Building a Court
Although typically courts are assumed to be held and related to the environment of a daimyo or the Emperor's household, there are groups of people maneuvering and scheming in many different environments, and courtly acumen is useful in all of them.
Example Courts
Here are some examples of different kinds of "courts" that samurai may have to navigate the complex social cues of
For the GM, it can be a time-consuming and difficult process to make a large group of NPCs with different desires and interactions in order to populate a court and have people to courtier with and against. Creating rivals can be especially difficult. To shortcut this process, you can use the model of the Imperial Court to come up with NPCs, each with a duty that needs to be fulfilled in the court. There will always be a Lord of the Court, who is the Court's highest decision-maker, and some number of Advisors, who have powers and interests of their own. These advisors can offer Favors depending on their own power...but only if they want to.
The advisors have different amounts of power depending on the climate of the court. The Center is very powerful with a weak lord, and the Right Hand is stronger than the Left in times of War, for example.
To construct your own court, create an NPC in each role, giving them conflicting motivations or rivalries between them. Add a potential nemesis for the the PCs to also be vying for favors from these NPCs, and you have a working, dynamic court.
Note: Not all of these duties may have an official title, but someone in the court will likely be fulfilling that duty in one way or another. One person can have more than one duty. Some duties can remain empty, though that would show in the organization of the court.
Although typically courts are assumed to be held and related to the environment of a daimyo or the Emperor's household, there are groups of people maneuvering and scheming in many different environments, and courtly acumen is useful in all of them.
Example Courts
Here are some examples of different kinds of "courts" that samurai may have to navigate the complex social cues of
- The Imperial Court: Made of many ministries, staffed with the most elite courtiers, and vying for tasks that can be completed with the power of the Emperor, the Imperial court is the most consequential and most dangerous.
- A City: A city or major district of a huge city has a governor who has his own court, and PCs must try to earn favor in such a court to get the governor to act.
- Household of the Daimyo: Whether the castle of a Clan Champion or the home of a local daimyo, the fights in local courts are very personal.
- Military Encampment: A General or Clan Champion on the battlefield is as remote to the common bushi as a Daimyo in his castle. If there is something that that General must know, it will take a lot of political skill to find a way to get some of his time to hear you out.
- Monastery: Just because monks have renounced worldy affairs doesn't make it any easier for the High Abbot of Shinsei to offer you some of his precious time and resources. The monks want to keep the outside world out, not let it in.
- A Village: A clan samurai might be able to power his way through village politics, but for a humble ronin, convincing the village headman to offer you that contract might be harder than you think.
- Yakuza Cartel: You don't choose to speak to the boss if you're a low-end ronin hit man. The boss chooses to speak to you.
For the GM, it can be a time-consuming and difficult process to make a large group of NPCs with different desires and interactions in order to populate a court and have people to courtier with and against. Creating rivals can be especially difficult. To shortcut this process, you can use the model of the Imperial Court to come up with NPCs, each with a duty that needs to be fulfilled in the court. There will always be a Lord of the Court, who is the Court's highest decision-maker, and some number of Advisors, who have powers and interests of their own. These advisors can offer Favors depending on their own power...but only if they want to.
The advisors have different amounts of power depending on the climate of the court. The Center is very powerful with a weak lord, and the Right Hand is stronger than the Left in times of War, for example.
To construct your own court, create an NPC in each role, giving them conflicting motivations or rivalries between them. Add a potential nemesis for the the PCs to also be vying for favors from these NPCs, and you have a working, dynamic court.
Note: Not all of these duties may have an official title, but someone in the court will likely be fulfilling that duty in one way or another. One person can have more than one duty. Some duties can remain empty, though that would show in the organization of the court.
