/L5RG/ Legend of the Five Rings General

I liked it better when it was 2015 and everyone spammed those Snickers wrappers

Clan > Honor > Empire > Personal Safety

Only acceptable order.

>>50439992
>Breaking News
>Has Clickbait Gone Too Far?

>>50439992
Banished or sealed away.
Those little shits just seem to have their sole purpose in life trolling my character.

>>50439992
>How do you like your youkai?
Referred to as "spirits", as the setting material does.

I recently got ahold of pdfs for all the books I care about across all editions. I have a happy clam

>>50442910
That was supposed to say "am" not "have"
oops

>>50442910

Would you happen to have http://l5r.wikia.com/wiki/Whispered_Secrets_(RPG) ?

>>50442927
Sorry anon. You're a happy clam until we forget and/or can't identify you on this anonymous Fijian crocheting board.

Is an Isawa Tensai with Rise X the most broken thing in the game?
Can you do more with less xp?

>>50439992
>How do you like your youkai?

Weird and beyond human description. Folktales are heavily played for being simple rationalizations of what are far beyond mortal comprehension, with reality being high-octane insanity fuel most of the time.

For example, while the Yuki-Onna is described as a beautiful young woman in a snowstorm, the actual truth is that the entity one would call the 'Yuki-Onna' IS the snow (and the snowstorm) itself, being a grey goo like creature that assimilates (and thus gains the ability to replicate from its own substance) anything that gets lost in it. The young woman thing is just peasants trying to give a humanly distinguishable shape to this spirit.

>Party is tasked to banish a karakasa mozo
>Literally expect a living paper umbrella
>Whatcangopossiblywrong.jpg
>Get mind-raped by an eldritch abomination

Ghost hunters tend to have a very interesting life around here.

>>50444328
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4Pd3r0rloClRVMydnRGbWlIUUk/view

>>50448735

Thank you.

Would you also happen to have a copy of Naishou Province (http://l5r.wikia.com/wiki/Naishou_Province_(RPG)) that has working bookmarks?

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Tfw no group

>>50450539
>>exactly tfw sick of GMing l5r rpg

>>50450539
Start one. And when you say you're a shit GM, everyone is set first. Consider the things you know are bad and try to avoid them. Talk with your players. And most of all, read the rulebook and practice by running sessions. Sucking at something it's the first step to being sorta good at something

How does the ideal Rokugani lady express her emotions? Does she calmly endure them while keeping a straight face, or does she blush and express her embarrassment openly? Are ladies expected to be cool and restrained, expressive and emotional, or some balance of the two?

Also, any recommended reading for someone RPing a samurai lady?

>>50451190
Crane ladies are the "ideal", and they're supposed to remain ostensibly unflapped while dropping clues about how they actually feel if there's someone present who they want to know that, or dropping "clues" about how they "actually feel" if that kind of manipulation would be useful.

A bunch of clans don't care about that nonsense, though, and their ideal ladies will naturally be different.

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>>50451190
Pic related is supposedly the ideal Rokugani woman. So all lady-like most of the time, but puts bitches to the sword when it is needed.

Read the Tsudao stories, and you will get the idea.

>>50444328
What edition is the book, and is it an adventure? I skipped out on 99% of adventures because I hate running things I didn't write.

>>50449082
https://www.dropbox.com/s/anew605iegxkeeg/Naishou%20Province.pdf?dl=0

>>50451190
Samurai are expected to be cool and restrained regardless of what may or may not be dangling between their legs.
Being boisterous and loud is seen as a "male" thing, but it's really more of a "I don't give a fuck and can get away with it" thing for peasants, very high ranking samurai who really don't give a fuck anymore, and Crabs.

>>50452386
>very high ranking samurai who really don't give a fuck anymore, and Crabs

...and Lion, Mantis, Unicorn, Isawa, Daidoji, Mirumoto, and Seppun. In fact, the "quiet ones" should be in minority all things considered.

>>50452436
You mean Matsu,Yoritomo, Moto, and a minority of Mirumoto.

Most Lion, Mantis, Unicorn, Phoenix, Crane, and all Imperials are not known for being boisterous and loud. Don't mistake restrained for antisocial. They all have appearances to keep up, and acting "proper" for their caste is a big part of that. If most samurai allowed themselves to regularly be loud and boisterous, geisha houses wouldn't be such a lucrative sector of the economy.

>>50452473
No, I know what I meant. Honorable mention goes for the Yogo (they are loud with angst, I dunno if that counts) and the Kakita (haughty =?= boisterous) or the Crane in general (I dunno if over-dramatic counts as loud).

>If most samurai allowed themselves to regularly be loud and boisterous, geisha houses wouldn't be such a lucrative sector of the economy.

Most samurai visit geisha because they want some calm and quiet, not because geisha houses do shouting competitions.

>>50453048
No, most samurai visit geisha houses because it lets them completely drop their facade of stoicism without any dishonor. They can talk freely and show emotion without looking like a fool as long as they do it with a geisha and not other samurai.

>>50453128
Nah, it isn't about stoicism, just escaping the 24/7 drama that is samurai life. Pretending that you are a special snowflake and doing all in your power to prove it all the time is quite exhausting, so it is natural that people drop by so they can be just random dudes with swords.

This is why the Crane form the overwhelming majority of the geisha house customer base: being a special snowflake is literally their Clan philosophy, so they are under even more pressure than normal.

