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ShortQuests -- individual adventure modules! An all-new collection of digest-sized D&D adventures designed to plug in to your game.

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Psion" data-source="post: 2009712" data-attributes="member: 172">Secrets of the LionSecrets of the Lion is a sourcebook for AEG's Rokugan setting detailing various families and personalities of the Lion clan. As with all of the Legend of the Five Rings products since Way of the Samurai, the book has statistics for both AEG's Legend of the Five Rings 2nd edition system as well as the d20 system using Wizard's Oriental Adventures as a baseline. This review deals primarily with the utility of the book as a d20 system product.A First LookSecrets of the Lion is a 96-page perfect bound softcover book priced at $24.95. This is the same price and size as the Way of the Samurai and Way of the Ninja books by AEG, and relatively expensive for d20 system products. Most 96 page products are around $20 except for full color products.The cover is color, with art by Matthew S. Armstrong. It breaks with the "blue binding" look of other recent d20 system Legend of the Five Rings books. The cover depicts the face of a samurai warrior with a black background. The picture is a wrap around, with the part of his face on the front cover unmarred, but the part on the back cover is scarred and has a missing eye.The interior is black-and-white, with some blue lettering and margin tabs. The interior art is by Chris Dornaus. The interior art is fairly good, and most of the art appears to be inked (as opposed to the pencil sketches that appear in many recent Legend of the Five Rings books.A Deeper Look(Warning: this section includes spoilers to secrets revealed in the book)Secrets of the Lion is split into six chapters and a sizable introductory chapter with rules and other important notes of its own, effectively giving the book seven chapters.The introduction chapter has a small selection of topics applicable to all of the Lion clan. This includes a history of the Lion clan, customs among the Lion clan, new disadvantages for the L5R 2e house system, new courtier abilities for the d20 system that can be selected by Lion clan courtiers, a list of Lion clan feats, and some notes on Lion clan standards.The first through fourth chapters detail various major families of the Lion clan: the Akodo, the Ikoma, the Kitsu, and the Ikoma. Each of these chapters details provinces and holdings (along with adventure hooks for each location), important NPCs, new vassal families, and new ancestor feats associated with the family.The fifth chapter is entitled the Kitsu Tombs. It details an ancient resting place for the ancients of the kitsu family and their inhuman ancestors. Descriptions and adventure seeds are provided to develop the tombs as a site for possible adventure.The sixth chapter, entitled Behind the Veil, presents GM only information. This includes a secret treachery within the lion clan, powers of the Kitsu, and the details of their incursions into otherworldly realms.ConclusionThere has been a dearth of adventure ideas for Rokugan in its d20 implementation; only Wizards' Oriental Adventures book provided much in the way of adventure ideas. Secrets of the Lion fills this need well, as well as providing players and GMs with a lot of detail about the Lion clan.That said, as mentioned the books is rather expensive, and the book does delve into what some players might consider minutia. Unless you are starved for ideas or are a Rokugan completist, chances are you can get by easily without this book without missing too much.-Alan D. Kohler</blockquote>

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