#Class Solo Scenarios (10 Classes)
Contents
1-player scenarios for experiencing each class's core mechanic. Start at 1st dan -> advance to 3rd dan. Each has a 3-act structure, 1~2 hours per session.
Use Cases:
- One new player learns 1:1 with the GM
- Learn how a specific class is operated
- Experience the initial Three Ways and Six Hearts choice
- Warm up a character before group play
#Scent (香)
#Sense of the First Scene
A solo session begins in a single room. One player, one GM. Behind them are the empty seats of companions who have not yet joined.
The common opening always begins with the same single breath: the direction of the wind, the smell of earth, a distant bell. With only those three senses, establish the season and its weight.
In a 1st-dan hand, the weight of a weapon is still unfamiliar. The gear is new, and the seal has not faded. This scenario exists to make that first sensation memorable.
#Voices of Key NPCs (Common Prologue)
Old Man Pointing the Way (shared entrance NPC for each scenario):
"Are you alone? ...Alone is how it starts. Everyone was alone at first."
"I do not know what you will see at the end of this road, but when you return, you will not be alone. Whether it is a shadow, a burden, or a name."
The 1st-dan self (inner voice, recalled on entering Act 3):
"...Yesterday's self could not have come this far. Today's self is here."
#Mood Turns
Each scenario's turn shares the same rhythm.
- Act 1 Silence: before the first enemy appears, the GM leaves two breaths empty. When the player asks, "...Why aren't you saying anything?", that silence is the scent.
- Act 2 Acceleration: the moment the core mechanic first triggers. Before the dice for the check roll, the GM slowly says the technique's name one more time.
- Act 3 Choice: the Three Ways and Six Hearts branch; the music stops. The GM prepares two sentences and chooses one only after hearing the player's answer.
#Background Music and Color (Tone by Scenario)
| Scenario | Primary Colors | Lighting Tone | BGM Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samurai: Bridge | blue-gray, brown wood | harsh noon sunlight | single drum, wide spacing |
| Ronin: Core Zone | black and silver | low orange torchlight | breathing, wind |
| Esoteric Monk: Abandoned Temple | faded vermilion, moss green | blue moonlight | wooden fish and distant temple bell |
| Shinobi: Inside the Castle | ink black and indigo | moonless night | eaves dripping water, almost nothing |
| Gaijin: Beach | gray sea, white powder smoke | overcast day | waves and metal |
| Onmyoji: Shrine | orange pillars, young bamboo green | dawn | one daegeum (大笒) note |
| Scholar: Siege | earth tones, smoke gray | red sunset | distant drums and nearby whispers |
| Performer: Convoy | ocher, vivid scarlet cloth | sunlight in dust | bells and strings (弦) |
| Shugenja: Mountain | rock gray, water clarity | white light in fog | water sounds, breathing |
| Puppeteer: Castle | white thread, castle-wall shadow | indoor candlelight | many strings (弦), breaking |
#Common Structure
| Act | Content | Advancement |
|---|---|---|
| Act 1 | Introduction: problem appears, PC decides to get involved | 1st dan |
| Act 2 | Development: core mechanic combat / check | 2nd dan |
| Act 3 | Ending: Three Ways and Six Hearts choice + 3rd dan advancement | 3rd dan |
#1. Samurai: Guardian on the Bridge (橋上の守)
#Scent
The noon sun pours down onto the bridge. The wooden planks drink the light and give off the smell of hot, dry timber. The gorge below is so far down that the wind reaches you before the sound.
The bridge is narrow. If two people stand face to face, one must step aside. Only you are here, and behind you is the village bell. It rings once and carries for a long time.
Old woman at the edge of the village: "Young master, we repair that bridge twice every year. This year may become the third."
The primary colors are blue-gray and the hot brown of wood. The BGM is a slow beat from a single drum. The spaces are wide, and the wind fills them.
- Place: narrow wooden bridge. The only path into the village.
- Enemies: Act 1, 5 ko-oni -> Act 2, oni warrior enters -> Act 3, oni captain (Elite) + squad.
