Legend of the Five Rings: Cartographers! Game has started!

[Gender Ender]

I vote NPC Cartographer unless a PC wants to do it, which it looks like one does! So, essentially, I vote for freedom.

Also, since making a monk named Furumaro would probably be unsporting in a Destroyer War context, Tsuruchi Archer on the way.  

[Rain Yupa]

So I believe we'll have a Yoritomo Courtier, Tsuruchi Archer, and Kitsune Shugenja thus far. 3/7 being Mantis!

Also, sample character sheets can be found aqui.  

[Plainsfox]

Player: Plainsfox
Name: Kitsune Hikaru
Clan:Mantis
School: Kitsune Shugenja
Rank: 1
Insight: 136
Experience: 40/40
Glory: 0.0
Honor: 4.5
Status: 1.0
Taint:
Heritage: Ancestor Lost in Unpopular Foreign War


EARTH:3

• Stamina: 3
  
• Willpower: 3
  

WATER:2

• Strength: 2
  
• Perception: 2
  

FIRE:2

• Agility: 2
  
• Intelligence: 2
  

AIR:3

• Reflexes: 3
  
• Awareness: 3
  

VOID:2

• Void: 2
  
• Current Void Points: 2
  

SKILLS

• Calligraphy (Intelligence) - 1
  
• Defense (Reflexes) - 1
  
• Hunting (Perception) - 2
  
• Medicine (Intelligence) - [Herbalism] - 2
  
• Meditation (Void) - 2
  
• Spellcraft (Intelligence) - 2
  
• Kenjutsu (Agility) - 1
  Knives (Agility/Reflexes) - 1
  Courtier (Awareness) - 1
  Etiquette (Awareness) - 1
  Lore: Theology (Intelligence) - 1
  Investigation (Perception) - 1

MASTERY ABILITIES


ADVANTAGES
Merchant Servant: Shinobu (3 pts)
Absolute Direction ( 1 pt)
Luck (3 pts)

DISADVANTAGES
Cursed by the Realm (Yume-do) 4 pts


TECHNIQUES, SPELLS, KATA, KIHO, SHADOWLANDS POWERS
Kitsune Shugenja School (Affinity Earth/Deficiency Fire)
Essence of Chikushudo – You may use the Sense, Commune, and Summon basic spells to affect the animal spirits of Chikushudo as well as kami (using Summon results in the appearance of a single animal spirit rather than a set amount of elemental material). Animal spirits tend to be more direct than the kami, and perceive things differently, but have just as little sense of why man does what he does. You gain a Free Raise on any non-damaging spell cast on an animal.

Universal:
Summon
Commune
Sense
Earth
Spells Per Day: 3/3
Earth Becomes Sky (2)
Embrace of Kenro-ji-jin (2)
Jurojin's Balm (1)
Water
Spells Per Day: 2/2
Path to Inner Peace (1)
Reversal of Fortunes (1)
Air
Spells Per Day: 3/3
Nature's Touch (1)
Fire
Spells Per Day: 2/2
Void
Spells Per Day: 2/2

EQUIPMENT/CURRENCY
Robes
Scroll Satchel
Medicine Kit (10/10 Uses)
15 sheets of paper
2 Koku 1 Bu
Traveling Pack that contains Week's worth of rations, widebrimmed straw hat, blanket, Straw cloak, small tent, spare kimono and sandals, ink brush kit, coin purse, personal chop, tea set
Wakazashi
Tanto


COMBAT
Weapons
Wakazashi - 3k2/3k3 when thrown - 4k2 - Normal - maybe thrown up to 20' as a
thrown weapon
Tanto - 3k2/ 3k3 when thrown- 3k1 - Normal - may be thrown up to 20' as a
thrown weapon.

