So you get a "Rank 1" School Ability and a "Rank 6" School (Mastery) Ability (but no Rank 2, 3, 4, 5 School Ability)?

The required techniques in each rank are there for that.

Since i mostly play Bushi (despite being social bushi most of time, instead of a complete rude) i gonna comment about bushi schools.

Shiba Bushi and Hida Bushi have acess to exclusive kata (Both to me are pretty good and its in the scope of what the school should do.).

If the kata list right now is not final and every school is getting a few exclusive katas or others Techniques, i think its fine.

I think most of these school ranks, both 1 and 6 will have to be revised. Hida bushi is encouraged to not use the earth stance (opposite of what you would expect). Akodo's gonna avoid clashes like the plague. Kakita criticals are better than other criticals, but they dont have an easier time triggering then. and Shinjo i cant really understand. If the character is mounted can him reduce the TN of an attack by its school rank? Once per scene shinjo outriders are going to be brutal. and their rank 6 is just silly, horse magical travel should stay in videogames.

The same would go for other schools honestly, if they all have acess to exclusive Shuji's or techniques, that would be better than learning stuff when you advance ranks.

41 minutes ago, Mobiusllls said:

...

and their rank 6 is just silly, horse magical travel should stay in videogames.

That's true friendship between a Unicorn and his horse...And friendship is magic!

(yeah lets start pony bashing with MLP jokes...)

More seriously, the rank 6 are generally strong but still below what 4e rank 5 were doing. What will the Matsu rend become?

and it will be a mess to track and use all a rk5 samurai has acquired during his advancement. 10-15 abilities instead of 5.

on another hand, seems there's no more skill mastery abilities.

Personally I think this framework is a good balance. Each school has a specific basic and capstone ability that helps define the school. Then a number of optional katas to individualize. It gives flexibility without requiring slightly different schools or the different path systems of 3rd/4th or the skill mastery abilities. Various kata representing more common techniques across the Empire is fitting. Now there can be a basic archery kata that most clans learn, without needing a specific path to represent archers for every clan. While also allowing the exclusive kata that individualize or further specialize those things that really need it.

Plus I can see interesting combinations. For instance, I could see Mirumoto Bushi having kata, kiho, and rituals instead of were other bushi usually have kata, rituals and shuji.

The number of techniques is going to be the big put off for some people. That large number of spells is why some people avoid playing Shugenja (or any spell caster depending on the game). Still, one can avoid technique purchases and still advance in school rank. Specific techniques are a just a good way of doing so.

In the end, I do miss the Insight mechanic of the previous editions. Nostalgia can be quite heavy!

What bothers me is that a Crab Shugenja can learn the same combat Techniques (Kata) as a Crab Bushi (beside the 2 abilities specific of the Crab Bushi).

There should be some Kata with a requirement of "Bushi" (same thing for the other Techniques).

I don't think so, myself - it's not like any other shugenja schools get Kata, eh? It's keeping with Kuni traditions. Every Crab is a killer. This is a clan where they teach the courtiers a martial art based around the principle of 'Take the fight to a level of such blood-soaked brutality that your opponent is too appalled to follow you, before they know there's going to be a fight.'

On 10/5/2017 at 3:02 PM, Nitenman said:

That's true friendship between a Unicorn and his horse...And friendship is magic!

(yeah lets start pony bashing with MLP jokes...)

And magic is heresy,

Really not a big fan of how the schools are working with techniques. I makes the schools all pretty much the same as each other with one or two differences from the rank 1 and 6 abilities. It doesn't really show how dojo style training actual works, you don't get to pick and choose what techniques or kata you learn, you get taught specific things at specific ranks and that how it is, each individual student obviously excels at a particular area than others and focus's on that like, but they are still taught all of the same techniques.

16 minutes ago, Mirumoto Seiichiro said:

Really not a big fan of how the schools are working with techniques. I makes the schools all pretty much the same as each other with one or two differences from the rank 1 and 6 abilities. It doesn't really show how dojo style training actual works, you don't get to pick and choose what techniques or kata you learn, you get taught specific things at specific ranks and that how it is, each individual student obviously excels at a particular area than others and focus's on that like, but they are still taught all of the same techniques.

Read the actual Advancement Tables. Every School has 2 set techniques required at each rank and 1 "Free" technique.

Every Rank 6 Hida Bushi will have:

• Way of the Crab
• Lord Hida's Grasp
• Striking as Earth/Striking as Water
• Rushing Avalanche Style
• Honest Assessment
• Slipper Maneuvers
• Touchstone of Courage
• Iron in the Mountains Style
• Rallying Cry
• Striking as Void
• A Samurai’s Fate
• Rouse the Soul
• The Immoveable Hand of Peace
• The Mountain Does Not Fall
• 5 personal Kata

versus a Rank 6 Kakita Bushi's:

• Way of the Crane
• Iaijutsu
• Shallow Waters/Weight of Duty
• Crescent Moon Style
• Striking as Air
• All Arts Are One
• Lightning Raid
• A Samurai’s Fate
• Heartpiercing Strike
• Pillar of Calm
• Striking as Void
• The Immoveable Hand of Peace
• Rouse the Soul
• Strike with No Thought
• 3 personal Kata
• 1 Air Shuji
• 1 Fire Shuji

These 2 bushi schools will play very differently and members of the same school will be mostly the same.

You just need to expend the xp on related stuffs to advance.

if some guy decides to buy just one kata and blow it the rest of his xp in rings, he would still advance. you are not forced to buy something.

School difference has potential to be something real with exclusive katas instead of due to school ranks.

23 minutes ago, Mobiusllls said:

You just need to expend the xp on related stuffs to advance.

if some guy decides to buy just one kata and blow it the rest of his xp in rings, he would still advance. you are not forced to buy something.

School difference has potential to be something real with exclusive katas instead of due to school ranks.

I stand corrected I missed that in my original read through.

I'm ok with current school progression, but i would like to see more school exclusive technique. Right now we don't know if "Lord Hida's Grasp" will be Hida Defender or Crab Bushi only.

8 hours ago, Mirumoto Seiichiro said:

Really not a big fan of how the schools are working with techniques. It makes the schools all pretty much the same as each other with one or two differences from the rank 1 and 6 abilities. It doesn't really show how dojo style training actual works, you don't get to pick and choose what techniques or kata you learn, you get taught specific things at specific ranks and that how it is, each individual student obviously excels at a particular area than others and focus's on that like, but they are still taught all of the same techniques.

Yes, that's exactly my thought.

I think it's to fast a progression 4 an 1/2 month or so to max rank is fast and that is at minimum exp of say 8 for a 4 hour session and 1 obstacle in the session giving 3 exp for a total of a 11 XP a session and like I said

that is minimum exp for each milestone recurring foe and obstacle there supposed to get 3-5 XP that could add up to like 15 if they hit all 3 really hard ones and the gm gives them 5 exp per that could be 23 exp in 1 session.

It's bland, at first read.