Rokugan RPG fantasy setting conversion for D&DNext (preliminary thoughts)

[gamerprinter]

Not that you'd need nor want it, but there's a Japan analog setting for Pathfinder called the Kaidan setting of Japanese horror (PFRPG), though its definitely not Rokugan and thus, not worth replacing your version of Rokugan with Kaidan, however there are several supplements for it that might be easier to convert to 5e, since it's already set up in "D&D" mode.

Way of the Samurai (PFRPG) includes an honor mechanic, and a system of creating detailed samurai clans (using the City Stat Block mechanic from the PF Gamemastery Guide). Most of the rest of that supplement is probably too Pathfinder specific to use for a 5e conversion with its samurai class, archetypes, feats and traits. There is an archetype and prestige class worth considering from that book, however, the Kuge, is an aristocratic born samurai (yes, most samurai are aristocrats, but some are born in major clans, and this archetype is for one of those), with a slower progression of samurai class features in exchange for more skill points, and class features that enhance social skill use. The kuge being a samurai class, still has access to varying samurai combat abilities, so it plays well with D&D, yet his social strengths in many ways fit the Rokugan concept of courtier. The prestige class of note is the Bugyo, which is more like a clan leader, or an aristocrat with official authority (magistrate, provincial governor, etc.) in some ways similar to a Kuge, but with very administrative power for class features. It touches on courtier in a slightly different light.

Way of the Yakuza is probably much less helpful to an L5R conversion, since the yakuza has no place in Rokugan (at least from my experience, the rogue type classes don't even exist outside of something like a Scorpion clan ninja). But if you're looking to include rogue characters and organizations to more closely emulate feudal Japan (again not so much Rokugan) this supplement may help.

Like Rokugan, Kaidan tends to be humano-centric in most things, especially society, but since Kaidan is built for Pathfinder, like D&D there needs to be non-humans in the setting, so Kaidan includes kappa, korobokuru, kitsune, hengeyokai and tengu. These non-human races, however, dwell in wilderness areas, and are often hunted by human samurai as "enemies of the state", and could just as easily be eschewed from the setting with only humans being the sentient race of the state.

Just some ideas to help you. You needn't be required to convert resources that is already much closer to a D&D conversion, than doing it from scratch with L5R.

 

[jadrax]

+Architecture and Engineering
+Battle
+Concentration
+Etiquette
+Geography
+Ghost Lore
+Iaijutsu
+Maho
+Shadowlands Lore
+Tea Ceremony

I think a possible issue you may have in extending the skill system with some of these, is they basically become a 'Skills Tax' because they are not necessarily that useful but are required for certain concepts.

So If I am generating a Crane Noble, obviously I need Etiquette and Tea Ceremony... and suddenly I have used up both my background skills. Which seems harsh.

While the way the 5e Noble background did it is to give the skills History and Persuasion, and then gave a feature that basically handled the ability to get an audience with other nobles because you are a noble and therefore know the right etiquette.

This is obviously just brainstorming, but not everything that was a skill in Lot5R/3.5 necessarily has to be skill in 5e, 5e actually has more tools you can use.

 

[Li Shenron]

I think a possible issue you may have in extending the skill system with some of these, is they basically become a 'Skills Tax' because they are not necessarily that useful but are required for certain concepts.

So If I am generating a Crane Noble, obviously I need Etiquette and Tea Ceremony... and suddenly I have used up both my background skills. Which seems harsh.

While the way the 5e Noble background did it is to give the skills History and Persuasion, and then gave a feature that basically handled the ability to get an audience with other nobles because you are a noble and therefore know the right etiquette.

This is obviously just brainstorming, but not everything that was a skill in Lot5R/3.5 necessarily has to be skill in 5e, 5e actually has more tools you can use.

Yes, I'm still thinking about skills as a whole in Rokugan, and the list is certainly not fixed yet.

We have to keep in mind that Rokugan adventures are typically different compared to classic D&D, for instance intrigue and investigation play a bigger role than combat. Exploration is less about sneaking, lockpicking and trapfinding, and mental acuity and knowledge often have the edge over physical prowess. So this means that some skills & tools that are a big deal in D&D may not be that important in Rokugan (Athletics, Stealth, Thieves' Tools...).

At the same time there are some skills which are going to have specific functional purposes, e.g. Concentration, Battle and Tea Ceremony. But they are by no means necessary, they only provide additional capabilities: for example, Tea Ceremony provides a mechanic for replenishing void points faster than normal (in 5e it will be something like for gaining void points back with a short rest rather than with a long rest). That's not necessary for every PC group to have, but at the same time it's typically enough for one PC to have it.

The default 5e skills list is very short because it's built specifically with the purpose of letting a group of 4-5 characters to basically "cover everything". This is something I specifically do not want in our Rokugan campaign. I want the gaming group to make strategic choices: do you want to focus your party strategy on using void magic? Then Tea Ceremony will give you an edge. With 4-5 PCs you can have quite a range of strategic specialties, but not all those possible. This is by design, so that every campaign is guaranteed to be strategically different, at least a little bit.

