Hotaru Watchers [bushi]

The Firefly has the task of watching the shores of their stretch of land against anything that might come from the sea. Due to their small numbers, they developed a technique to be able to stand watch for long periods of time.

Rank: 2

Replaces: Hotaru Bushi 2

Requirements: Investigation 3, Meditation 3

Technique

Stance of the Lighthouse – The Hotaru Watcher can enter a meditative trance while standing, allowing him to keep watch for long hours before he needs to rest. By making a TN 25 Meditation roll, the watcher can stand watch with no need for rest for an entire day. The TN increases by 5 for every additional day.

While standing watch, the Hotaru watcher gains a +2k0 for his Investigation (Notice) Skill Rolls.

Once the Watcher has failed the roll to stand watch, he must get a good night's sleep to regain his composure.

I think this is neat. I would personally make a note about how hard the bushi crashes once they come off of their vigil, but that's just me

I was thinking about adding such a note, but wasn't sure how to write it. On the one hand, they should have some consequence to standing guard so long, but on the other, they shouldn't be penalized too much.

Perhaps mechanically they would have to sleep a full night to recover or spending 1 void point for every 24 hours of watch stood that cannot be recovered till a full sleep period. If they have insufficient void points to stave off sleep they crash moving sluggishly as though in an intoxicated stupor till they can recover.

Perhaps this is too harsh a penalty, but to go from a watch of extreme alertness for an extended duration and then being expected to be immediately combat ready is rather superhuman so spending void seems to be an adequate response if they need to fight during the course of events. If they don't have the void points available they can still do something just not as effective as they could be.

I don't see much need for a crash period afterward, at least not from a game-balance point of view. The bushi is stuck in one spot, so this isn't something that can be used much during the action of a session. Basically, the Watcher is the ultimate night watchman while the party camps.

Maybe just add something about how the technique can't be used again until the Watcher has had a full night's sleep (whenever that comes).