Hello everyone!

Sorry to disturb tou all, but I need help with the rule of how to balance opposition for the PC. I know there's a rule for this in the Core book (it's page 360 I think...), but I don't quite understand it. And my PC, while just being rank 1, seem already too strong for most of their adversaries (they're literaly wipping the floor with them).

...

... and if someone wants to precise mass battle, as those two are my main problems with the rules, it would be much appreciated. Thanks!

4 hours ago, Tatoun said:

Hello everyone!

Sorry to disturb tou all, but I need help with the rule of how to balance opposition for the PC. I know there's a rule for this in the Core book (it's page 360 I think...), but I don't quite understand it. And my PC, while just being rank 1, seem already too strong for most of their adversaries (they're literaly wipping the floor with them).

...

... and if someone wants to precise mass battle, as those two are my main problems with the rules, it would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Regarding balancing opposition, I think that despite the corebook general guideline, you need to have a solid grasp of the system and understand your party's capabilities.

It also depends on the amount of players you have. There are so many factors, like, for example, it is possible an otherwordly nemesis would be a push over for your group because some have sacred weapons, or techniques like Binding the shadows etc.

There are no "right" answer here... The solution might be adding more minions, or crazier terrain, or stronger adversaries with encounter changing techniques, or more counters to your players strong shenanigans.

It is case by case.

On mass battles, I wouldn't know. I simply do not use the core system for that and handle them more like structured scenes in which every player might have a different goal.

19 hours ago, Tatoun said:

but I don't quite understand it. And my PC, while just being rank 1, seem already too strong for most of their adversaries (they're literaly wipping the floor with them).

...

If you want to give most characters a fair fight, you want opponents with about half again to double the appropriate conflict rank.

As noted by @Avatar111 , you also have to deal with a degree of scissors/paper/stone. What are the PCs?

It should also be said that numbers confer an outsized advantage. Four PCs against one opponent will bring down even tough opposition if they know what they are doing. So do not send single opppnents if it can be helped.

2 hours ago, Harzerkatze said:

It should also be said that numbers confer an outsized advantage. Four PCs against one opponent will bring down even tough opposition if they know what they are doing. So do not send single opppnents if it can be helped.

Action economy. Just like in that other game .

17 hours ago, Harzerkatze said:

It should also be said that numbers confer an outsized advantage. Four PCs against one opponent will bring down even tough opposition if they know what they are doing. So do not send single opppnents if it can be helped.

Indeed. One thing that FFG's Star Wars and Genesys systems do for Nemesis-level NPCs (the equivalent of higher-level adversaries) is to give them an extra action per turn; once at their own initiative and once after every other character has acted. It does do a lot to help balance the characters out in that system, though copying it blindly into L5R might not be the best plan - since a high-level NPC is almost certainly going first (as you can use whatever your best stat is for initiative rather than a specific one), going first and last means two actions in a row - which opens up the potential for imbalanced tricks, particularly around 'stance-dancing' where they attack in fire but defend in earth or air, or 'apply a condition with one technique then exploit with a second without giving you the opportunity to remove it'.

Since it's going to be the GM controlling them, obviously they've got the ability to avoid using stupid combinations. But it feels like a bigger deal in L5R than in GeneSys.

On 2/8/2020 at 3:59 PM, Magnus Grendel said:

If you want to give most characters a fair fight, you want opponents with about half again to double the appropriate conflict rank.

As noted by @Avatar111 , you also have to deal with a degree of scissors/paper/stone. What are the PCs?

Sorry, work was demanding.

I have a Shiba bushi, a Shinjo outrider, a Hida bushi (Hida Sugi from the box, the player instantly fell in love with her) and a rônin bushi.

I had also a Bayushi courtier but he missed three consecutive sessions, so I'm afraid I'm gonna have to cut him out.

10 hours ago, Tatoun said:

I have a Shiba bushi, a Shinjo outrider, a Hida bushi (Hida Sugi from the box, the player instantly fell in love with her) and a rônin bushi.

Well, frankly that makes things a lot easier - since there's no shujenga or courtier, you've got no 'squishy' characters who only get a wakizashi and have to break out the pleasepleasepleaseloanmesomearmour courtesy checks whenever a battle is in the offing.

The hida is tough and nearly immune to critical strikes, whilst the Ronin and Shiba are both able to last an extended fight without becoming compromised (assuming - since you described them as a Bushi - the Ronin's signature skill is Martial Arts [Melee]?). The Shinjo arguably has the weakest ability but it's most easily applicable outside a fight.

Yes, with 4 bushi, you will need to amp up martial checks to seriously threaten them. If they're rank 1, then - without rolling dice - it's clear that a group of 4 Desperate Bandits (4 x 1 threat) will struggle to last a single round. As noted, I would suggest that if you want to make them at least sweat a little, look for 'actually had to concentrate' fights being of half again to double their collective rank (6-8 bandits, operating in groups of 2-3 for speed and simplicity*, or 5 with an Experienced Bandit leader to use .... Get Them, You Fools !)

I would probably advise that if you want to really challenge them, throw in some intrigues. With four Bushi, they're going to find an equivalent political scene much more difficult - and a seasoned courtier with the Trickster template (political threat 7) can probably out-diplomat the lot of them combined without breaking a sweat.

Also, setting the campaign - at least temporarily - in and around court means the PCs will be dealing with social protocols around weapons and armour, which means Ashigaru armour (for the Shiba and Shinjo) is a no-no, as are double-handed weapons (for the Hida), wearing lacquered armour may be broadly permissible but makes some big - and deeply negative - statements about your opinions of the host, and no, you can't bring your ****ing horse into the inner palace....

As a result, they should be largely forced to operate with Daisho and formal robes unless they have a VERY good reason to gear up, so in a putative skirmish where a bunch of hired ruffians or mercenary shinobi try to scrag them in the gardens or a tea-house somewhere, you can force them to fight smart because they can't rely on the bushi wargear they're used to having.

* Most minions who aren't in groups of at least 3 will probably not be able to hurt Sugi and will struggle to hurt the Ashigaru armour of the others.