Clan of Origin: Ki-Rin
Dojo: Dojo of the East

Description: The Ki-Rin Clan’s Moto Family has a unique burden. During their return to Rokugan, half of their number were corrupted into the service of the Shadowlands. Since that day, they have struggled to redeem their name by fighting the minions of Fu Leng, and by serving as shock troops in the armies of the Ki-Rin. Practitioners of this School are almost entirely drawn from the Moto Family, though occasionally masterless ronin or particularly nihilistic members of other Families or Clans are drawn to its fatalistic teachings.

The Moto School’s Techniques are based primarily on rugged determination. Moto Swordsmen use shock tactics and brutal fighting skills to make the cost of battle monstrously high for the enemy. Moto have been known to ride standing on their saddles into lines of enemy pikemen, impaling their steeds and jumping over the brandished spears to attack the heart of the enemy formation. The School offers strong defensive training, so that a Swordsman may inflict heavy casualties on the enemy before succumbing to overwhelming numbers or superior fighting skill. Death is not too high a price for such a Swordsman to pay if it means regaining the Moto Family’s honor.

The weakness of the Moto School is that it prepares its students to die rather than encouraging them to live. A Moto Swordsman will frequently accept his demise rather than trying to avoid it, and cagey opponents will use this to their advantage.

Basic Curriculum: Kenjutsu, Rider
Knacks: Cavalry Attack (Kenjutsu), Exploit Weakness (Moto), Lunge (Kenjutsu), Trick Riding, Wall of Steel (Kenjutsu)

Revised Swordsman Knack: Wall of Steel. Your weapon is an ever-present blocking device, and you use it like a tortoise uses its shell. If you have not attacked yet this Round, then each Rank of this Knack increases your TN to be hit by two. You cannot use your Parry Knack with the relevant weapon for Active Defenses in any Phase where you benefit from this Knack.

New Swordsman Knack: Cavalry Attack. This replaces the Attack (Kenjutsu) Knack when using a sword from horseback. This is the same as the Cavalry Attack Knack found in the Kenjutsu Skill, but it is considered a Basic Knack for students of the Moto School.

New Swordsman Knack: Trick Riding. Trick Riding lets you stand while riding (TN 15), do handstands on horseback (TN 20), hang off one side of the horse for cover (TN 20), and other flashy tricks. In addition, this Knack allows you to  mount your horse both while running (TN 15) and while leaping off a one-story building (TN 20). A well-trained mount may reduce such Target Numbers by five. This is the same as the Trick Riding Knack found in the Rider Skill, but it is considered a Basic Knack for students of the Moto School.

Apprentice: All Moto Swordsmen are also skilled horsemen and excel at cavalry tactics. The Apprentice gains a free Raise when using his Cavalry Attack (Kenjutsu) Knack, and may use his Wall of Steel Knack while using Riding (Horse) as a Knack for Passive Defense.

Students of the Moto Swordsman School study at the Dojo of the East, where they benefit from extensive defensive training. Moto Swordsmen may add their Mastery Level in this Swordsman School to their TN to be hit while their Wall of Steel Knack is active.

Journeyman: Moto Swordsmen are determined, and nothing may stay them from their course. As a Journeyman, the Swordsman may add his Mastery Level in this School to his Wound Threshold. This Technique is active at all times, even if the Journeyman is using another Swordsman School.

Master: A Master of this School knows how to fling himself into battle and stay alive as long as possible so that he may extract a heavy price from the enemy. After performing a Lunge, the Master’s TN to be hit drops to fifteen (rather than five) until the end of the next Phase. In addition, the Master may use Lunge as an attack while mounted, though doing so will propel him off of his mount.