Clan of Origin: Falcon
Dojo: None

Description: The Falcon Clan’s Toritaka Family, close allies of the Crab Clan, have taken responsibility for guarding the Crab’s borders within Rokugan so that the Hida, Hiruma, and other Families can turn their attention to the Shadowlands. The Falcon face all manner of enemies: wild animals, rapacious brigands, and even the odd ogre or pack of goblins that managed to slip past the Crab’s watchful eyes. Trained as huntsmen as well as Swordsmen, Toritaka Swordsmen are highly skilled in observation and reconnaissance, and many employ their Clan namesake raptors to aid them in their pursuit of enemies.

The Toritaka Swordsman School focuses on striking opponents by circumventing their defenses. They use the daisho to find weaknesses and relentlessly attack their opponents until they fall. Over a lifetime of training, the Toritaka learn to see past the tricks an adversary may utilize and to efficiently dismantle their enemies.

The Toritaka School is fluid in order to adapt to any surprises that opponents (human or otherwise) might throw at its students. However, its specialized Techniques lead to little formal Kenjutsu training, making those who study Toritaka vulnerable to more traditional opponents and Swordsman Schools. 

Basic Curriculum: Hunter, Kenjutsu
Knacks: Beat (Kenjutsu), Exploit Weakness (Toritaka), Feint (Kenjutsu), Flurry (Kenjutsu), Lunge (Kenjutsu)

Revised Swordsman Knack: Beat. When attacking an enemy, you can declare a Beat. You roll Brawn + Beat, and must roll a number of Raises equal to your enemy’s Brawn in order for your Beat 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.

Revised Swordsman Knack: Feint. When attacking an enemy, you can declare a Feint. You roll Wits + Feint, and must roll a number of Raises equal to your enemy’s Wits in order for your Feint 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.

New Swordsman Knack: Flurry. When attacking an enemy, you can declare a Flurry. You roll Resolve + Flurry, and must roll a number of Raises equal to your enemy’s Resolve in order for your Flurry 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: While they have not studied Mirumoto’s Niten like their peers in the Mirumoto or Zurui Schools, Toritaka Swordsmen are still taught to wield a katana and wakizashi in tandem, and never suffer an off-hand penalty when doing so. In addition, Toritaka Swordsmen reeve a free Raise on all Perception Checks. This bonus applies at all times, unless the Swordsmen is using a different School or Fighting Style.

The Toritaka School is not taught at a formal dojo; its secrets and Techniques are passed on from individual Masters to those they find worthy. As a result, Apprentices get five Knacks from the Hunter Skill at Rank 1 instead of three for having the Skill in their Basic Curriculum, and Animal Training is always considered a Basic Knack for them.

Journeyman: The Journeyman of Toritaka has begun to understand the swift movements of the Falcon, and may add his Rank in Wits to his Initiative Total when fighting using this School. In addition, Toritaka Journeymen learn to identify transient weakness an opponent may be suffering through…and then they learn how to exploit them. For every Dramatic Wound an opponent suffers in a Round, the Journeyman receives a free Raise on all attack rolls against that opponent. At the beginning of the new Round, these free Raises go away, as the opponent will have learned how to adapt to his injuries (assuming he is still standing).

Master: Toritaka Masters learn to use all their senses in combat, not just vision. They can hear the air whistle as a blade comes towards them, smell the blood oozing from an injured opponent’s wounds, and even taste the tang of blood or metal in the air. The Master never suffers penalties for fighting in Dim Lighting or Total Darkness. In addition, Masters learn how to identify weak spots on any opponent, even a non-human one. When making a Damage Roll, Toritaka Masters may ignore any sort of penalty to his roll, such as a drachen’s damage reduction or a ruin monster’s Carapace rating.