L5R 4th ed interest check

[HairyHeretic]

Life is not so important when forced to choose between life and integrity.

Before the birth of the universe, there was Nothing.

Eventually, the Nothing receded, and into existence came beings of vast, almost unknowable power. Amaterasu, the Lady Sun, and Onnotangu, the Lord Moon, were the greatest of these, and together, husband and wife gave names to all that was, creating the mortal realm of Ningen-do, as well as many other spirit realms and all that dwelled within them. Thus it was that the universe was born.

It's been a while, so I'm looking to see if there would be interest in a Legend of the Five Rings game. I'd be using the 4th edition rules, pre Scorpion Clan coup / Clan Wars era. Anyone interested?

Proposed characters:
Chulanowa - Unicorn and Phoenix
Blythe - Crab Bushi
Drowdeviant - Scorpion Courtier / Bushi or Mantis Shukenja
AmberStarfire - Phoenix Shukenja
Muse - Sparrow Bushi
Pumpkin Seeds - Akodo Narumi, Lion Bushi
Marie Reynolds - Unicorn courtier

OOC thread is here.

[Chulanowa]

Hmmm, I'm not suuuuuuu...

pre Scorpion Clan coup / Clan Wars era.

OKAY!

[Blythe]

Very tentative interest. I'm rather new to the L5R system and wanting to learn, but I've got the 4e books. I'm not super familiar with the lore yet, though--would that be a problem?

(Totes fine if I wouldn't be a good fit, but I wanted to toss my name in the hat since I've not seen a 4e interest check for L5R, and I've really wanted to learn it!  ;D )

[Drowdeviant]

Nuuu my scorpion babies need to eat their essential herbs and spices to grow up into big strong underhanded back stabbers! xD

Honestly I would want to play a scorpion or Mantis cause they have cool options for shugenja...though Scorpions do get daisho wielding ninjas who can take a bow into battle and can't get their honor reduced for using low skills or ninjitsu weapons. xD

[HairyHeretic]

Hmmm, I'm not suuuuuuu...

OKAY!

Cool. Got anything firmly in mind for Clan or role?

Very tentative interest. I'm rather new to the L5R system and wanting to learn, but I've got the 4e books. I'm not super familiar with the lore yet, though--would that be a problem?

(Totes fine if I wouldn't be a good fit, but I wanted to toss my name in the hat since I've not seen a 4e interest check for L5R, and I've really wanted to learn it!  ;D )

Not knowing the lore might make it a bit tricky in places, but that's why you invest a couple of points in the Etiquette skill, and that way we can keep you straight :)

It is a bit of a different mindset to more standard fantasy type settings. Wealth and power are relatively unimportant, magic items are pretty much non existant, and honour is more important than life. At least for an honourable character :)

Nuuu my scorpion babies need to eat their essential herbs and spices to grow up into big strong underhanded back stabbers! xD

Honestly I would want to play a scorpion or Mantis cause they have cool options for shugenja...though Scorpions do get daisho wielding ninjas who can take a bow into battle and can't get their honor reduced for using low skills or ninjitsu weapons. xD

Keep in mind at this point in the timeline Mantis are still a minor clan.

[AmberStarfire]

I would be interested. :)

[HairyHeretic]

Cool. I have a couple of initial scenarios that could be played through, though if PCs have specific goals, we can see how those can be worked in.

[Drowdeviant]

Keep in mind at this point in the timeline Mantis are still a minor clan.

They are? ...Oh yeah I forgot they kind of forgot they evolved by absorbing other clans into them until they got enough clout to petition for great clan status.

Honestly in the gran scheme of the clans themselves Scorpions have to be my favorites. The other clans hate them for being shadowy manipulators but at the end of the day they're the ones always needed when the empire needs dirty deeds done...plus their women are drop dead gorgeous. xD

[HairyHeretic]

The Mantis, the Wasp and .. I can never remember the third offhand. Centipede? Tortoise?

I favour Scorpion myself. I started playing Dragon in 1st ed, but shifted to Scorpion over time, and running City of Lies kinda cemented that for me. I took over a Scorpion PC from someone who dropped out of the campaign, and had a lot of fun playing her. She took it on herself to cook for the group each night when they were travelling, and there were one or two of them who initially found her cooking so filling they could barely eat more than a few grains of rice  >:)

She also managed a couple of really lucky strikes with her wakizashi that convinced the others there was no way she was 'just' a Courtier.  ;D

Scorpions know what Duty demands.

