#Chapter 6 (Part Two) — Extended Classes, the First 6
Contents
Where the basic 6 classes each hold the heart of one of the nine role groups, the extended 12 dig that role sharper or fill the gaps the basic classes only touch shallowly. This section covers the first 6 of the extended set — the shugenja who burns their own body for fuel, the feng shui master who makes the battlefield itself a weapon, the scholar who steers a corps with a single fan, the merchant who buys and sells war with gold, the artisan who builds positions and traps by hand, and the entertainer who keeps allies alive with song.
You may freely choose one of these six, but since each is a strong-concept class, GM approval is recommended. You gain each class's 1st-dan specialty automatically when you make the character, and at 3rd and 5th dan you pick one specialty from a list each to add. The advanced specialties at 7th and 9th dan are summarized here in tables only — see the core rulebook for the full text.
#Shugenja (修驗者) — Austerity Self-Harm Burst
| Number | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1 | Austerity 1 (Wounds -1 → all checks that breath +2) |
| 2 | Austerity 2 (Wounds -2 → checks +4) |
| 3 | Austerity 3 (Wounds -3 → checks +6) |
| ↑ | check bonus that breath |
| ↓ | Wounds spent (no natural recovery at the lull, not possible below Wounds 1) |
| ◆ | technique damage bonus (Wounds) |
| ✶ | [Pierce all] |
Role: Core Zone / grappling (self-sacrifice burst / support) · Key Attributes: Physique / Courage · Core Zone Entry: free
A yamabushi who stands under waterfalls and walks across fire in the mountains. Where other classes use breath (Energy) as their resource, you use flesh (Wounds). You offer your own flesh as a sacrifice to make a one-breath explosion, and that explosion erases one enemy corps. On the way to 9th dan your body becomes a mass of scars, and each of those scars is one enemy and one awakening.
Key Resource — Austerity (苦行): before executing a technique, declare "Austerity N" to immediately reduce Wounds by N, empowering every technique that breath.
| Austerity N | Wounds Cost | Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Austerity 1 | Wounds -1 | all checks that breath +2 |
| Austerity 2 | Wounds -2 | all checks that breath +4, technique damage +1 Wound |
| Austerity 3 | Wounds -3 | all checks that breath +6, technique damage +2 Wounds, [Pierce all] |
You cannot undergo Austerity below Wounds 1. Wounds reduced by Austerity do not recover naturally at the lull; they return only through the healing/recovery effects of entertainers, Pure Land Monks, and the like.
| Dan | Specialty (pick 1) | Type | Energy | Limit | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st dan | Vow of Fudo Myoo | [aptitude] | — | — | Austerity usable. Free Core Zone entry/exit. While at Austerity 1+, attacks against yoma gain +1. |
| 3rd dan | Fire-Walking (火渡り) | [Kata] | 2 | 1/round | grant "Holy Fire" to your zone. 1 Wound to yoma each lull, harmless to humans. Requires Austerity 1. |
| Austerity Chain | [aptitude] | — | — | when you cut Wounds by Austerity, gain Energy +2 that breath. | |
| Breath of the Mountain | [upkeep] | — | 1/lull | at the lull, recover 1 of the Wounds spent on Austerity. | |
| 5th dan | Immovable (不退轉) | [stance] | 2 | maintain | while maintained, convert a Wounds loss on being hit into Austerity instead — the next breath's Austerity bonus applies automatically. |
| End of Ascesis | [aptitude] | — | — | while at Wounds 2 or less, all techniques cost Energy -1 (minimum 1). | |
| Barrier Walk | [Kata] | 3 | 1/round | automatically place a Barrier along your movement path. 1 Wound when yoma enter. Requires Austerity 1. |
Advanced specialties (pick 1 at 7th·9th dan): 7th dan — Human Offering ([Kata] Energy 1, 1/combat: after declaring Austerity 3, all remaining attacks this round become automatic Critical Hits) / Power of the Yamabushi ([aptitude]: Austerity bonus ×2, but a one-breath limit of 3 on the round after Austerity) / Goma ([Kata] Energy 4, 1/combat: requires Austerity 2, all enemies in the target zone take 3 Wounds + Holy Fire). 9th dan — Sokushinbutsu ([Kata] Energy 0, 1/session: set Wounds to 0, all remaining checks this round automatically succeed · all attacks 3 Wounds · [Pierce all], incapacitated at round end) / Return Alive ([aptitude]: Wounds reduced by Austerity recover fully at the lull) / Living Mountain ([aptitude]: maximum Wounds +3).
