Val CHA Cost Roll Notes 15 STR 5 12- Lift 200 kg; 3d6 HTH Damage [1] 24 DEX 42 14- OCV: 8/DCV: 8 18 CON 16 13- 13 BODY 6 12- 16 INT 6 12- PER Roll 12- 18 EGO 16 13- ECV: 6 20 PRE 10 13- PRE Attack: 4d6 14 COM 2 11- 8 PD 5 Total: 11 PD (3 rPD) 7 ED 3 Total: 10 ED (3 rED) 4 SPD 6 Phases: 3, 6, 8, 12 7 REC 0 36 END 0 30 STUN 0 Total Characteristics Cost: 117 Movement: Running: 7"/14" Leaping: 5"/10" Swimming: 2"/4" Tunneling: 1"/1" Cost Powers & Skills 5 Look Of Death: +10 PRE; Only To Intimidate (-1) Martial Arts: Katsuichi-ryu Kenjutsu Maneuver OCV DCV Damage 4 Block +2 +2 Block, Abort 4 Evade -- +5 Dodge, Affects All Attacks, Abort Notes: Also Jujutsu Dodge 5 Flying Dodge -- +4 Dodge All Attacks, Abort; FMove 4 Lightning Stroke +2 +0 Weapon +2 DC Strike 5 Running Stroke +1 +0 Weapon +v/5; FMove 5 Slashing Stroke -2 +1 Weapon +4 DC Strike Notes: Also, Jujutsu Kick 5 Thrust +1 +3 Weapon Strike 1 Weapon Element: Blades, Empty Hand Martial Arts: Jujutsu Maneuver OCV DCV Damage 4 Disarm -1 +1 Disarm; 25 STR to Disarm 4 Escape +0 +0 30 STR vs. Grabs 3 Slam +0 +1 3d6 +v/5, Target Falls 4 Strike +0 +2 5d6 Strike 22 Yagi No Eda ("Willow Branch" [Katana]): HKA 1 1/2d6 (2 1/2d6 w/STR), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2); OAF (-1) plus +1 OCV; OAF (-1) plus Range Based On STR (+1/4) for up to 25 Active Points of HKA; 1 Recoverable Charge (-1 1/4), OAF (-1), [1 rc] 14 Aoyagi ("Young Willow" [Wakazashi]): HKA 1d6 (2d6 w/STR), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2); OAF (-1) plus +1 OCV; OAF (-1) plus Range Based On STR (+1/4) for up to 15 Active Points of HKA; 1 Recoverable Charge (-1 1/4), OAF (-1) [1 rc] 35 Sweeping Strike: Area Of Effect (up to 2" radius; +3/4) for up to 55 Active Points of HKA, Personal Immunity (+1/4), Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4); OIF (any sword of opportunity; -1/2), Can Be Blocked (-1/4), END 2 10 Yadome-jutsu (Arrow Cutting): Missile Deflection (Arrows, Slings, and so on), Adjacent Hex (+1/2); OIF (any sword of opportunity; -1/2) 2 Rabbit Leap!: Leaping +2" (5" forward, 2 1/2" upward), END 1 2 Fast On His Feet: Running +1" (7" total), END 1 14 Even Faster On His Feet: Running 7", Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2); Only To Make A Half-Move (-1/2) 5 Dontonjutsu: Tunneling 1" through 1 DEF material, Fill In; Increased Endurance Cost (x3 END; -1), Maximum Of 1" Per Tunnel (-1), END 3 6 Keen Powers Of Observation: +2 PER with all Sense Groups 1 Sharp Ears: +1 PER with Normal Hearing 5 The Luck Of Heroes: Luck 1d6 Perks 6 Contact: Lord Geishu Noriyuki (Contact has extremely useful Skills or resources, Good relationship with Contact) 11- 6 Contact: Priest Sanshobo (Contact has useful Skills or resources, Good relationship with Contact) 13- 1 Fringe Benefit: Geishu Travel Pass 10 Fringe Benefit: Kirisutogomen 1 Reputation: skilled samurai (among samurai and ronin) 11-, +1/+1d6 Talents 6 Ambidexterity (-1 Off Hand penalty) 6 Chambara Swordsman: Combat Luck (3 PD/3 ED) 15 Combat Sense 12- 32 Dairokkan: Danger Sense (immediate vicinity, out of combat, Discriminatory, Function as a Sense) 14-/13- 7 Swordmaster: Deadly Blow: +1d6 (with swords) 3 Lightsleep 5 Resistance (5 points) Skills 24 +4 with HTH