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I am joining a new gaming group and they are in the latter stages of a L5R 1st edition game. What is the game like? Character Gen? Equipment? I don't have the rules yet but I was just looking for some thoughts and stuff on the game in general to get my head on straight. Anything interesting from someone's experience with the game, please post, also any links to resources would be cool.
Thanks!
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L5R is best described as a samurai drama. You will play samurai from a place that looks like Japan with the serial numbers filed off and some mystical stuff thrown in. Like all good samurai dramas, it's a tragedy. There will be death, but that's preferential to dishonoring yourself and your ancestors.
If you've played any games from the late 90s, you'll recognize a lot of the character generation stuff. You choose a Clan, a family and a School to belong to, and these choices give you the skeleton on which to build your character. You get points to buy up Skills, Traits, and Advantages, and you can get more points by taking Disadvantages.
It's not like D&D, at all. The stories aren't about killing monsters and taking their stuff - they're usually about the political struggles between the warrior culture, and the inevitable wars that start because of them. It turns a lot of fantasy tropes on their ear. You play as the ruling class, and have all the rights. Magic isn't feared (well, maho is, but that's black magic), they're performed by priests of the kami. Money isn't important to samurai - that's something that the commoners use, whereas samurai call in favors. Oh, and it's got its own Worldwound. The Shadowlands are damn scary.
It's a lot of fun, and both the CCG and the RPG have remained both relevant and entertaining for quite some time. In fact, there's an Organized Play campaign for the most current edition of the game that's currently in its third five-year campaign. In short, I think you'll enjoy it!
It's not like D&D, at all. The stories aren't about killing monsters and taking their stuff
Not about killing monsters?! Damn!
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L5R is best described as a samurai drama. You will play samurai from a place that looks like Japan with the serial numbers filed off and some mystical stuff thrown in. Like all good samurai dramas, it's a tragedy. There will be death, but that's preferential to dishonoring yourself and your ancestors.
If you've played any games from the late 90s, you'll recognize a lot of the character generation stuff. You choose a Clan, a family and a School to belong to, and these choices give you the skeleton on which to build your character. You get points to buy up Skills, Traits, and Advantages, and you can get more points by taking Disadvantages.
It's not like D&D, at all. The stories aren't about killing monsters and taking their stuff - they're usually about the political struggles between the warrior culture, and the inevitable wars that start because of them. It turns a lot of fantasy tropes on their ear. You play as the ruling class, and have all the rights. Magic isn't feared (well, maho is, but that's black magic), they're performed by priests of the kami. Money isn't important to samurai - that's something that the commoners use, whereas samurai call in favors. Oh, and it's got its own Worldwound. The Shadowlands are damn scary.
It's a lot of fun, and both the CCG and the RPG have remained both relevant and entertaining for quite some time. In fact, there's an Organized Play campaign for the most current edition of the game that's currently in its third five-year campaign. In short, I think you'll enjoy it!
Sounds interesting! Is there any sites that help with Char Gen around that you know about?
Is there only Bushi and Shenengi(sp?) to choose from?
It is a fun game....been a while since I played though I am in a current edition campaign.
I don't knowe of any sites to help with cahar gen.
As to anything else...it depends if your GM is playing with the splat books...all the 7 Clans also have a courtier school(though in combat heavy games they can kinda be meh). Also most clans have a abnormal school that might be kinda related to the three...or dfferent like I know Dragon has the tattoo monks...Lion has people with multiple lion followers etc.
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John's right, there are schools beyond bushi and shugenja, but you won't find them in the 1E core rulebook, IIRC. They started introducing those in the splatbooks (Way of the (INSERT CLAN NAME HERE)). They don't have the combat tricks that a bushi does, and can't cast spells, but they can learn to use a sword just like anybody else. Their tricks are more geared towards social interaction rather than fighting. Yes, if you're playing in a combat heavy game, they can feel like a fifth wheel, but personally, if you're playing in a combat heavy game of L5R, then you're not playing the game as intended. Combat should and will happen, because killing bad guys is fun, but there's a whole lot more to the world than just that. It's kinda like playing Pathfinder, but only using the downtime rules to play the slowest game of SimCity ever. It'd work, but you're missing out on a whole lot by doing that.
I'm also not aware of any online character generators - sorry!
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Cool. Sounds like just the type of break-from-the-norm I am gonna enjoy. Seems like my more recent games have been the never ending struggle to get better loot and bigger bonuses. I think I will enjoy getting more into a personality and character. Thanks. Little disappointing that I have to wait on getting the rules to see a little char-gen stuff but oh well...
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One of my favourite games. Better than Pathfinder IMO with more interesting combat, a better damage system and a more interesting character progression and experience setup.
That's not to say Pathfinder is bad, I wouldn't have thrown thousands of pounds at the system if it were bad. It's just that Lo5R is so good it makes most systems I have played pale by comparison.
If you want some information then I'm happy to give you background.
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One of my favourite games. Better than Pathfinder IMO with more interesting combat, a better damage system and a more interesting character progression and experience setup.
That's not to say Pathfinder is bad, I wouldn't have thrown thousands of pounds at the system if it were bad. It's just that Lo5R is so good it makes most systems I have played pale by comparison.
If you want some information then I'm happy to give you background.
Feel free to share anything you wish. I am still trying to figure out how combat works without playing yet...it seems lethal and fun. I just wish I could figure out some of the roll/keep and what modifiers are used things...
I have a feeling I am gonna love this system.