The End of Rokugan d20

[Kae'Yoss]

Then Kara-Tur would fulfill that requirement. But it still is related to the FR. Not a problem for me, I like the Realms, and this would be a way to stay in known spheres and have oriental action - or combine both - but some might not want that.

So, for the 4e OA, they can use KT in order to use all material, but I'm happy about 3e OA's Rokugan connection nonetheless. Without it, I wouldn't have discovered Rokugan at all.

 

[ivocaliban]

So, for the 4e OA, they can use KT in order to use all material, but I'm happy about 3e OA's Rokugan connection nonetheless. Without it, I wouldn't have discovered Rokugan at all.

I enjoy the world of Rokugan regardless of the system, so I'm not complaining. As the dual-stat material will always allow me to bring dedicated d20 gamers to the setting, yet will still be useful for playing L5R when the 3rd edition rolls around...I'm pleased either way. Having absorbed roughly half of the Secrets books now (Crab, Mantis, Phoenix, and Unicorn), I can safely say that they contain the same quality of writing as the original L5R Way series and, quite surprisingly, aren't redundant in the least. Furthermore...there's never a dull day in Rokugan.

I've a few questions about some of the dual-stat releases that perhaps someone here could answer for me, though:

1) Way of the Daimyo - I've heard both good and bad about this supplement. Some say it's invaluable for information on how to deal with characters in important positions...while others say it's fairly useless because any PC who becomes say...the head of a dojo...is probably going to put a damper on the rest of the party's travels/adventures. I'm more intersted in knowing if any of the Imperial families are detailed here as I'd like more information on the Miya, Otomo, and Seppun if possible. Also, a rundown on what's new for the Courtier would be appreciated.

2) Complete Exotic Arms Guide - This seems like something I would normally pass up. While it might add a great deal of flavor to the weapon selection, it seems far from necessary. Could anyone give me their impressions of this book?

3) Way of the Thief - I'm assuming this book is basically about the Kolat and other crooks, but I've yet to find a review of it. This is another book I know almost nothing about...just a rundown on usefulness would be nice.

4) Way of the Open Hand - Yet another book that is rarely discussed or reviewed. The monks and inkyo of Rokugan are perhaps my favourite...so I'm very curious as to what this contains.

5) Fortunes & Winds - Originally, I intended to avoid this one as I doubt many of my campaigns will involve the Spirit Realms, but as it may clear up the Lord Sun/Lady Moon drama, it could be worth it. I've never quite understood the logic behind Hitomi defeating Onnotangu...or how (why?) Yakamo became Lord Sun after Amaterasu's demise. So, if there's a history/timeline in this book, I'd like to know.

I'd appreciate any help I can get!

 

[Geron Raveneye]

5) Fortunes & Winds - Originally, I intended to avoid this one as I doubt many of my campaigns will involve the Spirit Realms, but as it may clear up the Lord Sun/Lady Moon drama, it could be worth it. I've never quite understood the logic behind Hitomi defeating Onnotangu...or how (why?) Yakamo became Lord Sun after Amaterasu's demise. So, if there's a history/timeline in this book, I'd like to know.

I'd appreciate any help I can get!

Nope, sorry...no timeline in Fortunes & Winds, but detailed descriptions of each spirit realm. And they definitely are worth it.
I just wish they hadn't added that nonsense about Onnotangu being slain in a duel by a mortal...*sigh*. That's what happens when you advance an RPG storyline after a card tournament result.

 

[ivocaliban]

Nope, sorry...no timeline in Fortunes & Winds, but detailed descriptions of each spirit realm. And they definitely are worth it.
I just wish they hadn't added that nonsense about Onnotangu being slain in a duel by a mortal...*sigh*. That's what happens when you advance an RPG storyline after a card tournament result.

Thanks for the information. Yes, the Onnotangu/Hitomi (and as a result the Amaterasu/Yakamo) storyline seems to be something that happened off-stage and was never really detailed properly. Thanks to Forgotten Realms I'm used mortals defeating deities and taking over their portfolios, but it's not something I particularly found appropriate (or expected) for Rokugan. Does Fortunes & Winds go into what Fu Leng's been up to and the war in the spirit realms?

While I'm at it...does anyone have the Bloodspeakers book from Paradigm Concepts?

 

[Truth Seeker]

Thanks for the information. Yes, the Onnotangu/Hitomi (and as a result the Amaterasu/Yakamo) storyline seems to be something that happened off-stage and was never really detailed properly. Thanks to Forgotten Realms I'm used mortals defeating deities and taking over their portfolios, but it's not something I particularly found appropriate (or expected) for Rokugan. Does Fortunes & Winds go into what Fu Leng's been up to and the war in the spirit realms?

While I'm at it...does anyone have the Bloodspeakers book from Paradigm Concepts?

Yes, what of it, do you seek...and be careful, the powers of maho, are watching.

Edit: AH...I didn't see the previous mention listing for your other questions on those books(bad habit, just scroll to bottom of page, sometimes)

 

[ivocaliban]

Yes, what of it, do you seek...and be careful, the powers of maho, are watching.

