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Soldiers of the Shogun

The Shogunate was born in war of extermination, a war that had to be fought to the bitter end. The fractious natures of the Terrestrial Exalted mean that war remains a permanent fixture on the horizon. Both of these mean that war is a friend and constant companion to the daimyos of Creation, and there are literally millions of men under arms at any moment in time, ready for the call to battle.

Combat Template Explanation

The statistics given below are greatly truncated for speed and ease of use during combat, and contain only the most vital information that the Storyteller might need. Most of the entries are self-explanatory, but a few might cause some difficulty so they are clarified here:

Virtues

This is the calculated average (rounded down) of the Conviction and Valour of the character, since these are the virtues most likely to be called upon during combat, and it should be used whenever either of them become relevant. Compassion & Temperance, should they ever become necessary to know in battle can be assumed to be 2 lower than the Virtues entry down to a minimum of 1.

Knockback

This is the minimum amount of pre-soak damage that must be inflicted upon the target before they must test for knockback/knockdown as per Exalted p.234-5, as well as the number of dice that are rolled to resist the effect.

Mortals

The vast majority of the human population, mortals grow the food, make the clothes and do all the work. They also do the greater part of the fighting and bleeding when combat occurs. While many Dragon-Bloods look upon the mortals that surround them with contempt, it does not behove to dismiss them out of hand.

Local Militia

Called up from the towns and villages in time of need, given the most basic training in weapons and discipline, and then equipped with what weapons and armour the local authorities can spare. These levies are poor soldiers, and since the removal of Essence weaponry from the caches of almost all militias, have very little power to affect the tide of battle, since even moderately trained soldiers will carve through them.

These poor bastards are always treated as Extras.

Virtues: 1, Essence: 1, Willpower: 4

Dodge: 3, Soak: 3L/6B (1L/4B vs. Piercing)

Movement: 14, Knockback: 4

Unarmed

Speed 4, Attack 5, Damage 4B, Defence 6, Rate 5

Short sword

Speed 6, Attack 5, Damage 5L, Defence 4, Rate 3

Self bow

Speed 6, Attack 4, Damage 4L, Range 150, Rate 2

Health Levels

-1 / -3 / Incapacitated

Regular Soldier

Forming the balance of the armed forces of the Shogunate, the regular soldiery has what is, all things considered, not a bad life. They are well looked-after, the pay isn’t terrible, and the chances of a soldier dying from some horrible infection are remarkably low, even compared to the mostly decent lot of the peasantry as compared to those of the Second Age. However, on occasion they will be ordered by their officers into battle, there to fight and die by the hundreds or even by the thousands. Despite this there are hundreds of young men signing up to join the armies of their rulers on a daily basis.

The regular soldiery of Creation should always be treated as Extras.

Virtues: 2, Essence: 1, Willpower: 5

Dodge: 3, Soak: 5L/9B (2L/6B vs. Piercing)

Movement: 15, Knockback: 5

Unarmed

Speed 5, Attack 6, Damage 4B, Defence 7, Rate 5

Straight sword

Speed 9, Attack 8, Damage 5L, Defence 6, Rate 3

Self bow

Speed 8, Attack 5, Damage 4L, Range 150, Rate 2

Health Levels

-1 / -3 / Incapacitated

Elite Soldier

The cream of the regular armies, elite soldiers form the core around which the forces of the Shogunate march into war. Well-equipped, although not to the standard of the ashigaru, and well-drilled, a dragon of these elite soldiers is capable of facing many times its number in lesser warriors and coming out victorious. Despite their prowess, they are no match for the an Exalted warrior, or any of the multitudinous threats that Creation faces from beyond its borders, unless they have overwhelming numbers.

Elite soldiers are superb warriors at the human scale, but they should almost always be treated as Extras.

Virtues: 3, Essence: 1, Willpower: 5

Dodge: 4, Soak: 7L/12B (3L/8B vs. Piercing)

Movement: 15, Knockback: 6

Unarmed

Speed 6, Attack 7, Damage 5B, Defence 8, Rate 5

Fine straight sword

Speed 10, Attack 9, Damage 7L, Defence 8, Rate 3

Spear

Speed 16, Attack 7, Damage 7L, Defence 8, Rate 2

Longbow

Speed 9, Attack 7, Damage 5L, Range 200, Rate 3

Health Levels

-1 / -3 / Incapacitated

Notes

+ Elite soldiers usually have a target shield, increasing the difficulty to attack them by 1.

Ashigaru Warrior

The magical ashigaru armour is that to which the “common” elite soldiery aspire to. Generally perceived as “one soldier in a thousand”, they can often be seen acting as the honour guard for the Dragon-Blooded as well as guarding key installations such as major Manses or naval bases. They also provide the front rank of steel when the armies of daimyos face off against the each other or the forces of the Wyld.

Ashigaru warriors are the elite of the elite, and should be treated as Superior Opponents (Exalted: the Outcaste p.39).

