Kuma Clan - Brainstorming for fun...

The Kuma clan is known for their strength, believed to draw lineage from a bear spirit, they are known to be extremely honorable samurai, peerless warriors and merciful keepers in court.  The Kuma are known for intimidating others in court, a form of mercy to them, keeping them in line when it seems there action would bring dishonor or shame to others.  The Kuma specialize in unarmed combat and sometimes utilize large clawed gauntlets, truly a Kuma clan bushi in a rage is a godless killing machine. 

School Skills: 
School trait:  +1 strength
Jiujutsu, Claws?,  Intimidation, Ettiquette... ?

Rank 1 skill:  Mercy of the Claw
The Kuma clan shows mercy to others for their founder was a godless killing machine.  Kuma Clan bushi maintain a strict sense of honor for themselves and those they interact with through their strength.  While they are not much for manipulation in courtly environments they definately make sure that less savory courtiers are intimidated to not do the same.  Kuma clan Samurai may utilize their strength trait in place of awareness for intimidation and ettiquite rolls.  So long as it involves honorable pursuits, they do not lose honor for the use of the intimidation skill.  Additionally when utilizing jiujutsu or trademark claw weapons, they gain 1k0 dice for attack and damage rolls. 

Rank 2 skill: Bear Hug
The Kuma clan is known for their ability to handle just about anything with their bare hands, none can stand before their strength and in combat they are truly unstopable.  Anyone fighting a Kuma Clan bushi is considered to be one rank lower in strength.  

Rank 3 skill:   Other things? Someone ideas!

Moto Damasko wrote:
The Kuma clan is known for their ability to handle just about anything with their BEAR hands...

Fixed

Oso Clan +1 Strength



Families


Kumo: +1 Strength - Bushi

School Skills: Jiujutsu 2, Hunting, Athletics, Games (Hula Hoop), Knives (Claw), Intimidation

Rank 1:  Mercy of the Claw
The Kuma shows mercy to others for their founder was a godless killing machine.  Kuma maintain a strict sense of honor for themselves and those they interact with through their strength.  While they are not much for manipulation in courtly environments they definately make sure that less savory courtiers are intimidated to not do the same.  Kuma clan Samurai may utilize their strength trait in place of awareness for intimidation and ettiquite rolls.  So long as it involves honorable pursuits, they do not lose honor for the use of the intimidation skill.  Additionally when utilizing jiujutsu or trademark claw weapons, they gain 1k0 dice for attack and damage rolls. 

Rank 2: Bear Hug
The Kuma is known for their ability to handle just about anything with their bare hands, none can stand before their strength and in combat they are truly unstoppable. Anyone fighting a Kuma is considered to be one rank lower in strength. 

Rank 3: No more Mercy
The Kuma grows tired of long exchanges in battle. For those poor opponents who draw their ire the Kuma decide to use both hands. You may attack as a simple action that may be only used for an unarmed or claw attack

Rank 4:?????

Rank 5: Profit


Ursi: +1 Strength - Courtier
The larger members of the Oso clan are taken to the courtier school as an agreement with the emperor to prevent them from winning all battles. You may purchase the Big (large) advantage for 2 pts less.

School Skills: Jiujutsu, Hunting, Athletics, Games (Hula Hoop), Sincerity 2, Courtier Intimidation

Rank 1: Decisive
The Ursi are very sincere in their use of Intimidation. If using intimidation for the control emphasis you lose no honor. You lose twice the honor for using the torture emphasis as the Oso clan believes that mercy and death both come swiftly. You gain +2k0 to Intimidation roles against smaller opponents if they are facing you.

Rank 2: Do not turn your back!
While the Ursi are a different breed of courtiers they do eventually learn to read and understand the strategies of those smaller then them. When defending against a social role you may add your Glory + Strength to the total roll. If challenged as a result of a social roll you may use your highest school skill in place of a martial skill.

Rank 3: Bear in the mirror
Whenever the Oso clans honor is questioned you have to make a change. You may make two rolls to contest the statement(s). If you succeed, you may initiate a duel to first knockdown using the jiujutsu skill. If the conditions of the duel are changed or declined you may make an unarmed attack to the face. If it lands, you drop some fresh rhymes and redeem your family honor. Gain 5 pts of honor and glory

"No more mercy"

"Bear hands" 

So good...  DO THEY LITERALLY HAVE BEAR HANDS?

