This thread is inspired by the one exploring ideas for the a new R&K L5R.

I get the sense that very few people play L5R RAW, especially compared to other games. I'm curious, how much do people hack or add to L5R? More specificially:

1. What edition do you play?

2. Do you add any rules? (a rule that doesn't exist in RAW) Why?

3. Do you hack any rules? (changing an existing rule) Why?

I'm thinking of this thread mostly as a sort of brief survey, as people usually discuss their house rules elsewhere. But feel free to write them here to.

For example:

1. My group plays 4e.

2. We added rules for damaging/incapacitating hit locations, because my group wanted to use them and they didn't exist.

3. We hacked the rules for art. RAW treats art as an economic product, and we think it should be a social product.

We also hacked the rules for learning additional spells, because it was too easy to get new spells quickly.

Would lov to see our hack for art as a social product

1. What edition do you play?

4th Edition.

2. Do you add any rules? (a rule that doesn't exist in RAW) Why?

Yes and no, it's mainly something minor which are very plot based, but it could be possible with the current rules, so hard to say.

3. Do you hack any rules? (changing an existing rule) Why?

Yes.

1- Every range are rounded up to each 5 feet. Reasons, I use maps for skirmishes and to standardize everything, each square is 5 feet, so if a spells is 3 feet, it goes up to 5, if an attack is 6-7 feet it goes up to 10. This way, it's simplier. And because I'm using a map with minis, it's easier to visualize what's happening.

2- Besides the new spells on rank up, the only way to learn new spells is from gifts. By doing this, the player has a few spells that he really wants and a few spells that will be useful in the future. I was thinking to reduce the number of spells per rank up to 2 and I pick one, but I prefer not to...

3- Nemuranai do have mystical power. It's pretty unclear what they are doing in the 4th edition, so I have decided that they do have some mystical power. It's mostly small bonus like "Adding X on a specific skill rolls" but enough for the player to enjoy.

That's all I remember. There's might have some that I don't remember.

4th Edition. Some of these were taken from the old AEG forums, I do not remember the original Author/Poster so I do apologize.

1: Everyone gets Lore: (Their Clan/Monastic Order/Ronin) equal to One half IR rounded up. I let it count towards their Insight since I hand out XP very rarely. 3 Years and they're IR 7 on average.

2: Let dice pools exceed 10k10, as I personally like the feel of rolling something like 18K11. Just feels more awesome and fun.

3: If something is roleplayed out with a PC learning the skill, working the NPC into an Ally or whatever I tend to give a decent reduction in cost for the work put in. Exceptional Roleplay may generate it for free. For example had a player spend 5 months of gaming deepening his understanding of History, now that is 5 real world months, 20 sessions of making a point to be in a library, talking to scholars, reading books etc... So I gave him two ranks to start him off. Every PC at my table has done similar to varying degrees of intensity. All are good with it.

4: I do use the Little Truths Hit Location rules as called shots had been getting called all the time and it was a solid rule set to use. Also I use their Crafting mechanics as well.

5: Unspecified bonuses for Players who actively roleplay out speeches or haiku or attempt the artwork their character is doing rather than immediately resorting to the dice. They still have to roll afterwards. Barring one instance where a former player's Hida delivered a stunning speech about duty and honor that left the majority of the table in tears, I figure if I'm completely unable to hold it together after a speech they've earned the win.

6: If you chip in for dinner you get a void point for the session. I'm a cheap broke bastard, I make no apologies.

7: Gave Jitte and Sai's a free raise towards Disarming since that's the intended design and purpose of the weapons.

Can't think of anything else off the top of my head.

For damage rolls, unnamed adversaries never reroll 10s and never call raises for damage. I like my L5R deadly, but not against mooks.

1. My group plays 4th Edition. Well, at least it has grown out from 4th Edition.

2. We have tons of additional stuff from our homebrew fluff. Skills, Advantages/Disadvantages, Schools, Kata, Kiho, you name it. There are also general additions aiming to put the "fantasy" into the "samurai" like Honor Mastery Abilities that become increasingly OP as the character's Honor Rank increases - Honor literally makes you stronger than steel.

3. We have changed the combat rules completely (it is now Action Points based and can be used for skirmishes, social combat, and mass battles too) and thus we had to revamp 90% of the other rules (like all Schools) completely. There are also fluff-based cuts, like Shugenja no longer being able to cast elemental spells (they have other more priestly powers instead).

I linked an incomplete draft of this system in the 5th Edition topic. Go check it out if you want to see more.

What edition do you play?

My group (most have been in campaigns with me for . . . 12-15 years; our “newbie” has been playing the game for more than a decade. We still use 3.5, mostly.

