Post/Author/DateTime	Post
geekmasterflash 02-26-07, 02:00 PM	Yamabushi Description: Yamabusi are the Paladins of Japan. All Yamabushi are under allegiance to three or more Kami, from which they receive spells, healing, and divine insight. In turn, Yamabushi serve the Kami with their lives and when necessary, engage on campaigns to further the Kami’s cause. Adventures: Yamabushi are often ordered by their elders or Kami to explore certain areas of interest. Characteristics: Yamabushi are steadfast and determined, convinced that their path is a holy one. Nevertheless, religion in the Kaui is not as exclusive as in the west; thus, two Yamabushi very much dedicated to their own philosophies and temples may adventure peacefully together if their cause coincides Alignment: Yamabushi can be of any Lawful alignment. Background: Being a Yamabushi is most often hereditary, or rarely a Kami will seek out a mortal to be their martial representative on Kaiu. Races: Yamabushi can be of any race. Other classes: Yamabushi get along well with most classes. Alignment: Any Lawful. Hit Die: d10. Class Skills The Yamabushi’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Iaijutsu Focus (Cha) Knowledge (nobility and royalty) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), and Sense Motive (Wis). Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x4. Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier. Class Skills The Yamabushi’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Iaijutsu Focus (Cha) Knowledge (nobility and royalty) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), and Sense Motive (Wis). Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x4. Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier. Base Attack Bonus: As Fighter Saves: As Paladin Special:1st Level - Aura of Law, detect chaos, smite Chaotic 1/day 2nd Level - Divine grace, lay on hands 3rd Level - Aura of courage, divine health 4th Level - Turn Demons 5th Level - Smite chaotic 2/day, Gift of the Kami 6th Level - Remove disease 1/week 9th Level - Remove disease 2/week 10th Level - Smith chaotic 3/day 12th Level - Remove disease 3/week 15th Level - Remove disease 4/week, smite chaotic 4/day 18th Level - Remove disease 5/week 20th Level - Smite Chaotic 5/day Class Features All of the following are class features of the Yamabushi. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Yamabushi are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor (heavy, medium, and light), and with shields (except tower shields). Aura of Law (Ex): The power of a Yamabusi’s aura of Law (see the detect law spell) is equal to her Yamabushi level. Detect Chaos (Sp): At will, a yamabushi can use detect chaos, as the spell. Smite Chaos (Su): Once per day, a yamabushi may attempt to smite choas with one normal melee attack. She adds her Charisma bonus (if any) to her attack roll and deals 1 extra point of damage per yamabushi level. If the yamabushi accidentally smites a creature that is not chaotic, the smite has no effect, but the ability is still used up for that day. At 5th level, and at every five levels thereafter, the yamabushi may smite chaos one additional time per day, as indicated on Table: The Yamabushi, to a maximum of five times per day at 20th level. Divine Grace (Su): At 2nd level, a yamabushi gains a bonus equal to her Charisma bonus (if any) on all saving throws. Lay on Hands (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, a yamabushi with a Charisma score of 12 or higher can heal wounds (her own or those of others) by touch. Each day she can heal a total number of hit points of damage equal to her yamabushi level x her Charisma bonus. A yamabushi may choose to divide her healing among multiple recipients, and she doesn’t have to use it all at once. Using lay on hands is a standard action. Alternatively, a yamabushi can use any or all of this healing power to deal damage to undead creatures. Using lay on hands in this way requires a successful melee touch attack and doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity. The yamabushi decides how many of her daily allotment of points to use as damage after successfully touching an undead creature. Aura of Courage (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, a paladin is yamabushi to fear (magical or otherwise). Each ally within 10 feet of her gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against fear effects. This ability functions while the yamabushi is conscious, but not if she is unconscious or dead. Divine Health (Ex): At 3rd level, a yamabushi gains immunity to all diseases, including supernatural and magical diseases. Turn Demons (Su):When a yamabushi reaches 4th level, she gains the supernatural ability to turn Demons, Oni, and Ghosts. She may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Charisma modifier. She turns undead as a cleric of three levels lower would. Spells: Beginning at 4th level, a yamabushi gains the ability to cast a small number of divine spells, which are drawn from the shugenja spell list. A yamabushi must choose and prepare her spells in advance. At character creation the Yamabushi must choose 3 Kami to serve. The yamabushi may cast spells from the element that Kami has lordship over. To prepare or cast a spell, a paladin must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a yamabushi’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the yamabushi’s Wisdom modifier. Like other spellcasters, a yamabushi can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The Yamabushi. