/tg/ - Traditional Games

>>414157

>>414163

source on the anime?

I liked Kelewan from the Empire Trilogy by Raymond E. Fiest & Janny Wurts and I think it got a D&D supplement, but I never saw it so I have no idea how well they adapted it.

>>414168

>>414169

Thanks guys, shame it's still running.

I hate following series.

>>414171

Well I guess you can watch the old anime until the current one is finished.

>>414168

>anime set in Sengoku Nippon

>make theme Engrish

I will never understand this decision.

>>414187

Check out NIOH then.

Protag is a blonde englishman and the bbeg is a weaboo youkai summoner.

>>414658

Friend buys Sekiro (literally means One armed Wolf); never uses the nippon audio. Why? It has subtitles, dude.

>>414157

>Legend of Five Rings and Bushido are entirely based in such a setting. I sadly have not really played either. What's the best version of either? Are the settings for them any good?

Haven't played Bushido but if you want to get into L5R 4e is good. There's a fifth edition but it's crap

>Book talks about core mechanics and doesn't even explain them

>Book references to other books that aren't even out yet

and worst of all

>specialty dice

As for the setting, I like it.

Favorite parts are the Scorpion Clan being hated by everyone for being the most loyal while being shady as fuck, Hida Kisada from the Crab Clan publicly spanking lowly nobles acting all high and mighty, and lastly the Mantis Clan's unnaturally ability to fuck up every single time and throwing teenager girl tantrums at all the other clans for telling them they're not a real Great Clan.

>>414734

Does the crab on his helmet move?

I'll be curious, is there a Japanese analogue for the World of Darkness or Call of Cthulhu?

>>415289

They're set in the real world, so there is no analog, just Japan.

>>415290

What I mean is if someone in Grorious Nippon made a game setting that is similar to those two I mentioned.

>>415312

In Moonland, they already love and play CoC more than any other system, so that answer stands. As for World of Darkness, I don't think there's any Nip systems that specifically go for the "vampires, werewolves, wizards, faeries, and mummies all secretly existing in the modern world" setting that WoD has.

>>414733

Do the specialty dice simplify and/or streamline the mechanics? I am trying to understand the decision to use them instead of d10s.

>>415365

As far as I understand the only reason they use specialty dice is to sell them for extra money. They do not simplify anything; if anything they make everything more confusing.

Up to 4e you had your Target Number you rolled against (or a contested number by another character) and you could go for raises, adding up to the difficulty in exchange for extra stuff. With 5e you have this group of really unintuitive symbols the GM has to interpret whatever the outcome of your action is depending on what the book says the symbols mean; this leads to situations such as "you attempt to recall your studies about Maho Tsukai and end up both remembering the specific spell used and also taking one point of strife as you focus too hard".

>>414163

>The book also failed to explain some basic shit about it's own setting.

This is true. The supplements, however, go into extensive detail about it. Like, Great Clans explains extensively not only the story of each of the families but also the daily life of a samurai from each clan.

bump

>>414157

Rip the music too?

>>414157

>L5R lore

So in summary:

>Crab Clan

<Gist:

THE WALL, THE WALL, NOTHING ON NINGEN-DO CAN MAKE IT FALL!

They're also seen as brutish barbarians.

<Gempuku (Samurai Bar-Mitzvah)

Lets send children to hell on Earth to kill demons before they're even propperly trained, that sounds like a good plan.

<Clan Champion

Hida Kisada, known for killing a gigantic fucking demon when he was 13 and is well regarded as the prime ass kicker in all of Rokugan.

<Unique fact

They're all absolute units for Rokugani standards. Their main diet consists of fried tofu for a high protein intake.

>Families of the Crab

<Hida Family

The largest family in the Crab and their indisputed ruler. Your average conversation with a Hida samurai consits on him not understanding your pleasantries and taking them as an affront before bashing your skull in with a giant slab of iron. The reason for this being that they live in constant fear of the Shadowlands, their entire lives consist on defending that wall and they are going to stop at nothing to do just that.

The descendants of Kami Hida are amongst the largest and most powerful individuals in Rokugan.

