So our game setting will be in the Second City. I narrowed it down to either playing a Daidoji or a Yoritomo. This is because I'm interested in the Crane/Mantis feud and the growing port tensions between them.
So convince me on either siding with the Crane into creating a fleet mighty enough to beat the Mantis to become the new naval power or playing a Mantis and crush all those who dare oppose their claim of mastery over the ocean and the colonies.
I'd rather see you start ronin, and try to get into the Crane's good graces by sabotaging the Mantis.
Luke Allen
Isn't this based off of some crazy card game where they used tournament results to determine the plot of each expansion? What sort of system is it?
Grayson Morris
4e and I don't know if FFG will continue that.
OP got a better chance of getting into the grace of the Mantis as a ronin, since they're more open to wave men then the Crane.
Christian Clark
Which is precisely why I didn't suggest the easy path.
Joseph Thomas
Yes it is. The original system is called Roll and Keep, generally you roll a number of d10s equal to your relevant attribute plus skill and total a number equal to your attribute to beat a target number. For instance, if you have a 3 Agility and a 5 Kenjutsu, you'd roll 8d10 and total the best 3 dice. Additionally if you roll a 10 that die explodes and keeps exploding as long as you keep rolling 10s. The another big feature is calling raises. A raise makes a target number 5 higher to achieve a greater effect, for instance on an attack roll you could deal more damage or disarm your opponent. Chargen is point based with characters fitting into five broad classes: Bushi (Warriors), Courtiers (Social Characters), Shugenja (a mix between wizard and cleric), Monks (generally unarmed fighters with weird tricks like magic tattoos), and Ninja. Beyond your character's six or seven school skills he can take whatever you want for skills, though dishonorable skills will affect your Honor rank (which is effectively your alignment). Advancement is just getting more character points and leveling up is a function of Rings (Meta-traits that are the combined effects of a physical and a mental attribute) and your total ranks of skills. There also three Independent stats, Honor (Alignment), Glory/Infamy (Fame and Renown), and Status (Societal Rank).
FFG is putting out a new edition with their shitty snowflake dice if that is your bag. My group sees no reason to go there and are sticking with the old system.
Samuel Smith
What schools you thing about using?
Ryder Edwards
I don't like the shitty snowflake dice but I do like the more freeform story telling system and the "you are repressing your feels" mechanic.
Blake Reyes
So on reading L5R 4e, this game seems to be basically about a bunch of privileged people who hate each other trying to accomplish a common goal while not breaking impropriety in a highly conformist culture.
So it's a comedy of manners, right? Like this is just a Kurosawa themed Oscar Wilde play.
I don't like the combat distance mechanic, weapon lists, shitty dice, poor translation of ninjo / giri, clan-variable honor, the Dark Heresy style school advancements, and a few other things ... But the repressed feels mechanic? Good stuff.
Christian Martinez
I thought the limit break mechanic was the worst bit after stupid shit like the Kakita and Unicorn Horse Necromancy.
Aaron Garcia
I almost forgot about those. Thanks, user.
Connor Flores
Whats this?
Nolan Perry
No.
Jason Lopez
R5 Kakita can close on someone in the longest range band in a single action and still attack. R5 Shinjo can summon their steed who will Kool-Aid Man through any obstacle to get to his master. If that steed is recently dead, it will possess the nearest living horse before Kool-Aid Manning his way to his master.
The later is especially egregious to the lore as mortal non-maho magic is not supposed be able to resurrect dead things. Also the Horse smashing through all obstacles is stupidly silly as well.
Caleb Flores
>The later is especially egregious to the lore as mortal non-maho magic is not supposed be able to resurrect dead things. Also the Horse smashing through all obstacles is stupidly silly as well. Eh, it's not really mortal magic. There's precedents for honorable ghosts showing up, and honored ancestors deliberately reincarnate when they're needed again. The only parts that're weird is that it's a horse and that it possesses things.
Chase Perry
Man, this is literally Dark Moto's ability from earlier editions, only now it's good and fluffy for some reason.
Josiah Rogers
Play Scorpion and ensure the Crane-Mantis war weakens both of them while you smuggle and shuffle the local gang leaders. Once the new heads of the Yakuza answer to Scorpion directions, then play Peacemaker between Crane and Mantis.... Then watch as your descendants use your peacmaking as the start of two centuries of favormongering and told-you-sos from the comfort of Yomi. Which was your clans' real goal all along.
>So it's a comedy of manners, right? Like this is just a Kurosawa themed Oscar Wilde play.
