Ambir Ryuko, L5R Dragon Shapeshifter

   Ambir Ryuko played a relatively brief, if timely, role in the Hinode Monogatari Legend of the Five Rings campaign: the player wasn’t around for long, but joined the game, and decided to make a dragon-shapeshifter character, right when the group was first dealing with a Black Scroll. Unsurprisingly, the group took the arrival of a helpful dragon-spirit – and one who really didn’t make much of an effort to conceal her true nature – as something of an omen. So did the local authorities, which was of considerable help in dealing with them.

   Sadly, with the player no longer available, Ambir was first faded into the background and then called away on another mission.

   This version is built on about 30 XP, which puts her back towards the beginning of her run: at this point it wasn’t yet necessary to hand out massive blocks of XP to make useful characters. Now that the campaign is hitting session eighty or so, this really doesn’t work any longer.

Ambir Ryuko

   Lesser Dragon Shapeshifter. Species Bonus: +1 Perception. 30 Experience/26 Spent. Rank 2.

Earth 3: Stamina 3, Willpower 3

Water 2: Strength 2, Perception 2

Fire 2: Agility 2 (3), Intelligence 2

Air 2: Reflexes 2/3, Awareness 2

Void 2

   Shapeshifter Race and School: Willpower +1, Wealth 0, Honor 2.5, and Status (Special).

   Taboos: May only own what you can carry, must always dress in red and yellow, casts a draconic shadow. If you violate a taboo, you lose your magical powers for 24 hours.

   Racial Abilities: Cannot use Void Points, may sense and travel through passages to Tengoku, may detect, understand, and communicate with other spirits of Tengoku, may switch between forms up to (Water) times daily, and can see normally in the dark. +5 resistance to mind control, immune to the influence of most realms, and +15 bonus on rolls to resist Taint. The serpentine dragon-form is about seven feet long, may “slither” through the air at normal movement speed, and has claws and fangs which cause +2K2 damage.

   Disadvantages: Ascetic (thinks wealth is unimportant, 3), Contrary (must roll willpower to avoid getting involved, 3), and a Minor Obligation (2).

   Supernatural Powers: The Shapeshifter School “Technique” is +20 points worth of Innate Supernatural Powers per level. She’s departed from the pure style to add in the “Favors” technique noted below and has purchased two powers – Spirit Sight and Ward of the Winds – directly. Hers supernatural powers currently include:

• Fiery Blast (4K4 damage to a single target, usable [Fire x 3] times daily [5])
• Touch of Fire (+1 Agility, 3)
• Importune II (produce any L1 effect, but must trade spirit favors, usable [Void x 3] times daily, 10)
• Lesser Healing (heals 1K1 damage [Water x 3] times daily, 5)
• Jade Strike (3K3 to a tainted target, [Earth x 2] times daily, 4)
• Touch of Air (+1 Reflexes, 3)
• Spirit Sight (9)
• Ward of the Winds (+5 to AC, 3)

   Techniques: May claim (Rank+2) favors per session, rated at up to (Skill being used/2), rounded up (10). May use Theology to reduce the level of spirit favors needed for Importune effects, Instruction to obtain teaching, and Ceremony to get immediate responses to Peasant Magic.

Advantages:

• +10 Magic Resistance (4)
• +1 Reflexes for the purposes of calculating AC (5)
• +2 Earth for the purposes of calculating Wounds (8)

Skill	Rank	Roll	Style Abilities
Athletics	1	Varies
Calligraphy	1	3K2
Courtier	1	3K2
Defense	3	6K3	Adds to AC
Hunting	2	5K3
Investigation	2	Varies
Spellcraft	2	4K2
Stealth	1	4K3
Swords	1	4K3
Theology	3	5K2	Free Raise
Un. Combat	2	5K3
Lore Skills:
Myths and Legends	1	3K2
Peasant Magic	1	3K2
Spirit Realms	1	3K2

Combat Information:

• 10 Wounds per Level.
• Armor Class: [Reflexes x 5 (20) + Bonuses (8)] = 28.
• Initiative: 5K3
• Wakizashi: 4K3 Attack, 4K2 Damage.
• Claws: 5K3 Attack, 4K2 Damage.

   Basic Equipment: Sandals, Kimono, Wakizashi, 17 silver Bu, Traveling Pack, Fan, Hand Mirror, Messkit, Cooking Pot and basic Spices, Weeks rations, brushes, Inks, and Paper, Two Fingers of Jade, Small Painting, Incense and a Burner.