Duty / Role |
Purpose |
Imperial Court |
City |
Daimyo's Household |
Military Encamp-ment |
Monastery |
Village |
Yakuza Gang |
Lord |
Make Decisions |
Emperor |
Governor |
Daimyo |
General |
Abbot |
Headman or Sonchou |
Boss |
Center |
Manage Resources / Enforce Law |
Emerald Champion |
Karo |
Karo |
Second in Command |
Prior |
Bookkeeper |
Underboss |
Herald |
Communicate and Explore |
Daimyo of the Miya (Unicorn) |
Head of the Magistrates |
Head of the Magistrates |
Communications /Drummers /Signal Corps |
Cantor |
Town Gossip |
Fence or Leg-Breaker |
Right Hand |
Wage War |
Commander of the Imperial Legions (Lion) |
Head of the City Guards |
Head of the Household Guards |
Commanders |
Sohei |
Village Guard |
Capo |
Left Hand |
Wage Peace |
Chancellor (Crane) |
Domestic Advisor |
Advisor or Spouse |
Logistician |
Cellerer |
Leader of the caregivers / Matriarch |
Consigliere |
Spiritual Advisor |
Provide Spiritual Advice |
Jade Champion (Phoenix) |
Spiritual Advisor |
Spiritual Advisor |
Combat Shugenja |
Sensei |
Village Monk |
-- (Often filled by a sympathetic monk or shugenja associate) |
Underhand |
Unorthodox Tactics |
Imperial Advisor (Scorpion) |
Spymaster |
Spymaster or Spouse |
Scouts |
-- (Often filled in an un-titled fasion by one of the monks) |
Village Poacher/Scout/Gambler |
Personal Assassin |
Each of these Duties have types of favors that the people in these roles can offer the PCs. The PCs will pay for these favors with Influence or, if the Influence is not used, with direct persuasion.
Role |
Favors they can offer |
Lord |
The Lord can order anyone under him to act throughout his area of power, but does not offer favors directly. Note: PCs will attempt to build up Influence to meet with the Lord to present their case and persuade him to make judgements in their favor. Petitioning the Lord this way for favors generally granted by his servants is, however, a considerable breach of etiquette. |
Center |
Small: Resupply travel kits; arrange a meeting with a vassal merchant; secure travel papers within the lord's holdings; be accompanied by household guards for a sequence; hold a confessed or low-rank prisoner captive. Medium: Secure travel papers to an allied lord's holdings; Expedite travel papers; Be accompanied by household guards for several sequences; request a preliminary judgement; hold a suspect of equal rank captive. Large: Secure permanent travel papers within the lord's demesne; set aside legal precedent for a specific situation; hold a suspect of high rank captive. |
Herald |
Small: Send a message anywhere in the lord's lands; Send a herald to the site of a disaster Medium: Send a message to an allied lord; Assign a local magistrate to investigate a rumor this season; Send workmen or supplies to the site of a disaster Large: Send a message privately without a record being made, Assign a magistrate to investigate something that goes against the Lord's best interests to know about. |
Right Hand |
Small: Rearrange a patrol's schedule, accept an outsider to go along with a patrol or in a military unit; Request repairs to weapons or armor. Request a commendation. Medium: Request a squad to help apprehend a criminal, have a small guard contingent stationed somewhere for a season. Request new Weapons or Armor. Request a major commendation. Large: Request a display of military might in a specific location; secure an appointment in the lord's army, Request a replacement for a Katana or Wakizashi. |
Left Hand |
Small: Reassess a settlement's tax burden; receive an invitation to a future court; participate in a seasonal competition; examine a settlement for needed improvements within the year. Medium: Secure a tutor for an exam, Receive lodgings in the household for a season. Large: Request a marriage arrangement; secure a position in a Lord's household for one person. |
Spiritual Advisor |
Small: Arrange a divination for a major event (birth, marriage, death); Access to a local shrine Medium: Cause a previously-cast divination to be re-examined; get access to sacred texts Large: Have a monk or shugenja examine a spiritual matter personally. |
Underhand |
Small: Increase the influence cost of another Duty's favor, to interfere with a competitor; Acquire sensitive information. Medium: Acquire secret information within the lord's domain Large: Acquire secret information about the Lord's allies or enemies |
