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Comrade

Just as bands of warriors often form friendships on the battlefield, so too do courtiers, priest, and monks find close friends as they go about their daily work. Members of the same army might be comrades, as might members of two different clans who serve in the same court and pursue the same end, such as their sworn lord’s justice, or the preservation of a region. The following are suggested narrative effects for a character with a Comrade bond:

A comrade generally watches out for your interests and be willing to do modest favors for you (helping you with a task for a few days, getting you home without embarrassing yourself after a night of revelry, lying about your whereabouts to your enemies), and they might ask the same from you.

Allies of a comrade treat you as an ally, and they are favorably disposed toward you unless you give them reason not to be. They might even do you significant favors, especially if the two of you are working together in a deceased comrade’s memory. Enemies of your comrades tend to steer clear of you, or view you as an enemy.

If your bond rank is 3 or higher, a comrade can be expected undertake major tasks in your name (such as staking significant amounts of honor or glory on your choices, risking their life on your behalf, or adopting your ependents should you perish), and they might ask the same from you.

“Just Like Old Times” (Bond Ability): When you perform a check using a skill for which the bonded character has 1 or more skill ranks (or if they are an NPC, for which they have 1 or more ranks in the relevant skill group), you may call upon your bond to negate a number of Strife results up to your bond rank.

Bond Rank	XP Cost	Ability Unlocked
Rank 1	3 XP	Bond Ability (Varies by Bond) In addition to any narrative benefits of your bond, you call upon your relationship with one bonded character in a manner based on the type of bond (see the bond bility for the relevant bond type on page 136).
Rank 2	4 XP	“Like you always say…”: You count as having one bonded character’s assistance on a check in which the bonded character is skilled.
Rank 3	6 XP	“A familiar presence draws near…”: If the bonded character is an NPC, you may play that character instead of your own character for the next scene (or in an establishing flashback or her appropriate scene, if that character is unavailable or deceased). Remember to adhere to that character’s giri and ninjō while playing them. Major decisions on the part of that character must be approved by the GM. If the bonded character is a PC, you and that PC’s player may immediately play out an establishing flashback scene that occurred between your characters in the past.
Rank 4	8 XP	“You taught me this!”: Use one bonded character’s ring or skill ranks (or skill group ranks, if they are an NPC) for a check instead of your own.
Rank 5	10 XP	“We are bound by this fate we have made!”: Transfer one of your Void points to the bonded character or gain 1 Void point after they spend a Void point.