Battle

This spell persuades the Water kami and Earth kami in the area of effect to mingle, instantly reducing the ground to sticky, nigh-impassable mud. The spell can be cast anywhere where the ground is normal earth or even stone, but cannot be cast on a finished surface such as a tiled or wooden floor. For the duration of the spell, anyone attempting to physically move through the area of effect can only move a number of feet equal to their Water Ring with a Simple Action, and cannot move at all with a Free Action.

This spell invokes fire and water spirits at the same time and persuades them to mingle, unleashing a cloud of scalding steam. The area of effect is suddenly filled with super-hot steam which lasts until the spell ends, at which point it disperses. Those caught within the steam suffer 2k2 Wounds each Round they are there (unless they are resistant to heat) and their vision is impaired in the same manner as the Missing Eye Disadvantage until they leave the steam cloud.

A potent battle spell favored by the Elemental Master of Fire and also used by high-ranking battle shugenja from several clans; in the twelfth century Naka Kuro, the Grand Master of the Elements, also used this spell and it came to be called Kuro’s Fire in his honor. Regardless of its name, this spell calls on the unmatched power of the Dragon of Fire to strike down large numbers of lesser foes. When the prayer is completed, bolts of fire resembling the snarling heads of dragons streak out from the shugenja’s hands, striking down the chosen targets. Each target suffers 8k6 damage.

Like the other Castle spells, Castle of Fire is a defensive prayer, in this case a more sophisticated version of Wall of Fire. It calls on the kami of Fire to erect a barrier surrounding the caster. The fiery barrier is 1’ thick and 10’ high; anyone who is standing on its location when it appears must roll Reflexes at TN 20 to leap away (either inside or outside the Castle) and avoid being burned. The Castle’s barrier instantly incinerates any arrows or other missiles which try to pass through it.

This prayer, variously credited to the Isawa, the Kitsu, or the Seppun, is the positive counterpoint to the notorious Haze of Battle prayer. Where Haze of Battle drives its target into a maddened frenzy of combat by exciting the Fire kami within him, The Breath of Battle invokes a positive and honorable ferocity by using Fire to call on the divine favor of the Sun. The target of this spell gains a +1k1 bonus to all Agility-based Skill Rolls and a +1k0 bonus to all Damage rolls so long as he remains under the direct light of the Sun.

Fire spirits are known for their erratic and temperamental nature, and shugenja can badly disrupt their foes in battle by imbuing them with this aspect of the element. The target of this spell is filled with the unfocused fury of Fire, enraging him and forcing him to lose perspective. The target immediately assumes the Full Attack Stance and cannot switch from that Stance for the duration of the spell. If the spell is cast out of battle, the target gains the Brash and Contrary Disadvantages for the duration of the spell.

Fire is the Element of wit and intellect as well as the Element of destruction. This spell excites the Fire kami within the mind, allowing the target to notice threats and react to them far more quickly than normally. For the duration of the spell, the target is immune to being surprised, adds +1k0 to any Initiative rolls he makes, and may add +3 to his Initiative total during the Reactions stage of each Round.

You summon a blade of pure fire, blazing like the soul of an honorable warrior. The weapon's default form is a katana, but one Raise can change its form to any other sword of your choosing. The katana has a DR of 2k2. When wielding this weapon, you may use your School Rank in place of your Kenjutsu Skill if you wish. If you do possess the Kenjutsu Skill, you add your Honor Rank to all damage rolls made with this weapon. the katana of fire disappears if it is lost from your hand. Instead of summoning the katana for yourself, you may cause it to appear in the hands of an ally within 20 feet.

This spell embraces a weapon with fire, causing it to be larger and more effective. When the spell is cast, a tendril of fire extends from your hands to engulf your weapon. (If you drop or lose the weapon, the spell effect ends.) This weapon gains a +1k1 bonus to melee attack rolls. The bonus is +2k2 when making attacks against mounted opponents or opponents of larger than human size.

This spell calls on the Water kami to hold themselves apart, creating a “trench” through a body of water to allow the passage of men, animals, or even wagons and war machines. The spell is employed primarily by martial shugenja who need to help their clan’s armies to cross river obstacles, but has also been used for more benign purposes, such as helping peasants to escape foods. The spell’s chief limitation is that it cannot always clear the water all the way to the bottom – there is only so much that can be asked of the kami.