Core Mechanic Demonstration:
- Immovable Formation: Front Zone Domination +4. Exclusive control on a narrow bridge.
- Squad Command: 2 Energy (no discount if Wisdom+0).
- Parry Reservation: prepay 1 Energy / improvise for 2 Energy.
Three Ways and Six Hearts Branch:
- Burn the bridge to protect the village (innocent travelers are also sacrificed) -> Hegemony accumulation.
- Hold the bridge and take the enemy's attacks (accepting sacrifice) -> maintain Loyalty.
#Step-by-Step Progression Guide
| Checkpoint | Timing | What the GM Does | What the Player Does | Signal (to Next Step) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Act 1: ko-oni encounter | Session start | Describe bridge width and Domination structure | Declare Immovable Formation, occupy the Front Zone | Ko-oni defeated -> Act 2 oni warrior appears |
| Act 2: oni warrior breakthrough | Middle | Provide timing for Squad Command and Parry Reservation | Spend 2 Energy for checks, manage Critical Hits | 2 warriors fall -> captain appears |
| Act 3: oni captain + squad | Climax | Present bridge-collapse / village-fire choices | Declare Three Ways and Six Hearts, make the final attack | Village result decided -> 3rd dan advancement |
- Success branch: captain defeated + village safe. Confirm Loyalty or Hegemony as the heart.
- Failure branch: the bridge falls. The PC retreats wounded to the village; the next scenario becomes a revenge tale.
- GM control: make the advantage of the narrow terrain felt at least 1 time. At the moment Immovable Formation triggers, state clearly, "the enemy cannot pass you."
#2. Ronin: Path of the Core Zone (深部の道)
#Scent
The fortress Core Zone is where light pools. One torch, then another. Orange light gathers and spills from the seams between bricks. Footsteps sound twice on the stone floor: once yours, once the echo.
The employer's money is already in your coat. More than the weight of the contract, the sound of silver inside it bothers you. Did you come for money, or for your own name?
Guard muttering (leaking through the wall): "...Tonight is strangely quiet. The moon is not out either."
The primary colors are black and silver. The only BGM is your own breathing. Sometimes, the sound of wind chimes far away; only sometimes.
- Place: fortress Core Zone (courtyard). The ronin is a hired assassin.
- Enemies: Act 1, guard Minion -> Act 2, Core Zone breakthrough -> Act 3, assassinate the general.
Core Mechanics:
- Blade of the Wind: movement Energy -1 (walk 1).
- Free Core Zone Entry: enter without Breakthrough.
- Combo Fatigue Reduction (short weapon in Core Zone): the ninjato's 4th strike is only -1.
Three Ways and Six Hearts Branch:
- Assassinate the general as contracted (money first) -> maintain No Heart.
- Hear the general's circumstances and let him go -> shift to Truth.
#Step-by-Step Progression Guide
| Checkpoint | Timing | What the GM Does | What the Player Does | Signal (to Next Step) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Act 1: infiltrate guard Minions | Session start | Place enemies in the fortress Flank Zone, terrain where Blade of the Wind matters | Choose route, allocate Energy | Guard neutralized / bypassed -> enter Core Zone |
| Act 2: Core Zone breakthrough | Middle | Reconfirm the right to free Core Zone entry | Manage Combo Fatigue, use the ninjato 4th strike | Reach the courtyard -> before the general |
| Act 3: face the general | Climax | Present the general's circumstances (family, retainers) through RP | Declare Truth / No Heart choice | Carry out assassination or induce retirement -> 3rd dan advancement |
- Success branch: contract fulfilled or betrayal; either is a ronin-like conclusion. Fix the heart.
- Failure branch: discovered and surrounded by the general's guards. Mission fails after combat retreat; the employer's revenge becomes the next scenario hook.
- GM control: demonstrate free Core Zone entry as the privilege of "no Breakthrough check." In Act 1, provide the experience of skipping a check another class would have rolled.
