Legend of the Five Rings beta playtest

[HairyHeretic]

FFG have released a beta copy of their new L5R rules. You can download them here

https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2017/10/5/honor-and-adventure-await/

I'll be running the adventure in the beta rules, to see how the new system plays.

The rules are going to be new to everyone, and we may find odd stuff in there, but that's par for the course when it comes to beta testing :) Timeline-wise, we're back to pre Clan War, so no Spiders and the Mantis are still a minor clan. The rulebook doesn't contain all the schools for all the clans, but there should be enough variety to test with.

Who is interested in giving this a shot?

[Velatha]

Very tentatively interested.  Downloading the pdf now to look at it a bit before making any real decision.

[TheHangedOne]

Never played L5R, but always had an interest in it; do the beta rules contain enough information for full character creation, and would you be alright taking on an absolute newbie to it (though mind you, I've been playing D&D since 3.0 and World of Darkness for about 13 years, and have run homebrewed systems myself, so I'm fairly good with the dice, math, etc.)?

[Velatha]

I too am fairly unfamiliar with l5r other than a very brief attempt at the card game years back but am intrigued enough to at least go through with the fairly straightforward seeming 20 questions style character generation.  Off I go.

[HairyHeretic]

Never played L5R, but always had an interest in it; do the beta rules contain enough information for full character creation, and would you be alright taking on an absolute newbie to it (though mind you, I've been playing D&D since 3.0 and World of Darkness for about 13 years, and have run homebrewed systems myself, so I'm fairly good with the dice, math, etc.)?

The rules do allow for full character creation, just not with all the schools that will be in the final release.

Schools in L5R are along the lines of classes in other systems. Generally they break down into bushi (fighter), courtier, shukenja (priestly magic user), and the probably one clan specific school type. While two bushi may be broadly similar, different clans will have different school techniques which will differentiate them.

You can read an overview of the clans here

http://l5r.wikia.com/wiki/Clans_of_Rokugan

which expands on the brief description in the book.

I too am fairly unfamiliar with l5r other than a very brief attempt at the card game years back but am intrigued enough to at least go through with the fairly straightforward seeming 20 questions style character generation.  Off I go.

Playing a samurai does have a rather different mindset to normal murderhobo PCs 

If you have any questions, I'll be happy to help out as best I can, but keep in mind these rules are new to me as well, so it make take a bit longer to figure things out.

[TheHangedOne]

Reading over the rules now. It seems really fascinating, and I'm glad you'll have me. I'm thinking about playing a Ronin-- in the sense that he recently completed his Gempuku (making him 17 or 18 or so, to keep him in E rules) and wanted to go out into the world and will (probably) return to his clan, rather than being an actual disgraced samurai.  But, I'm still reading through everything.

[HairyHeretic]

If he's actual ronin, he wouldn't (most likely) be able to return to his clan.

He could be on his Musha Shugyo though, which sounds like it would suit your purposes.

The players will be yoriki (deputies) to an Emerald Magistrate for this adventure

[Velatha]

It seems that this will likely have to be an ongoing process for me to make a character as I have standing plans this weekend with only brief respites to check in and converse, however I believe at least thus far I am planning on making a samurai-ko character of the Kakita Duelist School from the Asahina family.  This process is a good style for character creation as by the end you actually have fleshed out exactly who your character is.  Color me a fan.

[Empyrean]

I'm interested. I'll whip up something.

[TheHangedOne]

If he's actual ronin, he wouldn't (most likely) be able to return to his clan.

He could be on his Musha Shugyo though, which sounds like it would suit your purposes.

The players will be yoriki (deputies) to an Emerald Magistrate for this adventure

Yeah, that's what I meant to say. Still picking up on the terms, and trying to figure out Ninjo.

[HairyHeretic]

It seems that this will likely have to be an ongoing process for me to make a character as I have standing plans this weekend with only brief respites to check in and converse, however I believe at least thus far I am planning on making a samurai-ko character of the Kakita Duelist School from the Asahina family.  This process is a good style for character creation as by the end you actually have fleshed out exactly who your character is.  Color me a fan.

Interesting choice, given the Asahina are generally pacifistic. Kakita duelists are always a good strong choice though.

I'm interested. I'll whip up something.

Got anything semi solid in mind yet?

I'll probably run through the character creation myself, most likely a scorpion .. bushi. Yes, just a simple bushi. Nothing else to see here.   

[HairyHeretic]

Yeah, that's what I meant to say. Still picking up on the terms, and trying to figure out Ninjo.

Ah, no worries.

