and Magic-users
(For spells, click here)

Mahou | Youjutsu

In the world of Bushido, magic is rare but powerful, and those who wield it are often the subject of much antagonism. Magic is considered a perverse use of the power of ki, akin to tampering with the order of things, and not at all like the shamans and priests who supplicate the gods. Because of this, magic-users almost never directly reveal their power to others who are not magic-users -- and even then, they are canny and unwilling to reveal too much about what they do know. Magic is dangerous.

Despite these prejudices, there are magic-users, here and there throughout Japan. To their credit they have managed to survive over time and pass their knowledge on to successive generations of magic-users. Their powers vary wildly -- some of them are relatively naive and inexperienced, while some of them are astonishingly powerful.

There are two basic varieties of the magic user: the mahou and the Youjutsu.

Mahou

A mahou is the generic term for a magic-user. Mahou is the catchall term used to describe anyone who uses magic, but it also specifically refers to a kind of magic-user that has not had "formal" schooling. Most mahou gain their skills through accidental discovery, or because their father or another relative has indoctrinated them in the skills they have.

Most mahou are hermits or wanderers. They may disguise themselves as monks or priests, or even as prostitutes or blind men. They are living under a lifelong dictum that the less about their true selves they reveal to another, the better.

A mahou will generally not write his spells down, but commit them to memory. In fact, he relies as little as possible on outside materials, and as much as possible on direct demonstrations and oral instruction. If he comes to be close to another, or has a descendant, he will usually teach him his arts at some point, with the same restrictions imposed upon the descendent.

Mahou may have other skills, such as martial arts or swordsmanship, in addition to their magical knowledge.

Youjutsu

Youjutsu are more like shinobi than anything else. They consist of clans, all of which are of course clandestine and not generally known about. Each clan has its own style of magic -- much as different schools of martial arts have their particular styles -- and they will jealously defend it to the death. They usually keep concubines to produce descendents whom they teach the furthering of their arts, rather than draft anyone in from the outside. (Youjutsu will never bring in an outsider to learn magic, not even [and especially not] a mahou.)

While Youjutsu are secretive, their existence is known to certain noblemen, and they have been known to provide their powers in the service of a particular lord -- but for steep prices. They will often do this under the guise of "spiritual guidance" or some other ruse that will not draw attention.

Youjutsu magical knowledge is written down and archived, although it is guarded within the confines of the group it has originated in. Occasionally one group may stage an attack on another group and try to steal away as much spell knowledge as it can, but these raids are dangerous, incur many casualties, and increase the chance of the group being known to outsiders.

Youjutsu are also know to ally with the yama-inu, the giant wild mountain dogs.

How Spells Work

Spells are purchased like skills. When you purchase spells during character creation, you cannot purchase more spells than you have points in Ki.

Casting spells is done by rolling Ki + the spell in question. Note that you also cannot cast more spells in a day than you have points in Ki.

If you want to use Ki to augment a spell (much as you would another skill), you can do this, but you can only do it once per day regardless of how much Ki you've spent that day on spells, and you can't do it if you've already used Ki to fuel some other die roll. The same goes with Karma.

People who are the subject of a spell can resist by rolling Ki at base difficulty plus another die that varies with the spell (see below). If they are aware a spell is being cast (most people aren't!), they get a +1 to their defense (i.e., the caster's first success is dropped). (This action does not burn Ki.)

More dice are added to resisting a magic roll depending on the nature of the spell:

Illusions, enchantments, and other mental spells are resisted by Ki + Int.
Spells that constrain movement (paralysis, etc.) are resisted by Ki + Strength.
Spells that attack one's health (such as Ki drains or Ki blasts) are resisted by Ki + Stamina.

If the defender also has the spell being used, they can resist by rolling Ki +the spell skill. This does not count as a use of Ki for the day.

Buying Additional Spells

Additional spells are bought just like skills. You cannot, however, buy more than twice times your Ki in spells. So if you have a Ki of 4, you cannot buy more than eight spells total, and they are subject to the same usage rules.

As with other skills, you can never buy more than one level in a spell at any given time.

Supernaturals and Mahou

Upon finding out that a person is a mahou, most people would be hard pressed to not board the doors and windows to a known mahou's home and burn it to the ground with the offender against nature inside, no matter what their former relation. No one casually accepts that their friend, lover, or trusted ally is a mahou - who would want a friend who is a servant of oni and drinks the blood of babies?

