#18-Class Affiliation Base
Contents
RP Guide + Data Catalog. An affiliation guide for connecting player characters to Edo incidents.
#Scent — Affiliation Opens Doors
Drawing a sword alone in Edo invites suspicion. But attach the name "inspection attendant," "dojo guest," "merchant escort," "pilgrim monk," or "theater craftsman," and doors open. Affiliation is both the shackle that binds a character and the key that gets them into an incident.
#Law — Party Affiliation
- Give the party one official pretext for entering an incident and one hidden objective.
- Affiliation provides contracts, movement permits, concealment demands, and internal conflict rather than combat bonuses.
- Do not use all 18 classes the same way; assign each class distinct scenes within the affiliation.
#Scene Commentary — A Party Is Remembered by Its Affiliation
In Edo, "in whose name did you come?" is read before personal ability. The same ronin enters a duel scene more easily as a dojo guest, enters a logistics incident more easily as a merchant escort, and as a shogunate inspection outsource gains both site access and a reporting obligation.
Affiliation is the glue that holds a party together. It explains why different classes move together, who issued the contract, who is watching, and who gives the reward after success. A good affiliation does not give only benefits. Internal discipline, forbidden disclosures, and unreasonable orders from above should come with it.
Affiliation design check:
- Which doors can this affiliation open?
- Which actions does this affiliation prohibit?
- When the party succeeds, who takes the credit?
#Session Application — Binding the Party Through Affiliation
- Opening scene: All PCs are summoned to the same room, but each must have a different reason for being there.
- Complication: Affiliation provides help but simultaneously creates reporting obligations and forbidden actions.
- Final question: Does the party follow its affiliation's orders, or does it use the affiliation to pursue its own justice?
#Types of Affiliation
- Official affiliation: Shogunate, domain, temple, shrine.
- Semi-official affiliation: Dojo, merchant house, pleasure quarter, theater, okappiki.
- Unofficial affiliation: Hundred-Tale Society, black market, ronin network.
#Affiliation Is the Campaign Engine
In an Edo campaign, affiliation is not mere background. Affiliation generates contracts, grants movement authority, and determines accountability after an incident. The same swordsman, as a shogunate inspection attendant, holds arrest authority; as a dojo guest, holds a duel pretext; as a Black-Tag Gang guest, has the road to the black market and violence opened before them.
#Key Affiliations
| Affiliation | Compatible Classes | Campaign Entry Point |
|---|---|---|
| Shogunate Secret Exorcist System | Samurai, Shinobi, Onmyoji, Scholar | Investigation of unrecorded incidents |
| Kagura Domain Detachment | Samurai, Esoteric Monk, Pure Land Monk, Shugenja, Artisan | Armed response and sealing-site securing |
| Temple-Shrine Network | Esoteric Monk, Pure Land Monk, Shugenja, Arahitogami | Funerals, sacred grounds, grudge resolution |
| Edo Dojo World | Samurai, Ronin, Scholar, Performer | Duels, disciples, school politics |
| Merchant House & Ferry Logistics Network | Merchant, Artisan, Gaijin, Ronin | Logistics, smuggling, yoma goods |
| Yoshiwara-Theater Rumor Network | Performer, Puppeteer, Merchant, Hanyo | Kaidan circulation and Hundred-Tale Society interface |
| Hundred-Tale Society Contact Network | Hanyo, Performer, Puppeteer, yoma-sympathetic PCs | Negotiation with urban yoma |
| Black-Tag Office | Scholar, Shinobi, Onmyoji, Samurai | Record erasure and whistleblowing |
| Hidden Hannya | Scholar, Artisan, Onmyoji, Hanyo | Forbidden experiments, healing and corruption |
| Black-Tag Gang | Ronin, Merchant, Artisan, Shinobi | Contraband, curses, guest-warrior combat |
Each detailed document contains an [Aptitude] equivalent to co's faction trait, compatible Minion/Veteran squads, and leadership NPC sheets. After selecting a party affiliation, determine whether each PC acquires that organization's faction trait. If acquired, it replaces 1 General Trait or background trait slot.
#Party Composition Examples
#Shogunate Inspection Unit
A samurai or scholar takes the surface contract; a shinobi sweeps the scene; a monk or onmyoji reads the yoma traces. Official authority exists, but moving too conspicuously will expose the incident publicly.
#Dojo Guest Company
Ronin, samurai, performer, and artisan resolve problems involving dojos and schools. Disciple squads, famous blades, revenge licenses, and killing-demon swordmasters are the core material.
#Urban Kaidan Resolvers
Performer, merchant, hanyo, puppeteer, and Pure Land monk follow incidents hidden in rumors. They can deal with the Hundred-Tale Society but are easily suspected by the shogunate.
#Highway Inspection Tour Party
Samurai, shugenja, merchant, wildlander, and esoteric monk resolve incidents along the road. A different domain and a different location appear each time, making this strong for long-term campaigns.
"In Edo, affiliation is a weapon that is seen before the sword."