#3. Esoteric Monk: Night of the Abandoned Temple (廢寺の夜)
#Scent
People left the mountain temple long ago. The roof is half-collapsed, and moonlight falls like white lines between the wooden beams. Moss grows in the yard; when you step, it makes a small wet sound.
A distant temple bell rings. But there is no temple nearby. Where is the bell coming from? You know: that bell is not ringing now. It rang on some night in the past, the last time it rang here.
Whisper from the collapsed main hall: "...Where are the prayer beads? Who took the prayer beads?"
The primary colors are faded vermilion and moss green, with the blue of moonlight laid over them. The BGM is a single wooden fish and a distant temple bell. Sometimes the wind shakes a wind chime, and that sound makes your hand seek the grip of the vajra.
- Place: abandoned mountain temple. Onryo appear.
- Enemies: Act 1, Konryu fragment Minion -> Act 2, vengeful spirit Elite (incorporeal) -> Act 3, higher Elite-grade great onryo.
Core Mechanics:
- Seal of Shura: Core Zone melee -1 Energy.
- Exorcism skill: attacks against yoma +2 (from Novice 1 point), exempt from incorporeal physical immunity (Novice 1 point+). When hit by an [Incorporeal] attack, apply staged exemption (§Exorcism Exemption Table).
- Vajra: sealed-flow standard. Effective against yoma.
Three Ways and Six Hearts Branch:
- Resolve the onryo's grudge (perform ritual, spend time) -> strengthen Compassion.
- Forced sealing (efficiency) -> toward Way of Emptiness: Void.
#Step-by-Step Progression Guide
| Checkpoint | Timing | What the GM Does | What the Player Does | Signal (to Next Step) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Act 1: Konryu fragment Minion encounter | Session start | Describe the abandoned temple's silence and moonlight | Approach the Core Zone with Seal of Shura, spend Energy | Minion exorcised -> vengeful spirit appears |
| Act 2: vengeful spirit Elite | Middle | Emphasize 50% incorporeal physical immunity and make Exorcism's advantage felt | Hit with vajra, make Exorcism checks | Vengeful spirit defeated -> great onryo manifests |
| Act 3: face the great onryo | Climax | Present the grudge story through RP (state ritual time cost) | Declare Compassion ritual or Void forced sealing | Onryo resolved / sealed -> 3rd dan advancement |
- Success branch: grudge-resolution route; vow to rebuild a small temple on the abandoned site. Fame +1, Compassion heart confirmed.
- Failure branch: if forced sealing fails, the PC gains curse +2. It remains a debt for the next session.
- GM control: alternate the effectiveness of Exorcism with the helplessness of non-Exorcism. For the ritual choice, perform "it takes time" through RP: truly leave one breath empty.
#4. Shinobi: The General's Secret Letter (將軍の密書)
#Scent
The castle roof tiles are wet with rain. The moon is behind clouds, and tonight's only light is a single candle beyond shoji paper. Raindrops fall from the eaves one by one, perfectly regular — breathe to that rhythm, and you cannot be seen.
The confidential document is in the general's study. You have already heard where it is. But information often lies.
Conversation between two castle patrols: "A shadow there... no, a roof tile slipped." / "Right. It must be nothing."
The primary colors are ink black and indigo. There is almost no BGM. Leave only the water dripping from the eaves. Even your own breathing is too loud.
- Place: inside an enemy castle. Steal a confidential document.
- Enemies: outer guard -> inner lady-in-waiting (Perception check) -> final bodyguard (Elite).
Core Mechanics:
- Shadow Crossing: Outside Zone <-> anywhere for 0 Energy (1/round).
- Infiltration check: 2d10+Finesse+Ninjutsu vs enemy Perception.
- Ambush: first attack check +2. A 3rd-dan shinobi's [Ambush] makes the first attack after infiltration an automatic Critical Hit.
Three Ways and Six Hearts Branch:
- After stealing the letter, reveal the truth -> shift to Truth.
- Deliver it as hired -> Loyalty (loyalty to the employer).