>>50453224
Pretty much the same thing. Going to a geisha house lets you cut loose socially and just shoot the shit without worrying about whether the pretty girl you're talking to is going to blackmail you later because you said something wrong.
A samurai can be boisterous at a geisha house. The geisha "aren't people", so etiquette doesn't *really* apply when they're the only ones around.

>>50453280
>A samurai can be boisterous at a geisha house.

Technically, a samurai can be boisterous wherever he wants to be boisterous. It isn't even too risky because there are three families in the whole Empire who give a fuck (Doji, Bayushi, Otomo). The real problem is being good enough to win the drama competition and those three families being kinda relevant all the time.

Bump to stay order of sudoku

>>50452436
>Lion
Way of the Lion would be a good read. Lion women were stone cold killers, Matsu not included. (hot blooded killers)

>>50451895

It was an adventure for the fourth edition that was exclusively released at GenCon 2012.

>>50451942

Thank you.

>>50442910

I've been tempted to run something from the older editions but I haven't been able to find all of the materials for the first edition.

>>50456320
I have all but adventures really, if you want to hit me up somehow I can give you pdfs

>>50457300
http://www.mediafire.com/folder/c7tfqff9sqp71/L5R
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/xpa768hxwcezl/RPG#2nbbe1kyny4qo

/l5rg/ was on top of this shit before. Not that hard to dig into the archives for old OPs.

I'm about to play my first game of L5R. Anyone got advice?

And yes, I'm one of those guys who finally managed to escape 3.5/PF.

>>50457300

In your opinion, what would I need to run a comprehensive first edition campaign?

>>50460456
>comprehensive first edition campaign
What does that even mean?

Anyone have the pdf of Atlas of Rokugan? I literally just found out it even got one, I didn't expect jack from FFG till 2018 on the RPG front.

>>50461319
The atlas hard copy was released by AEG, but never released as a pdf. FFG are just following up, rather than releasing their own content.

>>50461352
So...copy? Anyone?

>>50461440
Guess not, mate.

>>50461440
Check the archives at 7chan, you may need to go back a while though.

>>50460680

Would I need anything more than the core rulebook?

>>50464094
Ah!
Get Roleplaying In The Emerald Empire and the "Way of [Clan]" books. (Crab, Crane, Dragon, Lion, Mantis, Phoenix, Scorpion, Unicorn ... but there's also Minor Clans, Naga, Ratling, Shinsei, Wolf/Ronin - and Shadowlands)

Bearers Of Jade (Second Book Of The Shadowlands, but keep it apocryphal or else you'll have issues), Silence Within Sound (if you like John Wick & Die Hard ... also errata, iirc), Otosan Uchi trilogy, City Of Lies (GM guide, Player guide, Location guide), and Winter Court trilogy are also useful.

The Way Of Shadow is a trio of adventures that tie together and can be strung into another campaign, not a genuine "Way Of" book.

>>50464148

I will go look for a trove containing these books. Thanks!

>>50464173
See >>50458389, maybe.

>>50460112
Hoo boy.

So:
>Remember that you are samurai, not adventurers. You have duties and shit.
>Read the book of Earth in 4E Then, reread it again.
>Read your clan's way of/secrets; Though the mechanics aren't relevant to the newer editions, the fluff certainly is.
>If you're playing IRL, listen to the GM to get an idea for the level of sans/samas you'll need.
>Remember - it's like Japan, but it's not Japan.

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>>50461319
>>50461440
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_YUlI4RPylqb1pOOTM0aE00QU0/view?usp=sharing

>>50460456
Definitely the Way of the Clans series. A lot of information is in those books that at later editions is pretty much the base.

>>50460112
To add to what >>50464311 said, don't forget that you're in the GM's interpretation of Rokugan, so if you disagree with him that's alright, but his interpretation will be right in his game. Some people forget that.

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I need to get back into l5r at some point, never really got a chance to explore much of Kakita Saito's personality before the game withered up from player hemorrhaging.

>>50464795
You are a samurai of honor and refinement, anon

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How do scars affect perception of Samurai? Given how Rokugan views blood and stuff, woyld a samurai with ba ton our facial scars bee viewed as dirty or a badass warrior?

>>50466926
Like everything else it probably depends on the clan. I expect the Crab would look upon them more favourably than a Crane might.

>>50466926
Unless it is some really horrifying shit (like goes down to the skull/bone or is surrounded by disfigured/badly healed flesh), a scar is considered badass and totally honorrabru dispray.

>>50467179
I once played a Phoenix bushi who lost half his face to that kind of grotesque injury from a shugenja accident. He wore a Phantom of the Opera style half face mask and everyone assumed he was a Scorpion who married into the Phoenix unless he took it off.

Just realized I'm missing third edition's Emerald Empire, anyone have that? I didn't find it in the files people have linked.

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Okay, it looks like our GM wants to run an Onyx Empire campaign. Any ideas for the setting? We want to avoid 1k Years of Darkness, but we are open to suggestions.

Also, I'm digging up my not-quite-Lost Battle Maiden Duelist Yomanri Archer for the campaign, my very first L5R character. Those are some good feels /l5rg/... good feels indeed!

>>50470660
Why not 1kYoD? It's better than the later timeline canon and doesn't have to use the "dream" framework.

>>50470811
Kanpeki with Big Dad Daigotsu would probably have a different plan than Fu "JUST" Leng. Especially considering the post-Fu Leng stuff like Shourido and all this Lord of Jigoku thingie going on (among others).

