#Version 1.5 Major Updates Guide

Contents

Summary. Version 1.5 adds a new Player's Handbook and a bridge between the Sengoku and Edo eras, then realigns rules and data across the core, EX, FC, ZN, and all three language editions. Each supplement's distinct genre and deliberate extremes remain intact; only genuine contradictions, unresolved procedures, and descriptions that had drifted from canon were corrected.

#Newly Published Material

Konsei Reiyotan Kenkaku Benran — Player's Handbook has been added. It brings checks, combat, zones, character creation, 18 classes, 18 schools, arms, growth, and squads into one volume, together with a solo oracle and the 39-paragraph gamebook "The First Sword." KO, JP, and EN web editions and PDFs are available.
ZN14 "A Realm in Four Branches" has been added. Centered on the Kagura Domain and the Gate of the Spirit Realm, it bridges the Sengoku and Edo eras through one true history and three IF world-lines. It is an opt-in setting and fiction supplement that adds no new numeric rules.

#Core Rules Alignment

The Energy and breath limits are now explicit. The one-breath base limit is 5, the reference cap for official balance is 7, and the absolute cap is 10. Use limits for 0-Energy [Kata] maneuvers are handled separately.
Absolute Initiative is now a semantic priority rule rather than a numeric bonus. Its relationship to ordinary initiative modifiers and the tie order among multiple Absolute Initiative effects are now explicit.
Dual-build advancement has been clarified. A character has only one dan value, determined by the primary class. The secondary class affects trait choices, Master-eligible skills and schools, and the Renown class-capstone branch only.
Zanbato and nodachi are now consistently treated as two names for the same rules-identical weapon.
Tesshin's blade, teppo, and shield are now consistently treated as the Attack A, Attack B, and defense techniques of one integrated built-in weapon.
Defensive techniques and yoma attacks have been revised. Successful defenses, Critical Hits, partial mitigation, weapon-sealing effects, and Defense floors are now explicit. High-tier yoma physical attacks and simplified swarm attacks for threatening Minions have also gained tools suited to their concepts.

#Catalog and Standard Characters

The Maneuver Catalog has been checked against every source entry. All three language editions now contain 1,170 rows each. Unsupported entries and incorrect sources were removed or corrected, while missing or over-abbreviated canonical effects were restored.
The 18 standard sample characters have been realigned with the current class rules. Dan-based traits, background growth, Renown Titles, attributes, Wounds, Defense, Energy, and typical breath routines were corrected and synchronized across JP and EN.

#Translation and Prose

The JP and EN editions have been rechecked against the KO canon. Translation errors affecting play — including numbers, use limits, trait and technique names, proper nouns, tags, and table structure — were corrected.
The full text has been polished for readers. Writer-facing process language, excessive explanation that added no information, and redundant declarations were removed where appropriate, while legal notices, GM guidance, narrative repetition, and necessary summaries were preserved.

#Web Edition and Publications

"The First Sword" is now playable directly in the browser, and a dedicated ZN13 Godframe Builder has been added.
The malfunctioning web combat simulator has been removed from public navigation. Its rules engine remains in use as an internal balance-validation tool.
The KO, JP, and EN PDFs for Kenkaku Benran and the quickstart have been rebuilt from the current text. Covers, diagrams, and illustrations were expanded, along with back covers across the existing 18-volume line.
The site now links to the official distribution page. PDFs and distribution information are also available on itch.io.

#Version 1.4.2 Major Updates Guide

Summary. Version 1.4.2 is a review-deepening and tooling release. FC03 Chronicle of Japanese Swordmasters received a full canon-checked, sentence-level revision with a new school and a new common special rule, and the web edition gains full-text search and a combat simulator.

#FC03 Chronicle of Japanese Swordmasters — Full Revision

Ito Itto-ryu is now a fully recorded school. The rules-slot borrowing is retired in favor of the Licensed art "Kiri-otoshi" and the secret art "Musoken," bringing the volume's new schools to 3.
New common kenshi special rule: Aged. It implements "strong while they hold, fading as the fight drags on" in numbers (applied to Iizasa and Yagyu Muneyoshi).
Canon cross-check and prose review. School references, technique-summary conditions, stat totals, and hanja typos were aligned with the CO/EX2 canon, and the prose was polished. The Katori (香取) spelling is now uniform across the line.

