Crab Clan, Hida Family, and Hida Defender all come with +1 Earth. While this makes sense thematically it means anyone who wants to play a Hida who went to the Hida school is starting with less Ring ranks than others because you can't start with a 4. That's weird.

The Hida technique helps with Cumbersome armor...but the Hida don't get Cumbersome armor. That's weird.

The Hida don't get a Shuji option to start with, which makes some sense, but they do start with a Kata they can't use til Rank 2 and that doesn't. That's weird.

When your Ring would go to 4 during character creation, you can put that +1 into any other Ring. So Hida Hida gets Earth 3, and can "bump" any Ring of their choice.

Techniques that are a part of your School Advancement Table and starting kit allow you to purchase them one rank earlier.

I ran in to all of this as well. The rules could be more clearly presented on this stuff.

It is explained in the Part 1 of character creation at page 26.

What everybody else said: if character creation would increase a Ring above 3, that extra rank instead flows into a different Ring of the player's choice.

That issue is also broader than the Crab; a bunch of different Clan/Family/School combos run into it (I think Akodo Commander, off the top of my head?)

7 minutes ago, Doji Meshou said:

What everybody else said: if character creation would increase a Ring above 3, that extra rank instead flows into a different Ring of the player's choice.

That issue is also broader than the Crab; a bunch of different Clan/Family/School combos run into it (I think Akodo Commander, off the top of my head?)

Made a Kakita duelist and got the same with Air.

Thanks for the replies. I must have missed where it said you could put the extra point somewhere else and that assigned techniques can be used a rank earlier. The armor issue not addressed though?

6 minutes ago, Fitsu said:

Thanks for the replies. I must have missed where it said you could put the extra point somewhere else and that assigned techniques can be used a rank earlier. The armor issue not addressed though?

Basically they don't want to penalize the characters when they do get heavy armor (which they generally will later on).

6 minutes ago, Fitsu said:

Thanks for the replies. I must have missed where it said you could put the extra point somewhere else and that assigned techniques can be used a rank earlier. The armor issue not addressed though?

Whups, sorry! I skimmed past your three questions. Let me try #2 and #3:

10 hours ago, Fitsu said:

The Hida technique helps with Cumbersome armor...but the Hida don't get Cumbersome armor. That's weird.

Several starting outfits don't match up properly with other parts of the School. (A couple come with bows but are missing arrows; others have no bows but come with arrows.) I think this is just a proof-reading error, and I'd let Hida Defenders start with appropriate armor.

10 hours ago, Fitsu said:

The Hida don't get a Shuji option to start with, which makes some sense, but they do start with a Kata they can't use til Rank 2 and that doesn't. That's weird.

Lots of Schools start their folks with Rank 2 Techniques. The book explicitly allows characters to use Techniques above their School Rank if those Techniques are granted as part of the School's starting Technique package.

1 hour ago, Fitsu said:

Thanks for the replies. I must have missed where it said you could put the extra point somewhere else and that assigned techniques can be used a rank earlier.

I blame the small font. I printed out a hard copy to read from and I've had a devil of the time.

19 hours ago, Norgrath said:

Basically they don't want to penalize the characters when they do get heavy armor (which they generally will later on).

Exactly. That's why there is a (very powerful) second part to the ability, letting you reduce criticals.

Besides, with the updated character creation questions (#16) from the latest update, every Hida Defender will probably take a plated armor