rudiment of boat craft and repair. It is considered a Merchant skill, but it is not dishonorable for a Mantis Clan member to know and use it.

This is the ability to build, set, and detect all manner of booby traps, from the merely incapacitating to the gruesomely lethal. Not only can a character with Traps design and construct such pitfalls, but he knows how to conceal their presence until they are sprung. Consequently, he can identify the tell-tale signs of a hidden trap, and may roll to detect it before it goes off. This is a Merchant skill for the Kaiu, a Low skill for anyone else.

Used to determine causes of death, in a vague manner as Rokuganimedical science is not that advanced. Touching the dead is unclean, so you really should have an eta do this.

This is the simple art of getting out of bonds of any kind. Any situation from, being simply bound at the wrists to being completely wrapped in chain, falls under this skill. However, Escape only covers slipping out of the bonds. Characters who are jailed or trapped in a room, for example, will need some other way to get out. The TN for Escape can range from 10 (simple rope binding around the wrists) to 45 (completely wrapped in metal chain).

Sometimes the only place to hide is not behind a door or around a corner, but just out of sight of the only person in the room. Taught to assassins and many other unsavory people the Empire, this is an effective way to stalk a target for almost as long as the assassin wishes. The character with Evasion simply stays behind his target, or out of sight, and does not need to make any skill check until the target for some reason begins to suspect that a person is following him. The TN for Evasion is the target's Awareness x 5. Someone warning the target of a stalker ruins the Evasion completely.

The single most common skill in all of Rokugan.

This skill allows a character to forge official documents, letters, etc. When forging a document, the forger must make a simple Agility+Forgery roll. This sets the TN for the document. When another character views the document, he must make a simple Perception roll (sometimes supplemented by Law or Investigation, depending on the GM) to beat the TN of the document.

This is the skill of professional gambling. In other words: cheating. The Trait to use with Gambling is Awareness. To detect cheating, a character must make a contested Perception+Gambling roll against the gambler's Awareness+Gambling.

Goblins do not have a "culture" as such, but their activity is based around a pattern of imitating human customs. An observer who knows goblins well enough will be able to identify their purpose and intent at any given time. He or she can thus make sense of their bizarre activities and even predict what they are going to do next. This skill also covers any attempts to communicate with the goblins on a meaningful level - bartering with them, scaring them off, etc. Needless to say, it is considered a Low skill.

Gossip is frowned upon in the court, but to suggest that it never happens would be ridiculous. This skill makes the character a practiced gossip, which may be used in two ways: to hunt rumors or to spread them. To hunt rumors, the character must spend a day in court discussing a particular person or subject, rolling his Gossip + Awareness against a TN of 15. If the roll succeeds, the character has learned one juicy rumor about the subject. There is a base 50% chance that the rumor is true, though truthfulness doesn't guarantee usefulness ("It's true! Shinjo Yokatsu dyes his beard!"). For every raise the character makes, the chance of truthfulness increases by 5% to a maximum of 80%. To spread rumors about a person or subject, the character must spend a day speaking bout his target in court, then roll against a TN determined by the GM. In the case of a person, a good default is (target's Glory - character's Glory) x 10, but the TN should never be lower than 10. This skill only insures the rumor goes into circulation; it doesn't insure that anyone believes it. Also, keep in mind that gossiping behind someone's back is a good way to get challenged to a duel.

The ability to move through an urban environment without leaving clues for the authorities to follow.

This is the Etiquette skill of the (criminal) underworld - how to address people of questionable character and unsavory occupation.

The character has learned to mimic the voices of others. When this skill is used against someone who is unfamiliar with the person being mimicked, make a simple Awareness+Mimic roll against their Perception x5. If they are familiar with the person being mimicked, expect the GM to raise the TN, depending on the degree of familiarity. For instance, someone with a casual acquaintance would increase the TN by 5 or 10, but when attempting to fool someone's wife or husband, expect the TN to go up by as much as 20.

"Ninjutsu" is a broad skill that represents the training required to use the tools of the ninja's trade. Each tool is both a weapon and a tool. With each Rank, the assassin learns how to use a new tool. (See Bujutsu.)

A character with this skill will be able to detect, analyze and use the various poisons available in Rokugan.

The Nezumi tongue is unlike the Rokugani language, and takes an amount of training to speak. Characters with this skill are fluent in ratling speech and may communicate with the Nezumi as they would a human being. A character will lose one Honor point every time he or she uses ratling speech outside the presence of Nezumi.

Honorable women do not act seductively. This activity is left to geisha. Seduction uses a contested Awareness+Seduction roll vs. the opponent's Awareness.

This skill allows the character to use sleight of hand tricks such as palming items, picking pockets, and other acts of prestidigitation.

A character with Stealth (shinobi) moves silently through shadows, unseen by the casual observer. To use Stealth, a character must make a contested Agility+Stealth roll against another character's Perception.

The use of Torture is dishonorable because it involves touching blood, sweat and dead flesh. When using Torture, a character is trying to extract information from the tortured character using pain. Torture is a contested Awareness+Torture roll vs. the opponent's Stamina (deducting a number of dice equal to his current Wound level, of course).