Social General Techniques (社會一般特技)

Contents

#§ Scent — How to Win With Words, Not the Blade

The core general techniques are rich in entries that deal with the gestures of the battlefield, but none deal separately with the techniques between person and person. There are the 6 core Command(指揮) skills, but those are a "trained art," and what this section deals with is, separately from that, narrative social habits — a personal asset one can lean on even when short on skill.

All 5 provide social positioning that influences the campaign as a whole, not duel props within combat. They show their true value especially in domain-management, diplomacy-centered, and political-intrigue campaigns.

#§ Law — 5 New General Techniques

#High-Official Connection (高官親交) [aptitude]

Effect: During a session, a prior connection with 1 high-official NPC of the region (a daimyo's retainer, a magistrate, the abbot of a famous temple, etc.) is established. Negotiation, Bribery, and Deceit checks against that NPC +2. In a narrative branch where that NPC becomes directly hostile, the effect is lost.
Check: none (narrative + check bonus)
Acquisition conditions: None. However, GM permission requires the character's background to include experience of residence or service in the region.
Repeatable: Yes (designate a different region and a different NPC each time). Duplication within the same region is not allowed.
Villain/gaijin constraints: For the 12 villain classes, the connection instantly flips to hostility upon exposure of identity (core 04-19 conventions). When borrowed via a gaijin Adaptation slot, it is limited to that cultural sphere.
Recommended play type: political campaign, domain management, envoy role
Design note: No similar technique exists in the core. It operates as a narrative precondition — designate the NPC by GM–player consultation at campaign start.

#Disguised Identity (僞裝正體) [upkeep]

Effect: Declared at the Lull Phase or at session start. In that scene, others cannot learn 1 of one's true status, class, or affiliation by their first Perception. Operates even without a Disguise skill. Released immediately on contact with an NPC who already knows.
Check: when needed, 2d10 + Presence + the higher proficiency of Disguise or Deceit >= the enemy's Perception
Acquisition conditions: None.
Repeatable: No.
Villain/gaijin constraints: For the 12 villain classes, acquiring this technique is strongly recommended — a narrative safety net preventing identity exposure. Gaijin may use this technique together with Foreign Adaptation.
Recommended play type: spy, hidden villain, identity-disguised infiltration
Design note: Different from the core Disguise skill. Disguise is "the technique of changing into another person"; this technique is "a basic habit of hiding part of oneself." A holder of the Disguise license obtains the same effect more strongly even without using this technique.

#Credit (信用) [aptitude]

Effect: Negotiation check +2 on checks for transactions, promises, and information exchanges in which money is not directly at stake. 1 time per campaign, a "payment deferral" may be declared — in 1 gold-coin transaction, the payment moment may be pushed back to "the end of the next session" (a check if the other party refuses). On repeated failure to keep a promise, this technique is permanently lost (GM declaration).
Check: 2d10 + Presence + Negotiation proficiency >= the opponent's will (the existing formula as is)
Acquisition conditions: None.
Repeatable: No.
Villain/gaijin constraints: When the 12 villain classes acquire this technique, only "surface credit" is established — permanent loss the instant identity is exposed. No gaijin constraint.
Recommended play type: merchant, mediator, diplomat
Design note: Different from the core Bribery skill. Bribery is the technique of moving the other party with money; this technique is an asset that moves without money. Because the permanent-loss condition is strong, the narrative axis moves greatly.

#Intelligence Network (諜報網) [upkeep]

Effect: Declared at the Lull Phase or at session start. 1 concrete question about the region and time period may be posed to the GM. The GM either gives a true answer to the question or declares "even my intelligence network does not know that far." On the latter declaration, this technique cannot be reused this session.
Check: when needed, 2d10 + Wisdom + the higher proficiency of Negotiation or Deceit >= 10
Acquisition conditions: Acquired in a general technique slot from the 5th dan onward (the core 04-02 §Freedom of Technique Selection principle of being able to choose from lower dan). Background or narrative must make experience related to intelligence explicit.
Repeatable: No.
Villain/gaijin constraints: Follow the core conventions. For gaijin, effective only for questions related to their "previous world" (GM discretion).
Recommended play type: intelligence, intrigue-centered, investigation
Design note: Similar to the "Foresight" of the core Stratagem dedicated skill (questioning enemy information before combat begins) but operating on out-of-combat narrative. If the Stratagem license is a pre-combat question, this technique is a question across the session as a whole. Both can be used together (in and out of combat respectively).

#Common Familiarity (大衆親熟) [aptitude]

Effect: At a first encounter with a nameless NPC group such as commoners, drifters, merchants, or foot soldiers, a non-hostile state is automatically established. When the target of an Agitation or Negotiation check is such a group, the check is +1. No effect on ruling-class (warrior-house, retainer, noble) NPCs.
Check: the existing formula + 1
Acquisition conditions: Holding 1 of the backgrounds "Farmer, Merchant's Child, Wanderer" is recommended (possible without it on GM permission).
Repeatable: No.
Villain/gaijin constraints: Among the 12 villain classes, "obvious yoma-nature" lines such as Man-Eating Demon, Shikome, and Tatarigami cannot acquire it (core 04-19). The Kaibutsu is a separate case — being a still Buddha unable to speak while in seated meditation, it inherently cannot acquire social techniques. Among gaijin, modern persons are interpreted as "a suspicious one speaking incomprehensible words," halving the effect (+0).
Recommended play type: people's leader, leading an Ikko uprising, commercial campaign
Design note: Compatible with the narrative operation of the 1st-expansion Commoner class. Mutual synergy when a Commoner PC, or a Commoner NPC and a PC, travel together.

#§ Design Perspective

Emphasis on narrative cost: Of the 5, 3 (High-Official Connection, Credit, Intelligence Network) are narrative-conditional and losable. They carry more weight than a +1~2 number because of the narrative axis.
Villain-constraint specialization: Common Familiarity is unavailable to some villains, and Disguised Identity is recommended for villains. Support for villain play.
Compatible with gaijin Foreign Adaptation: When borrowed via a gaijin Adaptation slot, it operates limited to that cultural sphere (following the core conventions).

"Knowing the fight that ends before the blade is drawn is also a technique of the warrior houses."

#Social General Techniques (社會一般特技)