Roles & Classes
Classes & Occupations
There are many different character roles. When you register, you must pick one role. You can alter your role, but not alter the gender of your character.
If you are the first or only member of your clan, then you must pick a role with a general. This is because only those roles can have the better armies and as a Daimyo you must be able to conquer land.
The usual choice for a Daimyo is the Samurai or the Bugeisha. The other character roles tend to be more supportive roles.
| Occupation Category | Buke Class | Bonge Class | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warrior | Samurai | Bugeisha | ||
| Administrator | Jito | Reifujin | ||
| Foot-Soldier | Ashigaru | |||
| Monastic | Sohei | Jesuit | Ama | |
| Mystic | Yamabushi | Komuso | Miko | |
| Artisan | Soke | Bunjin | Geisha | |
| Merchant | Chonin | Tekiya | ||
| Mercenary | Ninja | Kunoichi | ||
Income
Members of the buke class can receive a stipend from their Daimyo. Stewards, entertainers, traders, assassins and so on have other forms of income.
| General | Salary | Steward | Loot | Alms | Trade | Entertainment | Bounty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samurai | yes | ||||||
| Jito | yes | yes | |||||
| Ashigaru | yes | yes | |||||
| Sohei | yes | yes | |||||
| Yamabushi | yes | yes | |||||
| Soke | yes | yes | |||||
| Jesuit | yes | ||||||
| Komuso | yes | ||||||
| Bunjin | yes | ||||||
| Chonin | yes | ||||||
| Ninja | yes | ||||||
| Bugeisha | yes | ||||||
| Reifujin | yes | yes | |||||
| Ama | yes | ||||||
| Miko | yes | ||||||
| Geisha | yes | ||||||
| Tekiya | yes | ||||||
| Kunoichi | yes |
Major Roles
Role Limitations & Specialities
Most roles are only available to some classes and occupations.
| Role | Limited to Occupation Category | Speciality |
|---|---|---|
| General | can field armies | |
| Steward | Administrator | can establish a steward |
| Entertainer | Artisan | can establish an entertainment troupe |
| Missionary | Monastic & Mystic | can convert settlement population |
| Healer | Mystic | can heal characters and regenerate armies |
| Trader | Merchant | can setup a trade route |
| Assassin | Mercenary | can assassinate other characters |
General
A general is able to field an army. Into this army a general can recruit military units. Every army automatically receives a bodyguard unit. The type of unit depends on the role of the player.
| General | Bodyguard Unit | Brigand Unit | Map Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samurai | Mawari-shu | taisho | |
| Jito | Kenin | taisho | |
| Ashigaru | Ashigaru Kashira | taisho | |
| Sohei | Mounted Sohei | taisho | |
| Yamabushi | Konsha Kashira | sendatsu | |
| Soke | Kenin | taisho | |
| Jesuit | Ashigaru Kashira | taisho | |
| Komuso | bandit | komuso | |
| Bunjin | Ashigaru Kashira | taisho | |
| Chonin | bandit | bashaku | |
| Ninja | ninja | shinobi | |
| Bugeisha | Onna-bushi | taisho | |
| Reifujin | Onna-bushi | taisho | |
| Kunoichi | ninja | shinobi | |
| Ama | Onna-bushi | taisho | |
| Miko | bandit | miko | |
| Tekiya | bandit | bashaku | |
| Geisha | bandit | geisha |
Roles that do not have a bodyguard unit, cannot recruit military units. Instead of an actual army they have other units on the map, such as:
- a teamster known as a bashaku
- a covert agent known as a shinobi
- a mendicant monk known as a komuso
- a shinto shrine maiden known as a miko
- a hostess known as a geisha
As a Daimyo they can do battle and lay claim to land and in battle they form bandit armies.
Yamabushi do have a bodyguard unit, but also have an alternative unit on the map. This unit is:
- a mountain guide known as a sendatsu
Entertainer
An entertainment troupe or school can only be established in some settlement types:
| Entertainer | Post Station | Courtesan District |
|---|---|---|
| Soke | yes | |
| Bunjin | yes | yes |
| Geisha | yes | yes |
Missionary
A missionary can only be established in some settlement types:
| Missionary | Faith | Temple Town | Shrine Town | Castle Town | Port Town |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sohei |  | yes | |||
| Komuso | | yes | |||
| Miko |  | yes | yes | ||
| Yamabushi | | yes | |||
| Jesuit |  | yes | yes | ||
| Ama | | yes |
Trader
A trade route can only be set up in some settlement types:
| Trader | Market Town | Port Town |
|---|---|---|
| Chonin | yes | yes |
| Tekiya | yes | yes |
A trade route waypoint can be set up in post towns.
Assassin
An assassin den can only be established in some settlement types:
| Assassin | Post Station | Courtesan District |
|---|---|---|
| Ninja | yes | |
| Kunoichi | yes |
Roles
Samurai
The Samurai is quintessential warrior. The archetypical Samurai is the warrior on horseback, who wields the katana.
Bugeisha
The Bugeisha is the female equivalent of the Samurai. The archetypical Bugeisha is the lady who wields a naginata.
Jito
Jito are land stewards. Jito manage manors and land holdings and help with tax collection and administration. Jito can also field armies.
Reifujin
Reifujin is the female equivalent of the Jito. This is the archetypical lady who wears the kimono.
Ashigaru
The Ashigaru is quintessential foot soldier. The archetypical Ashigaru wields the yari and wears the jingasa helmet. The Ashigaru gets a large part of his pay from loot.
Sohei
Sohei are warrior monks. The archetypical Sohei wears a kimono like robe, straw sandals and a hachimaki headband. A Sohei typically wields the naginata, but a Sohei is proficient with the bow, dagger and sword. Sohei are Buddhist warrior monks attached to a Buddhist temple complex.
Jesuit
The Jesuit is the archetypical Christian missionary. The Jesuit Missionaries come from Portugal and do not arrive in Japan until the year 1543.
Ama
Ama are the archetypical Buddhist nuns. They usually are retired ladies, who went to a convent.
Yamabushi
The Yamabushi is a mountain ascetic. These mountain hermits typically are solitary, but sometimes band together with Sohei or act as advisors for Daimyo or act as mountain guides.
Komuso
Komuso are Buddhist mendicant monks. The archetypical Komuso wears a large straw basket over his head and plays the Shakuhachi flute.
Miko
Miko are the archetypical Shinto shrine maidens. They make their living by performing the sacred Kagura dance. They also perform some Shinto rituals and cleanse the Shrines.
Soke
Soke are usually masters of a martial art school. They excel at ancient martial arts, such as Kenjutsu or Naginatajutsu and train others in these martial arts. While some are grandmasters of a school of calligraphy or tea ceremony or flower arrangement.
Bunjin
Bunjin are artists. They tend to open schools of painting or calligraphy.
Geisha
Geisha are the archetypical female entertainers, they generally making their living as hostesses, whose skills include performing various arts such as music, dance, games and tea ceremonies.
Chonin
Chonin are the archetypical male townsmen. These merchants generally act as brokers or shopkeepers.
Tekiya
Tekiya are the archetypical female street peddlers, generally making their living by selling flowers, tea and books on the streets.
Ninja
Ninja are scouts, spies, saboteurs, and assassins. Ninja generally spy under the disguises of Komuso, or Yamabushi, or Ronin.
Kunoichi
Kunoichi is the female equivalent of the Ninja. They generally spy under the disguises of Miko or Geisha.