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Wisdom score. When Table: The Yamabushi indicates that the yamabushi gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level, she gains only the bonus spells she would be entitled to based on her Wisdom score for that spell level The yamabushi does not have access to any domain spells or granted powers, as a cleric does. A yamabushi prepares and casts spells the way a cleric does, though she cannot lose a prepared spell to spontaneously cast a cure spell in its place. A yamabushi may prepare and cast any spell on the yamabushi spell list, provided that she can cast spells of that level, but she must choose which spells to prepare during her daily meditation. Through 3rd level, a yamabushi has no caster level. At 4th level and higher, her caster level is one-half her yamabushi level. Gift of the Kami (Sp): Upon reaching 5th level, a yamabushi may add +2 to any stat of her choice. Remove Disease (Sp): At 6th level, a yamabushi can produce a remove disease effect, as the spell, once per week. She can use this ability one additional time per week for every three levels after 6th (twice per week at 9th, three times at 12th, and so forth). Code of Conduct: A yamabushi must be of lawful alignment and loses all class abilities if she ever willingly commits an act which would offend her Kami. Additionally, a yamabushi’s code requires that she respect legitimate authority, act with honor (not lying, not cheating, not using poison, and so forth), help those in need (provided they do not use the help for evil or chaotic ends), and punish those who harm or threaten innocents. Ex-Yamabushi A yamabushi who ceases to be lawful, who willfully commits an act abhorrent to her Kami, or who grossly violates the code of conduct loses all yamabushi spells and abilities (including the Gift of the Kami, but not weapon, armor, and shield proficiencies). She may not progress any farther in levels as a yamabushi. She regains her abilities and advancement potential if she atones for her violations (see the atonement spell description), as appropriate. Like a member of any other class, a yamabushi may be a multiclass character, but multiclass yamabushis face a special restriction. A yamabushi who gains a level in any class other than yamabushi may never again raise her yamabushi level, though she retains all her yamabushi abilities. Shinto Shinto is not an easy religion for outsiders to understand, for it relies on spiritual insight and feeling rather than disciplined thought and learning. Were a non-practitioner to attempt to explain it in the space of a few paragraphs — or even pages — he would be doomed to failure — it is beyond the scope of this book. Instead, this book presents an adjusted, much simplified version designed specifically for the purpose of adding flavor to a fantasy role-playing campaign in Japan or in a Japanese-like setting. It is in no way an examination of the true religion, much less a judgment or comment upon its validity. With that precaution in mind, the information that follows should prove helpful in adding flavor to your campaign. Shinto literally means "the way of good spirits," which is not — at least to most westerners — a very accurate description of the religion. Shintoism is a naturalistic religion in which the forces of nature and, to a lesser extent, ancestors are deified. These forces are called "kami," which is an extremely difficult concept to translate accurately into English. Basically, for our purposes, kami is somewhere between a "god" and a "spirit." It might be described as meaning "the beings more highly placed," "the venerated," or as "the awe-inspiring." Anything which deserves to be revered or dreaded for its extraordinary powers (especially those possessing a magical nature) deserves to be called "kami." A god, a majestic mountain, and the august personage of the emperor are all "kami." Not surprisingly, there are a lot of kamis — eight million of them, to be precise. For our purposes, only animals of a magical nature or origin would have a kami. Thus, dragons, unicorns, and lycanthropes would all have a kami; bears, griffins, and kobolds would not. If in doubt, consider whether or not the creature has any magical abilities or magic resistance; generally, those that do have kamis, the others don’t. On earth, kamis can be found in anything, from beautiful waterfalls to majestic mountains to oddly shaped rocks. All are worshipped as fervently as other cultures worship their gods, and when walking through Japan, one is likely to come upon a small shrine to one of these kamis at any time — beside a quiet pool, at the base of a great cliff, or deep within a peaceful glade. Most of the kamis described here are of a different type, however. These kamis correspond more closely to conventional concepts of deities. They are the gods of the sun and moon, the beings responsible for storms and fertility, the ones