So I was working on the Romance rules for the L5R stuff, figuring out how to integrate Houses of the Blooded rules, and thinking how to those would work best mechanically in L5R. Then I realized the basic rules were already.
The Duel. Romance is a duel. And as deadly as any swordfight. Because if you fail, you die. At least in every good samurai drama I've ever seen. Romance leads to Doom. And you still take up the challenge every damn time. That's how Romance and Bushido intersect. Because you can't be afraid of the Doom.
So that puts Romance in the Duels section, before Combat and Warfare. Combat will probably be renamed Skirmish to keep the theme going. And means the Glory rules are done. Because here's the final bits, including what the basic benefits of Glory are. And Infamy. Sweet Infamy. And a bit on marriage.
Oh, just read the damn thing.
Infamy
You might have gone too far. You might not have gone far enough. Whatever you have done, the road back to Glory is blocked with formidable obstacles. Hachigoku no longer judges you as moving towards or away from an honorable life; it judges you incapable of Honor. Now you are to be feared and reviled, even though your position or the extent of your villainy is phenomenal. They may still be forced to deal with you because of your status or their oaths, or even forced to contend with your legend. When your Glory becomes Infamy, you immediately lose all Glory Points and your Glory Ranks are replaced with an identical amount of Infamy Ranks.
In addition to the extreme penalty of impurity, other ways to transform Glory to Infamy include:
Murder: Any act qualifying as murder costing your Honor Ranks results also in Infamy if made public.
Ronin/Exile: Being made ronin or being exiled does not necessarily make one instantly Infamous. However, it does have an impact on your Glory and Infamy. If exiled by an uji or other faction, lose 1 Glory Rank. If exiled from all Hachigoku, you're reduced to Glory Rank 0. If made ronin, you're reduced to Glory Rank 0. If you already have Infamy, these changes in fortune do no nothing to your Infamy Rank, and if they are coupled with a change to Infamy (an Imperial decree reveals your Infamous act as reason of exile, for instance) only result in a change to Infamy Ranks equal to your former Glory Ranks, and the loss of Glory Points. If you refuse to recognize being ronin or exiled, or violate exile without the appropriate permission, your Glory (even if you have 0 Ranks) becomes Infamy.
Taint: Any public revelation of Taint or maho use results in Infamy. Further Taint or maho use has no effect on your Infamy, however.
Acts that lose you Glory cause a loss of recognition and force of reputation as Hachigoku pulls away from you, hoping to shame you back into honorable ways by withdrawing respect. Some acts, though, are too dark, too disgusting to be brushed away or suffer mere disapproval. These crimes against the Celestial Order instead result in transforming your Glory into Infamy. Your misdeeds have gained you fame of the worst kind. You are a force to be reckoned with. People will never respect you, but they will fear you. Not only for what you have done and can do, but for the spiritual disturbance your existence confronts within the Celestial Order.
You might be okay with that.
Infamy follows the same general rules as Glory; you have Infamy Ranks now, and gain or lose Infamy Points. Once you're Glory becomes Infamy, what once was forbidden becomes a credit to your villainy. What was once praised lessens your Infamy. This is not a complete reversal, however, for while it affects almost all activities, not all changes are in exact proportion. Infamy Points follow the same rules as Glory Points, except as follows:
Acts of Virtue & Vice: Acts of Virtue now lose you Infamy Points, and Acts of Vice gain you Infamy Points.
Duels: Challenges do not gain you Infamy Points, but victories still do.
Gifts: No one praises gifts from the Infamous. No Infamy Points.
Arts: No one is inspired by the works of the Infamous (or at least, no one will admit to be). No Infamy Points.
Bugei & Low Skills: A greatly skilled villain is a villain to be feared. You gain the same Infamy Points for increasing both your Bugei and Low Skills.
Promotion: A higher status villain is certainly more Infamous. Gain Infamy Ranks as if they were Glory Ranks.
Demotion: And a lower status villain is less feared. Lose Infamy Ranks as if they were Glory Ranks.
Discipline Okuden: Gain Infamy Ranks as if they were Glory Ranks, although expect a great deal of difficulty (perhaps even refusal) from your sensei and fellow students in the dojo.
Warfare: Gain and lose Infamy as if it were Glory. A victorious general is to be feared; a losing one to be scorned.
Defeat: Lose Infamy Points as if they were Glory Points.
Ronin/Exile: Has no further effect on your Infamy.
Impurity: Has no further effect on your Infamy.
Dark Whispers: Has no further effect on your Infamy.
Regaining Glory
Going from Glory to Infamy can be startling but clear. Returning to Glory is another matter. Any act glorious enough to overcome the fear and revulsion you normally inspire is no small event. At the GM's discretion some notable act of Honor may accomplish the feat, but an act of extreme Glory lacking proportionate Honor will not transmute your Infamy. Three of the chief ways to return to Glory include:
Quest: If a superior sets you upon a quest of danger and sacrifice to cleanse you and give your faction great Glory, you may redeem your Infamy. To do so, you must gain gain enough Honor Points from completing the quest equal or greater than both your Infamy Rank and the Glory Rank of the superior who gave you the quest. Once accomplished and acknowledged, you lose all Infamy Points and your Infamy Ranks are replaced with either the same amount of Glory Ranks or with Glory Ranks equal to the superior's (whichever is lower).
