The toads are a misunderstood group as a whole, alternately referred to as a gang of thieves and ruffians by some, and being valorous and noble protectors of the weak who’re just rough around the edges.
Both are somewhat accurate. The social structure of the summoned toads bears more than a passing resemblance to a Yakuza ‘family’. Much like an actual crime syndicate the toads usually want nothing to do with outsiders, but are more than happy to help one of their own. They have no problem carrying weapons, and make use of them extensively in combat; where exactly the toads are getting a supply of giant weapons is a mystery to this day.
And, much like the idealized versions of Yakuza syndicates, they do have a code of honor. They don’t prey upon the weak, they stand up for the ‘little guy’, and so on. Most toads, despite being perfectly okay with the sort of work ninja might call upon them to do, won’t harm the innocent or do have anything to do with genuinely ‘evil’ or malicious actions. They tend to fit the cultural stereotype of the “gangster with a heart of gold.”
Like any well-organized group, they are expressly concerned with the well-being and advancement of their own interests. A summoner is tasked with become a fitting member of the ‘family’, and if he upholds the same standards and ideals as the toads he’ll be sure to rise within ranks, gaining greater standing, prestise, and responsibility.
Scroll Toads are an anatomical impossibility even among summoned creatures, which says a great deal. They’re tall and appear seated upright, and seem to be wearing an obi. Upon being asked, the toad rises up and reveals that the middle of its body is actually a rolled-up scroll; that scroll can then be extended and have any number of important things inscribed upon it, usually summoning contracts, important seals, secret information, or forbiden techniques. Once the summoner no longer needs the scroll any more, it can be unsummoned.
Alternately, the toad can climb into the summoner’s mouth and somehow reside in their stomach indefinitely, to be called out again when the scroll is needed. How this works is unclear, and probably best not dwelled upon.
Effects: Each summoner with this contract is assigned their own unique scroll toad, and unless a special deal is made with the toads only ever has that one scroll toad to call upon. The scroll toad sticks around to do its job (having things written on it), and then leaves or climbs into the summoner’s stomach (inflicting a Stun 40 on the summoner). Retrieving a scroll stored this way is a Speed 20 action.
Nobody but the summoner themselves can retrieve the scroll from their stomach; if the summoner is killed, the toad will simply unsummon itself. Normally, information on the scroll will be stored indefinitely, but the toad can, at the summoner’s request, wipe part or all of the scroll clean. Once the summoner has decided he no longer needs the scroll, the toad can climb out and will head home. After being unsummoned, the Scroll Toad cannot be called upon again for eight weeks.
A spectacular infiltration technique, if one that gives most of its users some serious second thoughts the first few times they find themselves using it. The shinobi summons a small toad and climbs (or leaps, or jumps, or dives) into it; somehow the toad is able to bend space in such a way that not only can the summoner fit into its mouth, they can stay comfortably inside until the air supply runs out.
All forms of detection and communication fail to penetrate the toad’s stomach; as a result the user is almost impossible to detect, but also unable to tell what the situation in the outside world is.
The toad gives the summoner a ride to a pre-specified location, and once there (or upon a trigger condition) spits the summoner out before unsummoning itself.
Effects: A small diving toad is summoned. After giving it instructions the summoner hops inside its mouth (…somehow) and loses all contact with the outside world. Inside the toad the summoner cannot perceive, or be perceived by, the outside world. Communication devices won’t work, Chakra Sensing will fail to penetrate the toad’s stomach, and so on.
The interior is humid and unpleasantly warm, but tolerable. There’s a 48 hour supply of air, but the summoner will need to bring their own food and water (drinking a toad’s stomach acid is not particularly advisable). While inside the toad’s stomach the summoner will not recover Fatigue or Vitality.
The toad can be told to release the summoner on a number of conditions (given to it before the summoner hops inside): it reaches a set location, a certain amount of time has passed (or automatically after air runs out), a specific person described in detail is standing in front of the toad, or automatically if the toad is attacked (in which case the shinobi will be spit out and the toad will unsummon itself). More than one condition can be set, either in combination (“at that place and at that time”) or as alternatives (“at that place or in front of that person”).
A small creature, the diving toad is just slightly too large to fit on someone’s hand. It can dive up to 100 yards in fresh water, and can stay submerged in mud or fresh water indefinitely. If attacked it unsummons itself immediately.
