#Gaijin (外人, Foreigner/Gaijin)
Teppo sniper. Ignores armor with foreign gunpowder.
- Role: ranged firepower, [Pierce all] sniping, gunpowder operation
- Core Attributes: Courage (勇), Finesse (技)
- Core Zone Entry: forced Breakthrough
- Base Class: foreigner from Nanban (南蠻). Or a Japanese person who absorbed foreign technology.
- Three Ways and Six Hearts: Truth or Hegemony. Tool of a new age.
- Skills Eligible for Master: Archery, Navigation, Survival, Perception, Speed, Deceit
- Starting Automatic Skills: Archery Trained, Navigation Novice, Survival Novice, Perception Novice
#Scent — Thunder of a New Age
A foreigner from Nanban. Or a Japanese person who has learned foreign technology. Either way, this person belongs to a new age. They trust gunpowder rather than blades, and use distance (距離), not loyalty (忠), as a weapon. If samurai decide the realm within 100 paces, gaijin invalidate that decision from beyond 200 paces. One thunderous shot pierces an immovable formation.
When teppo first reached Japanese soil, samurai mocked them. "A coward's weapon." But the moment a hundred teppo soldiers broke a thousand elite samurai in one battle, mockery turned to fear, and fear turned to imitation. Gaijin are living witnesses to that change. Some call gaijin "the enders of the Sengoku age." Teppo make everything equal: peasant, samurai, and oni all die the same before a single lead ball.
The difference between Inatomi-ryu and Nanban-ryu is the difference between Japanized gunpowder and original gunpowder. Inatomi-ryu fires quickly. With a single license, reloading is resolved in one breath. A master fires three shots in one breath. Nanban-ryu sees things differently: range, accuracy, and cannon. It sweeps an entire zone with bombardment. It erases not a person but a squad at once. One side is gunpowder like swordsmanship; the other is war itself.
The gaijin's greatest loneliness is being ahead of the age. Samurai call the gaijin "outsider," and peasants call the gaijin "magician." Kagura Domain hires gaijin but keeps its distance, because it knows the age they create may end its own age. The gaijin knows it too. The future they create is a future that forgets them. So gaijin drink, sink into homesickness at harbor inns, and pull the trigger again at the next battle. The age cannot be stopped.
- Recommended Weapons: Tanegashima (standard matchlock), nicchoho (rifle — Core-capable), bayonet (hybrid melee+ranged), cannon (squad operation), pistol (concealed — emergency)
- Recommended Schools: Inatomi-ryu (rapid-fire method — Japanized gunpowder), Nanban-ryu (foreign design — range/cannon)
- Recommended Faction Traits: Kunitomo Guild (teppo makers — guaranteed supply), Kagura Domain (official firearm unit), Sakai Guild (independent traders)
#Law — Trait List
#1st Dan: Foreign Gunpowder (異國の火藥) [aptitude]
[aptitude] Foreign Gunpowder
Effect: teppo shots have [Pierce all]. Fixed Target Number 11. Courage does not apply.#1st Dan: Foreigner's Affinity (異邦人の親和力) [aptitude] — class automatic
Gaijin did not bring only gunpowder. They are interpreters between two worlds.
Exotic Sacred Object Bonus (automatic, from 1st dan):
| Effect | Description |
|---|---|
| Automatic European Understanding | can immediately use the devotion techniques of all European-line Exotic Sacred Objects (only Three Ways and Six Hearts match required). No [Foreign Adaptation] trait needed. |
| Half(半) Understanding | for all other Exotic Sacred Objects (Ming, Joseon, Ryukyu, Tenjiku, Persia, etc.), 1 [Foreign Adaptation] trait slot can adapt to 2 cultures at once (other classes: 1 slot = 1 culture). |
| Sacred Object Appraisal | automatically know the origin of any Exotic Sacred Object the moment it is held (appraisal check waived). |
| Foreign Text Bonus | foreign-culture texts and interpretation checks +2 (GM chooses among Stratagem, Negotiation, Navigation). |
| Foreign Port Privilege | when trading Exotic Sacred Objects in trade ports such as Sakai or Hakata, price -20%, information acquisition automatic. |
| Interpreter Bonus | another class in the same party can borrow the first [Understanding] of a Exotic Sacred Object through the gaijin (1 session only, gaijin must be in the same zone). |
#3rd Dan (choose 1)
| Trait | Type | Energy | Limit | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid Fire (速射) | [aptitude] | — | — | teppo reload Energy 2→1. |
| Sniping (狙擊) | [aptitude] | — | — | teppo shot at 2-zone range. Hit +1. |
| Scattershot (散彈) | [aptitude] | — | — | when shooting teppo, only against Minion/Mob squads in the target zone, add 1~3 casualties (apply hit-strength table). Against Veteran+, add 1 Wound only on Critical Hit. |
#5th Dan (choose 1)