2. Do you add any rules? (a rule that doesn't exist in RAW) Why?

We’ve added a variety or rules ‘on the fly,’ usually to deal with inventive PC actions that just aren’t covered by the books.

Do you hack any rules? (changing an existing rule) Why?

Even though we use primarily 3.5, the fact is the group has been running through a lot of editions (and I’ve played/run in ALL of them), so we cannibalize some of the stuff we liked from earlier editions.

A consistent hack is we like the earlier optional void rules from the GM’s Survival Guide. There’s a certain charm to spending 3 Void to get through a Siege. (Of course, occasionally I have to remind them that if the PCs can do it, so can the NPCs .)

When I think of them, a lot of the hacks are not really new mechanics so much as reorganizing older mechanics from earlier editions and most have to do with character creation.

For example, the Character Creation rules for our upcoming campaign look like this:

All PCs must take at least one “flavor” skill useful for social or spiritual matters.

· Artisan skills may be used to create items useful for social situations.

· Performance skills may be used during courtly situations.

o As per earlier Void rules, practicing such skills for periods of time, especially certain traditional skills (bonsai, calligraphy, tea ceremony, etc…) may recover Void losses as per the Meditation (Void) rules p. 98.*

Remember: Obviously practicing merchant or lower skills risks honor loss.

All characters may take up to 10 points in disadvantages to convert to additional Character Points.

· All PCs must take at least 3 points in disadvantages.

Advantage/Disadvantage Considerations:

Players may, at their own peril, take Dark Fate, but no PC pays for Great Destiny at character creation.

· Because Rokugan is a dangerous place, Great Destiny is awarded by the GM only under extreme circumstances and only ONCE per campaign.*

· Additionally, PC actions may lead to the GM “awarding” them Dark Fate during the campaign.*

The following advantages must be reflective of a background story and negotiated with the GM: Allies, Different Schools, Gaijin Gear, Imperial Spouse, Inheritance, Kharmic Tie, Sacred Weapon, Servant, or Wealthy

· Ishiken-do is disallowed for PCs—3.0 spells for Void were crap.

· Multiple Schools is not appropriate for a beginning character.

· Players who want Different Schools must also take the disadvantage Hostage.

· Players who want an Imperial Spouse, Sacred Weapon, or Inheritance should be prepared to pay for either an additional level of status, honor, or glory to account for the situation.

The following disadvantages must be reflective of a background story and negotiated with the GM: Bad Reputation, Bitter Betrothal, Black Sheep, Cast Out, Forsaken, Haunted, Hostage, Momoku, Obligation, Social Disadvantage, Wrath of the Kami.

· Forsaken is worth 3 points as a disadvantage—your ancestors are more important than YOU in Rokugan.

· If you choose Hostage, you must also take and pay for Different Schools.

· Shadowlands Taint is NOT allowed as a beginning disadvantage, but may be acquired during game play.

· Deathseeker is not appropriate for a beginning character.

All Player Characters must roll (with the GM) at least once on an appropriate “Way of” Heritage Table representing their Clan of origin; any benefits or penalties from such rolls become part of the player’s character, but do not cost or gain CPs.

· Players may pay 3 CP to roll a second time for additional characteristics, but cannot “choose” one roll or the other.

Please Note:

1) All advantages/disadvantages will probably impact your character in the game at some point.

2) Additional advantages/disadvantages might be awarded during the game based on play.

About the only house rule I ever used regularly was that calling raises removed dice from your pool per raise but didn't touch the target number. This penalized players who thought raising only their rings was the way to go, while still allowing for random blowouts.

Hi. Someone thinking about hacking over here. Appart from hacking, is that I have read the 3 main editions of L5r, and I have seen some things in other editions that I would like to add to 5th edition. But hackin aswell.

1st. If someone roleplays or looks for some special history and does roleplay in the game, I will have it in count, as someone said up here. Not very usual, but I might give that permission.

2nd. In battle, I like to give possibilities to do some things even if not stated in the rules, if I find them possible to do. Let's say, in a grapple, try to do a neckbreak, or neck asfixiating, breaking a leg or an arm, etc., with different raises.

3rd. I like the rules of the second edition to chop limbs. They were in some specific extra material I can't remember now. But they were pretty decent.

4th. The idea of combat flow seems interesting for me. It makes combats less predictable and can give an extra strategic dimension.