While being capable of speech, diving toads will frequently complain that people “all look the same” to it. If told to release its passenger in front of a person, that person must be standing directly in front of it, in plain view, and within two yards. Additionally, the summoner must be able to provide a picture of them or have a very good description with two or more unique, identifying features (which can lead to mix-ups, on rare occasions). Otherwise, the toad won’t be able to recognize them.
The diving toad can only be summoned once every four weeks.
Classified as a partial summoning, the shinobi summons the esophagus of a great fire-breathing toad said to live on Mount Myoboku. This is only usable inside buildings, caves, or other confined areas; the esophageal lining covers the floors, walls, and ceilings in their entirety, and seals up any remaining exits. If deployed properly, there will be hardly any time at all for the victims inside to escape, leaving them trapped inside– a very unfortunate situation, as the summoner can then control the toad’s esophagus to move and ensare their enemies.
Effects: The stomach lining of a giant toad appears and begins growing to cover all passageways, extending outwards from the summoner to the full Area of the technique. Anyone who hasn’t exited the area by the time the Delay ends is trapped inside; anyone able to leave before then escapes automatically.
By spending 5 AP, the summoner can direct the esophagus to ensnare any number of targets trapped within (extending ‘whips’ of flesh from the lining to restrain them if necessary), increasing each of their immobilization penalties by 1. This may be done up to once every 5 IC, and does not require any actual action on the summoner’s part, though does necessitate a Chakra 10 roll.
Those trapped can take a Speed 10, Stamina 15 action to pull themselves free, reducing the immobilization penalty from Toad Mouth Bind by 2.
The linings of the esophagus are extremely resilient, with each square meter (an area large enough for a person to squeeze out of) having 500 HP, and a DR of 200 which applies against Katon, Blunt, and multi-throwing attacks, as well as regenerating 200 HP every 10 IC. Toad Mouth Bind can be used once every 2 months (8 OOC days).
This technique generates a powerful spatial barrier centered around the user which transports anyone caught in it (including the user themselves) into the stomach of a gourd toad: a massive, cavernous area filled with a lake of corrosive gastric acid, and, for some reason, many small partially digested buildings still standing within it.
The only way to escape is to defeat the summoner, convince them to end the technique, or wait until its duration ends–and neither of the last two tend to be all that effective. At the location where this technique was used a large, black kanji for “oil” is imprinted on the ground; when the technique ends, that mark vanishes and the stomach’s previous occupants are deposited in the nearest relatively safe (so, not on fire, covered in spikes, directly under a net, or so on) area within a hundred yards.
Effects: As soon as it activates, this technique automatically transports anyone within its Area, centered on the user, to the gourd toad’s stomach; the user may choose not to activate this aspect of it (though they will always be transported there themselves), but it’s all-or-nothing; they can take everyone within 20 yards of themselves, or nobody. Additionally, they may target up to one person within its range, with +4 Accuracy and ignoring any Fatigue penalties the user currently suffers from. A giant toad’s tongue lashes out from the spot the summoner vanished at, snatches that person up, and pulls them into the spatial distortion. This technique will last a maximum of five minutes. Until then, it is impossible for anyone to enter or exit the toad’s stomach.
As long as this isn’t the summoner’s first time being inside, they have a home field advantage. This gives them a +3 bonus to Accuracy, defense, Awareness, and Stealth while inside the stomach. If somebody is knocked back or thrown more than 3 yards they’ll be knocked into the acid, suffering a Stun 10 and taking Xd10 energy damage (with no damage bonus applied), where X is the number of IC which pass before their next action (at which point they are assumed to pull themself out of the acid). Water walking does not function on this stomach acid.
Toad Gourd Prison may only be used once every 3 months (12 OOC days).
It is unclear where this technique earned its name, as using it to destroy a food cart would be overkill of the highest degree. A giant, several-story-tall toad is summoned in mid-air above the unfortunate victim of this technique, and proceeds to fall on top of them. While this isn’t the quickest method of deploying a summon, or attacking an enemy, available, it’s hard to rival its ability to cause wide-area destruction.
Effects: This may only be used if a Kyodai is available to be summoned. It replaces the normal Speed and Seal Speed for doing so. You may not abort this technique, despite its Delay.
A Kyodai is summoned X*5 yards above the target (make the Chakra Exhaustion roll for the summon after Food Cart Destroyer’s); from there gravity does its thing, and the toad falls. This technique has a damage bonus of 0, but anyone who is still in its area when the Delay ends can not defend against it, and is hit automatically. The summoned toad takes no damage, and may act after they hit the ground.