<Hiruma Family

They are renowned scouts who lost their homes to the Shadowlands, and then they got PISSED at that; and then they took back their home land, and they're still PISSED.

The Hiruma are a very varied family, they go from amazing scouts and bodyguards with their great feats of agility and stealth to ==BLOODTHIRSTY BERSERKING MANIACS== in the battlefield.

<Kaiu Family

Defending the wall is, despite what everyone else in Rokugan believes, heavy duty; and it's not uncommon for it to end up heavily damaged on the almost daily attempts by the Shadowlands to take over Rokugan. When the wall's damaged, the Kaiu arrive to repair it; being the family that not only originally built the Carpenter Wall but also every other defensive structure warrant of respect, they're regarded as the most amazing craftsmen in Rokugan, they're the kind of people that will mock you for having a shitty sword and then proceed to make you a legendary weapon that can cut down an Oni in a single blow just to prove whoever made your sword what a sword really looks like.

<Kuni Family

In order to look at a Kuni in the face you must either be insane or have balls of steel, they're the most feared Shugenja in all of Rokugan; not because of their magical power, but mostly because they're downright creepy looking.

Imagine a Call of Cthulhu character and then make him a Samurai. The Kuni know that to defeat the Shadowlands you need to understand it, and in order to do so they seek what would make other people mad.

They come generally in two flavors: As Shugenja (Samurai priest sorcerers) they're the bane of everything that is evil, wielding magics that destroy the non-human with reckless efficiency. As the militant part of the family, the Witch Hunters they roam freely around Rokugan (much to the displease of other Clans) seeking to hunt Maho-Tsukai (blood mages and demon worshippers); they do not show up just about anywhere though, the presence of a Kuni Witch Hunter beckons fear, for if they are here it means that shit is about to go down.

In general they're recognized for their kabuki-style makeup, which they apply fresh every day.

<Torikata Family

When what you're dealing with is not demons but spooky ghosts you call the Torikata. Originally the minor Falcon Clan their home is near the Shinomen Forest, known for it's high presence of ghosts and other spirits. They use falcons to track down everything unnatural and strike with surgical precision to maximize their damage against everything spooky.

<Yasuki Family

The most unnusual of the Crab families, which is to say the most strangely normal for Rokugani standards. They do not train to kill Shadowlands Creatures, but instead to acquire the massive ammount of Koku that protecting that wall represents.

They're strangely at odds with all the other Crab families, who see them as way too greedy, even for samurai, the fact that they also originate from the Crane is another good reason for them being seen as shady, or perhaps is their unnatural ability to always encounter the smuggling alley in every town they are in... nobody knows...

>>416334

>Crane Clan

<Gist

If a Crane samurai enters a court wearing nothing but their underwear and drinks their sake from a turtle shell you're not allowed to laugh, because that's HIGH FASHION and your sorry ass clearly doesn't understand what HIGH FASHION IS.

The Crane Clan do not follow traditions, they get to say what tradition is.

<Gempukku

The traditional Crane Gempukku consists of the parents of the samurai-to-be repeatedly flexing their wealth and connections to everyone invited.

<Clan Champion

Doji Hoturi, known to be beautiful as fuck and overall the avatar of what the perfect samurai should be like.

<Unique Fact

They tend to dye their hair white shortly after their Gempukku to honor Daidoji Hayaku, who led an incursion to the Shadowlands to look for the Gods and came back with them and the ancestral sword of the Crane Clan.

>Families of the Crane

<Asahina Family

Devout pacifists, they're amongst the most monastic and ascetic of the samurai families. As shugenja they're trained in the ways of non-violence, and as a result they are able to reduce damage dealt to their allies. They also tend to imbue their magic into fetishes, which are highly valued both because of their power and because they're amazing works of artistry.

<Daidoji Family

The so-called Iron Crane are the strong arm of the Crane Clan and the enforcers of the Doji and Kakita's will. They do not employ grace and style as their kinsmen do, but instead focus on sheer strength of arms and employ tactics that some might consider ruthless or even dishonorable. Daidoji means "defenders of Doji," and it is a name the family has earned.

