陰陽道 Onmyodo:
A Game of Ancient Magic in Modern Tokyo
Cheat Sheet Taking Action Always start with what you want to do, and then try to explain it in rules. Going the other way is boring and lame. Generally, if it’s not dramatic or interesting, you don’t need to roll. Roll the dice and add your skill ranks. You can either roll four fate dice (4dF) or 1d6-1d6. Every point over your target number is called a shift. When you fail, you can choose to either fail or succeed with a major consequence. When you tie with the target number, you succeed at a minor cost. When you exceed the target number, you succeed at no cost. When you succeed by 3 or more (3 shifts), you get a boost. A boost is an aspect with one free invoke that disappears after you use it. To work as a team, choose one character to make the main roll, and add +1 for each character with one or more ranks in the skill who is helping. Alternatively, each other character could roll to create an aspect to help and give +2. Aspects When you want to do better at something, choose an aspect on your sheet, on the scene, or on the game as a whole that seems relevant. Describe your action according to that aspect. Spend a Fate Point to gain a +2 on your roll or reroll the dice (not both). This is called invoking. Aspects are also the fuel for gaining more Fate Points. Whenever an aspect hurts you, you gain one Fate Point. This is called a compel. You can make a new aspect by using a skill. If you succeed, you create (or discover) an
aspect and gain one free invoke. Succeed by 3 or more, and you get 2 invokes. You can give these free invokes to other players. Free invokes stack with paid invokes and with one another. Conflicts Perception determines turn order. Only roll if you have the same number as another character in the scene. There is no grid, but play is divided up into zones, each of which has one or more aspects. Moving between zones takes an action, and may require a roll if there is an obstacle in the way. You can choose to do nothing proactive for a round and gain a +2 on defensive rolls. When you fail at a defense action, you must take stress equal to the number of shifts the attacker scored. Check off a stress box of the appropriate type (physical, mental, spiritual). A stress box absorbs up to the amount written, but they cannot be divided up. When you run out of stress boxes, you are taken out. If you concede the conflict, you can choose how your character fails, but if you are taken out, your opponent chooses. To avoid being taken out, you can choose to take a consequence. Mild consequences soak up 2 stress, moderate 4, and severe 6. In order to heal those consequences, you or someone else must succeed at an appropriate skill roll (difficulty 2/4/6). You can then rename the consequence to something less harsh (i.e. Broken Leg On Crutches), but you must wait to erase it. Mild takes one scene, moderate one session, and severe one storyline.
Magic Magic can be used for any of the major actions in the game: attack, defend, create an advantage, overcome, even recovery. Most of the time, everyone at the table will agree on roughly how powerful the effect you want is and will agree on a target number. When we don’t agree, refer to this table. Abjurations protect something within an arcanum’s domain. Alterations change the essence of a target. Commands involve pressing an existing being or phenomenon to do your will. Creations summon things that are not present, either by creating them or calling to them from afar. Destructions
Complexity is a subjective matter. Creating a solid block of iron would be fairly simple. Creating an iPad would be complex. Changing a spirit of hunger to a spirit of thirst would be simple. Changing a spirit of hunger to a spirit of rock and roll would be complex. Warding a room against all human beings would be simple. Warding a room against human beings from Kagoshima named Tetsuya would be complex. And so on.
Complexity
Duration
cat
Connection (*with stunt only) touch (same zone)
simple
scene
1 target
human
sight (nearby zone)
moderate
session
alteration
room full
car
personal item*
complex
story
abjuration
building full
house
town full
airplane
intimate knowledge* second-hand knowledge*
whole world
building
Practice
Targets
Size
+0
divination
Self
+1
command
+2 +3
+4 destruction +5
remove obstacles. Divinations provide sensory perceptions or knowledge about something under an arcanum’s domain.
creation
Paradox occurs whenever an unenlightened person witnesses magic. The onmyōji attempts to overwrite someone else’s vision of reality, and so a conflict occurs. Paradox can be avoided by making magic look like a coincidence—instead of lightning from the hands, a circuit breaker erupts in sparks, for example. A paradox functions as an attack on the onmyōji’s soul. The onmyōji rolls Mysticism as a Defense against a paradox attack, determined by the number of witnesses:
permanent
Paradox Rolls 1 witness
2
A room full of witnesses
4
Several rooms full of witnesses
6
A building full of witnesses
8
A whole town or more
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氏名 （漢字） (Name)
氏
名
Family Name
Given Name(s)
技術 写 真
職業 Occupation
生年月日 Date of Birth
身長 Height
体重 Weight
cm
特徴
Day日
男 ① Male
kg
Month月
Year年
女 ② Female
(30mm x 40mm)
Skills
Contacts
○○○○○
Athletics
○○○○○
Academics
○○○○○
Deceive
○○○○○
Burglary
○○○○○
Crafts
○○○○○
Empathy
○○○○○
Drive
○○○○○
Computers
○○○○○
Provoke
○○○○○
Fight
○○○○○
Mysticism
○○○○○
Rapport
○○○○○
Shoot
○○○○○
Perception
○○○○○
Resources
○○○○○
Stealth
○○○○○
Will
○○○○○
Refresh Aspects
☯
卍
十
☯
☯
卍
卍
十
十
○○○○○
○○○○○
○○○○○
○○○○○
○○○○○
○○○○○
Essence
特技
Conflict
Arcana
Stunts Death
魔術
死 ○○○○○ ①
心 ①
Body (Athletics) ②
③
卍
Mind (Will) ②
③
①
③
卍
④ ☯
② 体調
十 ②神経
Soul (Mysticism) ②
十
④ ☯
魂
② 軽 Mild
④ ☯
傷 十
②魂
④ 中 Moderate
⑥ 重 Severe
卍
Consequences
Prime
真髄 ○○○○○
○○○○○
空 風 火 水
Matter
Earth
Life
Fate
体
Void
運命
○○○○○ Mind
心 ○○○○○ Time
時間
質量
○○○○○
Wind
Fire
Water
土
Spirit
神
○○○○○ Forces
力
○○○○○ Space
空間
○○○○○
生物
○○○○○
Game Creation Game Aspects As a group, come up with two phrases, called Aspects, that describe the kind of game you want to play. Think of major issues or challenges that you’d like your character to come up against. Your GM has some ideas for challenges, opponents, and scenarios, but you,, the players, will decide the overall tone of the game. You’ll decide what sort of group you are, how you know each other, and the general context in which you deal with the supernatural ural forces of modern Tokyo. To get the discussion going, here are a few example settings. Feel free to add your own ideas, mix and match and mash together to make the game that’s best for everyone at the table.
