Clan of Origin: Crane
Dojo: Kakita Dueling Academy

Description: The sacred art of iaijutsu is practiced by all clans, but none have truly mastered it in the same manner as the sensei at the Kakita Dueling Academy. The School focuses unapologetically upon dueling. Other skills are part of the core teachings, but they are considered incidental and in many cases are offered only because some facet of their instruction relates in some way to iaijutsu and the proper etiquette and protocols related to a duel.

Kakita Swordsmen follow a strict regimen of training and education with no deviation. They still study the lessons of The Sword, the treatise on swordsmanship written by Lord Kakita, the first Emerald Champion. This ancient document lays out the foundations of the Kakita School: speed, accuracy, and Kakita’s legendary “Sudden Strike.”

The weakness of the Kakita Swordsman School is its rigid adherence to traditional forms. An enemy well-versed in those forms can predict the movements and attacks of a Kakita Swordsman.

Basic Curriculum: Courtier, Kenjutsu
Knacks: Exploit Weakness (Kakita), First Strike (Kenjutsu), Flourish (Kenjutsu), Lunge (Kenjutsu), Sidestep

New Swordsman Knack: First Strike. When you have not yet drawn your weapon and wish to attack an enemy, you can declare a First Strike (using a single Action to draw and attack with your weapon). You roll Finesse + First Strike, and must take a number of Raises equal to your enemy’s Finesse in order for your First Strike to be successful. If you are successful, he cannot avoid the attack using any Active Defense. The Raises taken on this roll add Unkept Dice to your damage roll as usual. In Rokugan, this is the Knack typically used for Iaijutsu duels.

New Swordsman Knack: Flourish. When attacking an enemy, you can declare a Flourish. You roll Panache + Flourish, and must take a number of Raises equal to your enemy’s Panache in order for your Flourish to be successful. If you are successful, he cannot avoid the attack using any Active Defense. The Raises taken on this roll add Unkept Dice to your damage roll as usual.

Apprentice: The Kakita School emphasizes traditional, ritualistic fighting styles. Kakita Swordsmen may add twice their Rank in First Striike (Kenjutsu) to their Initiative Total and may add their Mastery Level in Kakita to attack rolls using Attack (Kenjutsu).

Students of Kakita train at the Kakita Dueling Academy. Anyone who practices formal dueling is intimidated by the students of the Academy, as they are the best and brightest of that art. When attempting an Intimidate Repartee Action against another iaijutsu duelist, the Kakita Swordsman gets a bonus to his roll equal to the difference between his Rank in the First Strike (Kenjutsu) Knack and the target’s (this can never result in a penalty to the Swordsman’s roll).

Journeyman: Kakita Journeymen learn the famous “Sudden Strike” of the Crane Clan, gaining a free Rank in their First Strike (Kenjutsu) Knack. This may increase their Rank in the Knack to a six. If it does not, they may increase it from a five to a six later by spending 25 XP.

Master: Kakita Masters have learned that enemies who are slow or weak of spirit are doomed to failure. They may add two Unkept Dice (+2k0) to all attack rolls using Attack (Kenjutsu) against opponents with lower Initiative Totals than their own.

In addition, when engaged in an iaijutsu duel, the Kakita Swordsman can Focus to increase the TN by any value, not just five. He may still only Raise a number of times equal to his Panache, and each only counts as one Raise. For example, if the Swordsman increases the TN by 15, it still counts as a single Raise, not as three Raises, for purposes of determining extra Damage Dice.