It would be the Bear Clan (a minor clan), and the head family would be the Kuma Family.

How about this (assuming Thousand Years of Darkness, based on info in the History of the Empire book, this doesn't have to be the official cannon of the Bear Clan, and I'd like to hear everyone else's take on it):

The ruling family would be named for Hida Kuma, a warrior of the Hida Pragmatist school who had a preference of clawed gauntlets to battle with.  During the years prior to the dark lords ascension to Emperor, Kuma was an invaluable warrior in Toturi's Army as well as earning a reputation for how he fought on the wall (double claw style, close-combat with shadowlands creatures).  After the Broken Day of Thunder (second day of thunder in the KYD storyline), Kuma was promoted to Gunso of a small legion of the Black Lion's Armies (Yakamo and Totori's resistance).  Kuma earned the respect of Toturi and Yakamo after wrestling (and eventually killing) an Asura that had broke the front lines and surprised Toturi.  Toturi and Yakamo awarded Kuma the right to establish his own school and minor clan with their sanction (with a written promise that if they were to ever succeed in killing Fu Leng and either of them had the authority, to make the Minor Clan officially sanctioned by the Throne).

Kuma took the opportunity to train others and develop an official school technique for his fighting style.  A small bay, long forgotten along the southern shores of the empire, was the home of the Forgotten Bay Dojo, and here, Kuma trained his family and the samurai who swore fealty to his clan. The samurai of the Bear Clan are made up almost entirely by the samurai who served in Kuma's legion (given permission to swear fealty to their Gunso), and two little known Vassal Familes.  

First, the Oso Family of the Crab Clan, and their Daimyo Oso Yogi swore fealty because of Yogi's training with Kuma during the years before the Broken Day of Thunder.  The Oso family were an ill fit for the Crab anyway, being based out of a small town in the fields between the borders of the Crab, Crane, and Scorpion clans.  The family are master woodworkers and also have had to deal with the numerous border disputes between the three clans and thus courtiers from the family are well versed in the political ways of all three clans.  The family is primarily artisans and courtiers, but their limited Bushi train hard in the art of Jiujitsu.  While Hida Kuma's unique style of combat is much more "raw" and brash than traditional Jiujitsu, the style still is based on a strong foundation of Jiujitsu principles.  Most of the Sensei teaching combat styles mirroring Hida Kuma's are from the Oso family.

Secondly, the Kiri Family of the Lion Clan, and their Daimyo Kiri Beilu swore fealty due to their admiration of Kuma's style of silent unquestioned strength.  Kiri Beilu is a master duelist and never really felt that his small family fit in the Lion Clan, instead preferring a dueling style somewhere between the Kakita school of dueling and the Matsu school of berserkers.  Their skirmish combat style is much closer to the brash Hida than that tactical Akodo.  It made sense for the Kiri family to swear fealty and find a home in the newly formed Bear Clan.  The Kiri Family are the Kenjutsu and Iaijutsu Sensei of the Bear Clan, teaching their unique style of aggressive, swift dueling, as well as their brazen skirmish style of Kenjutsu.

The Bear Clan's overarching goal is to train and grow strong so as to help take back the throne in the name of Toturi and Yakamo.  Only then will they elevate from "unofficial minor clan" to a fully fledged and Emperor mandated Minor Clan of the Empire.  They chase this goal with great strength and focus, because if they fail, they cease to exist.

Kuma Family: +1 Strength
Oso Family: +1 Awareness
Kiri Family: +1 Agility

Kuma Bushi School:
Benefit: +1 Agility
Skills: Athletics 2, Jiujitsu (Claws), Defense, Intimidation, Any one Bugei Skill
Honor: 3.0
Outfit: Heavy Armor, Sturdy Clothing, Wakizashi, Clawed Gauntlet (x2), Traveling Pack, 2 Koku

Techniques_________________________________________________________________
Rank One: Kuma's Claws
The Samurai of the Kuma Bushi School fight in the traditional style of Hida Kuma himself.  Arming themselves with two clawed gauntlets and heavy armor, the Bushi lumbers at his opponent, clawing with fast, vicious swipes.  If a swipe connects, the Bushi easily transitions into a grapple and uses his clawed hands to eviscerate the opponent.  While you have two clawed gauntlets equipped, you get +0k1 to your Jiujitsu damage rolls when rolled as a weapon skill.  In addition, you may attack as a simple action as long as it is a Jiujitsu Weapon Skill roll, and you ignore penalties to your Agility skill rolls while wearing Heavy Armor.