Guardian Toads are chest-high on a man, which, given the squat nature of the species, makes them quite bulky. They’re large enough for a person to ride on, at least in theory, though will not allow their summoners to do so; it would be disrespectful, and they’re guardians and enforcers, not horses.
Guardians can range in color from bright orange and green to washed-out browns and yellows, and any number of shades inbetween. More often than not Guardians are summoned into battle, so they come appropriately equipped for combat, outfitted in metal armor and ready to exhibit their exceptional taijutsu skill.
The Guardian are quite smart–smarter than most people, though that’s not necessarily saying much–but aren’t much for conversation. They fill the role of a low-level enforcer or bodyguard for a minor official, being called on to provide a bit of extra muscle when the summoner needs backup. If they’re not given all the information they need to perform a task, they’ll fill in the blanks to the best of their judgment. Communication will usually involve affirmative grunts and the occasional wordless grumble.
As this is one of the more commonly called-upon summons of its contract, many summons will call the same Guardian for backup in most situations, and build a stronger relationship with them. Eventually this leads to actually getting monosyllabic verbal responses from the toad (“Yup” and “ ‘Kay,” being close to the limit of their willingness to converse), and the toad actually, occasionally, asking for elaboration when it needs it.
Vitality: 1200
STR: 60
RES: 50
CHA: 60
DEX: 50
AGI: 50
Accuracy: 24
Dodge: +14
Damage Bonus: 5.0
Genjutsu Defense: +10
Movement: 2 yards per IC.
Athletics: +15
Awareness: +15
Espionage: +10
Resistance: +20
Armor
The Guardian is heavily armored, having a DR of (Damage Bonus * 10).
Big Mouth
The Guardian has a large enough mouth that it can fit many small objects within it, keeping them protected from harm and outside influence. The object can only be removed by inflicting a called shot to the toad’s mouth that does 500 or more damage in a single strike(it doesn’t inflict a wound, just frees the object). The toad can hold about the same amount as a single sealing scroll in its mouth (or a Scroll Toad).
Shatei
The Guardian Toad works hard to keep up with its summoner. Whenever you summon a Guardian Toad, subtract the minimum XP required to summon it (1000 XP) from your Earned XP: that is the X value to determine what bonuses, if any, it gets from the following modifiers. X has a maximum of 4000.
In all cases, you round down. The bonus to skill rolls only applies to skills the summon has listed.
Standard Actions
Guardian Toads may use the Dodge, Move, Parry, and Search actions as described in the Combat chapter of the PHB without spending any of the summoner’s AP.
Defend (Speed 1 or 6, Interrupt, AP 1 or 6)
Guardians can block as a Speed 1 Interrupt by spending 1 AP. Alternately, they can use Take the Hit as a Speed 6 Interrupt with a cost of 6 AP; after taking the hit they are considered to be blocking if they succeed by at least 1 point.
Toad Strike (Speed 10, AP 4)
The toad leaps forward and delivers a powerful palm strike inflicting 12d10.extra(6) Blunt damage. This counts as a basic unarmed attack.
Tongue Lash (Speed 4, AP 8)
Once every 20 IC, the toad may lash out with its tongue; this has a range of 10 yards and +2 Accuracy. Used as an attack, this deals 6d20.extra(12) blunt damage. Alternately, it may be used to retrieve an object on the battlefield and hide it in their mouth. This can also be used to strike a weapon or object someone is holding, making a disarm check (with no penalty for large or small weapons). If successfully used as a disarm the toad may either toss the object aside (as per normal disarm rules) or immediately retrieve it and store it in its mouth. Tongue Lash cannot be used while the toad already has something stored in its mouth.
As mentioned, the Guardian is a bodyguard and enforcer, ready to protect its summoner and any important ‘acquisitions’. They’ll gladly jump in front of an attack aimed for their summoner if the need arises (though will only do so for things which seem like they’d be an actual threat to the summoner’s well-being), and will gladly bring up the rear in an escape.
Tha said, they expect to receive an appropriate amount of respect for their efforts, and be treated as a valued underling, not a disposable thug. Bringing up the rear in an escape is one thing, but asking them to hold enemies off until they succumb to their wounds is another entirely. Leaving them in combat while you flee (which is not the same as having them cover your escape, then unsummoning them once you’ve got a head start) constitutes a Breach of Contract.
