English edition v1.3.3
#Escalation Ladder — Pressure Intensity Stage Guide
Contents
Purpose of this document. Divides the pressure curve of a 20-session campaign into 4 stages. Presents recommended enemy, environment, and Barrier HP expectations per stage. Advice on converting to the extended 50-session mode.
Core Rulebook References
- Required: Quick Reference · GM Guide 3
- Recommended: Campaign Seeds · GM Guide 1
- Within this supplement: Campaign Loop · 80-01 Pacing · Barrier System
#Scent — The Grain of the Ladder
A campaign is a ladder. The person who first sets foot on it stands on the lowest rung. Look up and you can see the top, but for now the first rung is everything. You climb one rung at a time.
The first rung is low. Falling doesn't hurt. You only bruise your feet. Fall from the middle rungs and your arm breaks. Fall from the upper rungs and it becomes hard to reverse the situation.
The GM's responsibility is not to make the ladder sturdy. It is to make the ladder sway more and more as it climbs higher. Players don't notice the swaying from below, but they notice it from above. They must put strength in their feet, hold on with both hands, and sometimes look down and regret it. They climb anyway. That is the game.
This document is the map of that entire ladder. Where it is still acceptable to fall, where it starts to truly hurt, and where surviving at all must be a miracle.
#Law — 20 Sessions, 4 Stages
#Overall Curve
╱───── Sessions 16-20 Maximum Pressure
╱ "Ending Convergence"
╱
╱──────
╱ Sessions 11-15 Strong Pressure
╱ "Past Discovery"
╱
╱──────
╱ Sessions 6-10 Moderate Pressure
╱ "Loop Establishment"
╱
╱──────
╱ Sessions 1-5 Light Pressure
╱ "Adaptation"
╱
───
Session 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20#Stage Summary
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Stage │ Sessions │ Name │ Rec. Barrier HP │ Weekly Expeditions │ Boss Appearances
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Stage 1 │ 1-5 │ Adaptation │ 70-80 │ 1 │ 0
Stage 2 │ 6-10 │ Loop Establishment │ 50-70 │ 1 │ 1-2
Stage 3 │ 11-15 │ Past Discovery │ 30-50 │ 1-2 │ 2-3
Stage 4 │ 16-20 │ Ending Convergence │ 15-30 → 0/100 │ 2 │ 3-5
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────#Law — Stage 1: Adaptation (Sessions 1-5)
#Purpose
- Players become familiar with the rules
- Basic learning of domain, NPCs, and Geography
- Experience the Barrier, core, and Morale systems
- Team building (solidifying relationships between PCs)
#Recommended Pressure Intensity
Barrier HP: 70-85 (maintain starting value of 75 as baseline)
Weekly natural decrease: -3 (base)
Fear gauge: 2-4 (low)
Morale gauge: 6-8 (good)
Expedition frequency: 1 per session
Expedition difficulty: low (target 10-12)#Enemy Types
Average enemy strength: Mob~Minion in numbers, 0~1 Veteran-grade solo enemy
Typical encounters:
- Lesser yoma (oni, lesser yoma) 2-4 bodies
- Yoma patrol 4-6 bodies (rarely)
- Spirit Realm animals (yokai monkey, yokai crow)
- Corrupted domain residents (shadows of past sacrifice victims)
Boss-grade: does not appear (Stage 1 principle)
Exception:
A "mid-boss" may be hinted at in Session 5 (Stage 2 hook)
- Actual appearance is Session 6 or later#Environmental Difficulty
Exploration difficulty: low (target 10)
- A map exists or a guide is present
- Getting lost is not fatal
Traps and gimmicks: almost none
- If any, provide clear clues
- Damage is at minor-injury level
Spirit Realm weather: stable
- Black Rope Forest: overcast
- Underground waterway: cold (Resistance check difficulty 8)
Hell strata:
- Centered on layers 3-4 (relatively mild)
- Avoid layer 5 and above until Session 5#Key Events (by Session)
Session 1: Arrive at domain, audience with onmyoji, first expedition (entrance to Black Rope Forest)
Session 2: Settle into domain, meet NPCs, second expedition (core harvest)
Session 3: First crisis (1-2 cracks), possible first experience of failing a Barrier maintenance check
Session 4: Begin upgrading domain facilities, romance events begin
Session 5: Signs of the Black Moon (preview of Stage 2), Gensho's first symptoms (health 8 or below)#GM Check