Considering their reputation lies nestled in with oni and other creatures of hell, most mahou who are long lived keep this fact jealously close to their chest, lest they find themselves tied, gagged, blessed and then burnt without questions asked. The only good mahou is a dead one. The super-naturals of Japan, however, share a much more varied opinion than their human counterparts, considering their own wide variety of alliances. To those who are bound to hell, in service of demons or are oni themselves, a mahou in the neighborhood is an ally and a valuable resource. There has always been a long relationship with the two, and both seem to thrive when the other is well and taken care of.

Of the creatures of closer alliance with heaven, however, the mahou are just as distasteful as any parasites that would leech off of humanity. Most times they are viewed at best as wicked monkey-children who stole power from its rightful owner, but most often they are seen as perverse humans who have delved too far into the powers of hell, and need to be put down like a sick dog. However, since each supernatural group can have varying factions in themselves, lets examine some of the groups.

Kitsune

The foxes and the mahou are not friends. In fact, especially in the case of the Myobu, they are bitter enemies and each would most likely do well to rid themselves of the presence of the other if they are to get anything done properly. These Celestial or "High" kitsune tend to take on guardianship roles over man, and leaving about a person who can and will summon oni just is simply not a good practice. Of course, the mahou aren't particularly fond of the Myobu either - the presence of one in the area most assuredly states that there will be a conflict sooner rather than later, and the kitsune habit of getting themselves upset over workings and a little bloodshed causes for problems during some of the larger rituals that would require such. Relations with the Nogitsune and Wild Kitsune are little better. While they rarely care if a mahou is causing mischief for the people or summoning whatever they care to summon to do their bidding, the powers and properties of a hacked-off kitsune tail are well speculated by the sorcerers, which has made them viewed with considerable less favor all around.

Tanuki

Generally clannish and not too concerned with politics of the spiritual world, it wouldn't seem as if the tanuki as a whole would care one way or the other on mahou. Though they typically find the sorcerers distasteful, it is more considered good housekeeping to make sure that the magic users do not progress too far along in their plans than a particular celestial duty. The mahou tend to bring the party down with them wherever they go, and that simply makes things more difficult - but the tanuki would be far more inclined to play a few tricks to busy the mahou while they hinted towards a kitsune that such an offender was about than deal with the mahou themselves.

Yuki-onna

The Yuki-onna do not get along with any other supernatural creature particularly well, and the mahou are little different. Moreso than almost any other group, yuki-onna perceive the mahou as uppity humans who do not know their place, and most often endeavor to show their superiority over such a creature whenever it is possible. The mahou, in turn, view the yuki-onna as jealous demons with little power and a grudge because of this fact. Little love is lost between the two, and whenever the two meet, very often only one leaves.

Yama-inu

The yama-inu or forest dogs often make seedy back-alley alliances with mahou -- especially Youjutsu. Many Youjutsu will often have a yama-inu pack to do their dirty work with them (or for them), and plot together. The yama-inu can go where the humans cannot and report back for them, and perform deeds of hit-and-run destruction that are no less devastating than what the Youjutsu themselves can do.

Kappa

The Kappa have dealings few and far between with the mahou, more concerned with their rivers and bridges than the dealings of some human who happened to get a hold of more power than they deserved.

Tengu

A good portion of tengu appear as yamabushi, mountain priests, possessing magical powers from the sacredness of their mountains and nature itself, which is in turn used to help the people of the nearby regions. Though not entirely similar, they are not unlike the kitsune in this respect - tricksters and healers. It would, thus, stand to reason that they are not unlike the kitsune in their views of mahou. While perhaps not as fevered in their want of the removal of the twisters of nature as the foxes tend to be, the tengu find mahou just as distasteful as perverters of nature. Many a mahou has found the rumors of the tengu's legendary swordsmanship put to test when they attempted to cross a sacred mountain.

Baku

While neither will exceptionally go out of their way to see about the well-being of the other, baku and mahou are often on reasonable terms with each other. The more powerful mahou are rumored to be able to bind these creatures into service, which makes for a strange feudal relationship between the two. A few subtle words and spells from the mahou can make a delicious feast for the baku the next night.

Oni

If the mahou were lightning, oni would be their thunder. While friend is not a word well used to describe their relationship, the two groups see each others as partners and allies with a general common cause. Oni are often employed or summoned by the more powerful mahou when they find themselves in need of brute force, and the mahou can be seen in places where oni themselves cannot go.

and Magic-users (For spells, click here)