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Weird Tales from Akeyami High School You were re a normal student at a normal high school—until school one day you witnessed an event which warped your mind and opened you up to the true nature of reality. Now, along with English, Calculus and Japanese History, you study the ancient ways of compelling spiritss and weaving spells. It’s a struggle juggling a mountain of homework, after-school after activities, and parents’ incessant questions about why you come home covered in bruises at two in the morning—but but it’s kind of fun. fun
Bureau of Yin and Yang Special Task Force For more than a thousand years, mages from the Bureau of Yin and Yang advised the most powerful men in Japan, overseeing the succession of emperors and deciding the movements of vast armies. Officially, the Bureau was disbanded during the Meiji period, amidst idst a wave of Westernizing influences. The Bureau continued on, however, in secret, protecting the Japanese people from mystical threats and ensuring that the public remains ignorant of the true nature of the world. You are a
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special agent of the Bureau of o Yin and Yang, instructed in the ancient ways of magic, and charged with a solemn duty to defend the land of your ancestors from dangers beyond our realm. The Abe Academy for Talented Youngsters Take the Yamanote line to Harajuku, then take the elevator down own from the platform. If you look carefully, you’ll find the button: B14. A tram is there, with no conductors or station attendants, but it always arrives on time. Ride the line out to the last stop, and you’ll find the Abe
Academy for Talented Youngsters, where students with special promise are trained to unlock their hidden potential. The Hidden Council You are part of a very select cabal of mages, the last in a succession of mentors and apprentices stretching back more than fifteen centuries. Your master and his colleagues have overseen Japan’s resurrection from the ashes of World War II, pulling strings in secret and arranging the threads of fate. Their time is now nearing its end. You and your fellow apprentices must step up and assume this awesome responsibility as the true power behind Japan. But a cloud looms over the horizon in the land of the rising sun. While the population declines and corruption eats away at the political establishment, a mystical power threatens to swallow Japan into a thousand years of darkness.
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Wisdom of the Elders It is the year 1514. You and your fellow will-workers of the Imperial Council of Magi have peered through the veil of ages, through generations of descendents, and seen a truly dark and horrifying fate for the city of Edo. Using a secret spell laid out in an ancient Chinese scroll, you transfer your consciousness forward, 500 years into the future, to the year 2014. Taking on a new form in this strange new era, you must prevent the coming apocalypse with magics long forgotten.
Faces and Places Once the table has settled on two game-wide aspects to tie things together, it’s time to think of a few major figures and locations that will make the setting work. As a group, GM and players alike will come up with some important locations and NPCs that help to flesh out those themes. No need for a lot of details, just a name and one or two aspects for now. You can always come back to this.
Your Character Start with the Essence, or High Concept for your character. This should be a short phrase that describes the core idea of your character. If you were making Luke Skywalker, for instance, you might have something like Last of the Jedi.. Then, come up with a Conflict, or Trouble. This his could be an internal or external struggle. Luke Skywalker might have something like On the Run from the Empire. Good aspects are a double-edged edged sword: they make you good at some things and complicate your life in other ways. 4
For the third aspect, think about your character’s first encounter with the mystical world. How did you become enlightened? Did you witness something supernatural? Did you have a mentor? What problems did you face? Write down a short story, just a couple of sentences, on an index card. ca Then pass that card to your left. Now, take the card you just got and add a detail to it. You are a guest star in someone else’s story, so find some way that you solve a problem for them, add complications, or otherwise make their story more interesting. interestin Talk
to that player about it, make it something fun for both of you. Finally, write down two aspects, one describing your first story, and one describing your guest appearance in the other player’s story. That leaves one aspect left. For this one, you have ave a lot of freedom. You could have some minor magical effect, like Weighs 5 Kilos.. You could have a magical artifact or favorite tool. Maybe you have an important NPC connection, a day job, or a connection to another PC. Have fun, and be creative! If you really can’t think of anything, it’s okay to leave it blank and fill it in later. Now choose your character’s element by circling one of the five elements. Casting asting spells from f that element is always free, but other o elements cost 1 Fate Point each. For skills, lls, your character starts with one skill at +4, two skills at +3, three skills at +2, and four skills at +1. No two players may have the same skill rated +4. 5
Your character begins play with three stunts, which you can design yourself or choose from the Fate Core SRD (fate-srd.com/fate srd.com/fate-core-menu) or from the Magic section of this document. You begin with 5 Refresh, but you can trade 1 refresh for 1 stunt. Your Refresh may never be lower than 3. Refresh gives you free Fate Points at the start of each session, sessi so think carefully about whether the stunt is worth the loss of Fate Points.