[ ] All players understand the dice-rolling rules
[ ] Experience with Barrier HP, core, and Morale systems complete
[ ] All 8 key NPCs have appeared at least once
[ ] Framework of relationships between PCs established (signs of cooperation, conflict, romance)
[ ] Barrier HP at or above 70 at end of session
[ ] Gensho health at or above 8 at end of session#Warning Signs of Failure
- Barrier HP at or below 60 in Session 3: Too fast; recalibration needed
- Fear at 6 or above in Session 5: Pressure excessive; a rest period is needed
- Romance Affinity at 1 or below for all in Session 5: Insufficient relationships; add romance events
#GM Tool Settings
[80-02 Barrier Tracker]: Weekly decrease -3 + expedition -2 = -5 per week base
[80-03 Core Economy]: Unstable cores centered, stable cores rare
[80-04 Domain]: Maintain Morale, Fear rises slowly
[80-05 Romance]: Romance Affinity centered on stages 1-2#Law — Stage 2: Loop Establishment (Sessions 6-10)
#Purpose
- Full operation of the weekly loop (expedition + domain + romance + Barrier)
- First appearance and defeat of mid-boss
- First clue to the Enmadoji Seal (around Sessions 9-10)
- Romance Affinity reaches stages 3-4
#Recommended Pressure Intensity
Barrier HP: 50-70 (entering the Dangerous Segment)
Weekly natural decrease: -3 + events -2~-5 = -5~-8 per week
Fear gauge: 4-6 (moderate)
Morale gauge: 5-7 (slight decline)
Expedition frequency: 1 per session (occasionally 2)
Expedition difficulty: moderate (target 13-15)#Enemy Types
Average enemy strength: Minion squad + 1 Veteran-grade enemy, or multiple Veteran-grade
Typical encounters:
- Yoma scouting party 6-10 bodies
- Yoma elite (armed oni, yokai sorcerer) 1-2 bodies
- Corrupted spiritual objects (yokai fox, yokai tanuki) 2-3 bodies
- Blood Lake fish (during underwater combat)
Boss-grade: 1-2 times per session
- Mid-boss 1: Vanguard of the Black Moon (Sessions 6-7)
- Mid-boss 2: Warden of Black Rope Forest (Sessions 8-9)
- Mid-boss 3: Enmadoji Sentinel (Session 10)
Boss operation: centered on 1 Veteran~Elite-grade body. Expect 3~5 rounds of combat.#Environmental Difficulty
Exploration difficulty: moderate (target 12-14)
- Maps become inaccurate
- Guide disappearance or betrayal events can occur
Traps and gimmicks: appear
- Magical traps (moderate-to-upper Wounds damage)
- Hallucination spaces (Mental Save required)
Spirit Realm weather: unstable
- Black Moon week (Fear +1 each day)
- Rain of ash (the Burning Capital)
- Ice fog (upon entering Exchange Hell)
Hell strata:
- Centered on layers 4-6
- First visit to layer 7 possible (Session 10)#Key Events (by Session)
Session 6: Black Moon 1st occurrence (Fear +2), first encounter with mid-boss 1
Session 7: Yoma mass assault (squad defense battle), large-scale Barrier cracks occur
Session 8: Enmadoji Axis 1 clue discovered (Uta information)
Session 9: Mid-boss 2 defeated, first stable core harvest
Session 10: Approach to Enmadoji Seal Axis 1, Barrier HP around 50#GM Check
[ ] Weekly loop runs automatically (minimal GM intervention)
[ ] 1-2 successful defeats of boss-grade enemies
[ ] Enmadoji Axis 1 clue reached (Session 10)
[ ] Romance Affinity reaches stages 3-4 (at least 1 pair)
[ ] Barrier HP at 50-70 at end of session
[ ] Gensho health at 6-8 at end of session#Warning Signs of Failure
- Barrier HP at or below 40 in Session 8: Crisis stage is arriving too fast
- Fear at 8 or above in Session 10: Panic risk; insert a recovery event
- Romance Affinity at 2 or below for all in Session 10: Need to encourage relationship development
#GM Tool Settings
[80-02 Barrier Tracker]: -5~-8 per week, injection of +3~+5 essential
[80-03 Core Economy]: Begin accumulating stable cores, activate unstable→stable conversion
[80-04 Domain]: Fear rises gradually, 1-2 facility breakdowns
[80-05 Romance]: Affinity reaches stages 3-4, prepare stage-unlock events#Law — Stage 3: Past Discovery (Sessions 11-15)
#Purpose
- Approach to Enmadoji Seal Axes 2 and 3
- Discovering the truth of the domain's past (who dragged it into the Spirit Realm and why)
- Night of the Barrier Crisis (Sessions 13-14)
