So it appears that with Path of Waves we have everything we're going to get officially for this edition. But I'd like to look at this a bit more positively. The system actually seems quite well rounded-out to me, particularly with the extra Kata and Shuji from Path of Waves. That said there are things which are missing and could do with a bit of input from the players. I'd like to try to gather opinions of what is needed and what is nice to have mechanically and 'fluffily', then see what we can do about it. I'll start out with my opinions.

• Mechanics
• Needed
• Extended Mass Battles
• DIY Minor Clan creation
• Extended Kiho list
• Nice to Have
• Moth Clan dream mechanics
• Shugenja duels
• DIY Technique creation
• Fluff
• Needed
• Cat and Moth background
• Yobanjin
• Nice to Have
• Missing Minor Clan background differences

Any additional ideas gratefully received.

Several "missing" Schools:

Crane: Asahina Archer, Daidoji Harrier, Daidoji Scout, Doji Rhetorician, Kakita Artisan

Lion: Akodo kensai, Matsu Beastmaster, Ikoma Historian

Phoenix: Asako Henshin, Isawa Void Adept

Titles: Sensei, Lion Deathseeker

More on Mass Battles, I think.

The Beta, for example, included an opportunity table for cohort commanders in mass battles, and of all the conflict scenes it feels like the one which is most awkward.

54 minutes ago, Magnus Grendel said:

More on Mass Battles, I think.

The Beta, for example, included an opportunity table for cohort commanders in mass battles, and of all the conflict scenes it feels like the one which is most awkward.

Seconded. And more on Intrigues, too.

I'd say we have enough schools, kata, invocation, shuji, and while more kiho would be appreciated, I do not see that as an area critically underdeveloped.

But Mass Battles are barely playable, and we'd need more than 4 army types, too, especially as their power level diverges so much that they can hardly fight another except samurai vs. Monsters.

And while Intrigues do work, they offer way less variation than skirmish or duel, so they need strengthening.

And being who I am, I'd appreciate a Monster Manual, too.

1 hour ago, Alisair Longreach said:

Several "missing" Schools:

Crane: Asahina Archer, Daidoji Harrier, Daidoji Scout, Doji Rhetorician, Kakita Artisan

Lion: Akodo kensai, Matsu Beastmaster, Ikoma Historian

Phoenix: Asako Henshin, Isawa Void Adept

Titles: Sensei, Lion Deathseeker

Titles, good point. I think we also need Kuroiban for the Scorpion, possibly a Swordsmith for the Agasha.

I think we need to be careful with re-making new schools for existing Clans. Because of the way 5e schools work, they can be broader. The Daidoji Scout and Harrier can be variants of the same one, I think, or make Harrier a title giving access to Ninjutsu techniques

Not needed but a tradition: A city box set.

I wouldn't mind a new version of City of Lies (and hire Greg Stolze to work on it).

If not that, some place "new".

45 minutes ago, ajtheronin said:

If not that, some place "new".

Gotei Port would be cool. It's the next biggest, after all, and radically different.

31 minutes ago, Magnus Grendel said:

Gotei Port would be cool. It's the next biggest, after all, and radically different.

That would be pretty cool indeed. And different without been that different, like the Second City box set.

1 hour ago, ajtheronin said:

Not needed but a tradition: A city box set.

I wouldn't mind a new version of City of Lies (and hire Greg Stolze to work on it).

If not that, some place "new".

1 hour ago, Magnus Grendel said:

Gotei Port would be cool. It's the next biggest, after all, and radically different.

I have two thoughts

Khanbulak - It's new in this edition, has been teased a bit in the fiction and sounds really cool. A Moto city literally on the border of Rokugan, in fact half of it is outside the Empire. There's apparently a Qamarist temple in it.

City of the Rich Frog - with it's new look 4-part layout and a different Governor on each side of the rivers, you could do so much politics with this. Also, there's Dragonfly.

More minor clans.

honestly not much, aside new locations and lore. schools if you want, seem like with Path of wave they have a "design your own school" thingy. titles? if you are into that.

cleaning up and adjustments for the different conflict types. especially mass battles and intrigues, but they all could use clean up to be fair. still, nothing mandatory, people play how they want anyway.

I think it is mechanically "done enough". doesn't need more.

I think I basically agree with the top list. A big book of minor clans would be great to have, and if not, apply the rules and guidance it seems like we have forthcoming for ronin/gaijin to making your own minors, and I think Kiho could use some expanding. There might be more social agendas in Path of Waves(?) but otherwise, some more mass combat and intrigue options wouldn't be awful.

I'd like to add Void/Shadow magic to the "like to have" though, I feel like kagedo and the Ishiken are kind of upsold by this version of the lore and I'd love to have a mechanical framework for it.

I'd like a lot of schools officially, but most of that can be handled by homebrew also.

15 hours ago, Tonbo Karasu said:

Khanbulak - It's new in this edition, has been teased a bit in the fiction and sounds really cool. A Moto city literally on the border of Rokugan, in fact half of it is outside the Empire. There's apparently a Qamarist temple in it.

I forgot that Khanbulak was new. That'd be a nice one to look at, as well. The whole literal 'drop dead' curfew would make for an interesting set of rules, too.

14 hours ago, Magnus Grendel said:

I forgot that Khanbulak was new. That'd be a nice one to look at, as well. The whole literal 'drop dead' curfew would make for an interesting set of rules, too.

New or simply re-imagined? FFG seems to have put that "city" at about the same location as Bugaisha (Outsider Keep). The roles of both holdings seems to be very similar.

Armor and weapon patterns. I thought that was so cool in the Shadowlands book and I want more.

Void Magic for me is a very big one.

On ‎2‎/‎21‎/‎2020 at 7:43 PM, Suzume Chikahisa said:

Void Magic for me is a very big one.

We have seen a Shinobi in the fiction using void-magic, so it'd be nice to see.

On 2/21/2020 at 8:43 PM, Suzume Chikahisa said:

Void Magic for me is a very big one.

Seems like we're getting it in Celestial Realms. 😍

1 hour ago, Sharatec said:

Seems like we're getting it in Celestial Realms. 😍

Fingers crossed.😁

Not really crossed, they announced the book, say void will be in it, and Katrina herself tweeted the Ishiken will be represented.