#Generic Yoma Class

Contents

A yoma PC is not a rule that makes monsters weak. It is the way a monster takes responsibility for its own name and taboo.

#Opening Vignette — The Human Mask

Each morning he fixed his face before the mirror.

He clouded his pupils a little, shortened his teeth, and held down his shadow so it would not move before his feet did. The nails were always last. Nails were easy to make look human, but the moment he grew angry, they were the first to remember his true nature.

A child called from outside the door.

"Mister, you'll show me the road again today, won't you?"

Before answering, he called his own name three times in his mind. The name humans called him, the name he was called by on the mountain, and the name he had told no one.

"Yes."

When he opened the door, his shadow followed half a beat late. Today had gone rather well.

#Scent — A Different Road Than the Hanyo

The hanyo is a being who, caught between two bloods, keeps or loses its Humanity. The generic yoma class begins from the opposite side: a being that is already a yoma learns the words and promises of human society.

The heart of this class, then, is not a powerful monster ability but nature, taboo, gate, and name.

#Law — Basic Information

Role: Irregular combat, yoma negotiation, Core Zone response, leading kaidan scenes.
Core attributes: one of Fate, Presence, or Physique.
Core Zone entry: free.
Master-eligible skills: Perception, Unarmed Combat, Intimidation, Sorcery, Exorcism, Fortune.
Automatic starting skills: Perception Trained, Unarmed Combat Novice, Intimidation Novice, Fortune Novice.

#Nature Selection

Choose one at 1 dan.

Nature	Identity	Recommended attributes
Oni	Violence, drink, battlefield, strength	Physique/Courage
Beast	Claws, scent, night-eyes, territory	Physique/Finesse
Incorporeal	Grudge, name, incorporeality	Presence/Wisdom
Shapeshifter	Mask, deception, mimicking humans	Presence/Fate
Object	Memory, tools, house, storehouse	Wisdom/Physique
Nature	Mountain, river, wind, tree	Wisdom/Fate
Rumor	Kaidan, eyewitness tale, media	Presence/Fate

#Taboo

Set one taboo. Violating it gives -2 on the first check of the next scene. Repeatedly violating the taboo within the same session shakes the human mask, adding -2 on identity-concealment checks.

A taboo is not a decorative flaw. In exchange for the yoma PC gaining strong scenes, it is a device that keeps making them pay a cost in human society. If the taboo does not actually bite, it is better not to allow this class.

#Advancement Data

#1 dan: Named Apparition [aptitude]

Effect:

Automatic success on yoma Perception (within 2 zones).
Free entry into and exit from the Core Zone.
Has one human mask. On a failed Perception Target Number 13, it appears as an ordinary human.
Choose one nature.

Cost:

Set one taboo.
Cohesion -1 the first time it is placed in the same zone as a regular human squad. A squad that has accepted the yoma's identity in advance may be exempt.

#3 dan Class Traits

Trait	Type	Effect
Little Technique	[aptitude]	Convert one Minion- or Veteran-grade yoma technique for PC use and learn it.
Learning Human Speech	[aptitude]	+1 on Negotiation and Bearing checks. +1 on checks to hide one's identity.
Night-Eyes	[aptitude]	+2 on Perception in darkness, the Core Zone, and at the Spirit Realm interface.
Reading by Scent	[aptitude]	Sense yoma, blood, false offerings, and seal traces within the same scene.

#5 dan Class Traits

Trait	Type	Energy	Effect
Revealing the Nature	[Kata]	2	For 1 round, +2 on either an attack or a defense check matching the chosen nature. 1/combat. After ending, identity-concealment check -1.
Little Domain	[stance]	2	While maintained, Domination +1 in one's own zone. In a place matching the taboo, also Perception +1.
Yoma Negotiation	[Kata]	2	Presence opposition against 1 yoma. On success, halt its action for 1 breath or gain one piece of information. 1/round.
Mask Mending	[upkeep]	0	During a Lull Phase, erase one identity-exposure penalty. 1/scene.

#7 dan Advanced Traits

Trait	Type	Energy	Effect
Shard of an Elite-Grade Technique	[aptitude]	-	Convert one Elite-grade yoma technique, weakened, and learn it. Area, forced-relocation, and incorporeal lines are limited to 1/round.
Named Domain	[stance]	3	During combat, declare one place as one's own kaidan domain. In that place, Defense +1, Domination +1. 1/combat.
Inhuman Recovery	[upkeep]	0	During a Lull Phase, recover 1 Wound. However, a feeding or taboo condition must be met.
Scent of the Gate	[aptitude]	-	Sense Spirit Realm gates, the Core Zone, and rumor passages. 1/scene, find one safe detour.