5th. Specific Iaijutsu rules. Alternatively to what appears in the manual, rank 5 of iaijutsu gives the possibility to attack when unsheathing with the iaijutsu skill instead of kenjutsu in the middle of a fight as a complex action (ALWAYS AS A COMPLEX ACTION). Sheath back is a complex action. The rank 10 of iaijutsu reduces this action in a action rank (from complex to simple, or from simple to free), and makes possible to use some maneuvers (pointed attack, extra damage). Some specific ranks of some iai schools will reduce the iai attack from complex action to simple, and the sheathing action in a action rank (from complex to simple, or simple to free). Summing it up, having 10 iaijutsu skill + the competent iai school level, allows you to play as Ukyo Tachibana.

6th. Skipping turns and active defense. You can skip your turn in a row and act later. Until the end of the turn you might use your own turn either to attack later or to use your actions as an active defense. However, if you decide not to use those actions in this round, you hold them for usage until your next turn but only to use them as active defense and counter attack right after, but not as a direct attack. This means that even if the round ends, you will have this actions usable, once using your previous turn and another one using your former turn, but any action carried into the next round, I repeat, can be used only as active defense. What this means? When using active defense, you replace your TN for a Kenjutsu/Agility roll (with the consecuent specialities and superior aptitudes). If you can use attacks as simple actions, you will have 2 actions, you can use the action you have left to counterattack, but only if you won the previous roll vs the enemy attack, or the enemy can't attack again. If the enemy can attack again and you decide to attack with your second action, both attacks are done at the same time vs the enemy TN-10. Also you can decide to use your action to attack a enemy while he is attackin you or someone else, instead of using it to defend yourself (but only before the round skips). You throw a attack roll vs his TN-10, but your TN will be -10 until your next turn. If the attack is made vs a enemy that is attacking you at the same time, you both get the penalization to the TN and the one having the higher roll resolves his attack first.

When using active defense, there is some maneuvers that can be used, as the attacker as much as the defending part. The raises cost of the maneuver are applied over the result of the opponent's roll.

As defense:
Disarm (the same cost that the usual maneuver). Jittes can use Disarm either while defending or attacking, for a raise less than usual.

Faster counterattack (2 raises, you need to have a second action) you unbalance your enemy and can counterattack in case you have a second action before he uses his second action. If the enemy does not have a second action, he loses -5 to his TN for your counterattack.

Unblockable counterattack. (3 raises). Your counterattack can't be parried with an active defense. In case enemy doesn't have a second action, he losses -10 to his TN for your counterattack.

As the attacking part.

Create a opening (Variable raises). Vs a active defense, you can use your attack to shove the defending sword out of the way. The enemy stroke this way will get -5 for each raise to his next active defense roll and/or TN, distributed as the attacker wants. Is important to understand that if the attacked decides to use all the bonuses to harm the next roll, the defender still might use his second action to attack, using his TN instead, and that's the reason that the attacker might distribute the penalizations as he thinks better. In case the enemy does not have a second action available for defense, then the bonuses apply inmediately to the TN.

7th. My own ronin/wolf clan bushi school.

The wolf clan is a new neutral clan that raises from nowhere. His members are all ronin but however, have all one thing in common. They are idealist that want to subvert the celestial order because they consider it unjust, or at least, the terrenal interpretation that the empire has done of it. Wolf ronin belive that while martial arts are honorable and give the one using it certain status, it doesn't mean he is a better person or that has to have more rights that one that works the earth or with animals. Wolf ronin think that you win your rights by following the bushidō, but they trully belive that being a samurai doesn't mean that you follow the bushidō. They belive that, in fact, a lot of merchants, artisans or farmers follow daily the bushidō much better than a lot of samurai in the Rokugan empire, specially those not following the compassion and using his upper position in the heaven order to oppress the people down in the heaven order. They belive, in fact, that the trully order has been subbert in some way by those in the power to maintain his privileges and rights. That's why they want to subvert the celestial order or simply destroy it, so that the lands are given to those people that work on them, and the samurai in their territories are simply paid as a military service instead of drawing almost all the resources from the working classes. Yes. Wolf ronin are clearly communist samurais. However, not only that. They belive that Bushidō, as it's written and understood, leads to the destruction of the ego of the persona, and that means building a unfinished invidual. Because of that, they belive in a balance between the kind and devoted to others nature of the bushidō , and the values of the shouridō of working for yourself. Only a individual that has worked to fullfill his own desires can be turned into a functional individual into the society, and he must use his rational mind to put bridges between the own interests and the society interests. Although there might be different grades of where each individual of the clan works towards more, the position encouraged by the clan is that in last term, the society is over the individual because the interests of the society are the interests of all individual, in a long term. Basically, the wolf ronin are encouraged tu fulfill they desires working hard for it, as long as they don't interfere with the society interests, and trying to fulfill both at the same time. Of course, seppukku is banned from the clan. Well, if it can be banned someway. Let's say more that is not an endorsed practice by the members of the clan, but each individual is left to grow on their own.

