Rainy Days are here again - Another L5R 4e Campaign?

[Rain Yupa]

Paidi tou Selini

So... dormant volcano and super-rainy?

Think I'll go with, perfect underwater conditions; warm, nutrient-rich, and perfect for the most delicious fugu the Imperial Family has ever tasted.

Also also, I can kinda understand the Cranes, but why would the Unicorn hate us?

Also also also, still planning to play the bardic duelist, as Haruka's daughter.

My reasoning behind the four listed clans as ones that probably won't care for you:

Mantis = You guys kind of screwed them on several occasions. You really think they'd take that lying down? (P.S. - Thanks, Plainsfox!)
Lion = The Lion don't like anyone, but seem to really dislike minor clans for some reason.
Crane = The Crane think you are too opportunistic. Himura and his offspring have turned what should have been a good, honorable deed without reward (which it technically was at first) into a grab for power via guilt tripping the Emperor. Disgraceful, really.
Unicorn = Around the turn of the century, the clan champions of the Unicorn and Dragon were to wed; originally, the Unicorn champion (at the time, she was simply the daughter of the then-current Champion) was going to marry into the Dragon. However, when she was discovered as the reincarnation of the kami Shinjo, the Unicorn wouldn't give her up, and the imperials declared that the Dragon champion should instead marry into the Unicorn. He cancelled the thing instead. The Unicorn and the Dragon would eventually go to war over this, and though that's in the past and "resolved", they were never on good terms with the Dragon since then. And you get to inherit that displeasure!

The Dragon and their bee eff effs the Phoenix are your best sources of Clan Support (the latter being a strong advocate of peace). The Scorpion tend to look down on most minor clans unless there's a use for them, and the Crab... well, the Crab are like honey badgers, they don't even care.

Then there's the Spider Clan, who are probably your most vocal advocates in the colonies.

@ Fugu tastiness - I actually had that in mind. Iweko II was actually rather addicted to the fugu of Megumi Tenpi! It was part of what swayed his opinion, since he thought it a better purpose than a measly temple to the sun.

Iweko II died a few years ago prior to the start of game (natural causes), and his only son, Iweko III, currently sits on the throne! Since then, the demand for your fish hasn't quite been so high.....  

[Raganui Minamoto]

Then I shall make an Oriole Clan smith. Not too sure on how his later school ranks will go, but meh.

Also, if I take the Sacred Weapon advantage, do I just basically use the thing from the Tsi Smith school rank 5?  

[Rain Yupa]

Raganui Minamoto

Then I shall make an Oriole Clan smith. Not too sure on how his later school ranks will go, but meh.

Also, if I take the Sacred Weapon advantage, do I just basically use the thing from the Tsi Smith school rank 5?

... you're... you're going to play a samurai from a different minor clan into another minor clan? o_o'

I mean, it's valid in terms of flavor, but it's just... an odd choice.

However, I am going to deny you the Sacred Weapon advantage. There's no way the Oriole would create the item for their own use, then have it and its owner join a different clan. That's misappropriation of their clan's gifts.

The best case scenario is that Himura Haruka has one. But not you, nor your parents. If we were doing a normal game where you could just be an Oriole, that'd be one thing, but this is not that case.

With what you're trying to accomplish, I don't think you should be playing that type of character. I'm all for you playing a smithy character - all clans have smiths, and it would be really awesome for you to make a name for yourself that way as a KRAKEN smith, but I'm not letting you cheat the system.  

[Raganui Minamoto]

Alright then. Well, that certain changes my ideas so, hmm...

Also, not quite certain what you mean by 'cheat the system' with that.  

[Rain Yupa]

Raganui Minamoto

Alright then. Well, that certain changes my ideas so, hmm...

Also, not quite certain what you mean by 'cheat the system' with that.

You're trying to unlock your Rank 5 ability by giving yourself a sacred weapon at Rank 1, right? I mean, admittedly, you wouldn't be able to make more, but that was the point, yeah?  

[Raganui Minamoto]

Not really, it was just a question of 'hey, since Sacred Weapon doesn't list minor clans, if I were to take it, would I just use the rules it has here'. And hell, my thoughts on Sacred Weapon were mostly cause of what weapon style I wanted means I can't start with it (3 koku starting money hurts unless the game gives you more than a wakizashi).  

