WOOTERS!!!!! I was wondering if these would make it.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/260091/Legend-of-the-Five-Rings-Game-Masters-Kit

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/258412/Legend-of-the-Five-Rings-Beginner-Game

Oh dang... I’m gonna have to give them more of my money now... and I don’t even mind

Kinda wish I could get these PDFs for free if I already purchase the hard copies but that's just a minor gripe

4 hours ago, broselovestar said:

Kinda wish I could get these PDFs for free if I already purchase the hard copies but that's just a minor gripe

Depends where you purchased them from; you might be able to. Some LGS and RPG companies have a deal with Drivethru offering you a .pdf if you buy a dead-tree version through a community store; it's called "Bits and Mortar".

Not sure if FFG is a member or not, though.

Will probably get the GM's kit - I figure the starter box is nice to get in physical form to get the maps, tokens and dice (I have the App from the beta but I'd much prefer physical dice to roll).

Decided to grab both, since they're on offer. Having a soft copy is easy for multiple players anyway.

Interesting that the warrior monk ended up in the beginner game rulebook (and not the core book).

Ditto for NPC Kitsune. I always like prankster characters, and they potentially fit for setting-appropriate comic relief in the wilds (at the expense of the stuffier party members, of course).

The rule that " When they become Compromised, their fox feet, ears, or tails reappear ." is something I can see being hilariously awkward if it carries through to the option of a Kitsune PC that's supposedly in Emerald Empire.

[Courtier in the middle of an Intrigue scene]

"...And therefore, I respectfully suggest that the Daimyo's precious time is best not wasted investigating this trivial matter, which we are more than happy to look into on his behalf."

[Rolls, getting strife on every single die result]

[Fox ears pop out with an audible 'Boing' , sending elegant hairdo and comb flying across the court]

"...Bugger. Or, we could blame the Secret Trickster Spirit. I don't suppose there's any chance, my Lord, that you didn't notice that?"

Also, map I can actually read! Yay!

54 minutes ago, Magnus Grendel said:

Having a soft copy is easy for multiple players anyway.

I know right especially when my core book is a soft copy as well.

3 hours ago, Magnus Grendel said:

"Bits and Mortar".

I haven't seen this option. I'll check but I doubt that's the case.

Thanks for the info though!

Don't forget they have additional PDFs to go with the Beginner Game in the player resources subsection of the support section here -> https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/legend-of-the-five-rings-roleplaying-game/#/support-section

Thank you!!!!!! I just got my GM’s Kit.

11 hours ago, Magnus Grendel said:

Depends where you purchased them from; you might be able to. Some LGS and RPG companies have a deal with Drivethru offering you a .pdf if you buy a dead-tree version through a community store; it's called "Bits and Mortar".

Not sure if FFG is a member or not, though.

Will probably get the GM's kit - I figure the starter box is nice to get in physical form to get the maps, tokens and dice (I have the App from the beta but I'd much prefer physical dice to roll).

1) all bits-n-mortar purchases I've gotten do NOT go through drivethru; bnm has its own servers

2) FFG isn't a participant, according to http://www.bits-and-mortar.com/who-are-we/

10 hours ago, Magnus Grendel said:

Interesting that the warrior monk ended up in the beginner game rulebook (and not the core book).

Ditto for NPC Kitsune. I always like prankster characters, and they potentially fit for setting-appropriate comic relief in the wilds (at the expense of the stuffier party members, of course)...

Well the obvious explanation is that since both monks and kitsune will be in Emerald Empire (along with Imperial schools), and rules sections don't just appear suddenly, FFG had these sorts of characters mechanically worked out many months ago, in time for the beginner game's publication. Makes you wonder what other schools and fun stuff has already been developed now , in preparation for publication in 2019...

Given the fact that some NPC templates from the Beta aren't in the core, I'm pretty sure next year will be the release of an "Enemies of the Empire" book, if not the next announcement.

My one complaint is the rokugon map while better than the one in the core is still way too low of a resolution tk really be very useful.

9 hours ago, UnitOmega said:

Given the fact that some NPC templates from the Beta aren't in the core, I'm pretty sure next year will be the release of an "Enemies of the Empire" book, if not the next announcement.

If they follow the format for the Star Wars RPGs, I wouldn't be surprised if we get get a series of.....Ring? Clan? School Type?....sourcebooks, each with new schools and techniques, settings, and some new NPCs in each, rather than one single NPC directory.

