FrivYeti/ShogunateCharacterBackgrounds

Back to the Shogunate

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Shogunate Backgrounds

Shogunate Backgrounds use the Level 6 Background rules. Generally, characters won't have those, but it is theoretically possible.

Standard Backgrounds

Characters may purchase the following Backgrounds under normal rules; they may purchase up to three dots with bonus points, and may purchase the background up to five dots.

Allies, Command, Henchmen, Mentor, Reputation, Resources

Limited Backgrounds

The following Backgrounds function according to normal rules, except for limits on how far they can be purchased or altered bonus point costs.

Backing: Characters may have Backing only in a single organization of the Shogunate, unless they are running an exceptionally complicated double game (for example, a secret cult leader might have a second Backing rating). Either way, characters may not have Backing above 3; up to five characters may have Backing 3, of which one must be Ministry, two must be Military, and one must be Political. Note that a character with military Backing does not need to purchase his soldiers as Command, unless they are completely and utterly devoted to him, as opposed to the military structure.

Breeding: Breeding is far more common in the Shogunate Age. In addition to beginning with Breeding 2, characters may purchase their fourth dot of Breeding for a single Background or Bonus point, and may purchase Breeding 5 or 6 for two bonus points each.

Connections: Connections in the Shogunate setting are considered 'layered'. When a character purchases a layer, any other Connections in a connected layer cost half as much until they reach the same rating as the highest-rated Connections. Multiple purchases do not receive multiple discounts. Example: Radiant Orchid purchases Connections: Arbiters of Hesiesh 3. She pays half cost for Connections: Regional Ministries for any province.

Characters may purchase the following connections:

• Any Individual Ministry or Military - Provides connections in that Ministry or Military throughout the provinces and the Shogun's Own. Layers with regional Ministry or Military Connections.
• Regional Ministries, Militaries, or Politics - Provides connections in all Ministries, Militaries, or Politics within one province. Layers with individual Ministries or Militaries, or with other regions of the same category.
• Social Groups: Commoners, Religious, Criminal, or Academic - Provides connections with certain types of people. Does not layer.
• Elemental Courts - Provides connections with a given elemental Court. The third and fourth dot cost 2 background points, and the fifth cannot be bought.
• Terrestrial Bureaucracy - Provides connections with terrestrial gods. Cannot be bought with Background dots, costs 2 bonus points per dot, cannot be bought past three dots. This is an exceedingly rare area to have connections. Characters cannot have connections with the Celestial Bureaucracy.

Characters may think of another Connections area, in which case they can discuss it with the Storyteller.

Familiar: This game uses my Familiar rules.

Altered Backgrounds

Artifact: The Shogunate has vast quantities of small artifacts, but many fewer powerful ones. In addition to the background listing below, characters with Resources 3 may begin play with a single Level 1 Artifact. Characters with Resources 4 begin play with three Level 1 Artifacts, and characters with Resources 5 begin with three Level 1 Artifacts and a Level 2 Artifact.

• x - You have no heirlooms or famous Artifacts. You begin play with a single Level 1 Artifact.
• 0 - You have acquired a small number of artifacts. You begin play with three Level 1 Artifacts.
• 00 - You have a family heirloom and some other tricks. You begin play with six dots of Artifacts, two of which must be Level 1 Artifacts.
• 000 - You have gathered a powerful cache of artifacts. You begin play with nine dots of Artifacts, which must include three Level 1 Artifacts and cannot have more than one Level 3 Artifact (and none higher rated than that).
• 0000 - You have at least one mighty artifact, and a host of others. You begin play with twelve dots of Artifacts, four of which must be Level 1 and only one of which can be Level 4 (and none can be more powerful).
• 00000 - Your treasure trove is the awe and envy of all. You have fifteen dots of Artifacts, five of which must be Level 1, and no more than one of which can be Level 5. You may not have a Level 6 Artifact.
• 00000 0 - You have a mythic trove. You possess eighteen dots of Artifacts, including at least six Level 1 Artifacts and a single Level 6 Artifact.

Characters may purchase the Artifact background repeatedly, but additional purchases provide only a single Artifact of that rating. Even the Shogunate has its limits.

Manse: The Shogunate frequently uses Manses as power sources or requisitions their Hearthstones for use in its war machines. Because of this, while Manses are common, dedicated Manses are far less so. When a character purchases this Background, he may choose whether to have a single dedicated Manse, or two or more partially dedicated Manses. In the former case, the Background is purchased as per the Solar Background. In the latter case, the character receives a Manse with a rating one dot higher than his Background, but a Hearthstone one dot lower, and Essence recovery while within the Manse is only (Rating x3) motes. Furthermore, dedicated Manses are rare; a character may not purchase dedicated Manses more than once. He may purchase shared Manses repeatedly to own multiple such manses.