Perils
The GM can convert accumulated Threat within an attribute into a Peril. A Peril is an event that puts the community at risk in one of the five attributes. This could be a natural disaster, such as a flood, a feud between two families, a late trading caravan, or a bakemono threat.
Threat converts to Perils at the following suggested rate, though GMs are able to adjust these costs as seems suitable for their campaign.
Perils are countered by the actions of the player characters or key NPCs. This might take the form of an investigation or scouting, a combat, an intrigue, a journey with multiple events along the way, or an entire campaign. For a shorthand, we will use Momentum, which is similar to its use in L5R 5th Edition for Intrigues, to give an estimated number of successes to overcome the peril, to help a GM come up with an appropriate peril.
Threat converts to Perils at the following suggested rate, though GMs are able to adjust these costs as seems suitable for their campaign.
Perils are countered by the actions of the player characters or key NPCs. This might take the form of an investigation or scouting, a combat, an intrigue, a journey with multiple events along the way, or an entire campaign. For a shorthand, we will use Momentum, which is similar to its use in L5R 5th Edition for Intrigues, to give an estimated number of successes to overcome the peril, to help a GM come up with an appropriate peril.
Threat |
Peril Rank |
Actions Required to Overcome |
Cost if not Resolved |
3 |
Trivial |
1-4 momentum by an individual. |
The TN to overcome Threat in this Attribute is +1 until this Peril is resolved. |
6 |
Minor |
5-9 momentum by an individual or small group. |
The TN to overcome Threat in this Attribute is +1 until this Peril is resolved. |
9 |
Dangerous |
10-15 momentum by a group of individuals. |
The TN to overcome Threat in this Attribute is +2 until this Peril is resolved and failure to address the threat within 2 seasons will lead to a Role Deficiency in the community. |
12 |
Challenging |
16-20 momentum by a group of individuals, often in more than one scene. |
The TN to overcome Threat in this Attribute is +2 until this Peril is resolved and failure to address the threat within 1 season will lead to a Role Deficiency in the community and will decrease the associated attribute by 1 in 2 seasons. |
15 |
Overwhelming |
21-29 momentum by a group of individuals. This will usually require multiple scenes, and sometimes a whole adventure |
The TN to overcome Threat in this Attribute is +3 until this Peril is resolved and the threat automatically generates a role deficiency. Failure to address the threat will decrease the associated attribute by 1 for each season it goes unaddressed. |
18+ |
Epic |
30+ momentum by a group of individuals. This will require multiple scenes, and often a whole adventure. |
The TN to overcome Threat in this Attribute is +3 until this Peril is resolved and the threat automatically generates a role deficiency. Failure to address the threat will decrease the community's total attributes by 1d4 for each season it goes unaddressed, though this can be spread out across multiple attributes. |
If a community accumulates a sufficient number of threats, and therefore associated perils, that cause an associated attribute to be reduced to zero, the community "shrinks" in size by one category. If this happens twice, the community, at least as it was originally conceived, disbands, and its resources vanish. A new community may be rebuilt with the same name as the community that failed, but it would not be the same entity it once was.
Example: Golden Petal Village, in the shadow of Kyuden Kakita, has, over time, accumulated 9 Security Threat. Seasoned Ashigaru in the community can tell the PCs that they feel their position is not militarily secure and they are concerned they are at risk. The GM chooses to cash in their accumulated threat to create an 9 point Dangerous Peril - A small group of Bandits have settled by the road.
The PCs can choose to address this peril or not. If they do not for 1 season, the TN to prevent accumulating more Security threat is increased by 2. Any NPC attempting to mitigate this threat mitigates 1 less threat. If they do not address this peril for 2 seasons, the village yoriki attempts to resolve the issue of the bandits alone and is killed, creating a role deficiency. Now no one is mitigating the security threats to the village, and the PCs will need to find a way to resolve the Peril AND find someone to fulfill the role of yoriki for the village before it will stop accumulating further threat. Until they do, additional Security threat can be spent by the GM to make the band of bandits even larger and more dangerous or create another security Peril to the village, or it can be saved for another season.
The PCs can choose to address this peril or not. If they do not for 1 season, the TN to prevent accumulating more Security threat is increased by 2. Any NPC attempting to mitigate this threat mitigates 1 less threat. If they do not address this peril for 2 seasons, the village yoriki attempts to resolve the issue of the bandits alone and is killed, creating a role deficiency. Now no one is mitigating the security threats to the village, and the PCs will need to find a way to resolve the Peril AND find someone to fulfill the role of yoriki for the village before it will stop accumulating further threat. Until they do, additional Security threat can be spent by the GM to make the band of bandits even larger and more dangerous or create another security Peril to the village, or it can be saved for another season.
Obscuring Perils
A GM may choose to spend a portion their accumulated threat to instead obscure the peril that awaits the community. If they do so, the PCs must spend a cumulative number of opportunities equal to the number of threats spent in order to detect the imminent peril. These opportunities can be made as part of the monthly Taking Responsibilities role, or they can be spent in associated standard 5th Edition Opportunities made for other roles associated with being in the community or its area, including:
* * Air: Notice an interesting detail about a character in the scene, such as an advantage or disadvantage. At the GM’s discretion, you may establish a new detail for an NPC.
* * Earth: Suddenly recall an important piece of information not directly related to the task.
* * Fire: Notice something missing or out of place in the vicinity that is not directly related to the task.
* * Water: Spot an interesting physical detail present in your environment not directly related to your check.
* + Void: Feel a chill down your spine, notice a sudden silence, or detect another sign of the supernatural if there is a spiritual disturbance in the scene. Extra * gives an increasingly precise location for the supernatural occurrence.
Additional Shuji and abilities like that of the Spy Title ability that allow a PC to discern rumors can also be used to help find obscured Perils.
* * Air: Notice an interesting detail about a character in the scene, such as an advantage or disadvantage. At the GM’s discretion, you may establish a new detail for an NPC.
* * Earth: Suddenly recall an important piece of information not directly related to the task.
* * Fire: Notice something missing or out of place in the vicinity that is not directly related to the task.
* * Water: Spot an interesting physical detail present in your environment not directly related to your check.
* + Void: Feel a chill down your spine, notice a sudden silence, or detect another sign of the supernatural if there is a spiritual disturbance in the scene. Extra * gives an increasingly precise location for the supernatural occurrence.
Additional Shuji and abilities like that of the Spy Title ability that allow a PC to discern rumors can also be used to help find obscured Perils.
