Jade Guardian Monk School

   Most Monk “Schools” are like basic Shugenja “Schools” – they offer only one basic technique, and possibly a few advanced paths, and expect their students to focus on developing their mystical powers thereafter. In point-buy, that simply means that Shugenja buy spellcasting levels and spells and Monks buy Kiho with the points that warrior-types put into combat techniques. Of course, in point buy they don’t have to do it that way: if you have the points to spend, you can actually buy a full courtier-style school to go with your other supernatural talents.  

   Unfortunately, in most cases, that means either seeking out unique instructors or investing a very large number of points, and a lot of time, in developing your own school. Most NPC’s simply don’t have the points (much less the time) available for this sort of thing, so you won’t normally find such a school ready to go.

   Kitsune Okari invested fairly heavily in a supernatural instructor, so that he could have his own unique school.

.

Okari’s Jade Guardian Monk School:

   Okari’s school is a bit of a Retcon: when the character was originally written up, the point-buy rules for the Hinode Monogatari campaign were barely started – hence he, starting at Rank 2, started off with Kaimetsu Monk training and then took a rank in a Ronin Shugenja School, since that was freely available. The rationale was simple: as one of the youngest sons in a family with 13 sons and 11 daughters, his parents had no objection to his training with the monks at one of the small, local, temples as a child (if he was inclined that way, why not?) – but that focus on mysticism awakened his latent talents as a Shugenja. He then started developing/learning the Kazemakase Technique and its successors with the help of The Jade Maiden – a Minor Celestial Kami Spirit Ally. The current writeup for his school subsumes the relevant features of his initial Monk school, drops the original Ronin Shugenja School technique since it was never actually used anyway, and simply has him pay for Spellcasting without a formal Shugenja school – which was the original idea anyway.

   At lower levels, the Jade Guardian School is devoted to attuning yourself to the flow of energies through the cosmos, to channeling them into protecting yourself – and your friends and allies – against injury, and (eventually) to channeling the pure energies of Jade. While taking full advantage of its potential will require great skill in Meditation, a very high Void ring, and being a Shugenja, the lower levels can be useful to almost anyone. The upper (3+) levels are only available when taught by a Celestial Kami.

School Basics:

• Bonus Trait: +1 Void
• School Skills: Ceremony, Defense, Meditation, Spellcraft, Theology, and a choice of two additional skills.
• Monk School Bonus: Select three currently-usable Kiho

School Techniques:

• First Technique/Seken Ganshiki: Kiho Mastery (10), Gain (SR) Free Raises with Mediation, Spellcraft, and Ceremony (10).
• Second Technique/Kazemakase: May spend Void Points on behalf of others within line of sight just as if spending them on yourself (5), Void Points spent to buy off damage have double effect (5), Gain a second pool of Void Points equal to your normal pool to be spent on others only (5), May spend as many points buying off damage as desired (5).
• Third Technique/Migawari Kouin: Gain a Bonus Void Pool equal to the results of an immediate (Meditation Check -10/5) when making a sacrifice at a temple (15, under ordinary circumstances, +5), but the points from this pool may only be used to buy off damage (-10), Gain Void free raises with Earth Magic (10).
• Fourth Technique/Mugen Hisui: You may spend as many Void Points as desired on any effect (+5) each with Double Effect (+5). You also gain Immunity to Taint (10).
• Fifth Technique/Mugen Kigan: You may now refresh your Bonus Void Pool whenever you can spend an hour or so offering prayers to the Kami (+10), gain Immunity to effects which would interfere with your use of void or require it for normally-allowable actions (5), and become immune to aging (5).

   While eliminating the Immunity to Taint – since it can be handled with the appropriate Kiho or spells – and upgrading the bonus Void Pool to allow points from it to be used for any purpose would make this school immensely more powerful, it’s been disallowed for just that reason. This school already allows the user to protect his or her friends and allies from enormous amounts of damage and makes him or her very very good with the Jade-based effects: throwing in the ability to do almost anything ridiculously well would be far, far, too much.