Additionally, if the Guardian is unsummoned due to injuries (vitality dropping to zero) it cannot be summoned again for four weeks.
Within actual yakuza organizations, the rank of “Kyodai” refers to senior enforcers of individual gangs, leaders in their own right. Within the mob-family-like organization of the toads, these giant specimens occupy the same rank. Each of them is truly massive, towering above most trees and buildings and approaching the Toad Avatar, Gamabunta, in size. On top of that, every one of them is a skilled combatant, often bringing appropriately scaled-up weapons into combat with them. Their coloration varies wildly from one to the next, encompassing just about every coloration found in actual toads, and several not encountered in any natural species.
Kyodai are quite capable of conversation, though how talkative they are varies greatly from one to the next; they all have distinct personalities, and so summoners will tend to call upon the same few repeatedly to build a greater rapport– much like people, they get along better with someone they see more often.
That said, how they react to the summoner depends largely upon that summoner’s ‘rank’ within their organization. If a summoner can’t call on Gamabunta, they’re viewed as an underling, or at best a not-very-respected equal, who needs some extra muscle to bail them out of a tight situation. Assisting them is a necessary evil, and the toad will do what it needs to to finish the job and head home as quickly and efficiently as possible.
If the summoner has summoned Gamabunta in the past and has at least a passing degree of respect from Mount Myoboku’s Oyabun, the toad warriors treat summoners as respected peers as long as they get a similar degree of respect in return.
Vitality: 3000
STR: 140
RES: 100
CHA: 60
DEX: 120
AGI: 100
Accuracy: 40
Dodge: +25
Damage Bonus: 10
Genjutsu Defense: +28 Movement: 4 yards per IC
Athletics: +25
Awareness: +25
Espionage: +20
Resistance: +30
Giant Weapons
Parrying a giant toad’s weapons is not generally advisable. It can only be done by someone with at least 140 STR, and they suffer a Stun (200 - their STR)/10 whether or not they succeed. Otherwise, all normal rules for parrying weapons apply.
Huge
Kyodai cannot dodge Area of Effect attacks; instead, they block them automatically as a Speed 0 defense. They can not enter any level of Stealth, nor Hide. They are too heavy to be knocked airborne, knocked back, or knocked prone, and ignore any jutsu or effects that work by binding or physically restraining them. Damage from all Small weapons (including Multi-throws) deals half its normal damage, calculated before any potential Partial Success.
Their physical damage bonus is doubled against anyone who is not Huge or Titanic in size, and they do not take penalties for being in a grapple with anyone who is not Huge or Titanic in size; anyone who is not at least Large (meaning all humans except those with the Large unique, or Akimichi in Baika X = 6+) cannot grapple them due to their size, and gaining control of a grapple the creature initiated merely has the grapple end, rather than allowing them to take control of it.
Additionally, their attacks have a range of 20 yards, though are still considered to be melee range.
Jump
Being toads, they’re quite adept at jumping, and frequently do so when they need to cross large distances in a pinch. When a Kyodai moves as part of an attack, they may a distance equal to the full Speed worth of movement–in other words, if using a Speed 12 attack they may move up to (12 * 4) 48 yards as part of it.
Kyodai
As befits their rank and skill, the giant toad warriors all bring some form of weapon to battle. When you summon a warrior, choose which of the following weapons they’ll be equipped with. You may summon a different sort of weapon-user each time, if you please.
Against Large summons, they suffer a -4 immobilization penalty that does not reduce their movement speed until the Kyodai attacks with it again or they move outside of its attack range. Their movement speed is reduced by (Kyodai’s STR - that summon’s STR)/10 yards per IC. Any summons with a size description other than Large suffer a Stun equal to however many points they were hit by.
Twin Katana: The toad appears with two katanas. Using them is a Speed 14 attack dealing 15d10 Slashing damage each (rolling damage separately for each sword, as normal for a dual-wield attack), using the attack’s full Speed for each damage roll; if used to parry, they have a +2 bonus. Whenever the toad attacks with these weapons they may select two targets who are both in range, attacking one with each weapon.
Wakizashi: The Wakizashi deals 10d10 Slashing damage, and is a Speed 12 attack with +2 Accuracy. The toad may use it to attack without spending the summoner’s AP, but if it does so it cannot attack again for 20 IC (instead of 12 IC, based on the attack’s Speed); this does not actually change the Speed of the attack.