#Rules Reinforcement

Jigen-ryu's "Tonbo-no-Kamae" is redesigned. A maintained [stance] — first attack of each round +4, +1 additional Wound damage on a Critical Hit, cumulative -2 from the second attack of each breath, movement allowed while held.
The unified counter definition, barrier Wounds lifecycle, and Wudang Sword reaction limit are codified in the expansion (EX2).
zn13 mirrors corrected. Monster-grade (Lord-grade) labels and final-battle stat annotations were cleaned up.

#Web Edition & Tools

Full-text search: search all 3 language editions from the top of every page.
Combat simulator: a page for rolling 1:1 duels with recorded sheets, added to the landing page.
Print optimization: browser printing now uses a clean tabletop black-and-white layout.

#Version 1.4.1 Major Updates Guide

Summary. Version 1.4.1 is a consistency maintenance release layered on top of 1.4. It adds 3 new ZN one-shot articles and runs another targeted re-review of numeric, terminology, and meaning drift in the JP/EN mirrors against the KO canon.

#New ZN One-Shot Articles

Added zn11 "Self-Taught Specialization," zn12 "Scattered Fragments," and zn13 "Godframe." They cover, respectively, an un-statted self-taught (jiko-ryu) growth path, a fragment dossier for scenario hooks, and an opt-in Variant for a giant Divine-Artifact war frame.

#Translation Fidelity Re-Review

Numeric, grade, and terminology drift were re-reviewed in a targeted pass. Mirror items that could change a rules outcome — enemy grade labels, rounding direction, proper nouns, and state transitions — were corrected against the KO canon.
Builder and sheet display terms were audited. Skill labels in the web character builder and the Roll20 sheet were aligned with the public glossary.

#Version 1.4 Major Updates Guide

Summary. Version 1.4 is a large consistency patch across the public edition. Rather than adding a new volume, it consolidates balance, rule contradictions, translation accuracy, and distribution stability into one maintenance release.

#Large-Scale Balance Patch

Class, trait, squad, and adversary data have been realigned. Dan, grade, Wounds, Energy, Defense, costs, and use limits were corrected where they had drifted apart, so data at the same tier follows the same operating baseline.
Build and operations references now use one baseline. PC/NPC builds, Dan 10 growth, dual builds, schools, yoma material, castle material, and battlefield tools now use the same attribute and skill terminology.

#Rule-Contradiction Fixes

Check formulas and tags have been cleaned up. Kata, stance, Non-Combat Action, Fate Intervention, round, and the unit-grade ladder were aligned where wording could confuse actual play.
Exception boundaries have been clarified. HP exceptions, Barrier HP, Defense bypass, incorporeal, Flank Zone/outskirts wording, gaijin/Outsider distinctions, and the Elite/Veteran/Lord grade terms were normalized by context.

#Full Translation Re-Review

JP/EN mirrors were fully rechecked against the KO canon. Semantic drift, wrong kanji, missing clauses, inserted text, and stale English terminology were corrected.
The core glossary was refreshed. Attribute, skill, grade, class, condition, and tag terms now point to the same rules meaning across all three language editions.

#Distribution and Tool Stability

The web distribution and quickstart PDF links now target v1.4. Download links and static-site outputs were adjusted so the deployed package points only at the current version.
Roll20 sheet and web character-builder data were audited. Display terms in tools and packages were aligned with the public rules and validated.

#Version 1.3.3 Major Updates Guide

Summary. Version 1.3.3 is a visual enhancement release: no rule changes, but broader interior black-and-white illustrations plus refreshed web-distribution and quickstart PDF links.

#Interior Illustration Expansion

177 additional black-and-white interior illustrations have been added. They fill missing portrait, yoma, divine-artifact, masterwork-weapon, and location gaps across co, ex1-ex3, fc01, fc02, fc04, fc05, fc07, fc08, fc10, and fc12.
The same illustrations are placed across KO/JP/EN mirrors. Matching public WebP assets are linked into each language edition so readers keep the same visual reference when switching languages.