The Wolf Clan does not have a official acknowledgment from the emperor as a clan, neither their own dojo or territory, or place to live. His main leader, Hels The Ronin, is known for being a gaijin ronin, which gives this association even a worse fame. Even though, he has been traveling through all the different territories of Rokugan, and has a lot of support from the working classes, and some bandit bands that lean towards the help of the rokugani people. He and his followers are know for helping a lot of time to the rokugani people against some bandits that kill and robber them, but at the same time, they have fought vs the authorities in those places that take away from the workers more than what they should be taking away from them. This faction has pronounced a lot of times in favor of the alphabetization of the rokugani people and their inclussion into the politics, that, they think, should not be reserved only for the samurai class.

Because their postulates and work in favor of those who have no power, this faction are known as "the Army of the People", even when they claim themselfs as the clan of the Wolf, because they claim themselves samurais, servants of the Emperor AS MUCH AS the rokuganí people will, since they think that in a last term, the Emperor, as a samurai himself as well, is there only to work for the people.

The perspective of the other clanes about them, specially the Crane, Lion and Phoenix Clan, is that they are people trying to tear down the Heaven Order and that are really dangerous.

The Dragon clan haven't pronounced yet about this new faction, but in fact the clan is divided. Some of the most orthodox bushi of the Mirumoto Family are clearly against this new faction of bushis that are trying to change so many things. However, the Isen Zumi, the tattoed monks, as well as other monks orders, have not pronounced clearly about them. They agree in some of their precepts, specially, with their understanding of Compassion and his fight against violence (the Wolf Clan are known for trying to solve the problems through words before unsheathing, since they know that once they unsheath is assured a massacre), however, they intention to destroy or subvert the Celestial Order as well as their aproximation to shourido practices, have them nervous. However, the leading position in the religious instances is to belive that they are the bridge between the order and the caos in this world. The equilibrium, the balance, the Jing and the Jang put together. They put a big effort in remembering that Shinsei selected those that were not gods to fight Fu Leng, something that no one would have thought about. It seemed absurd then, as much as it might seem absurd to revert the Celestial Order. And however, even though it might be dangerous, it could be aswell the salvation of the world, and monks of most factions are aware of it, Isen Zumi included. That's why the Dragon clan hasn't pronounced about it already.

The Escorpion is aswell agains this new creation, however, some of their members seem to have some likings towards them, for unknown motivations.

The Unicorn hasn't pronounced yet as they consider them a menace against the rights of the samurai class, but at the same time, a progress force that can tear down some of the most old and obsolte social habits of rokugan, specially those related to the aggressiveness towards the birth of new things or the arrival of new technologies from other parts of the world.

The Crab is clearly the clan which has interacted more with this new force, positioning themselves already as his main ally, although no completely open because of fear of problems with other clans, specially with the Crane one. As long as this new clan helps to fight the Shadowlands, they agree with whatever they ask for. In fact, they have understood almost perfectly, and although they don't like too much the think of taking away the rights of the samurai class, the fact that is for a greater good as making the samurai class less lazy and more of professional warriors, of a service in charge of the rest of rokuganí people, seems to them a good idea. Specially the fact of taking away the lands of the hands of the clans and giving them only money and food as to make the warriors live good, but not as much as to fight between themselves. Due to all of this, the Crab Clan has decided to give them some dojos to train and meet as a base. At the same time, they have an agreement with the Wolfs so they are their "shinobi" force all through the empire, their ears and basically, their sword out of their own lands. But even when suspected, no one has proofs of this, as the oficial version of the clan is that they help the organization because the organization has helped them against the Shadowlands creatures and against some ocasional bandits in their territories.

The Mantis hasn't pronounced about this new clan, and doesn't seem they care too much about it, although the fact of reverting the Celestial Order is not very much of his likings now that they have ascended as Major Clan.

Minor clans remain neutral or slightly in favor of their propositions. Even though the "clan" is a clear opposing force to the society of Rokugan as known, the Emperor can't ban them or promulgate an edict to clasify them as a criminal organization due to their support and the Crab one, that has gave problems and good motivations to keep the organization alive.

Lastly, the Emperor Family's consider the new clan as an aberration and have been working to promulgate an Imperial edict to consider them a criminal organization. However, there hasn't been motivations enough as to do so, and in addition, the help offered by some minor clans to the wandering Wolfs, and the Crab clan, and the people helping leaning profile of the organization, has imposibilited the Emperor to promulgate a edict against them. All that have been able to do is promulgate a edict that Lion, Crane, Phoenix and in this late days the Escorpion, have replicated, that is to consider any member of this faction as a non-grateful person in their region. Even though, the faction still survives and wanders through all the empire thanks to the help of the people and of small governors that trully care about their region and the people's good.