| Trait | Type | Energy | Limit | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Repeating Gun (連發銃) | [Kata] | 4 | 2/combat | 2 consecutive shots without loading. |
| Gunpowder Mixing (火藥調合) | [Kata] | 3 | 1/round | gunpowder bomb. Everyone in the zone takes 1 Wound (area). |
| Foreign Armor | [aptitude] | — | — | unlock special light armor. Defense 13, no Energy penalty. |
#7th-Dan Advanced Traits (choose 1)
| Trait | Type | Energy | Limit | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cannon (大砲) | [Kata] | 5 | 1/combat | everyone in the zone takes 2 Wounds. Mobs/Minions die instantly. |
| Magic Bullet Shooter | [aptitude] | — | — | on teppo Critical Hit: 3 Wounds + 1 Wound to 2 bodies behind. |
| Build Fortification | [Kata] | 3 | 1/combat | fortify a zone: Defense+2, enemy movement+2 Energy. |
#9th-Dan Advanced Traits (choose 1)
| Trait | Type | Energy | Limit | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nanban Secret Weapon | [aptitude] | — | 3 rounds/combat | unlock volley cannon. Each round, shoot for 1 Wound at 2 Energy. No loading required. |
| Age of Fire (火の時代) | [aptitude] | — | — | teppo hits always deal 2 Wounds. Critical Hit deals 4 Wounds. |
| Tactician (戰術家) | [aptitude] | — | — | treated as Wisdom+2 (squad order discount). Shoot into all zones from the Rear Zone. |
#Typical Breath Pattern (5th Dan)
Gaijin: Energy 11 (10+Finesse 1), Tanegashima
Count 11 — first breath: Tanegashima shot(2, [Pierce all]) + reload(1, Rapid Fire) = 3 Count 8 — second breath: Tanegashima shot(2) + Gunpowder Mixing(3) = 5 → remaining Energy: 11 - 3 - 5 = 3 (movement/emergency defense)
#Squad Tactics Traits (Gaijin)
Slot Rule: Squad tactics traits are included in the class trait choices for that dan. When choosing 3rd/5th-dan class traits, you may choose a squad tactics trait instead of an ordinary class trait.
Gaijin squad tactics are concentrated firepower. They command teppo squads and sweep enemies from range. A shooting manual applying Nanban tactical theory.
| Trait | Type | Learned Dan | Energy | Limit | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Three-Rank Fire (三段射擊) | [Tactic:Kata] | 3rd dan | squad order cost+1 | 1/round | bow/gun squads only. 3 consecutive volleys — apply the hit-strength table for each check (3 separate rolls). "Give them no time to breathe." |
| Artillery Position (砲擊陣地) | [Tactic:Stance] | 5th dan | squad order cost+1 | maintain | gun squads only. Deploy the squad as a fixed firing position. Range +1 zone. Attack checks +1. Cannot move. Barricade effect (cover). |
Three Ways and Six Hearts (Squad Tactics): Three-Rank Fire is Hegemony (overwhelming firepower). Artillery Position is Loyalty — "not one step back from this place."
#Zone Bonuses
| Zone | Bonus / Use |
|---|---|
| Rear Zone | gaijin home ground. Upkeep -1, teppo +1, synchronized squad volley. Here, a gaijin kills an enemy commander in one breath. |
| High Ground | teppo +2, range advantage. Gaijin's second home ground. Shoot the whole battlefield from a mountain-castle watchtower or hill. |
| Front Zone | does not go there. A gaijin in the Front Zone means the match cord is gone. |
| Core Zone | possible only with nicchoho (rifle). Teppo cannot be used in the Core Zone. In emergencies, pistol + blade. |
| Underwater | if gunpowder gets wet, it is over. Rainy days are dangerous too. Gaijin's weakness. |
#Three Ways and Six Hearts Conflict
The gaijin's core drama is the loneliness of one ahead of the age.
- Truth (Way of Mystery): "teppo are truth. More accurate and fair than blades." The gaijin's most natural heart.
- Hegemony (Way of Rites): "change the world with this weapon." A gaijin who becomes a daimyo's adviser and dreams of unifying the realm through firepower.
- Conflict: toward Compassion — "this weapon is too cruel." After making a cannon that kills a hundred people in one shot, the gaijin cannot forget the image. A gaijin considering the disposal of gunpowder.
- Conflict: toward Loyalty — "serve Kunitomo Guild's command." Become a member of the teppo-maker guild. A gaijin who chose supply chains over freedom.
- Fall: toward Demon — "greater explosions, more corpses." A gaijin mad for gunpowder itself. Detonates a powder magazine in the middle of a city.
- Final Conflict: the teppo the gaijin created ended the age of samurai. Is the new age the gaijin's age, or an age that no longer needs gaijin? The answer is the second. Gaijin have no place in the future they created. Whether to accept or deny that is the gaijin's last choice.
"Thunder does not belong only to the gods. Now humans can make it too."
#Example Character
→ Maria — Sample Sheet (1st/5th/10th dan + step-by-step backstory)