>>52676238
What kind of characters is your group playing? That actually matters a lot.

>>52676287
Right now, only one of them has made up their minds. We rolled up his character a little earlier in the week. He is a Shiba Bushi (hence the pic). I have two other players who still need to decide what they are doing.

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bushi bump

Here's a couple of adventure ideas presented in classic form:

Challenge: While travelling, the party is beset upon by a ferocious blizzard. If they don't find shelter, they will surely perish!
Focus: The characters a rescued by a lovely maiden, who leads them to a cave where they can rest and wait out the storm. The blizzard doesn't show any signs of letting up.
Strike: The maiden is a yuuki-no-onna who has taken a liking to one of the party members. She wants him to stay in the cave with her for the rest of his life. If he agrees, she'll lead the rest of the party to safety...

>>52676238
Industrialization has come to Rokugan, with railways being built and guns proliferating. What happens when the Warrior-Noble Culture is turned upsidedown when peasant armies can kill trained samurai and will they find a reason to be as the future is fast approaching?

>>52676646

Challenge: The party arrives at a settlement as it is beginning a local celebration honoring the night a group of brave samurai saved the settlement from being annihilated by an invading force.

Focus: During the festival, the settlement is attacked. The attacker(s) specifically target the descendants of the heroes who saved the village.

Strike: When the party locates to man behind the attack, he claims the heroes who saved the village were actually traitorous samurai who were in league with the attacking force, but only saved the village when his ancestor attempted to bring their crime to the local lord.

>>52676743

Challenge: They party are assigned to escort a valuable shipment. Their lord informs them they are never to open the containers, merely to guard them until they reach their destination.

Focus: During the journey, the shipment is attacked by a band of ronin with peasants aiding the brigands. During the skirmish, one of the containers is spilled open.

Strike: The containers are filled with opium or other illegal/morally questionable substance. It turns out the lord has gone heavily into debt and has begun working with underworld elements in his domain in order to raise extra funds...

>>52676238

Depends what kind of game you want to do. Wandering magistrates? Weaboo Game of Thrones? Inexplicable high fantasy adventures? Running into weird spirit shit/doing exorcisms? Some mix thereof?

There's support for doing all of that in the fiction and RPG books, so you want to make sure everyone is expecting the same kind of game in advance.

These are all great, friends! Thanks a lot!

>>52676972
From what I understand (since the other two players are friends of the player that already has his character done) all 3 of my PCs are only familiar with D&D settings, but have interests in Japanese History, Lore, and Culture. So pretty much anything goes.

I'm not sure exactly where to focus things right now, so I'm just looking for good starting hooks for a novice party.

>>52677249

Wandering magistrates. I think most people do Emerald, but I like to do Jade. Some things I've seen/run that work in that sort of theme.

-A tainted scorpion has subverted a monastery. He's smuggling tainted opium as a vector of infection that people won't investigate too closely, and hiding out in a monastery because people won't check holy men for taint without really, really good cause. Fighting in that htey need to apprehend him and kill any tainted monks. Social stuff in that they need to attack holy men and a monastery without causing a massive, humiliating scandal. Mystery stuff in working out the whole situation.

-Hauntings. You can do it with ghosts, or you can have the spiritual impurity of a crime leading to some spirits coming over from another realm. To fix the problem, they have to work out why the haunting happened and set things right. Mystery, maybe fighting, probably the best D&D-esque option.

When in doubt, remember that L5R thrives on a few core conflicts: Do you do the easy thing that might actually work, or do you do the honorable thing that's gonna be hard and might not achieve your objectives? Do you do the honorable thing, or the polite thing that keeps up appearances for everyone? When bushido contradicts itself, what virtue do you pick?

>>52676681
Imperial Histories II's "Iron Rokugan" setting touches up on that.

>>52676238
>Never thought the day would happen, but I have been asked to run a game of L5R 4e
Because you're from a parallel dimension where L5R has a dearth of players, not GMs?

Start off with the topaz championship or tournament of the minor clans. Then, if you don't want to run a game about teens, have a time jump and let the players figure out what they've been doing / how you'll bring them back together.

