The Fragile Peace [Learn to Play Legend of the Five Rings]

How to prepare

This is a game played over the Internet, and as such some means of reliable voice communication is necessary, so a mic and speakers so we can hear you and you can hear us are essential. A webcam is nice but not necessary, though I do prefer seeing my players' smiling faces whenever possible (It gets lonely being the only one on Camera!) You should also have made a player account at Foundry and communicated that to me, and sent me your Discord Handle as well. I would recommend you acquire and begin reading the Legend of the Five Rings Core Rulebook for 5th Edition. Most of what you need will be found in the first few chapters, I would recommend reading through at least Chapter 3 before beginning if you can. The other books in the line are all useful to have, especially if playing one of the major clans appropriate to the book in question. I would not acquire any of the adventures though, for spoiler reasons. I have plenty of recommendations for Samurai Literature and Media. You should, of course, read the Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi, the Art of War by Sun Tzu, The Hagakure, and Bushido: The Soul of the Samurai. (English translations of all of the above are available everywhere, and both the Book of Five Rings & Bushido are surprisingly short books that can be read in an evening, but their wisdom might take a lifetime to master.) In terms of movies, I am partial to the Last Samurai (just ignore Tom Cruise's Magical White Guy), as its real main character, Katsumoto, is a Paragon of Bushido. Shogun is a fantastic series whether you watched it in the 80's or now, and there are so many anime set in the period that i couldn't begin to tell you where to start. But for me, I always go back to the well where I first fell in love with the Samurai, and play Sword of the Samurai, which you can find for a few bucks on Steam & GOG. Play a few Campaigns of that and you'll have a good understanding of what it means to be a Samurai.

What I provide

This game will be played on the Internet and make use of the Forge VTT for the gameplay itself, Zoom for Voice and Video conferencing, and Discord for coordination between games. You will need a Foundry Account to join the game, which is free for players, and I also recommend downloading the Zoom Client, which is also free for users. As a GM, I bring my theatrical background (which sometimes manifests in unique character voices, and always shows up in their unique motivations), my decades of experience in front of and behind the GM Screen, and my love of all things Roleplaying. I have played with the Rule of Cool long before it got its name, but as this is a Learn to Play, I will try to stick to the Rules As Written for the most part, but I can and do bend and break systems to do things they were never meant to do in the name of letting the players pull of that one cool thing they thought up that the system was never meant to simulate. I love combat. The Samurai are a warrior class and you will get to draw Katanas and dive into battle. I will use every system the game has to simulate deadly combat, but it must be said that I am more of a Theater of the Mind GM than a Tactical Grid GM. As a GM, I root for your Heroes, and I give them every opportunity to prove they are Heroes worthy of the name. My world will be full of evils to confront, both in the banal mundanities of the Caste System in which the Samurai exist and in the terrible calamities that the abuse of that system can bring about. My villains are often too smart for their own good, and pursue their objectives with fervor and ferocity that only determined heroes can match. And I will also encourage you to confront the evils in your own character's hearts, to truly conform yourselves to the impossible standards that is Bushido. I want you to succeed, and I will make it an epic and worthwhile endeavor. I also bring nearly thirty five years of fascination with and love of Japanese Culture in general and Samurai Culture in specific to this game. I have wanted to roleplay as a Samurai since I started gaming over 20 years ago, because 15 years before that, I was already doing so in the Microprose Classic, Sword of the Samurai, which is the very first game I ever played by myself on the computer. I also bring countless hours watching Historical Movies and Anime set in the Sengoku Jidai, countless more hours on many other iterations of video games set in the period, and a deep love of the whole idea of the Samurai and the time and place they represent in Japanese History and Culture. I have read the Book of the Five Rings, Bushido: The Soul of the Samurai, Hagakure, and many other Classics of the period, and I bring all of that to the game. I have wanted to play this game for as long as I have known of its existence, and I look forward to introducing you to the glorious world that is Rokugan.

Gameplay details

Please read this section carefully, it is extremely important. The GM will send out a Pre-Game Survey to get to know the players and gather necessary information to implement certain key safety tools, such as Lines & Veils, which will be discussed during Session 0 and referred to irregularly as needed. Completion of the Pre-Game Survey is REQUIRED prior to your application to join the game being approved. Please answer it thoughtfully and carefully. During Session 0, use of the other safety tools will be discussed and their implications made clear. I use the X/N/O cards, and I also respect the Open Door, and it is my usual practice to do a Mid-Game Break and other breaks as needed to process intense scenes. I do my best to make sure that my table is a safe and inclusive space for everyone, so everyone can enjoy and we can explore even troublesome content safely. The reason for this is because this campaign, while set in a fantasy world, is based on a Real World Culture that has some elements that are disturbing to our modern sensibilities, and they are part of the setting we will be exploring. The forgoing rather extensive Content Warnings are consistent with the Samurai Culture around which this game is based. Samurai Culture involves a strict caste system placing the Samurai above almost everyone else, and includes rigid social rules and structures, violation of which can lead to death by Seppuku (Ritual Suicide) for the Samurai. Rokugan is heavily based on Feudal Japan, and some disturbing elements that are part of the canon include heavy doses of Classism and Xenophobia**. These should not play a central role in this campaign, but are elements of the setting nonetheless. **Rokugan has mercifully removed the Sexism that would otherwise also be rampant in Samurai Culture, and opened membership in the Warrior Caste to both genders. I would further refine that by noting that my version of Rokugan is colored by a general lack of concern with gender expression in Rokugani society in all matters save marriage. It should also be noted, as a general warning, that with all those sharp swords flashing about and relatively little in the way of meaningful armor, there is a strong chance of your character being stabbed, maimed, suffering serious & life changing injuries, or being slain outright. The Katana's status as a legendary sword is somewhat overblown, but its lethality is not overstated. Japanese armor, while ornate and beautiful, was only somewhat effective at staving off the Katana's lethal edge. Medicine in Rokugan remains relatively primitive compared to our own, and what magical healing the Kami can offer is not going to instantly restore a wounded warrior to full health. One should be very careful about when and how one engages in battles deploying such deadly weaponry as a result.

Content warnings

Safety tools used

How will character creation work

Character Creation will follow the Game of 20 Questions in Chapter 2 of the Legend of the Five Rings Core Rulebook (P. 41-95), though I have most supplements printed to date and can accommodate even obscure minor clans (No Spiders, please, though) that have a treatment in the 5th Edition. The VTT has a set up to take us through the steps of Character Creation and generate a Character from the answers to those 20 Questions. Your characters will also have completed their training as Emerald Magistrates, and thus will have enough experience to complete their first School Rank and the Emerald Magistrate Title. Please select an appropriate Japanese personal name for your character prior to Session 0. It would also be helpful if you could name your parents, siblings, teachers, and friends, so a bank of appropriate names would be useful as well. As we add New Players over the course of the game, we will revisit the Session 0 Discussions, and New Players will be caught up to the experience levels of any existing players.

Combat / Tactics

High

Roleplay

High

Puzzles

Low

Experience level

Beginner