Armor
TN To Be Hit = 20

Initiative
4k3

Wounds
HEALTHY (+0): 0/15
NICKED (+3): 0/6
GRAZED (+5): 0/6
HURT (+10): 0/6
INJURED (+15): 0/6
CRIPPLED (+20): 0/6
DOWN (+40): 0/6
OUT (+N/A): 0/6


DESCRIPTION
Solidly built, Kitsune Hikaru possesses the long, brownish-red hair the
Kitsune family is known for. His eyes are the blue of the Crane and speak of a past when various minor branch families of the Crane clan intermarried with his ancestors. Hikaru often wears reddish-brown kimonos. Fortunately, or unfortunately, Hikaru's mother has destroyed all of his pre Mantis clan kimonos and so he must wear ones with the Mantis mon on them.

The young shugenja almost always looks worn, like he's operating off of little
sleep and often yawns or winds up taking short "naps" when he can get away with it.

BACKGROUND
Kitsune Hikaru was born the fourth son and the fifth child to Kitsune Saburo
and his wife, the former Suzume Hotaru. Saburo is one of the Kitsune family's few merchant patrons. Unfortunately, the last few decades were not kind to Saburo's family. Most of his brothers, sisters, sons, and daughter are dead.

The only exceptions are his sister Airi, who married into the Kakita family
the last time the Crane clan wished an alliance with the Fox Clan and Hikaru, his youngest.

Hikaru grew up being proud of his siblings and relatives and the sacrifices
they made for the Fox Clan. Accordingly, the transition into the Mantis Clan
has not been easy for him and he tries to "rebel" in what ways he can.

In order to help integrate the family into the Clan, The Mantis have revealed ties to their clan, especially that Hikaru's great-grandfather, Kitsune Kei, fought and died in one of their ventures in a distant land. This has gone over as well as can be expected with the rest of Rokugan.

Recently, Hikaru has gained an appointment to the Imperial Cartographers, as samurai more skilled are in short supply.

Vital Statistics:
Age: 16 (b. 19th day of the Month of Shiba, 115 cool
Height: 5' 5" Weight: 153 lbs
Eye color: blue. Hair color: Red-brown


Shinobu
Age: 35 (b. 23rd Day of the Month of Bayushi, 1139)
Height: 5' 0" weight: 119 lbs
Eye Color: Brown Hair Color: Black  

[Rain Yupa]

BIGGEST MECHANICAL DIFFERENCES

Those who are more 3-savvy, note the following:

Void costs 6 x new rank to increase, instead of 4 x new rank like it used to. All other traits are 4 x new rank.

Honor is now on a 10 point scale.

Armor TN (the phrase replacing TN to be Hit) is now 5 + 5 x Air, rather than just 5 x Air.

Large weapons don't get Strength multipliers.

An emphasis lets you reroll any 1s on a roll, rather than adding to a total. If a 1 is rerolled as another 1, it sticks.

Not only does Armor increase your Armor TN, it also grants reduction (so you take less damage). Bushi, expect to last longer in a fight!

Meditation recovers 1 void point to start.

Dueling is less confusing.

Raises are solely limited by your Void Ring.

Raising for damage is only +1k0 per raise, rather than alternating (so 3 raises is +3k0 to damage).

There are 5 stances you can assume: Attack, Full Attack, Defense, Full Defense, and Center:

• Attack - One complex action + free actions, or Two simple actions + free actions. There's no limit to how many free actions you can take, but each one can be performed only once. Attacking, casting spells, and using skills are primarily complex actions. Simple ones are like full moving, drawing a weapon, standing up, speaking, and guarding someone. See p85.
  
• Full Attack - +2k1 on attack rolls made that round, but -10 to your Armor TN. Their move is +5 feet, and they may not make a ranged attack.
  
• Defense Stance - You can do any action EXCEPT attack. Your Armor TN is increased by your Air Ring + your Defense rank.
  
• Full Defense - As a complex action, you make a Reflexes/Defense roll and add half the sum to your Armor TN (so you can't "lower" your Armor TN like in 3rd edition).
  