#Distribution Refresh

Public wiki version markers have been unified as 1.3.3. VERSION files and frontmatter version declarations in the public roots now match the new distribution number.
The web distribution and quickstart PDF links have been refreshed. Static-site output and download links now target the 1.3.3 artifacts.

#Version 1.3.2 Major Updates Guide

Summary. Version 1.3.2 packages a ready-to-play starter set, ZN one-shot articles, and the web character builder.

#New Play Package

The Sinner's Cord quickstart has been added. The qs root now provides a start guide, rules cheat sheet, 1-session scenario, next-reading guide, and pregenerated characters.
Quickstart visual assets are included. The package adds a color cover, act backgrounds, ready-to-use basic battlemaps for each combat, and boss illustrations for online play.

#Web Tools

The web character builder has been added. It handles basic Dan 1 character creation through data-driven options and exports hy-character-v1 sheet JSON for session records or moving to another device.

#New Supplement Material

10 ZN one-shot articles have been added. Entertainers, shrine priests and miko, houses, exotic weapons, the Bamboo Cutter, people of the land, uta, Kirishitan material, continuing journeys, and hatashiai are available through the dedicated ZN sidebar.
The static web build has been expanded. qs, zn01-zn10, and the character builder are now included in the static site.

#Version 1.3.1 Major Updates Guide

Summary. 1.3.1 is a maintenance patch refining rules consistency and translation accuracy.

#Key Fixes

Licensed/Master technique acquisition limits were adjusted. Clarified that skill points and the Licensed-or-higher count cap rise only at even dan, and unified the related notation.
NPC sheet skill allocations were fully audited. Cross-checked dan against skill-point and Licensed-count-cap notation and corrected mismatches.
Yoma information was supplemented. Expanded per-entity flavor (Scent) in the bestiary and adversary data and aligned KO, JP, and EN.
Other rule and translation errors were fixed. Tidied cross-document links, terminology, and notation inconsistencies.

#Version 1.3 Major Updates Guide

Summary. This document collects only the new public volumes and public-edition cleanup items worth checking before actual play in version 1.3.

#New Public Volumes

fc09, Gazetteer of the Provinces, has been added. A gaijin's journey through the sixty-odd provinces gives tables material for regions, roads, customs, rumors, scene tools, and campaign-stage selection.
fc10, Time-Drift War Tales, has been added. This campaign module covers modern people spirited away into the Sengoku period through identity sets, depletion resources, modern item data, and GM guidance.
fc11, Sengoku People Register, has been added. It provides 60 NPCs from Dan 1 through Dan 10, dual-build examples, Commoner slots, and build checks based on the PC creation procedure.
fc12, Castle Siege Chronicle, has been added. Castles, assaults, holdouts, infiltration, and ruin exploration are connected to co zone, battlemap, and squad rules.

#Public Edition Cleanup

Current-version declarations have been unified as 1.3 across public roots. VERSION files, indexes, and translation mirrors now match across co, ex1-ex3, and fc01-fc12.
co optional rules have been expanded. Careful Preparation for checks and Squad Specialist Check for non-combat squad use have been added, covering well-prepared attempts and specialists within a squad.
General errors and incorrect terminology were fixed. Typos, check names, and attribute/skill terminology were cleaned up across the public edition.
KO/JP/EN mirror review standards have been tightened. Attributes, skills, check formulas, and core rule terms stay locked to co, while each language edition is reviewed for natural reader-facing prose.

#Version 1.2 Major Updates Guide

Summary. This document collects only the major changes worth checking before actual play in version 1.2.

#Checks

Fixed Target Numbers have been aligned to the odd-number grid. All fixed Target Numbers have been realigned around 11, 13, and 15 for greater consistency.
The modifier accumulation cap has been raised. The cap on accumulated check modifiers has been expanded from +8 to +10.
The difficulty table has been reinforced. A "typical expert +3" success-rate column has been added to the difficulty table, along with a GM guide for setting Target Numbers.

#Defense

Unarmed base defense values by tier have been added. Base defense values for unarmed combatants are now tiered: Mob 8 / Minion 9 / Veteran+ and PC 10.
The floor for [Pierce]/[Direct] has been tiered. The floor value for Pierce and Direct effects is now linked to enemy tier, reducing abuse of defense bypass against high-tier enemies.
Published Mob/Minion enemy defense values have been reduced. Published Mob enemy defense −2 and Minion enemy defense −1 have been applied to improve early-combat feel.

