Looking for Legend of the Five Rings! L5R!

[Marie Reynolds]

I am considering different starting xp based on age.  How does everyone feel about this, and what type of scale would you be comfortable with?
Hmm the starting age experience could be interesting. Do you have any idea on age brackets and how much experience each bracket would get?
That is my suggestion for  the age experience chart. Also have you thought about players using the lineage tables?

Age:                         Experience:
11-15                            2
16-20                            4
21-25                            6
26-30                            8
31-35                           10
36-40                           12
37-41                           14
42-46                           16
47-51                           18
52+                              20

I am normally pretty big on gender ratios, but I can't say that I am expecting a particularly significant amount of sexual tension, so am considering tossing that aside.

Well sexual tension might not be the right thing for Rokugan, Considering arranged  marriages it would be more appropriate to explore the emotional stress and tension created by the personal feelings and one's duty to the family. Also looking at the dynamics of families being displaced to  form the new clans. Also might want to look at  Vassal lineages being sent to  meet the empires demand's.

I am considering playing with the possibility of differing loyalties/philosophies within the group, which could lead to elements of pvp later on in the story.
If we do the differing loyalties and philosophies which should absolutely exist as your are drawing from various clans to create this minor clan. There is a possibility ronin might have  earned a spot in the clan.So i also think that Minor clans do have courts there are not as opulent and large as Major clans also i feel to help setup the differing camps the game really should start off in court as a  Minor clan being created is still a big deal. A Miya would be present to send the  emperor/empresses edicts Otomo would be there to oversea  its establishment and ensure the emperor's /empresses's will and mission for the minor clan. The Seppun/Monkey clan might be present to provide security for the imperial families delegation. Also if the Minor Clan Alliance has been formed they would have a delegation to welcome it into the fold. Mantis would show up trying to gain a new family or lay the  road work for that to happen.Cause the Mantis clan are like Pokemon trainers in regards to minor clans gotta catch em all! Cause i think  we have a really awesome opportunity here to  show case the growing pains of a new minor clan being formed and would give a rich environment to explore a lot of duties of  the Samurai life not regularly done in games. Solving agriculture, trade issues and etc. Also have you given thought are we going to be playing low  end samurai, courtiers, shugenja  and possibly monks. Will we be  more upcoming talent in the minor clan or big movers and shakers looked to for leadership in the minor clan and the resulting new families that may be formed  to make up the minor clan. Pvp in rokugan also does not necessarily mean a battle of the blade it can be social, economical, and  political.

I hope i am not being to overbearing or overstepping my place. I just have a lot of love for minor clans and the unique opportunities that can come from a story involving them!

[kckolbe]

First of, thanks for taking the time.  I genuinely appreciate it.  I am not at all opposed to lineage tables, though I dislike the "unfairness" of some players getting great rolls and others all bad luck.  I do find it really interesting, though. 

So, regarding your table, I would want to make 16 the "0" number, that being both a common gempukku age as well as the site minimum.  I was also thinking of there being more of a difference between the low and high end.  A 52 year old rank 1 char seems off.  I am thinking that Insight Rank 3 would be the goal for 51 and above.  Maybe something like this?  This would make mid-late thirties when most "normals" hit Rank 2, and early fifties Rank 3, which seem like decent points.  Obviously, older characters would be more capable, but this does make sense in a culture where elders are venerated, and older characters would have less room for mistakes.  Additionally, imagine once you get 25 xp in game.  We would have a 17 year old Rank 2, a 35 year old Rank 3, and a 52 year old Rank 4.  Who is going to be the buzz of the courts?  The young one, of course.  So I think that RP benefits would balance out mechanical ones.  I am, however, willing to alter or eliminate this system.  Very much open to feedback.  However, given that the last 25 years of Rokugani history have seen the Clan War, Oblivion's Gate, AND War of the Spirits, I would like to encourage characters that have been part of that history.