#9 dan Advanced Traits

Trait	Type	Energy	Effect
Shadow of a Great Yoma	[Kata]	5	For 1 round, attack +2, Defense +2, and enemy squads in the same zone Cohesion -1. After ending, Energy 0. 1/combat.
Devourer of Names	[Kata]	3	Presence opposition against 1 target. On success, the target's next check -2 and one's own next check +1. 1/round.
Taboo Reversal	[Kata]	4	Deliberately break one's taboo once. Next check +3. After the scene ends, lose 1 Wound. 1/scene.
Guest of the Hundred Demons	[aptitude]	-	At yoma organizations, the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons, and the Spirit Realm interface, +2 on the first Negotiation check before hostilities.

#Tatsujin: Name of the Hundred Demons [Renown Title]

One's yoma name becomes fixed as a kaidan of a single region. In that region, yoma Negotiation +2 and human-society Negotiation -1. This Renown Title is not a numeric combat bonus but a narrative standing. If one's name is publicly defiled, the human mask automatically shakes in the next scene.

#Balance Review

The yoma class makes strong scenes, but it must not gain broader versatility than a base class. Allow it by the standards below.

Tier	What the yoma class gains	Base-class / Outsider baseline	1.0 ruling
1 dan	Perception, Core Zone entry, human mask	Comparable to the world-access of the hanyo/Exorcism lines	Offset by taboo and squad-Cohesion costs
3 dan	Minion/Veteran technique conversion, Perception/concealment aids	Comparable to a base class's early aptitudes	Needs prohibition lines for damage, area, and immunity
5 dan	A short +2, Little Domain, Yoma Negotiation	At the level of a specialist class's signature scene trait	Limited by 1/combat, maintained stance, and 1/round
7 dan	Shard of an Elite-grade technique, conditional recovery	Comparable to advanced traits but broader	Feeding/taboo/scene limits are mandatory
9 dan	Lord-grade shadow, name plunder	Strong scene-rights just short of a Renown Title	Cost assigned via Energy 0, Wounds loss, and 1/round
Tatsujin	Regional kaidan standing	Renown Title	Narrative authority, not a numeric combat bonus

#Taboo Cost Table

Degree of Violation	Handling
Minor violation	-2 on the first check of the next scene.
Repeat violation in the same session	Add -2 on identity-concealment checks.
Gaining an advantage by exploiting the taboo	After the scene ends, lose 1 Wound or one human relationship worsens.
Repeatedly using a class trait while ignoring the taboo	That trait cannot be used for 1 scene. Recovery requires stabilizing the gate or name again.

#Combinations Not Allowed

Do not stack Inhuman Recovery with an external Wounds-recovery means in the same Lull Phase.
Do not bring zone-wide Defenseless, full incorporeality, or automatic forced relocation through Shard of an Elite-Grade Technique.
The Domination +1 of Little Domain does not stack with another stance-type Domination bonus.
Guest of the Hundred Demons applies only to the first Negotiation before hostilities. It does not apply repeatedly to Intimidation, forced surrender, or bargain checks during combat.

#Operation — Confirm Before Allowing

A yoma PC does not fit every campaign. Confirm the following before allowing one.

Item	Confirmation
Party acceptance	Do the other characters have a reason to travel with a yoma ally?
Fear tone	Does the yoma PC keep from diluting the fear of yoma?
Taboo	Is it concrete enough to operate in actual play?
Gate	Can it be used as both a weakness and a narrative hook?

#Spirit Realm Gates and Factions

For a yoma PC, the gate is a birthplace, a place of return, a weakness, or a refuge. This gate is both a strength and a weakness.

Gate relationship	Effect
Birth	Perception +1 around the gate. If the gate is sealed, the PC becomes unstable.
Return	There is somewhere to retreat in a crisis. In exchange, the PC drifts away from human society.
Weakness	If the gate is damaged, the PC cannot use Wounds recovery.
Escape	The PC has a past of fleeing through the gate. A pursuer follows.

Faction	Reaction
Kagura Domain	Surveillance, registration, wartime mobilization.
Hiei League	Checks for purifiability; seals if dangerous.
Enryokan	Protection and study; treats it as proof of coexistence.
Biu Mountain	Persuasion, claims of kinship, trade in names.
Sakai Guild	The temptation to commodify the ability.

#Closing Words

The yoma PC's question is not "Can I become human?" It is "Can I take responsibility for my own name while walking the human road?"