- Romance Affinity reaches stages 5-6; engagement possible
#Recommended Pressure Intensity
Barrier HP: 30-50 (Alert Segment)
Weekly natural decrease: -3 + events -5~-10 = -8~-13 per week
Fear gauge: 6-8 (high)
Morale gauge: 4-6 (declining)
Expedition frequency: 1-2 per session
Expedition difficulty: high (target 15-17)#Enemy Types
Average enemy strength: multiple Veteran-grade + 1 Lord-grade
Typical encounters:
- High-grade yoma (aberrant oni, yokai general) 1-2 bodies
- Yoma elite unit 10-15 bodies
- Group of corrupted domain residents (undergoing yoma transformation)
- Enmadoji Seal guardian
Boss-grade: 2-3 times per session
- Boss 1: Enmadoji Axis 2 guardian (Sessions 11-12)
- Boss 2: Shadow of the domain's past (Session 13)
- Boss 3: Main actor of the Night of the Barrier Crisis (Session 14)
- Boss 4: Enmadoji Axis 3 guardian (Session 15)
Boss operation: 1 Lord-grade body, or 1 Lord-grade + Veteran-grade escort. 5~8 rounds of combat.#Environmental Difficulty
Exploration difficulty: high (target 15)
- Inside Enmadoji: spatial distortion
- Time Distortion (1 hour = 1 real-world day)
Traps and gimmicks: numerous
- Soul trap (Three Ways and Six Hearts -1)
- Memory thief (loss of 1 PC memory)
- Mirror maze (escape check)
Spirit Realm weather: extreme
- Black Moon constant (Fear +1/week)
- Rain of blood
- Volcanic ash (suffocation resistance)
Hell strata:
- Centered on layers 5-8
- Approach to layer 9 (Session 15)#Key Events (by Session)
Session 11: Reach Enmadoji Axis 2, discover high-purity core
Session 12: First fragment of the domain's past truth (someone's betrayal)
Session 13: Night of the Barrier Crisis, Part 1 (mass cracks, Barrier HP in the 20s)
Session 14: Night of the Barrier Crisis, Part 2 (mass defense battle, decisive clash)
Session 15: Reach Enmadoji Axis 3, approach to the traitor's identity#GM Check
[ ] Clues to Enmadoji Axes 2 and 3 obtained
[ ] Approaching the truth of the domain's past (pre-complete-revelation stage)
[ ] Successful breakthrough of the Night of the Barrier Crisis
[ ] Romance Affinity reaches stages 5-6 (at least 1 pair)
[ ] Barrier HP at 30-50 at end of session
[ ] Gensho health at 4-6 at end of session#Warning Signs of Failure
- Barrier HP at or below 20 in Session 13: Risk of being unable to recover before the ending
- 1 PC death in Session 14's Night of the Barrier Crisis: Within expected range; accept Morale -3
- Romance Affinity at 4 or below for all in Session 15: Ending branching becomes difficult
#GM Tool Settings
[80-02 Barrier Tracker]: Crisis zone, 1-2 high-purity injections
[80-03 Core Economy]: Timing for using high-purity cores
[80-04 Domain]: Fear 7+, watch for Morale 5 or below, frequent facility breakdowns
[80-05 Romance]: Affinity stages 5-6, confession and engagement events#Law — Stage 4: Ending Convergence (Sessions 16-20)
#Purpose
- Enter the Enmadoji Core Zone
- Full resolution of the domain's past
- Prepare and execute the final battle
- Determine ending branch (Return, Lordship, Transformation, Tragedy)
#Recommended Pressure Intensity
Barrier HP: 15-30 → 0 or 100 at ending (branch)
Weekly natural decrease: -3 + events -10~-20 = -13~-23 per week
Fear gauge: 7-9 (very high)
Morale gauge: 3-6 (between despair and hope)
Expedition frequency: 2 per session (occasionally 3)
Expedition difficulty: very high (target 17-20)#Enemy Types
Average enemy strength: multiple Lord-grade or near-Lord-grade encounters
Typical encounters:
- Yoma general-grade (commanding a great army) 1 body
- Corrupted lord (mastermind of the domain's past) 1 body
- Enmadoji Core Zone guardian
- Hell King (upon entering layer 9)
Boss-grade: 3-5 times per session
- Boss 1: Enmadoji Core Zone gatekeeper (Session 16)
- Boss 2: Traitor and mastermind of the domain's past (Session 17)
- Boss 3: Yoma general (Session 18)
- Boss 4: Enmadoji main body (Session 19)
- Final boss: Entity of Truth (Session 20)
Boss operation: 1 Lord-grade body, or 1 Lord-grade + Elite-grade escort. Extended battle of 10~15 rounds.#Environmental Difficulty
Exploration difficulty: extreme (target 18-20)
- Enmadoji Core Zone: reality distortion
