Famous Ancestor
The character has a well-known ancestor whose great deeds have passed into legend. He receives a bonus of +2D on influence-based tasks when interacting with those familiar with his ancestor’s exploits.
Infamous Ancestor
The character has a well-known ancestor whose nefarious deeds have passed into infamy. He receives a penalty of -2D on influence-based tasks when interacting with those familiar with his ancestor’s exploits.
Alternate use for the Ancestor Gimmick
Some directors might want to explore further the use of ancestors in their
Steampunk Musha game. Provided below are detailed options for incorporating ancestral gimmicks into your game with ideas on how to create your own.
Legendary Ancestor Gimmick
The legendary ancestor gimmick allows for the director or player to roll randomly on a chart of ancestors with a bloodline to the character. One of the charts has famous ancestors provided, while the other has infamous ancestors. The director may choose to combine the charts and allow chance to decide if the character receives a positive or negative gimmick.
Characters who posses the legendary ancestor gimmick will always know the name of their ancestor, as will most people of his home region. Typically the character will also have proof of his lineage in the form of a family Kamon (clan symbol or family crest), which appears somewhere on his clothing or in the form of a talisman or seal.
Famous Ancestors
| 1- Akita Rikuto | | 6- Ishikawa Masahi | |
| 2- Chang Okito | | 7- Jang Bunmei | |
| 3- Fujiwara Naoharo | | 8- Kagawa Chikuma | |
| 4- Gunma Mizuto | | 9- Kobayashi Daichi | |
| 5- Hiroshima Akashi | | 10- Matsumoto Eito | |
Infamous Ancestors
| 1- Nakamura Fusao | | 6- Sugiyama Junsuke | |
| 2- Ochi Genki | | 7- Takahashi Kaishi | |
| 3- Peng Haruaki | | 8- Tottori Kanto | |
| 4- Saitama Hironobu | | 9- Xia Makio | |
| 5- Sakamoto Ikuto | | 10- Yamazaki Masafumi | |
1- Akita Rikuto
Akito Rikuto was one of the first shangti cowboys and founder of Jade Eye Investigations. The character receives a bonus of +1D on observation tasks due to this ancestor.
2- Chang Okito
Chang Okito was a scholar of ancient Rosuto-Shima history and author of many several works describing the mythology of the island. The character receives a bonus of +1D on legends tasks due to this ancestor.
3- Fujiwara Naoharo
Fujiwara Naoharo was a soldier in the Emperor’s guard and held off a group of ninja assassins after his men had been defeated. As the sole-survivor and protector of the emperor, he was awarded a position in the court as military advisor for internal affairs. The character receives a bonus of +2D on influence-based tasks involving imperialists due to this ancestor.
4- Gunma Mizuto
Gunma Mizuto was a courageous hero known for his exploits in the Chieng-mow and Yang-mow. Most of the stories of Gunma Mizuto involve his escaping death when all hope seems lost. The character can reduce the injury he sustains by one grade from a single attack per day due to this ancestor.
5- Hiroshima Akashi
Hiroshima Akashi was a famous artist and sculptor from the city of Chinan. Many of the large statues in the university district were masterpieces of this great artist and several of his paintings still hang within wealthy households. The character receives a bonus of +2D on design tasks, even if unskilled, due to this ancestor.
6- Ishikawa Masahi
Ishikawa Masahi was the magistrate in the Linan area who brought the attention of the Emperor down upon the Setting Sun Priesthood, the monks whose blood tainted the Kokushoko Akuchi black. The character receives a bonus of +1D in both court etiquette and observation tasks due to this ancestor.
7- Jang Bunmei
Jang Bunmei was an enemy of the royal courts but a champion of the people. Many of his crimes are considered petty by current standards, however, at the time he was a much sought after criminal. Many of his exploits involved robbing royalty and fencing the goods to donate to poor temples and hungry countryfolk. His calling card usually involved the use of explosives, which set him apart from common thieves, and it was believed this ninja was not a supporter of the Empire’s treatment of the less fortunate. The character receives a bonus of +2D on alchemy tasks when dealing with charging powders due to this ancestor.
8- Kagawa Chikuma
Kagawa Chikuma was believed to be an Oni Nembutsu who (although very ugly) mostly looked like a human. The legend goes that he turned his back on his oni brethren after being abandoned during a great war and left to die on the battlefield. A priest took pity on Kagawa Chikuma and hid him in a temple while nursing his wounds. Here Kagawa Chikuma learned the ways of man and embraced his new life, concealing his oni lineage. He eventually married and lead massive armies in the name of the emperor. Although many generations have passed, the character is very strong and receives a bonus of +1D when making rolls dependant on strength (including fitness composure rolls) due to this ancestor.
9- Kobayashi Daichi
Kobayashi Daichi was a founder of a famous school dedicated to the art of the sword. He trained many generals and royal guard, along with several samurai of legend. The character receives a bonus of +1D on dueling tasks involving the use of a katana.
10- Matsumoto Eito
Matsumoto Eito was the first adventurer to discover the existence of the legendary snake race, the Nayome. He spent more then a year living with the creatures before returning to the surface lands and writing his book The Rainbow Serpent. The character has a resistance against poisons and is only inflicted with half the normal damage (rounding down), and is never affected by poison from a serpent.
1- Nakamura Fusao
Nakamura Fusao, the cannibal, was a powerful shogunate warlord. Legend says that a wise mahoutsukai told him that his death would be at the hands of one of his children and that paranoia drove Nakamura Fusao insane. Every time one of his many wives gave birth, he would seize the newborn and consume it. This went on for many years as none were brave enough to stop him, until word reached the Emperor and men were sent out to arrest Nakamura Fusao. He remained in prison for many years until a confrontation resulted in his death. The young inmate who killed him was later determined to be his son, born after his imprisonment. The character may never raise his dishonor above 2 grades and is destined to be killed by his offspring.