That's basically just a description of Japanese culture in general so...yes.
Liam Lee
Now thats how you Scorpion!
Hunter Scott
Play a Kaiu shipbuilder and curry favor with everyone.
Kayden Davis
>Yoritomo bushi or Daidoji Scout. Wouldn't playing a Daidoji Iron Warrior make more sense?
Bentley James
>playing anything other than Dragon
I sure hope you guys don't do this.
Gavin Smith
Bad news bro. Almost everyone do this.
Something that leads into commerce techniques would have been my thought.
Juan White
Okay, Veeky Forums. I have two L5R campaigns about to come up, and need your help:
Scenario: >Meeting with the beneficiaries of a dying/dead Scorpion Courtier What does this team need? >Mirumoto Bushi, Tamori Shugenja, Kitsuki Courtier >Matsu Berserker >Agasha Shugenja
Personal opinion: Scorpion Courtier
---
Scenario: >Combat/Investigation that leads into the Colonies What does this team need? >Akodo Bushi, Ikoma Bard >Badger Chain Weapon Fighter >Falcon Bushi
Cranes don't have a lot of choices in school techniques that uses commerce. Doji courtier relies on gift giving rather then open commerce like Yasuki and Yoritomo courtiers do. Fluff and game mechanic wise, Doji rely on the Daidoji to get their hands dirty and worry about commerce, thats why most schools would lose honor for doing business deals.
Best opinion Cranes have is the alternative path, Daidoji Trading Council.
Charles Long
It's always important to remember that techniques are not the sum total of what a character is or can do. Every family has their own traders and soldiers and duelists and courtiers and even shugenja, and basically only the last one actually needs special training that comes with a Technique.
Michael Young
>Crane >Mantis What are some stereotypes of the clans and their players?
Xavier Torres
>Crab The Crab have a reputation for really not caring about social stigmas or etiquette. This doesn't have to be a true stereotype, and there are plenty of Crab who can at least pretend to care when it matters, but unfortunately the stereotype can transfer to the kind of players the clan attracts.
Caleb Jenkins
>Crane These guys literally wrote the book on court and etiquette, and they're just fine with beating you over the head with that fact. Their entire "real" military falls on the shoulders of one Family because the rest of them are focused on courtly things or being extreme pacifists. >Mantis Depending on era, this is either a plucky minor clan of pirates and sea captains or is a nasty Great Clan that absorbed a bunch of Minor Clans and then greenwashed them all to act and look like the original Mantis. They were better when they were a minor clan and had an alliance with the other minor clans.
Nicholas Cook
I tend to see the Mantis attract either the loud and reckless, do-whatever-I-please-damn-if-I-don't players. Well at least the Yoritomo players, the other families in the Mantis like the Moshi and Kitsune players are hippies and Tsuruchi I see them usually being played as Legolas-lite.
Cranes attract the hardcore anime and manga fans, and their avatar pictures shows it. Expect Kakita duelist to either come with a Rurouni Kenshin or Inuyasha flavor.
>Mantis >They were better when they were a minor clan and had an alliance with the other minor clans. This!
Aaron Hughes
Always play a Scorpion Courtier user, always!
Adrian Hernandez
Both Daidoji schools focus on two totally different things. Scout has you focusing on stealth and traps, while Iron Warrior has you guarding.
Not sure which one will be suitable for your setting and what your trying to do. You could be a yojimbo to a merchant or naval commander if you go with Iron Warrior. Scout will have you sneaking aboard Mantis vessels or destroying them through deceit, you could be a ninja-ish pirate or a pirate-ish ninja.
Jayden Myers
Go Mantis and never look back
Evan Wood
Here's the text for the partially spoiled Walking the Way from today's article
1 Fate Event Air. Spell If you control a Shugenja, reduce the cost to play this card by 1.
Action: Look at the top 3 cards of your Dynasty deck, discard a card from a province you control, and put one of the looked at cards into that province face up. Shuffle your dynasty Deck
I'm playing a Dragon "Totally not Spock" Science Officer (we're treating it as L5RTrek) and its pretty fun.
Chase Morales
We ran it as a one shot but it went well. We had to meet a Yasuki crime boss inside a disco club but it quickly became a hit as our contact was murdered what could've been Spider monks (we didn't follow up on the game sadly).
Only clunky part was the spaceship fight rules, I would homebrew it.
Thomas Brown
>It's always important to remember that techniques are not the sum total of what a character is or can do. It's also important to not pretend just anyone can do what someone's technique allows, or when it is doable, that the technique is faster/easier/more effective.