BTW Etiquette is still very much in the open. I need to figure out if it's worth being its own skill or be in fact just assumed that everyone has it.

edit: don't forget that Courtiers (who are supposed to be skills specialists in Rokugan) will get quite a lot more skills compared to the other classes... everyone gets 2 from class (chosen from a list) + 2 from background (fixed) + 1 from race (totally free). Courtiers get 2 more from class, and even more later from Versatile.

 

[jadrax]

Yes, I'm still thinking about skills as a whole in Rokugan, and the list is certainly not fixed yet.

yeah, I am totally just throwing ideas out into the aether here.

for example, Tea Ceremony provides a mechanic for replenishing void points faster than normal (in 5e it will be something like for gaining void points back with a short rest rather than with a long rest). That's not necessary for every PC group to have, but at the same time it's typically enough for one PC to have it.

I want the gaming group to make strategic choices: do you want to focus your party strategy on using void magic? Then Tea Ceremony will give you an edge. With 4-5 PCs you can have quite a range of strategic specialties, but not all those possible. This is by design, so that every campaign is guaranteed to be strategically different, at least a little bit.

Last night I was thinking that Tea Ceremony should probably be a Tool Proficiency, but the way you describe it here makes me feel it should probably be a Feat.

BTW Etiquette is still very much in the open. I need to figure out if it's worth being its own skill or be in fact just assumed that everyone has it.

There is a slight feeling that making Etiquette a skill is just going to mean that everyone who is not Crab Clan is going to be effectively one skill down. To me its not so much a matter of 'is this worth a skill', but a matter of 'this skill is far too good to ever pass up'.

 

[Li Shenron]

Last night I was thinking that Tea Ceremony should probably be a Tool Proficiency, but the way you describe it here makes me feel it should probably be a Feat.

Indeed I first put Tea Ceremony under the skills list (as it was a skill in 3e), then moved it for a while under Tools, then again back to skills.

The boundary between skills and tools is not always clear. Are you really able to make a Tea Ceremony because you are "proficient" in cups and spoons and teapots? Or is it more about the process as a whole? When undecided, I am blatantly also considering how "powerful" it's going to be, and if I think it's going to be potentially quite useful in a mechanical sense, then the split decision is pushed towards skills, otherwise if it's more to impress the court or make yourself a name (such as those I listed as "fine arts tools"), it can go with tools. That's because very roughly in 5e skills are considered more important/worth than tools.

OTOH, as a feat it's not a bad idea at all. In general I think there's some rolls involved in each Tea Ceremony, so naturally a skill/ability check fits. However the 5e general assumption is that you can try all the checks you want. I do not like this for Tea Ceremony, or possibly Battle and Iaijutsu. I was thinking just to say proficiency is strictly required. But making it a feat automatically means you need to feat to even try, which is just what I want. OTOH, the feat itself will need to introduce a mechanic for it, even if it's just an ability check.

I'll keep this option open. I also purposefully want the skills list to be large enough so that there is variety not only between PCs but also across different parties, so that players don't always end picking up Perception. So maybe at the end I'll make it either a skill or a feat depending on overall considerations on the skills list.

There is a slight feeling that making Etiquette a skill is just going to mean that everyone who is not Crab Clan is going to be effectively one skill down. To me its not so much a matter of 'is this worth a skill', but a matter of 'this skill is far too good to ever pass up'.

I definitely agree, and in fact I keep thinking about just assuming every PC knows Etiquette. Also because I am not sure I want to ask the PC to roll Etiquette checks... it's almost a bit like a language, and rolling language checks is not that interesting for most players, except in rare circumstances. It's in fact those rare circumstances which kept this skills alive in my list, like for that occasion when you meet the Emperor, or when you want to really impress your host etc. But how is this actually going to work? You roll Etiquette and if your result is high, then what? You get a benefit on Persuasion? You shift the NPC attitude? If I come up with some solid ideas then I'll keep Etiquette as a sort of "further specialization" beyond basic etiquette that everyone has, otherwise I'll probably just drop it from the list.

 

[Li Shenron]

Backgrounds

Just finished designing 50+ family backgrounds...

They work pretty much like normal backgrounds, in the sense that they grant the same things: two skills proficiencies, two tools/languages proficiencies, some equipment, and a unique feature.

The main difference is that, since the background features in Basic are not appropriate for Rokugan characters, the actual "feature" of all background is a chosen Ancestor, and its associated benefit.

I didn't associate specific tables of traits/flaws/bonds/ideals to backgrounds. I think these can be just chosen from any 5e background tables. OTOH, each family background specifies the starting honor rank (the actual rule is that you can start with an honor equal to this number, or +1, or -1).

One major problem I noticed doing the conversions/adaptations, is that the tools list is seriously limited (even after my additions). Choosing two appropriate skills is easy, but choosing two appropriate tools is not, so I very often ended up with 1-2 languages proficiencies instead, but these aren't very representative of any background (and that is also true for nearly every 5e core background, except perhaps Sage). Languages profs are kind of where you end up, when you don't have suitable ideas for tool profs...