In their Gempukku they tattoo the Daidoji family crest on their wrists to symbolize their devotion to their cause.

The skills of the Doji and the Kakita have raised the Crane into their position as masters of the court, but when words alone cannot attain victory; it is the strength and the courage of the Daidoji Iron Warriors that carry the day. The Daidoji have always considered themselves the silent steel of the Crane, and that perception is not inaccurate. The Daidoji Iron Warriors are both the rank and file and the heavy infantry of the Crane armies, comprising a sizable portion of the Clan's first army and the majority of the second. They also serve as yojimbo, and this duty is the one most often ascribed to the Daidoji, even if it is but one of their many roles.

<Doji Family

Lords of the Crane Clan, the Doji are the unquestioned masters of culture and politics in the Empire. It is a testament to the Doji's cunning and influence that the Clan has endured for a thousand years despite being beset by larger, more militant Clans who find the Crane's dominance of the courts endlessly antagonistic.

The reputation of the Crane Clan has for being the unquestioned masters of any court activity in which they are involved is well-deserved, and almost exclusively the result of the ancient secrets of the Doji Courtier School. The School's primary focus is on the creation of vast networks of allies upon whom the Crane can call to accomplish virtually anything, preferably indebting those involved to the Crane in the process. The curriculum in the Doji School is quite broad and encompasses a myriad of topics, more than could be mastered by any single samurai, no matter how talented. Fortunately, the sensei ensure that there are an ample number of courtiers trained in every area so no matter what the need, a Doji stands ready to fulfill it.

<Kakita Family

Literal cousins of the Doji, the Kakita family was created by the children of Lady Doji and her husband Kakita during the dawn of the Empire. The Kakita believe in excelling at one's chosen task, whether that task is making war or creating the most glorious pieces of art. Like other Crane families, the Kakita are also well known for their physical beauty and for being the best duelists (with the Mirumoto closely behind).

The sacred art of iaijutsu is practiced by all clans, but none have truly mastered it in the same manner as the sensei at the Kakita Dueling Academy. The School focuses unapologetically upon dueling. Other skills are part of the core teachings, but they are considered incidental and in many cases are offered only because some facet of their instruction relates in some way to iaijutsu. While there are those in the Empire who have criticized the School for its narrow focus, few can argue with the results; many battles have been won by the Crane because an enemy general was slain in a duel before the fighting began. Likewise the Crane stranglehold on the courts is easier to maintain when any challenge can be answered by a Kakita champion taking the courtier's place in a duel.

>>416336

>Dragon Clan

<Gist

They chill af. They're considered the most monastic of the Great Clans.

<Gempukku

The Gempukku of the Dragon varies with their families. See bellow.

<Clan Champion

Togashi Yokuni, he's the literal reincarnation of a dragon-god.

>Families of the Dragon

<Kitsuki Family

The ever-perceptive Kitsuki serve the Dragon Clan as magistrates and court representatives, although they are better suited as the former. Even in court, however, a Kitsuki's ability to perceive truth when presented with lies has proven a tremendous asset to the Dragon in their pursuit of an Empire free of deceit and treachery.

Even among the Dragon, the methods and beliefs imparted at the Kitsuki School are unusual. Alone in the Empire, the Kitsuki believe in the importance of evidence, something that most others cannot comprehend. The sensei of this unusual School place tremendous emphasis on developing the family's trademark powers of observation, honing them to a razor point, so much so that those trained in its Techniques possess a nearly infallible memory, perfect recall, and an almost inhuman attention to detail. Very little escapes the eye of a trained Kitsuki investigator, mostly because they invented the Kitsuki (Scientific) method.

Kitsuki Gempukku always involve some test of wits. Visual puzzles, riddles and tests of memory are all common, but the same test is rarely applied twice. Sometimes the samurai-to-be is not even informed he's doing the ceremony until he's completed it successfully.

<Mirumoto Family

The Mirumoto are the broad shoulders that carry the burden of the Dragon Clan. While the Togashi pursue their unique brand of enlightenment, the Mirumoto rule the clan in all but name, overseeing its day to day operations and filling the ranks of its military. Comprising more than half of the Clan's ranks, the Mirumoto are the most commonly encountered Dragon samurai in the Empire.

