Online game, be gentle.

[Tom the Fanboy]

I'll be playing a member of the Phoenix clan, of the Isawa family.
I have the book right now so I'll come up awith a good name for him and more information later.

...right now I;'ve got to get into the other room for tonight's Exalted game.

---post-book-edit-----

Isawa Benkai, Phoenix Clan Shugenja of the Isawa School
Affinity, Fire
Deficiency? Ha ha, none. (yay Isawa school)


more later...

[Pookajoe]

So some Questions about the Current history in your version of the World.
In your world Has the Badger Clan fallen yet?
Also Has the Mantis Clan been Recognized as a Major clan?
These questions will help with some character concept stuff..

[Kurrel]

I've never been asked what my world-change has had on the badger clan, to be honest. Let me read up on them, and I'll get back to you.

The Mantis have officially been a great clan for some time. They acted during the time between the end of the last dynasty and the rise of the new. One of the first acts of the new was to raise the Mantis clan to their new status, as they had helped him achieve his goal.

[Tom the Fanboy]

I get what period you're in in the setting, but which edition do you plan on using? I've got the 4th edition book. the one that came out after all the crossover d20 stuff.

Maybe I could post the 20 Questions here for people to answer for their character creation? I think I have them typed up somewhere in my D&D notes.

[Pookajoe]

You mean 3rd Edition?

[Kurrel]

Badger clan were still destroyed by an Oni, but in this game it is one of the great mysteries of the time. No bodies were ever found. The badger Samurai who were abroad returned and are trying to rebuild their clan, though fearful the same thing will happen again.
The masters of their own dojos died with the rest of their people and as such, they are trained at other clans' schools until they can re-establish themselves.
On a side note, is there a Badger school in source books I don't have?

As for the edition, I'm using the latest version, the return to d10 after WotC cut lot5R loose.

Kurrel,
All Smiles.

[Pookajoe]

The Badger Clan Dojo Information was in the Way of the Minor Clans Book.
Although it only had 3 lvls

I also thought of Something Else that's relevant. Are we playing basic Starting Characters, or More Experienced Samurai?

[Kurrel]

Starting characters.

Also, there's a trait called 'Great Destiny', or some such. It allows that death be transmuted to out. All the characters start with it for free, as a form of damage mitigation for the occasional stupendous roll of doom.

Kurrel,
All Smiles.

[One post wonder]

Ok, time for a beyond newbie question here... I have checked out a few book stores for a player's guide or anything else I could get info on this from, but I have not been entirely successful... When I perform searches for, "gaming stores", it always seems to assume video or board games. When I add, "l5r" to the search, the result is for people looking to play it rather than people selling it.

I guess what I am asking is, how does someone who is still way too new to gaming find a store that is likely to sell this?

Also, I get the feeling that there may be more to this game than I can learn from a single book. (I know very little about Japan... Only that they seem to really like robots, it is Godzilla's favorite vacation spot, and a little about Tokugawa and his rise to power.) If this game is going to be a little too far over my head, go ahead and tell me. I can wait for something a little easier to get into.

[Grtdrgn]

In my experience, you have to call around a bit. Here in CO, there are a few comic book stores which carry RPG books, but my favorite store is one called "It's Your Move". They carry RPG's, board games, and neat novelty stuff too.

Hope this helps.

[One post wonder]

Ah, of course! I should have thought to look in comic book stores rather than generic book stores. I look forward to checking those out. Hopefully, it will be a bit of a hunt so I can check out more of them. Thanks for the help.

[Kurrel]

The core rulebook would be most helpful to have.

Beyond that, the rest of the books feature extra schools and expansions on existing ideas alongside a great deal of source material.

The source material may help inspire several ideas but a lot of the recent stuff mixes brilliance with an often muddled storyline and occasionally even absurdity. The system, setting and idea is brilliant, just a shame they've let the course of the story be dictated by CCGs.

So, looks to the additional books only for inspiration and extra schools for your favourite clan. All of which is still subject to approval, because there are some oddball groups released as well.

As far as needing to immerse yourself in culture and history, Rokugan is based off Japanese society, but not upon it's history. It's a fantasy setting and I won't be setting tests on the subject material. Promise. If nothing else, you can play a country bumpkin samurai who knows next to nothing about the history and discover it as you play. Otherwise you can always ask and I'll do my very best to illuminate!

[One post wonder]

Alright. Thanks for giving a newbie a chance. It took some hunting as well as the realization that comic book store owners are not always the most socially adept people, but I finally found someone who will have the book in a few days. He was even nice enough to give me a few books on the ways of the clans, so as long as I do not slack on the research, I should have the info I need to throw together a decent character.

[Pookajoe]

Hey, One Post,

If you want to play Mantis, You'll have built in Support from another PC Assuming our Characters don't have a reason to hate each other, Cause I loves me the Mantis. and Will be Playing one. I'll also Help where I'm able. So any Questions feel free to ask.

[One post wonder]

The way of the Mantis was not in stock either, but I can see if he has it when I return to the store for the rule book. I think I will most likely go with the clan that has the least ritualized social structure in order to make things a little easier to learn, but if Mantis will be of a greater value to the group somehow, I will bias my opinion towards them favorably.

[Pookajoe]

You know, honestly, if you are going for Least ritualized Social structure, you are Probably looking at the Crab, The Unicorn, or.... The Mantis!

The Main Difference between the Mantis and all the other Major clans is that The First Seven Great Clans can trace their heritage back to founders who became the Kami. The Mantis Were a minor Clan founded by a Mortal Man. Eventually after a lot of hard work, and often being denounced as Honorless mercenary Dogs, they finally achieved Great Clan Status.

They're often associated with pirates, and Merchants, and typically fight in a Non-traditional Manner.

[Tom the Fanboy]

As opposed to my clan, the Phoenix, who were among the great clan's whose founders became kami and (more importantly to me and my character) my family, the Isawa, who had unlocked the secrets of magic before the coming of the kami!

[One post wonder]

Ok, the Yoritomo family of the Mantis clan does seem like a good one to start with. However, we were warned that this game would be more social than combative, and I noticed that we do not yet have a courtier. I am not confident I could play one well until I learn more of feudal Japanese culture, but I am willing to try if it would be of greater benefit to the group. So basically, I am asking if it would be a smarter move to create a courtier I may not quite know how to play right away, or should I just go with the Bushi school?

Either way, I believe that I have learned enough to create a character once I know what form of a character sheet we will be using.

[Pookajoe]

I'm going to be buying some of the Courtier Skills, so That'll help, Assuming we are in a group.

[Tom the Fanboy]

Well, if we are using third ed rules then this is what the AEG website gives.
http://www.l5r.com/archive/rpg/l5r_rpg_ ... _sheet.pdf

It's the one I'm using right now.