- Time reversal and spatial inversion
Traps and gimmicks: maximum
- Existence erasure (on check failure: risk of combat removal or narrative loss)
- Past recreation (reliving childhood trauma)
- Soul separation
Spirit Realm weather: catastrophic
- Black Sun (all light disappears)
- Time backflow
- Dimensional mixing
Hell strata:
- Centered on layers 8-9
- Layer 9 Core Zone (ending exclusive)#Key Events (by Session)
Session 16: Enter Enmadoji Core Zone, 1st obstacle
Session 17: Full resolution of the domain's past; traitor defeated or allied
Session 18: Final battle preparation, mobilize all domain resources
Session 19: Final battle, Part 1 (Enmadoji main body combat)
Session 20: Ending (decisive battle Part 2 + ending presentation + epilogue)#GM Check
[ ] Enmadoji Core Zone entry succeeded
[ ] Domain's past fully resolved
[ ] Final battle preparation complete (resources, squads, Barrier)
[ ] Romance Affinity 7+ achieved (for ending branching)
[ ] Ending branch determined (player choice)
[ ] Epilogue delivered (1 year / 10 years / one generation later)#Warning Signs of Failure
- Barrier HP at or below 10 in Session 17: Risk of collapse before the ending; high-purity injection essential
- Failure to defeat the final boss in Session 19: Extend ending by 1 session (add Session 21)
- All PCs dead: Tragic ending triggers automatically
#GM Tool Settings
[80-02 Barrier Tracker]: Plan high-purity injection for the decisive battle
[80-03 Core Economy]: Expect full consumption of high-purity cores
[80-04 Domain]: Fear 9+, Morale 3 or below possible, many facilities damaged
[80-05 Romance]: Affinity 7+ achieved, prepare ending ceremony#Law — 50-Session Extended Conversion
#Basic Principles
20-session 4 stages → rearranged into 50-session 5 stages
20 sessions: 50 sessions:
1-5 Adaptation → 1-10 Adaptation + deep domain exploration
6-10 Loop Est. → 11-22 Loop + many mid-bosses
11-15 Past Discovery → 23-37 Past discovery + side-quest deepening
16-20 Ending Conv. → 38-50 Ending convergence + subdivided romance endings#Session Count per Stage in Extended Mode (4 Stages)
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Stage │ Sessions │ Duration │ Core Activities
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Stage 1 │ 1-10 │ 10 weeks │ Adaptation + full domain exploration + romance start
Stage 2 │ 11-22 │ 12 weeks │ Loop establishment + 3-5 mid-bosses + romance stage 3
Stage 3 │ 23-37 │ 15 weeks │ Past discovery + Enmadoji 3 axes + romance stages 5-6
Stage 4 │ 38-45 │ 8 weeks │ Core Zone entry + mega-dungeon + romance stage 7
Ending │ 46-50 │ 5 weeks │ Final battle + ending presentation + epilogue
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────#Notes for Extended Mode
Flattened pressure curve:
- More gradual than the 20-session gradient
- Insert 2-3 rest sessions per stage
- Reduced Barrier HP decrease rate (-3 per week instead of -5)
Increased side-quest weight:
- 1-2 side arcs (3-5 sessions) per stage
- Possible to complete all NPC individual quests
Romance deepening:
- 2-3 events between Affinity stages
- Meaningful interaction with all 9 characters possible
- Multiple simultaneous pursuits handled with greater depth
Mega-dungeon:
- 5-session deep exploration across Sessions 38-42
- Enmadoji Core Zone + 9 Hells Core Zone integrated#Law — Session-by-Session Detailed Checkpoints
#Session 1 Check (Stage 1 Start)
□ Player character sheets complete
□ Domain map shared with players
□ Barrier HP 75 displayed
□ First NPC encounter: lord and onmyoji at minimum
□ First expedition: entrance to Black Rope Forest (minor-injury-grade enemies)
□ Barrier HP around 72 at end of session#Session 5 Check (1→2 Transition)
□ All NPCs: encountered at least 1 time
□ 5 Barrier maintenance checks (experience 1-2 failures)
□ Total core harvest 5-8 (at least 1 stable core)
□ Black Moon foreshadowed (Session 6 hook)
□ Barrier HP 65-75 at end of session
□ Gensho health 8-9#Session 10 Check (Stage 2 → Stage 3 Transition)
□ Mid-boss defeated 2-3 times
□ Enmadoji Axis 1 clue secured
□ Romance Affinity 3-4 for at least 1 pair
□ Barrier HP around 50
