Banners & Standards
SOURCE: SECRETS OF THE LION, PG. 13 (This information originally printed in Winter Court: Kyuden Asako.)
Some really great historical examples can be seen over in the Samurai Heraldry Gallery at the The Samurai Archives Citadel.
Many Samurai wear personal standards in mass combat. The Akodo say that a samurai who sees his own colors feels bravery, and a samurai surrounded by enemy banners feels fear. These items often have no mechanical effects, but are merely for style and personality.
If a samurai wishes to have a personal mon, he should register it with the Miya (Imperial Heralds) to avoid confusion or duplication. Though a samurai can craft a mon without registering, the purpose of a mon is to be recognized, so not registering the mon's significance with the heralds of the Empire would make the mon pointless. For the same reason, samurai seldom change their personal mon.
The choice of an individual mon is a matter of great pride and always a distinctly personal choice. Many samurai hire the most skilled artisans to create their mon and banner, and care for the result almost as well as they would their katana. Carrying an army's standard in battle is a great honor, and dropping one is an incredible disgrace.
Costs for standard are listed in koku (see below) and in the amount of character points necessary to begin with them using the Inheritance Advantage in the L5R Second Edition Players Guide.
Many banners impose penalties on their bearers, more because of their clumsy shape and weight. A banner may be dropped instantly at any time to negate these penalties though letting a standard fall is shameful.
Fukiniki
A large cylindrical streamer, reinforced with rods or paper-mâché. It is designed to be mounted on a saddle, or the walls of a castle.
This is an extravagant sort of standard popular with wealthy samurai.
Weight: 15 lbs.
Market Price: 7 Koku
Creation Point (CP) Cost: 3
Gohei Example
A ceremonial wand or staff decorated with silk and papier-maché, blessed by the spirits to bring good fortune. Only shugenja or monks may bear them.
Weight: 4 lbs.
Market Price: 4 Koku
Creation Point (CP) Cost: 1
J'uma Jirushi Example
A "great standard." These are enormous, painted in intricate detail, and crafted of the finest materials. Only powerful daimyo may bear them. These banners indicate the general's position on the field, so they are a popular target for enemy archers and must be repaired often. The bearer of a Great Standard moves very slowly, and cannot fight while bearing the standard. The legendary Ancestral Standards are nemuranai versions of these.
System: The general of an army with a Great Standard may add 3 to his Battle roll, and receives 4 Free Raises when delivering commands using the Battle Skill. The standard bearer can move only very slowly, suffers a +15 penalty to all TNs when carrying the banner, and may only fight one-handed.
Weight: 25 lbs.
Market Price: Effectively Priceless. A samurai does not pay to make one, he earns the right to have one and then commissions his artisans to make it.
Creation Point (CP) Cost: n/a
Ko'uma Jirushi
A "lesser standard" in comparison to the J'uma Jirushi. A character carrying this standard can do little but march in a straight line and try not to be blown over by the wind.
System: The general of an army with a Lesser Standard may add 1 to his Water + Battle roll, and receives 2 Free Raises when delivering commands using the Battle skill. The standard bearer suffers a +15 penalty to all TNs when carrying the banner, and may only fight one-handed.
Weight: 15 lbs.
Market Price: 100 Koku
Creation Point (CP) Cost: 7
Nobori Example
The Nobori is a simple type of standard that can be held one-handed or mounted on a saddle. It is not especially large or decorative, but it bears the mon of the samurai's clan, rank and unit.
Weight: 5 lbs.
Market Price: 2 Koku
Creation Point (CP) Cost: 1
Sashimono Example
The Sashimono is the most common and popular sort of personal banner. This banner is attached to the back of a samurai's armor by cords that loop around the armpits and fastens to the samurai's chest plate. This banner displays the clan or family mon, along with the samurai's rank. Some samurai might wear as many as three Sashimono at one time to denote their wealth and rank. Phoenix and Crane samurai sometimes ear a pair of stylized Sashimono designed to flutter in the breeze to give the appearance of ephemeral wings.
Weight: 5 lbs.
Market Price: 3 Koku per banner
Creation Point (CP) Cost: 1 per banner