who created the land and populated it with people. For the largest part, these kami, the "Ama-Tsu-Kami" or kami of the heavens, reside "in the sky" (any of the Seven Heavens). At one time, earth was linked to the sky by a bridge, the Ama no Hashidate, which allowed the gods free and easy access to the earth. Unfortunately, this bridge has long since collapsed, forcing the gods to send their avatars when they wish to visit the world of men. Under the earth lies the kingdom of the dead, the "Land of Darkness" or Yomi-tsu-kuni. It can be reached via a winding road that begins in the Izumo province and leads underground, or via the bottomless abyss which engulfs all the waters of the sea. It is pictured as an ugly, foul land filled with the repulsive corpses of the dead. According to mythology, generations of unnamed divinities were born at the same time as the heaven and the earth. They were followed by several more unnamed generations of divinities, until finally the seventh generation, containing Izanagi and Izanami, was born. Izanagi and Izanami created the islands of Japan, then went down to live on them. There, in many different manners, they began giving birth to many other kamis. This process continued until Izanami gave birth to the god of fire, a difficult delivery which resulted in her death. After Izanami went to the Land of Darkness, the other kamis continued to procreate. Nevertheless, Izanagi missed his wife and went to retrieve her, but Izanami was furious when he saw her in her decayed form and chased him away. Afterwards, as Izanagi washed himself, he created the deities of the sea and, when he washed his left eye, Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun and the ancestor of Japanese emperors. After this, of course, all the kamis engaged in a great many adventures — far too numerous to recount here. Japanese Pantheon. Diety Alignment Element Typical Worshippers Izangi and Izanami Lawful Neutral Earth Wu Jen, Sorcerers Amaterasu Lawful Good Air Monks, Yamabushi Tsuki-Yomi Neutral Good Void Historians Hachiman Lawful Neutral Fire Ashigaru Susanoo Chaotic Neutral Water Druids, Wako Raiden Chaotic Neutral Air Ronin O-Kuni-Nushi Any Good Earth Adventurers Ama-Tsu-Mara Neutral Fire Blacksmiths Inari Good Air Peasants, Farmers Ho Masubi Chaotic Neutral Fire Nai No Kami Lawful Neutral Earth Ashigaru, Monks O-Wata-Tsu-Mi Neutral Water Wako Kura Okami Choatic Good Air Druids, Farmers Shina-Tsu-Hiko Chaotic Neutral Water Wako, Farmers, Druids, Rangers Amatsu-Mikaboshi Neutral Evil Void Rogues, Assasins Shichifukujin Good Void Bards, Adventurers, Travelers The following descriptions are paraphrased and quoted from the Legends & Lore supplement for AD&D which is available for download in its complete and unedited form at Wizards of the Coast. Izanami and Izanagi Izanami and Izanagi are the seventh generation descendants of the three divinities that came into being with the heavens and the earth. Of these early deities, they are the most important for men, for they were assigned the task of solidifying the earth. Izanagi, the male god, stood on the floating bridge of heaven and stirred the ocean with his lance until the water began to congeal and the island of Onokoro was formed. Here, Izanagi and his wife, Izanami, made their home and went about the business of populating the world. At first, they produced a monster, then an island. Finally, however, they began producing more gods. Unfortunately, Izanami died while giving birth to the god of fire. The morose Izanagi went to the Land of Darkness to visit her, but was bitterly chased away after Izanami grew angry at him for seeing her in a state of decay. Back on earth, Izanagi produced several more deities, including the sun goddess Amaterasu, as he washed away the residue of the underworld. Working together, Izanagi and Izanami have the power to create anything. In their true forms, they appear to be a statuesque man and woman of great beauty (though Izanami will appear dead and decayed if caught unawares). Amaterasu Amaterasu was born when Izanagi washed his left eye after returning from the Land of the Dead. She is the goddess of the sun and rules the Plane of Heaven. Through one of her grandsons, the Imperial family is descended directly from her. In addition to being the goddess of the sun, Amaterasu is the weaver of the gods’ robes. She has the power to light the world (or any part of it), to make plants grow, to cure diseases in men, or to destroy anything she wishes with her brilliance. In her true form, Amaterasu is beautiful woman. Amaterasu is the patron goddess of Japan and watches over its welfare carefully. If the land is seriously threatened, she may beseech aid from her fellow gods in order to protect it. She also watches over the Imperial family, and will never aid those who bring harm to one of its members. If the existence of the family itself is threatened, she will not hesitate send her avatar to aid it. Omens from Amaterasu take the form of solar eclipses. Tsuki-Yomi Tsuki-Yomi was born when Izanagi washed his right eye after returning from the Land of the Dead. He is the god of the moon, whose function it is to count the passing of the months. In China, a hare is often shown in the