The not-Indians actually almost destroyed the world once. Books are easier to manage, pass around etc around a table. They put themselves into mass-hibernation to await a later era where they'd be needed, but doing so left their fertility dangerously low, with a second hibernation generally-regarded as dooming their race. I'd say both physical and pdf for the core rules but only physical for everything else imho. Lion Kitsu shugenja can always communicate with their ancestors; Lion clan doesn't have to wonder if their predecessors would approve of their actions, they can just. You should post this in the rpg forums for more meaningful feedback on the books weight or quality. on one side of the coin, it could save me a lot of money buying digital books, on the other side of the coin I do prefer physical books, even though hauling countless books can be heavy. Fu Leng's armies crumbled before Hantei's forces not long after that, but only one of the party returned: the Scorpion samurai, who faked her own death not long after. Nonetheless have the Emperor's ear when it comes to military matters. They must take several special taboo disadvantages to exist off their home plane the Spirit Realm, and breaking these results in power loss, being stuck in animal form, and possibly being made into a human (though that last one has no explicit mechanical enforcement). Lion Akodo bushi are experts in precision, striking exactly in the right place at the right time. Spider Ninube shugenja are minions of the Lying Darkness, and in denial about how it's eating away their personalities and identities. You obviously don't get that in the pdf. Then they have 10 or so full color pages at the end that give you setting information relevant to the story (meant to be read after completing the story first). Some of their later powers are creepily supernatural, like regenerating damage as they hit enemies.   Pasted as rich text. The DriveThruRPG entry seems to confirm it for the Phoenix book in the reviews. I buy PDFs for the RPG, because I mainly run games on the net through VoIP and stuff, and even when running physical I've done plenty of work with a laptop before. I feel alot of people buy these and the Arkham Horror books physically for the promo cards. Old-school L5R fan. Are we talking about novellas or RPG books? Unicorn Utaku bushi (formerly Otaku before it was changed for obvious reasons) are the all-female and less-gaijin variety of cavalry, gaining severals bonuses based on their Honor rank and a variety of powerful and flexible benefits from fighting while mounted. Well, not insane, just, cheap. Phoenix Asako courtiers aren't ones for playing political games, and they will prove their point by citing academic or scholarly texts, relevant historical accounts, or arduously logical conclusions. An ancient race who once ruled the world - they used to eat the nezumi's ancestors before they evolved sapience, and the relationship between the two is still strained over that - but went into dormancy around the time the Shadowlands were created. (If you can afford it ) Physical books are fantastic, tangible, and high quality, but I also like the convenience of searching for key words on the fly, which happens often enough in this game. To be fair, it is insane that you do not get the PDF for free when you buy the physical book. Serpentine heads are a possible mutation, but they do have human faces by default. To fight it, they're excellent with wards and charging paper slips with magical traps. I'm now concerned with the latest reports of the RPG department suffering layoffs I hope the books will not be discontinued anytime soon. Scorpion Bayushi bushi specialize in dirty tricks and lightning-fast strikes. The 3.5 updates for the material presented in this book are pretty scattered. Scorpion Bayushi courtiers are masters of blackmail and temptation. Not a proper solution, but it works. They are also known for being very arrogant and proud, and their hubris often makes trouble for the rest of the Empire. Unicorn Iuchi shugenja work mostly with movement/travel magic, and communing with animals (especially horses, duh). Crab Yasuki courtiers are the used-car sales-people of the Rokugani courts. × Crane Doji courtiers will trade favors and politically out-maneuver their opponents. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Founded by a half-Lion half-Crab who had been passed over for leadership of the Crab Clan, the Mantis claimed to be the oldest minor Clan in existence, something that was disputed by the Fox. There have even been accusations that the game balance shifts to favor certain factions over others specifically to keep things moving in the direction the story team wants. Over 9000 years ago, Lord Moon and Lady Sun appeared on the relatively shapeless world and gave it form. I feel alot of people buy these and the Arkham Horror books physically for the promo cards. Both! The cast was just real strong in that one. The most powerful of these used to be the Mantis Clan, who live in islands south of Rokugan and have the greatest navy in the Empire, but have been promoted to a major clan and absorbed several other minor clans in the process. The spirits of the land have become restless and wild. Note that while they're often seen as creepy, backstabbing assholes, they are fanatically loyal to their Clan and the Empire as a whole. Any rules and tournament results and plots will probably not carry over to the LCG edition, which is rebooting the setting back to before the Scorpion Coup. "The Right Hand of the Emperor." Clear editor. I tend to get more from holding a book than looking at a screen. Take your favorite fandoms with you and never miss a beat. Mantis Moshi shugenja (the former Centipede Clan) are priestesses of the Sun, because good weather is important for sailors. Generally reckoned as traders and suspected of piracy. sorry, I think I had originally posted this on the LCG board. The L5R books come with alt art