Age:                         Bonus XP:
16-18                            0
19-20                            4
21-23                            8
24-25                           12
26-28                           16
29-30                           20
31-33                           24
34-35                           28
36-38                           32
39-40                           36
41-43                           40
44-45                           44
46-48                           48
49-50                           52
51+                              56

I do want to stress that we might not be a Minor Clan.  The two options I am considering are being part of the smallest Great Clan in Rokugan OR being a Minor Clan, currently talking that over with Hairy, as my ultimate goal is to create an alternate Rokugan that is interesting, compelling, and believable, and that sets up an overarching storyline I truly believe to be original, even if the challenges along the way are completely stolen from modules.  Bear in mind that no matter what, a Great Clan will have just been created, which is a VERY big deal, and I promise I have not taken that lightly.

When I mention loyalties and philosophies, I don't mean viewpoints or sympathies.  I mean wiling to die for positions.

Also have you given thought are we going to be playing low  end samurai, courtiers, shugenja  and possibly monks. Will we be  more upcoming talent in the minor clan or big movers and shakers looked to for leadership?

My goal with the table above is to have a mix of each.  Some veterans, some up and comers. 

[Muse]

  Hm... 

  If you're wanting characters of various power levels, would it be okay ot have seondary characters? 

  It can be fun depending on how you're running it, but if it's just one PC each, I confess I'd prefer to have someone on the stornger end, and for that person to not nessicairly be in his fifties.  Mind you, there's a concept for a really old man I always wanted to try--a shugenja who retired to a monestary and became a notworthy monk, then was recalled to imperial service iwth the MAgistraits was how it originaly worked. 

  Really, if nothing else, I've never played L5R anywhere but starting level. 

[Muse]

I am considering playing with the possibility of differing loyalties/philosophies within the group, which could lead to elements of pvp later on in the story.

  I'm  usualy pretty nervous about PVP elemnets--short of tournament style games.  ^_^;; 

  I mean, i'd be okay with an idea like, "Our group is on the verge of coming to blows over which faction to support, but we're still a band of brothers.  we have determined that each side of the argument will select a champion.  They'll meet on the field of honor and duel to first blood.  The whole band agrees that we will support the cause championed by the victor.  This may seem extreme, but we all beleive passionately enough about these causes to shed blood over them.  We can't condone giving up our position for any lesser reason." 

[Marie Reynolds]

Okay absolutely aware  that  you might not go with the minor clans. Just offer my  knowledge of Minor clan life as i have always been fascinated by the minor clans.The age experience chart looks good right forgot about the age limit cause i just thought to include young prodigies. Oh i know and such camps would use  court as a weapon to further there standing and get in to positions of authority to move there agendas forward and strengthen there positions with in the clan and the empire. The empire is not a place of roses and sunshine  I am well aware. Whichever path you choose i'll still be excited for this game!

[kckolbe]

I am not comfortable with starting with multiple characters since that means me having to throw more at them.  What I *am* toying with is allowing them on an in game reward basis.  I like creating NPCs that can become allies, enemies, corpses, etc, based on PC actions.  At times these chars will be nearly fleshed out and nearly statted out.  At times it could be "X family agrees to send a person for aid or training or marriage."  In cases like that, you will have a lot more freedom to create the characters.  Bear in mind, though, that you represent either a very small clan or a small part of a larger clan with more problems than resources, so having few people helps create that feel.

I actually really like Muse's suggestion for handling conflict...sounds good on paper, at least. 

[Flying Tengu]

The game concept sounds very interesting, an exploration of post-war Rokugan, whether from the point of view of a minor clan or a major one.  The idea of being a newly created minor clan, created from drafted major clan members, does have a fair amount of appeal.

Some things I would like general feedback from:

I am considering different starting xp based on age.  How does everyone feel about this, and what type of scale would you be comfortable with?

Mmm.  I don't have very strong feelings about this, but I would say what feelings I do have are slightly negative.  I don't know that roleplay would balance mechanics, since L5R has a lot of mechanics for roleplay.  Higher xp allows a player to buy social advantages like Benten's Blessing, status, higher honor/glory, etc.  Higher rank gives a character a higher glory floor, which is presumably what causes people to talk about you?  It seems to me that roleplay would actually have to run counter to mechanics, or additional mechanics introduced (like, lower age gains glory faster), for it to balance the mechanical advantages that can be gained from higher xp and insight.

