(Christmas Ape I am talking to you!)

I was on a big Lone Wolf and Cub kick a fair while back and I picked up the new L5R in a moment of weakness.  I've made up some sample characters, vomited at the excess of letting the TCG write the RPG and daydreamed about a Justice-League style game of wandering warrior monks of Compassion.

The official L5R forum blows, so I wanted to get the word from players here:

What kind of campaigns do you favor with L5R?  Is the combat as deadly as people make it out to be?  After what date do you just toss Rokugani history as written?

I maintain that the point in the timeline used by L5R v1 is still the most playable, and that's two years before the Scorpion Clan Coup.  Tension builds as Shoju's putting pieces together, Junzo's not gone over to the Taint yet, Sun & Moon haven't been replaced, the Mantis doesn't exist and Toturi is still Lion Champion.

And I'd use the d20 version of the game.  More forgiving and approachable than the stuff prior or succeeding it, which makes it easier to assimilate all of the foreign cultural elements; you only have half of the work to do.

The few L5R games I played were with a few players and had a nice intimate feel to them. The games had a smaller scale and dealt with politics, matters of personal honor, and one bandit hunt. As for the lethality of the game, there are times when damage just jumps out at you and with the wound penalties being kinda steep, I was often left saving most my hero points in combat to shrug off the damage instead of other things.

Quote from: Bradford C. WalkerI maintain that the point in the timeline used by L5R v1 is still the most playable, and that's two years before the Scorpion Clan Coup.  Tension builds as Shoju's putting pieces together, Junzo's not gone over to the Taint yet, Sun & Moon haven't been replaced, the Mantis doesn't exist and Toturi is still Lion Champion.

And I'd use the d20 version of the game.  More forgiving and approachable than the stuff prior or succeeding it, which makes it easier to assimilate all of the foreign cultural elements; you only have half of the work to do.

I actually agree with all of those.  I've run 1E, 2E, and d20 and enjoyed d20 the most.  I just don't like Roll and Keep, it has a lot of eccentricities and can result in a strong imbalance in mechanical power in samurai if the GM/players don't really know what's going on.

Sadly, I think the shugenja lose all their flavor in the d20 version.

L5R works best, for me, when I run games involving magistrates given a commission by the Emperor (for mixed Clan games) or if you try to narrow down the Clans involved in the game.

Some clans (Crab, Crane, Lion) seem much easier to run/play as the Good Guys.  How do you combat that?

What I mean is that Rokugan really centers on that whole "enemy of my enemy" theme, but you have these clans that come across as the Wolverine of the setting (especially the Crab, right down to their crazy facial hair and "snikt bub snikt snikt bub!" personalities...)

Quote from: fonkaygarrySome clans (Crab, Crane, Lion) seem much easier to run/play as the Good Guys.  How do you combat that?

What I mean is that Rokugan really centers on that whole "enemy of my enemy" theme, but you have these clans that come across as the Wolverine of the setting (especially the Crab, right down to their crazy facial hair and "snikt bub snikt snikt bub!" personalities...)

When presenting it to players stress the good and bad of each.  Sure, the ideal Crab is a noble person who has given everything to keep her people safe from a very real evil.  She's also crude, aggressive, and possibly carrying Taint from the Shadowlands she lives so close to.

The Lion are noble, honorable warriors - the best tacticians that live.  They're also entirely too warlike and often eschew the more subtle routes of power for the sake of raising armies and crushing their enemies.

I've actually found the Crane to be the most played group, followed by the Scorpion as a close second.  I don't see a lot of people play Unicorn, but you've gotta dig into the Unicorn background to get really excited about them.

As to the "enemy of my enemy" aspect, share stories with the players of the people who really *are* in it to save the world - even when their stories go unsung.  The Crab who ventured out into the Shadowlands to single handedly put down a devil with too much knowledge at the cost of her own life.  The Unicorn who runs her mount to death in a desperate attempt to inform her Lord of a group of Naga doing something strange in Unicorn lands.  The entire Scorpion Clan

Spoiler

betraying the emperor for the sake of the empire, serving the world at the cost of their Clan, their families, and their lives.

You could even write up a bit of short fiction, say 2 - 3 paragraphs, on a typical member of each Clan doing something heroic.

I hate you sooo much for reminding me how damn cool L5R is

Quote from: C.W.RichesonI hate you sooo much for reminding me how damn cool L5R is

Did you ever follow the card game, CW?

Quote from: fonkaygarryDid you ever follow the card game, CW?

Dunno about him, but I did from Imperial Edition through to the first Day of Thunder and the Coup.  Once the Naga--my faction--got shitcanned, I quit.  Not even my #2 choice, the Unicorn, could keep me in the game.

Quote from: fonkaygarry(Christmas Ape I am talking to you!)

You rang?

QuoteWhat kind of campaigns do you favor with L5R?

Arrgh. Not the one I'm playing in now. As in, something that doesn't involve the Crab Wall with a pair of courtly samurai and a pair of questing Dragons, best described as "An excellent Dragon adventuring party and an excellent Scorpion-Phoenix conspiracy, with both pairs working together at a common goal that interests none of them". Generally I prefer a magistrate-style game for regular play, though I'm interested in a generational, season-by-season game of land management, war, politics, and family.

QuoteIs the combat as deadly as people make it out to be?

I can't say for how people make it out to be, but I took a single goblin arrow and went down to Crippled; the second one almost killed me. However, the healing rate is appropriately heroic, especially considering healing magic is so weak; if you survive the fight you'll be okay soon, but death can come pretty suddenly.  

QuoteAfter what date do you just toss Rokugani history as written?

Whichever date the 1e timeline ends at. The Scorpion Coup pushes it all downhill.

Quote from: Bradford C WalkerAnd I'd use the d20 version of the game. More forgiving and approachable than the stuff prior or succeeding it, which makes it easier to assimilate all of the foreign cultural elements; you only have half of the work to do.

This I'll back only if you hate learning new systems and are already familiar with L5R. I've always found R&K to be one of the more intuitive systems - our group's casual player understood it in one session - and d20 robs the system of its flavor, IMO.

Quote from: fonkaygarrySome clans (Crab, Crane, Lion) seem much easier to run/play as the Good Guys. How do you combat that?

*shrug* Shadowlands are evil, bandits are trash, ronin worse, and other samurai are plotting to keep you down or use you to elevate themselves. You've got plenty to worry about from fellow Clan members and the world, let alone general Clan samurai. Particularly if your GM keeps sending the game to the Wall, regardless of how plot-involved and character-centric he says it'll be! :mad:

Quote from: fonkaygarryDid you ever follow the card game, CW?

Not extensively.  I started playing casually with a few friends when Gold Edition came out, but that was about it.  I do feel like "the CCG determines the plot" aspect of the linked CCG/RPG was a weakness over time, and thus I prefer playing in the earlier days of the setting - too much epic stuff too quickly later on.

The cards are super cheap now and I would use mine as props if I were to run L5R again.