#Classes

Class documents have been restructured into a single role-group hub. Reorganized into a 9 role-groups × 4 tiers structure, making relationships between classes and growth paths easier to grasp at a glance.
The core 6 classes are now recommended for new players. Players new to the game are encouraged to choose one of the 6 core classes to start.

#Web

Page tables of contents have been improved. The table of contents display for long documents has been improved for easier navigation.
Cross-language anchors have been resolved. Cross-language cross-reference anchors have been cleaned up, reducing JP/EN mirror link errors.
Bookshelf display has been improved. The bookshelf (breadcrumb) navigation in the web reader has been improved.

#Version 1.1 Major Updates Guide

Summary. This document collects only the major changes worth checking before actual play in version 1.1. Detailed balance adjustments, notation unification, and prose polishing have been applied in the individual documents, so during play, use the current body text of each document as the reference.

#Core Rule Cleanup

Defense-bypass tags have been cleaned up. Read defense bypass mainly through [Pierce N], [Direct N], and [Incorporeal]. [Break N] has been clarified as a special effect that makes an equipment-reduction effect permanent, not as defense bypass.
Defenseless has been simplified. Resolve Defenseless as Defense reduction and stance release, without opportunity attacks or a separate resistance check.
Surprise handling has been cleaned up. General surprise is now centered on simpler bonuses, while class-specific automatic Critical Hits remain as unique features of those classes.
0 Energy exceptions have been cleaned up. For features executed at 0 Energy, check the permitted source in the core rules. The actual execution documents were also cleaned up to retain that source notation.
Load and overburden standards have been added. Treat ordinary daily supplies as being carried in shares by accompanying squads. If there is no squad, or if one person must carry a large load or an obviously heavy object alone, the Overburdened condition can be applied.

#Play Guidance Reinforcement

The Golden Rule has been added. The purpose of the game, rule selection, the GM's final judgment, handling rules errors found late, how to wrap up when pacing drags, and respect for the group's meeting time have been gathered into one document.
AI use guidance has been reinforced. The text now states the premise that individual participants are not categorically forbidden from bringing character support material made with generative AI. It also discloses that image generation in the production process used the GPT Image 2 model. Claude Code and Codex were used for the Japanese and English translations.

#ex1 Drift of the Spirit Realm Cleanup

The core economy has been simplified. Barrier HP and core resource management remain, but core grades have been cleaned up into 3 stages: unstable cores, stable cores, and high-purity cores.
Alteration handling has been simplified. Instead of rolling for each individual core, handle it as a weekly alteration event.
Spirit Realm Exposure has been introduced. For fatigue, contamination, and time fluctuation during ordinary Spirit Realm travel, read primarily through Spirit Realm Exposure 0-10.
Wounds terminology has been unified. Life and durability values other than Barrier HP have been cleaned up around Wounds.

#Optional Materials and Supplement Volumes Cleanup

Authority labels have been reinforced. Optional materials have been cleaned up so their actual use cases are visible through labels such as Campaign Module, Scene Tool, Reference Only, and Data Catalog.
fc04 Onmyodo spells have been cleaned up. Seimei and Doman spells are now explicitly material for campaigns using the ex2 spell structure. Read even-dan spells as replacement options for existing odd-dan spells, not as independently learned spells.
Maneuver and squad tactic notation has been reinforced. The core rulebook's complete maneuver index, the basic costs of squad tactics, and the type, cost, and effect families of various maneuvers have been cleaned up so they read more clearly.

#Web Reader Improvements

Internal links have been stabilized. The web edition build was cleaned up so links to document subheadings are converted to match the actual HTML heading ids.
Reader-facing links and notation have been reviewed. Links that could break during web reading, unintended HTML anchors, and hard-to-read abbreviated check formulas have been cleaned up.

#Other Balance Patches

Beyond the items above, costs, defense tags, Wounds values, check formulas, optional-material guidance, and prose flow were refined across classes, weapons, yoma, squads, and optional rules. Most of these are detailed balance adjustments and prose edits, so in actual play, use the current body text of each document as the reference.