moon. and this sign has been incorporated into Tsuki-Yomi’s symbol, along with a pun. In Japanese, Mochi-zuki means two things: the full moon, and to pound rice for cakes. Therefore, Tsuki-Yomi’s symbol is a hare in the moon, pounding rice for cakes. As the counter of the months, Tsuki-Yomi has the power to control time, making it pass more slowly in one place than in another, stopping it altogether, or speeding it up. He also has the power to light the darkness. In his true form, Tsuki-Yomi is a handsome man. Tsuki-Yomi’s primary concern is the orderly progression of time, so that seasons change and crops mature properly. He is generally benevolent to those who rely upon and respect the cycle of nature. If his aid is requested in defending a just, established social order, there is a 5% chance that he will answer by sending his avatar. When sending omens, Tsuki-Yomi sometimes manifests the handsome blue face of his avatar in an expensive mirror. Hachiman Hachiman was born Ojin, son of the Empress Jingo. According to legend, Empress Jingo became pregnant while leading a military expedition against Korea. In order to delay the child’s birth, she swallowed a rock. It is no wonder that, born such a woman, Ojin grew up to become a cunning and mighty warrior in his own right. In fact, his victories were so great that the Ama-Tsu-Kami granted him immortal status and made him the god of war. Hachiman always knows the location, strength, and readiness of any army. He also has that power to read the thoughts of any military commander. In his true form, Hachiman is a splendidly armored warrior. When a battle occurs, Hachiman is always watching. There is a 5% chance that he will send his avatar to rescue any warrior who does not flee when out numbered by more than four-to-one. Before a battle, any commander who has performed constant devotions to Hachiman stands a 5% chance of suddenly discovering that he "knows" the enemy’s strength, location, and plan of attack. Hachiman hates cowardice in combat and any warrior exhibiting a fear of death suffers a permanent -1 modifier to his THAC0. Hachiman does not send omens. Susanoo Susanoo is the god of storms. He was born when Izanagi washed his nose after returning from the Land of Darkness. Susanoo immediately began causing trouble, pestering his father for permission to go to the Land of Darkness and visit his mother. Eventually, Izanagi grew tired of these petitions and sent his son away. So Susanoo went to see his sister Amaterasu in the heavens, playing such a cruel trick on her that she rushed into a cave and hid, depriving the world of light. In punishment for his terrible acts, the other gods shaved Susanoo’s beard, pulled out his fingernails, and ejected him from the heavens. Susanoo has the power to deprive any being of flight for up to one week. He can also send a 10d10 point lightning bolt to strike any being on earth. In his true form, Susanoo is a beardless man with a fierce aspect and no fingernails. Susanoo is a very unpredictable god. Sometimes, when he creates storms, the result is not so terrible, but on other occasions, he savages the land from one end to the other, ripping up trees, destroying homes, and flooding crops. He sometimes sends his lightning bolts to strike down those who have offended him. Sometimes, in fact, he sends his lightning bolts to strike someone down for no reason at all. Raiden Raiden is the god of thunder and the patron of fletchers. A constant companion of Susanoo’s, he loves nothing better than beating his drums while the storm god rages. When he wishes, he can beat these drums so loudly that they act as drums of panic. Raiden is fond of eating human flesh, and receives a meal any time a man is slain by an arrow. He can send an 8d10 lightning bolt to attack any being on earth. In his true form, Raiden has a horned, grotesque head and long, vicious looking claws. Raiden is a rather petty and jealous god. If not properly venerated, he will convince Susanoo to unleash a terrible storm on the village so that he can beat his drums and frighten the people. As the patron of fletchers, he grants every arrow-maker the power to create 10 arrows of slaying during his lifetime. The Fletcher never knows when he has created such a weapon, but does realize that he has been unusually successful in creating the arrow. Omens from Raiden take the form of dry thunder, arrow shaped clouds, and lightning bolts. O-Kuni-Nushi The son of Susanoo, O-Kuni-Nushi is the god of medicine, sorcery, master of the land, and patron of heroes. He has had a great many adventures, and has always confronted danger bravely and with a certain amount of cunning. He is able to identify and converse with any kami, and he has the power to cure any living animal of disease or completely heal it of its wounds. As master of the land, O-Kuni-Nushi can speak with any living animal. The fact that he often uses his powers to heal injured animals has earned him the undying loyalty of all natural creatures. They will do as he commands, even if it means death. In his true form, O-Kuni-Nushi is a samurai with a quiet, gentle manner and a ready smile. O-Kuni-Nushi has a special fondness for heroes of good alignment. When such a hero is in grave danger, there