#Step-by-Step Progression Guide
| Checkpoint | Timing | What the GM Does | What the Player Does | Signal (to Next Step) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Act 1: Flank Zone infiltration | Session start | Present castle wall and patrol timing | Declare Shadow Crossing 1 time, choose route | Outer guard passed -> enter inside |
| Act 2: lady-in-waiting and inner rooms | Middle | Opposed Perception check, clues to the letter's location | Infiltration check, hold Critical Hit | Letter secured -> bodyguard alarm |
| Act 3: final bodyguard | Climax | Reveal the letter's content through RP (hint at employer mastermind) | Declare Truth / Loyalty, choose escape route | Escape succeeds -> 3rd dan advancement |
- Success branch: silent escape. Depending on the heart, resolve through revelation / delivery; Fame rises.
- Failure branch: discovered. Open battle is impossible; the PC makes an emergency escape with Shadow Crossing and loses the letter.
- GM control: place enemies so the PC must feel either first attack +2 or inability to react from Flank Zone / Outside Zone entry at least 1 time. For a 3rd-dan shinobi, also show the automatic Critical Hit on the first attack after infiltration.
#5. Gaijin: One Shot on the Beach (海邊の一彈)
#Scent
The sea is gray. The coastline is far, and the waves break low. The smell of powder rides the wind; someone has already fired a shot. Before you arrived.
Several fishermen stop hauling their nets. They look at your clothing and your firearm. On this beach, no one can call your name. Few know your language.
Old fisherman (half-turned away): "...Are you also from a foreign land? Since yesterday, strange things have been coming up from the sea. Would you try shooting them with your weapon?"
The primary colors are the gray sea and white powder smoke. The BGM is waves and metal striking metal. A short prayer in a foreign tongue mixes with the wind; it is also your own voice.
- Place: harbor. Pirate yoma attack.
- Enemies: Act 1, funayurei Minion -> Act 2, pirate Veteran -> Act 3, umibozu (Elite, underwater).
Core Mechanics:
- Foreign Gunpowder: teppo [Pierce all], fixed target 11.
- Archery skill: covers bow / teppo.
- Underwater zone: Unarmed Combat +2, firearms unavailable.
Three Ways and Six Hearts Branch:
- Execute all pirates -> Hegemony.
- Take the pirate Elite prisoner -> Truth (gain information).
#Step-by-Step Progression Guide
| Checkpoint | Timing | What the GM Does | What the Player Does | Signal (to Next Step) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Act 1: funayurei Minions | Session start | Portray fog and auditory hallucinations; foreshadow [Incorporeal] attacks | Ready the teppo, feel fixed target 11 | Minions defeated -> pirates appear |
| Act 2: pirate Veterans | Middle | Expose the pirate Elite's Domination effect | Alternate Archery and powder, manage distance | Veterans crushed -> umibozu surfaces |
| Act 3: umibozu underwater fight | Climax | Announce underwater-zone rules (firearms unavailable, Unarmed Combat +2) | Declare Hegemony / Truth, decide the pirate Elite's handling | Umibozu defeated -> 3rd dan advancement |
- Success branch: harbor secured. If the pirate Elite is interrogated, information reward; if executed, Fame reward.
- Failure branch: dragged underwater. The gaijin's weakness (underwater) is exposed; provide an opportunity through the harbor merchants' next contract.
- GM control: in Act 1, make sure the player fires "teppo [Pierce all], fixed target 11" at least once. Let them taste an underwater zone 1 time in Act 2, then make it central in Act 3.
#6. Onmyoji: Silence of the Shrine (神社の沈黙)
#Scent
It is dawn. The shrine torii divides the sky in two: red pillars on one side, tender bamboo green on the other. The air is just letting go of night. It is cold, but not heavy.
But sealing papers have fallen. One sheet. Then another. The wind did not blow them down; they were pushed from the inside.
Old shrine priest (not even properly dressed): "...It has been strange since late last night. The shikigami walked around on its own. It would not come when I called."