Oh, and speaking of which, we are going to be servants of the Onyx Throne, not Iweko loyalists.

>>50470150
Did 3e even have it? I have 4e and 1e, but no 2e or 3e.

>>50470942
Yep, I am looking at my hard copy. Catalog number is AEG 3204.

>>50464311
So, and I realize I may get righteously shit upon for this, I'm playing a Ronin because I figured that everyone else (Crane, Crab, Lion, Scorpion) would be butting heads and I figured being Peace-Keeper of the group would be wise.

Am I already fucking up?

>>50471816
Not if your GM is generous with letting you get techs and you can RP well with the fact you'll be forever in a lower social position (unless you get an Emerald Magistrate appointment) You'll still mechanically lag behind but better than no school all day erry day

>>50471816
It doesn't matter who you are, much like 4chan someone will always shit on you. It's unavoidable.
That said, as a ronin, you aren't honor bound to agree or disagree with any sides of any squables. Pair that with the fact that as a group, the players should try to get along, and you should be fine.
Just make sure that your loyalty to the party leader (player or not) is unquestioned.

>>50471816
In setting, if you try anything a real samurai doesn't like, there's little to no repercussion for them killing you. If the local magistrates feel like you're lingering in town longer than they're happy with, they might even welcome it.

Even the attitude of the Dragon, who allowed a ronin town to be set up in their lands, is best summarised as, "I'll mourn the lot of a ronin when they're dead - not before."

So be prepared for a lot of samurai to not give a shit about who you are or what happens to you, if they know what you are before they know you.

>>50471911
What if, by tragic cock-up, I'm the party leader?

>>50471971
All the better, but unlikely to happen

>>50471964
. . . huh. I thought Ronin were still regarded with only a slightly lower level of respect as the rest of the Samurai caste. Guess they really were the first murder-hobos.

The problem is that my Ronin is a Paragon of Compassion, so I'm pretty sure I'm fucked if I see another Samurai beating a commoner, eh?

... I'm still higher than a peasant, right?

>>50472047
Yes. Though you may be far poorer, no samurai will deny you the inherent rights of your caste for fear it would call the entire celestial order into question.

But you have no lord, so you lack a lot of protections as well. If you gank Akodo Fuckwit, his lord Akodo Halfwit has been slighted as well as inconvenienced. If you gank a ronin, you're only in the wrong so far as the nearest Imperial Magistrate gives a shit.

>>50471971
Then the party listens to you. A Lion may take this as a slight, where a Crab may see this as a chance to serve someone who earned their title.

>>50472047
Individual ronin can be more highly regarded based on their actions, but the general opinion of them tends to be poor. Most think along the lines of "He probably deserved whatever made him Ronin", while many assume "bandit first, samurai second".

>>50472330
If the Lion is a bitch about it, remind him his clan is the only real meritocracy outside the Kaiu Wall. Either fall in line, soldier, or get off the ride.

>>50475336

>Crane sluts are made for dishounoring

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>>50475336

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>>50475404
Nah bro, that's the Scorpion

>>50475748
Implying seduction is necessary.

>>50475748

I wonder if I could get the party's Crane maiden to dress up in that Scorpion outfit when she goes to visit her cousins at Kyuden Bayushi.

>>50475829
Masks aren't a Scorpion monopoly. Just wearing them at all times is where it gets weird

>>50475829
Probably.
If they're her cousins, then she obviously has Scorpion heritage. And while she might not always wear a mask, it is a tradition of her ancestors. Nothing wrong with dressing like a Scorpion when you're half-Scorpion and are in a Scorpion holding. Maybe wear all Crane colors with a prominent Crane mon though, just to keep things clear.

>>50475997
Or a Crane themed mask.

>>50476130
Yeah, that would work. You have to show that you're respecting the traditions of your bloodline, but also clearly have the most loyalty for your true Clan.

>>50464795
My favorite part is that Fu Leng is practically doing a Heisman pose

>>50475965
>>50475997

Double-sided tape.

I can't bring myself not to play anything but Monks and Ronin.

>>50472047
>...I'm still higher than a peasant, right?

Technically, you are on the same level as an ashigaru (peasant conscript) or a budoka (peasant warrior). While samurai will pretend that you are higher up because it is convenient as per >>50472108, they will always have the option to fall back to technicalities if you misbehave (whatever it entails) or if they don't like your face.

Like, you can be lynched by a mob and nobody will give a flying shit. Another extreme situation is if you really piss off a samurai, he can demand (or force) you to drop your daisho and become the peasant you are.

>>50480611
>Another extreme situation is if you really piss off a samurai, he can demand (or force) you to drop your daisho and become the peasant you are.
No, they really can't. Ronin are samurai and absolutely nobody can change that. Even if the Emperor himself said "That guy is just a peasant", it would be interpreted along the lines of "That guy was *always* a peasant" rather than "That guy used to be a samurai, but is now a peasant".
Questioning the right of a samurai to be a samurai is unthinkable, because it calls into question the right of samurai children to inherit the caste from their parents, and the entire celestial order in general.

>>50480915
>"That guy was *always* a peasant"

Yeah, this is gonna be the thing if the situation arises. The other samurai will simply say that you are just an impostor. Since nobody can vouch for you and tell otherwise, the offender will be automatically right and you get fucked.

It is the negative of a peasant picking up a daisho and declaring himself a samurai/ronin, like Toku. Same shit, just in reverse.