is a 1% chance per level that O-Kuni-Nushi will send his avatar to aid the hero. He does not take kindly to those that are unnecessarily cruel to animals, and such individuals will find that they heal at only half the normal rate (even when a spell such as cure light wounds or heal is used upon them). Omens from O-Kuni-Nushi are usually delivered by a talking animal. Ama-Tsu-Mara Ama-Tsu-Mara is the god of blacksmiths (and weapon forgers). He has the power to create raw materials, such as iron ingots, charcoal, and leather, out of thin air. Using these materials, Ama-Tsu-Mara can forge any type of normal weapon in a single hour. Magical weapons take longer: one day for each power and for each +1 modifier. Any magical weapon forged by Ama-Tsu-Mara possesses a kami, which means it is automatically intelligent (see the rules for creating intelligent weapons in the Dungeon Master’s Guide). In his true form, Ama-Tsu-Mara is a huge, manlike being with one eye located in the center of his forehead. Ama-Tsu-Mara favors blacksmiths and weapons forgers. Any time one of them is threatened, there is a 5% chance that he sends his avatar to defend the person. When he notices a weapon forger taking special pride in his work, Ama-Tsu-Mara often rewards the effort by investing the weapon with a kami and, thus, making it intelligent. Ama-Tsu-Mara At one time the patron of smiths who forged swords, Inari has since passed that duty to Ama-Tsu-Mara so that he can spend more time in his other calling, that of rice god. He watches over the sowing and reaping of rice, as well as the preservation of the crop after it has been harvested. He can control the flow of waters, the growth of plants, and all insects. He can also turn water into saki (rice wine). In his true form, Inari is an old, bearded man. Sometimes, however, his worshipers mistake his messengers for the god himself and worship foxes as the rice god. Inari is generally a beneficent deity who does his best to help the people feed themselves. However, if his efforts go unappreciated, he has been known to neglect his duties. When peasants or farmers are threatened, he often sends one or more avatars to harass their oppressors. Omens from Inari are usually delivered by a fox. Ho Masubi Ho Masubi is the god of fire. When he was born, he caused the death of his mother, Izanami. His father, Izanagi, was so distraught that he chopped the child in two, creating two kinds of fire: kiri-bi, fire made by the friction of wood, and uchi-bi, fire made by striking sparks from steel and stone. Despite being so energetically disjointed, the fire god made his way to a mountain called Atago in the Kyoto province, where he established his home. He is one of the most feared gods in Japan, for he is a swift destroyer of houses made from wood and paper. Ho Masubi has the power to control a fire anywhere and to kindle flames from even the tiniest spark. In his true form, he is a yellow and orange man with red hair. Around his waist, there is a terrible scar where his father cut him in half. Masubi’s sacred animal is the boar, which, like him, is swift and destructive. Although destructive by his very nature, the fire god is not evil and does what he can for mankind, providing them with light, warmth, a means of cooking, and the heat for forging weapons and tools. If a village affronts him by neglecting his worship, however, he has been known to burn it to the ground. Nai No Kami Nai No Kami is the god of earthquakes. For a long time, his worship was completely neglected, to the point that the Japanese did not even include his name in their lists of the Ama-Tsu-Kami, the kami of the heavens. For a long time, Nai No Kami patiently endured this insult, sending tremors from time to time to warn the people of their error. But, after centuries of neglect, in the Seventh Century AD, he finally grew angry and demolished much of Japan with a series of violent earthquakes. Many temples to Nai No Kami were erected out of the rubble. In his true form, Nai No Kami is a large, powerfully built man. After his long neglect, Nai No Kami is a touchy god. Any village that does not maintain an adequate temple to him stands a 10% chance per year of being destroyed by an earthquake. Occasionally, he will send his avatar to the aid of a lord who has built a great temple to honor him. Omens from Nai No Kami usually come in the form of tremors or moving earth. O-Wata-Tsu-Mi Also called Shio-Zuchi ("old man of the tides"), O-Wata-Tsu-Mi is the greatest of the many gods of the sea. He was created when Izanagi washed in the sea after returning from the Land of Darkness. He is the ruler of the fishes and all living things in the sea, and the controller of the tides. He has the power to command any creature that swims in the sea (including men while they are in the water), and to move the waters of the ocean at will. In his true form, he is a tremendous serpentine dragon, green in color, but he is equally comfortable in the form of an old man with gills. O-Wata-Tsu-Mi lives in a great palace at the bottom of the sea. Generally, O-Wata-Tsu-Mi is a benevolent deity. He moves the tides in an extremely regular fashion so that men may predict their action and avoid being stranded, flooded, or