Like I said, though, my feelings about this are not particularly strong, and I'd be perfectly happy to go along with it.

I am normally pretty big on gender ratios, but I can't say that I am expecting a particularly significant amount of sexual tension, so am considering tossing that aside.

But... but... UST!  Eventually becoming RST!  If it helps, and you're ok with it, I know that Muse, MR, and I have all done crossplay before, so I imagine a gender balance could be achieved.

I am considering playing with the possibility of differing loyalties/philosophies within the group, which could lead to elements of pvp later on in the story.

Mmm, depends on how big the group is.  I think it would have to be pretty big, though.  A schism in a group of 12 means 2 groups of 6, which isn't bad.  A schism in a group of 6 means 2 groups of 3, which seems like it could be a momentum killer.  And pvp is something I generally try to avoid, although Muse's way of handling it sounds pretty good.

...

Anyway!  These are just my opinions.  Really, I'm happy with nearly anything that allows me to pretend to be a magical samurai.  And the basic concept for the game really does sound very interesting.

[kckolbe]

Glad you like it.  I think what appeals most to me is fixing something from the lore that always bothered me.  Toturi, Akodo Kaneka, and Yoritomo...Kumiko(?) all have their actions painted in some great light despite being extremely dishonorable at times, and this is a chance to address that as well as capture the unease that would follow a time like this (more detail later).

You make a good point regarding xp, one I am not completely unaware of.  I am considering changing the xp bonus to increments of 3, as 3 points buys a rank of glory and 6 buys a rank of status.  Bear in mind that spending the points necessary to have the appropriate glory of an older char means being weaker than an older char, so there is still a trade off.  You are correct that a distinct mechanical advantage will be held by older characters, though I do think that makes sense in this case.  Still, it is a valid point against doing it, and Muse didn't seem thrilled about it either.  Ironically, Muse seemed to dislike it for almost the opposite reason, thinking it too little a bonus for such a commitment.  I'm going to take another couple of stabs at this, as I think character history really would add to immersion and drama, but I know I shouldn't get too carried away with grand ideas.

I'm not sure what UST and RST are.

Keep up the good feedback guys.  I really do appreciate it, as it shows energy and ownership, which almost always results in a more engaging story.

[Flying Tengu]

I'm not sure what UST and RST are.

Oops!  Sorry.  Unresolved Sexual Tension, and Resolved Sexual Tension.

Anyway, it sounds like you're aware of possible issues with the age/xp thing, which is probably good enough!  I likely intend to play a younger character, but I can always include information on the involvement of parents or other older relatives in the various great events of past years.

[kckolbe]

Gotcha. 

And yeah, definitely aware.  One of the interesting things about L5R was a conscious decision to NOT balance different schools, as at different times, due to resources, sensei, experience, some schools were just stronger.  Look at ronin creation.  They are undeniably weaker than Clan characters. 

As far as parents go, don't worry.  I will be adding certain questions to the char profile in addition to the normal ones.

[hellrazoromega]

Hello All.

I'm new around here but I would love to do an L5R game if there is room, I am running one now but I would so love to play!

[kckolbe]

This is what I'm thinking of for post Spirit War Rokugan.  The silver outline contains the Stag Clan, a Great Clan created by the Treaty with the Spirits.  Hantei Ochukeo becomes Clan Champion and head of the Hantei family.  Yasuki Masashi would become head of the Masashi family, vassal to the Hantei.

The blue outline contains the Hawk Clan, a Minor Clan also created after the war.  On the surface, the purpose of this clan was both to provide a buffer between Crane and Crab as well as hunt down Shadowlands creatures within Rokugan.  However, when a member of the Toritaka family was selected as the sensei of the clan's bushi school, questions formed in the minds of many.

Nothing I post in this thread is final, so if you have ideas then let me know.

Welcome to the site.  Do me a favor and look over some of the questions I've asked and ideas thrown out and let me know what you think.