>>50481132
That's a serious allegation that would require a lot of concerted effort from multiple high ranking samurai. If they're caught trying to de-samurai someone, that's literally blasphemous in the eyes of most samurai and their political enemies will tear them to fucking shreds. So yeah, they could try to do that, but the amount of effort and inherent risk would be too much. Better to just have a ronin you don't like killed or driven off.

>>50481132
You can vouch for yourself and then the burden of proof is on them. "I witnessed your parents fucking twenty whatever years ago and neither of them were samurai" is stretching it even for Rokugan's testimony only legal system.

>>50481181
And since most ronin are not born that way, there's also all of your ex-clan's records, the Ikoma records, and the Brotherhood of Shinsei's birth records.

>>50481181
>You can vouch for yourself and then the burden of proof is on them.

That's a ronin's word against a Clan samurai's word, so it is still game for the samurai. Unless the ronin carries his birth clarification papers around all the time, and said papers are 100% secured so that they won't be dismissed as forgery.

Just imagine the situation:
>Being an average dirt-poor ronin
>Samurai steps to you and tells you he knows you are a peasant impostor, so drop your daisho before he cuts your head off
>You say 'no' I guess? But he is a true samurai, and you are a dirty ronin, so he is still "righter" than you
>What do?

The only way this can end well for the ronin if said ronin is just a fake!ronin, so a real samurai on a warrior's pilgrimage or some other shit.

>>50481310
>What do?
Accuse him of blasphemy and then challenge him to a duel on the spot. If he backs off, call him a coward and leave the area. If he doesn't, cut him down.

I can't think of a single example of a ronin being demoted like that. Plenty of peasants getting their grubby hands on daisho and dying as ronin (Including some sample premade PCs in earlier editions), but nothing in the reverse.

>>50481181
>"I witnessed your parents fucking twenty whatever years ago and neither of them were samurai"
Seems like you're putting a wee bit too much thought into supporting testimony, when the setting itself ... doesn't.

If one makes a claim, then it stands as a samurai's word. Either another samurai contests the claim, which escalates into a duel, or a higher status samurai counters it simply by being more right.

>>50481360
>Accuse him of blasphemy and then challenge him to a duel on the spot.

That would be illegal, because you still have to prove your right to issue a duel. At this point, you are a very angry peasant with a daisho as far as the Rokugani legal system goes.

>I can't think of a single example of a ronin being demoted like that.

Way of the Wolf talks about this a little regarding second-generation ronin (ronin born from ronin parents).

>>50481486
Ronin has Status 0, so even ji-samurai are considered to be higher ranking than them.

>>50481502
>you still have to prove your right to issue a duel
No, at this point you are a ronin being challenged. The accuser does not get to decide the status of the accused without contest, unless the accused reneges.

>>50440082
>putting honour before empire
Do people actually do this?

>>50481542
It's not universal, but neither is it uncommon. Fu Leng possessing Hantei 39th was such a great issue in part because so many would not refuse the emperor, no matter what.

>>50481537
>The accuser does not get to decide the status of the accused without contest, unless the accused reneges.

He kinda does, because his word is stronger. The accused is automatically guilty (in this case, he is a peasant impostor and thus not able to issue a duel) until proven otherwise.

As a ronin, your life goal is to never run into this kind of accusation, and not piss off a samurai so much he says "fuck it" to >>50472108. because if the samurai does, then as a ronin, you are screwed big time in a classic "welcome in Rokugan" manner.

>>50481600
Emperor =/= Empire. Just sayin
Clan > Empire > Honor > Emperor > the Gods > personal safety

>>50481715
Again, not for everyone. If Rokugan can't settle on one answer for this, what makes you think we can do it?

>>50481703
If you really want to continue this, quote and cite. Otherwise I'm just going to chalk it up to pushy head canon.

>>50481794
Well, both the Core Book and Way of the Wolf mentions that ronin can drop out and become commoners (Core p26, end of the ronin paragraph; WotW p100, third paragraph). Then you have the whole Crime and Punishment section in Core for "outranking justice" and the Status table in p95 to see how ronin has a big fat 0 for Status (the fucking ashigaru outrank them). Then we can go back to Way of the Wolf p103-104 to see how ronin can't duel a clan samurai even under normal circumstances.

Now add 1 and 1 together, and you can see how a samurai can kick out a ronin with a false accusation and get away with it scott free. I don't say it is something that happens normally, but it is a legitimate threat.

>>50481132
>. Since nobody can vouch for you and tell otherwise
I remember in a book, I think it might have been Secrets of the Empire or might have been Usagi Yojimbo, there was a bit about a ronin carrying around the official, stamped and sealed document proving their heritage just because of this shit.

And yes, I know Usagi Yojimbo is a comic that has little to do with Rokugan but I really can't remember if this was a little aside in Secrets or a plot point in a story I last read years ago about funny rabbit ronin (who the book wants to remind you is a masterless samurai again).

>>50481486
>Either another samurai contests the claim, which escalates into a duel
This is what would actually happen. The ronin is another samurai until conclusively proven not to be.

>>50482105
Ronin can drop down to peasant by just discarding their daisho and claiming to be a peasant. And the thing is that a ronin who is challenged like that can literally just kill the challenger and then leave and never get caught. Ronin don't have a lot going for them, but the ability to move freely and not be beholden to anyone but themselves is an advantage. If they want you dead, they can just kill you and run.