The Mystical World Onmyodo: the Way of Yin and Yang Onmyōdō, literally the Way of Shadow and Light) is a set of mystical practices dating back at least fifteen hundred years. Its practices are dividing among five elements—Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, and Void—as well as between Yin (shadow) and Yang (light). Its practitioners once held Japan in the palms of their hands, controlling the comings and goings of nobles, the waging of war, and the succession of Emperors. Yet modern Japanese as a whole do not believe in magic. Modern Japanese are mistaken. 陰陽道 (
A Brief History of the Onmyoji Onmyōdō was introduced to Japan under the rule of Empress Suiko in the year 603, by the Buddhist monk Kwalluk. The first 陰 陽 師 (onmyōji, shaman) were 6
devotees of the Chinese philosophy 五 行 (wŭ xíng, the Five Movements), as well as students of Buddhism and Confucianism. They were diviners, scholars and advisers to the wealthy and powerful, and much feared for their unique skills. Over time, onmyoji developed a complex set of arcane practices based on the five elements, as well as Yin and Yang, darkness and light. They blended in knowledge from Taoism and Shinto, and their influence grew. In the 7th and 8th centuries, their art was governed by an official government bureau, the 陰陽寮 (onmyōryō, Bureau of Yin and Yang). They had an official place in the Imperial bureaucracy and enjoyed high status. Nobles all across Japan sought the wisdom of the onmyōji, and many would refuse even to leave their palace grounds without consulting the divinations first. Onmyōji sometimes refer to this as the Golden Age of Onmyōdō.
During this the Fujiwara Clan rose to dominate the Bureau of Yin and Yang, and gained preeminence over the onmyōji of Japan. They ruled over the Imperial Court in regency, seeing to all of the duties of state as the Emperor lived in secluded luxury. By the year 1000 they gained the right to enthrone and dethrone Emperors. Em Their power was curbed a few decades later by Emperor Go-Sanjō,, as he wrested back control of the Chrysanthemum Throne. Their influence remained immense, however, and for centuries thereafter, ter, until 1924, the principle consorts and marriages of the Imperial family were recruited from the Fujiwara Clan. At the turn of the 11th century, a great onmyōji named 安倍晴明 (abe no seimei)) codified many of the practices of the onmyōji in a book, 占 事 略 決 (senji enji ryakketsu, ryakketsu A Summary of the Judgment of 7
Divinations). He performed many famous miracles during his time, and his acts have passed into legend. He is considered the greatest onmyōji who ever lived. Abe no Seimei’s influence lived on in a new form of Shinto, Sh as well as in a lineage of powerful magi. His descendent, Abe Arinaga, was elevated to head of the Bureau of Yin and Yang in the 16th century, during the Muromachi period. Thereafter, their lineage was known as the Tsuchimikado family. In 1683 Emperor Empero Reigen decreed that the Tsuchimikado family would have hereditary control over the Bureau and over all onmyōdō throughout Japan. They presided over the accession of each new Emperor, transmitting his wishes to heaven. In 1870, the Meiji government took upon pon itself authority over
astrology and calendar making, and onmyōdō was banished along with all other forms of “superstition”. The Bureau was disbanded, the onmyōji went into hiding, and onmyōdō became a secret cult. Following Japan’s defeat in World War II, freedom of belief was instated, and the ban on onmyōdō was lifted. The damage had already been done, however. Japan had become a secular nation, where technological innovation and economical development ruled supreme.
Spirits 神 (kami, spirit) are spirits that exist in all things. Some might say that kami are reflections of this world, and are strengthened by whatever phenomenon they embody. In every candle there exists a small flame kami, and it grows stronger as the candle burns hotter and brighter. Others would say that our world reflects the Spirit Realm of the kami, and their constant struggle for dominance 8
produces all that we perceive. There is some truth in both perspectives. The kami themselves are limited in their ability to influence our world, however. Each kami is representative of a single phenomenon—hunger, a waterfall, lust, beauty—and can only affect that particular facet of our reality. The larger or more powerful the force in our world, the stronger the kami in the spirit world. In game terms, this means that kami generally have just two skills: their domain, and Will. Thus a kami of pride would have the skill Pride, for example, and its ranks would range from 1 to 5, depending on the amount of pride to be found in that location. A skilled onmyoji can cause a spirit to manifest in our world, however, through the use of 式神 (shikigami) and other forms of possession. Most commonly this means binding the spirit to a small, artfully folded, cut-paper manikin, but many other forms are possible. It is entirely possible for a shikigami to possess a living
creature, and if the host is unwilling, this results in a struggle of wills between the host and the spirit. Although kami themselves do not have physical stress tracks, the forms ms they possess do. The reverse, mortal beings entering the Spirit Realm, is a far more dangerous proposition. Most lesser kami lack any kind of consciousness or intelligence, and are only able to perceive phenomena within their domain. More powerful kami are aware of humans, and will react to an Onmyoji standing in their midst.