2- Ochi Genki
Ochi Genki was a ronin who once insulted the Emperor by correcting him in the presence of the court. In punishment, the Emperor removed Ochi Genki’s tongue banished him to the Sabaku Fuyou. The character suffers from a speech impediment and tends to mumble a lot. He receives a penalty of -2D on influence-based skill tests involving the use of speech.
3- Peng Haruaki
Peng Haruaki was a general of the Empire and dedicated to fighting the oni hordes along the border of the Akki-Kouzetu Mori. During a short campaign through the forest to the coast, the army was ambushed by a legion of Ko-Oni lead by a unit of Moujuu. Peng Haruaki watched in horror as his men were attacked, eaten, and ripped apart before his eyes. Instead of calling for a retreat or aiding the soldiers in combat, accepting an honorable death with his men, Peng Haruaki fled in terror to the Liaoyan outpost. There he was relieved of duty, and unable to speak, his hair streaked with white, he spent the remainder of his days in a state of panic and fright. The character is deathly afraid of oni and must succeed at a reasoning-based composure task in order to remain calm whenever he encounters one. A failure indicates that he panics at the desecration of the director.
4- Saitama Hironobu
Saitama Hironobu was a member of the secret order of Nikobo. Legend says that he slayed 1,000 Oni in a single battle and that he was so attuned with Gui-based magic that he could move mountains, whisper to the wind, and hold council with ancient spirits. Saitama Hironobu left his temple one day and was seen heading to the Jigoku Island. His fate is of speculation, but many say that he battles oni there to this day. The character is haunted by nightmares of horrible Oni battles and powerful magic. He always suffers from one (1) grade of fatigue from lack of rest.
5- Sakamoto Ikuto
Sakamoto Ikuto was a priest who found service for many a shogunate lord, merchant, and even the Emperor for his ability to know the truth of someone’s words. His talent of identifying truth from falsehood was often respected, however, just as often his benefactor would come to despise him for his inability to keep the truth hidden. The character is unable to tell a lie and always fails when using influence-based skills for deceit.
6- Sugiyama Junsuke
Sugiyama Junsuke was a samurai who battled many oni and evil spirits. While on a perilous sea journey his ship was attacked a lone Awabi. With many of his mean dead, Sugiyama Junsuke battled the awabi one-on-one with the hope the remainder could survive. The battle waged on both day and night, until eventually the awabi was slain. Sugiyama Junsuke did not go unhurt and the tentacles of the oni left a deep purple scar across his chest and unto his face. For every oni he killed afterwards the scar burned like the hottest flame. The character has a purple birthmark that resemble the tentacle of a large octopus. Whenever he encounters an oni and engages in combat the mark begins to burn and he receives one (1) grade of fatigue until the oni is slain or it flees.
7- Takahashi Kaishi
Takahashi Kaishi was an elite ninja and devoted his life to walking the path of shadow. To further his training, it is said that Takahashi Kaishi inflected several methods of self-mutilation to his body from placing bamboo under his skin and scarification, to purposely breaking bones to force them to grow stronger. Although the character’s family may not associate with the practice of ninjitsu, they have fully embraced self-mutilation as a way to make the next generation stronger. The character is disfigured with scars and other body modifications; he receives a penalty of -1D on influence-based skills at which his appearance plays a part.
8- Tottori Kanto
Tottori Kanto was a medical officer in the Emperor’s army and was responsible for saving the lives of many soldiers and generals. Upon retirement, he became the doctor for the emperor and was present at his death. The character absorbs up two (2) grades of fatigue inflicted unto an ally within 10 feet once per day.
9- Xia Makio
Xia Makio was the self-proclaimed offspring of Seiyuuki-Tenshu, the monkey king. He dedicated the early part of his life to performing in various traveling carnivals and at festivals, traveling all of Rosuto-Shima and writing plays of his exploits. Eventually, Xia Makio found himself upon the kabuki stage and performing his plays for royalty. On one such event he played a practical joke on a influential magistrate, embarrassing him before the Emperor and royal court. Within a week the body of Xia Makio was found dead and bloated, floating in a flooded ditch. The character is haunted by the spirit of Xia Makio, who taunts them with practical jokes. These pranks are more of an annoyance then harmful and involve such things as tripping the character, hiding equipment, or laughing in the ear of the character while he is combat.
10- Yamazaki Masafumi
Yamazaki Masafumi was a sword maker of great renown in Rosuto-Shima. At one time, all the generals in the royal army carried one of his weapons and it was a great gift to receive a masterwork katana from Yamazaki Masafumi. Eventually Yamazaki Masafumi became too old to forge swords and hid his final weapons so enemies of the Empire would not acquire them after his death. One katana was kept as a gift to his newborn son. One night a gang of yakuza soldiers broke into Yamazaki Masafumi’s home looking for the hidden weapons and was surprised by the old sword maker. Grabbing the only sword available, the sword for his son, they stabbed Yamazaki Masafumi. As he lay there dying, his blood staining the sword piercing his gut, he cursed the men and swore no other would ever carry the weapon beyond his son. When the thugs tried to lift the weapon they found it too heavy to lift, even with their combined strength. The character posses the Yamazaki Katana. The weapon is a cursed weapon and unable to be lifted by anyone other then an ancestor of Yamazaki Masafumi. The katana is still stained with his blood and cause one (1) grade of fatigue every time it is used in battle to the character.
