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Jaime Lawrence
Australia
Sydney
New South Wales
See Below.
Evil Bob: Lawful good since 2038!
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I’m a big fan of Legend of the Five Rings, just in case it wasn’t obvious. There’s no release that I won’t look at and few that I won’t buy. I’ve been running the game pretty consistently since its release in 1997 and I’ve seen it through many incarnations and variations. Basically, it’s my first love of gaming and to make matters worse, I was given this product free from the AEG store. So when I review it, know that I have my rose-tinted glasses on, but be warned that my enthusiasm may be contagious.
What is it?
The L5R GM screen consists of a screen and an adventure module called ‘Descent into Darkness’. The screen is not top of the line (ala the Doctor Who: AiTaS screen or WFRP3 Screen, both of which could be used to dig a grave and still be intact enough to run a game afterward), but it is a high quality cardboard and has a beautiful glossy finish. The front depicts a battle being waged by samurai of various clans against one another, framed by a Phoenix contemplating enlightenment and an angry Lion looking like he wishes he were in the battle.
The adventure, Descent Into Darkness, is also quite striking. The artwork for 4th edition L5R as a whole is one of its best features; every page is brimming with life (or undeath) and imbues the reader with inspiration about the game. Without offering too much in the way of spoilers, the adventure revolves around a clandestine bloodspeaker cult infiltrating a remote village and tainting the villagers. They subsequently blackmail them into helping to complete various nefarious plots. Enter PCs, who are faced with both the challenge of defeating the evil cultists and the moral quandary of what to do with innocent villagers who have been tainted.
What’s good about it?
As mentioned before, the entire package looks superb – the art is just amazing. The inside of the screen has a number of wisely-chosen tables – for example, it has a list of skills sorted by governing attribute. This may sound like an obvious thing to include, but in a game based on another culture and with so many different skills, this is a real necessity and not something we had under 3rd ed.
The adventure has a lot going for it too; it’s designed to be tremendously modular and work as either a standalone or as part of an ongoing campaign. It’s full of ideas for weaving into an existing narrative and offers a large number of options for recurring villains, thematic changes and even has a section on ‘how to mime’ for when you play a mute character. This is a great little module.
My Rating
4th Edition L5R gets stronger with each release I see. At first I thought it was too generic, but I’m beginning to appreciate some of the subtleties the game allows. The GM’s Screen and ‘Descent Into Darkness’ score nine Porcelain Masks of Fu Leng out of Ten.
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I am starting to love this game too. And I only got into it with the 4th edition.
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Josh Rensch
United States
Lakeville
Minnesota
I am the one people warn you about.
Lord of Dorkness
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I really wish for the $20 it would have been hard cover. The only purchase for 4e L5R that I didn't think it was worth it.
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Jaime Lawrence
Australia
Sydney
New South Wales
See Below.
Evil Bob: Lawful good since 2038!
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I am biased by the fact I didn't pay for it I suppose...
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Maurice Tousignant
Canada
Windsor
Ontario
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You note that the screen is glossy. Does this mean that you can use wet/dry erase markers on it? This is something I've found I've come to hope for in a good DM screen (sadly the WHFRP one you note above does not have this quality). I love being able to make quick notes right on the screen (usually in dry erase) or add missing information (wet erase so it lasts).
I apologize but my next question isn't specific to this review but something I have been wondering:
I've been meaning to get into L5R for years now and only recently picked up either the 1st or 2nd edition book (it was at a rpg book exchange and I'm slowly working through everything I picked up and I can't quite remember which edition I ended up with). As a fan would you suggest I pass over the copy I picked up and look into getting the latest edition?
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Jaime Lawrence
Australia
Sydney
New South Wales
See Below.
Evil Bob: Lawful good since 2038!
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To answer your questions in reverse order:
It's a matter of taste. I like 1st edition the most - it's brutal and elegant all at once, perfect for Samurai tragedy. That said, 4th ed is my second favourite and fast climbing - you can read my latest thoughts above and my initial ones here. I think for a starting player either would work but 4th might be a bit more user-friendly.
I haven't tried writing on mine - I don't know if it's glossy enough for that. I'll give it a go when I get home and let you know.
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Josh Rensch
United States
Lakeville
Minnesota
I am the one people warn you about.
Lord of Dorkness
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Hida Mann wrote: I am biased by the fact I didn't pay for it I suppose...
I just am spoiled a bit by other screens. I am glad it's landscape though. I also had to order from their website and wish I could have seen before purchasing. Nice review though.
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Thank you very much for the review. I'm very happy that you like the adventure. It's a classic theme, but I tried to make it as interesting and layered as possible. I'm glad the many sidebars are helpful, I was afraid I overdid it
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Jaime Lawrence
Australia
Sydney
New South Wales
See Below.
Evil Bob: Lawful good since 2038!
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Not at all - Sidebars are a joy to be utilised wherever possible!!
Nice to see you on the 'Geek, Mikael!
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