Here's a collection of the advantages and disadvantages my players and me have created during our games. Some of them are new, some are similar to those existing... but when they were created were new, so I'm keeping them. :_)
i) Advantages
ii) Disadvantages
iii) Ancestors
Danger Sense (12 points)
The samurai has a sixth sense that warns him from any danger menacing him in a direct way (a shugenja, an avalanche, a poisoned drink, a spoiled sushi...), but it never tells its nature. Ex: the samurai would feel danger if he intended to eat the spoiled sushi but not if he only wanted to hold it. Ex: if someone wants to backstab him he would feel the danger coming from behind, and the feeling of danger will increase as backstaber approached.
It's permanently active (the GM will always have to warn) and increases or decreases the feeling of danger depending on the threat. With this advantage the character will always be ready to defend on an ambush (his TN will be the combat TN, not just 5 plus modifiers).
Green eyes (3 points)
For some reason only known to the Fortunes and Amaterasu the character was born with the color of the jade on his eyes (just the color, he's not immune to the Shadowlands Taint) and therefore he's seen as a pure, honorable person. For this reason he gains 1K1 to persuasion and Seduction rolls (accumulative with other bonuses, like Benten's Blessing and Dangerous Beauty).
The samurai is able to feel the presence of people, animals and Shadowlands beings up to 10 meters around him, but he can't tell if he's feeling a samurai or an Oni nor the size of the being felt. The character senses are not blocked by walls or natural rock, whatever the thickness.
It's advisable that this advantage is allowed only if the character also has the Blind disadvantage.
Flexibility (4 points)
The character, after endless training or due to the Fortunes will, has an extreme flexibility. The character gains 2K0 on all flexibility related rolls and the TN of this rolls is decreased five points. Flexibility related damage rolls suffered by the character are decreased by 1K0 or are five points easier to pass.
The character is blind. That's all.
Harmless (2 points, 3 points per Crab bushi. Bushi only)
The character, for some reason, is seen as the most inoffensive person ever and it's extremely difficult for him to intimidate someone. Doesn't matter the character's Glory or fame, people will always see him as someone highly harmless. In Intimidation rolls the defender gains a free raise and the character rolls 2K0 less. This harmless look makes him gain 1K0 in social rolls.
Please note that a radical change of look or fame will result in the character losing this disadvantage (GM discretion), but this change should be extreme (explicit cruelty, good warrior fame...). The Cruel disadvantage is not incompatible because Harmless depends on how others see the character and Cruel is related to the character' behavior (again, the character's action can make him lose this disadvantage if known).
If Benten's Curse is also chosen the character only gains three points for the two disadvantages.
Stutterer (1, 2 or 3 points, +1 point/level for diplomats and shugenja)
For some unexplainable reason the character's speech is not as fluent as it should be. For each level the samurai keeps 1, 2 o 3 dice less in all rolls involving speech. Diplomats and shugenja gain 2, 3 or 5 (but the number of dices lost are not increased). The TN of all the spells is increased by 5 per level.
It is possible that with endless meditation and training the stutter can be controlled , but in tense situations (GM discretion) the stutter will reappear. To keep it from happening the character has to make a Willpower roll TN 20 minimum.
This disadvantage cancels the Voice advantage (but they are not incompatible, Stutter doesn't lets you speak correctly).
Damned by the Oracles (5 points)
For some karmic reason (or something) the character has attracted the attention of the Shadowlands Oracles. This means they pay attention to the samurai's life... and they will interfere in his life if they think he's not doing what's best for him, but keep in mind that this Oracles are from the Shadowlands...
Shiba Furi: 6 points. Phoenix only
Shiba Furi was not quite a normal samurai. As a Shiba he was expected to follow his kami's tradition, but he went to the Isawa shugenja School. As a Phoenix he was expected to be pacifist but, in fact, he was a bloody, violent bastard. He was not a very good student on the School and his gempukku went almost unnoticed. But once outside the School this Shiba began to explore all his potential by casting all his spells in the most destructive way, showing and undetected talent to cause chaos and destruction. His most remarkable action was the Earthquake he cast in Guisu Castle in Asako territory, where he almost collapsed the castle when trying to win an ice-ball battle by making fall the snow remaining on the trees. Characters with this ancestor gain a free raise when casting a spell to cause chaos and destruction (but not death) with any spell from any Ring.