Some of the things about Teishin Disciplines have undergone changes to Trait benefits and Skills, and even what's here isn't final. It's just the working info. I'm not going to do outfits, either, until the Okuden are set.
A general idea of the Teishin is one of politics. We tend to say "courtier" in English, but what does that really mean in an L5R sense, a Japanese sense, and then finally a Hachigoku sense?
In L5R the courtier had a slow development. Most appeared in 1st Ed. books written after the core rules (Way of the Crane: Doji Courtier; Way of the Scorpion: Bayushi Courtier, Shosuro Butei; Way of the Dragon: Kitsuki Magistrate; Way of the Crab: Yasuki Merchant; and the Otomo Seiyaku and Miya Shisha from the two Winter Court books). Some were too powerful; at about mid-level, lying to a Kitsuki Magistrate was nigh impossible. Some were overly complex; playing a Doji Courtier without the Favor Table open in front of you was pretty tricky. And some gave the setting fantastic flavor, but were mechanically worthless. Omoidasu and Merchant, I'm looking at you. Shawn Carmen was right: having a Rank 1 ability to acquire a frying pan is pretty silly.
2nd Ed. took a stab at fixing things by fleshing out some of the old Schools with new rules or perspective (Kitsuki Investigator School, Ikoma Battle-Crier Path), and gave the Phoenix some badly needed court muscle (Asako Courtier). But most were left alone, leading to mechanical power shifts or still leaving your MErchant with his frying pan. Most importantly, they were still scattered throughout the supplements. The idea that honor and court life are important setting elements, painstakingly stressed in the core books, was not translated into core mechanics and options for players. Always a problem.
3rd Ed. fixed that. All the major clans got a Courtier School alongside its Bushi and Shugenja Schools. Finally, some respect. They were pretty good, too. 4th Ed. kept up the standard.
The problem is that they don't really interact with the core rules themselves. You'd think they would. The combat rules are synergised with the Bushi; magic rules are synergised with the Shugenja. But Courtiers were synergised with... court rules? Social rule? Legal rules? They don't even interact with Honor and Glory much, two subsystems begging for their touch. Of course, given that the rules by 3rd Ed. were little more than long lists of charts, it's not surprising designers were reluctant to encourage characters who manipulated those rules too far. Courtiers would fast become master Mathematicians, and then they'd all be dominated by Kaiu, I'm sure.
So, I thought, what does being a courtier mean? Stirring oratory isn't exactly encouraged in Hachigoku (or Rokugan, really), because for a player that would mean getting your way publicly, in spite of what others want. That's pretty anti-social, in Hachigoku. Do you want to publicly disagree with your daimyo? Do you want to encourage disharmony in others?
Of course not.
Unless you're Bayushi, perhaps, but I digress.
So what are Teishin? If I recall correctly (I'm not looking it up right now), I chose the word for being a close translation of "Politician." That's what a Teishin is, a politician in service to his daimyo. They are the ones who make or break alliances, administer and govern, promote honor and glory. The cultural and social agents of the daimyo. They aren't just "guys who hang out in the daimyo's digs all day."
Mechanically, they play merry hell with Honor and Glory. They love Social rolls, sure, but there will also be a Social Battle analog (I haven't worked that up yet, but I need to look back at some late-era 7th Sea stuff for ideas). And Season Actions, Qualities, and Holdings. They love that stuff. The bushi rushes into combat, the shugenja casts spells, but the Teishin work behind the scnes, in the space between Stories. That's where they make or break you.
So, here are some crib notes for the Teishin. I include "foci", which is a placeholder for Okuden. It gives you some idea of where that Discipline is going.
Asako Teishin Gakuen
Basic Discipline: Asako Teishin
Uji/Profession: Asako Teishin
Benefit: +1 to any Mental Trait
Honor: 3
Skills: Calligraphy, Etiquette, Law, Lore, Medicine, Oratory
Foci: Lore, Law, Duel of Letters
Bayushi Teishin Gakuen
Basic Discipline: Bayushi Teishin
Uji/Profession: Bayushi Teishin
Benefit: +1 Intelligence
Honor: 1
Skills: Etiquette, Investigation, Oratory, Politics, Sincerity, Tantojutsu
Foci: Dishonor, Give Disadvantages, Remove Advantages
Doji Teishin Gakuen
Basic Discipline: Doji Teishin
Uji/Profession: Doji Teishin
Benefit: +1 Awareness
Honor: 3
Skills: Calligraphy, Etiquette, Law, Oratory, Politics, Sincerity
Foci: Honor, Give Advantages, Remove Disadvantages
Ikoma Teishin Gakuen
Basic Discipline: Ikoma Teishin
Uji/Profession: Ikoma Teishin
Benefit: +1 Intelligence
Honor: 2
Skills: Athletics, Battle, Etiquette, Kenjutsu, Oratory, Politics
Foci: Battle, Duels, Glory
Kakita Artisan Gakuen
Basic Discipline: Kakita Artisan
Uji/Profession: Kakita Teishin
Benefit: +1 Agility
Honor: 2
Skills: Artisan, Athletics, Calligraphy, Etiquette, Oratory, Performance
Foci: Art, Patronage, Peace
Kitsuki Teishin Gakuen
Basic Discipline: Kitsuki Teishin
Uji/Profession: Kitsuki Teishin
Benefit: +1 Perception
Honor: 2
Skills: Etiquette, Games, Investigation, Law, Meditation, Underworld
Foci: Investigation, Bonus Effects, anti-Trouble
Miya Teishin Gakuen
Basic Discipline: Miya Teishin
Uji/Profession: Miya Teishin
Benefit: +1 Reflexes
Honor: 3
Skills: Athletics, Bajutsu, Etiquette, Investigation, Law, Oratory
Foci: Glory, Peace, Defense
Otomo Teishin Gakuen
Basic Discipline: Otomo Teishin
Uji/Profession: Otomo Teishin
Benefit: +1 Willpower
Honor: 2
Skills: Commerce, Games, Investigation, Law, Politics, Sincerity
Foci: Conflict, Holdings, Infamy
Shosuro Butei Gakuen
Basic Discipline: Shosuro Butei
Uji/Profession: Shosuro Teishin
Benefit: +1 Awareness
Honor: 1
Skills: Athletics, Etiquette, Performance, Oratory, Sincerity, Stealth
Focus: Impersonation, Inspiring, Spying
Yasuki Merchant Gakuen
Basic Discipline: Yasuki Merchant
Uji/Profession: Yasuki Teishin
Benefit: +1 Stamina
Honor: 1
Skills: Commerce, Etiquette, Law, Nofujutsu, Politics, Sincerity
Foci: Commerce, Holdings, Travel
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