The primary colors are orange pillars, young bamboo green, and dawn blue. The BGM is one long-held daegeum (大笒) note. The sound of the seal breaking seeps between those notes.
- Place: guardian shrine. The seal is coming undone.
- Enemies: Act 1, runaway shikigami -> Act 2, group of breakaway shikigami -> Act 3, sealed yoma (Elite).
Core Mechanics:
- Shikigami Control: 1 shikigami at 1st dan.
- Sorcery Licensed (upon 2nd-dan advancement): Sorcery attacks into adjacent zones.
- Barrier: sealing ritual.
Three Ways and Six Hearts Branch:
- Kill the yoma -> Truth.
- Bargain with the yoma (expand the shikigami contract) -> edge of Demon.
#Step-by-Step Progression Guide
| Checkpoint | Timing | What the GM Does | What the Player Does | Signal (to Next Step) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Act 1: shikigami runaway | Session start | Present strange signs in the shrine and cracks in the seal | Activate Shikigami Control for 1 shikigami, search route | Chase begins -> breakaway group encountered |
| Act 2: breakaway shikigami group | Middle | Upon 2nd-dan advancement, allow Sorcery attacks into adjacent zones | Buy time with Barrier, trigger Sorcery Licensed | Group cleared -> sealed yoma manifests |
| Act 3: face the sealed yoma | Climax | RP the yoma's bargain offer (temptation of shikigami expansion) | Declare Truth / Demon, final ritual | Kill or contract -> 3rd dan advancement |
- Success branch: Truth route; shrine maintained, recognized as village guardian. Demon route; 1 additional shikigami, but record the heart shift.
- Failure branch: Barrier collapse. The PC barely escapes; rumors of yoma spread through the village and lead into the next scenario.
- GM control: imprint the limit of 1 shikigami in Act 1 -> after 2nd-dan advancement, provide the felt change from Sorcery Licensed in Act 2. Package Demon temptation as "gain without loss."
#7. Scholar: Siege Stratagem (攻城の策)
#Scent
Sunset stains the castle wall red. Cannon smoke rises slowly from the horizon and clouds the sky. On the table where the map lies open, your finger has already pressed the same spot several times; this time, the place is worn thin.
The lord stands atop the wall. You sit behind him. That is your place: the place where words, not blades, are the weapon.
Castle lord (without looking your way): "Do you have a plan? There is no time. Before night falls."
Deputy commander (副將) (low voice): "...Teacher's plan may be called cowardly, but there are three hundred soldiers left in the castle. An honest fight is a luxury."
The primary colors are earth tone, smoke gray, and sunset red. The BGM is drums in the distance and whispers nearby. The brush at your fingertips is the closest sound.
- Place: besieged castle. The scholar is an adviser.
- Enemies: many enemy squads (combat centers on squad command).
Core Mechanics:
- Divine Calculation and Ghostly Strategy: transfer Energy (2->2).
- Squad order 1 Energy (Wisdom+2 or higher).
- Stratagem check: information gathering, terrain analysis.
Three Ways and Six Hearts Branch:
- Win through schemes (choose cowardice) -> Void.
- Recommend a direct confrontation -> Truth.
#Step-by-Step Progression Guide
| Checkpoint | Timing | What the GM Does | What the Player Does | Signal (to Next Step) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Act 1: analyze the situation | Session start | Present siege map and chance for a Stratagem check | Roll 2d10+Wisdom+Stratagem, identify enemy squads | Analysis complete -> squad command authority granted |
| Act 2: squad command battle | Middle | Allow squad order for 1 Energy (if Wisdom+2 or higher) | Use Divine Calculation and Ghostly Strategy to transfer allied Energy | Key squad advantage -> lord's choice |
| Act 3: propose final battle | Climax | Present Void (ambush scheme) vs Truth (frontal) plans | Declare heart, issue final order | Scheme executed or frontal battle -> 3rd dan advancement |
- Success branch: castle defense succeeds. Void route gives minimal sacrifice plus controversy; Truth route causes heavy losses but preserves honor.
