Rising Sun: Kami Unbound
Rising Sun: Kami Unbound Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Season Cards Set
The Kami Unbound expansion contains the brand new Mountain Season cards Set. This Set can be used in any game by adding it to the Core Season cards, as explained on page 9 of the Rising Sun rulebook. While the Mountain Set was designed to have some special synergies with the Kami Unbound rules, it can be used in any game of Rising Sun. Besides, any of the other Sets can be used instead while playing with the Kami Unbound rules.
Kami Unbound
Kami Unbound is a special rules set that you can choose to add to your Rising Sun gaming experience. While the Kami already have a presence in the basic game, with players sending Shinto to worship at their Shrines in order to use their abilities, the Kami Unbound rules make their presence much stronger. The Kami manifest physically and come down from the holy mountains to give aid to the Clan who worships them the most, influencing the rules in the Province they occupy and acting as a temporary figure of that Clan.
Setup
Once the Prepare the Kami setup step has been completed, and the 4 Kami that will take part in the game have been selected, simply place their figures next to their corresponding Shrine tiles. Also, take their corresponding Kami cards and place them faceup next to the board, where all players can see them. Return the 3 remaining Kami figures and cards to the box, as they will not be used this game.
Entering the Provinces
At the beginning of each Season, the Kami do not influence the game in any way, being off the board. Their figures will only enter the Map on the Kami Turns, if they are worshipped.
During each of the Kami Turns, immediately after resolving the ability of a Kami's Shrine, the player who has the most Force there gets to take the corresponding Kami figure and place it in ANY Province they choose. They also take the corresponding Kami card and place it close to them. Follow the normal order of Shrine resolution, with the top worshippers placing the Kami figures where they wish. If a Shrine has no worshippers on it, its corresponding Kami figure remains untouched and may only be moved onto the Map on a subsequent Kami Turn if someone worships them.
Manifesting on a Different Province
In the same way as described above, on subsequent Kami Turns, the Kami figures that are already on the Map may be placed in a completely different Province. After resolving the Shrine ability, the top worshipper player may take the corresponding Kami figure from its current Province and place it in ANY Province, regardless of distance. This is not considered a Move.
Controlling the Kami
Once the Kami manifest on the Map, they affect the Province they occupy and join the forces of the Clan that currently worships them the most.
At all times, the player who has the most Force on a Kami's Shrine is in control of that Kami's figure. To help all players identify that, the controlling player keeps the corresponding Kami card next to them. If a different player later becomes the top worshipper at that Kami's Shrine (either by having more Force or by having higher Honor on a tie), they immediately gain control of that Kami's figure, taking the Kami card and placing it next to them.
While on the Map, each Kami figure brings 2 distinct effects to the game:
- Kami as a Clan Figure
- Kami Power
Kami as a Clan Figure
Each Kami figure effectively counts as a Clan figure for the player who currently has the most Force at that Kami's Shrine (as evidenced by the player having that Kami card). A player may control multiple Kami figures at the same time.
- The Kami figure counts as 1 Force for its controlling Clan, affecting Harvest and War.
- The Kami figure benefits from any of its controlling Clan's abilities and enhancements.
- The Kami figure may be Moved by the controlling player just like any of its other Clan figures.
- Similar to a Daimyo, Kami figures cannot be taken Hostage, cannot be removed by a Betray action, and are immune to other special effects.
- Kami figures cannot be killed under any circumstance.
Keep in mind that control of a Kami figure may change at any point in the game. It can even happen in the middle of a Battle, in case players are tied in Force at the Shrine and their relative Honor changes.
Kami Power
While on the Map, each Kami figure affects the Province they are in, according to the Kami Power described on their Kami card. Keep in mind that this Kami Power is completely independent from the Kami's Shrine ability, and it may benefit any player, not only that Kami's controlling player.
Amaterasu
Amaterasu values Honor above all, protecting the most honorable Clan in the Province she occupies.
The figures belonging to the player with the highest Honor among players with any Force in this Province cannot be killed by other players. Whether the player loses a Battle or suffers some other special effect, their figures cannot be killed. The player can still kill their own figures with Seppuku or other effects, if they wish.
Tsukuyomi
Tsukuyomi brings great wealth to the Clans in the Province he occupies.
During the War Phase, before resolving Tsukuyomi's Province, all players with any Force in it gain 4 Coins each. It doesn't matter whether a Battle takes place in this Province or not.
Susanoo
Susanoo has the power of trapping all figures in the Province he occupies.
All figures in Susanoo's Province are unable to Move out of it under any circumstance. It doesn't matter what Clan they belong to or what ability they may have. Only Kami figures are able to ignore Susanoo's hold.
Raijin
Raijin's thundering drums negate the Force of all figures other than Bushi and Kami in the Province he occupies.
Monsters, Daimyo, Shinto, and any other figure that's not a Bushi or Kami do not count their Force in this Province, no matter which player they belong to. This affects the resolution of Harvest and War.
Fujin
Fujin brings prosperous winds, doubling the Harvest Reward in the Province he occupies, and also granting the Harvest Reward to the Clan who wins War there.
During a Harvest Mandate, if a player gains the Reward of this Province, they gain double the listed amount. For example, if they would gain 2 Coins and 2 VP, they instead gain 4 Coins and 4 VP.
If a player wins this War Province token, whether there's a Battle or not, they also gain the Province's Harvest Reward. Note that in this case they only gain the listed Reward, it is not doubled.
Ryujin
Ryujin's strength rises according to how resourceful the Clan that controls him is. The more types of Season cards the Clan possesses, the more Force Ryujin has.
Unlike the other Kami, Ryujin's Power does not affect the Province he occupies, thus possibly being exploited by any player. He also doesn't necessarily count as 1 Force like the other Kami. Instead, Ryujin is only an asset to the player who controls him, and his Force depends on the variety of Season cards his Clan has.
Ryujin counts as 1 Force for each different type of Season card his controlling Clan possesses. Note that what affects his Force is not the number of cards, but the number of different types of cards (Enhancement, Virtue, Monster, War Upgrade, and Winter Upgrade), so Ryujin's Force may vary from 0 to 5.
Hachiman
Hachiman bolsters the hired warriors in the Province he occupies, doubling the Force of Ronin tokens.
When a player wins the Hire Ronin War Advantage during a Battle in Hachiman's Province, each of the Ronin tokens they have counts as 2 Force instead of just 1.
Seasonal Cleanup
At the end of each Season, remove all Kami figures from the Map and place them back next to their respective Shrine tiles. Also, take their Kami cards and place them next to the board. Next Season, the Kami figures may be brought back to the Map during the Kami Turn.