Virtues: 3, Essence: 1, Willpower: 6

Dodge: 6, Soak: 8L/10B (4L/6B vs. Piercing)

Movement: 16, Knockback: 7

Unarmed

Speed 7, Attack 8, Damage 5B, Defence 9, Rate 5

Exceptional straight sword

Speed 11, Attack 11, Damage 8L, Defence 9, Rate 3

Shock pike

Speed 11, Attack 9, Damage 11L, Range 50, Rate 2

Health Levels

-0 / -1 / -1 / -2 / -2 / -4 / Incapacitated

Notes

+ The listed range of the shock pike is absolute. It can deliver 8 attacks before running out of motes.

Gunzosha Warrior

Gunzosha warriors are the strongest mortal soldiers that the Shogunate can deploy, and a properly trained gunzosha is almost certain death to any other mortal faced upon the battlefield and a serious threat to a new Exalt. Unshakeably loyal to their commanders, a gunzosha unit has often been the rock against which the army of the foe breaks before the Exalted commanders can counterattack with artefacts and Charms. The drain on the life of the wearer that being a gunzosha places upon the mortal means that no soldier can wear the armour (and the amulets necessary to link it to the weak Essence of a mortal) for more than twenty years, although truly exceptional individuals have flouted this rule in the past.

Gunzosha warriors are extremely capable and dangerous combatants, even for the Exalted, and as such are Superior Opponents (Exalted: the Outcaste p.39).

Virtues: 4, Essence: 1, Willpower: 7

Dodge: 5, Soak: 10L/13B (5L/8B vs. Piercing)

Movement: 32, Knockback: 8

Unarmed

Speed 8, Attack 11, Damage 8B, Defence 12, Rate 5

Perfect chopping sword

Speed 11, Attack 13, Damage 12L, Defence 10, Rate 3

Shock pike (ranged)

Speed 12, Attack 12, Damage 13L, Range 50, Rate 2

Health Levels

-0 / -1 / -1 / -2 / -2 / -4 / Incapacitated

Notes

+ The listed range of the shock pike is absolute. It can deliver 8 attacks before running out of motes.

Automata

Mortal soldiers of one type or another make up the vast majority of the armed forces of the Shogunate, but the Dragon-Blooded have other sources of warriors that they can draw on, albeit somewhat reluctantly in many cases. The demons of Malfeas are one such source, but another is the wit and artifice of the Dragon-Blooded themselves, for in some cases they literally build their soldiers.

Warspiders

Forged from brass and steel and crystal and jade the constructs known as warspiders are a rare but fearsome addition to the forces of any daimyo, and even the Shogun’s army only has two fangs of these devastating creations. The name is something of a misnomer, because they only have six, rather than eight, limbs and they only use four of these for providing movement. The “forelimbs” of a warspider are actually wickedly sharp blades the equal of a reaver daiklave, and the automaton uses them with astounding proficiency when engaged in battle.

To see them move they are astoundingly graceful, dodging and pirouetting between swinging swords and thrusting spears, while utilising their swords with deadly precision. They are also powerful at range, a pair of Essence cannon on their backs that can rapidly spin to point in almost any direction and then fire volley after devastating volley.

Marvels of the clockworker’s art, a warspider can understand most military commands given to it either in Old Realm or High Speech (they effectively have Intelligence ••), but a slight flaw in the basic design means that if they fail to comprehend they will try to improvise rather than ask for clarification. Opinions as to the cause of this vary, but the most popular explanation is that they share this flaw with their creator, one Hedori Koda, who was well known for both her genius and her over-confidence. This minor issue means that warspiders are generally said to require close supervision, but despite this they are still highly desired and an artificer who can make one is capable of demanding almost any price.

As constructs, rather than living creatures, warspiders do not naturally heal any damage that they suffer in battle, nor are they capable of repairing themselves. A savant with Craft (Automaton) or (First Age Weapons) •••, Lore ••• and Occult ••• is required for this task, with each health level to be repaired costing Resources •• in jade, metal and other consumables. Furthermore they do not regain Essence by respiration and it must instead be donated to them, either directly by an Essence-user at a ratio of 2:1 or by setting a Hearthstone into the socket meant for this purpose on the construct’s head, and from which they can regain twice the Hearthstone’s rating in motes per hour.

Virtues: 3, Essence: 2, Willpower: 6

Dodge: 8, Soak: 14L/19B (8L/12B vs. Piercing)

Movement: 18, Knockback: 10

Sword-arms

Speed 15, Attack 12, Damage 14L, Defence, 13, Rate 6

Twin medium Essence cannons

Speed 12, Attack 9, Damage 20B, Rate 2, Range 125

Health Levels

-0 / -0 / -1 / -1 / -1 / -1 / -2 / -2 / -2 / -2 / -4 / Destroyed

Motes: 80

Charms

3m

The warspider adheres to any surface that can support its weight. Lasts until decommitted.

1m: The warspider can jump up to 30yds in any direction as part of a dodge. Reflexive

2m: Add 4 dice to any single attack, parry or dodge attempt.

Notes

+ Each shot of the Essence cannon costs the warspider 8 motes. For an additional 4 motes per shot it affects a radius of three yards from the target point.

+ Warspiders may make a reflexive dodge attempt against any attack they can perceive.

+ Warspiders cannot fail Valour checks.