The Tamashii Ronin family.

The Tamashii Ronin family is the main and only family of the clan. Because of the recent creation of the clan, is the clan itself. Is not a blood family. It is shaped by a lot of types of characters, it has grown out of the different ronin coming from other families or farmers or shepherds that decide to take on the way of the sword, the magic or the politics, and serve the rokuganí society. The family is currently gaining a lot of adepts and spreading very fast as it is the empowerment tool of those who cannot take part of the politics and the militar forces as it is said by the heaven's order. Because of this has not a clear profile between his members, neither a philosophy of what they have to do. The members are free to train whatever they want, but they are encouraged to work hard on whatever they choose.
Family bonus: +1 at any attribute chosen by the player.

The Bushi School of the Tamashii Ronin
There is no dojo attached to this school. The members of this school are constantly wandering from one part to the other of the empire, as if a big inteligence system was. However, they are said to have a base of operations somewhere in the Pleasure City, and in other parts at the south territories of the Scorpion Clan. Aswell, is known that the Crab Clan daimyo has declared the aid of the Clan to the organization, wich already considers a potential ally for the future and the interests of the clan. As a result, even though a wandering faction, the organization has some dojos and places where they can fight, in the Crab Clan territories and in the south of the Scorpion territories, where they mantain hidden bases near the City of Pleasure. Also, some of their members are known to be around Meidochi and the Shinomen Mori, where the few Naga that are still awaken are known to give them some help aswell.

Technically, the school of the Wolf is almost unknown in Rokugan because of his early foundations. It has been spread by his creator and leader of the clan, Hels Tamashii Ronin, and it encourages a great variety of aptitudes, but specially, the strength to fight alone, and, at the same time, makes a big focus on adaptate this individual style to other individuals to, at the end, act like a group of virtuous warriors, as only one force.

Initial Honor: 7.0. The Bushi of this school are completely devoted to fullfill their desires without harming society, so that they can then serve society as respectable members. They are aswell completely devoted to change rokuganí society to one better where the person can be understood as a individual at the same time that as a part of a whole, without one thing replacing the other. They have a great opinion about themselves, and even when the society attacks them, they know they are fighting for a greater good.

Starting abilities: Kenjutsu (Katana): 2, Iaijutsu, Art (poetry or music), Stealth, Investigation (Trailing), One ability more of any type.

Shcool Bonus: +1 Agility.

Rank 1. The way of the Wolf.

The wolf is a animal that walks in packs, and like that, he learns to act by the side of his companions. But at the same time, he also knows that any time he can find himself without the help of his mates, and he has been forced to live in such a way, alone. In adittion, the wolf doesn't serve other purposes or intentions, than himself or his pack.

Always that you flank an enemy in agreement with another character that has this technique, add so many throw and keeped dices to the maneuver as characters working in the maneuver after you, up to a maximum determinated by your insight rank or your void ring, the lower. In adittion, always that you fight enemies without the help of other characters of the Wolf clan (unless they know this technique), you obtain +1 tu your TN for each enemy after the first, up to a maximum equal to your insight rank or your void ring, the lower of the two.

Rank 2. The silence of the lambs.

The wolf ronin has become concious of his predator nature, and like that, he must be sigilous and hard to trail. In addition, he knows that there are some bigger predators and that he must hide from them until he can take them.

Your trailing, stealth and stalking rolls recibe a 1k1 bonus. At the same time, you learn to flush your footprints when you are being chased. You recibe a 1k1 roll bonus when you try to leave a place where you have been, always that you haven been sighted by your chasers, or you have been able to get out of their sight lane.

Rank 3: Two claws, one mind.

The wolf ronin has to learn to sorvive and for that has to fight though enemies that must overcome with speed and expertise kenjutsu.

You can use attacking actions as simple ones instead of complex.

(DISCLAIMER): The healthy shcool of the wolf makes up to here, as a ronin organization, like the ones presented in secret of empires, with 3 ranks instead of 5. Optionally, you can include this two bonus ranks that come right now. They are very powerfull, and they are aimed towards a campaign, in order to give tools to the Wolf clan to be a tool of change of the Rokuganí society. I advice you that THEY MIGHT NOT BE HEALTHY in other situations, since they could lead to abuse from the Wolf bushi. This two techniques are aimed to give a damage burst one shot-kill to the Wolf Bushi, even to characters quite stronger than him, and the other, to negate sources of damage vs him, helping him to survive. Basically, to make him a badass protagonist that can handle alone dangerous foes that other enemies wouldn't be able to handle, through two weapons. His will, and his knowledge.

