Table 2-2 : Ancestral Daisho

The monks of Rokugan are vigilant champions of enlightenment, opponents of the darkness-whether that darkness is manifested in the Shadowlands or in simple ignorance . Since the Battle of Oblivion's Gate, the monks of Rokugan have come to realize that their philosophy of withdrawal from the world was not sufficient to protect the world from darkness, and they have adopted a more aggressive strategy of teaching the clans the truths of the Tao. As a result, the ranks of the monks are swelling, and many samurai and shugenjas are learning at least the basic teachings of Shinsei .

Races : In Rokugan, most monks are human, and a large number are drawn from the Dragon clan . Nonhuman monks are extremely rare exceptions to the general rule that monasteries are a human establishment.

In other campaign settings, the near-human races (hengeyokai and spirit folk) are much more likely to adopt the monk class than the more wild-natured korobokurus, nezumi, or vanaras . The nonhuman races do not have monasteries of their own, but train and study in human communities or with a human sensei .

Other Classes : In Rokugan, although monks tend to have different goals and values than members of other classes, they believe that they have an obligation to teach and work among the broader population of the Empire . They may sometimes approach the task with condescension, but in general they recognize the importance of nonmonks in defending Rokugan from the evil that has nearly destroyed it in the past. They teach them so that all the people of Rokugan might become enlightened, the better to resist the darkness .

In other campaign settings, monks recognize their interdependence on other characters and tend to cooperate well with members of all other classes .

Game Rule Information : Except as noted below, monks in Oriental Adventures conform to the rules given in the Player's Handbook .

Class Skills: Knowledge (religion) is a class skill for monks .

Weapon Proficiency : Monks are proficient with the following weapons : butterfly sword, club, crossbow (light or heavy), dagger, javelin, jitte, kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, shuriken, and tonfa . Monks can use any of the following weapons with their unarmed base attack bonus : butterfly sword, club, jitte, kama, lajatang, nekode, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, three-section staff, and tonfa .

Bonus Feats : At ist, 2nd, and 6th level, a monk can sacrifice a class ability (stunning attack at Ist, Deflect Arrows at 2nd, or Improved Trip at 6th) in order to gain a different bonus martial arts feat . The monk can choose any feat listed on Table 6-i : Martial Arts Feats, but she must meet all the prerequisites for the feat she selects . This bonus feat can help a monk qualify for mastery of a martial arts style .

Multiclass Monks: Monks in Oriental Adventures can multiclass and freely return to the monk class .

Often called scouts or trackers, rangers in Oriental Adventures are warriors with an uncanny connection to the earth and an equally uncanny dedication to warfare against a chosen enemy . The archetypal ranger in Rokugan is the Hiruma scout: a Crab samurai who knows the Shadowlands like the back of his hand and fights its evil denizens with unmatched skill and ferocity. Adventures : Rangers may be among the most "adventurous" characters in Oriental Adventures, at least as adventuring is generally understood in DUNGEONS & DRAGONS . Rangers are more likely than any other character to venture into the wilderness for the express purpose of killing monsters . Also, they work with armies of samurai and warriors, leading them through dangerous terrain and scouting out enemy positions.

Background : Among the Crab clan of Rokugan, the skills of rangers are taught in a formal school, which prides itself on being an integral part of the Empire's defense against the Shadowlands . Other rangers undergo more informal training, often under the guidance of a mentor or parent .

Races : In Rokugan, rangers are most commonly found among the Crab (particularly the Hiruma family and its scout school), the Unicorn, and the nezumi . In other campaign settings, nonhumans often make excellent rangers, due to their close connection with the natural and spirit worlds . Hengeyokai rangers are often cats, cranes, foxes, hares, monkeys, raccoon dogs, rats, or sparrows in their animal form, and they use the concealment and natural abilities of that form to their advantage in scouting and spying . Korobokuru rangers are excellent trackers, and they feel a close kinship with the nature spirits around their homes . Spirit folk rangers are at home in natural surroundings and bring a variety of special abilities to bear to increase their effectiveness . Vanara rangers use great stealth and agility to make themselves effective scouts and deadly foes of their favored enemies.

Other Classes : In Rokugan, most human rangers view themselves as samurai, regarding other samurai as equals, shugenjas nearly that well, and other classes as somewhere far below their station. All rangers tend to be pragmatic enough, however, to value the contributions of any member of an adventuring party, no matter their station, and cooperate as equals in an adventuring party, even if social equality is out of the question .

Game Rule Information : As described in the Player's Handbook . Although rangers can fight with two weapons, few rangers in Rokugan do so .

ROGUE

From lower-class street thieves and highway bandits to scheming courtiers and nobles, rogues are common but often nearly invisible in Oriental Adventures . Some appear in far less roguish guises: as officials, diplomats, and envoys (most such characters, however, have the expert or aristocrat NPC classes). Rogues in Oriental Adventures are no easier to categorize than their standard counterparts, for they are at least as varied in their skills, roles, and backgrounds.

Adventures : Rogues adventure for a wide variety of reasons, but underlying them all is a common thread : Rogues adventure because it serves their personal goals . Whether those goals are as base as self-advancement and power or as complex as a Scorpion's web of loyalties, rogues' own desires usually spur them into adventure . RANGER

Background : Most rogues are self-taught or learn their skills under a shady mentor in a life on the street . The schools of the Scorpion clan of Rokugan, however-including the Bayushi samurai school and particularly the secretive Shosuro schoolspecifically train their students in rogue abilities, skills, and techniques . Scorpion clan rogues, naturally, maintain a high degree of loyalty to each other, while other rogues typically do not trust other rogues any more than absolutely necessary .

Races : Scrounging nezumi are perhaps the quintessential rogues of Rokugan . Among humans, Scorpions and