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Precisely how they will react depends on the kami. A kami of Tradition, for example, may be scandalized by the presence of fleshly creatures in her parlor, while a kami of Innovation Innovati might welcome someone with new ideas or wearing interesting fashions. fashions 鬼 (oni,, demons) are a special subclass of kami. They tend to represent the more vicious and basal tendencies of human nature, such as Violence and Greed. Jealous of the world of humans, human they frequently seek to possess bodies of the weak-willed. weak
Ghosts Ghosts are the spirits of the dead, existing on the border of this world and the next. That border is called the Twilight, or 中 陰 (chuuin, middle shadow). Although A it is not visible to most human beings, some natural creatures—dogs, cats—can can sense the smell of an unearthly presence. Most Japanese are cremated shortly after their death, usually within a week, and family members place their bones in an urn as part of the initial funeral rites. tes. However, there is a second rite to be performed forty-nine forty days after death. During the interim, the soul of the deceased tends to remain with its remains, and ascends to heaven after the second rite is performed. In some cases, however, the ghost clings to this world,, and becomes an 怨霊 (onryō,, vengeful ghost). ghost) If the proper rites have not been performed, or if the ghost has some unfinished business or emotional attachment to this world, they may remain in the 10
Twilight. The longer a ghost remains in thee Twilight, the more it comes to resent the living, and a ghost that stays behind long enough invariably becomes twisted and hateful. Like kami, ghosts by default have two skills: Grudge, and Will. They may also retain some of the skills they had in life. They lack a physical stress track, but can be possess bodies, much like kami.
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Rules Skills The Ladder # +8
Rank Legendary
+7 +6
Epic Fantastic
+5 +4
Superb Great
+3 +2
Good Fair
+1 0
Average Mediocre
-1 -2
Poor Terrible
Among the greatest achievements in history. A once-in-a-lifetime achievement for the average person. An
expert can reliably achieve this under favorable circumstances.
Nearly anyone could do it with just a little help. Most people could do it most of the time.
For most types of actions, it’s enough for everyone at the table to agree and say, “Yeah, you 12
should be able to do that.” When there’s a conflict or a genuine challenge, roll the dice and add the relevant skill. See fate-srd.com for more detail on what each skill does. Dice There are two alternative forms of dice-rolling, and you may choose to use one or both of them. All rolls are essentially the same—skill+dice—so you can choose whichever die rolling method you like best. Fate Dice are six-sided dice with two pluses, two minuses, and two blanks. Pluses add one to the roll, minuses subtract one, and blanks are ignored. Roll four Fate Dice (4dF) and add your skill. This results in fairly uniform results, mostly within one point of your skill ranking, and a (very rare) maximum deviation of four over or under the skill.
The Four Actions Overcome: get past an obstacle (the normal use of skills in most games).
Two pluses, one minus, one blank, for a total of +1.
Alternatively, you can use two six sided dice of two different colors. The darker die represents yin, and is subtracted from the total. The lighter die represents yang, yang and is added to the total. Skill - yin + yang = result. This results in more widely distributed results, up to five over or under the skill rank in rare cases. The average and most common result is still equal to a character’s skill rank. To work as a team,, choose one character to make the main roll, and add +1 for each character with one or more ranks in the skill who is helping. Alternatively, each other character could roll to create an aspect to help and give +2.
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Create an Advantage: Create an aspect and/or invoke for free. Attack: Try to harm another character (physically, socially, mentally, etc). Defend: Mitigate an attack. Overcome Use the overcome action to achieve assorted goals appropriate to your skill. When you fail an overcome action, you have two options. You can simply fail, which means you don’t attain your goal or get what you were after, or you can succeed at a serious cost. When you tie an overcome action, you attain your goal or get what you were after, but at a a minor cost. When you succeed at an overcome action, you attain your goal without any cost.
When you succeed with style (3 over target) at an overcome action, you attain your goal and get a boost, an aspect that you or an ally can invoke once for free. Create an Advantage Use the create an advantage action to make a situation aspect that gives you a benefit, or to claim a benefit from any aspect you have access to. When you fail, you either don’t create the aspect, or you create it but someone else gets the free invoke—whatever you end up doing works to someone else’s advantage instead. When you tie, you get a boost instead of the situation aspect you were going for. When you succeed, you create a situation aspect with a free invocation. When you succeed with style, you get a situation aspect with two free invocations instead of one. 14
Attack Use the attack action to harm someone in a conflict or take them out of a scene. When you fail at an attack, you don’t cause any harm to your target. (It also means that your target succeeded on the defend action, which could get you saddled with other effects.) When you tie an attack, you don’t cause any harm, but you gain a boost. When you succeed on an attack, you inflict a hit on your target equal to the number of shifts you got. That forces the target to try and “buy off” the value of your hit by taking stress or consequences; if that’s not possible, your target gets taken out of the conflict. When you succeed with style on an attack, it works like a normal success, but you also have the option to reduce the value of your hit by one to gain a boost as well.
Defend Use the defend action to avoid an attack or prevent someone from creating an advantage against you. When you fail at a defense, defense you suffer the consequences uences of whatever you were trying to prevent. You might take a hit or have an advantage created on you. When you tie a defense, defense you grant your opponent a boost. When you succeed at a defense,, you successfully avoid the attack or the attempt to gain an advantage on you. When you succeed with style at a defense,, it works like a normal success, but you also gain a boost as you turn the tables momentarily.