- Recommended Weapons: vajra (2 Wounds to yoma, Exorcism checks), tanto, tetsubo (Austerity bonus + crush synergy). They train their own body over their weapons.
- Recommended Schools: Shugendo-ryu (combined with Austerity, natural calling), Takenouchi-ryu (Unarmed Combat), Shingon-ryu.
- Recommended Factions: Muhyeon Band, Hiei League, Ikko-ikki. · Three Ways and Six Hearts: Compassion or Truth (seeing truth through pain). · Recommended Companion: a healer (entertainer, Pure Land Monk) — since Wounds spending accumulates.
Source: co-04-07-07 §Austerity · Techniques · Three Ways and Six Hearts
#Feng Shui Master (風水師) — Ley-Line Manipulator
Role: control / terrain (zone transformation, Domination manipulation, Barriers) · Key Attribute: Wisdom · Core Zone Entry: Forced Breakthrough
One who reads the battlefield like a go board. They see and steer the flow of mountain ranges and the points where qi gathers. You do not cut the enemy directly — you neutralize a great host by lowering Domination limits, sever routes with barricades, and bless allies by activating spirit veins. But when you draw on the energy of one place, another weakens. A master-grade feng shui master carries the debt of every plot of land they touched.
| Dan | Specialty (pick 1) | Type | Energy | Limit | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st dan | Twist Earth Veins | [Kata] | 2 | 1/round | limit 1 target zone's maximum Domination cap to -3 (that round). The excess dissipates immediately. Reaches adjacent zones. |
| 3rd dan | Airflow Control | [Kata] | 2 | 1/round | ranged-technique to-hit in the target zone +2 or -2 (choose). |
| Ley Sensing | [aptitude] | — | — | grasp the exact Domination numbers of every zone on the battlefield. Auto-detect spirit veins / corruption. | |
| Weak Ground Designation | [Kata] | 2 | 1/round | all units in the target zone (friend or foe) Defense -1 (1 round). | |
| 5th dan | Barricade | [Kata] | 3 | N/combat (Wisdom modifier) | wall between two zones: movement costs an additional 2 Energy (maintain 3 rounds). |
| Ground Subsidence | [Kata] | 3 | 1/round | target zone: movement +1 Energy, all Domination bonuses nullified (2 rounds). | |
| Dragon-Vein Activation | [Kata] | 2 | 1/combat/zone | make the target zone a "dragon vein": allied attack techniques +2, Wounds +1 recovered at the lull. |
Advanced specialties (pick 1 at 7th·9th dan): 7th dan — Zone Creation ([Kata] Energy 4, 1/combat: add 1 new zone) / Earth Sealing ([Kata] Energy 4, 1/combat: seal the target zone, no unit entry or exit for 2 rounds) / Vein Rampage ([Kata] Energy 3, 1/combat: 1 Wound to all units in the target zone, Domination reset to 0). 9th dan — Feng Shui Barrier Array ([aptitude]: permanently transform 2 zones at combat start) / Wrath of the Earth ([Kata] Energy 5, 1/combat: across the whole battlefield, pole-arm Energy +2 · movement Energy +1, 2 rounds) / Utopia ([Kata] Energy 5, 1/combat: make 1 zone a sanctuary — allied Wound recovery +2 · Defense +3 · automatic 1 Wound when enemies enter).
- Recommended Weapons: su-yari (doubles for defense), rokushakubo (suppression), tanto (self-defense). Zone manipulation over direct combat is the true trade.
