10 hours ago, Zuldan said:

Would it work if the character started at rank 1 in the new school keeping the stuff from the old school but neither schools can reach level 6? Thus each new school drops the max level the character can have in one school by the amount of schools the have?

I think that would work fine, if they plan on advancing through both curriculum they'll probably not get both mastery anyways... But limiting them from attaining mastery from the new one (ie they earn the right/find a treacherous teacher) or limiting both (perhaps they were taught both at the same time, being some symbol of peace/partnership between the two clans/schools?

At the end of the day its whatever you feel is best between your own crunch, fluff, and balance.

6 hours ago, Arolem said:

I think that would work fine, if they plan on advancing through both curriculum they'll probably not get both mastery anyways... But limiting them from attaining mastery from the new one (ie they earn the right/find a treacherous teacher) or limiting both (perhaps they were taught both at the same time, being some symbol of peace/partnership between the two clans/schools?

At the end of the day its whatever you feel is best between your own crunch, fluff, and balance.

Going one step further would be to say that you can only ever complete 5 ranks of all your schools combined. All schools’ abilities become more powerful as the school rank increases. So by doing so, you 1) limit the effectiveness of both school abilities, and 2) effectively prevent the character from ever completing either, thus never reaching the mastery ability.

Having two starting abilities can be kind of a big deal, depending on the combos, so even with this harsher version, I’d be very cautious with that.

I have never seriously wrestled with the issue. But I can see where some character arcs *could* lead in this direction. If the narrative and campaign really flows to changing schools, then I as a GM (or a player) would want to homebrew something.

(ZERO) The change has to make sense from a story perspective. Both the character’s desire to change, and the new school’s reason for taking them on.

(1) my general sense is that you should keep what you have learned as a samurai. Those skills and techniques you have learned are not mysteriously forgotten.

(2a) depending on your samurai’s attitudes you might or might not loose your old school’s ability. For example a Matsu Beserker who finds inner peace (and somehow joins the Dragons in he Mountains or the Asahina) might give up or loose their rage ability. If there is no character arc “narrative” reason to loose access to your old school’s ability, then I think you keep it.

(2b) you *might* gain the school ability of your new school. I would be reluctant to allow a character access to 2 school abilities. Those are special! And there is no real way to get them or similar effects through techniques. So my personal feeling is your character should probably only have one. If you kept your old one, then IMO you shouldn’t get your new school’s special ability...

(3a) I believe your character should only get to move through a total of 5 ranks of school. So if you complete 2 ranks of School “A” then I think you potentially get 3 more ranks of school “B.” Then a special R6 ability at the end of your last school.

(3b) you need to talk with your gamemaster to work out the curriculum of the ranks of your new school. The curriculum of the new school’s ranks probably doesn’t have to exactly match any of the regular school ranks IMO. But everything in your version of school has to come out of the school’s regular offerings (at all levels you would have access to). Your level’s content should reflect the totality of he school. So...If you somehow joined the Daidoji Iron Warrior school, then a majority of your home brewed school Ranks should have the “Martial Skills” for your skill group since the Martial Skill group is offered a majority of the times in the five ranks of the “normal” Daidoji Iron Warrior school curriculum.

(4a) Different school’s teach different techniques. You immediately abide by the restrictions of your new school.

(4b) you don’t automatically get the starting skills or starting techniques. If you want them you have to buy them with xp.

(4c) I think it’s extremely reasonable for GMs to want you to purchase the starting techniques of your new school before joining a school as a prerequisite. However I don’t think it’s absolutely necessary if (for example) you don’t have access to the right kinds of techniques.

(5) I think a character should only ever get one Rank 6 school ability.

my 2 cents.

So, don't we have a little precedent for this with False Identity? You can spend XP to pick up on what your cover school ability is supposed to be - but you can only use it once per session or something, instead of normal restrictions?

On 11/7/2018 at 7:05 AM, Magnus Grendel said:

The Emerald Empire preview implies that the Kitsune Spirit has some means to learn abilities from another school (the school of "whatever I'm pretending to be"...), so that might  stand a bit of careful scrutiny and plagiarism inspirati  on.

Yes, with GM approval the Kitsune Infiltrators can learn a school ability outside their curriculum/clan but also has a disadvantage appropriate for someone living with a secret identity. I love how this inclusion suggests one of the most interesting, and one of the smallest minor clans, has the potential to be one of the most insidious across the empire.

Back to my thoughts on multiclassing. I'm just spit balling here, but I think there should be a cost (such as gaining an appropriate disadvantage) for switching schools. In addition, experience needed for a rank in the new school should be based on your total ranks rather than that of the new school. For example, a rank 3 bushi needs the xp of a 4th rank samurai to advance as the 2nd rank monk, rather than the lesser standard amount.

When it comes to general techniques or abilities shared by both schools, I'd say that total ranks should combine. For techniques or abilities exclusive to one school or the other, only ranks in that school count.

Unfortunately, these suggestions require a lot of bookkeeping, but might be worthwhile for the right character willing to pay the price for deviating from a single path.

4 hours ago, T_Kageyasu said:

I love how this inclusion suggests one of the most interesting, and one of the smallest minor clans, has the potential to be one of the most insidious across the empire.

I don't believe that's Kitsune as in "Fox Clan" but Kitsune as in "Shapeshifting Fox Spirit"

5 hours ago, Magnus Grendel said:

I don't believe that's Kitsune as in "Fox Clan" but Kitsune as in "Shapeshifting Fox Spirit               "

I'll admit some wishful thinking before reading Emerald Empire that the Kitsune Infiltrator was the Fox Clan samurai class, and agree that this template is for shapeshifters, not the minor clan samurai. I still contend that among other clans who else has access to (or mingled bloodlines with) such beings that are capable of watching the empire from within? A neat idea even if Kitsune by nature are too capricious to form any sort of organized spy network.

Their school ability (shapeshift) is more of a creature ability, so I don't consider it applicable for multiclassing into, but their disadvantage helps compensate for learning a new school ability, and maybe that mechanic could be used for cross class multiclassing.