Damage Fill in one stress box greater than or equal to the value of an attack, take a consequence, or fill in one stress box and take a Consequence—if if you can’t do one of these three things, you’re Taken Out.. What that means is up to the 15
group, but it generally means that the character is out of play for at least a scene, and perhaps permanently. Consequences Consequences are basically aspects, but with a negative bent. Most characters have three: Mild (2), Moderate (4), and Severe (6). You use consequences to “soak” damage when you run out of stress boxes and don’t want to be taken out. Taking a consequence consequenc
reduces an attack by the number listed and uses up that consequence slot. Recovering from a consequence requires an Overcome action with a relevant skill, difficulty set at the value of the consequence. When you recover, you rename the consequence to something less serious, and then wait. Mild consequences take one whole scene, moderate take a session, and severe take a whole scenario to recover.
Aspects An aspect is a phrase that describes something unique or noteworthy about whatever it’s attached to. They’re the primary way you spend and gain fate points, and they influence the story by providing an opportunity for a character to get a bonus, complicating a character’s life, or adding to another character’s roll or passive opposition.
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Invoking Aspects The main way you’re going to use aspects in a game of Fate is to invoke them. If you’re in a situation where an aspect is beneficial to your character somehow, you can invoke it. In order to invoke an aspect, explain why the aspect is relevant, spend a fate point, and you can choose one of these benefits: Take a +2 on your current skill roll after you’ve rolled the dice. Reroll all your dice. Pass a +2 benefit to another character’s roll, if it’s reasonable that the aspect you’re invoking would be able to help. Add +2 to any source of passive opposition, if it’s reasonable that the aspect you’re invoking could contribute to making things more difficult. You can also use this to create passive opposition at Fair (+2) if there wasn’t going to be any.
Free Invocations When you succeed at creating an advantage, you “stick” a free invocation onto an aspect. If you succeed with style, you get two invocations. Some of the other actions also give you free boosts. You also get to stick a free invocation on any consequences you inflict in a conflict. Free invocations work like normal ones except in two ways: no fate points are exchanged, and you can stack them with a normal invocation for a better bonus. So you can use a free invocation and pay a fate point on the same aspect to get a +4 bonus instead of a +2, two rerolls instead of one, or you can add +4 to another character’s roll or increase passive opposition by +4. Or you could split the benefits, getting a reroll and a +2 bonus. You can also stack multiple free invocations together. After you’ve used your free invocation, if the aspect in question is still around, you can 17
keep invoking it by spending fate points. Compelling Aspects The other way you use aspects in the game is called a compel. If you’re in a situation where having or being around a certain aspect means your character’s life is more dramatic or complicated, someone can compel the aspect. That aspect can be on your character, the scene, location, game, or anywhere else that’s currently in play. We’ll start with character aspects, and then talk about situation aspects in a bit. In order to compel an aspect, explain why the aspect is relevant, and then make an offer as to what the complication is. You can negotiate the terms of the complication a bit, until you reach a reasonable consensus. Whoever is getting compelled then has two options:
Accept the complication and receive a fate point Pay a fate point to prevent the complication from happening Finally, and this is very important: if a player wants to compel another character, it costs a fate point to propose the complication. The GM can always compel for free, and any player can propose a compel on his or her own character for free.
Fate Points GMs and players both have a pool of points calledd fate points they can use to influence the game.
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Players, you start with a certain number of points every scenario, equal to your character’s refresh. You’ll also reset to your refresh rate if you ended a mid-scenario mid session with fewer fate points than your rate. At the beginning of every scene, the he GM gets a budget of one fate point to spend for each character in the scene. When your aspects come into play, you will usually spend or gain a fate point.
Spending Fate Points You spend fate points in any of the following ways: Invoke an Aspect: Invoking an aspect costs you one fate point, unless the invocation is free. Power a Stunt: Some stunts are very potent, and as such, cost a fate point in order to activate. Refuse a Compel: Once a compel is proposed, you can pay a fate point to avoid the complication associated with it. Declare a Story Detail: To add something to the narrative based on one of your aspects, spend a fate point. Earning Fate Points You earn fate points in any of the following ways: Accept a Compel: You get a fate point when you agree to the complication associated with a compel. Have Your Aspects Invoked Against You: If someone pays a fate point to invoke an aspect 19
attached to your character, you gain their fate point at the end of the scene. This includes advantages created on your character, as well as consequences. Concede in a Conflict: You receive one fate point for conceding in a conflict, as well as an additional fate point for each consequence that you’ve received in that conflict. You choose how you fail, so don’t hesitate to use this option if things are going poorly!
Stunts and Refresh Stunts are additional little tweaks that allow your character to use a skill in a different or more powerful way. Feel free to make up your own stunts or choose them from the Fate Core list. They basically come in three flavors: You can use in provided that . Gain a +2 bonus to when doing
you’ll probably do once or twice a session>. Something else interesting. Really powerful stunts might cost a Fate Point in order to balance them. By default, every character starts with three free stunts and a refresh of 3.. Refresh is the number of Fate Points your character has at the start of each session. You can take up to two additional stunts by spending 1 refresh for each: the more cool stuff you can do, the less fuel you have for awesomeness. Feel free to choose any stunt from the Fate Core rulebook, from the section below on magic skills, or make your own.
Conflicts Perception determines turn order. Only roll if you have the same number as another character in the scene. There is no grid, but play is divided up into zones, each of which has one or more 20
aspects. Moving between zones takes one turn,, and may require a roll if there is an obstacle in the way. You can choose to do nothing proactive for a round and gain a +2 on defensive rolls. If you concede the conflict, you can choose how your character fails, but if you are taken out, your opponent chooses.
Advancement & Change After each session, session you may do one (and only one) of the following: Switch the rank values of any two skills, or replace one Average (+1) skill with one that isn’t on your sheet.
