There's actually a reasonable number of techniques that have been released since the core boook. I think there are some that might fit some of the original schools better as being in their curriculum.

For example, I think that the Hida could easily have Bonebreaker Style available at Rank 4 instead of something else. And the new Rank 1 polearm tech (I forget what it's called: Branch Snap Strike?) could go quite happily into a couple of the spear-wielding schools. Are there any others that people think would do well together?

I'm sure quite a few people would like the option to sub out some of the Ninjitsu techniques from Courts of Stone into the Shosuro Infiltrator curriculum.

Edit; misunderstood the original question.

I'll give this a go a Clan at a time.

Starting with the Crab Clan

The Hida Defender is all about heavy - heavy armour, heavy weapons. Here are some proposed substitutions:

• Replace Touchstone of Courage at Rank 2 with Iron Shell Style - I'm not completely convinced about this, but both are appropriate.
• Replace Striking as Void at Rank 4 with Bonebreaker Style.
• Replace The Immoveable Hand of Peace at Rank 5 (The Hida wanting to stop people fighting?) with Mentor's Guidance.

The Hiruma Scout is endurance and mobility

• Replace the starting Kata with Staggering Shot or Chaotic Scattering - both techniques that slow down the enemy
• Replace Deadly Sting at Rank 3 with Like a Ghost - Hiruma are not really known for poison use, but moving through dangerous terrain unnoticed seems like them
• Replace Noxious Cloud at Rank 4 with Slicing Wind Kick - Again, replacing a poison tech, this time with a Spear tech.

The Kaiu Engineer is about making stuff

• Replace the starting Shuji with the Yasunori Steel item pattern
• Replace Noxious Cloud at Rank 2 with Improvised Assault (What is it with giving the Crab techniques that use poison??)
• Replace Pin the Fan at Rank 5 with Falling Heavens Shot - I can imagine a Kaiu using this with a siege weapon

The Kuni Purifier

• I have always been annoyed about the lack of Cleansing Rite in the starting techs for this school. Give them a choice of 2 between Cleansing Rite, Threshold Barrier and Commune with the Spirits.

Yasuki Merchant

• Replace Artisan's Appraisal in the starting techs with Fluent Bargaining (maybe?)

The Kuni Warden seems mostly fine.

The Yasuki Yojimbo had only 1 thought

• Replace Soul Sunder with Swirling Tempest Style.

Do these all make sense? Do people think this is a silly idea?

Sounds good to me. I think the poisons are all down to "the Crab will use anything to stop the Shadowlands". For the Hiruma and Kaiu I do see how poisons make sense from that viewpoint - there's no dishonor in shooting toxic gas canisters from the wall nor in poisoning an approaching horde of Oni, after all.

2 minutes ago, Myrion said:

Sounds good to me. I think the poisons are all down to "the Crab will use anything to stop the Shadowlands". For the Hiruma and Kaiu I do see how poisons make sense from that viewpoint - there's no dishonor in shooting toxic gas canisters from the wall nor in poisoning an approaching horde of Oni, after all.

But if your child on the wall is born with 3 legs because of toxic wastes... Is that dishonor ?

For the Kuni Purifier, I'd say:

Starting Techniques:

Rituals: Cleansing Rite and choose one between Commune with the Spirits and Threshold Barrier.

Crane Clan, although it's beginning to verge into general complaints...

Asahina Artisan seems to be fine.

Daidoji Iron Warrior

• I’m tempted to add Snapping Branch strike as an option for Starting Techniques, replacing the Striking as ... option

Daidoji Spymaster is newer so not problematic

Doji Bureaucrat has 2 Rank 1s to start with, where all other Schools with 2 starting techniques get a rank 2. This is on top of the access to only 2 Technique groups

• Replace Courtier’s Resolve with Civility Foremost in starting techniques (Maybe even just straight up add it?)

Doji Courtier has nothing leap out at me

Kakita Duellist lacks a couple of the duel utility techniques that came later

• Replace Thunderclap Strike at Rank 2 with Battle in the Mind
• Replace Striking as Void at Rank 4 with Void Embrace Style
• Replace Soul Sunder at Rank 5 with Striking as Void

Kakita Swordsmith treats the Kakita Pattern as a freebie, which seems wrong. Also why exactly do they get access to Rank 4 Air Shuji in Rank 3?