They come in two flavors.

Mirumoto Bushi:

Famous throughout the Empire for its unique teachings, the Mirumoto Bushi School is the lone fighting style that utilizes the Niten technique, wherein a samurai wields both the katana and the wakizashi simultaneously. This is a controversial style because it flies in the face of the traditional style used by the other clans for centuries, although Niten was actually developed at the same time as the one-sword style. In particular, the rivalry between students of the Mirumoto Bushi School and the Kakita Bushi School, the greatest advocates of Kakita's "One soul, one sword" philosophy, is heated even during times of peace. Many opponents, anticipating the reputation of the Dragon as erratic, are surprised to face the calm, implacable Mirumoto as an enemy, a mistake that has cost more than one samurai victory on the field of battle.

Mirumoto Taoist Swordsman

Although the Mirumoto family are best known for following the twin-sword fighting technique pioneered by their founder (and defined most clearly in his famous book Niten), not all members of the family embrace Mirumoto's fighting techniques. The Dragon Clan's long association with the quest for enlightenment, not to mention the existence of a special monastic order right within its own ranks (the Togashi tattooed men) has given rise to other warrior traditions. The most notable of these are the Taoist Swordsmen, ascetic warriors who maintain a small dojo deep within the most inaccessible mountains of the Dragon lands. There they pursue enlightenment and swordsmanship with equal dedication, often praying and training alongside small groups of Togashi monks. Taoist swordsmen are seldom seen outside their own lands, though on rare occasions they have been known to embrace the tradition of the "Worldly Monk" and travel the Empire in search of both enlightenment and experience with the sword.

Mirumoto Gempukku are also varied, they go from something as simple as reciting a part of the torah shintao to lengthy solemn ceremonies lasting several hours.

1/2

>>416339

2/2

<Tamori Family

Perhaps the most militant shugenja family in the Empire, the Tamori embrace unique magical styles, including alchemy, blacksmithing, and melding of magic and war. The Tamori are more feared than other shugenja because of their willingness to commit to violence when other priests would turn away.

Formed from the remnants of the Agasha family following their defection to the Phoenix Clan, the Tamori have inherited centuries of experimental studies conducted by their predecessors, and have embraced it just as they did. The most prominent among these unusual disciplines is the study of alchemy. The Tamori have mastered the abandoned Agasha secret of containing the essence of a spell within ritually prepared liquids, allowing them to be used later. Coupled with the martial training that Tamori shugenja receive, this is enough to make the family's secret teachings unique in all the Empire.

Tamori Gempukku are solemn and to the point. After several days of fasting and seclusion, the young student is brought before his master. The master offers a satchel of blessed scrolls and asks one question: “Why do you wish to bear our name?” If the master is impressed with the sincerity of the student’s answer the ceremony is complete. Some claim it does not truly matter what the student says, as long as he is concise and passionate in his beliefs.

<Togashi Order

A monastic order rather than a true family, the Togashi accept all who wish to join their ranks, provided they are able to embrace the order's teachings and endure its trials, which many are not. Over the centuries, the monks of this order have used the divine blood of the Dragon Kami to create mystical tattoos that grant them incredible, supernatural abilities.

The monks of the Togashi order, known as ise zumi, are the most recognizable and well known members of the Dragon Clan, due in large part to their highly unorthodox appearance. The Togashi monks embrace a strange philosophy that includes as part of its doctrine extensive tattooing of their bodies with ink crafted from diving blood of the Kami Togashi. These tattoos confer incredible, supernatural abilities that defy explanation even by the most powerful shugenja. Due to their behavior, which tends to be unusual even for a monk, the ise zumi are both revered and feared by the people of Rokugan, who never truly know what to expect from these mysterious figures.

Togashi monks specialize in unarmed combat and supernatural feats of athleticism, which a wide variety of other abilities thrown in for good measure. Generally speaking, a Togashi monk can lend support to other characters in whatever capacity is necessary, and usually bring unique abilities to the table as well.

Being monks (and therefore not samurai), Togashi do not celebrate Gempukku.