Change any single stunt for another stunt. Purchase a new stunt, provided you have the refresh to do so. (Remember, you can’t go below 1 refresh.) Rename one character aspect that isn’t your high concept. After each scenario,, you can do one thing from the session list, plus: Add one point to an existing skill or buy a new skill at +1. If you have any severe consequences, you can rename them to begin the recovery process, if you haven’t already. After each story arc,, you can do one thing from both of the above lists, plus: Take an additional point of refresh, which allows you to immediately buy a new stunt or keep it in order to give yourself more fate points at the beginning of a session. Rename your character’s high concept if you desire.
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Magic Magic skills in this game work essentially like any other skill. Your character can overcome, create an advantage, attack, or defend with magical skills. You can even use magic to recover from consequences, where appropriate. There are, however, four major limitations: sensory connection, primary elements, the arcane ladder, and paradox.
Sensory Connection In order to cast a spell on a target, the caster must be able to sense the target in some way. Normal sight, hearing, or touch will do for most spells. The mundane senses can be enhanced with Life magic, granting infrared vision or magnetic detection, which some living creatures possess. Mind magic can enhance the perception of senses, but cannot actually give a mage sensory perceptions she does not already have. Space magic can create a portal which the mage could then activate by 22
visiting a second location, thereby opening up a conduit for the senses. To perform magic at some distance, and particularly in order to perform more impressive acts with Space magic, an onmyōji should master the art of Sympathetic Magic (a stunt). Using this technique, spells can be cast on any target with which the mage has some physical connection—a personal object, a piece of the target, etc.
The Elements There are five elements, collectively called the 五大 (godai, The Great Five), describe the connections between various fundamental essences of existence. They are representative of an outlook on life or a style of doing things, and not so much classical elements like those found in the West or in typical fantasy roleplaying games. If you’re familiar with the I Ching or Feng Shui, that’s the kind of thing we’re talking about here.
In Onmyodo, each element governs two schools of magic, called arcana. In these pairings, one arcanum represents the Yin of the element—subtle, subtle, shadowy, feminine—while while the other represents the Yang— —vibrant, bright, masculine. Each onmyōji gains a focus in one of the five elements (Void, Wind, Fire, Water, or Earth). This is her Governing Element, and nd casting spells from that element is always free. Casting spells from any other element costs a Fate Point. Stunt: Extra Element. You may choose a second Governing Element. Casting spells from this element no longer costs a Fate Point. Example spells below are not to be construed as a complete menu of possibilities. They are merely provided in order to spur the imagination and give a sense se of what is possible.
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"Earth" represents our connection to this realm, to living things and the matter that surrounds them. Onmyōji with a connection to the earth tend toward stubbornness, traditional thinking, and a focus on the collective
地
good. They are conservative in their views, resistant to change. They also tend to be the most physical of shamans, mixing their own skills in athletics or martial arts into their rituals.
The stone, resolute, remains calm and unperturbed in rushing waters.
質量
生物
Matter has dominion over soil, water, Life magic has dominion over animals, pl metal, air, and other kinds of ants, disease, evolution, and healing. non-living substances. The The physician’s arcanum. Stunt: Blood magic. Take a minor consequence alchemist’s arcanum. Stunt: Earthly craftsmanship. Can use Matter in place of Prime to create an artifact.
before rolling to add 2 to a magic die roll, or a moderate consequence to add 2 after.
Example spells
Example spells
Curse of Steel [Attack, Physical] – the enemy’s weapon explodes in a shower of shrapnel. Saintly Robes [Defend] – The onmyōji’s clothing becomes as hard as iron. Sense Weakness [Divination (0)] – find the weakest point in a structure in order to destroy it more easily. Cruel Master’s Training Sword [Alteration (2)] – make a piece of wood as strong as steel, and a much deadlier weapon. Zone of Nature [Abjuration (6)] – Protect a temple so that no man-made materials may enter. Heaven’s Craftsman [Creation (7)] – create complex machinery out of nothing.
Wrath of Nature [Attack, Physical] – snakes slither out from the shadows to attack the victim. Scales of Steel [Defend] – The onmyōji develops thick scales to deflect attacks. Touch of Heaven [Recovery, Physical] – a touch closes wounds and relieves pain. Rapid Growth [Command (1)] – Brambles grow up to inhibit an enemy’s movement. Plague [Alteration (3)] – A touched human being contracts a disease. Aquatic Form [Alteration (4)] – Grow gills and webbed digits for swimming. Mighty Serpent [Creation (10)] – Summon a celestial dragon.
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"Water" is the element of endless, flowing change, of things without form or substance. Take it once in your hand, and it is gone in an instant, but its power can raze cities or foster future life. Mentally, it is the acceptance of life’s constant
changes, a oneness with the flow of things. Onmyōji of water are adaptable, rarely surprised by the vicissitudes of life, but frightfully powerful when roused to anger. They are rarely found in leadership positions, but take readily to working with others. The leaf floats softly on rushing river waters as bough and branch snap
水
時間
空間
Time magic has dominion over the past, Space has dominion over scrying, present, and future, acceleration and teleportation, wards, and summoning. The traveler’s arcanum. deceleration. The oracle’s arcanum. Stunt: Temporal magic. Can cast a spell with a Stunt: Sympathetic Magic. Can cast spells on time delay, such that it triggers at a targets not present in the scene. particular time in the future.
