Kaihou Wildcat School

The Kaihou Wildcats are a storied and ferocious school of bushi known for their savagery and rather extreme philosophy of finding spiritual purity in the heat of one's fury. They are, however, some of the most ardent adherents to Bushido and are respected for their restraint - only unleashing their terrible abilities when the situation demands their unique brand of violence. They are utmost a defender of the people, and valorous to a fault, despite any other personal failings they might have.

Melee, Awareness, and War are other good skills to pair with this school. Melee in the rare event a Wildcat is challenged to an honorable sword-duel, Awareness for general battlefield control, and War for tactics and coordinated assaults (when not in a Fury).

## School Package

* +2 Willpower
* **Martial Arts** as a Favored ability, with a 1-dot specialty in *Claws*.
* +1 Athletics, Dodge, Integrity, Resistance
* Honor: 6.0
* Gear: Light armor, daisho, tiger claws, traveling pack.

## Techniques

(Rank 1) Claws of Any Stripe
The Wildcat may use Martial Arts in place of Melee for any claw-type weapon. When any of these weapons (or one's hands) are used in combat, the Wildcat may spend a Willpower point to add their honor rank as raw damage in a display of fierce martial prowess. If he chooses to do so, his Parry and Dodge DVs are reduced by 2 until his next action.
(Rank 2) Relentless Fury Meditation
By focusing his inner fire, the Wildcat is able to empower his savagery. Take a turn to spend a Willpower point at Speed 3; for the remainder of this combat, the Wildcat may attack from prone without penalty, ignores the first -1 wound penalty, increases their mental DVs by 2 versus fear or intimidation, and receives +1 die to attack, clinch, or perform an athletics action. However, the Wildcat becomes so focused on combat that he is unable to perform any non-combat actions (like speaking, or coordinating attacks) without spending a WP point. The meditation ends only when all opponents have been defeated OR when the Wildcat rolls his WP with a difficulty of his Valor.
* *Note*: They key word here is *opponents*. While a Wildcat can discern friend from foe in in this Meditation, mental finesse is not possible, so allies that get in the way are likely to be worked *through* instead of *around*, and allies that become particularly obstructive may quickly find themselves considered an *opponent*.

(Rank 3) Grace of the Savage Predator
For determining the distance of move, dash, or jump actions, you may add your School Rank to your Dexterity score. Further, while in his Relentless Fury Meditation, a Wildcat adds +1 to his Parry and Dodge DVs as his movements become more difficult to track.
(Rank 4) Form of the Ardent Tiger
Adopting this form requires spending a Void point as a Speed 3 action and lasts for the remainder of this combat; it may be done in tandem with Fury Meditation, but doing so increases the Speed to 5. Adopting this form grants the Wildcat the ability to roll with potentially lethal damage so it becomes but a glancing blow. To do so, he must roll Dexterity + Resistance before calculating soak, and converts a point of lethal damage to bashing damage for each success. If the Wildcat converts all lethal damage to bashing and still has unspent successes remaining, he may then remove a point of bashing damage for each remaining success. Additionally, if the Wildcat is in his Fury Meditation as well as Tiger Form, the Wildcat may reduce the Claws of Any Stripe penalty by -1, and may now do lethal damage with his unarmed attacks.
(Rank 5) The Blazing Firebolt that Cracks the Spine
This is the signature attack of the Kaihou Wildcats - a spectacular leaping pounce. It can only be performed after Form of the Ardent Tiger has been activated. The Wildcat must be able to charge, and rolls Dexterity + Athletics to charge-leap after spending a Void point with any number of raises. If the move is successful, each raise adds +1 automatic success to the subsequent attack. If that attack hits, any post-soak damage is doubled. If done while in his Fury Meditation, and the opponent is not killed outright, said opponent is immediately knocked down and subject to a clinch.