• Center - The stance for dueling. You don't HAVE to use it to duel, though. When you assume this stance, you take no actions for the round. The next round, if you assume another stance, you gain +1k1 + Void Ring to any one roll made during that turn. That action is resolved at +10 initiative for that round only.

HOUSE RULES

Some of the Insight Bonuses from 3rd edition will carry over. Namely:

Artisan Rank 5, +2 insight; Rank 10, +2 insight.
Games Rank 5, +2 insight; Rank 10, +2 insight.
Lore Rank 5, +2 insight; Rank 10, +2 insight.
Perform Rank 5, +2 insight; Rank 10, +2 insight.
Theology Rank 5, +2 insight; Rank 7, +2 insight. Rank 10, +10 insight.
Craft Rank 5, +2 insight; Rank 10, +2 insight.

Talking with Plainsfox, I changed the Kitsune deficiency from Air to Fire. Having a starting stat boost in your deficiency isn't the best, and for someone so in tune with nature, it did strike me as odd that they'd have more fire spells than air.

Right now that's it, but I'll think of more.  

[WhimsicalXellos]

Myth-Weavers announced that they'll be adding L5R to their sheets soon. Looking forward to that. : )

I'm looking over some bushi builds. Possibly Crab or Boar.  

[Rain Yupa]

WhimsicalXellos

Myth-Weavers announced that they'll be adding L5R to their sheets soon. Looking forward to that. : )

I'm looking over some bushi builds. Possibly Crab or Boar.

The Boar have been dead for almost 800 years o_o  

[WhimsicalXellos]

Rain Yupa

The Boar have been dead for almost 800 years o_o

Ah, hadn't read that far, haha. That makes things trickier.  

[xX_Terei_Xx]

I will make my Phoenix bushi some time tonight or tomorrow.

Oh, and I vote NPC cartographer.  

[Rain Yupa]

xX_Terei_Xx

I will make my Phoenix bushi some time tonight or tomorrow.

Oh, and I vote NPC cartographer.

Do you need a hand with building it? You know how to reach me if you do.  

[Rain Yupa]

Also I spoke a bit with Mongooseh about what would be required for building his character if he wanted to be the cartographer. I think he's fine with it. I'll help him fine-tune things if necessary, but I'm sure it'll be swell.

Also note, that you lot can have a "team" if more than one PC wanted to be responsible for it.

Update: We worked out a bit more. It's a go for Mongo.  

[xX_Terei_Xx]

Rain Yupa

Do you need a hand with building it? You know how to reach me if you do.

Ohoho

But nah. I should be fine. It's not that different from 3eR and I have the book, so....

I wouldn't mind a game of round-robin cartography. ;D Do we actually get to draw our portion of the map, if we go with that?  

[Rain Yupa]

xX_Terei_Xx

Rain Yupa

Do you need a hand with building it? You know how to reach me if you do.

Ohoho

But nah. I should be fine. It's not that different from 3eR and I have the book, so....

I wouldn't mind a game of round-robin cartography. ;D Do we actually get to draw our portion of the map, if we go with that?

._.

Also, you guys are going to give me very brief verbal descriptions (like, 10 words or less if you can do it) about what's 'special' about a zone, and it'll be the cartographer's job to map it. If both you and Mongooseh are sharing Cartographer duties, than you and he can work out the drawyness of it. I'd only handle it myself if it was an NPC doing it.  

[xX_Terei_Xx]

Rain Yupa

Also, you guys are going to give me very brief verbal descriptions (like, 10 words or less if you can do it) about what's 'special' about a zone, and it'll be the cartographer's job to map it. If both you and Mongooseh are sharing Cartographer duties, than you and he can work out the drawyness of it. I'd only handle it myself if it was an NPC doing it.

Hmmmmm.....

Does "Verdant Oasis" count? Haha
If not, then how about "wondrous lake paradise in a forest of darkness"?

Anyways, I dunno if I want to be a cartographer yet.
Seems like a lot of work, especially since I'm going back to school soon, but I'm definitely interested.  