Example spells Flow of Time [Attack, Soul] – send an enemy forward in time. Stop the Sands [Defend] – move an instant into the future to avoid an attack. Kaerimiru (Look Back) [Divination (0)] – watch the last minute of activity over again. Fleet of Foot [Alteration (2)] – Your body and mind move faster. Rewind [command (5)] – everyone in your zone replays the last round of combat. Scroll of Futures [Divination (7)] – see into the web of possible futures for the world. Time Gate [Creation (8)] – Open a rift in time to walk through. Requires an object from the target time.
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Example spells
Forced Teleportation [Attack, Physical] – shunt the target into another area. Zeno’s Paradox [Defend] – Projectiles appear to draw ever nearer to you, but never quite make it. Scrying [Divination (3)] – Open a window to a distant location known to you. Anything on the other side can see you just as easily, though. Infinite Bag [Alteration (2)] – Make a container connect to a distant holding area for near-infinite storage. The Essence of Nothingness [Destruction 7] – an area the size of a house ceases to be—everything inside is pushed out.. Portal [Creation (8)] – Open a rift in space to walk through. Requires an object from the location.
"Fire" governs the dynamic, the forceful. It is the sudden outburst that rends asunder and the pounding heat that drives men mad. It is passion, drive, desire, and firmness of intention. The onmyōji
火
of fire are readily known by the intensity of their gaze and the zeal in their words. They are born leaders, rarely content to do as others have done, charging headlong into the fires of hell without thought of peril.
Flames of men’s passions, burning for but a moment. Ah, but how brightly!
心 Mind magic has dominion over mind control, telepathy, mental projections, imagination, and hallucinations. The mind-reader’s arcanum.
力 Force magic has dominion over energy and forces: light, sound, electricity, radiation, fire, kinetic energy; gravity, conductivity. The physicist’s arcanum.
Stunt: Dreamweaving. Can cast a spell on a Stunt: Arcane Technician. Use Forces in place person who is not present but of Academics or Craft for rolls currently asleep. involving electronics.
Example spells
Example spells
Mind Control [Attack, Mental] –gain control of a subject. Mind Reading [Attack, Mental] – read the contents of a subject’s mind. Mental Bulwark [Defend] – block others from using mind control against you. Surface Ripples [Divination (0)] – Get a sense of the “zeitgeist” around you. Parallel Processing [Alteration (2)] – Perform multiple mental actions simultaneously. Zone of Peace [Abjuration (6)] – bar hostile intentions inside of a given building. Locus of Hate [Creation (7)] – Creates a cloud that instills feelings of hate.
Shocking Tendrils [Attack, Physical] – Delivers a powerful electric shock. Weight of the World [Defend] – Gravity around attackers triples, slowing their blows. Spectral Conversion [Alteration (2)] – Convert heat energy into harmless light. Invisibility [Abjuration (4)] – Cause light and sound to pass through you. Gaze of Heaven [Divination (4)] – tap into a satellite feed to watch the movements of cell phones. Fireball [Creation (5)] – create balls of flame to throw. Reverse Gravity [Alteration (7)] The area inside an entire building has its gravitational field reversed.
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"Wind" is the element of freedom, chance, chaos, and the unseen spirits that bring the ripple across still waters. An onmyōji of wind shows independence and care-free thinking, prone to flights of fancy and moments of divine inspiration.
Revolutionaries, poets, wanderers and merrymakers find their paths lead toward the wind. Yet there is also a benevolence and patience to the breeze that blows even in the heat of summer, cooling hotter heads and uplifting spirits. Gentle summer breeze makes ripples across a pond, whispers things to come
風
神
運命
Spirit magic has dominion over kami, Fate magic has dominion over blessings, demons, exorcism, and protection of the luck, destiny, curses, oaths, gambling, and probability. The soothsayer’s soul. The shaman’s arcanum. Stunt: Counsel of the Spirits. Can use Spirit in arcanum. place of Empathy to recover a mental Stunt: Ritual magic. Can cast a spell and save consequence. it for later, using the same die result.
Example spells
Example spells
Admonish Spirits [Attack, Soul] – speak a command that saps a spirit’s energy. Ethereal Barrier [Defend] – project a magical field that blocks spirits from attacking. See Spirits [Divination (0)] – gain the ability to see into the Spirit Realm. Spirit Call [Creation (5)] – summon a spirit to assist you. Shifts may increase the rank of the spirit called. Human Shikigami [Alteration (5)] – allow a kami to possess a willing or unconscious host. Spirit Guide [Creation (8)] – create a portal connecting the physical and spirit realms.
Evil Eye [Attack, Soul] – inflict a horrible curse on the target. Turn of Bad Luck [Defend] – Attacker stumbles and misses. Will of Heaven [Divination (0)] – sense the strength of others’ destinies. Supernal Haze [Alteration (4)] – Supernatural effects in the area treat blanks as minuses. Font of Fortune [Creation (5)] – create a pool of free rerolls for your allies. Despair [Destruction (5)] – Suppress a target’s destiny for one scene. Fortune’s Friend [Abjuration (6)] – ward self permanently against curses. Destiny [Creation (8)] – Instill a blessing that makes you destined to perform some particular great deed.
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"Void" is the representation of those things beyond our experience, the unknowable Other. It is the realm invisible, the Great Beyond. Those who wish to truly know the secrets of creation, to peer beyond this life and into the next, are drawn to the path of Void.
Most onmyōji of the Void are unfulfilled by normal, mundane life, and seek ever higher understanding through adventure or asceticism. A mage of the void is a scholar, an explorer, an inventor, one who often has little time or patience for the trifling concerns of this world. Only empty minds with empty hands and empty hearts can know true fullness.
