English edition v1.3.3 · fc-index

#Nihon Kengo Retsuden (日本劍豪列傳)

Contents

Chronicles of the Sword Masters cover

Data Catalog + Reference Only mix. For 12 historical swordmasters, this volume places scenes, history, and night tales (Scent) alongside Lord-tier sheets and school techniques (Law). The sheets and new schools are an internal fc03 data catalog; the narrative is reference and night tales. New schools are adopted by comparing them alongside other schools, and do not replace the base rules on their own.

Series specification: ../co/co-99-meta/co-99-03-fc-spec.md


#Foreword

Swordmaster (劍豪) — those who became the blade of an age.

From Iizasa Ienao, polishing his sword alone in the evening glow of Muromachi, to the young men of the Shinsengumi standing with the setting sun at their backs at the gate of Bakumatsu Kyoto. This volume carries the faces of the Japanese swordmasters who passed through roughly four hundred years of time.

This volume is read in three layers.

  • First layer — Scene: before each swordmaster's chapter comes a short piece of fiction in which he appears. A moment that may or may not have actually happened.
  • Second layer — History: the actual birth and death, school, duels, and writings, precisely.
  • Third layer — Night tale: the legendized story. What the literature and film of later ages created.

And each swordmaster is rendered into data as a Lord (主級)if your PC fought him, how would you win, or if you took him as a master, how would you approach him. These two questions are placed at the end of every chapter.


#Meta Card

ItemValue
Seriesfc (Focus Series) Volume 03
TitleNihon Kengo Retsuden (日本劍豪列傳)
NatureScent + Law in parallel (narrative + Lord-tier sheets)
Volume19 documents · reading time 90 min (main) + reference
Dependencyco required (schools / Lords / classes) / ex2 (12 schools) / co-09-10-mahoujin-reincarnation.md (Demon Reincarnation linkage)
AuthorityData Catalog (statistics / data) / Reference Only (narrative / night tales)
Main Edition Version Requirementco >= 1.2
Current Versionv1.3.1 (fc03-VERSION)

#Production and AI Notice

ItemContent
CreatorShellman
Inquiries and FeedbackX (formerly Twitter) @ds62hg, @trpg_ds62
Generative AI Usage NoticeA substantial portion of this material was produced with the assistance of generative AI (LLM) during the planning, drafting, sentence-editing, and proofreading processes. The GPT Image 2 model was used during the image generation process. Final editing and responsibility for publication lie with the creator. In the event of domestic or international legal changes regarding AI-assisted works, the relevant laws shall apply.
LicenseUnless otherwise noted, distributed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.

#Structure of the Book

#00. Meta

#01. Introduction

#02. Swordmaster Biographies — 12 Figures (chronological)

#SwordmasterEraSchool
02-01Iizasa Ienao (飯篠長威斎)Mid-MuromachiKatori Shinto-ryu
02-02Tsukahara Bokuden (塚原卜傳)Early SengokuKashima Shinto-ryu (new)
02-03Kamiizumi Nobutsuna (上泉信綱)Mid-SengokuShinkage-ryu
02-04Yagyu Muneyoshi (柳生宗厳)Late SengokuYagyu Shinkage-ryu
02-05Ito Ittosai (伊藤一刀斎)Late SengokuIto Itto-ryu
02-06Ono Tadaaki (小野忠明)Early EdoOno-ha Itto-ryu
02-07Miyamoto Musashi (宮本武蔵)Early EdoNiten Ichi-ryu
02-08Sasaki Kojiro (佐々木小次郎)Early EdoGanryu (new)
02-09Togo Shigekata (東郷重位)Early EdoJigen-ryu
02-10Yagyu Munenori (柳生宗矩)Early–Mid EdoYagyu Shinkage-ryu
02-11Chiba Shusaku (千葉周作)BakumatsuHokushin Itto-ryu
02-12The Three of the Shinsengumi (Kondo · Hijikata · Okita)BakumatsuTennen Rishin-ryu

#03. New Schools

#04. Foreign Swordmasters Appendix

#99. Appendices and Closing Words


  • You can read chronologically from the front, or pick out only the swordmasters that interest you.
  • Before session prep, opening just the relevant swordmaster chapter is enough.
  • Read the data sheets during an encounter in session. Read the narrative parts outside of session.
  • For the detailed rules of schools, see the main edition co · ex2. This volume focuses on the figures.

#Relationship with co · ex2 · co-09-10

co-04-05 Arahitogami · co-09-10 Demon Reincarnationfc03 this volume
SubjectPC prestige, heroic-spirit Lordsthe historical-original Lords
Swordmaster depth5 heroic spirits + general arahitogami rules12 detailed biographies
Schools4 core + 12 ex22 new (Kashima · Ganryu) added
Narrative tierwithin a scenariooutside the scenario · generalized

This volume concentrates on the biographies. If you want to play the heroic-spirit scenario, prioritize co-09-10.


#Connections with Other Volumes

VolumeConnection point
coThe standard for schools, Renown Titles, Lords, and the heroic-spirit scenario.
ex2Reference when broadening sword schools, the Tatsujin biographies, and foreign schools.
fc04Reference when handling Yoshitsune, Benkei, and the living-era background of Heian warriors.
fc05Reference when attaching a swordmaster's famed blade, owner relationships, and smith lineages.
ex3Reference when expanding into Edo dojo society, swordplay campaigns, and dojo politics.
fc07Reference when a swordmaster leans toward the demonic path or appears as a villain Lord.
fc08Reference when varying a swordmaster as a yoma-subjugation tale, a master within a ghost story, or a figure bound to yoma.

#One-Line Invitation

"They took up the blade. That blade became their very name."