Many among the samurai caste are called to pursue the role of the scholar in order to better serve their lord, or for their own purposes. Although this is most common among shugenja, it is not unusual for a courtier or a bushi to study some subject or another that catches their interest. History and heraldry are among the most common and useful, but literally any subject can be taken up. Lore Skill Rolls are made to determine if a character possesses certain information regarding the subject area (i.e., a bushi character might make a Lore: Shugenja Skill Roll to see if he could determine the purpose of a ritual being conducted).
Note: These mastery abilites are house rules and are not part of the standard 4th edition ruleset.
Source
Source Book
Trait(s)
Mastery Abilities
Rank 3 - The character gains a free emphasis in this skill.
Rank 5 - The character can make a second roll if their first attempt failed.
Rank 7 - The character gains a second free emphasis in this skill.
Skill Type
Sub-Types
Macro-skills (including Anatomy, Architecture, Bushido, Great Clan (choose one), Elements, Gaijin Culture (choose one), Ghosts, Heraldry, History, Maho, Nature, Nonhuman Culture (choose one), Omens, Shadowlands, Shugenja, Spirit Realms, Theology, Underworld, War, and almost anything else)
Emphases
Varies by individual sub-skill