(For solutions to the problem of clerics for non-good oriental deities, see M. J. Young's Dungeons & Dragons Materials, Special Rules, Shukenja and Non-Good Deities.)
The oriental world described in the game has no centralized or organized church, and the wandering holy men are less specific about the deity they serve than their occidental counterparts. All shukenja, although they have a specific deity which provides their upper level spells, perform rituals and teach truths on behalf of all deities known in the orient. Indeed, beliefs and rituals tend to blend together in the daily lives of worshippers, and temples to one deity tend to become places of worship for all.
As a combatant, the shukenja is extremely limited. His selection of weapons and armor is minimal. Armor not better than studded leather is the best allowed, although piece armor is permitted. The weapon limitations are not easy to define. There are some powerful weapons among them, including pointed and edged weapons, missile weapons, and martial arts weapons; but there are no swords, bows, or pole arms. He fights and saves as a cleric, and he gains only d6 hit points per level. He may begin with not more than two proficiencies in weapons; he is also proficient in calligraphy and religion. Although not a fighter, the character is taught to defend himself, and so begins with proficiency in a martial arts style of the player's choice. It is recommended that this style concentrate on maneuvers which cause pain, stun, paralyze, or otherwise disable the opponent. It is a dishonor for a shukenja to kill anyone, even an enemy. Having two additional proficiency slots available, he may learn other peaceful proficiencies or invest them in special maneuvers for his style. (The categorization of martial arts maneuvers as proficiencies is not clear. MyWorld rules do not consider them to be weapons in any situation in which an expenditure on weapons is prohibited, but do allow weapon-only or non-weapon-only slots to be spent on them, due to their ambiguous nature. Other DM's may differ.)
The character is able to perform a variety of ceremonies, including marriages and funerals. He may perform purification rituals which have a chance of removing curse (which increases with level), or which will bonus attacks and saves for a limited number of allies while they are fighting evil spirits.
The shukenja's ability to meditate is one of the most valuable skills he has. Even at level one, the character may withdraw into a restful state which is twice as restful as sleep (each hour of meditation relieves the character of the need for two hours of sleep), but during which he is fully aware of all that happens around him and is able to react and respond without penalty, other than that such a reaction or response ends his period of meditation. (This means that the shukenja may be on watch all night for the party, and will not suffer from lack of sleep.) Other character classes may learn this, but generally not until higher levels.
The ki power of the shukenja enables him to bonus his saving throw by +3, once per day per level. The decision to use the ki power must be made before the save is rolled.
Since the shukenja's job is not about combat, he only gains half experience for slaying or defeating enemies or monsters, except that he gains full experience for defeating evil spirits (such as Oni or demons). They are the only first edition class to gain experience points for using their abilities to help others. The character gets 100 points per spell level used to heal, cure, or otherwise aid any character or creature not associated with the shukenja. This includes saving the lives of enemies.
There are a number of religious restrictions imposed upon shukenja. They may not eat meat. They must refrain from violence whenever possible, and must be especially careful not to kill (a rule which does not discriminate intelligent characters from monsters, but does not apply to spirit powers or to plants). They must observe moderation in aspects of physical existence such as eating and drinking. He is expected to donate excess treasure to charity, and to live a life of material poverty. (Note that most NPC's will happily feed and house a wandering shukenja at no cost, out of respect for the man's choice to live for others.) Specific deities may impose additional restrictions or requirements on their own holy men. Penalties for violation of these rules may include loss of honor or experience, restriction of available spell levels, or special penance. However, if the shukenja is forced to violate a rule, the punishment may be lessened.
The character severs his connections to his past when he becomes a shukenja. The character need not create family (although he is not forbidden to do so). Honor is less important to him, and many of the penalties and bonuses to honor do not apply.
Advancement table:
Level |
From |
To |
1 |
0 |
1250 |
2 |
1251 |
3000 |
3 |
3001 |
5500 |
4 |
5501 |
11000 |
5 |
11001 |
22000 |
6 |
22001 |
44000 |
7 |
44001 |
90000 |
8 |
90001 |
150000 |
9 |
150001 |
300000 |
10 |
300001 |
600000 |
11 |
600001 |
900000 |
12 |
900001 |
1200000 |
The shukenja advances an additional level for each 250,000 experience points earned beyond this.
Oriental humans, Spirit folk, and Korobokuru may be shukenja.
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