Rank 4: The will of the survivor.

In this world, only the though survive, the one that really one to do so, and this is something that the Wolf ronin always has in mind.

Once per fight, the Wolf ronin can spend a void point during the reaction phase of a turn to ignore his wound penalizations and do one of the same things
- Add to his damage roll a number of throw dices equal to his will, and the half (rounded down) to keep dices.
- Add a number of free rises to his attack roll equal to his will.
- Add a number of meters equal to his will at any movement action.
- Add his will to his TN.

The number of dices in the damage roll can be only executed in the total attack position, and adding the will to the TN can be only made in the total defense position. Whichever the desire effect is, the void point has to be spent during the reaction time before making any action, and in case you fail your attack, the bonuses, the void point and the posibility of using this technique, are lost. However, if you loose this technique due to a failed attack, you can regain it by staying a round in the center position.

Rank 5. The power of the knowledge.

When a ronin Wolf has make it through here, and has gotten to this level, he has traveled enough through Rokugan as to know how important is to know his opponent deeply, but he also knows that that can only be achieved through vital experience.

At the beginning of each fight, you can choose to study one of your enemies with a roll of Knowledge:Bushi Schools/Perception or Knowledge: Great Clan/Perception (only if he belongs to a school of that clan) or Knowledge: Minor Clan/Perception (same than before) vs a TN of his Shcool Rank x Void Ring +10. If you are succesfull, once per enemy and during the fight, you can spend one void point to negate the effects of a technique of that school which you where the target, but only if you have been target of that technique in other ocassion, or have seen it to be used.


8th thing (should test it): Weapons with longer range create a opportunity attack in a similar fashion of D&D, when you get close to them.

19 hours ago, Hels the Ronin said:

Hi. Someone thinking about hacking over here. Appart from hacking, is that I have read the 3 main editions of L5r, and I have seen some things in other editions that I would like to add to 5th edition. But hackin aswell.

1 hour ago, Network57 said:

But read it, it is worth the time. It adds pretty much ideas that could be used efectively, and some new faction precisely described.

On 2/3/2017 at 4:49 AM, Hels the Ronin said:

That's why they want to subvert the celestial order or simply destroy it, so that the lands are given to those people that work on them, and the samurai in their territories are simply paid as a military service instead of drawing almost all the resources from the working classes. Yes. Wolf ronin are clearly communist samurais.

I started liking your idea of Ronin becoming a clan only because they take what they can with strength without imperial decree...but when I read the rest I found the thing un-interesting.

Sorry to say that but your approach (at least for me) is very "westernized" and (at least for me) not interesting at all since it cuts off the basic premises of what being a Samurai is (even for a Ronin).

If I want to play communist Samurai I'll never do it with L5r.

But maybe that's just me. If you have fun with the idea, enjoy it!

On 26/10/2016 at 11:50 PM, Gaffa said:

About the only house rule I ever used regularly was that calling raises removed dice from your pool per raise but didn't touch the target number. This penalized players who thought raising only their rings was the way to go, while still allowing for random blowouts.

Uhmmmm... That's a very interesting idea...

We are currently playtesting a combat hack where you have "Hard ATN" and "Soft ATN", with Soft ATN being 80% of the Hard ATN, modified by certain abilities like Defense Skill and Techniques. What does it mean?

Assume that you have Hard ATN of 20. Any attack that rolls 20 or more hits you with full force - normal damage and effects of Raises. However, you also have Soft ATN of 16 - which means that if the attacker rolls 16 or more but less than 20, they score a Grazing Hit. Grazing Hit applies no Raises and halves damage before applying reduction.

Example: You get a True Hit for 30 DMG. You have 5 Reduction, which Reduces damage to 25. You might also spend a Void Point to reduce it by further 10. You also suffer any special effect derived from Raises.

Example: You get a Grazing Hit with 30 rolled DMG. You halve the damage to 15, then apply 5 Reduction to decrease it to 10. You might also spend a Void Point to reduce it by 10, negating the attack fully.

Pretty much any source of ATN other than Reflexes is extra Soft ATN. Our Example Bushi with Hard ATN of 20 and Soft ATN of 16 might decide to learn Defense Skill; each point of Defense Skill extends their Soft ATN by 1.

Example: Our bushi has Hard ATN of 20 and Soft ATN of 16. They learn Defense 3. This extends their Soft ATN from 16-19 to 16-22. Our bushi is missed at less than 16, is grazed at anything in range of 16-22, and fully and truly hit by anything equal or above 22. Our bushi can also decide to spend a Void Point in order to increase their Soft ATN by 10, which would change the above to following:

- Less than 16 is a miss

- Anything within 16-29 is a Graze

- 30 and 30+ is a full hit

EDIT

We also dumpstered all of the "Simple Action Attack" Techniques and gave Simple Action Attack for free to everyone, but with a caveat that you may only use it only once per turn.