[Drowdeviant]

The Mantis, the Wasp and .. I can never remember the third offhand. Centipede? Tortoise?

I favour Scorpion myself. I started playing Dragon in 1st ed, but shifted to Scorpion over time, and running City of Lies kinda cemented that for me. I took over a Scorpion PC from someone who dropped out of the campaign, and had a lot of fun playing her. She took it on herself to cook for the group each night when they were travelling, and there were one or two of them who initially found her cooking so filling they could barely eat more than a few grains of rice  >:)

She also managed a couple of really lucky strikes with her wakizashi that convinced the others there was no way she was 'just' a Courtier.  ;D

Scorpions know what Duty demands.

They also absorbed fox at some point too I believe.

...Was she poisoning them? Knowing Scorpions I wouldn't be surprised if she was, after all their ancestral clan weapon is essentially a poison slicked sword. :3

Also how beautiful was she? Scorpion women tend to be especially blessed in that department from what I understand. xD

Oh god she was a courtier?! Those poor fools...>:)

[Muse]

  Formally and with great relish expressing interest here, Hairy. 

  I'll sned you a PM soon. 

[HairyHeretic]

No, she wasn't poisoning them. She was just doing it for amusement, and playing on the stuff that 'everybody knew' about Scorpions.

I'd need to dig the character sheet out, I think I still have it tucked away somewhere, but she did have Bentens Blessing, so yes, she was beautiful. Also quite petite if I remember correctly. And terrifying (lucky dice roll on an intimidation roll against a bandit did more for her reputation).

"No way is she just a Courtier."
"Ninja are just a peasent superstition"

;D

Such a fun campaign though.

[Drowdeviant]

No, she wasn't poisoning them. She was just doing it for amusement, and playing on the stuff that 'everybody knew' about Scorpions.

I'd need to dig the character sheet out, I think I still have it tucked away somewhere, but she did have Bentens Blessing, so yes, she was beautiful. Also quite petite if I remember correctly. And terrifying (lucky dice roll on an intimidation roll against a bandit did more for her reputation).

"No way is she just a Courtier."
"Ninja are just a peasent superstition"

;D

Such a fun campaign though.

Aww. xD

Well there's Benten's Blessing and the Dangerous Beuaty advantage which makes you better at manipulation with members of the opposite sex. xD

Good Ninjas remain only a peasant myth. Those idiots in black pajamas are but children trying to follow in the foot steps of greatness (also if I understand being made to be one of those idiots is essentially how they haze newbies. xD)

[HairyHeretic]

The black clad ninjas do make a wonderful distraction for the completing unassuming 'servant' doing the real job, yes :)

I think that was back in 2nd ed, not sure if they kept that up after that.

[Drowdeviant]

The black clad ninjas do make a wonderful distraction for the completing unassuming 'servant' doing the real job, yes :)

I think that was back in 2nd ed, not sure if they kept that up after that.

Aww but it was good fluff text. xD

That is right I think. Infiltrators get "sturdy black clothing" as part of their starting gear. :P

Edit: They still do it! All the novices call it "The Gauntlet" and typically burn the black clothes or pass them on to fresh blood when they become recognized by the clan. xD

[Chulanowa]

Cool. Got anything firmly in mind for Clan or role?

I don't. Was kinda hoping to know more about what you have planned before making that pick... plus I'd have to re-acquaint myself with 4E a bit. I do kinda love me some Unicorn and Phoenix, though.

[HairyHeretic]

The initial scenario I have has the PCs gathered as guests at a wedding, so it's a handy way to get them all together. The second springboards off that, assuming that they do well in the first scenario, they get offered a chance to gain honour and notice by some important people, as a thank you for their efforts in the first.

After that, well, we'll just have to see what happens :)

Both scenarios would work fairly well with a mixed group, so it should be able to accomidate whatever people want to play. Generally speaking its always handy to have at least 1 of each of Bushi, Courtier and Shukenja, but I can generally work with what people want to play.

[Drowdeviant]

The initial scenario I have has the PCs gathered as guests at a wedding, so it's a handy way to get them all together. The second springboards off that, assuming that they do well in the first scenario, they get offered a chance to gain honour and notice by some important people, as a thank you for their efforts in the first.

After that, well, we'll just have to see what happens :)

Both scenarios would work fairly well with a mixed group, so it should be able to accomidate whatever people want to play. Generally speaking its always handy to have at least 1 of each of Bushi, Courtier and Shukenja, but I can generally work with what people want to play.

A wedding within a single clan or a wedding between two clans hairy?