Previous editions did have ronin as playable schools, though in comparison you were pretty much considered bottom of the heap compared to clan samurai.

[HairyHeretic]

Forgot to mention this earlier ...

Prior to playing this adventure, players should create characters and spend 24 XP to advance them. All types of characters and clans may be used.

So your characters will have picked up a few additional skills along the way.

[Empyrean]

Got anything semi solid in mind yet?

I'm leaning towards an Isawa shugenja, though I want to look through the twenty questions before I commit to any one idea. Given that we're deputies to an Emerald Magistrate, I did think a Kitsuki Investigator or a Shinjo Outrider or Iuchi Meishodo Master could be interesting, but I want to look at the CC process in detail before I commit.

[TheHangedOne]

I'm leaning very heavily towards Crab Bushi right now. Though, I am a bit confused on some parts; are we limited only to the skills and rings we get during our Family/School selection? I see a lot more skills and such available, but can't seem to find any section in the beta rules on what sort of points we have to further stat out the character.

[Thufir Hawat]

I'm going to make a bushi of the Lion or Dragon. He just happens to be a chanoyu master with a Bitter Betrothal, and possibly a True Love as well !
Can I assume he's been an yoriki for a while now, so he'd have some skills that are better suited to the job ?

[ShadowFox89]

 Count me as interested, possibly with a Crane Kakita duelist.

Edit: looks like someone else is interested in a Kakita duelist. Maybe a Shiba Guardian then, I've been wanting to make a bodyguard style character again for a while.

[Empyrean]

If I go with an Isawa then we could have our character know each other. Possibly your character could be mine's yojimbo. :)

[ShadowFox89]

 Possibly! Maybe it's just because I have so many younger siblings, but I enjoy playing the tough protector character a fair bit.

[TheHangedOne]

I'm going to make a bushi of the Lion or Dragon. He just happens to be a chanoyu master with a Bitter Betrothal, and possibly a True Love as well !
Can I assume he's been an yoriki for a while now, so he'd have some skills that are better suited to the job ?

If you went with Lion clan, our characters could potentially know each other; as a part of his Musha Sugyo, Kenshin (my Crab Bushi) has spent a lot of time in the Lion lands, and there's some mutual good will there, since he shares some of the characteristics the Lion honor. They could have taken part in the same battle, or something similar, if you're interested in such a connection.

[Velatha]

Sorry to disappoint shadow, but at least you had a backup as opposed to doubling up.

[Empyrean]

Well, it seems that we've got the bushi angle covered so I'll go Isawa Shugenja. The magical back-up to our crew of yoriki. :)

[ShadowFox89]

 It's alright Velatha, in the older editions of L5R I'd play a Kukita Duelist anyway, I need to branch out a bit. Not sure on all the specifics I'll go with, don't even have a gender figured out just yet. I'll need to do a bit of image searching..... Might draw some inspiration from Balsa from Moribito.

Edit: First, I guess, Samurai Heritage Roll

At 2017-10-14 17:41:33, ShadowFox89 (uid: 26413) rolls: 1d10 Result: 10

Edit 2: Huh....

Outsider: Your character was not named for an
ancestor—perhaps your character was an adopted
orphan with no knowledge of their blood relations,
perhaps your character was named for an outsider
who did a great service to the clan, or perhaps your
character’s parents were trying to send a message.

An orphan phoenix actually sounds interesting.

[Velatha]

Interesting choice, given the Asahina are generally pacifistic. Kakita duelists are always a good strong choice though.

Well my plans for this evening seem to have fallen through, so I can work a little more on my character before bedtime.  I wanted to wait to answer this point as I had a good strong explanation I'd been dying to explain.  With a seeming inability to draw power from the elements she had to find another way to commune with the Kami.  In time she decided that if a warrior's sword was an extension of their soul, then surely finding and strengthening that connection is the will of the gods.

[HairyHeretic]

I'm leaning very heavily towards Crab Bushi right now. Though, I am a bit confused on some parts; are we limited only to the skills and rings we get during our Family/School selection? I see a lot more skills and such available, but can't seem to find any section in the beta rules on what sort of points we have to further stat out the character.

P44 gives the points for getting skills and advancements. As regards what skills they can actually take, I'm generally fairly flexible. If it makes sense that a character could learn a particular skill, and has an opportunity to do so, then it's cool. I wouldn't allow someone to pick up say flower arranging unless they had a chance to actually learn that under someone, whereas an advance in their sword skill could come from regular usage. Things like Maho lore would be almost impossible to pick up for most characters.

I've created an OOC thread for this here, so we can move our discussions, character creation and so forth over there.