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Richard
Greece
Marousi
Athens
RPGGrEEK Guild, γινετε μελος εδω:http://rpggeek.com/guild/1256
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I just started reading the book and I finished the 1200 years of Rokugan History. I have to say that my first impression is 10/10.
Some random thoughts:
1- At first I thought that €60 was kind of expensive but when I held this heavy book in my hand and started reading the dense text I realised that they were well spend. And it is really heavy. With amazing art. Even if I don't ever get to play it it's worth owning and reading.
2- I wish AEG were partners with the bits and mortar program because also owning the pdf even at half price is pricey.
3- After reading the credits I read the note of the designer and you know what I thought? That I wish reading my dnd books felt so personal as well.
4- Then I was pleasantly surprised that the cosmogony has borrowed a bit from Greek mythology. It felt familiar and suitable.
5- It seems that the rings aren't actual rings that you wear as I thought, but more like circles or areas of influence.
6- I have to google words like gaijin and daimyo which make me more invested in the genre.
7- I feel that the Crab clan gets a lot more mentions than the rest, maybe because it borders with the shadow land.
8- I have to watch some genre movies.
9- I flipped the pages with my daughter (7) and she loved the female characters and asked if she could play like we play dnd, she also stated that she knows some characters from avatar 
10- I took the Which Clan Are You? quiz and I am Dragon
11- I found a free adventure here: http://www.l5r.com/images/L5R-Free-RPG-Day.pdf
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Barad The Dwarf
Belgium
De Haan
Got some sanity left?
Come over to the RPGG Tavern, I buy you a drink.
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Re: Eleven random thoughts about the book and game.
I've just recommended that adventure as your one shot 
I must agree with you, it's very well written. In fact it's that part of the book I just flew through and at the moment I hit a wall and can't continue reading. Not really know why but I'm looking forward to play this game.
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Richard
Greece
Marousi
Athens
RPGGrEEK Guild, γινετε μελος εδω:http://rpggeek.com/guild/1256
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Re: Eleven random thoughts about the book and game.
Hey, I read your other post about it and it made me curious as hell. We will talk about it when I get to the rules section.
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Barad The Dwarf
Belgium
De Haan
Got some sanity left?
Come over to the RPGG Tavern, I buy you a drink.
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Re: Eleven random thoughts about the book and game.
That can be just me though.
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Re: Eleven random thoughts about the book and game.
Boards of Games wrote: 7- I feel that the Crab clan gets a lot more mentions than the rest, maybe because it borders with the shadow land.
I think it's because Hida Mann has naughty pictures of the designers stashed away somewhere.
Hey, it's a game of intrigue...
Interesting thoughts!
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Matt Logan
United Kingdom
Lancashire
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Re: Eleven random thoughts about the book and game.
Welcome, brother Dragon (I'm a dragon too!).
I received L5G from my secret Cthanta, and it is truly splendid. I haven't played since the 1st edition, but I'm looking forward to getting back to Rokugan again.
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DMSamuel
United States
Ithaca
New York
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Re: Eleven random thoughts about the book and game.
Yes - it is a great book. I haven't had a chance to play L5R, but I have this book and I love it!
Also, every time this thread pops up in my subscriptions, I read it as Elven thoughts... is there something you want to tell us?
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Jaime Lawrence
Australia
Sydney
New South Wales
See Below.
Evil Bob: Lawful good since 2038!
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Re: Eleven random thoughts about the book and game.
Nice to hear you're enjoying it, Richard!
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Richard
Greece
Marousi
Athens
RPGGrEEK Guild, γινετε μελος εδω:http://rpggeek.com/guild/1256
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Re: Eleven random thoughts about the book and game.
12- There is a Jaime credited as the one who introduced L5R to a designer (in the credits page)
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Richard
Greece
Marousi
Athens
RPGGrEEK Guild, γινετε μελος εδω:http://rpggeek.com/guild/1256
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Re: Eleven random thoughts about the book and game.
13 - I read about honor and face and I think that putting restrisctions on PCs roleplaying-wise might indeed help the players roleplay more.
14 - I am thinking of my dnd players when they make contact with an RPG that doesn't value items and gold but instead features face (on) and honor.
15 - I thought the five rings were a concept or something actual inside the setting but it's more of a metagaming mechanic actually. This is strange.
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Peter Robben
Belgium
Antwerp
Antwerp
One down...
Hunt for the Golden Meeple Participant
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Re: Eleven random thoughts about the book and game.
Scorpion Clan??? Me? I was sure I'd be Lion or Dragon!? Crane, maybe. Not... Scorpion?!
Of course, isn't that just what a Scorpion would want the others to think?
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Todd Rowland
United States
Mobile
Alabama
I have good news! That gum you like is going to come back in style.
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Re: Eleven random thoughts about the book and game.
