Below are some common Legend of the Five Rings Terms, Characters, and Rokugani words. [1]
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Akodo | Founding Kami of the Lion Clan |
| Ashigaru | Peasant warriors under the command of a samurai |
| Bayushi | Founding Kami of the Scorpion Clan |
| Benten | The Fortune of romantic love and the arts |
| Bisentō | A heavy polearm with a large blade |
| Bishamon | The Fortune of strength |
| Biwa | A short-necked fretted lute (musical instrument) |
| Bō | A quarterstaff |
| Bokken | A wooden practice sword |
| Bonge | The laborer caste, see heimin |
| Budōka | The personal armed retainers of a samurai |
| Buke | The samurai caste that does not weild authority over other samurai "Those who serve." |
| Burakumin | The lowest caste of "non-people", see hinin |
| Bushi | A warrior |
| Bushidō | The code of the samurai, consisting of seven tenants: Compassion, Courage, Courtesy, Honor, Honesty, Loyalty and Sincerity |
| Chokutō | A straight, single-edged sword |
| Courtier | A samurai whose primary duties are in court |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Daikoku | The Fortune of wealth, who is associated with death |
| Daikyū | A longbow |
| Daimyō | Lord of a family, clan, or territory |
| Daishō | The weapons which mark a samurai's status, traditionally made up by a katana (longsword) and wakizashi (shortsword) |
| Doji | Founding Kami of the Crane Clan |
| Dōjō | A place of instruction, practice, and study |
| Ebisu | The Fortune of honest work |
| Fu Leng | The Lost Kami and lord of demons |
| Fukurokujin | The Fortune of widsom and mercy |
| Gaijin | A foreigner to Rokugan |
| Geisha | A host and entertainer who is hired by a samurai for the joy of the company |
| Gempuku | The coming-of-age ceremony for samurai. Occurs between ages 13-21, typically 16 |
| Hakama | A divided skirt worn over a kimono, primarily by men and warrior women |
| Hantei | The divine first emperor of Rokugan |
| Haori | A hip or thigh-length jacket worn over other clothes |
| Heimin | "The common folk," or the peasants that make up the bonge caste |
| Hida | Founding Kami of the Crab Clan |
| Hinin | "The non-people," or members of the burakumin lowest caste |
| Hōtei | The Fortune of contentment |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Iaijutsu | A form of swordfighting focusing on draw speed and precision |
| Ji | A polearm weapon with a hooked blade at one end |
| Jian | A straight, double-edged sword |
| Jitte | A hooked tool used to disarm an opponent's sword, typically worn by guards and government officials |
| Jizamurai | Smaller groups of samurai, such as vassal families, small Minor Clans, or officially-sanctioned bands of rōnin |
| Jūjutsu | A form of martial arts that does not use weapons |
| Jigoku | The realm of evil |
| Jurōjin | The Fortune of longevity |
| Kabuki | A stylized type of theater that focuses on the heroism or tragedy of the samurai |
| Kabuto | A samurai's helmet |
| Kama | A sickle-like farming implement often used as a weapon |
| Katana | A longsword, the weapon of the samurai |
| Kata | A martial technique |
| kami | Spirits that inhabit the natural world |
| Kami | The gods that fell to Rokugan and founded the Great Clans |
| Kenjutsu | The art of swordsmanship |
| Kihō | A mystical technique used by monks |
| Kimono | A robe with a collar and large sleeves that falls to the ankle, the primary garmeent worn by samurai |
| Kiseru | A smoking pipe |
| Kisshōten | The Fortune of happiness, fertility, and beauty |
| Kuge | The samurai caste that weilds authority (Imperials, daimyō, clan chapmions, etc) "Those who rule" |
| Kubi Bukuro | A netted bag used to carry the severed head of one's enemy |
| Kusari-gama | A weapon composed of a kama attached to a long chain |
| Kyūjutsu | A combat style focused on archery |
| Li | A unit of length roughly equal to a third of a mile |
Legend of the Five Rings - Roleplaying Core Book, p. 330-331 ↩︎