• Remove Artisan’s Appraisal from Starting Techniques
• Replace Well of Desire at Rank 1 with Artisan’s Appraisal
• Replace Rank 1-4 Air Shuji at Rank 3 with Rank 1-3 Air Shuji

4 hours ago, Tonbo Karasu said:

treats the Kakita Pattern as a freebie, which seems wrong.

No? That's their schtick, they learn a pattern for free, and their starting weapon has it applied. That'd be pretty annoying to be the school which is really geared to slapping patterns on things to not know your iconic pattern and be able to apply it day one.

I agree with @UnitOmega

What is the problem of Kakita Artisans starting with Kakita Pattern? I'd say it totally makes sense.

Granted, the Shadowlands book still doesn't totally explain what exactly is considered a "Kakita Blade" but it seems to me that it could be a katana forged by a Kakita Swordsmith of Rank 6 applying both the Kakita Pattern AND the Kenzō Blade, increasing a katana deadliness to 7 and reducing its damage to 3. Not too shabby...

3 hours ago, Diogo Salazar said:

Granted, the Shadowlands book still doesn't totally explain what exactly is considered a "Kakita Blade" but it seems to me that it could be a katana forged by a Kakita Swordsmith of Rank 6 applying both the Kakita Pattern AND the Kenzō Blade, increasing a katana deadliness to 7 and reducing its damage to 3. Not too shabby...

Frankly anything suitably master-crafted by a Kakita is a 'Kakita Blade'. But for a suitably 'famous' weapon of the kind the label is normally attached to, the one example we have - Omeka , Doji Kuwanan's sword - outclasses even a sword crafted with Ashidaka's Mastery .

Omeka is on page 234 of the core rulebook:

"Omeka is a unique katana with the Durable and Resplendent qualities and Deadliness 10 (or 12 if used 2-handed). When Shattering Parry is used against it (see page 270), the parrying weapon gains the Destroyed condition."

12 hours ago, UnitOmega said:

No? That's their schtick, they learn a pattern for free, and their starting weapon has it applied. That'd be pretty annoying to be the school which is really geared to slapping patterns on things to not know your iconic pattern and be able to apply it day one.

5 hours ago, Diogo Salazar said:

I agree with @UnitOmega

What is the problem of Kakita Artisans starting with Kakita Pattern? I'd say it totally makes sense.

Granted, the Shadowlands book still doesn't totally explain what exactly is considered a "Kakita Blade" but it seems to me that it could be a katana forged by a Kakita Swordsmith of Rank 6 applying both the Kakita Pattern AND the Kenzō Blade, increasing a katana deadliness to 7 and reducing its damage to 3. Not too shabby...

And if you look, with my adjustments, they would still start with the Kakita Pattern. However, xp-cost-wise, knowing the Kakita Pattern is the equivalent of knowing two techniques. As a Courtier, the Swordsmith would expect to have a Rank 2 and a Rank 1 technique. The School as written gives them access to a Rank 2 shuji and a Rank 1 kata. My suggestion was to remove the Rank 2 shuji, leaving them with a Rank 1 kata and a 6xp item pattern, balancing them with all the other schools. You'll notice that I did a similar thing with the Kaiu Engineer.

And here are the Dragon schools

Agasha Mystic is a shugenja school, so is basically fine.

Kitsuki Investigator has an awkward choice in the starting techniques

• Change starting techs to Tactical Assessment and Eyes Up! or Shallow Waters
• Replace Slippery Maneouvers at Rank 1 with Striking as Air

Mirumoto Taoist Blade might need changes if more kiho turn up, however

• Change starting Kata to Iaijutsu Cut: Rising Blade and Soaring Slice or Striking as Water

Mirumoto Two-heavens Adept ought to use more of the 2 weapon techniques

• Change Dazzling Performance in starting techs to Iaijutsu Cut: Sword and Sheath
• Change Iaijutsu Cut: Rising Blade at Rank 2 for Spinning Blades Style
• Change Heartpiercing Strike at Rank 3 to Twin Streams Style