(Essentially, start at 0k2 for Jiujitsu damage rolls, and when you add your strength [base 3 if Kuma family) then you are rolling base katana damage at level 1.  But you are doing it as a simple action, so two attacks per turn at level 1)

Rank Two: The Bear Shrugs
Kuma Bushi are ferocious when attacking, but intimidating and imposing between attacks.  The Kuma Bushi carries himself with an air of knowing that he is larger and more powerful than his opponent, moving smoothly from target to target, not paying note to those enemies more feeble than he.  This air of confidence and strength makes the Kuma Bushi terrifying to view on the battlefield, and scares his opponents into questioning their actions.  You may use your Strength trait in place of the Awareness trait for Intimidate Skill rolls while in combat.  After an opponent makes a successful attack roll targeting you, you may roll Intimidate/Strength vs a TN of the opponents Willpower x 5.  If successful, the opponent questions his strike at the last moment and clumsily botches it.  The opponent gets -2k1 on his damage roll.

(Important thematically for a Bear bushi, as well as protecting the Kuma Bushi while he is engaged in open melee combat)

Rank Three: The Great Sleep
Kuma Bushi train their bodies into elite fighting machines, but also take the time to learn advanced resting techniques.  The world of KYD is a hard one, and often times there is not sufficient time to rest between battles.  The Kuma learn to fight hard when awake, and properly prepare for resting using small medicinal herbs and advanced meditation styles intended to properly rest the muscles.  You only require 6 hours of rest to replenish void points and be fully rested.  In addition, any time you are able to get a full rest in, you get a temporary void point above your void point maximum.  This void point is lost after the first skirmish you engage in or at the beginning of your next days rest (whichever happens first).  A Kuma Bushi may benefit from this Technique a maximum of 2 times per day.

(Fits the theme of Hibernating Bears, while giving them a flavorful ability outside of combat that also transitions into an in-combat bonus.  I also like the idea of Kuma bushi taking power naps to "rest up" before an evening skirmish to get that extra void point)

Rank Four: Bring the Claw Down
Kuma Bushi use the flexibility of their claw weapons to take advantage of any opportunity given to them.  A young bushi will jump straight into every battle, flailing their claws wildly, while a more experienced Kuma Bushi knows when to slow down and put more force behind a single attack when the opportunity presents itself.  Weaving into the fray and bringing down a man with a single swipe of a claw, the Kuma Bushi leaves his free hand open to deflect incoming attacks.  You may choose to make a Jiujutsu Weapon Skill attack roll as a complex action instead of a simple action.  If you do, on a successful attack you ignore 5 points of Reduction, as well as knock the foe prone dazing them in the process.  Add +10 to your Armor TN until your next turn as you deflect incoming blows with your free hand.

(Gives the Bear Bushi the ability to add a condition, as well as flexibility during combat.  Also, I love the design space of the Bear Bushi being the only Bushi school that "unlocks" complex action attacks at rank 4, instead of the usual opposite.  Finally, the added armor TN makes up for the fact that the Kuma Bushi will likely be at a 2 or 3 in reflexes at this point, and will be an easy target, as he gains very little from the air ring)

Rank Five: Patience of the Salmon Hunter
The Bear is a patient hunter, using his keen sense of perception to snatch salmon straight from the water they live in.  He makes his presence known, standing over the stream and taking his time.  He fears no predator, and knows that his victory is inevitable.  Your keen eyes and fast hands make you a dangerous pin-point fighter, earning you 2 free raises on the Called Shot Maneuver.  In addition, you do not suffer wound penalties on Jiujitsu Weapon Skill rolls as long as you are not Down or Out.