- Recommended Schools: Abe-ryu (combined with sorcery), Muryu (self-taught). There is no dedicated feng shui school.
- Recommended Factions: Kagura Domain, Enryokan, Biu Mountain. · Three Ways and Six Hearts: Truth or Compassion (following the order of nature). · Recommended Companion: a frontline holder (samurai, ronin) — since solo firepower is weak.
Source: co-04-07-08 §Techniques · Three Ways and Six Hearts
#Scholar (學者) — Tactical Staff Officer (Energy Transfer)
Role: support / recovery (Energy support, squad-command specialization, tactical control) · Key Attribute: Wisdom · Core Zone Entry: Forced Breakthrough
One who can be the most dangerous presence on the battlefield without raising a blade. You divide your own breath (Energy) among your comrades — wave a fan and a samurai's blade is quickened once more; a single word, and an ashigaru squad thrusts its spears at the exact moment. From the rear or a high watchtower, you steer an army of 5 myriads with one finger. In exchange your Defense is low and your Wounds few, so never enter the Core Zone.
| Dan | Specialty (pick 1) | Type | Energy | Limit | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st dan | Divine Calculation and Ghostly Strategy | [aptitude] | — | — | ① Energy Transfer: spend 2 Energy → grant 2 Energy immediately to 1 lord/elite target (1:1, total unchanged). ② always guarantee a minimum of 1 Energy for squad orders. Any Rear-Zone discount follows only the canonical paid Rear-Zone task rule. |
| 3rd dan | Tactical Direction | [Kata] | 1 | 1/round | +3 to 1 ally's next attack technique. |
| See Through Void and Substance | [aptitude] | — | — | always know the remaining Energy and reservation state of enemy elites/lords. | |
| Formation Method | [Kata] | 2 | 1/round | 1 allied squad's Domination contribution x2 (that round). | |
| 5th dan | Overall Command | [Kata] | 1 | 1/round | simultaneous order to all allied squads (advance/retreat, 1 kind). 1 Energy regardless of squad count. |
| Weak-Point Analysis | [Kata] | 2 | 1/combat | 1 enemy Defense -2 (until combat ends). | |
| Energy Distribution | [aptitude] | — | — | Divine Calculation and Ghostly Strategy transfer cost 2 → 1 Energy (spend 1 → transfer 1). |
Energy Transfer is possible only to allies with their own Energy (not to units with 0 base Energy such as shikigami, puppets, and squads). The 1:1 conservation of the total cannot be broken by any specialty, school, masterwork, or Relic.
Advanced specialties (pick 1 at 7th·9th dan): 7th dan — Zhuge Kongming ([aptitude]: freely decide count order at combat start) / Ambush from Ten Sides ([Kata] Energy 2, 1 time at combat start: deploy 2 allied units concealed, treated as an ambush) / Brain of the Battlefield ([aptitude]: a dedicated extra 2 Energy at each round's start, no carryover). 9th dan — Genius Strategist ([aptitude]: up to 2 squad orders per round at 0 Energy, one transfer can split across 2 targets) / Unorthodox-Orthodox Stratagem ([Kata] Energy 0, 1/combat: skip the next breath of 1 elite-or-lower enemy, against lord-grade or higher apply on a 2d10 + Wisdom + Scheming ≥ 15 success · even on failure the next-breath limit is -2) / Formation of Invincibility ([upkeep] 1/lull: next round's maximum Energy +2 · all squads' Cohesion +1).
- Recommended Weapons: a self-defense tanto and hankyu, a fan (symbol). Avoiding combat is the rule.
- Recommended Schools: none. A school of military texts over a martial school. Muryu (self-taught) is recommended.
- Recommended Factions: Kagura Domain, Ikko-ikki, Sakai Guild. · Three Ways and Six Hearts: Loyalty or Truth (the self-righteousness of "I know best" risks a Loyalty → Hegemony turn). · Recommended Companion: every Front Zone comrade — since you have no combat power of your own.