and Ranged Combat 10 +5 OCV with Yadome-jutsu 12 Penalty Skill Levels: +6 vs. Hit Location modifiers with swords 3 Acrobatics 14- 3 Acting 13- 2 AK: Geishu Province 11- 2 AK: Japan 11- 2 AK: Northern Province 11- 7 Analyze: Fighting Style 14- 3 Breakfall 14- 3 Climbing 14- 3 Concealment 12- 3 Conversation 13- 10 Defense Maneuver I-IV 3 Iaijutsu: Fast Draw (HTH Weapons) 14- 3 Gambling (Dice Games, Go-Moku) 12- 3 High Society 13- 0 Language: Japanese (idiomatic; literate) 3 Lockpicking 14- 2 MIF (Aerophones) 11- 3 Paramedics 12- 5 Rapid Attack (HTH) 3 Riding 14- 3 Shadowing 12- 3 Sleight Of Hand 14- 3 Stealth 14- 2 Survival (Temperate/Subtropical) 12- 3 Tactics 12- 3 Tracking 12- 10 Two-Weapon Fighting (HTH) 6 WF: Common Melee Weapons, Common Missile Weapons, Off Hand, Thrown Sword 3 Jack of All Trades 1 1) PS: Brush Painting 11- 1 2) PS: Kaiso Farmer 8- 1 3) PS: Musician (Flute) 11- 1 4) PS: Potter 8- 1 5) PS: Samurai 11- 1 6) PS: Storyteller 11- 1 7) PS: Yojimbo 11- 3 Scholar 1 1) KS: Famous Samurai 11- 2 2) KS: Katsuichi-ryu Kenjutsu 12- 1 3) KS: Mon 11- 1 4) KS: Myths And Legends 11- 1 5) KS: The Supernatural World 11- Total Powers & Skill Cost: 431 Total Cost: 548 200+ Disadvantages 15 DNPC: Jotaro 11- (Normal) 10 Distinctive Features: Samurai Bearing/Ronin (Concealable; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) 5 Distinctive Features: Scar Over One Eye (Easily Concealed; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) 10 Distinctive Features: Style (Not Concealable; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Large Group) 10 Hunted: Jei 8- (As Pow, Harshly Punish) 15 Hunted: Lord Hikijj and his minions 8- (Mo Pow, Harshly Punish) 5 Money: Poor 20 Psychological Limitation: Code Of The Bushi/Code Of Honor (Common, Total) 15 Psychological Limitation: Excessive Curiosity (Common, Strong) 5 Psychological Limitation: No Liking For Spiders And Other Bugs (Uncommon, Moderate) 10 Social Limitation: Ronin (Frequently, Minor) 228 Experience Points Total Disadvantage Points: 548
Background/History: Born in a small village in northern Japan (on the island of Honshu), Usagi is sent out at the age of 14 to learn the way of the sword. Instead of going to the Dogora Fencing School, he instead follows Katsuichi after witnessing the elder samurai single-handedly defeat four Dogora students. Ignoring Katsuichi's instructions to "leave" and "go home," Usagi follows him into the mountains. His persistence pays off when Katsuichi takes him as his student after finding him standing outside his hut the next morning.
Usagi then spends the next four to five years studying the ways of the samurai. Katsuichi teaches him the sword, the bow, and other weapons, as well as the arts—such as calligraphy, brush painting, and the Chinese classics. His training methods were unconventional, but so was his style, one unlike most of the established sword styles. Finally, after winning a competition put on by the Dogora School, Usagi received his swords, Yagi No Eda ("Willow Branch", a katana), and Aoyagi ("Young Willow", a wakazashi), a daisho (paired swords) set roughly 300 years old. Soon after, he becomes of retainer of Lord Mifune, quickly rising to be one of the lord's personal bodyguards.