(Gives the Kuma Bushi a splash of flavor, making him just about the only melee bushi that would use the called shot maneuver.  In addition, the wound penalties thing seems flavorful, but may be too strong... let me know)

Placeholder for the Oso Family School (courtier/artisan leanings, and first technique is very close to what patrick posted for his first technique)

Kiri Bushi School:
Benefit: +1 Intelligence
Skills: Iaijutsu, Kenjutsu (Katana), Defense, Athletics, Intimidation, Lore: Iaijutsu
Honor: 3.0
Outfit: Light Armor, Sturdy Clothing, Daisho, Traveling Pack, 2 Koku

Techniques_________________________________________________________________
Rank One: Kiri's Swift Strike
The Samurai of the Kira Bushi School duel how they skirmish, with fluidity of motion and strong blows. The Kiri Bushi sees a duel as just a way of starting a fight that he can win. He has faith in his own abilities, and he uses his knowledge of traditional Iaijutsu technique to prepare for his foe, instead of assessing the man himself. During a duel, when rolling a Iaijutsu Skill Roll, you may use your Agility trait instead of your Reflex trait and your Intelligence trait instead of your Awareness trait. You may also use Full Attack Stance in place of Center Stance during the duel, and if you do, you ignore wound penalties for the duration of the duel and get the +2k1 bonus on the "Strike" portion of the duel.

(The Kiri Bushi, a primarily dueling/kenjutsu based bushi, gets no mechanical dueling "advantage" during rank one (unlike all the other dueling schools). But they DO get the flexibility of using their fire ring both for Kenjutsu as well as dueling, which means less xp split between the rings. This does mean that their TN will be much lower, so it seems thematic that they would forgo their TN entirely and just duel in full attack for the +2k1 on strike as well as "eating" his opponents first attack.)

Rank Two: The Studious Cub
The Kiri Bushi are students of the art of the duel and the art of war. They train and study hard so that they can be effective Sensei to the youths of the clan. The Kiri use this knowledge on the battlefield not for tactical purposes, but instead instinctual ones. The Kiri will never enter into a situation in which they cannot find historical context, and they use every fact as an advantage on their opponent. Before a duel, you may roll a Lore: Iaijutsu skill roll vs a TN of 5+(5x Your opponents Insight Rank) to ensure you get the first opportunity to attack during the "Strike" portion of the duel. The opponent still keeps any raises they earned during the Focus portion of the duel. During a skirmish, you may roll a Lore: History skill roll vs a TN of 5+(5x the highest insight rank of all opponents) to get a free raise on all of your Kenjutsu skill rolls for the duration of the skirmish.

(Rank Two just gives the Kiri teeth. The free raise is a rank 1 of the akodo school, and the auto-first strike is very strong, but duels are rare and opponents aware of this facet of Kiri dueling will know to raise their TN and prepare for the strike portion of the duel.)

Rank Three: Precision Strike
The Kiri Bushi are agile and intelligent warriors, and this combination makes them precise in their strikes. With a fencers aim, the Kiri Bushi is famous for striking extremely potent or exposed parts of his opponents body. He does this by applying principles of Iaijutsu in his Kenjutsu, and vice versa. For the Kiri Bushi, both are one and the same, two parts of a whole. You may add your Iaijutsu Skill rank to the total of all Kenjutsu Skill rolls, and you may add your Kenjutsu Skill rank to the total of all Iaijutsu Skill rolls. Your attacks in the Full Attack Stance ignore reduction.

(Fitting in the theme of the Bear Clan not getting a "simple attack" school skill, this is the Kiri Bushi's variant. Significantly weaker than the Kuma Bushi's variant, but they also get an additional bonus to their dueling to compensate)

Rank Four: Bear Necessities
The Kiri Bushi are precise attackers, but they trade that frantic fighting style for a lack of defense. To make up for it, the Kiri Bushi are students of their body as well as their mind. The Kiri Bushi has learned how to make himself resilient and braces for incoming blows instead of dodging them. You gain a bonus of equal to your Intelligence Trait to your wounds at each wound rank. You also naturally heal wounds equal to your current Insight Rank during the reaction stage of each round of a skirmish.