>>50483134
I dunno but Rokugani ronin doesn't strike me as especially strong opponents. A clan samurai will be well-trained, well-rested, well-fed, and have one or two border skirmishes under his belt. A ronin on the other hand might have an empty stomach, rusty techniques, and petty brawls - not really something he can put into good use against a clan samurai.

And, of course, if the ronin attacks the accuser then he is pretty much guilty as charged.

>>50483255
According to your view, he's already guilty and is literally going to be put to death (Death penalty is standard for peasants who touch a daisho) so he might as well run him through.
Underestimating ronin is how you get killed. They might not have the best training, but they've been self-reliant and probably have more desperate one on one fights under their belts.

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>>50483255
While the Ronin may be at a disadvantage, it's not a wise idea for any samurai to pull some shit that would inspire a Ronin to potentially attack them; it'd be a shameful display to one's family for some so-called 'peasant' to outfight Akodo 'McFuckwit' in a fucking Katana duel.

I mean, besides infection, scarring, permanent damage, and the host of other shit that's likely to afflict one if they get unlucky with a 'first blood' duel, you're literally forcing the Ronin into a 'do-or-die' situation; if they are a Peasant, having the Katana and Wakizashi is a crime punishable by fucking death, so of course they're going try and murder the shit out of the accuser if they don't see another way out of the problem.

>>50483290
This is sort of why i liked the general trees from 3rd Ed and the Generic school now in 4th because I feel it captures the idea that a Ronin will have figured out some shit, if he's managed to survive long enough to get up in insight.

Considering how many peasants actually do get away with becoming ronin due to having a daisho, I'd say that the daisho alone is enough proof of being a samurai.
Now, a ronin who loses their swords is going to have a tough time explaining their position, but if they've got the swords, they're going to be considered samurai unless they get a bunch of witnesses who recognize them from their peasant days. Which is why most peasant turned ronin travel far away from home and most samurai turned ronin and born ronin cling to their daisho.

So, I've got this plot idea in my head I'm thinking of fleshing out and running a game with, and am looking for opinions on.

Say Thrane (or Merenae, but I prefer Thrane) who already canonically does trade, at times, with the Yobanjin start up a more open relationship, and import things that sort of 'westernize' parts of the Yobanjin area, particularly given Thrane already deals with many of the things Yobanjin territory has to deal with; harsher winters, etc. So, this leads to a bit of yobanjin development and, most importantly, gives them access to firearms, and before long you've got Yobanjin raiders crossing the mountains armed with muskets instead of crossbows and having adapted their already fitting crossbow tactics TO muskets, and they're applying pressure to the northern empire in that way, proably with some charismatic and ingenious Yobanjin warlord who has utilized this new tech and maybe finer metal from Thrane to unite chunks of the tribes and is now aiming to invade Rokugan.

Thoughts? Possible developments?

>>50483444
Even with muskets, I think they'd have a hard time with the Badger Clan's layered pass defenses.

>>50483321
>wise idea
>samurai

If these two could be put into the same sentence so easily, then we wouldn't have shit like the Second Day of Thunder, would we?

If a samurai is so pissed at a ronin that he wants to kick said ronin out of the caste, then 'general wisdom' is most likely far behind his way of thinking. In fact, he probably WANTS the ronin to initiate the fight.

>>50483134
>If [a ronin wants] you dead, they can just kill you and run.
Clan samurai equal advantage, but don't have to run when they kill a ronin.

Plus, ronin just naturally have shit flung at them any time a crime goes unsolved nearby.

>>50483321
This. A dog is just a dog, until you back it into a corner or beat it too much. Then the dog remembers it was always a wolf.

>>50483444
>westernize
I got as far as this word and I can't tell you the answer is no because the empire is for honarburr kensama weaboo bullshit only and the transmission of culture and technology NEVER happens because it is DISHONORABUR and INFERIOR

>>50483429
Usually a ronin that breaks a blade will continue to carry around the sheathe and handle, possibly with a bamboo blade to keep the ensemble together.

Otherwise, spot on.

>>50483580
>Plus, ronin just naturally have shit flung at them any time a crime goes unsolved nearby.
That just means that they probably have experience with this kind of situation.

>>50483658
It frequently means they're very experienced with the process of cremation.

>>50483607
Yes, who gives a shit about the Empire though? This is about the YOBANJIN westernizing, not the Empire.

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If a problem can be solved, then it’s not worth worrying about it. If it can’t be solved, then it’s useless to worry about it.

Having taken the time to think, venture to act. Once you’ve done so, stop thinking.

Do not hold back that which is departing; do not chase away that which is arriving
.
Fast means going slowly without interruption.

It is better to be the enemy of a good person than the friend of a bad one.

There has never been a great individual who did not have ordinary people at their side.

He who strongly desires to rise up will think of a way to build a ladder.

A husband and wife should be similar to a hand and an eye: when one’s hand
hurts, the eyes cry; and when the eyes cry, the hand wipes away one’s tears.

The sun does not know who is right or who is wrong. It shines without purpose and provides warmth to all.

A frog in a well does not know the greatness of the sea.

A long journey always begins with a short one.

He who drinks does not know the dangers of wine; he who doesn’t drink does not know its benefits.

Even if a sword is only required once in a lifetime, it should be worn all the time.

Beautiful flowers do not bear good fruit.

Grief, like a torn dress, should always be left at home.

When one is in love, even the scars left by smallpox are as beautiful as dimples on a person’s cheeks.

No one has ever stumbled whilst lying in bed.

