#Dual Build Patterns and PC Conversion Guide
Contents
Scene Tool. The procedure below is a way to read the
co-04-02 §Dual Buildcontract as examples for NPCs and PC conversion. It does not create new combination rules, new Renown Titles, or new borrowing rights. The §Class and Dual Build sections and §PC Conversion sections of fc11 02-series cards follow this pattern.
#Scent — Two Roads in One Person
One who is a samurai and reads books. One whose mouth speaks both the sutras of a Pure Land monk and the songs of an entertainer. One who runs like wind and vanishes like shadow.
A dual build is not "double the numbers." The primary class advances normally to Dan 10; the secondary class contributes only selected options. Their border creates a synergy neither road has alone. So when making a dual-build character, the question is not "how strong are they," but "why does this person walk two roads?"
This document shows the normal choice order that answers that question. And because that order is visible, fc11's dual build NPCs can be read directly as PC build examples.
#Law 1 — Dual Build Rule Summary (Canon Reference)
The original text is co-04-02. Here, only the 5 core clauses are compressed and reposted — this document does not set new values or expand the borrowing range.
- Timing — at Dan 3, 5, 7, or 9, record "Secondary Class: ○○" and the declaration Dan. Dan 1 and 2 are impossible. It cannot be changed afterward.
- Dan — the character has one Dan: the primary class's Dan. Do not allocate or accumulate secondary-class Dan.
- Prerequisite — must satisfy the secondary class's prerequisite attributes and skills (
co-04-02secondary class prerequisite table). - Borrowing Range — at the declaration Dan and each later odd Dan, exchange at most 1 newly gained general talent slot for a secondary-class Dan 1, 3, or 5 talent no higher than the current Dan. No retroactive exchange or Dan 7+ borrowing. A Dan 1 automatic talent is not free; it must be borrowed this way.
- Renown Title — a Dan 10 combination title is a class-capstone branch, not an additional Renown Title. The character still has exactly 1 Renown Title: choose 1 from class capstone, background capstone, or Skill Saint.
Adaptation ↔ dual build is exclusive. The 3 outsider classes (modern person, heroic spirit, celestial) use Adaptation, so they cannot make dual builds (
co-04-02 §Adaptation). A "gaijin" is not an outsider, so a gaijin can make a dual build — do not confuse them. An autonomous automaton cannot be a PC secondary class.
#Law 2 — Representative Combination Catalog
The 12 combinations below are official combination-title examples from co-04-02. The primary class → secondary class direction matters (example: Fuma is primary=ronin / secondary=shinobi); reversing it does not grant the same title. Combinations outside the table follow the canon's GM-consultation clause. fc11 chooses examples suited to each dan and implements them as actual NPCs.
| Primary Class | Secondary Class | Example Combination Title (Dan 10) | This Combination's Strength — Why These Two Roads? | Core of the Choice Order to Show |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| samurai | scholar | Confucian General (儒將) | blade and book as one — a Front Zone warrior commands squads | Courage as axis with Wisdom reinforcement, timing of military studies, checking posture becoming squad-level |
| samurai | esoteric monk | Nio (仁王) | a Buddhist guardian took up the sword — anti-yoma Front Zone | shared Courage/Physique, timing of Exorcism Novice, Core Zone entry only when primary=esoteric monk |
| ronin | shinobi | Fuma (風魔) | wind and shadow as one — two roads of mobility and assassination | shared Finesse axis, meeting Ninjutsu Novice, ambush synergy |
| esoteric monk | arahitogami | Dharma Body (法身) | living kami-buddha — exorcism inside sacred ground | Physique axis with Presence/Wisdom faith, faith-related background premise |
| onmyoji | scholar | Astronomical Officer (天文官) | one who reads the heavens — Rear Zone spellcasting + tactical staff officer | efficiency and trap of sharing Wisdom as the single core attribute |
| Pure Land monk | entertainer | Dharma Music (法樂) | Amida's song — fusion of recovery and Cohesion support | shared Presence axis, resource split between sutra and song |
| gaijin | artisan | Gunsmith (銃匠) | they make both gun and bullet directly — self-sufficient matchlocks | Finesse/Courage plus Physique/Wisdom crafting, Disable acquisition, matchlock reloading |
| merchant | shinobi | Black Merchant (黑商) | the underworld of money and information — bribery + espionage | Presence axis with Finesse infiltration, split between negotiation and ninjutsu |
| scholar | feng shui master | Geomantic Strategist (地略家) | one who makes the battlefield — terrain-control staff officer | shared single Wisdom, linking Barriers and military studies |
| wildlander | hanyo | Great Kamuy (大神威) | human who became kamuy — transformation grappling | Physique/Courage plus Fate bloodline, yoma-bloodline background premise |
| arahitogami | onmyoji | Divine Power (神通) | divine buff + shikigami operation link | Presence/Wisdom faith premise, faith and shikigami as one economy |
| feng shui master | esoteric monk | Ley-Line Master (靈脈師) | ley-line manipulation + Barrier link | Wisdom/Physique, link between Barrier and exorcism (Holy Fire) |
Combinations outside the table are allowed. For a combination such as
arahitogami+entertainer, use the consultation-design clause in the "GM Note" ofco-04-02. The principle is "weaker than the ultimate ability of either class, but with a unique synergy neither has." When an fc11 card uses an out-of-table combination, state in §Source that it is a "GM-consulted Renown Title."