[xX_Terei_Xx]

WIP Just wanted to post it up for mechanical review.
( And to check my formatting >u>;; )

Player: xX_Terei_Xx
Name: Agasha Something-or-Other
Clan: Phoenix Clan
School: Shiba Bushi School
Rank: 1
Insight: 134/150
Experience: 0
Glory: 1.0
Honor: 5.5
Status: 1.0
Taint: N/A
Heritage: Are we doing this?
Birthday: Rat 6


EARTH:

• Stamina: 2
  
• Willpower: 2
  

WATER:

• Strength: 3
  
• Perception: 3 (+1 for Family)
  

FIRE:

• Agility: 3 (+1 for School)
  
• Intelligence: 2
  

AIR:

• Reflexes: 2
  
• Awareness: 2
  

VOID:

• Void: 3
  
• Current Void Points: 3
  

SKILLS

Defense (Reflexes) – 1
Etiquette (Awareness) – 2
Investigation (Perception) – 2
Kenjutsu (Agility) - [Katana/No-dachi] – 3
Kyujutsu (Reflexes) – 1
Meditation (Void) - [Void Meditation] – 2
Perform: Flute (Agility) – 1
Spears (Agility) – 1
Theology (Intelligence) – 1

MASTERY ABILITIES

Kenjutsu: Rank 3 Damage + 1k0

ADVANTAGES

Touch of the Spirit Realm (5): Regain all Void points with 4 hours of rest, instead of 8 hours.

DISADVANTAGES

Bad Fortune [Evil Eye] (3): Heterochromatic eyes.
Bad Fortune [Secret Love] (3): Stalker that’s willing to harass others in order to be with you.
Can’t Lie (2): Physically can’t lie and must succeed in Willpower TN 20 to avoid correcting the lies of others.
Lechery (2): +1k1 to an opponent’s Temptation (Seduction) rolls against you.

TECHNIQUES, SPELLS, KATA, KIHO, SHADOWLANDS POWERS

Rank 1: The Way of the Phoenix

When spending a Void Point to gain +1k1 on a roll, you may choose to spend 2 to gain +2k2 instead. You may Guard as a Free Action, though doing so only adds +5 to your target’s Armor TN, instead of +10.

EQUIPMENT/CURRENCY

Currency: 1 koku | 3 bu | 4 zeni

Light Armor
Sturdy Clothing
Daisho (Katana, Wakizashi)
No-dachi
Traveling Pack

(Bottle of sake, Chopsticks, Instrument [Flute], Pet [Songbird],
Pillow Book, Sake Cup, Small Hand Mirror, Smoking Pipe, Sweets)

Finger of Jade
Flint and Steel
Small Knife (Grooming)
Umbrella
Netsuke (red feather necklace)
Travelling Cloak

COMBAT
Weapons

Katana – Attack: 6k3 - Damage: 6k2 - [Medium, Samurai] – May spend one Void point to increase damage by +1k1. (Emphasis) Reroll 1s once
No-dachi – Attack: 6k3 – Damage: 6k3 – [Large] – (Emphasis) Reroll 1s once
Wakizashi – Attack: 6k3 - Damage: 5k2 - [Medium,Samurai] – May be thrown up to 20’ as ranged

Armor

TN To Be Hit = 20 {Air(2) x 5 + Armor (5) + Other (5)}
Other Modifiers = Reduction 3 (Armor)

Initiative

3 k 2

Wounds

HEALTHY (+0): 0/10
NICKED (+3): 0/4
GRAZED (+5): 0/4
HURT (+10): 0/4
INJURED (+15): 0/4
CRIPPLED (+20): 0/4
DOWN (+40): 0/4
OUT (+N/A): 0/4

DESCRIPTION

WIP

BACKGROUND

WIP

 

[Rain Yupa]

xX_Terei_Xx

WIP Just wanted to post it up for mechanical review.
( And to check my formatting >u>;; )