One kind word can keep you warm for three months of winter.

Always make way for fools and madmen.

If you want to paint a branch, you have to hear the breath of the wind.

Check seven times before ever doubting someone.

Do everything that you can and leave the rest to fate.

Excessive honesty often borders on stupidity.

Fortune will always come in to a house with laughter.

He who endures for just half an hour longer than his opponent can achieve victory
.
As soon as stones can swim, leaves will sink.

Even monkeys can fall from their trees.

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>>50483689
Ayamachitewa aratamuruni habakaru koto nakare. If you make a mistake, don't hesitate to correct it.

Aho ni toriau baka. It is foolish to deal with a fool.

Aite no nai kenka wa denkinu. One cannot quarrel without an opponent.

Ame futte ji katamaru. Rained on ground hardens (Adversity builds character).

Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice inside the ceiling laugh (Nobody knows what tomorrow might bring).

Baka ga atte riko ga hikitatsu. Due to the presence of fools wise people stand out.

Baka na ko hodo kawaii. The more stupid the child the dearer it is.

Bushi wa kuwanedo taka-yoji. A samurai, even when he has not eaten, uses his toothpick.

Chisa wa madowazu, yusha wa osorezu. A wise man does not lose his way, a brave man does not fear.

Deta-toko shobu. To gamble as the dice fall.

Doku kurawaba sara made. If eating poison finish up the plate (or, If eating poison don't forget to lick the plate)..

Gaden insui. To draw water into one's own rice field

Inu o mikka kaeba san-nen on o wasurenu, neko wa san-nen katte mikka de on o wasureru. Feed a dog for three days and it is gratefull for three years. Feed a cat for three years and it forgets after three days.

Ippai-me wa hito sake o nomi, nihai-me wa sake sake o nomi, sanbai-me wa sake hito o nomu. With the first glass a man drinks wine, with the second glass the wine drinks the wine, with the third glass the wine drinks the man.

Koji ma Oshi. Good things, many devils.

Ko-in ya no gotoshi. Time flies like an arrow.

Kuni yaburete, sanga ari. The country is in ruins, and there are still mountains and rivers.

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>>50483733
Kokai saki ni tatazu. Repentance never comes first.

Me wa kuchi hodo ni mono o ii. The eyes speak as much as the mouth.(love needs no words)

Mime yori kokoro. Heart rather than appearance.

Mimi o oute, suzu o nusumu. Cover the ears and steal the bell.

Migi no mimi kara hidari no mimi. to go in the right ear and out the left.

Mitsugo no tamashii hyaku made. The soul of a three year old until a hundred.

Mizukara boketsu o horu. to dig one's grave

Muri ga toreba, dori hikkomu. If unreason comes, reason goes.

Naite kurasu mo issho, waratte kurasu mo issho. It is the same life whether we spend it crying or laughing.

Nana korobi, ya oki. to fall seven times, to rise eight times

Nurenu saki koso tsuyu omo itoe. People want to avoid the dew before they become wet.

Shunsho ikkoku, atai senkin. Half an hour in a spring evening is worth a thousand gold pieces.

Sode fure-au mo tasho no en. Even when our sleeves brush together it is our karma.

Sugitaru wa nao oyobazaru ga gotoshi. Let what is past flow away downstream.
Tazei ni buzei. Few against many.

Nou aru taka wa tsume wo kakusu. The hawk with talent hides its talons (The person who knows most often says least).

Hotoke no kao mo san-do made. Even the Buddha's face, only until the third [slap], meaning even the most mild-mannered person will lose his/her temper eventually.

Iwanu ga hana. Not-speaking is the flower (Silence is golden)

Fuku sui bon ni kaerazu. Overturned water doesn't return to the tray (There's no use crying over spilt milk).

Uma no mimi ni nembutsu. A sutra (Buddhist prayer) in a horse's ear (A wasted effort).

Baka mo ichi-gei. Even a fool has one talent (Even a fool may be good at something).

Neko ni koban. A coin to a cat (Don't offer things to people who are incapable of appreciating them).

Yabu wo tsutsuite hebi wo dasu. Poke a bush, a snake comes out (Let sleeping dogs lie).

>>50483688
The Yobanjin take pride in the fact that they are "unbowed", and are surprisingly advanced in their inner areas. The Thrane or Marenae would have the same exact problem they did with Rokugan. The Yobanjin operate on their own terms and would push back just as hard if the not-europeans try to strongarm them.

>>50483764
Yes, but I don't think they necessarily have to. Different situation, different results. Again, it's canonical that the Yobanjin and Thrane/Marenae trade with some of the Yobanjin trade ports, and Thrane was said to be very individualistic, so I almost could see them actually sort of hitting it off with Thrane, and there being a cultural exchange without Thrane overtly trying to invade or take over or anything.

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>>50483689
>Always make way for fools and madmen.

Ah, the modus operandi of Toturi I. Didn't work very well tho.

>>50483838
Toturi would have done just fine - IF the story team hadn't jobbed his children, while deciding none of them ever had the "birds & bees" conversation, or the "sire a fucking heir off someone, *anyone*, before you do stupid things, you shits" conversation.

>>50483907
I dunno but his reign was pretty... apocalyptic, so to speak. And if the Shadowed Throne timeline is any measure, it would have gone downhill even if Toturi's children hadn't jobbed the dynasty.

>>50484002
Well, there's also Heroes of Rokugan that seems to be running the Toturi dynasty just fine.

