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Character Classes > Nobility System
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Beyond Alignment, characters can be one of three Nobility statuses : Non-Noble, Nobility and Former Noble. Most characters will not be part of the Nobility, however some can get the Noble status during character creation or later in play.

  • Noble Status 
A player can become Noble by choosing a Nobility Background occupation during character creation, or by choosing to start the game as a Samurai or Yamabushi. Alternatively, they can gain or regain their Noble status during play.

A character who starts out as Noble must take the Nobility feat as their starting feat (unless they are Samurai or Yamabushi, then they get this feat in addition to their starting feat).

If a character becomes noble during play (at the GM's discretion), they add the Nobility feat to their list of feats.

  • Losing Nobility status (Former Noble status)
A character can lose or have lost their Nobility status through their actions (for instance, high treason for conspiring against the Empire). In that case, they lose the Nobility feat. These characters become Former Nobles rather than non-Noble.

Instead it is replaced with the 
Lost Nobility feat. A character who lost their Noble status can no longer take levels in the Samurai or Yamabushi classes, however they retain all of their previously learned activities.

Nobility status can be regained through atonement for the actions that caused the character to be disgraced. In that case the Lost Nobility feat is replaced by the Nobility feat again.

A character can begin the game as a disgraced noble. In this event, they must take the Lost Nobility feat instead of their starting feat, and may access Nobility status again later during play.
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  • Nobility Classes 
The Samurai and Yamabushi classes are only available to Nobles, that is to say to characters with the Nobility feat. If a character has not begin play as one of these classes, they will need to gain Noble status before they can take levels.

The Samurai is a Noble officer. They form the backbone of the regular Imperial Army forces - not counting Ashigaru conscript troops raised in times of war - and can enforce laws in the name of the Empress. Samurai are organized in Orders, of which there are sixteen. 

The Yamabushi is the Heibesian equivalent of the Paladin. This homebrew holy warrior has looked in the Font of Light and therefore be given divine powers, often to heal or help the oppressed, though more out of personal ethics than fear of losing their powers. Technically, Yamabushi are a special Order of Samurai; but their legendary feats and their quest to uphold law and order has given them a name of their own.


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