Source: co-04-07-09 §Divine Calculation and Ghostly Strategy · Techniques · Principle 2
#Merchant (商人) — Master of Gold
Role: social / economic (economic control, bribery, supply, disruption, information) · Key Attributes: Presence / Wisdom · Core Zone Entry: Forced Breakthrough
You put up weapons, hire mercenaries, and collapse the enemy's interior with gold. While a samurai kills a thousand with a blade, you make a thousand leave with a single gold coin. You do not stand in the Front Zone; you fight with gold from the rear or from outside the battlefield. But the moment a bribed enemy squad cuts down its old comrades, you cannot forget that it is a scene you made.
Key Resource — Gold (金貨): a base of 5 gold per combat (common to all PCs). Background (merchant's scion) +3, 7th-dan Great Caravan +2 per lull, 9th-dan Plutocrat +5 per lull. The per-combat gold cap is 20 (the merchant makes their edge through turnover, not by raising the cap). Gold 1 ≈ a tactical effect worth 2~3 Energy.
| Dan | Specialty (pick 1) | Type | Energy | Gold | Limit | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st dan | Golden Leverage | [Kata] | 2 | 1 | — | target zone's enemy Domination immediately -2. Reaches adjacent zones. |
| 3rd dan | Hire Mercenaries | [Kata] | 0 | 2 | 1/combat | summon 1 Minion squad (3 people) immediately, deploy in the allied Rear Zone, Cohesion 2. |
| Bribe | [Kata] | 2 | 1 | 1/round | negate the next-breath action of 1 enemy Minion squad. | |
| Caravan Resupply | [upkeep] | — | 1 | 1/lull | repair all allies' broken weapons + fully reload all teppo. | |
| 5th dan | War Economy | [aptitude] | — | — | — | gain Gold 1 when an enemy Minion is defeated. |
| Market Domination | [Kata] | 2 | 3 | 1/combat | nullify the enemy's lull recovery effects (1 round). | |
| Shield of Gold | [aptitude] | — | 1(spent) | 1/round | per 1 hit, spend Gold 1 → Wounds loss -1 (minimum 1 Wound). Additional spending on the same hit has no effect. |
Advanced specialties (pick 1 at 7th·9th dan): 7th dan — Great Caravan ([aptitude]: gain Gold 2 automatically per lull, cap stays at 20) / Bribed Defection ([Kata] Energy 3 · Gold 4, 1/combat: turn 1 enemy Minion squad allied) / Battlefield Merchant ([Kata] Energy 2, 1/round: provide an ally with immediate equipment exchange). 9th dan — Plutocrat ([aptitude]: gain Gold 5 automatically each lull, cap stays at 20) / War Bonds ([Kata] Energy 0 · Gold 5, 1/combat: all allies Energy +3 that round) / Merchant of the Realm ([Kata] Energy 3 · Gold 0, 1/combat: make 1 enemy squad defect or make 1 enemy lord leave until combat ends. When both sides have full attributes, resolve 2d10 + Presence + Bribery vs 2d10 + Wisdom + Bearing; the defender wins ties. Use TN 13 only for an attribute-less squad. No effect on negotiation-immune targets).
- Recommended Weapons: kaiken (concealed dagger), tanto (self-defense), hankyu, an escort squad. Negotiation over combat is the true trade.
- Recommended Schools: none. A school of dealing over a martial school (such as Sakai-ryu accounting).
- Recommended Factions: Sakai Guild, Kunitomo Guild, Kagura Domain. · Three Ways and Six Hearts: No Heart or Hegemony (can turn toward either Compassion or Hegemony). · Recommended Companion: an artisan — supply synergy.
