So bushi can Commune with Spirits (ritual)?

To tell the truth, anyone can Commune with Spirits now... this feels wrong to me.

It says in the description you cannot speak with them, only to them. And they might answer you in ways you'll have to decipher. Think the example was like the wind blowing leaves in the direction you should go.

It does fit some of the fiction we have seen. In Rokugan the samurai are actual descendants of the gods and somewhat mystical. Plus you actually have to learn the technique. As said above, only Shugenja can have a direction verbal conversation still. Using the Commune with Spirits ritual is more abstract.

I was also a little surprised, but it seems like bushi get not that to advance their schools anyway. I think it is cool, since it allows a little more broarder approach thus having bushi that feel especially religious to be capable to perform religious rituals. I mean under AEG emperor Hantei XXXVIII was trained as a bushi, but as religious leader he should also be capable to perform religious rituals, which would be now possible. I like that.

It would seem to also allows Lion characters to commune with ancestral spirits.

Courtiers can also learn katas. is way less school/class based than before.

My magical samurai can now be more magical!

I like the idea of a spiritual bushi being able to commune with the spirits. I think it is very fitting.

I also like the idea that bushi can do rituals. It is a nice push for higher supernatural integrity.

I like this take. It means characters are not totally fixed by their School choice, there is still room for customization.

Also, the spiritual samurai (or martial shugenja) is going to be spending time and XP on learning this things and not learning bushi things, which means a full bushi will still be a little better if they fully specialize. So in the end, everything works out nicely, I think.

On 10/5/2017 at 11:40 AM, LukeZZ said:

So bushi can Commune with Spirits (ritual)?

To tell the truth, anyone can Commune with Spirits now... this feels wrong to me.

Always could. It was one of the uses of Meditation in 1E, 2E, 3E. It was a way to recover void points.

It's basicly the ability to pray and be spiritual. It's a part of everyone in the culture really, even the peasants.

1 hour ago, SideshowLucifer said:

It's basicly the ability to pray and be spiritual. It's a part of everyone in the culture really, even the peasants.

Exactly. Don't confuse "I meditate, and the rustling of leaves makes me feel that the spirits are satisfied with my decision to do something terminally stupid utterly suicidal terribly honourable"

with the specific, detailed, actually-being-told-things-in-comprehensible-words-or-receiving-material-assistance type commune with the spirits that Invocations and other kiho and invocation-esque stuff

Eh, getting insight from a river Kami for an upcoming harvest or an ancestor on a problem still sounds fine to me. This is a magical setting where such things actually happen rather than a true feudal Japanese setting.

So is FFG's L5R the "Anime Edition" then? lol

With all the types of Techniques characters can now learn, I'm getting a D&D 3.5 Book of Nine Swords, D&D 4th Edition's Powers system or a combination of both vibe. That can be a good or bad thing depending on who you ask.

On 10/15/2017 at 4:39 PM, AK_Aramis said:

Always could. It was one of the uses of Meditation in 1E, 2E, 3E. It was a way to recover void points.

I have a player in a 4E game who took Inner Gift and got this ability.

5 hours ago, BlindSamurai13 said:

So is FFG's L5R the "Anime Edition" then? lol

With all the types of Techniques characters can now learn, I'm getting a D&D 3.5 Book of Nine Swords, D&D 4th Edition's Powers system or a combination of both vibe. That can be a good or bad thing depending on who you ask.

Personally, from a sheer balance point of view, especially with respect to all players feelings like they contribute on all tiers of experience, 4th edition was the best edition of D&D.

I have always felt the issue people had with the power system was nomenclature: so many posts from that time period complained about "my fighter doesn't have powers"... the the issue could have - sadly - been partly resolved by saying a figher had At-Will Techniques as well as a regular attack.

I see FFG's attempt to create verisimilitude admirable, as long as there is still flavour between archetypes: which this does, honestly.
All samurai can speak TO their ancestors (i.e: pray) and sometimes the kami will answer in a non-verbal manner that could be misinterpreted whereas Shugenja can directly speak to them. That's awesome.

5 hours ago, BlindSamurai13 said:

So is FFG's L5R the "Anime Edition" then? lol

With all the types of Techniques characters can now learn, I'm getting a D&D 3.5 Book of Nine Swords, D&D 4th Edition's Powers system or a combination of both vibe. That can be a good or bad thing depending on who you ask.

haha - right? I'm feeling somewhat the same way... but I'm giving it a chance, and its growing on me. By taking what are normally core mechanics out (called shots / bypassing armor / full attack) and putting them behind a barrier (bushi will have kata, monks will have kiho, shugenja will have incantations) you allow each to interact more specifically on their own terms.

It also links it to stance. Having the double gate of type + stance means there is more reason to switch your pose. Being in Earth will allow me to tank up quite a bit, while being in Air allows me to increase my TN, and make called shots. Being in Fire allows me to deal a lot more damage and get higher critical strikes.

When characters start out they don't have every opportunity of each ring / stance unlocked, so they aren't all the same, and can grow how they want.

The anime I've watched doesn't have the warriors praying much... and definitely not getting answers... but the two pillow books I've skimmed did.

A Shiba bushi trains with the Isawa and it would not be unusual for them to pick up some rituals. All members of the Lion are supposed to be able to feel their ancestors but only the Kitsu can talk to them. Bushi and courtiers would know at least the basics of purifying themselves prior to attending a event if that was called for.

Basically everyone knows some rituals as a mater of form. a shugenja might not be available but a courtier or your bushi buddy on the battlefield might know a ritual that might help.

On 10/6/2017 at 4:14 PM, Mobiusllls said:

Courtiers can also learn katas. is way less school/class based than before.

Not just that, Some Shugenja can learn Katas, look at the Kuni!

Personally this seems to be a lot closer to what the setting's religion and cosmology ostensibly claimed to be, so I highly approve of it.

Give me Mirumoto and Shiba that know Rituals or Kiho, Agasha and Moto priests that practice Kata.

The old speration between bushi and shugenja was an arbitrary mechanical decision that ran against the setting's implied metaphysics.

On 10/19/2017 at 2:56 PM, minoru said:

Not just that, Some Shugenja can learn Katas, look at the Kuni!

And everyone has the potential to have at least one basic technique from any 'class' (even Maho!), with the GM's nod and the Stolen Knowledge ancestry.

Yeah I'd love there to be a Shiba school that gave Kiho and Kata for the more mystical phoenix warriors.