Player: xX_Terei_Xx
Name: Agasha Something-or-Other
Clan: Phoenix Clan
School: Shiba Bushi School
Rank: 1
Insight: 134/150
Experience: 0
Glory: 1.0
Honor: 5.5
Status: 1.0
Taint: N/A
Heritage: Are we doing this?
Birthday: Rat 6


EARTH:

• Stamina: 2
  
• Willpower: 2
  

WATER:

• Strength: 3
  
• Perception: 3 (+1 for Family)
  

FIRE:

• Agility: 3 (+1 for School)
  
• Intelligence: 2
  

AIR:

• Reflexes: 2
  
• Awareness: 2
  

VOID:

• Void: 3
  
• Current Void Points: 3
  

SKILLS

Defense (Reflexes) – 1
Etiquette (Awareness) – 2
Investigation (Perception) – 2
Kenjutsu (Agility) - [Katana/No-dachi] – 3
Kyujutsu (Reflexes) – 1
Meditation (Void) - [Void Meditation] – 2
Perform: Flute (Agility) – 1
Spears (Agility) – 1
Theology (Intelligence) – 1

MASTERY ABILITIES

Kenjutsu: Rank 3 Damage + 1k0

ADVANTAGES

Touch of the Spirit Realm (5): Regain all Void points with 4 hours of rest, instead of 8 hours.

DISADVANTAGES

Bad Fortune [Evil Eye] (3): Heterochromatic eyes.
Bad Fortune [Secret Love] (3): Stalker that’s willing to harass others in order to be with you.
Can’t Lie (2): Physically can’t lie and must succeed in Willpower TN 20 to avoid correcting the lies of others.
Lechery (2): +1k1 to an opponent’s Temptation (Seduction) rolls against you.

TECHNIQUES, SPELLS, KATA, KIHO, SHADOWLANDS POWERS

Rank 1: The Way of the Phoenix

When spending a Void Point to gain +1k1 on a roll, you may choose to spend 2 to gain +2k2 instead. You may Guard as a Free Action, though doing so only adds +5 to your target’s Armor TN, instead of +10.

EQUIPMENT/CURRENCY

Currency: 1 koku | 3 bu | 4 zeni

Light Armor
Sturdy Clothing
Daisho (Katana, Wakizashi)
No-dachi
Traveling Pack

(Bottle of sake, Chopsticks, Instrument [Flute], Pet [Songbird],
Pillow Book, Sake Cup, Small Hand Mirror, Smoking Pipe, Sweets)

Finger of Jade
Flint and Steel
Small Knife (Grooming)
Umbrella
Netsuke (red feather necklace)
Travelling Cloak

COMBAT
Weapons

Katana – Attack: 6k3 - Damage: 6k2 - [Medium, Samurai] – May spend one Void point to increase damage by +1k1. (Emphasis) Reroll 1s once
No-dachi – Attack: 6k3 – Damage: 6k3 – [Large] – (Emphasis) Reroll 1s once
Wakizashi – Attack: 6k3 - Damage: 5k2 - [Medium,Samurai] – May be thrown up to 20’ as ranged

Armor

TN To Be Hit = 20 {Air(2) x 5 + Armor (5) + Other (5)}
Other Modifiers = Reduction 3 (Armor)

Initiative

3 k 2

Wounds

HEALTHY (+0): 0/4
NICKED (+3): 0/4
GRAZED (+5): 0/4
HURT (+10): 0/4
INJURED (+15): 0/4
CRIPPLED (+20): 0/4
DOWN (+40): 0/4
OUT (+N/A): 0/10

Healthy and Out are flipped now. Healthy should have 10 wounds, and Out should have 4.

I only have you at 44 points. 12 for for Strength 3, 18 for Void 3, 6 for emphases (void 'recovery'), 4 in non-school skills, 9 in school skills, 5 in advantages (Touch of 'Yume-do'), 10 in disadvantages. I think that's everything.

And Heritage is always optional.