>>50484046
Yeah, with a 300 years time-gap re-setting the world.

>>50484130
Not really relevant though, since the shadowed throne probably didn't happen in its history.

>>50484282
Actually, Tsudao becoming Empress is one of the options to fill up the time gap.

>>50483689
>It is better to be the enemy of a good person than the friend of a bad one.
I don't get this. Someone help lay this wisdom out for me.

>>50484964
Bad people make bad friends so it's hardly like having one at all.
A good person will treat you well even if you're enemies.

>>50484964

I'd say that a bad friends will encourage you to take up bad habits, so it's worse than not having a friend at all. They're corrupting.

A virtuous enemy is probably opposing you because you're doing something wrong. They can keep you honest, and their opposition might force you to stop being bad. It's a painful lesson, but it's for your own good.

Is flight a thing allowed in Rokugan? I know we can't improve on boats for example, but what about balloons?

>>50485499
Shugenja fly around a lot. And they had that flying boat thing some guys used to fly into the Celestial Heavens (Celestial Kobune if I recall correctly?). Other than that you have flying mounts, like the Wyverns. I can also faintly remember jump packs being a thing.

>>50485556
>I can also faintly remember jump packs being a thing.
You totally sure you're not getting a little 40k mixed up in here?

>>50485556
I think you might be thinking of Dungeons: The Dragoning, although that didn't really take anything fluffwise from L5R (Lot of mechanics though, like Roll and Keep).

As for flight, I don't think balloons would be illegal or anything. The biggest problem would be potentially sparking some kind of theological debate, like what happened in Rokugan 3000 when they discovered that stars are actually the same kind of body as the sun. Highly religious rokugani simply didn't believe that Lady Amaterasu could be anything but unique and it nearly sparked a civil war until someone worked out an acceptable explanation.

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>>50485591
>You totally sure you're not getting a little 40k mixed up in here?

Possible, but I can still remember something about jump packs in Rokugan. Maybe it is a magical item or something.

>>50485792
Nah, shugenjas, the flying boat (pic related), and the wyverns are totally in. Dunno about the jump packs tho.

>>50486206
Pretty sure there's no wyverns in Rokugan. Those things aren't asian. Gonna need some source they're actually there before I believe that.

>>50486232
The yodotai ride rocs and flying lizard things.

>>50486346
ya, yodotai ride around on wyrms and rocs. I believe there are sand boat pirates on tje burning sea as well. But I don't think wyrms are used by shugenja. Although if my memory is correct there is a giant kite somewhere that can be ridden in a splat, and the unicorn brought back a few flying carpets.

>>50483797
Too bad they are nearly all fucking dead.

>>50486206
The shugenja and the flying boat are powered by kami and/or celestial powers.
Wyverns are something the Yobanjin use, not Rokugani.

Flying under mechanical power is not the same as flying by the grace of a divine will and that might very well spark debate. Should humans be allowed to leave their earthy domain? Will it offend the air kami for not being properly asked? Will it end with a Prometheus style situation if you get too close to the sun (Which is a divine presence)? If it does, will it affect everyone on the ground for allowing it to happen? Should peasants be allowed to fly, and if so, should they only be allowed as piloting servants (In the same way that only ashigaru are allowed to be armed)? Should it be used for practical purposes that are radically different from tradition, or should it only be a fun diversion?

There are lots of angles that could be used to argue against flight, and I'm sure at least one clan would be hostile to the idea just based on who invents it.

>>50487510
What if the Emperor creates it?

>>50487566
If the Emperor actually created it, then it would have to be accepted by everyone from the lowliest eta to the celestial heavens themselves.
The Emperor is like the Pope. He can say a thing is fine and it becomes fine all the way up the chain.

>>50487594
This makes me wonder about the Emperor. Who are his friends, and who makes the friggin Emperor's schedule? Dude has got to have some confidants, and people probably have major politics about who gets exposed to him young.

>>50489149
The Seppun, Otomo, and Miya are his friends. The Otomo daimyo seems most likely to make the Emperor's schedule. Confidants are likely personal friends that have been elevated to their positions and the Crane get him young because the firstborn of every Emperor trains at the Kakita Dueling Academy. If the firstborn dies, then it's entirely up in the air as to what school the Emperor trained at, since the royal siblings can go to literally any major school (But usually go Otomo if nobody politics well enough to grab 'em)

>>50489336
I don't remember it ever saying he always goes to the academy, just that the crane rock politics so hard it often happens. Is the Emperor's marriage arranged or can he as Emperor say fuck that shit I'm the big E?

>>50489395
The marriage is arranged, usually before the Emperor takes office. He could say fuck it and push his kids (And therefore heir) into whatever weird arrangement he wants, but it's usually not done. The Emperor can do whatever he wants, but doing it too much just leads to people going behind his back and sneaking things through under his nose.

>>50489395
Doji herself rocked the politics with her brother and nephew so hard early on that it became a tradition that is very rarely broken. It's not law or anything, but almost every Hantei firstborn trains with the Kakita. Not sending the firstborn there is a good way for the Emperor to lose Crane support early on in his career. It's just what's expected.

>>50489492
How much support does the Emperor need? I mean, not supporting him seems like a pretty good way to get fucked when the Scorpion or Lion start offering up extra love to fill that void.