In addition, we use unified Budo skill in place of all different weapon skills. What's important in context of this hack is the fact that Budo skill restricts how many of your damage dice can explode - one per each Mastery Rank. So a Bushi with Budo 3 can explode one damage dice, Bushi with 5 can explode two, but a Budoka with anything less than 3 Budo cannot explode damage dice at all.

Grazing rules also apply to other checks - you can, for example, score a Grazing "hit" on Investigation or Sincerity roll.

Certain school techniques manipulate graze bands. For example, Kitsuki's "Perception and Investigation to ATN" was removed and replaced by "Kitsuki may add their Investigation to Soft ATN against Assessed Opponents".

On 5/3/2017 at 8:03 PM, LucaCherstich said:

I started liking your idea of Ronin becoming a clan only because they take what they can with strength without imperial decree...but when I read the rest I found the thing un-interesting.

Sorry to say that but your approach (at least for me) is very "westernized" and (at least for me) not interesting at all since it cuts off the basic premises of what being a Samurai is (even for a Ronin).

If I want to play communist Samurai I'll never do it with L5r.

But maybe that's just me. If you have fun with the idea, enjoy it!

Give it a look to the clan anyway, cause it was the approach I found usefull for my purpose, you still may have other objectives for the clan, but still use the techniques and some of the basic ideas. Let's say, for example, not a clan of communists, but a clan of Ronin that, ironically, looking all over the Empire that the Bushido is respected and used properly for the samurais, specially with the Compassion virtue. Kind of police of all over the empire that protects the Rokuganí heimin and looks forward to give them some rights. Also a clan that helps the crab with the defense of the wall... etc. There are always some uses for a clan of Ronin that want to act to themselves but still being for some use for the good of the Empire and achieve victory over the evil.

My idea was more to give a set of rules with a background I like to use them, but of course this background is flexible to change, and you can still use the set of rules I gave, which are pretty interesting. Specially the 4th and 5th rank are very (maybe too much) strong. Some people of other clans could still want to learn in that school!

On 10/26/2016 at 1:41 AM, zoomfarg said:

1. What edition do you play?

2. Do you add any rules? (a rule that doesn't exist in RAW) Why?

3. Do you hack any rules? (changing an existing rule) Why?

1) L5R 4th Edition. I have run all 4 editions, and this one has been the best (though far from perfect).

2) Instead of Exploding a 10 on a Skill or Spell-Casting Roll, a player may choose instead to take a Free Raise on the effects of that roll. This allows for players to feel that their 10's always do something, even when they have already blown the TN out of the water.

3) I have modified the Mass Battle table to make it more rewarding of Player Action (when rolling a Heroic Opportunity, you choose from a list; after you have chosen, your character is presented with a choice; they can either attempt the Heroic Opportunity, or pass on it; if they pass on it, they take the Damage and gain the Glory according to the Mass Battle table; if they attempt it, they do not). I have also added a Mass Court system to track high level social interactions and favor PC involvement in court.

4 minutes ago, sndwurks said:

I have also added a Mass Court system to track high level social interactions and favor PC involvement in court.

Is the same Court system proposed by Kinzen sometimes ago, using the new "Politics" skill?

Or did you come up with something different?

It is similar, but I invented it on my own years ago. Here's the write-up:

Quote

I have run a version of the "Court Influence System" in both TT and LARP for L5R with some success.

Effectively, it works like this:

1) Factions (delegations, usually) have an Influence score. This is a number between 1 and 10. Every Faction starts with an Influence score, depending on their standing in the Court at the start, and this will fluctuate. It cannot go below 0 or above 10. Factions are usually delegations, but they CAN be individuals of particular note. For example, the Emperor would be considered his own Faction in the Winter Court.

2) Factions may take an Action in an Influence Round. Every Action has an Action and a Target. Their choices of Actions are:
A) Build - Costs 0 Influence. Faction targets a Faction (likely themselves) that they are supporting in Court. At the end of an Influence round, a Faction gains Influence equal to the number of Factions targeting it with this action.
B) Attack - Costs 1 Influence, Faction targets another Faction to attack. At the end of an Influence round, a Faction loses Influence equal to the number of Factions attacking it.
C) Support - Costs 1 Influence. Faction chooses an existing Agenda, or creates a new Agenda. At the end of an Influence round, an Agenda gains Momentum equal to the sum of the Influence of all Factions taking this Action targeting it.
D) Oppose - Costs 1 Influence. Faction chooses an existing Agenda. At the end of an Influence round, an Agenda loses Momentum equal to the sum of the Influence of all Factions taking this Action targeting it.

