8 hours ago, llamaman88 said:

Well, I'm not sure I would use innumerable for the like 20 old minor clans, many of which don't even exist yet.

You saying this is just a poor choice of words DG? Or is it possible FFG has changed how minor clans work?

I just think it's a "colorful" use of words. I probably would have chosen "a variety of Minor Clans", or something less hyperbolic, anyway. It's not a big deal, though; the bottom line is that there are SOME Minor Clans, but they're far short of being "innumerable"!

So other possibility, the Core Rulebook includes guidelines to making you own minor clan.

14 minutes ago, DGLaderoute said:

I just think it's a "colorful" use of words. I probably would have chosen "a variety of Minor Clans", or something less hyperbolic, anyway. It's not a big deal, though; the bottom line is that there are SOME Minor Clans, but they're far short of being "innumerable"!

It could also just mean that none of the Great Clans can be bothered to count them as they see the Minor Clans so far below them. ?

3 hours ago, Schmoozies said:

It could also just mean that none of the Great Clans can be bothered to count them as they see the Minor Clans so far below them. ?

Sad but true...

Truth to be told is they hardly tolerate the other Great Clans, so what will you expect... ?

stands on soap box I did say that there were numerous minor clans! Another side bar says "Several Notable minor clans are listed here. However there are dozens more, such as the Moth and Bat Clans. GMs can even create their own for their own campaigns." Now I'm expecting we'll either get a "Make your Own MC" in Emerald Empires or a whole book devoted to them.

I still say it would have been more fun to have an island over-run with cats, maybe even have magical spirit animal cats among them, then just a mercenary shinobi village with minor clan status.

Really, wouldn't having minor clan status be an impediment to a shinobi village being a shinobi village? I would think a proper ninja clan would want to have its location secret and not be on the official rolecall at all.

Given that it's identified as Castle of the Cat on the map, I'm guessing it's a little more substantial than simply a village. And while shinobi are of course not acknowledged by the empire officially, I suspect having a minor clan of performers capable of accomplishing certain acts of discretion would be useful to the various major clans...or even to individuals with personal vendettas. There's that extra layer of deniability when the shinobi aren't even members of the clan that issued the orders.

In summary for anyone who doesn't have the RPG core rulebook yet.

The Cat clan is in RPG core rulebook in the list of minor clans with a short write up for each. No rules for any of the minor clans though. Just great clan families and ronin. The rulebook says also there is more than just what is listed in the book so it leaves it fairly open, but the ones in the list are the ones confirmed to have a stronghold on all the maps. I don't have the book in front of me, but I recall Mantis, Wasp, Falcon, Centipede, Badger, Dragonfly, Sparrow, Fox, Hare, Cat and Tortoise. The Tortoise don't have a stronghold named after them on the map, but it says they operate out of Slow Tide Harbor (which I believe is how they were originally). I guess the Cat clan is a new clan. I don't recall them being around before. The only minor clan with any ties to the Mantis current appears to be the Wasp. It says they have some sort of alliance with the Mantis in the core book, but doesn't go into detail.

I'm assuming we'll get a minor clan book eventually since they left so much stuff still on the table for them in the core rulebook.

18 minutes ago, phillos said:

The Tortoise don't have a stronghold named after them on the map, but it says they operate out of Slow Tide Harbor (which I believe is how they were originally).

That jives with the old lore as the Tortoise were an odd ball family being a minor clan but at the same time a vassal family of the Emperor himself that operated on the Peninsula around Otosan Uchi.

2 hours ago, Schmoozies said:

That jives with the old lore as the Tortoise were an odd ball family being a minor clan but at the same time a vassal family of the Emperor himself that operated on the Peninsula around Otosan Uchi.

It says that they're the magistrates of Slow Tide Harbour, full of merchants, smugglers and gaijin.

5 hours ago, Tonbo Karasu said:

It says that they're the magistrates of Slow Tide Harbour, full of merchants, smugglers and gaijin.

Slow tide harbor is off from Otosan Uchi.

The Tortoise entirely live within the Imperial Provinces, if their castle was listed it would be between the Seppun castle and Otosan Uchi, along the coast.

They are basically an Imperial Family, except you can't very well have an Imperial Family pretty flagrantly violating imperial law and trading with foreigners. I mean, you could... but it wouldn't look good. And in Rokugan, appearances mean everything.

But, basically if you were to break down the Imperials as a clan you would have Hantei, Seppun, Otomo, Miya and Kasuga, overlooking any various other vassal families of less than 100 members (Tsi, Yotsu) especially those that were basically traitorous (Nasu, Iuchiban)

But since they have to worry about the throne and all that, the Hantei give up their name and the Kasuga are officially a minor clan. Except unlike every other minor clan who is protected by nothing more than imperial edict that doesn't carry any consequences for breaking, the Tortoise are protected by the entire Imperial Legion as one would have to invade through Seppun and Otomo territory in order to attack the Tortoise (well.. the Mantis could do it..). And that is just asking to have your clan disowned and the other clans attack and take over all your lands.

I was more interested in the fact that gaijin are specifically mentioned as being present in Slow Tide Harbour.

Other interesting tidbits found whilst reading:

• The Kitsune family name is extant
• There are stories about a Master Smith with a family name of Tsi
• Various characters with cards undertake cameos in the Advantages / disadvantages
• The Hiramamichi vassal family
• The Cinnabar sword, with a family name of Miramatsu