drowned. When someone comes to his palace, he is known to be a gracious host. Omens from O-Wata-Tsu-Mi are generally carried by his messenger, a sea monster named Wani, but they may also take the form of violent or unusual tides. Kura Okami Kura Okami is one of the many rain gods. He dwells in the fertile valleys of Japan, providing a more or less steady supply of rain for the crops grown there. During storms, he can get caught up in Susanoo’s fury and send too much rain, causing the streams and rivers to overflow their banks and flood the countryside. He is also somewhat forgetful, as he sometimes allows many weeks to go by without sending his life-giving waters. However, most of the time he is a kind and efficient god, imparting his blessing in beautiful, gentle rainfalls. Kura Okami also has the power to send snow, which he often does in the winter in order to beautify an otherwise drab landscape. In his true form, he is a translucent old man with a kindly (if somewhat vacant) expression. There are several other rain gods, including Taka Okami, who dwells on the mountains, and Taki-Tsu-Hiko, ("Prince Cataract"), who is a rock located to the west of Mount Kaminabi. Kura Okami is a rather befuddled and absent minded deity, but a kindly and gentle one. He enjoys seeing the sights of Japan as his avatar wanders the land. Sometimes he becomes so caught up in this activity that he neglects his duties. Omens from Kura Okami usually come during a morning or evening mist. Shina-Tsu-Hiko Shina-Tsu-Hiko was born from the breath of Izanagi and is the god of the winds. He is not the only wind god, however. There are several more who control certain types of winds. Among them are Shina-Tsu-Hiko’s daughter, Shina-To-Be, who blows away the morning mists; Tatsuta-Hiko and Tatsuta-Hime, who bring fresh air to the fields to aid in producing good harvests; and Haya-ji, the god of whirlwinds. While these gods are personifications of certain types of winds, Shina-TsuHiko is in charge of all the winds, and so is superior to them in the same way a shogun is superior to a daimyo. Shina-TsuHiko has the power to control the winds anywhere on earth, and can use this capability to bring hot, dusty conditions, pleasant rains, terrible storms, and so forth. In his true form, Shina-Tsu-Hiko appears to be a well-appointed lord. Shina-Tsu-Hiko is unpredictable and capricious. One day, he may be perfectly contented with the homage paid to him in a certain village. The next, he may find it woefully inadequate and use his power to rip the roofs from all the houses. Omens from Shina-Tsu-Hiko usually take the form of words whispered in the wind, but it is not always possible to make out the meaning of his speech. Amatsu-Mikaboshi Amatsu-Mikaboshi, the "august star of heaven," is the god of evil. Also known as Ama-no-Kagaseo, the "brilliant male," he sees and sanctions all things done under cover of darkness. He has the power to look into the hearts of men and women, and, if he finds too much evil there, to make them his. Because most people are basically good, Amatsu-Mikaboshi is not particularly powerful. But he is cunning, and has gathered more worshipers than people suspect. In his true form, Amatsu-Mikaboshi is a dark shadow that can never quite be seen. Amatsu-Mikaboshi gathers worshipers the old fashioned way: he entraps them. After finding a potential worshiper, Amatsu sends his avatar to tempt the victim — usually with power, money, lechery, or whatever the subject desires most. The avatar then creates a situation in which the victim can fulfill this desire by committing one hideous act. If the victim performs the act, he becomes a permanent worshiper of Amatsu-Mikaboshi and finds himself compelled to take part in a never-ending series of foul plans. Shichifukujin The Shichifukujin are the Seven Gods of Happiness. Sometimes referred to as the Seven Gods of Luck, they come from various origins. They include Hotei (god of happiness through fortunate chance), Jurojin (god of happiness through long life), Fukurokujo (god of happiness through good health), Bishamon (god of happiness through good cheer, he also looked after his worshipers during war), Benzaiten (goddess of happiness through love), Daikoku (god of happiness through wealth), and Ebisu (god of happiness through food, he also presides over fishing and honest dealing). Each of these gods oversees a particular aspect of life. To be truly happy, a man must worship all seven gods in the proper balance. Each god can grant worshipers the particular aspect of happiness that he or she embodies. In their true forms, these gods have the following appearances: Hotei, a man with a huge stomach; Jurojin, an old man with a long white beard; Fukurokujo, long narrow head with a short stocky body; the smiling Bishamon is always dressed in full armor (to ward off war); Daikoku, a portly, balding man; Ebisu, an elderly man; and Benzaiten, a beautiful woman. The Shichifukujin respond to their worshipers as individual gods. Thus, a man who pays a great deal of attention to Ebisu and none to Benzaiten is likely to have plenty of food but no wife to share it with. They do not send omens, although the degree of happiness in a person’s life might be perceived as one.
