Daidoji Yojimbo

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Daidoji Yojimbo School

Benefit: +1 Agility

Beginning Honor: 3.5

Skills: Defense 2, Etiquette, Iaijutsu, Jiujutsu, Kenjutsu (Katana), any High or Bugei skill

Outfit: Katana, Wakizashi, any 1 weapon; light armor, helm; kimono and sandals; traveling pack; 10 koku

Rank 1 - The Force of Honor

The yojimbo adds his Honor Rank to all damage rolls. As long as the bushi designates one companion as his charge, he gains a number of Free Raises equal to his School Rank that may only be used for the Guard maneuver. Add his Air ring to his TNtbh.

Rank 2 - Wielding the Inner Fire

The bushi at this point adds his Fire Ring to all attack rolls. After any time the yojimbo attacks, he may spend a Void point to immediately use the Guard action, so long as his charge is within ten feet. If he does so, he immediately gains the highest initiative in the next combat round. He may not use this Technique on a Full Attack.

Rank 3 - Moving the Shadow

The bushi now adds 2x his Air ring to his TNtbh. This replaces the Rank 1 ability. Whenever facing an armored opponent, the bushi gains a bonus to his attack rolls equal to his opponent's armor bonus. Additionally, any attacks his opponent makes against the Yojimbo or his Charge have their TN raised by his (own) armor bonus.

Rank 4 - Strike Beneath the Veil

The Yojimbo now adds 2x his Fire ring to all attack rolls, replacing the Rank 2 ability. Any time the bushi uses the Guard maneuver, the effects are doubled. The bushi may now make 2 attacks per round.

Rank 5 - To Tread on the Sword

After using the Guard technique, any attack rolls made for the rest of the skirmish explode on 8's and 9's as if they were 10's. If the yojimbo has a skill which applies to his opponent (such as Know the School or Lore: Shadowlands) his 6's and 7's explode as well. This effect may only be used once per die per roll. So if a 9 exploded to an 8, it would not explode again, but if the second roll were a 10 it would explode as normal.

Discussion

Some thoughts:

• I'd think Investigation should be in the starting skill package of any Yojimbo School worth its name.
• I'm not quite sure how the Rank 2 ability is supposed to work - can you clarify it?
• The Rank 3 ability completely negates the effect of wearing armor, which is certainly more than the 2nd and 1st Edition versions did. Perhaps make both the attack bonus and the TN penalty equal to half the armor bonus, rounded down?
• Rank 4 does too many things for a Rank 4 Technique. Since I'm not sold on the Fire attack bonus anyway, though, my suggestion would be to drop that aspect of both Ranks 2 and 4.
• Finally, Rank 5 is kind of odd - what happened to the Air TN bonus, and why is it I can declare a single Raise on my first attack of the combat to make all my attack dice explode on 8+? The introduction of a "relevant Lore skill" (which, by the way, I think you need to include in your description anyway, as "a skill that applies to his opponent" is really vague) at this very late point in the school also strikes me as bizarre. I'd switch the triggers for the 8+ and 6+ to "when using Full Defense or making an attack that includes a Guard manuever" and "if the bushi or his designated charge were the target of an attack last turn" respectively. (scratches chin) Though that still combines rather too well with Rank 1's Free Raises...