- Failure branch: squad destroyed. Castle falls; branded as a defeated adviser. Leads to a rescue scenario.
- GM control: state from Act 1 that the scholar wins by checks and transfers, not direct combat. Make the efficiency of squad command for 1 Energy felt numerically.
#8. Performer: Convoy (輸送隊)
#Scent
Sunlight falls slantwise through dust. Cart wheels creak, and horses' breath lifts the dirt. Behind the convoy are three children, four mothers, and you.
You are not a fighter. You are a singer. But today, those two are the same thing.
Convoy captain (blunt but tired voice): "...Master singer, I leave the children to you. While our spears go forward, let your voice become their spear."
Child (awkwardly copying one phrase of the song): "...Sister, what are the next lyrics?"
The primary colors are ocher, vivid scarlet cloth, and sunlight in dust. The BGM is bells and strings (弦). A child's laughter drifts over it now and then.
- Place: outdoor escort. Transporting supplies.
- Enemies: Act 1, bandits -> Act 2, yoma raid -> Act 3, traitor.
Core Mechanics:
- Battlefield Flower: during a lull, recover Wounds 1 or Cohesion 1 (no Energy).
- Presence Aura: Domination +Presence.
- Comfort (noncombat): maintain civilian morale.
Three Ways and Six Hearts Branch:
- Prioritize completing the transport (accept civilian sacrifice) -> Loyalty.
- Prioritize protecting civilians (transport may fail) -> Compassion.
#Step-by-Step Progression Guide
| Checkpoint | Timing | What the GM Does | What the Player Does | Signal (to Next Step) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Act 1: bandit attack | Session start | Describe convoy formation and civilian positions | Reinforce Domination with Presence Aura | Bandits repelled -> first lull |
| Act 2: yoma raid | Middle | Provide a chance to use lull recovery, check civilian morale | Recover Wounds / Cohesion with Battlefield Flower, declare Comfort | Yoma defeated -> traitor revealed |
| Act 3: face the traitor | Climax | RP the dilemma of transport completion vs civilian protection | Declare Loyalty / Compassion, make final decision | Transport resolved -> 3rd dan advancement |
- Success branch: Loyalty: supplies arrive, merit for the Domain (藩). Compassion: every civilian survives, becoming a song of the people.
- Failure branch: traitor seizes the convoy. The PC retreats wounded; revenge scenario hook.
- GM control: between Act 1 and Act 2, always demonstrate the scene where "during a lull, recover Wounds 1 or Cohesion 1" happens without Energy cost. Imprint the performer's staying power numerically.
#9. Shugenja: Mountain Austerity (山の苦行)
#Scent
The mountain is vast. But the place you climb today is only one branch of that mountain. Fog rises to your waist, and each breath vanishes into it. Beneath your soles is wet stone.
The waterfall can be heard from far away. The sound of water grows, and a moment comes when it overlaps the beat of your chest. In that moment, you know you have entered the first stage of austerity.
Old monk at the mountain entrance (not stopping you, only pressing his palms together): "...What have you come to discard? Having something to discard means you are still human."
The primary colors are rock gray and the clear blue of water. In the fog, every color is washed once. The BGM is water and your own breathing. When those two diverge, it is austerity; when they overlap, it is liberation.
- Place: harsh mountain. Austerity training.
- Enemies: Act 1, trials of nature -> Act 2, mountain yoma -> Act 3, shadow of the self.
Core Mechanics:
- 3 Stages of Austerity: cost Wounds -1/2/3, checks +2/4/6 + damage +1/2/3.
- Self-Sacrifice: Wounds do not naturally recover during a lull (other healing only).
- Underwater zone: waterfall austerity.
Three Ways and Six Hearts Branch:
- Complete the austerity -> Truth (pursuit of truth).
- Abandon the austerity -> Compassion (retain humanity).