Tetsubo: Yes, a huge wooden club, probably made from an actual tree trunk and fitted with metal studs. This attack has -4 Accuracy, but cannot be parried. It is a Speed 20 attack dealing 20d20 Blunt damage, with a damage bonus of 20. If it hits, it inflicts a Stun 8. However, the AP cost to attack with it is increased by 5 (to 10 for Skillful Strike, and 15 + X for Leap Attack).
Twin Sai: A paired set of sai; while they do have a +4 bonus to parrying weapons, it’s usually not all that useful for a giant toad. Attacking with them is a Speed 12 action, and they deal 12d10 Blunt damage. If an attack with these weapons misses, the summoner may spend 5 AP for the toad to make a strike with the second sai, in which case an Accuracy roll replaces their normal Accuracy.
Bare Hands: Yes! This toad knows martial arts! They make Speed 10 attacks dealing 12d12 Blunt damage. However, if their attacks miss they do not expend any of the summoner’s AP. If their attacks hit, the summoner may immediately spend another 4 AP to have the toad perform a flashy series of blows which inflicts a Stun 4 on the victim.
Standard Actions
Kyodai may use the dodge, move, and block actions as described in the Combat chapter without spending any of the summoner’s AP.
Leap (Speed 5, 10 AP)
The Kyodai can leap up to 300 yards horizontally, or 150 yards vertically, or any combination of the two (so, at maximum, a 300 yard horizontal leap that carried them in an arc which, at its highest point, reached 150 yards off the ground). For determining how long this takes to cross the entire length, use whichever distance is greater; during the leap, the toad travels at a rate of 10 yards per IC. While in mid-air the toad is free to take other actions, but cannot move, change direction, or dodge area-of-effect attacks.
Leap Attack (Speed X + Variable, 10 + X AP)
The toad lunges for its target with incredible speed! This can attack anyone within Leap’s range. X is how many IC it would take to reach their location with Leap; if they’re 120 yards away, X is 12. The “Variable” value is the normal Speed to perform Skillful Strike. This takes place immediately (unlike Leap, where the movement happens over time). For determining damage, and valid defenses, the toad’s weapon’s normal Speed is used.
Skillful Strike (Speed Variable, 5 AP)
The toad uses its weapon of choice (as described under “Kyodai”, in Attributes) to attack.
Kyodai have little objection to being called into battle to protect the summoner or other members of the toad ‘family’; it’s part of their job as mob bosses, and while they may not be totally agreeable or treat the summoner with all that much respect, they won’t let those sort of attitude issues get in the way of doing their job.
Of course, they’re also part of an idealized version of the yakuza, and as such think of themselves as valorous champions of the weak and downtrodden. They’ll go out of their way to help anyone who falls into the category (so, not any shinobi, not nobility, and not wealthy civilians), and will refuse orders to harm them or disregard their safety. Convincing them that somebody is actually weak and being abused is a reliable, if difficult, way to get their full cooperation.
To shinobi, Gamabunta is the Toad Avatar; to other toads he is the Oyabun, the head of their Yakuza-like ‘family’. He’s one of the larger summoned avatars, tall enough that the great forests covering most of the Fire Country are barely tall enough to reach his hip. While he’s not that much larger than the toad Warriors (the ‘Kyodai’ among the toads), his skills far surpass theirs. He’s boss for a reason.
Gamabunta has dull, rust-red skin covered in warts. His ‘chest’ is brightly tattooed in red ink, though those markings are partially obscured by the blue happi vest he wears; his other identifying feature (aside from being, you know, a giant toad) is the vertical scar across his right eyelid, where he was presumably slashed (and fortunately not blinded) by some large blade.
When Gamabunta appears, it is with a a slim (for him) metal pipe in his mouth; he does, indeed, smoke. He carries a blade holstered at his back which to him is a tanto–though in shinobi terms, the blade is the size of a tower, and large enough to cleave rivers into the ground.
Gamabunta is usually grumpy and apathetic; being summoned is not something he’s every very pleased about. A summoner who’s managed to earn his personal respect has a better time of things, but for the most part Gamabunta is the Boss of a massive organization and has much better things to do with his time than be forced into a conversation with a random underling, let alone help bail said underling out of trouble.
That said, Gamabunta does have a strong (if somewhat warped) sense of right and wrong, and will fight valiantly against genuine, serious threats. Usually refusing to be anywhere he hasn’t chosen to, his opinion can be skewed one way or the other based on the nature of his ‘family’s’ involvement.