□ Gensho health 6-7
□ Fear 5-6#Session 15 Check (Stage 3 → Stage 4 Transition)
□ Night of the Barrier Crisis broken through
□ Approached Enmadoji Axis 3
□ Domain's past truth 70% resolved
□ Romance Affinity 5-6 for at least 1 pair
□ Barrier HP 30-40
□ Gensho health 4-5
□ Fear 7-8#Session 20 Check (Ending)
□ Enmadoji main body defeated or allied
□ Domain's past fully resolved
□ Ending branch determined
□ Ending determined for all PCs
□ Epilogue delivered#Law — Pressure Adjustment Traffic Light
#Green (Appropriate)
Barrier HP: within stage-appropriate expected range
Fear gauge: within stage-appropriate expected range
PC casualties: none or 1 (per session)
Romance progression: within stage-appropriate expected range
Action: maintain current pace#Yellow (Caution)
Barrier HP: expected value -10 or below
Fear gauge: exceeds expected value by +2
Many PC injuries (3+ per session)
Romance progression: -1 stage below expected
Action: insert recovery event
- Group prayer (Morale +1, Barrier HP +5)
- Lord's encouragement (Fear -1)
- Rest session (no expedition)#Red (Danger)
Barrier HP: expected value -20 or below
Fear gauge: 9-10
PC death (1+ per session)
Romance progression: all Affinity at 2 or below (late campaign)
Action: emergency measures
- Emergency high-purity core injection (Barrier HP +60)
- External support (Barrier +10)
- Time leap (domain 1-week recovery)
- Arc extended by 1 session (add session)#Law — Pressure Adjustment Tools
#Tool 1 — Core Bonus
When players seem to be struggling:
- Discover an unexpected high-purity core mid-expedition
- NPC donates a stockpiled core
- Hidden treasure (core of grade +1)
Frequency: limited to 2-3 times per campaign#Tool 2 — NPC Support
When players seem to be struggling:
- Outsider (ally from another domain) appears
- Lord's resolution (joins combat directly)
- Former NPC returns (Komachi's return, etc.)
Frequency: 1 time per arc#Tool 3 — Time Leap
When a particular stage is running too long:
- "A month has passed" narration
- Domain automatic recovery (Barrier HP +5, Morale +1)
- Arc transition without an expedition
Frequency: 1-2 times per campaign#Tool 4 — Reversal Event
When players seem to be having it too easy:
- Key NPC betrayal (Uta, Toma)
- Simultaneous multi-facility breakdown
- Large-scale Barrier crack (-15)
Frequency: 1 time per stage transition#§ Checklist — Pre-Campaign Preparation
#Before the Campaign Starts (GM, 1 hour)
[ ] Read this entire document
[ ] Decide on 20-session or 50-session mode
[ ] Internalize the appropriate Barrier HP, Fear, and Morale ranges for each stage
[ ] Prepare 3-5 boss-grade enemies for each stage
[ ] Prepare the Night of the Barrier Crisis (Sessions 13-14) scenario
[ ] Prepare 4-5 ending branches in advance
[ ] Learn the 4 pressure adjustment tools#At Each Stage Transition (GM, 30 minutes)
[ ] Confirm completion of current stage checklist
[ ] Reconfirm appropriate pressure for the next stage
[ ] Reinforce any missing plot elements
[ ] Check romance progression status
[ ] Finalize boss-grade enemies for the next stage
[ ] Assess whether a rest session is needed#Before Each Session (GM, 5 minutes)
[ ] Which session of the current stage is today?
[ ] Assess the appropriate pressure intensity (green, yellow, red)
[ ] Prepare pressure adjustment tools if needed#Tone Guide
- The curve is not perfect. The rungs of the ladder do not need to be precisely regular. What matters is that it climbs upward overall.
- Rest is not a sin. A quiet domain session in Session 7 is fine. In fact, the crisis of Session 8 afterwards becomes sharper for it.
- Do not forget the ending. Pressure exists for the ending. If there is no sense of an approaching ending by Session 15, the ending in Session 20 will feel hollow.
"A ladder is for climbing. But sometimes, you also descend. The GM who knows how to descend helps others climb better."
— From the notebook of GM Ono-sensei
Related Documents
- 80-01 Pacing Guide — in-session time allocation
- 80-02 Barrier Tracker — Barrier HP tracking
- 80-04 Domain Sheet — Morale and Fear monitoring
- Campaign Loop — weekly loop basics