Darth Sephiroth 02-26-07, 02:17 PM	It looks interesting, but your tables are messed up
geekmasterflash 02-26-07, 02:36 PM	It looks interesting, but your tables are messed up Well, not a perfect fix. But it is the best I can do.
spyone 02-26-07, 06:24 PM	to post pre-formatted text, use a "code" tag. That is, one of these "[", followed by the word "code", then one of these"]", then the table, then close with "[/code]" You may need to "tweak" the formatting you used. Let's see if I did it right: Japanese Pantheon. Diety Alignment Element Typical Worshippers Izangi and Izanami Lawful Neutral Earth Wu Jen, Sorcerers Amaterasu Lawful Good Air Monks, Yamabushi Tsuki-Yomi Neutral Good Void Historians Hachiman Lawful Neutral Fire Ashigaru Susanoo Chaotic Neutral Water Druids, Wako Raiden Chaotic Neutral Air Ronin O-Kuni-Nushi Any Good Earth Adventurers Ama-Tsu-Mara Neutral Fire Blacksmiths Inari Good Air Peasants, Farmers Ho Masubi Chaotic Neutral Fire Nai No Kami Lawful Neutral Earth Ashigaru, Monks O-Wata-Tsu-Mi Neutral Water Wako Kura Okami Choatic Good Air Druids, Farmers Shina-Tsu-Hiko Chaotic Neutral Water Wako, Farmers, Druids, Rangers Amatsu-Mikaboshi Neutral Evil Void Rogues, Assasins Shichifukujin Good Void Bards, Adventurers, Travelers
angryman 02-26-07, 08:55 PM	Yamabusi are the Paladins of Japan. What? No they're not. They're crazy mountain dwelling mystics who seek enlightenment through physical and mental challenges such as waterfall purification or jumping off cliffs.
Lord Gwydion 02-26-07, 09:22 PM	Angryman's right about the real meaning of Yamabushi. That being said, though, this seems like an appropriate modification to the Paladin class to use in an OA game. It just needs another name. (Haven't read your redux of Shinto yet, as it was long and I don't need to emulate it in my games. Sorry.) And before someone posts it, as they usually do, Yamabushi does NOT mean "mountain warrior." It means "one who sleeps in the mountains." If you can read kanji, the characters for yamabushi are 山伏 (mountain, lay down). Yes, "bushi" on its own means "warrior caste member" but the kanji for that are 武士 (martial, gentleman). It's a homonym, like how "kumo" can be either spider or cloud, or in English "light" can mean illumination or weighing little. And no, before someone else says it (and they are likely to), this is not an attempt to force "historical accuracy." It's an attempt to correct a common linguisitc mistake that appears on these boards regularly. I'm not advocating that geekmasterflash redo his class to resemble real yamabushi, I'm suggesting he rename the class to something less misleading.
narukagami 02-26-07, 09:51 PM	I'm gonna throw out Sohei (僧兵 Monk Warriors?) for the sake of throwing out an alternate name. Even if it was already used in OA, it shouldn't matter. After all, Wizards has two sperate and completely unrelated classes called Samurai.
Ranger REG 02-27-07, 02:33 AM	I'm gonna throw out Sohei (僧兵 Monk Warriors?) for the sake of throwing out an alternate name. Even if it was already used in OA, it shouldn't matter. After all, Wizards has two sperate and completely unrelated classes called Samurai. Yeah, but one samurai class is good and the other is a dreck. So, which is the good sohei and which is the dreck? :smirk:
Rogue Shadows 02-27-07, 11:05 AM	What? No they're not. They're crazy mountain dwelling mystics who seek enlightenment through physical and mental challenges such as waterfall purification or jumping off cliffs. In my setting, they're basically like shugenja as presented in OA, but with a few new schools, and their own separate honor code called tejinshido. They're also the realistic equal (as well as the official equal) to samurai bushi. To each his own, I suppose. Yeah, but one samurai class is good and the other is a dreck. Hmm. Well, to each his own, as long as "he" isn't using the Samurai from CW, anyway.
Azzy 02-27-07, 09:33 PM	Yamabusi are the Paladins of Japan. What? No they're not. They're crazy mountain dwelling mystics who seek enlightenment through physical and mental challenges such as waterfall purification or jumping off cliffs. Angryman's right about the real meaning of Yamabushi. That being said, though, this seems like an appropriate modification to the Paladin class to use in an OA game. It just needs another name. (Haven't read your redux of Shinto yet, as it was long and I don't need to emulate it in my games. Sorry.) And before someone posts it, as they usually do, Yamabushi does NOT mean "mountain warrior." It means "one who sleeps in the mountains." If you can read kanji, the characters for yamabushi are 山伏 (mountain, lay down). Yes, "bushi" on its own means "warrior caste member" but the kanji for that are 武士 (martial, gentleman). It's a homonym, like how "kumo" can be either spider or cloud, or in English "light" can mean illumination or weighing little. To make matters little more sordid.... Both the shugenja (the follows of Shugendou) and the sohei (Buddhist warrior-monks) are referred to also as Yamabushi. The kanji involved are different, however.
