battlematt
Apprentice Douchebag
Posts: 74
Preferred Game Systems: Rules light & intuitive
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Favorite Species of Monkey: Spanked
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Post by battlematt on Feb 13, 2017 10:03:36 GMT -8
Mornin' people!
I've been itching to get into L5R ever since I heard Stu's AP, and now I've gotten hold of the 4th Ed core book. Are there any other books I should consider getting right away, and why?
Thanks in advance for any recommendations, and have a good TWOO DAYYS!!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2017 10:53:24 GMT -8
My top recommendations would be Emerald Empire, The Great Clans, Enemies of the Empire and Naishou Province. The first two provide more background on the setting and Rokugan as a whole, the third is full of NPCs that can be easily dropped into a campaign and the fourth is a detailed setting focused on a single region full of opportunities.
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battlematt
Apprentice Douchebag
Posts: 74
Preferred Game Systems: Rules light & intuitive
Currently Running: Nuttin.
Favorite Species of Monkey: Spanked
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Post by battlematt on Feb 13, 2017 11:43:01 GMT -8
Thank you Whodo! Unfortunately it looks like those books will cost half a fortune to get hold of, at least here on the eastern side of the atlantic. But I will give it a shot once my next salary trickles in.
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fredrix
Master Douchebag
Posts: 2,142
Preferred Game Systems: Fate, L5R, Pendragon, Gumshoe, Feng Shui
Currently Playing: Pendragon, Song of Ice and Fire, L5R, Feng Shui, Traveller
Currently Running: Fate, Coriolis, Nights Black Agents
Favorite Species of Monkey: 1970's NTV, dubbed by the BBC (though The Water Margin beats it)
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Post by fredrix on Feb 13, 2017 11:55:11 GMT -8
You don't NEED any other books. There is plenty of background etc in the book. (And I really recommend the intro scenario in the back.) All of @whodo's recommendations are good, but none essential.
You can wait until your PCsare insight rank two before getting Naishou province, which is a very useful home base.
One more recent book which might be easier to get at a decent price, and which I LOVE is the Atlas of Rokugan. But again not essential.
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battlematt
Apprentice Douchebag
Posts: 74
Preferred Game Systems: Rules light & intuitive
Currently Running: Nuttin.
Favorite Species of Monkey: Spanked
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Post by battlematt on Feb 13, 2017 12:00:49 GMT -8
Thanks for clarifying Fredrix! I can't wait to get my paws on the core book.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2017 14:08:26 GMT -8
Yeah none of them are essential, Enemies probably cones closest while you're learning the game just for the wealth of antagonists in it.
As for getting the books yeah, they're expensive when you can find them so good luck. I'm UK based and haven't seen any decently priced in quite a while, even the Atlas seemed to sell out quickly. All the books are on drivethrurpg though so digital might be the way to go.
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goluptiousgeek
Initiate Douchebag
Posts: 6
Currently Playing: D&D
Currently Running: L5R
Favorite Species of Monkey: Japanese Macaque
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Post by goluptiousgeek on Feb 22, 2017 12:47:53 GMT -8
After having GM'd l5r for about a year, I can tell you the two books I use the most are the corebook, and great clans. I don't use enemies of the empire too much, because my players are usually pitted against other samurai who could easily be player characters, whom I have stated up myself. I have pdfs of many of the other books, but rarely use them. The other resource that I frequent is the l5r wikia. There is no easier way to find lore, so I highly recommend it. Hope your game goes well!
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SirGuido
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Posts: 2,127
Preferred Game Systems: L5R, Traveller, Fate Accelerated, Masks
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Post by SirGuido on Feb 27, 2017 9:52:32 GMT -8
my players are usually pitted against other samurai who could easily be player characters, whom I have stated up myself. I can't agree with this enough. To me, this is what makes L5R unique and awesome in the fantasy realm. Its more about interacting with other people than it is fighting monsters. Sure, the occasional monster is a cool addition and can be used as a great final fight type thing but your regular everyday skirmish is 90% human samurai. People with training and tactics and guile.
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battlematt
Apprentice Douchebag
Posts: 74
Preferred Game Systems: Rules light & intuitive
Currently Running: Nuttin.
Favorite Species of Monkey: Spanked
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Post by battlematt on Feb 27, 2017 12:46:52 GMT -8
Yeah, I see what you are saying. And the big thing that really made me want to run L5R (after hearing saga of the Inukai) was not the monsters, the system, or the weapons, but the constant drive to follow Bushido and the struggle to weigh one tenet against another. I thought that made for some lovely tension and drama. I might slant my game slightly towards the fantasy side (that is my current inclination at least). But then again, it's a long time still before I get to run it, and I think I will wait until the players have made their first characters to decide what I will throw at them. Except for the core rules, so far I've purchased Emerald Empire, Naishou Province and The Book of Void (they're in the mail). There are a couple other books that I will buy physical copies of, but I will have to get a few in pdf format as well.
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Post by yojimbohawkins on Feb 27, 2017 15:17:54 GMT -8
For me, one of the great things about L5R is the diversity of the Clans. Want a game fighting monsters? Welcome to the Crab Clan! Skullduggery and intrigue? The Scorpion and the Crane are ready and waiting. Exploration and trade? The Mantis and the Unicorn are tailor-made for it? Supernatural or mystical threats? The Phoenix and the Dragon have that down. Military campaign? The Lion stand ready. Even better, each Clan can be thrown into all of the above, just to see what happens.
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