[HairyHeretic]

Between two. The groom is an Ikeda, one of the vassal families of the Matsu in the Lion Clan. The bride is an Otomo.

[Blythe]

Not knowing the lore might make it a bit tricky in places, but that's why you invest a couple of points in the Etiquette skill, and that way we can keep you straight :)

It is a bit of a different mindset to more standard fantasy type settings. Wealth and power are relatively unimportant, magic items are pretty much non existant, and honour is more important than life. At least for an honourable character :)

Gotcha, understood! And I'm more than happy to follow the lead of more experienced players as needed and ask questions to make sure I'm on the right track.  :D

The initial scenario I have has the PCs gathered as guests at a wedding, so it's a handy way to get them all together. The second springboards off that, assuming that they do well in the first scenario, they get offered a chance to gain honour and notice by some important people, as a thank you for their efforts in the first.

After that, well, we'll just have to see what happens :)

Both scenarios would work fairly well with a mixed group, so it should be able to accomidate whatever people want to play. Generally speaking its always handy to have at least 1 of each of Bushi, Courtier and Shukenja, but I can generally work with what people want to play.

I was thinking of playing a shugenja or a bushi, either way maybe of the Crab clan? If a shugenja, from the Kuni family, if a bushi, from the Hida family?

(I was thinking of going with Crab because it gets mentioned they're often thought of as crude & such, so I figured if I get something wrong etiquette-wise, it might still fit the 'tone' of that clan, maybe?)

I'm happy to playing something from another clan if Crab isn't a good choice (or if either of the families I picked aren't good choices). ^^

[HairyHeretic]

If you want something 'relatively' easy to play, I'd say go with either a Crab or Unicorn bushi. A bushi is going to be easier to play than a Shukenja or Courtier. Crab aren't really overly worried about etiquette, and Unicorns are seen as somewhat barbarian anyway, doing strange un-samurai-like things like eating meat and wearing fur and such.

[Drowdeviant]

Gotcha, understood! And I'm more than happy to follow the lead of more experienced players as needed and ask questions to make sure I'm on the right track.  :D

I was thinking of playing a shugenja or a bushi, either way maybe of the Crab clan? If a shugenja, from the Kuni family, if a bushi, from the Hida family?

(I was thinking of going with Crab because it gets mentioned they're often thought of as crude & such, so I figured if I get something wrong etiquette-wise, it might still fit the 'tone' of that clan, maybe?)

I'm happy to playing something from another clan if Crab isn't a good choice. ^^

If I join I'm going scorpion. Literally all lore in regards to their relationships with other clans are half smugfest, half exposing the moral weaknesses of the other clans.

Crabs are bull-headed and can be manipulated if it is done with a skilled hand

Crane depend too much on vanity and feelings of nobility

Dragons are cowards that hide behind a mask of sagely wisdom

Lions are arrogant and prideful, both which can be exploited to help the scorpion

Phoenixes are book worms but have little practical hands-on knowledge

Unicorns are optimistic and naive to the ways of the world.

They're the assholes but they do tell the hard truth. >:)

[Drowdeviant]

If you want something 'relatively' easy to play, I'd say go with either a Crab or Unicorn bushi. A bushi is going to be easier to play than a Shukenja or Courtier. Crab aren't really overly worried about etiquette, and Unicorns are seen as somewhat barbarian anyway, doing strange un-samurai-like things like eating meat and wearing fur and such.

Why no love for the scorpions hairy? They're also easy to play cause they don't care about much except for duty and loyalty to one's clan, emperor, family and allies. Honor means little to them, only getting the job done. xD

Plus you get to wear a cool mask and get your hands dirty whenever there is the need. xD

[HairyHeretic]

For me Scorpions require a lot more subtly to play, and you have to know the different clans and how they behave in order to properly deal with them. If you know the game and the setting, that's one thing, but coming in for a first time game I don't think Scorpions are the best clan to play. And I say that as someone who does favour playing Scorpions.

[Blythe]

If I join I'm going scorpion. Literally all lore in regards to their relationships with other clans are half smugfest, half exposing the moral weaknesses of the other clans.

Crabs are bull-headed and can be manipulated if it is done with a skilled hand

While I don't think I could play a Scorpion yet (for the knowledge-related reasons Hairy mentioned!), I know I'd love to see one in action if you join and play one!

(I'm a good sport about my character being manipulated & whatnot--that's part of the fun, as far as I'm concerned! So if I play a Crab, manipulate away!  ;D )