>>50489639
The Emperor needs an amount of support to get anything done.
If all he wants to do is sit on his throne and watch the courtiers scurry around at his feet, then he can fuck around all he wants. If he's got projects to get done, he needs the support of everyone on the ground. Lose the Crane and a lot of supplies and workmanship that would have gone towards your public works project get unfortunately delayed by unforeseen complications that you can't blame on anyone in particular.
Imperial forces can't be everywhere, and using other clans to police it unjustifiably is how you start wars. And after the Gozoku thing, there are checks in place on pretty much everyone, so forcing issues at the high level is very difficult. Making friends is still the better path towards getting things done, even for the Emperor.

>>50489149
>and who makes the friggin Emperor's schedule?
The Imperial Chancellor unless overridden by the Emperor.

>>50489492
>lose Crane support
This doesn't happen outside exceptionally unusual circumstances. The Crane would lose far more from being replaced as the Emperor's Left Hand than the Emperor would in having another clan stand in for them.

>>50484964
A good person, even as an enemy, will behave honorably and can be trusted to an extent

A bad friend is none of this and is only a liability

>>50487510
This actually came up in Jade Empire. The scientist who built these things purposefully designed them in imitation of humble creatures like bugs so as to not offended the kami. I can see a dragonfly styled flying machine with prayers, thanks, and askance for permission to the air kami scrawled all over its surface by Shugenja and/or monks like crazy Asian purity seals

>>50486232
Dude, goblins aren't asian either and we still have them.

>>50486429
Ah yes, the kite! That's the jump pack I was remembering!

>>50494111
>Dude, goblins aren't asian either and we still have them.
He's technically right, though - they're outside Rokugan.

Here's the books.
https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=!AJzcaMoaAKE8_Ao&id=C15898E4CDDAB251!141&cid=

>>50486232
The wyvern are part of the colonies. The scorpion managed to tame some of them. Its manly from the cardgame.

>>50483444
It's an interesting idea. I'd probably say that you shouldn't advertise the main plot of the campaign to your players, and instead have it as a slow build - a rumor here and there (thrown in with all manner of other insane and inane rumors), a report or message from a scout or border town, nothing big - and have the main focus of the first few sessions being on the usual L5R rigmarole. It should come out of left-field, and hopefully surprise your players.

Aside from that, I'd mainly say to flush out the Yobanjin (and the Thrane, to a lesser extent), and to ignore most of the story team bullshit - the dark fire war, or the war of dark fire, or whatever the fuck it's called, and the plague that wipes Thrane and Merenae from story relevance, and other things too.

The autistic man-child in me needs to say that the one thing I'd have to add - purely from a mechanical point-of-view - is that you might need to redo the firearm rules; firearms, as they're presented in the rulebook, are way more powerful than they ever were (for the period in real world history that they're taken from (if you can even say a such a thing about a setting cobbled together from a dozen different time periods - or at least the popular images of them)). Hell, firearms in L5R are almost as powerful as their modern cousins - what with they ability to ignore, well, everything when it comes to protection and damage reduction - and that's not even starting on the whole 'firearm development jumps straight to the flintlock, and then the king declares it the perfect weapon, banning any further improvements to the design.

>>50495541
To be fair, Thrane was said to have actually more advanced weapons because they weren't idiots who banned advancements, and yes, I'm actually thinking of setting it like right before what would be the War of Dark Fire, but have them literally just shoot the Dark Oracle and thus set things on odd goings.

I've got a few firearms ideas for rules, have you any suggestions, or anyone else?

>>50495541
>>50495917
I've had the thought of ignoring things less then Heavy armor, or perhaps within a certain amount of range, or just like half reduction within half range?

How would you do a 'war is bad' Miyazaki style game? Can you even do that in l5r?

>>50498112
Have the characters struggle with the effects war has had on their little fief? They won't be fighting glorious battles but instead picking up the pieces after bandit & ronin attacks and trying to figure out who gets the eat what little is left of the harvest.

>>50495917
>>50496310

>I've had the thought of ignoring things less then Heavy armor, or perhaps within a certain amount of range, or just like half reduction within half range?

Having half-reduction at close range (or even just flat out ignoring it) is a good way to represent it. I'd say do it by giving firearms high damage, and armour-piercing at close range, off-set by the difficulties with maintaining the weapon (keeping powder dry, making sure your matchcord/other way of lighting the powder stays dry (unless you are skipping straight to wheellocks/flintlocks)), as well as the general inaccuracy of the weapon(s).

Also, depending on how far the campaigns go, introducing new types of armour might be a good idea - as people react to the usage of firearms by trying to make armour to counteract it. A new armour quality, "Proofed" (that is to say, armour made with the intention of resisting firearm fire) might be introduced, which, not only increase the TN provided by the armour it is applied to (representing the increased protection provided by such armour that has, as its main purpose, protecting against firearms (moving away from lamellar to solid plates, for example), but also resists against armour piercing - reducing armour TN to half (rounded down), instead of ignoring it completely (representing the shaping of said solid plates to deflect missile fire).

Although, saying that, I'm not exactly an expert on L5R game mechanics, so you'll probably come up with something better.

>>50498112
Sure you can. When the fighting starts to stagnate, the honorabru facade falls away and really nasty shit happens. Entire castles and all who live around them put to the sword or committing mass suicide to avoid disgrace. Rampant famine as armies seize the supplies they need. If a battlefield is allowed to fester for too long, gaki and other monsters can show up (Even discounting shadowlands beasts entirely, gaki and slaughter spirits are nothing to sneeze at), and a lot of those will start escalating away from strictly dead people once they get a good taste for corpses