One thing FFG did was notably 'scatter' some NPC stats they know players would want around their various sourcebooks, so that (in much the same way people bought X-wing expansions of ships they're less interested in for upgrade cards X, Y and Z), there's something to tempt everyone in a given sourcebook. Whilst there's (now) a clone wars supplement coming, for example, pretty much a full 'clone wars' spread of equipment and character archetypes had previously existed, scattered across various books ('Antiquated Battle Droid', 'Reconditoned Droideka', 'Maelstrom Battlecruisers' - totally not a Venator, honest - and Rebel salvaged Munificent frigates, clone and naboo blasters, AT-Rt and AT-PT, 'Jedi starfighters', etc, etc)

Especially given the stockpile of top-notch artwork, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Adversary Decks make a return in an L5R version. For that matter, given their recent publishing of L5R novels coming with Alt Art L5R LCG cards, having some putative future book or Convention event come with alt art or unique adversary cards for an appropriate NPC would be rather a cool little gimme.

I am also expecting something equivalent to SWRPG's career books, hopefully not like a specific "clan" focus because I think that's too narrow a market slice in this case, but who knows. But back in the 40K RPG days, FFG published antagonist focused books which would also contain plenty of player facing stuff along with obvious GM help. And IIRC "Enemies of the Empire" (or some Shadowlands titles) are classic titles of the RPG editions, similar to Emerald Empire.

Given the compact nature of the NPC entries I'd buy up an L5R Adversary deck in a heartbeat.

34 minutes ago, Magnus Grendel said:

Maelstrom Battlecruisers' - totally not a Venator, honest

Despite having less HTT than an ISD, the larger cost and crew size, and the hull classification would mean the Maelstrom is a noticeably larger class than the Venator , probably on par with a light BC hull like the Secutor (A 2.2 km hull). Also it doesn't hold nearly enough fighters a Venator flight deck is like a clown car.

5 minutes ago, UnitOmega said:

I am also expecting something equivalent to SWRPG's career books, hopefully not like a specific "clan" focus because I think that's too narrow a market slice in this case, but who knows.

Agreed. It's an obvious one - and "Way Of The [insert Clan name here]" books have been done previously, but I personally would vote for slicing up books by ring.

It's going to be hard to make a relatively pure Scorpion Book tempting to non-Scorpions, and hard to make a relatively pure Bushi sourcebook tempting to a 'court' campaign, but 'air' is a sufficiently nebulous concept that you can stack in a slice of everything - schools, techniques, minor clans, locations and enemies, both military, political and supernatural.

1 hour ago, Magnus Grendel said:

Agreed. It's an obvious one - and "Way Of The [insert Clan name here]" books have been done previously, but I personally would vote for slicing up books by ring.

It's going to be hard to make a relatively pure Scorpion Book tempting to non-Scorpions, and hard to make a relatively pure Bushi sourcebook tempting to a 'court' campaign, but 'air' is a sufficiently nebulous concept that you can stack in a slice of everything - schools, techniques, minor clans, locations and enemies, both military, political and supernatural.

All rings tend to matter more to all characters as well now. And five is a nice number of sourcebooks in a series: enough to be profitable for FFG, but not so many that they'll likely take 18 months or more to publish. I'd hate to have to wait 18 months longer for the sourcebook about my favourite clan than whoever'd be lucky enough to get their clan first.

15 hours ago, Magnus Grendel said:

Agreed. It's an obvious one - and "Way Of The [insert Clan name here]" books have been done previously, but I personally would vote for slicing up books by ring.

It's also possible we'll see a book by Character Type, not unlike 3E's titles, something like: Masters of War, Masters of Court, Masters of Magic, Masters of Self (Monks), and maybe Masters of the Shadows (Shinobi and Mahō-tsukai). And, of course, Enemies of Rokugan (bestiary & more maho), and Rokugan Unseen (Minor Clans and Ji-samurai). (and I don't mind at all if FFG wants to use those exact titles.)

Three very reasonable ways to go By Clan, by Ring, by Character Type... looking at prior performance, character type seems more likely to me. Both more likely to sell more of each (because to get a whole clan repertoire, you have to buy 5-6 books), and because it's easier to keep things balanced within type than across type.

Ring has a disadvantage - it doesn't give good description of what it covers.

Clan has the disadvantage of having low appeal; 1/8 the sales potential.