Draft: The Kitsune Bushi

The Kitsune Bushi are a replacement for the Hiruma Bushi originally planned. After looking over the Hiruma, it occurred to me that they're just too niche. And expecting them to give up the niche to spread their dojo across Hachigoku seemed unrealistic.

So I took the basics of the Hiruma, looked through various "scout" type Paths (which are really pretty identical": Shinomen Guard, Kitsune Tracker, Wilderness Explorer), and cobbled up this ryuu. I think it fits the niche of needing a scout, wilderness-based Discipline without trampling all over ninja territory, just getting uncomfortably close.

Plus, I can put the Hiruma niche back in with a Path, so they still get love, and I can make an interesting three-way history dynamic between the Kitsune, Shinjo, and Hiruma.

This is the first of the Shosei ryuu, seeing as I can give them a mythical origin without being directly attached to Thunders or Kami.

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The Kitsune Bushi Ryuu

Basic Discipline: The Kitsune Bushi

Uji/Profession: Kitsune Bushi
Benefit: +1 Perception
Honor: 2
Skills: Athletics, Hunting, Investigation, Kenjutsu, Kyujutsu, Stealth
Outfit: Daisho, yumi, any 20 arrows, any 1 weapon, ashigaru armor, 1 kimono, traveling pack, 2 koku

Okuden
Rank 1, The Hidden Path: The wilderness holds few secrets for those who run with foxes. You add your Hunting to your TN to be Hit and attack roll totals when in non-urban environments. Additionally, you gain Free Raises equal to your Discipline Rank when using the Hunting, Investigation, or Stealth Skills, and Stealth is considered a Bugei Skill for you.

Rank 2, Run Like the Wind: Those who reach this rank can push their endurance past normal limits. You can maintain a running pace for a number of hours equal to your Discipline Rank x 2, assuming a speed of 10 m.p.h. Afterwards you must spend an equal amount of time resting, engaging in no strenuous activity (nothing that requires combat or Complex Actions. Additionally, you can double the overland travel speed of yourself and a number of other individuals equal to your Discipline Rank x 5. This only applies in non-urban environments as you pick your way through unused passes and trod little-known paths across the wilderness of Hachigoku.

Rank 3, Moving the Shadow: Nothing can impede a Kitsune intent on fulfilling his mission. You can always move at full speed, even if normally hampered by Full Defense, Stealth, or Wound penalties. If magically impeded, you can spend a Void Point to still move at full speed for the rest of the Scene. This will not enable you to move if immobilized for any reason, but you do gain a +1k1 bonus to all rolls to escape bonds or entanglement. Your memory, too, is heightened. At any time you can hold an image in your head and recount the details perfectly, as if you were standing there. You can only hold one such image in your head at a time.

Rank 4, Harness the Wind: Your attacks howl like a cutting wind. When you spend an Action to make an attack, you can also make an additional attack.

Rank 5: Veil of Spirits: Your mastery of seeing unseen is complete. When making Hunting or Stealth rolls, your 9's explode as if they were 10's. Also, you can spend a Void Point when attempting to avoid detection and automatically succeed against any attempts to detect you. You must remain completely still, only breathing, or the okuden fails. If magic is used to detect you, you may spend an additional Void Point to foil each specific instance until the end of the Scene.