Restoring the Celestial Order: If you can claim victory over any enemy to the Empire outside the Celestial Order (as defined earlier) whose Threat Rank, highest Ring Rank, or Infamy Rank exceeds your Infamy Rank, and it's acknowledged by a superior, you are redeemed. You lose your Infamy Ranks and Infamy Points, replacing them with an equal number of Glory Ranks.
Supreme Virtue: If you commit an Act of Virtue with supreme sacrifice (usually your own death), and a superior acknowledges it, you lose all Infamy Ranks and Infamy Points and replace them with an equal amount of Glory Ranks. This is often posthumous.
Using Glory & Infamy
Your reputation can cause both awe and admiration, or fear and revulsion. Any of these reactions can prove useful. First, you must have made your reputation known. Whenever you make a Social roll, you can spend a Glory Points equal to your Glory Rank for a +XkX bonus, where X is your Glory Rank. While the general outcome fits your intention, the result will likely have a positive or negative feel: a samurai rushes to fulfill your request with a sense of pride, or the geisha succumbs to your seduction trembling and ashamed.
Your fame likely precedes you. Whenever two characters meet who are unknown to each other, either can attempt to gauge the identity of the other based on Glory. Doing so requires an Etiquette or Politics/Awareness roll (TN 30). They gain an Xk0 bonus to the roll, where X is equal to the Glory Rank of the one being identified.
Certain Skills and Disciplines also make use of your Glory Rank, as do the Warfare and Duel rules.
Seppuku
Seppuku (“chest-cutting”) is Hachigoku's most exalted form of regaining lost honor. The exact circumstances and nature of seppuku will be covered in the culture chapter. This section strictly covers the game mechanics.
You can commit seppuku after any action that loses you Honor or Glory. Or if you fervently disagree with the orders of your superior, the implication being that following them would either dishonor you or ultimately dishonor them, and seppuku would prevent such a no-win situation. In either case, you must have permission from your superior; seppuku is considered an honor that must be allowed, not a punishment one can inflict by yourself. Only if you contacting your superior is beyond your ability, such as in the midst of Warfare or deep in the countryside or wilderness, is unsanctioned seppuku considered acceptable. You might attempt it otherwise, but doing so would be considered an Act of Vice and not Honor, even if it forestalls greater Honor or Glory losses.
It's important to note that seppuku is only for the samurai caste, and while samurai belonging to an uji do have an immediate superior and a chain of fealty and command past that, ronin do not. Any uji samurai is a superior for these purposes. Thus, a ronin must ask an uji samurai for permission. Most will be reluctant to interfere with the honor of a ronin, and refer the case to their superior, who often passes it on up to the daimyo. Stories of ronin petitioning daimyo for seppuku are actually fairly common, if not an everyday occurrence. They usually seek out smaller uji daimyo; larger uji rarely take the matter seriously enough to bother their daimyo. For a ronin to petition the Usagi daimyo for seppuku is not unheard of, but for one to petition the Akodo daimyo is presumptuous at best, insulting at worst.
There are no mechanics for the rituals surrounding the seppuku or performing seppuku itself. Doing so is a grave matter, and whether witnessed or attempted a matter that should be undertaken for dramatic effect, agreed upon by those Players concerned, and not subject to the whim of dice. Feel free to develop your own mechanics (usually a series of Kenjutsu, Honor, and Willpower rolls) if you disagree.
The aftereffects of the seppuku are another matter. If a seppuku is successfully completed (meaning either the final cut occurred without crying out shamefully, or the beheading was swift and clean before a shameful cry was uttered), all Honor and Glory losses the seppuku was requested for are canceled. And yes, a samurai condemned to being exiled or made ronin could appeal for seppuku, even to a superior from another uji.
It happens more often than you think. It is granted less often than the condemned hope.
Marriage
Marriage for samurai is a glorious affair. Once a marriage takes place, the spouse with the lower Glory Rank has it raised to be 1 Glory Rank less than their partner. Whenever a spouse gains or loses Glory Ranks, the other gains or loses Glory Points equal to the new total Glory Ranks. This is a Glorious marriage.
An Infamous marriage operates a bit differently. If one spouse has Infamy, the spouse with Glory has their Glory Ranks reduced by the Infamy Ranks of their new partner. If both spouses have Infamy, then the spouse with the lower Infamy Rank has it raised to be 1 lower than their partner. Whenever the spouse gains or loses Infamy Ranks, the other gains or loses Infamy Points equal to the new total Infamy Ranks.
Marriage gives additional benefits using the Season rules, as well.
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