Azzy 02-27-07, 10:12 PM	Yamabusi are the Paladins of Japan. What? No they're not. They're crazy mountain dwelling mystics who seek enlightenment through physical and mental challenges such as waterfall purification or jumping off cliffs. Angryman's right about the real meaning of Yamabushi. That being said, though, this seems like an appropriate modification to the Paladin class to use in an OA game. It just needs another name. (Haven't read your redux of Shinto yet, as it was long and I don't need to emulate it in my games. Sorry.) And before someone posts it, as they usually do, Yamabushi does NOT mean "mountain warrior." It means "one who sleeps in the mountains." If you can read kanji, the characters for yamabushi are 山伏 (mountain, lay down). Yes, "bushi" on its own means "warrior caste member" but the kanji for that are 武士 (martial, gentleman). It's a homonym, like how "kumo" can be either spider or cloud, or in English "light" can mean illumination or weighing little. To make matters little more sordid.... Both the shugenja (the follows of Shugendou) and the sohei (Buddhist warrior-monks) are referred to also as Yamabushi.
angryman 03-01-07, 08:08 PM	To make matters little more sordid.... Both the shugenja (the follows of Shugendou) and the sohei (Buddhist warrior-monks) are referred to also as Yamabushi. Yamabushi were mostly Buddhist ascetics, and they were similar to shugenja. I think sohei yamabushi and the ascetic yamabushi are just homonyms, but I'm not 100% sure. In my setting, they're basically like shugenja as presented in OA, but with a few new schools, and their own separate honor code called tejinshido. They're also the realistic equal (as well as the official equal) to samurai bushi. To each his own, I suppose. In your world, that's fine. But that doesn't mean Yamabushi are anything like paladins. It's like saying, "In my world, wizards must be lawful good and have a code of honour. They're realistically equal to paladins."
heretic888 03-01-07, 08:40 PM	Yamabushi were mostly Buddhist ascetics, and they were similar to shugenja. I think sohei yamabushi and the ascetic yamabushi are just homonyms, but I'm not 100% sure. Nope. It is my understanding that yamabushi and shugenja are synonymns. These terms refer to the practitioners of shugendo, a Shinto/Buddhist syncretic religion that focuses on subjecting its members to physical trials in the mountains to acquire personal enlightenment. Contrary to popular belief, the shugenja were neither martial artists nor soldiers. The sohei generally refer to the various Buddhist soldier-monks in Japanese history. The best known sohei are the monks of the Ikko-ikki of the Pure Land Sect of Buddhism, who fought against Oda Nobunaga. As for "paladins of Japan", I suppose the closest thing might be sohei dedicated to Fudo Myo-oh, a fearsome Buddhist deity whose flaming sword symbolizes destruction of the enemies of the faith. Or something like that. Laterz.
narukagami 03-01-07, 08:42 PM	The sohei generally refer to the various Buddhist soldier-monks in Japanese history. The best known sohei are the monks of the Ikko-ikki of the Pure Land Sect of Buddhism, who fought against Oda Nobunaga. See also Saito Musashibo Benkei for an individual example.
angryman 03-01-07, 09:09 PM	Nope. It is my understanding that yamabushi and shugenja are synonymns. Read my first sentence. "Yamabushi were mostly Buddhist ascetics, and they were similar to shugenja." A synonym of synonym is similar. So, by "nope", you mean, "I totally agree." These terms refer to the practitioners of shugendo, a Shinto/Buddhist syncretic religion that focuses on subjecting its members to physical trials in the mountains to acquire personal enlightenment. Contrary to popular belief, the shugenja were neither martial artists nor soldiers. I knew that, and I didn't say anything different. Where did I say anything to contradict that? They also subjected themselves to mental and spiritual trials, but that's just being pedantic. :) The sohei generally refer to the various Buddhist soldier-monks in Japanese history. The best known sohei are the monks of the Ikko-ikki of the Pure Land Sect of Buddhism, who fought against Oda Nobunaga. Yep, that's about it. Were you mistakenly disagreeing with someone else? :confused:
heretic888 03-01-07, 09:15 PM	My mistake, angryman. I misread your post.
angryman 03-01-07, 09:29 PM	My mistake, angryman. I misread your post. Hehe no problems. I was more confused than annoyed. :)
Ranger REG 03-02-07, 02:37 AM	See also Saito Musashibo Benkei for an individual example. Loyal vassal to Yoshi-tsune.