Yep. They rolled pretty hot. Most were using the app though so not a problem.

Just a side note, but I tried to recreate the Beginner Box pre-gens using the character creation guidelines from the Beta.

They don't work out exactly (especially starting Glory and Honor), but they do come pretty close.

So for those folks that don't care for any of the pre-gens, it's pretty simple to let the players build their own characters. The major changes are the lack of disadvantages but also that you don't get to start with any kata/kiho/invocations/shuji that your school would normally provide, as well as the advantages (all of which are Distinctions) being more broadly applicable. Then again, that last one might just be a "for ease of introduction" aspect of the streamlined beginner rules, much like critical hits/injuries were streamlined.

I do agree, after finally having had a chance to read the Topaz Championship adventure, that it's certainly on the bland side, and really does feel more like a prelude to the follow-up module than a proper stand-alone adventure. It does do the job of teaching the system quite well, and by the time the adventure is done the players should have the dice mechanics done pat given how many different rolls they'll be making as part of the competition.

So how do the rules compare to the beta? Is there any new insight?

8 hours ago, Daeglan said:

So how do the rules compare to the beta? Is there any new insight?

The fundamentals are the same with regards to dice rolls and how each Ring denotes a particular approach.

Criticals are simplified (much as they were for the Star Wars Beginner Box sets), and a couple weapon qualities (such as Razor-Edged) are tweaked as a result.

PC Advantages aren't limited to rolls of a single Ring type like they were in the Beta, but again that could just be a simplification of the rules for the sake of being a beginner's kit.

I think it was in this thread that someone was commenting that the Ring dice were hard to read. Can I recommend a yellow wax crayon and a soft paper towel? I believe this is easier to read

3 minutes ago, Tonbo Karasu said:

I think it was in this thread that someone was commenting that the Ring dice were hard  to read. Can I recommend a yellow wax crayon and a soft paper towel? I believe this is easier to read

Crayons and dice sure take me back...

5 minutes ago, KveldUlfr said:

Crayons and dice sure take me back...

Well, that was why I thought of it. These dice don't flake at the corners because they're inferior plastic, and are easier to wipe clean on the surfaces.

9 hours ago, Donovan Morningfire said:

The fundamentals are the same with regards to dice rolls and how each Ring denotes a particular approach.

Criticals are simplified (much as they were for the Star Wars Beginner Box sets), and a couple weapon qualities (such as Razor-Edged) are tweaked as a result.

PC Advantages aren't limited to rolls of a single Ring type like they were in the Beta, but again that could just be a simplification of the rules for the sake of being a beginner's kit.

Thank you...

On 8/18/2018 at 9:28 AM, Donovan Morningfire said:

Just a side note, but I tried to recreate the Beginner Box pre-gens using the character creation guidelines from the Beta.

Same here. I ran an eight hour session (they didn't want to quit) on Saturday where we finished the Topaz Championship using two pre-gens (Dragon and Lion) and two characters that I made based on player ideas. It was pretty simple to run through the the character creation rules from the Beta, but I had to ignore the questions that gave disadvantages or a rare item. One of the characters we created with the Beta rules was an Isawa elementalist who ended up like Isawa Aki, but more balanced so the overall character math doesn't seem to have changed.

It's worth noting that in the Beta, monks and shugenja tended to start with fewer skill point and more techniques (I think). The pre-gen characters Togashi Yoshi and Isawa Aki seem to have fewer skill points, which makes sense, but the Beta doesn't make up for it with extra invocations and kiho. So, for our game I pulled the optional starting techniques from the Beta for each character, the two pre-generated characters and the two I made. When it the adventure reached the point where players choose techniques, I gave the players a list of their optional techniques and how many options they could pick. The non-magic characters each got one starter techniqe and got to choose one other from a list. The monk and elementalist got more. This may not work with people who haven't played RPGs before or are having trouble with the L5R mechanics, but it worked for us and everyone got to play the character they wanted. It seemed balanced and theme appropriate, but most importantly, we all had fun.

On 4/30/2018 at 4:09 PM, llamaman88 said:

I have faith in FFG. I'll be buying the box asap. The cover is beautiful!

my own faith (or lack) in FFG became moot for me - my players bought it for me.

On 4/30/2018 at 3:53 PM, BlindSamurai13 said:

The presentation looks amazing but I have very low expectations for the game system itself. We shall see in due time how much was changed from the beta.

The system in the BB is subtly different in several ways.
Outbursts being the key readily visible difference. Max once per scene. And, except for duel, cost honor and/or glory; this was much needed to prevent paragons from being majorly common.

The BB using the abbreviated critical system also means no critical ratings. I doubt that will be the standard in the corebook.

On 8/10/2018 at 4:01 AM, RexGator said:

Is there any limitation in the beginner game that would prevent me from running it with 5 or 6 PCs utilizing the downloadable character portfolios for the extra players?

Nope. Nothing preventing using beta generated ones, either.

On 8/15/2018 at 10:46 AM, ObiWanBilbo said:

Okay, I was going to pick this up at my FLGS last night. It’s $10 more than the SW beginner boxes (for a property they own instead of license) and has fewer dice. I knew that going in but expected the box to be sturdier. It doesn’t seem to be so I told the manager to shelve it and I’ll wait for the Core book. For those who have both this and the SW boxes: does it seem worth the extra Hamilton?

It's page count feels a bit higher... checking
Adventure: Edge: 30 pp+covers; L5R 34 pp+covers.
Rulebook: Edge 48pp + covers PB; l5R same.
Folios: Edge: 6pp + covers; L5R 6pp+covers

Tokens: Edge 7× large, 33× small, 8× destiny
L5R 1× large, 58× small.

I just signed up to run this at my local con * in October. Gave it a 4 hr block. I can usually run a Star Wars Beginner Game in that time for newbies, so I hope it works out for this, too.

Something I want to do is create nametag tents for the 7 pregens. I want to include an image and the clan mon along with the character's name for the other players to see. I need to find good headshots of the pregens online, rather than scanning the sheets, as my photoshop skills are nonexistent. Anyone seen any?

*Necronomicon Tampa plug

Is it just me or are all the BB pc’s described in a unisex way, allowing the player to make that choice? If so then hats off to FFG, a great idea for characters that could be played by anyone.

1 hour ago, Richardbuxton said:

Is it just me or are all the BB pc’s described in a unisex way, allowing the player to make that choice? If so then hats off to FFG, a great idea for characters that could be played by anyone.

IIRC this was intentional so players could play the characters whatever sex they want.

6 hours ago, narukagami said:

IIRC this was intentional so players could play the characters whatever sex they want.

Especially the Scorpion.

12 hours ago, Richardbuxton said:

Is it just me or are all the BB pc’s described in a unisex way, allowing the player to make that choice? If so then hats off to FFG, a great idea for characters that could be played by anyone.

Only the Scorpion:

The Crab, Lion and Phoenix are female.

The Crane, Dragon and Unicorn are male.

The Scorpion is either, both or none.