3) Agendas are goals set by Factions that they want to see happen. This may be an interclan alliance, a trade agreement, or the nomination of a person to a position. Whatever you would think a delegation might push for? Falls under an Agenda. Agendas have Momentum, a Threshold (set by the GM), and are either Instant or Prolonged. When an Instant Agenda gains enough cumulative Momentum equal to or surpass its Threshold, it happens. A Prolonged Agenda only happens if it has cumulative Momentum equal to or surpassing its Threshold at the end of the Court.

4) How PCs interact with this: PCs can makes an Awareness / Courtier (Gossip) roll, TN 15, at the start of an Influence Round to learn one of the following: A Faction's current Action or a Faction's current Target. Raises may be taken to learn additional information. PCs then have the length of that Influence Round to talk with Faction Leaders, perform hijinks, and wheel and deal to change those. Actions are not finalized until the Influence Round ends. If the PCs are Faction leaders? They have to submit to the GM a "Starting Action" at the start of the round and a "Final Action" at the end of the round. The Faction can only change one part of their Action between the start and the end of the round. E.G. The Crane Clan starts the round with a "Support Kanpeki for Emperor Agenda." At the end of the Round, their final action can be the original, or "Support Kanpeki for War Criminal Agenda" or "Oppose Kanpeki for Emperor Agenda", but it cannot be "Oppose Kanpeki for War Criminal Agenda".

5) Additionally, PCs can take actions to increase or decrease Factions Influence through winning tournaments, gaining prominence, etc. It is possible for the PCs through sufficient action in court to become their own Faction, but that is less common.

I have also experimented at times with Social Wounds, Engagement Levels, and the like, but I have found them to be less than satisfying. I generally play more to the fast and loose variety, and found that this works well.

@Sndwurks

That's a pretty interesting system!

Kinzen took the mass battle system as a base but that system always implied a 1vs1 situation. I like your system since it allows multiple agendas to go on, without the simple 1vs1 model.

If (and when) I'll have time, I'd like to combine it with Kinzen's stuff (which has other advantages like the political opportunities table).

4 hours ago, LucaCherstich said:

@Sndwurks

That's a pretty interesting system!

Kinzen took the mass battle system as a base but that system always implied a 1vs1 situation. I like your system since it allows multiple agendas to go on, without the simple 1vs1 model.

If (and when) I'll have time, I'd like to combine it with Kinzen's stuff (which has other advantages like the political opportunities table).

It was initially playtested as part of a tabletop game, but the system REALLY sings in a LARP setting with multiple sessions.

In our game, Ratlings never existed. It is glorious.

In our campaign, it was not Toturi the Lion Thunder, but a Matsu. The Crane Thunder rushed forward to challenge Fu-Leng, without waiting for the other Thunders, despite Togashi's and Shinsei's insistence. Of course, he was struck down immediately and it nearly cost the Thunders' victory. Because of the foolish action of the Crane Thunder, Several of the Thunders had to sacrifice themselves to make sure Fu-Leng could be ended.

When she struck down Fu-Leng/HanteiXXXIX and later became Empress, the Crane Clan fell from Imperial Favor and most of their holdings were seized/redistributed among the Scorpion, Crab, and Mantis. The Crane Clan was cursed by the Heavens with infertility and only the Asahina seemed untouched by this.

It gave a completely different dynamic to the campaign, making the Scorpions unrivaled in Court and the Mantis in the marketplaces and getting more and more prosperous.

Blasphemer here. I bashed together a conversion fo Savage Worlds: Legend of the 5avage Rings. There were just too many little rules that I found myself tweaking, which would throw something else out of balance. Converting the whole thing over took less time than I was spending. I threw in a hack of the "House Creation" rules from A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying, and viola!

On 3/26/2017 at 7:13 PM, The Grand Falloon said:

Blasphemer here. I bashed together a conversion fo Savage Worlds: Legend of the 5avage Rings. There were just too many little rules that I found myself tweaking, which would throw something else out of balance. Converting the whole thing over took less time than I was spending. I threw in a hack of the "House Creation" rules from A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying, and viola!

We have a musical instrument? Sorry, personal gribble.

But that sounds like quite good. I remember the days of original OA and the family-building rules.

I would be really interested in House- and family-building mechanics in L5R (like in ASOIAR rpg) or in generational play (like in Pendragon) or just with off-scene phases (like in One Ring).

With all its focus on tradition, family and history, it is incredible that we do not have such stuff in L5R rpgs.