Edit: AH...I didn't see the previous mention listing for your other questions on those books(bad habit, just scroll to bottom of page, sometimes)

Oh, I'm just looking for a vague idea of how Bloodspeakers stacks up to the AEG material. General information on the others, mostly. Way of the Thief and Way of the Open Hand have no reviews that I'm aware of...and I'm really curious about the Courtier information in Way of the Daimyo. Basically...as I've never seen these books and reviews for them are skimpy...just want to know what someone who owns them thinks of them...

 

[mhacdebhandia]

The considered opinion of every Legend of the Five Rings fan I know - who have played both Second Edition "roll-&-keep" and d20 Rokugan games, as well as the CCG (just to establish their pedigree) is that Bloodspeakers is a puerile, sophomoric treatment of "evil" and, more to the point, completely lacks the Rokugan tone and flavour.

 

[ivocaliban]

The considered opinion of every Legend of the Five Rings fan I know - who have played both Second Edition "roll-&-keep" and d20 Rokugan games, as well as the CCG (just to establish their pedigree) is that Bloodspeakers is a puerile, sophomoric treatment of "evil" and, more to the point, completely lacks the Rokugan tone and flavour.

Ouch.

Think I'll steer clear of this one.

 

[Gaiden]

I had never even heard of L5R except for perhaps seeing a box of card packs at the local RPG shop and thinking that perhaps they made another M:tG card game this time with a feudal japan flavor. The advent of OA was my introduction to Rokugan and when I saw the hard cover campaign world source book I about spooged my pants (ok, exageration - I don't get that excited about Rokugan...really).

Seriously speaking thought, Rokugan is my favorite D20 book of all time and Rokugan is the most rich and flavorful campaign world that that D&D has ever seen - even FR's with its multitude of 2E and 3.X E books (probably in the hundreds) pales in comparison. Anyone I talk to about D&D finds out sooner or later that I think that the establishment of Rokugan as the OA world and AEG's d20 material detailing that world was the best decision WotC ever made and that is my favorite world in all of D&D.

I will be truely saddened to see no further d20 material published. Of course, I have every single d20 book that AEG has made for Rokugan. Even the Rokugan equivalent to the arms and equipment guide (which I probably could have skipped out on). Rokugan is definitely my favorite. A close second is Way of the Samurai. I have read everything but for the life of me could not begin to recite all of the flavor (I gaff at your labeling of it as fluff - that is what makes these books so good). I have got most of the mechanics down though.

Coming from a solid background of D&D and also being a graduate student with not too much time to do anything else, I found that had the product not converted to d20, I would have never gotten into it; never even heard of it. I know d20 amazingly well (yes, I am a ruleslawyer) and have 300kb text files of house rules. I tried to learn another system once: Shadowrun and I found that having such a poor understanding of the rules limited my gaming experience tremendously. I don't have the time to learn another rules system to the same degree that I know d20, and based on what I've read so far, I am kind of dissappointed - it sounds like L5R 3E woudl be really cool to get into. Alas, "its a question of time".

If d20 Rokugan has ended I am thankful that they produced everything up to this point. I have found a few L5R sourcebooks: way of the ratlling, something on the shadowlands, etc. and most of it was flavor so I might buy some of the older stuff and much of the new anyway. My advice to AEG is to jam as much flavor and history as possible into the new books. IMO, they may find that their d20 dip attracted a loyal if minor following that aren't familiar with L5R mechanics and prefer d20.

 

[Geron Raveneye]

Thanks for the information. Yes, the Onnotangu/Hitomi (and as a result the Amaterasu/Yakamo) storyline seems to be something that happened off-stage and was never really detailed properly. Thanks to Forgotten Realms I'm used mortals defeating deities and taking over their portfolios, but it's not something I particularly found appropriate (or expected) for Rokugan. Does Fortunes & Winds go into what Fu Leng's been up to and the war in the spirit realms?

While I'm at it...does anyone have the Bloodspeakers book from Paradigm Concepts?

Yeah, there are a few tiny hints dispersed in the whole text...like in the description of the effect Meido, the realm of the waiting souls of the dead, has on ANY kind of taint or outside influence on the soul, namely that it vanishes. They write that Fu Leng, after being slain, was the only soul that managed to keep on to his taint, though they leave the "why" up to the GM, which I kinda prefer...IF my campaign ever should get to the point that Fu Leng possesses the Emperor, and they manage to get him back out again. Similar hints are scattered through one or two other texts in the book.
To be honest, I don't think much of the storyline that was developed for L5R, because it depended too much on the outcome of the card game tournaments. The system, and the setting, though, are great.

Bloodspeakers I'll have to read through before I can say anything about it...but in the worst case, it's a place to mine ideas about who did what, and when. The whole L5R d10 ruleset is meant for the GM to tinker with, and fit it to his needs...and the same goes for the campaign. That's why very sourcebook is as valuable, or as useless, as you make it.