Val CHA Cost Roll Notes 15 STR 5 12- Lift 200 kg; 3d6 HTH Damage [1] 24 DEX 42 14- OCV: 8/DCV: 8 16 CON 12 12- 13 BODY 6 12- 12 INT 2 12- PER Roll 11- 11 EGO 2 11- ECV: 4 10 PRE 0 12- PRE Attack: 2d6 9 COM 0 11- 7 PD 4 Total: 7 PD (0 rPD) 7 ED 4 Total: 7 ED (0 rED) 4 SPD 6 Phases: 3, 6, 9, 12 6 REC 0 32 END 0 30 STUN 1 Total Characteristics Cost: 84 Movement: Running: 7"/14" Leaping: 3"/6" Swimming: 2"/4" Cost Powers & Skills 5 Fearless: +10 PRE; Only To Resist Presence Attacks (-1) Martial Arts: Kenjutsu Maneuver OCV DCV Damage 4 Block +2 +2 Block, Abort 4 Evade -- +5 Dodge, Affects All Attacks, Abort 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 5 Thrust +1 +3 Weapon Strike 0 Weapon Element: Blades 23 Shikomizue: HKA 1d6+1 (2d6+1 w/STR), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2); IAF (-1/2) plus +1 OCV; IAF (-1/2) 2 Fast On His Feet: Running +1" (7" total), END 1 8 Heightened Sense of Smell: +4 PER with Smell/Taste Group 27 Can Smell Falling Leaves I: Spatial Awareness (Smell/Taste Group), Increased Arc Of Perception (360 Degrees) 5 Can Smell Falling Leaves II: Discriminatory with Normal Smell Talents 6 Chambara Swordsman: Combat Luck (3 PD/3 ED) 7 Swordmaster: Deadly Blow: +1d6 (with swords) 3 Lightsleep Skills 18 +6 with Kenjustsu 12 Penalty Skill Levels: +6 vs. Hit Location modifiers with swords 10 Defense Maneuver I-IV 5 Iaijutsu: Fast Draw (HTH Weapons) 15- 0 Language: Japanese (idiomatic) 3 PS: Masseuse 14- 3 Stealth 14- 2 Survival (Temperate/Subtropical) 11- 2 WF: Blades, Off Hand Total Powers & Skill Cost: 169 Total Cost: 252 150+ Disadvantages 10 Distinctive Features: Style (Not Concealable; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Large Group) 20 Enraged: If Angered, Betrayed, Or Tricked (Uncommon), go 14-, recover 11- 15 Hunted: Numerous Bounty Hunters 11- (As Pow, Harshly Punish) 5 Money: Poor 20 Physical Limitation: Blind (All the Time, Greatly Impairing) 15 Psychological Limitation: Bad Tempered And Irritable (Common, Strong) 10 Psychological Limitation: Desires Peace In His Life (Common, Moderate) 15 Psychological Limitation: Hates/Hunting Usagi (Common, Strong) 15 Reputation: known bandit, 11- (Extreme) 15 Social Limitation: Wanted Outlaw (Frequently, Major) Total Disadvantage Points: 252 OPTIONS -13 Wooden Nose: Add IAF (-1/2) to Can Smell Falling Leaves I, Can Smell Falling Leaves II, and Heightened Sense of Smell. -15 Remove Psychological Limitation: "Hates/Hunting Usagi" 20 DNPC: Fujiko (wife) and his unnamed child (Normal) 14-
Background/History: Nothing is known about the life history of Zato-Ino. He was born blind, and had been subject to taunts and jeers his whole life. At some point, he learned the use of the sword, and used this skill to strike out at his tormenters. Unfortunately this soon left him a wanted man, and he has been forced to remain on the move ever since, trying to stay one step ahead of the ever-present bounty hunters.
Zato-Ino and Usagi have met several times, and their first encounter ended with Usagi lopping off Ino's nose. Ino had a wooden replacement made, which allowed him to once again smell the world properly. He swore revenge on Usagi, but their next match ended in a draw. Their third encounter came as Ino was fighting Gennosuké (and Gennosuké was losing). Usagi convinced Zato-Ino to help assault Lord Tamakuro's castle in exchange a life of peace in the Geishu province. Zato-Ino agreed, but ended up shot by a matchlock musket and thought dead.
Zato-Ino first appears in Volume One, The Ronin, in the story Blind Swordspig. His last appearance is in Volume Seven, Gen's Story, in the appropriately named The Last Ino Story. This write-up is for Zato-Ino before he meets Usagi for the first time, although the various options allow you to create Zato-Ino at different points in his career.
Personality/Motivation: Zato-Ino is driven by one main emotion—anger. Although he desires peace, and a peaceful life, he is constantly beset by violence, as people who have heard of him and his exploits attack him—either out of fear or in hopes of winning the bounty on his head. Naturally, this makes Ino angry, and when Ino is angry, he tends to lash out and kill. Of course, these new killings only start the whole cycle all over again.
After being shot during The Dragon Bellow Conspiracy, Zato-Ino ended up in an isolated farming village. He saved the villagers from an attack of bandits, and eventually married a woman named Fujiko, and was soon to be a father when last seen in The Last Ino Story (and later appeared on the cover of an issue of Usagi Yojimbo with Fujiko holding his infant daughter). As Sakai has not had him reappear since, it seems Zato-Ino has at last found the peace he has been looking for.
Quotes: "I am one with nature. It is people I am in conflict with."
"You act so self-righteous samurai... I hate you... And what I hate, I kill!"
Powers/Tactics: Zato-Ino is blind, which would normally be a great disadvantage, except Ino has a very well-developed sense of smell. So well-developed he can "see" with his nose, as well as smell the leaves falling from the trees or the blood one someone's blade. He is quite capable of fighting multiple opponents with little or no trouble, and is naturally unhampered by darkness. Only wet weather and rain interferes with his sense of smell, which is why Zato-Ino tends to hole up when it rains.
Zato-Ino's sword skill is second to none. He is only one of a select few to actually beat Usagi in a duel, and Ino nearly killed Gennosuké in their fight (as it was, Zato-Ino lopped Gennosuké's horn off). Ino fears nothing, and will not back down from most threats. He is a very dangerous opponent.
Appearance: Zato-Ino is a anthropomorphic pig a few inches over 5' in height, with a thick, strong build. He is blind, perpetually in need of a shave, and eventually wears a wooden nose where his original one used to be. Zato-Ino dresses in a black, knee-length kimono and sandals. His shikomizue doubles as a walking stick.
Designer's Notes: Zato-Ino'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. Zato-Ino himself is derived from the cinema character of Zato-Ichi, played by Katsu Shintaro, and star of over 25 films. The name Zato-Ino comes from the word "zato" meaning "blind" and "ino" meaning "wild boar." The film Yojimbo also featured a character nicknamed "Ino" do to his wild, pig-like habits, and ferocity with the sword. The video game Guilty Gear X features a blind fighter named "Zato-1" (aka "blind one").
This character sheet represents Zato-Ino before he encounters Usagi but after he starts his life on the road. You can add in the options to represent Zato-Ino at different points in his life. At one point, Stan Saki had stated that Zato-Ino was the most skilled swordsman in Usagi's world. This statement has since been retracted, with the introduction of Inazuma (see her character sheet for more).
(Zato-Ino created by Stan Sakai, character sheet created by Michael Surbrook)
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