[Rain Yupa]

Sacred Weapons are very rare and precious gifts. I would have a hard time seeing any minor clan samurai short of a minor clan champion having such a weapon unless they had a really really good reason (and background) for it! In a regular game, if a player wanted to play a regular great clan bushi samurai and take sacred weapon just because, I would probably still turn them down.

In one game I've played in IRL, I've seen a courtier... Asako, I think... with a Sacred Weapon katana (with lots of Social Position and Fame too)... even though he had no kenjutsu or iaijutsu. He was tasked with carrying it for the sake of his family's tradition and honor. It was more of a handicap than a boon, and frankly, hilarious. It got him into so much trouble.

But yeah, rank-and-file normally wouldn't have such things just because.

With the exception of the Tsuruchi, all samurai have a katana. The reason most courtiers and shugenja don't list it (except for militant schools) is because then they'd be expected to use it. If a fight broke out, they'd be expected to fight the enemy. If challenged to a duel, they'd have to fight the duel themselves.

But courtiers and shugenja have more important duties than combat - which is why they have bushi champion them. Bushi train for such things so they don't have to. The more they focus on such things, the less skilled they'll be in matters where they're actually needed.

If you want to be ANY samurai and have a katana not listed in your starting gear, you may have one. Just be aware of the repercussions that come part and parcel with it. Otherwise, you are assumed that your katana is at home, kept safe in your family's shrine. 3nodding

If it really boiled down to it, if someone really wanted to play a character in a minor clan with a sacred weapon and were able to sell me on a very convincing background to justify it, I'd more than likely have to design a weapon for them. But yeah, in this campaign, sacred weapon is an advantage that really doesn't make any sense. If for no other reason, than because your clan is too new.  

[Raganui Minamoto]

Yea, and that's a fair answer. I may wait and see what you decide on for the Himura 'family' and 'school' then, for the Kraken Clan smith idea.  

[Rain Yupa]

At this point, I'm thinking Himura family has +1 Willpower, and Himura Bushi has +1 Awareness. (I picture Kitsuki Himura as being savvy, and not easily swayed).

Nothing is set in stone yet, but here were some of the things I jotted down at work today for possible thingies your school might have. They include:

• When making a Reflexes/Iaijutsu roll, your maximum raises is limited by your highest rank in an artisan skill.
  
• If you make a public display of artistry prior to a duel (vs TN 15), you gain 1 free raise to your Void/Iaijutsu (Focus) roll. Every 2 raises on the artisan skill gives you one additional free raise on the focus roll.
  
• Gain a number of free raises equal to your school rank, which may only be used for maneuvers in combat. (This may be per encounter or per round).
  
• When making an Awareness/Iaijutsu (Assessment) roll, add your Investigation rank to the total of your roll.
  
• Add your Honor rank to initiative rolls.

There will probably be a few more ideas, and some ideas from this and that list will probably get eliminated. It's less so of me thinking of good ideas, but also making sure that it's in balance with other similar classes, so you guys don't get too strong or too weak.

But that's the jist of the shenanigans you should expect.  

[Raganui Minamoto]

Does work well for a school based off a duelist poet.  

[Rain Yupa]

Right now, if it were the following four players (Plainsfox, Paidi, Raganui, and PupSage), I think we have definitely a bushi/duelist and a courtier, and it sounds like maybe a shugenja (I recommended to PS either Tamori or Isawa, both are 'doable').

I think the ideal spread for where this game would be going would be 2 bushi, 2 courtiers. It doesn't have to be by any stretch, but maybe that might influence any ideas you might have. Artisan IMHO fills the same role as courtier.

Remember, even though you wouldn't actually be considered Ronin, the Ronin progression may have much to offer you as well, especially as a versatility of options.  

[Raganui Minamoto]

Right. I'm currently down to three ideas. First off, a smith of some sort (may use the Himura bushis school for even more 'for the Kraken' business), a staffmaster of some sort, or a ronin Juijutsu.  

[Rain Yupa]

There's always regular monks too. Brotherhood of Shinsei monks are welcome everywhere.  

[Paidi tou Selini]

Rain Yupa

Iweko II died a few years ago prior to the start of game (natural causes), and his only son, Iweko III, currently sits on the throne! Since then, the demand for your fish hasn't quite been so high.....

Blasted ungrateful Emperor. *Shakes fist*  

[PupSage]

Okay, so the monk cheese that i liked was apparently all 3rd edition. So thats out.

I am thinking between Isawa shugenja or Kitsuki investigator. I dont know if I trust myseld as a courtier.