#Step-by-Step Progression Guide
| Checkpoint | Timing | What the GM Does | What the Player Does | Signal (to Next Step) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Act 1: natural trial | Session start | Present harsh path, waterfall, and cold as check targets | Declare austerity stage 1, accept Wounds cost | First trial passed -> mountain yoma manifests |
| Act 2: mountain yoma | Middle | Tempt with austerity stage 2: present cost and reward | Fight in underwater zone (waterfall), feel check +4 | Yoma defeated -> inner shadow descends |
| Act 3: the inner self | Climax | The shadow mocks the PC's memories back at them | Declare Truth / Compassion, whether to take austerity stage 3 | Shadow overcome / reconciled -> 3rd dan advancement |
- Success branch: Truth: austerity completed, recorded as a legendary shugenja. Compassion: humanity retained, bond with people below the mountain.
- Failure branch: Wounds bottom out. Falls behind during descent; rescued, but the shadow remains as the next scenario's curse.
- GM control: strictly apply the Wounds cost of austerity stages numerically. Present the stage 3 choice as "the threshold of death"; that is the shugenja's essence.
#10. Puppeteer: Hegemony of the Castle (城の支配)
#Scent
You yourself are outside the castle. The distant wall is a black shadow, and a single candle leaking from the lord's room is the only mark. Threads stretch from your fingertips: unseen, but felt.
The puppet is inside the castle. Your breath is yours, and the puppet's steps are your thought. Two existences are linked by one pulse, and when that pulse snaps, it is not only the puppet that breaks.
Puppet's voice (coming from the puppet's mouth though your lips do not move): "...Does the lord sleep alone again tonight?"
Your own voice (heard by no one): "There is no alone. I am with you."
The primary colors are white thread and castle-wall shadow. The BGM is many strings (弦) breaking. When one string snaps, you lose Wounds 1.
- Place: enemy castle. Remote assault by puppet.
- Enemies: Act 1, gate guards -> Act 2, internal squad -> Act 3, castle lord (Elite).
Core Mechanics:
- War of Strings: 1 puppet (Wounds 2, Defense 12, thread range 2 zones).
- Backflow: when a puppet is incapacitated, the operator takes Wounds -1.
- Split Existence: the operator stays in the Outside Zone.
Three Ways and Six Hearts Branch:
- Execute the castle lord -> Hegemony.
- Puppetize the castle lord (make a straw-man king) -> Demon.
#Step-by-Step Progression Guide
| Checkpoint | Timing | What the GM Does | What the Player Does | Signal (to Next Step) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Act 1: gate guards | Session start | State puppet range 2 zones, set the operator's hidden position | Deploy War of Strings, control puppet | Pass the gate -> encounter internal squad |
| Act 2: internal squad | Middle | Announce Backflow risk (when puppet is incapacitated, Wounds -1) | Maintain Split Existence, recover puppet | Squad subdued -> outside the lord's room |
| Act 3: castle lord duel | Climax | RP choice: Hegemony (execution) vs Demon (puppetization) | Declare heart, final thread manipulation | Lord handled -> 3rd dan advancement |
- Success branch: Hegemony: Domain replacement, outward normalcy. Demon: straw-man king, PC's shadow rule. Confirm heart.
- Failure branch: puppet destroyed + operator exposed. PC flees; the castle hunts this calamity, creating a wanted-person hook.
- GM control: the puppeteer's appeal is the double structure: "the operator is safe; the puppet fights." Make the pain of Backflow felt at least 1 time. Demon temptation should be the sweetness of perfected control.
#Pregenerated 1st-Dan References
(For each class's basic 1st-dan build, see the corresponding class file.)
#GM Advice
- 1:1 Session: one player, one GM. Dense RP is possible.
- 3rd-Dan Advancement Finish: each scenario compresses 1st dan -> 3rd dan into 1~2 sessions. Learning purpose.
- Three Ways and Six Hearts Record: on 3rd-dan advancement, confirm Way / Heart. It continues into later group play.
- Class Emphasis: each scenario is designed to deeply experience one most central mechanic of that class.