Source: co-04-07-10 §Gold · Techniques · Three Ways and Six Hearts
#Artisan (工人) — Builder of Walls and Traps
Role: control / terrain (barricade construction, traps, equipment / autonomous-automaton repair, karakuri crafting) · Key Attributes: Physique / Wisdom · Core Zone Entry: Forced Breakthrough
One who brought the smithy's hammer to the battlefield. You improvise repairs on a collapsed wall, raise barricades along the enemy's advance route, and sharpen an ally's broken blade. Making karakuri (mechanical dolls) is your domain alone, and your synergy with autonomous automatons is the strongest. Each time you make a new weapon, the face of the person who will die by it rises before you — how far to build is your conflict.
| Dan | Specialty (pick 1) | Type | Energy | Limit | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st dan | Karakuri Fieldworks | [Kata] | 3 | 1/round | install a barricade (starting and maximum Durability 3) between two adjacent zones. Movement on that route costs an additional 2 Energy. Destroyed if the enemy attacks it with 3 techniques. |
| 3rd dan | Quick Repair | [Kata] | 1 | — | repair an ally's broken weapon or barricade Durability +1 up to its maximum or autonomous automaton recovers 1 Wound. |
| Set Trap | [Kata] | 2 | 1/round | install a trap in a zone. 1 Wound + movement stops when enemies enter. 1 use. | |
| Reinforcement Work | [Kata] | 2 | 1/combat/zone | allies in 1 zone gain Defense +1 (permanent for that combat). | |
| 5th dan | Karakuri Doll | [Kata] | 3 | 1 body/combat | deploy 1 mechanical doll. Veteran-grade, Wounds 2, Defense 14, autonomous attack (1/round · 0 Energy · 2d10 ≥ Defense). Individual unit (not subject to squad orders or Cohesion). Poison/fear immunity. |
| Double Barricade | [aptitude] | — | — | grant the barricade Defense 12, destroyed on 3 hits landed. Durability stays at 3. | |
| Field Forge | [upkeep] | — | 1/lull | at the lull, temporarily enhance 1 ally's weapon to "masterwork" (attacks +2 until the next combat) or autonomous automaton recovers 2 Wounds. |
Advanced specialties (pick 1 at 7th·9th dan): 7th dan — Build Fortification ([Kata] Energy 5, 1/combat: fortify the zone, allied Defense +3 · enemy movement +3 Energy · barricade auto-installed) / Fire Attack ([Kata] Energy 3, 1/round: ignite an existing barricade, 2 Wounds when crossing, disappears after 2 rounds) / Secret Passage ([Kata] Energy 2, 1/combat: a secret route only allies use, movement 1 Energy). 9th dan — War Machine ([Kata] Energy 5, 1 body/combat: a large karakuri, Elite-grade — Wounds 4 · Defense 15 · Energy 8, fixed shooting 2 Energy/2 Wounds, poison/fear immunity) / Iron Fortress ([aptitude]: enemy Breakthrough target number +4 in the artisan's zone; allied barricades touching it have maximum Durability at least 6, and newly installed barricades start at current/maximum 6; existing current Durability is not healed) / Master Artisan ([upkeep]: permanently enhance all allies' weapons at combat start, all attacks +1 · additional 1 Wound on a Critical Hit).
- Recommended Weapons: su-yari (doubles for defense), tetsubo (Defense breaking), rokushakubo, hammer, karakuri (your own work).
- Recommended Schools: none. A craftsman's school over a martial school (Kakuji-ryu forging, Kunitomo-ryu karakuri).
- Recommended Factions: Kunitomo Guild, Sakai Guild, Kagura Domain. · Three Ways and Six Hearts: Truth or Compassion (the maker's responsibility). · Recommended Companion: an autonomous automaton — tanking and repair synergy.
Source: co-04-07-11 §Techniques · Autonomous-Automaton Synergy · Three Ways and Six Hearts
#Entertainer (藝人) — Requiem Buffer
Role: support / recovery (recovery, buffs, morale management, narrative catalyst, requiem) · Key Attributes: Presence / Fate · Core Zone Entry: Forced Breakthrough
You do not carry a blade; you pluck the biwa, sing, and wipe the wounds of the injured. While other classes kill the enemy, you keep allies from dying. When your song rings out on a collapsing Front Zone, trembling hands grip the spear again, and when your hand wraps the wound of a fallen warrior, they return from the threshold of death. You have no combat power — with low Defense and low Wounds, the Rear Zone is your basic place. But without an entertainer, the battlefield is nothing but despair.