[Flying Tengu]

Oho, interesting!  My vague recollection is that the Toritaka school focuses on combating spirits.  Combining that with the recent war, and a mandate to hunt Shadowland threats inside the empire, one could see how certain conclusions might be drawn.  Perhaps they would be seeking spirits that did not leave the mortal realm at the end of the war.

I can also see that there could be political challenges, acting as a buffer.  After all, who really wants to act as a buffer between the Crab and... wherever the Crab want to go?

Interest levels continuing to rise!

[kckolbe]

Thanks, and you are right about Toritaka.  The Owl school will be very similar.  The territory is just north of Yasuki territory, which Crane still want back (and is currently daimyo-less, as the daimyo and son died as Kolat members).  So yeah, the Owl Clan (not Hawk, sorry) will be the Rokugan equivalent of Belgium, while occupying lands known for onis and goblins.  Life will suck.

As for spirits, all were ordered to become mortal (through a Phoenix ritual) or commit seppuku.  He has given that order before, and it didn't work out so well.

[hellrazoromega]

Unless I am confused, you are making an Owl and Stag minor clan? I love the Toritaka (Falcon) Clan, in the canon they are eventually absorbed by the Crab in 1125 and they are indeed wicked cool spirit fighters. I love L5R games that deviate from canon, however.

[Marie Reynolds]

looking good kckolbe!

[kckolbe]

Thanks!  I try to stay in shape, eat well, and...right.  The game.

[Muse]

*Grins* 

okay, so how/why was the Owl Clan founded?  Is that the clan you want us to be members of? 

And--seeing as how schools are tied to clans--will there be school sensei's for each of our schools in the clan? 

[kckolbe]

The Owl Clan was created by the order of Toturi I, to remain a buffer presence between Crane and Crab, and to kill Shadowlands creatures within Rokugan.  It's worth noting that the path between East Mountain Village and West Mountain Village connects to tunnel systems that allow Shadowlands creatures to go under the Wall and flank the Crab.  Currently, the Crab send bushi to clear out the tunnels every couple of weeks and destroy new passages and things like that.  Guess who gets that job now?

I will be creating NPCs for any Clan schools, and there will be at least one.  The signature school will be a mix of Toritaka Bushi and Kuni Witch Hunter in purpose.  I may not create other schools, as creating other schools means creating other capable samurai, and I kind of want you guys to have to work for help.  In addition, some players may want to form their own schools, helping shape the identity of the Clan, and not having as many schools makes that easier. 

So yes, the Owl Clan will be the clan the PCs belong to.  The Stag Clan is mainly for flavor/worldbuilding, though will come into play later.

[Muse]

  This does sound like fun. 

  How does this clan interact with the Sparrow?  :)

[kckolbe]

Well, at the start of the game, it will have just been created, so there isn't really any history to go off of.  It will be a small clan, though, with leaders and diplomats as yet unwritten.  I want to wait until PCs are created and then fill in the blanks.  However, Owl territory is just south of Sparrow, so they won't be strangers.

[hellrazoromega]

So would the Owl have an alliance with the Crab given that Great Clan's knowledge with killing Shadowlands creatures? Or would the Crab see the Owl as something of an embarrassment because it sort of implies that the Crab have let some things slip through into Rokugan?

[kckolbe]

Fine question, and I don't have an answer yet.  At the moment, the sensei is a former Crab, and the Crane lost more logistically, so the small hit to pride is more than made up for, but since a daimyo has not been created, there is still the possibility that the Crab will want to see them fail (especially if the daimyo is of Scorpion or Crane descent).  Overall, the creation of this clan benefits the Crab (aiding in one of their duties while only mildly inconveniencing them) and weakens an opponent, so they are leaning favorably.

[Ephiral]

If there's still room, this sounds kinda fascinating.

If not, I can live (this would mark my third active L5R game in this time period).

[kckolbe]

Tell me about the other ones you played, and what setting elements you thought worked or didn't work.  Also, if you could start with the last post on page 1, I'd still like more feedback on those questions I asked, as well as other discussions since then.  And room is not an issue so far.