cards as well, which may or may not be a selling point for you. They prefer heavy weapons, to give as good as they get. They're generally seen as the second-best duelists in Rokugan, after the Kakita, though they dispute the claim. Well, not insane, just, cheap. Members of the Great Clans have begun to wonder if the time of the Hantei is over, and whether the heavens would favor new rulers… As a samurai of the Emerald Empire, your duty lies in service to your lord, your clan, and your Emperor. This started with a "Rokugan D20 Campaign Setting" corebook, which included options for playing Nezumi and Naga PCs as well as members of the Clans, and was then expanded with multiple books, consisting of the following: FFG put out a beta in Fall 2017 for a new edition of the game, incorporating several elements from their Star Wars Roleplaying Game, including fancy custom dice. Crab Hida Bushi are experts in reducing damage, since they get beat on all the time by supernatural opponents. Its metaplot, based on the results of the CCG tournaments, is both praised and loathed by fans, since while it actually advances, it frequently does so in stupid ways as well as fun ones. Their shugenja (the aforementioned faux-Taoist sorcerers) are some of the most powerful of Rokugan, but the Clan doesn't like warring so they are not as militarily powerful as one would think. The Mantis were AEG's waifu and as such got heavily favoured whenever the setting advanced, to the point of being ridiculous. PDF would be good for the GM prep time and printing though. Players looking for games, chat, or anything else related to the RPG should check out #L5ROOC and/or talk to KingGheedorah, who moderates the channel and is currently running over 9000 L5R games. Their vast stocks of "gifts" and pushy style help them curry favor, and they leverage those profits to keep the army fed and supplied. Unicorn Moto bushi are the descendents of filthy gaijin, so they naturally master the use of the scimitar, lance, and general horse-fighting. They also permanently have a glory of 0 unless they steal a human's identity. Rokugan was, very briefly, an official Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting during 3rd Edition. Instead of Void, naga have an Akasha stat, representing their connection to the naga race as a whole. They are masters of the Feint maneuver, and several of their techniques leave opponents stunned and open for a killing follow-up. Shiba's crew are devout followers of Rokugan's two religions - the old-school Fortune worship and Shinsei's "New Path". Unlike Oriental Adventures these are merely using the 3rd edition rules via Open Gaming License rather than official D&D products. https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/forum/561-legend-of-the-five-rings-the-roleplaying-game/. Spirits that have somehow come to the Material Plane Ningen-do and can change their shape between an animal form and a single human form. Crane Daidoji bushi are super-tough, especially for Crane, and excel at being bodyguards and brutalizing people who try to bypass them to get at their charges. (Not that kind.). Weird love/hate relationship with the Crane - they work really well together and the Crane took in the Scorpion children when the clan got exiled, but they are polar opposites in the courts. × The beauty of the free PDF version when you buy the hardcover version is that you can print out sections and scribble or write over them while keeping the original in a pristine condition. Not inherently hostile towards humanity, as they rightly recognize that Fu Leng needs ousting, but there's a lot of racial tension. I used to have a fairly encyclopedic knowledge of L5R lore and storyline. Whelp. Also useful for when you are a long distance away from an outlet where you can recharge. They also don't play well with other samurai that aren't as "RAH RAH HONOR BUSHIDO" as they are, which is almost all of them. They use their wealth as a political blunt instrument, and, if that fails. I don't know if I should buy PDF's from rpgdrivethru or the physical. Of all the Clans they value independent thought the most, and come the closest to non-conformists -- duty is still paramount, but it can be up to you how to fulfill it. To be fair, it is insane that you do not get the PDF for free when you buy the physical book. As it tends to happen in these stories, Lord Moon decided that eating his own children was a very good idea. They're wild and carefree nature priests. but even then there is something overly amazingly romantic about reading an actual book. Spider Chuda shugenja are maho-tsukai bloodspeakers, the degenerate and corrupt heirs to the fallen Snake Clan, and specialize in hiding the nature of maho magic and mitigating the taint caused by their dark spells. You can post now and register later. Phoenix Agasha shugenja, who fled the Dragon clan en-masse when the leader decided it was a good idea to shove a bit of Lying Darkness-tainted matter onto the stump of her arm before going insane, Their signature technique is to power spells with different elemental resources than the ones they usually use, as well as crafting powerful fetishes. Scorpion Soshi shugenja are really into illusion and deception magic. As someone new to FFG fictions this is the list I wish I had. They are rude, dirty bullies that care little for Rokugan's etiquette, but they are tough as nuts and honest about things. It's much nicer to have a search function for reference books like that. The rest of his brothers formed Clans out of the scattered humans living in Earth, and Rokugan, the Emerald Empire, was formed. Shinjo took her men with her far from Rokugan after Fu Leng died, and they have returned to the Empire after 800 years of wandering. That said they have it on sale for $4.00 at the moment so may still be worth it even without the bonus content.https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/243492/Legend-of-the-Five-Rings-The-Sword-and-the-Spirits.