More or less.
I decided I'd take a good look at the setting and, without regard to anyone else's sacred cows, come up with changes that' make things work better for me-
For starters- no Lion or Crane Clan. Hear me out.
Yes, I hate the Crane, but that's not why they get the axe- the thing is, as the two big piles of "default samurai," they really do nothing I need- all samurai worthy of the name should be capable of appreciating a tea ceremony, or mustering some basic martial know-how. The Lion and Crane as Clans are both "paragons" of stuff literally everyone should be doing as the basic cost of being a samurai.
The Akodo and the Kitsu remain, in a fashion, but I went totally scorched-earth on the Crane... and the Ikoma and Matsu are likewise gone.
This means that there is no super-dominant tradition of Iaijutsu- instead, you have the Mirumoto doing their Niten thing, but everyone else uses Iaijutsu as an agreed-upon social element.
For the hell of it, all Great Clans have five families. For Reasons.
So this means the Great Clans of My Rokugan and their component families are-
The Crab- Hida, Hiruma, Kuni, Kaiu, Yasuki. Very little changes with the Crab- if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
The Dragon- Togashi, Kitsuki, Mirumoto and Agasha families are all the same, more or less- and I add the Tonbo as a "proper" Courtier family to reflect a Dragon Clan who keep to themselves, but don't actually hide in the mountains for centuries on end. It's just that the Tonbo are the only Dragon most Rokugani will ever see... unless the Dragon seek to test their peers. The Dragon of my Rokugan are not Togashi's secret weapon- rather, they are self-appointed judges, trying to ascertain the karma of other Rokugani, keeping their isolation to avoid muddying the waters.
The Mantis- Yoritomo, Tsuruchi, Kasuga, Komori, Tsi. My Mantis are more about distance than storms- the Komori are their primary shugenja family, keeping ships at sea in contact with home and with each other. The Kasuga traffic with foreigners, while the Yoritomo stand ready to stomp those foreigners if they have to. The Tsi have perfected a technique to preserve steel from the salt air, and their mines on the mainland also produce the raw materials to shore up the Mantis Clan's trade with other Rokugani.
The Phoenix- Isawa, Shiba, Asako, Moshi, Kaeru. The Moshi and Kaeru are added to take some of the strain off of the poor Asako- the Kaeru serve as bean-counters, quartermasters, and a little bit of non-supernatural Phoenix shadiness. The Moshi are still primarily sun-venerating priestly types, but also pick up some of the courtly slack.
The Scorpion- Bayushi, Shosuro, Soshi, Yogo, Susumu- I added the Susumu to the Scorpion because they can provide a counterpoint to the Bayushi. I also have them go unmasked, because of course you can trust them, they're the honest brokers standing between those **** Baysuhi and the rest of Rokugan. Of course they are. Why would they lie?
The Unicorn- Shinjo, Iuchi, Ide, Utaku, Moto. The Unicorn aren't Mongols with Daisho- instead, they're Rokugani who keep tabs on the Yobanjin- and fight them off when need be. If the Crab keep out the Shadowlands, the Unicorn keep the Yobanjin out of Rokugan- but also fight beside them against anyone else who comes through their lands. The Moto keep their scimitar/outlander features because their status as samurai is meant to be a secret to the Yobanjin-the Moto move among them as equals.
The Minor Clans- In my Rokugan, Minor Clans are more common- but also tend to be quasi-vassals of Great Clans, which often use them as catspaws or proxies, or simply as sources of manpower or special skills they don't wish to cultivate... samples follow, but as a general rule, I'd be whipping up more to fill out the ranks.
The Badger- Ichiro. The Badger exist under the benevolent tolerance of the Unicorn, who often call upon them when they need small units of heavy infantry.
The Boar- Heichi. Tough, savage, and hard-hitting, the Boar are used by the Scorpion when an unsubtle face-smashing is called for.
The Eel- Anago. Keepers of extensive records and with a knack for being unobtrusive, the Eel clan sometimes help their Mantis allies disseminate- or stifle- foreign texts that enter via Mantis ports.
The Falcon- Toritaka. Their focus on the spirits of the dead puts the Falcon under the Phoenix's protection.
The Fox- Kitsune. Their ties to nature and the spirit realms mean the Fox also serve under the Phoenix's banners more often than not.
The Hare- Usagi and Ujina. Hunters of men, ruthless and pragmatic, the Hare are closely associated with the Crab... for those times when you want a Hiruma, but can't spare one.
The Moth- Honmushi- The sinister wardens of the Shinomen have been known to provide the Scorpion with information found in no known human record.
The Ox- Morito. Skilled light cavalry, the Ox are kept on retainer by the mountain-dwelling Dragon when they need to engage in more open terrain.
The Snake- Chuda. As specialists on hunting down witches, the Snake Clan typically serve the Crab
The Sparrow- Humble, hard-working, and thoughtful, the Sparrow serve the Dragon by providing a different point of view while still being Samurai.
The Imperial Families:
Hantei, Otomo, Miya, Akodo, Kitsu. I fired the Seppun and gave their job to the two Lion families I saw the most need to preserve. The Kitsu's ancestral communion, in particular, seemed fitting for an Imperial Dynasty.
tl;dr?
A weird little thought exercise I figured I'd post so I could track it down later.