| Dan | Specialty (pick 1) | Type | Energy | Limit | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st dan | Battlefield Flower | [upkeep] | — (lull only) | 1/lull | 1 ally recovers 1 Wound or 1 squad recovers 1 Cohesion. No Energy cost. |
| 3rd dan | War Song (軍歌) | [Kata] | 2 | 1/round | all allies in the same zone + adjacent zones: next attack technique +1. |
| Emergency Treatment | [Kata] | 2 | 1/round | 1 ally in the same zone recovers 1 Wound. (One of the only recovery methods in combat.) | |
| Miko Dance | [aptitude] | — | — | increase the target count of "Battlefield Flower" in the lull to 2. | |
| 5th dan | Requiem (鎭魂歌) | [Kata] | 2 | 1/round | yoma only. All yoma in adjacent zones, attack techniques -2 (1 round). |
| Song of Energy | [Kata] | 3 | 1/round | ally recovers 3 Energy immediately (cannot exceed the maximum). Count rises. | |
| Natural Presence | [aptitude] | — | — | the Presence aura effect extends to adjacent zones. |
Advanced specialties (pick 1 at 7th·9th dan): 7th dan — Battlefield Diva ([aptitude]: "Battlefield Flower" recovery amount 2 · 2 targets in the lull) / Song of the Undying ([Kata] Energy 3, 1/combat: when 1 ally would next become incapacitated, they survive at Wounds 1 instead) / Yoma Fascination ([Kata] Energy 3, 1/round: against 1 elite yoma, 2d10 + Presence ≥ target Defense, on success cannot act for 1 round). 9th dan — Grand Performance ([Kata] Energy 5, 1/combat: all allies recover 2 Wounds + recover all Cohesion + Energy +3) / Song of the Soul ([Kata] Energy 5, 1/combat: revive 1 incapacitated ally immediately, at half Wounds) / First Under Heaven ([aptitude]: treated as Presence +3, Domination aura applies to the whole battlefield).
- Recommended Weapons: a self-defense kaiken, hankyu (Rear Zone shooting), biwa / drum / flute (symbols). A non-combat specialist.
- Recommended Schools: none. An artistic school rather than a martial one (Biwa-Hoshi-ryu, Shirabyoshi-ryu).
- Recommended Factions: Sakai Guild, Kagura Domain, Muhyeon Band. · Three Ways and Six Hearts: Compassion or Truth (the conflict is the Void-ward despair of "does this song have meaning?"). · Recommended Companion: every member of a squad-running party — keeper of Cohesion and Wounds.
Source: co-04-07-12 §Techniques · Three Ways and Six Hearts
#Summary
| Class | Role | Key Attributes | Core Zone Entry | One line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| shugenja | Core Zone / grappling | Physique / Courage | free | burns Wounds (flesh) to make an explosion — a healer partner is a must |
| feng shui master | control / terrain | Wisdom | Forced Breakthrough | changes the battlefield's zones themselves rather than cutting the enemy |
| scholar | support / recovery | Wisdom | Forced Breakthrough | transfers Energy to comrades (1:1) and commands squads at 2× |
| merchant | social / economic | Presence / Wisdom | Forced Breakthrough | buys and sells enemy and ally with gold (cap 20) |
| artisan | control / terrain | Physique / Wisdom | Forced Breakthrough | builds barricades, traps, and karakuri by hand |
| entertainer | support / recovery | Presence / Fate | Forced Breakthrough | recovery, buffs, and requiem by song, with no combat power |
Three classes (scholar and entertainer, plus the Pure Land Monk on the support axis) fill the support / recovery role group, feng shui master and artisan take control / terrain, and the merchant takes social / economic on their own. Since these have weak solo firepower (feng shui master, entertainer) or no combat power of their own (scholar), they only pull their weight when built together with a comrade who holds the line. The latter 6 of the extended set (gaijin, savage, half-yoma, living god, autonomous automaton, puppeteer) are covered in the next section.