空
死
真髄
Death magic has dominion over ghosts, Prime has dominion over magic itself: ley lines, counterspells, decay, weakness, and the stealing of hallows, enchantment, and artifacts. The souls. The necromancer’s arcanum. Stunt: Rebuke death. You can use Death to archmage’s arcanum. recover from consequences involving Stunt: Countermagic. +2 to Defense rolls physical injury or weakening effects. against any magic or supernatural ability when using Prime.
Example spells
Deathbane [Attack, Soul] – you pass your hand through a ghost, disrupting its connection to this world. Shield of Decay [Defend] –an aura of death around you weakens others. Ghost Sight [Divination (0)] – See ghosts in the Twilight. Eerie Visage [Alteration (2)] – You appear dead—no respiration, no pulse, no body temperature. Circle of Protection [Abjuration (5)] – create a circle through which ghosts and other dead creatures may not pass. Chains of Undeath [Creation (8)] – create a permanent undead minion.
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Example spells Arcane Feedback [Attack, Soul] – an enemy mage’s own magic turns against him. Mana Barrier [Defend] – deflect incoming supernatural effects. Detect Magic [Divination (0)] – See the remaining resonance of spells cast in the area. Mage Armor [Abjuration (3)] – increases defenses against supernatural effects. Altered Runes [Alteration (3)] – Slightly change the effect of an existing spell. Artifact [Creation (8)] – Create an item with a permanent magical effect.
The Arcane Ladder For magic, it’s difficult to say what should constitute a “mediocre”, “fair”, or “legendary” spell. Hence, we have the arcane ladder, ranking the difficulty of spells according to the sort of effect they might produce. Simply add together the factors of the spell to determine the difficulty of casting. The consensus of the group comes first. This table is only a guideline. This table is used for generating static difficulty targets, so the Attack, Defend, and Recover actions will be treated separately. This table is mainly for adjudicating the difficulty of using Practice
Targets
Size
+0
divination
Self
+1
command
+2 +3
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Divinations provide sensory perceptions or knowledge about something under an arcanum’s domain. Commands involve pressing an existing being or phenomenon to do your will. Alterations change the essence of a target. Abjurations protect something within an arcanum’s domain. Destructions remove obstacles. Creations summon things that are not present, either by creating them or calling to them from afar. Complexity
Duration
cat
Connection (*with stunt only) touch (same zone)
simple
scene
1 target
human
sight (nearby zone)
moderate
session
alteration
room full
car
personal item*
complex
story
abjuration
building full
house
town full
airplane
intimate knowledge* second-hand knowledge*
whole world
building
+4 destruction +5
a particular type of spell to Overcome or Create Advantage, and should not be considered set in stone—guidelines to keep things from devolving into “Yes, I can!” and “No, you can’t!”
creation
permanent
Complexity is a subjective matter. Creating a solid block of iron would be fairly simple. Creating an iPad would be complex. Changing a spirit of hunger to a spirit of thirst would be simple. Changing a spirit of hunger to a spirit of rock and roll would be complex. Warding a room against all human beings would be simple. Warding a room against human beings from Kagoshima named Tetsuya would be complex. And so on. Connection is a measure of the caster’s metaphysical distance from the target. Normally, the caster needs to at least be able to see a target in order to cast a spell. However, mages who master Sympathetic Magic (a stunt) can cast spells on targets they cannot see by holding a part of the target (a lock of hair, a branch of a tree) or personal item owned by the target. Casting by knowledge alone is more difficult, but not impossible. Of course, failure could mean the spell targets someone or something entirely unintended. 30
Paradox The onmyōji’s enlightenment comes from realizing that all the world around us is but an illusion crafted by the minds of those who inhabit it—to perceive is to create. Knowing this, she can will herself to see other presents, other realities, and impose her will above others. Where the onmyōji’s vision of reality conflicts with the consensus of those around her, paradox arises. Paradox Rolls 1 witness
2
A room full of witnesses
4
Several rooms witnesses
full
of 6
A building full of witnesses
8
A whole town or more
10
A clever onmyōji avoids paradox by making his magic appear coincidental or natural. A bolt of lightning from a person’s hand would surely seem supernatural, but the same bolt from a shorting circuit breaker might appear to be
just an unlucky coincidence for the onmyōji’s foe. Animals, supernatural creatures, ghosts, spirits, and other onmyōji do not count as witnesses. Only unenlightened human beings, whose paradigm does not include the existence of the supernatural, are considered when determining paradox. It is said that in the old days the onmyōji were much m less restricted by paradox, before science and learning were the default point of view for most Japanese. A paradox functions as an attack on the onmyōji’s ’s soul. The onmyōji rolls Mysticism as a Defense against a paradox attack, determined by the number of witnesses: Success means that the onmyōji has imposed his will on reality, and witnesses are able to somehow justify the bizarre occurrence or block it out. On a tie, the spell succeeds and the onmyōji takes no stress, but generates a scene aspect, aspect 31
and witnesses may be left with a vague feeling of unease or even partial memory of the casting. casting When you fail, the spell does not succeed, and you take stress on the soul track, which may be mitigated mit by consequences as normal. Consequences as always will be negotiated by the table as a whole, but the following are some examples of possible consequences of paradox: The spell goes es haywire, beyond the caster’s control A form of insanity sets set in on the target or caster. Reality shatters, shatter and an impossible event takes place. The caster’s body, mind or soul are scarred. An evil spirit slips through the crack in reality to cause havoc.
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