Boards of Games wrote:
15 - I thought the five rings were a concept or something actual inside the setting but it's more of a metagaming mechanic actually. This is strange.
Well, they are a concept in the game (not a physical thing, but a philosophy). Shinsei wrote of the rings, all the monks attempt to gain enlightenment in the five rings. There are supernatural Oracles of Air, Fire, Water, Earth, and Void that live in the world.
Since those are the elements that Shinseism believes make up who you are (and everything), they also become the character creation mechanic. Makes sense.
And why things like Oni don't have a void stat, because they are out of harmony with the world.
And then again, some creatures like Ratlings have "Name" instead of Void, since their religion/tribal culture doesn't recognize the five rings as the basis of the world (since they pre-date humans). But they do use the other stats just so the game works.
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Richard
Greece
Marousi
Athens
RPGGrEEK Guild, γινετε μελος εδω:http://rpggeek.com/guild/1256
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Re: Eleven random thoughts about the book and game.
Yes but this information is not in the book is it? Maybe I missed it.
The first time that I read about the five rings was at the rings & traits chapter and even then only about how they work mechanically not about the philosophy...
I think that a chapter in the introduction clearly explaining ''The Five Rings'' would be necessary.
16 - What is the deal with Ninjas? Are they suppose to be bad? It is implied that ninjas are not honourable, I would like a chapter or short paragraph explaining ninjas in Rokugan.
17 - I am ready to make my first test character 
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Todd Rowland
United States
Mobile
Alabama
I have good news! That gum you like is going to come back in style.
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Boards of Games wrote: Yes but this information is not in the book is it? Maybe I missed it. The first time that I read about the five rings was at the rings & traits chapter and even then only about how they work mechanically not about the philosophy... I think that a chapter in the introduction clearly explaining ''The Five Rings'' would be necessary. 16 - What is the deal with Ninjas? Are they suppose to be bad? It is implied that ninjas are not honourable, I would like a chapter or short paragraph explaining ninjas in Rokugan. 17 - I am ready to make my first test character
A lot of those questions are in Emerald Empire, which gets much deeper into the society of Rokugan.
To answer 16, Ninja don't exist.
They are peasant myth, nothing more.
No true samurai would sink to such dishonor.
So the above is the official line (always remember what the Emperor says is TRUTH (tm), even if it's not fact). Ninja and ninja like activities are forbidden by the Empire, so the Scorpion maintain a very intense school known as The Shosuro Actors. They are the ninja for the Scorpion Clan. They learn ninja stuff, put on black pajamas, all that. Of course the scorpion tend to say that those in black pajamas are the ninja students expected to fail. The truly exceptional ninja spy or assassin was probably the sushi chef at the last inn you stopped in, the geisha you spent all last night venting to about your superiors, or one of the two guards outside the palace doors you just walked through...
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Richard
Greece
Marousi
Athens
RPGGrEEK Guild, γινετε μελος εδω:http://rpggeek.com/guild/1256
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Thanks for the replies! It is much appreciated!
Very cool conspiracy theory concerning the ninja, I don't believe you though. I am certain they don't exist.
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Jaime Lawrence
Australia
Sydney
New South Wales
See Below.
Evil Bob: Lawful good since 2038!
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Boards of Games wrote:
Not me, but cool to know we're out there in force!
What you need to know about Ninja: They don't like Tetsubos in their brains.
The same is true for Oni, goblins and annoying courtiers.
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Richard
Greece
Marousi
Athens
RPGGrEEK Guild, γινετε μελος εδω:http://rpggeek.com/guild/1256
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Heh, annoying courtiers you say! Then you will not be happy with the Dragon Clan character of the Kitsuki family that I just made
Which brings me to today's question:
Can family be different from the school in character creation? For example can I be of the Kitsuki family but of the Mirumoto Bushi school? (Mirumoto is also a family in the Dragon clan)
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Todd Rowland
United States
Mobile
Alabama
I have good news! That gum you like is going to come back in style.
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Absolutely. Families calling in favors from cousins, associates, etc to get their child into a different school is not at all unheard of. Sometimes even the sensei they start with may see that they would excel elsewhere and might send them with a letter of recommendation to the other sensei. It's generally considered an honorable move to honor those requests (and it builds up nifty favors for the family). In those cases you might build the character so that he has the first rank of his family school, then picks up the 2nd and forward of the other school. Or it could be a family favor called in before the child went through his gempukku, which would put him starting there at rank 1.
Outside of the Clan is still possible, such as a Mirumoto being given over to the Hida bush school, but they are much more rare, and require much larger favors or requests (such as from a Clan Champion or family daimyo, or be owed a great favor such as to be the great great great grandchild of a Dragon who valiantly died saving the life of a Crab dignitary all that time ago, etc..)
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