(Just a necessary bonus to help the Kiri Bushi not be one shot by everything. This is somewhat similar to the Daidoji Iron Warrior rank 1 skill.)

Rank Five: My Strike IS my Stance
Opponents often call out to the Bear bushi "Show me your stance!". After a flash of steel, the Kiri Bushi looks down at his opponent lying lifeless on the ground. "My Strike IS my stance." You care not for the formalities of the duel. You do not want to discuss the time, place, nor get permission for it. You do not want to dance in front of your opponent comparing subtle movements, and quite frankly you don't care what stance his grandfather taught him. You simply cut the man down. Once a duel has been accepted, You may roll a contested roll vs the opposing duelist: A Fire Ring Roll to quickly strike vs the opponents Air Ring Roll to notice the surprise attack. If you succeed, roll a standard damage roll as if you had made a standard Kenjutsu skill roll vs the opponent. Lose honor equal to your current Honor Rank.

(Thematic as hell and pretty strong (although it will just be a standard DR without additional raises applied or anything. The purpose of this is to bypass all the benefits your opponent gets and just fight them like MEN!)

Needs more BEAR...  Still awesome as hell.

Your complex action rank 4 is awesome ;P

Moto Damasko wrote:Needs more BEAR...  Still awesome as hell.

Your complex action rank 4 is awesome ;P

Thanks!

Yeah, I know it isn't outright broken and some of the bear flavor is lost... but I'm trying to develop something that could hypothetically actually exist.  A school that we could actually play.

In general, I think that it doesn't really shine in any one way, but the simple attacks at rank one make it pretty strong early campaign, and then the incredibly resilience and shrugging off of wounds makes it strong late game.  

I also would need to change this a little bit if it wasn't KYD (because the school is literally designed to exist in a time where combat is frequent.  In a non KYD setting, the "great rest" rank 3 would probably be changed to something about investigation and perception rolls, to take advantage of the fact that your water ring will be quite high). They would also have a different starting kit/skills, probably picking up investigation and sincerity skills, dropping the 2nd athletics rank and the emphasis in jiujitsu.

Seriously though good job. I was making a light hearted attempt at it but then shit got real. Ill put some brainstorming in and work on some iaijutsu mechanics to suggest.

Bear Iaijutsu...  They aren't good at dueling, but they scare the shit out of you...   Could be a cool mechanic, their mechanic is a negative dueling mechanic for the opponent instead of a positive one for them. 

Kuma duelists regularly show up late for duels, while some may look at this as dishonorable, Kuma duelists know that it is an easy way to unnerve their opponents.  Kuma duelists strike with intimidation, usually leading their strike with a piercing kiai that strikes the opponent before their blade.  Even the most dedicated duelist has been thrown off their center when this expression of intense will is brought to bear.  Maybe allow them to utilize willpower instead of reflexes for the strike?  Just a thought...  would play to having the Kuma family have stamina as their main trait if we go that route.  

I know I haven't been talking on this much, I support and love it. Here is what I have to offer. Let me know which color style fits.


Bear Mon

Are there any color options that better fit bears?

The oranges feel to much like "Chicago" 

Love the mon though, definately the "roaring grizzly"

I was just choosing random colors that I thought looked different enough from other mons. Let me know what color schemes you want for bears and I will make it so.

togashi_naiteiru wrote:I was just choosing random colors that I thought looked different enough from other mons. Let me know what color schemes you want for bears and I will make it so.

It's hard...  Bears are brown, black, and sometimes a rustish red. Hmmm...  Ghostly blue grey?  (polar bear?) I don't know, just throwing out clashing ideas.  What about white on red (the coke polar bear's classing color sheme is a very classic combination of "revolution" colors involving purity and fight).   White on a red backdrop?

Anthony or Corey... thoughts? Before I go back to try again.

I think it looks fine!

Which one of the four? (Omg please say thunder cats!)

I like 2 and 3 the most. #1 is too spider-ey, and #4 is too thundercatsey.

If I HAD to choose one, I'd choose 2 because the orange in #3 is a little to "loud". But I'd be okay with 2 or 3.

Updated with the Kiri School. (It is back on page one, I had a "placeholder" post for it).