Several years after taking service with Lord Mifune, the Battle of Sekigahara results in Tokugawa Ieyasu claiming the title of Shogun. At the same time, Lord Hikiji, the Shadow Lord, presses his claims on Mifune lands, and wars breaks out. The final battle is fought on Adachigahara, and Mifune nearly emerges the victor, until a trusted general turns traitor. Mifune is killed, and Usagi cuts off his head, escaping into the forest to bury it so Hikiji can't disgrace the Mifune family by displaying it on spike. Fleeing the battlefield, Usagi makes his way to another province, now relegated to the life of a ronin.
Usagi Miyamoto appears in virtually all of the stories, which is only natural, as he is the main character. His first story is The Goblin of Adachigahara, found in Volume One, The Ronin, while his origin story is given in Volume Two, Samurai. This character sheet represents Usagi as of Volume 19, Fathers And Sons.
Personality/Motivation: Over all, Usagi is best described as "a nice guy." He is kind, courteous, and considerate, and treats most everyone as an "equal," which means that for the most part, he doesn't use his status as a samurai to bully others. He also has no liking for bullies, bandits, and anyone else who uses strength to take things from those weaker or unable to defend themselves. He respects the farmers, craftsmen, and peasants of Japan as people of worth, and has stayed with many, assisting them in their jobs (to help pay for his stay) and often learning a few new skills as he does. However, make no mistake, Usagi is not soft or weak. He is an honorable man, and upholds the tenets of Bushido. If needed, he can and will fight, and once he draws his swords, it's almost certain his foe will die. He won't kill wantonly, but also won't hold back if his foes need to be stopped.
Quotes: "My sword doesn't thirst as much as it did when I was younger."
"What fools we have in this world—to have mistaken honor for weakness."
"I am notorious for sticking my nose in other people's business. It's a terrible flaw I have."
Powers/Tactics: Usagi is one of the better swordsmen in Japan. Stan Sakai says "Usagi is not the best swordsman around. He had lost to Nakamura Koji, who, himself, was defeated by Katsuichi. However, Usagi is better than most. Also, his ‘unusual style’ gives him an advantage." Sakai also states "Usagi is nowhere near the best swordsman in Japan. He was beaten by Koji, and wounded by Jei. He has not been tested against many others including Katsuichi and the Lord of Owls. So far, the best of the swordsmen I've introduced is Inazuma." Of course, one must realize that out of the hundreds (if not thousands) of samurai, ronin, and bandits around, Usagi has been wounded or beaten by (or apparently isn't as good as ) maybe five people (Inazuma, Jei, Katsuichi, Nakamura Koji, and Zato-Ino). Sakai has also made it clear that the comments about Zato-Ino being the best swordsman were made before he developed and introduced the character of Inazuma.
What makes Usagi so good? His speed is one. He is very fast, both with the blade and on his feet, several times performing Multiple-Move Bys and hitting upwards of around a dozen people. He also uses his Sweeping Strike to great effect, cutting down droves of bandits and lesser swordsmen in many panels. He's also very alert, had to surprise, and hard to put down. He may not be the best swordsman in the world of Usagi Yojimbo but I'd put my money on him anytime he gets into a sword duel. And even if he loses, his foe is not going to have an easy time of it.
Appearance: Usagi is a white-furred anthropomorphic rabbit of average height, perhaps a little shorter then most. His ears are long and tied together to make a topknot. He wears dark blue hakama, and a teal kimono, with the Mifune mon on it (consisting of three black dots). Trim and obi are white. Over Usagi's left eye is the curved line of a scar, a result of exchanging sword blows with Lord Hikiji at the Battle of Adachigahara.
Designers Notes: Usagi's character sheet is derived from the Fuzion stats given in the Usagi Yojimbo Role-Playing Game put out by Gold Rush Games. Additional skills were derived from material in the Sengoku Role-Playing Game and from scenes in the comic series. Usagi was inspired by the life and times of Miyamoto Musashi, one of Japan's most famous samurai, who lived during the same time period as Usagi. Usagi even uses the same two-sword style as Musashi (for the most part), and has about the same success rate in duels.
At 548 points, Usagi is a very expensive character, but once can easily chop out unwanted Skills, Perks, and Talents to make him less imposing. If you want to make him even more powerful, give him an Area Of Effect (Trail) strike to go with his Sweep Attack, thus allowing him to run past and cut down groups of ronin and bandits en masse.
(Miyamoto Usagi created by Stan Sakai, character sheet created by Michael Surbrook)
Miyamoto Usagi's Hero Designer File
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