#Law 3 — Combination Type Classification (A Frame for Reading Choice Order)
Representative combinations are divided into 3 types by choice motive. This classification is a convenience classification not found in the canon (not a new rule). It is an entryway for a PC reader to find their build by asking "which type is my concept?" Role-group notation quotes the role groups of the co-04-07-00 Class Index as written.
#Same Role-Group Deepening Type
Shares the same role group and attribute axis (example: ronin + shinobi — both mobility and assassination, Finesse axis). The prerequisites are easy to meet, but there is a risk that the non-combat range narrows → this type of card must include non-combat use (at least one of information, infiltration, or negotiation).
#Adjacent Attribute Reinforcement Type
Shares a single core attribute (example: onmyoji + scholar — both on the Wisdom axis). It shows both the efficiency of investing in one attribute and that efficiency's trap → this type of card must include one line of weakness (what collapses if Wisdom is neutralized).
#Resource Linkage Type
The resources of the two classes reinforce each other (example: arahitogami + onmyoji, Pure Land monk + entertainer — mutual reinforcement of faith and Cohesion resources). The card shows how two resources are tied into one economy — burning faith to keep shikigami alive, and sutras supporting the Cohesion of song.
#Law 4 — PC Conversion Procedure (NPC Card → PC Build Guide)
The §PC Conversion section of an fc11 02-series card follows the 4 steps below. This is the order followed by a reader who wants to use the NPC card directly as a PC.
- Rewind to Dan 1 creation. Reverse-calculate the card's finished sheet into the
co-04-007-step Dan 1 state (class, attribute allocation, background, starting skills, Dan 1 talents, equipment). For a dual build person, detach the secondary class and start from primary-class Dan 1. - Mark the dual build declaration timing. Write in one line at which dan (among Dan 3, 5, 7, and 9) the card declared the secondary class, which general talent slot at that dan was replaced with a secondary-class talent, and when the prerequisite attributes and skills were met.
- Branch into PC choices. Present three branches — use this card as written / change the secondary class to another / give up the dual build and use a single class. If a single class is chosen, write 1 or 2 general talent candidates for filling the empty slot.
- Preview the Dan 10 Renown Title. If the character chooses the class-capstone branch at Dan 10, write the available combination title only as a title (no numericalization) and note that the character must choose 1 among it, a background capstone, and Skill Saint.
Why does a Dan 5 card have a Dan 3 talent? Because of the lower-dan talent borrowing rule in
co-04-02— an advancement slot can choose a lower-dan talent from the same class. The conversion procedure cites this so the PC reader can rebuild the card's talent composition from Dan 1.
#Law 5 — Common Errors
These are items that dual build cards often violate. They correspond 1:1 with NPC Creation and Dan Advancement Check Procedure §Law 3.
Errors to avoid are recording a separate secondary-class Dan, borrowing 2 secondary talents at one Dan, retroactively exchanging an earlier slot, borrowing secondary-class Dan 7+ advanced talents, granting a Dan 1 automatic talent for free, creating a resource, shikigami, puppet, or sacred ground without its prerequisite talent, declaring a Dan 1 or 2 dual build, reversing the primary/secondary direction for a listed title, marking ranged shooting as "firearms skill" (→ Archery), turning a Renown Title into a "+N" number, and giving the build 0 non-combat uses.
If even one item is checked, look again at
NPC Creation and Dan Advancement Check Procedure§Law 3 (Dual Build). The primary class still reaches Dan 10, but secondary-class options cost slots and remain capped. Recheck any card where that cost is not visible.
#Scent — One Sentence
"One who walks two roads reaches the end of neither — but the one point where the two roads meet belongs only to that person."