>>52676646
Now I want to play a samurai who made a successful counter offer - a marriage proposal by which he would spend the one season with the yuki-no-onna, and the other three seasons serving his clan. Hmm. Winter is a fairly active courtly season for samurai, Autumn is the harvest season and defending against bandits, Summer is the season for war ... I guess that leaves Spring.

>>52676646
>the yuuki-no-onna is just a snow themed spirit chick
>not a grey goo like entity that can assimilate anything its snow-like mass devours, and replicate the poor being - like a pretty chick -
with perfect accuracy

Now, this could be a nice adventure:
>go to snowy village to deal with a yuuki-no-onna
>expect snow themed spirit chick
>meet with Lovecraftian grey goo

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>>52676238
lemme check my old notes. there must be plenty of hooks I never used. one sec

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>>52679159
these are some I've used for one-shots

PCs are in the Imperial City Court (Courtiers or attached). A Crab shows up to ask for support against a growing Shadowlands force. All the other courtiers are experienced enough to not get volunteered. PCs are now a special investigation committee.

The streets are empty. Wind skims the voids keeping neighbors apart, as if grazing the hollow of a cut reed. A familiar note is produced. It's the one Desolation plays to keep its instrument in tune. The PCs live in village where two families are having a feud, even though they're the same clan, and the PCs are dragged into the middle of it.

The PCs are following the trail of a criminal, and track him to a peaceful little village, whose lord is absent. In his place is his 10-year old son, who demands that the PCs allow him to help in the investigation. The kid ends up in danger (the criminal has buddies) and is forced to kill an attacker. He's a little traumatized, and the PCs have to deal with both him and the reality that the criminal's whole family lives in this village, and they're out for blood.

The PCs are all having dreams. Strange dreams of a strange place and dark magic. A spirit of some sort, either a Kami or an ancestor, contacts the PCs through dreams and wants them to go deal with a cult of Bloodspeakers.

also, thank you for making me look at my old L5R notes again. It was a trip.

>>52676646
And how would that even be resolved without the party saying
>nah
and leaving?

>>52679159
why don't you feed us the hooks that you used, too?

>>52679596
>ferocious blizzard
>party taken to a relatively safe cave
>their 'saviour' offers safe passage in exchange for a party member
>"Nah. GM, we go back out into the blizzard."
Something tells me you have not thought through this cunning plan.

>>52676238
http://www.kazenoshiro.com/challenge-focus-strike/

>>52679689
I didn't mean that they had to leave now.

>>52679698
Beat me to it. OP this is a master list of ideas for episodic sort of sessions.

As far as a real plot goes, however, it depends on the era you're playing in, as well as your party composition.

>Shiba Bushi
Try to recommend someone play a shugenja. Shibas are allll about yojimbo stuff for the magic dudes. Could be one for a Jade magistrate even. Killing monsters across the empire is a damn good game to have.

>>52679756
I'm not following what you're trying to imply, then.

>>52679860
Well, the players could just reject the Yuki no Onna's request and leave after the blizzard is done. No challenge there at all

>>52679887
>and leave after the blizzard is done
There's your problem. Assumption that the blizzard will pass without YnO's will, and can simply be waited out.

>>52679909
Oh, so the party has to kill the woman. Classic murderhobo style?

>>52679964
Depends on the GM and >>52676646's intent. Maybe it is, maybe that will advance the plot, or maybe it just won't work out the way murderhobosamurai expect.

>>52679887
>blizzard ending
>around a Yuki no Onna

boy you just gone full baka

My last plot :
>an old scroll containing archives of an old battle (against demons, up to you) has been discovered
>PCs from various clans (who took part in said battle ages ago) form a task force to bring it back to [anywhere]
>the scroll could easily destroy a family ´s honor if it says X went full coward, or bring Honor if Y soloed an Oni
>good blackmail potential in both ways
>Scorpions / clans that didn't participate in the battle have views on the scrolls etc

Blam, explains the multiple PC clans, allows for a variety of enemies. I'm quite proud of this campaign hook.

>>52680242
That's bretty gud

>>52680062
I guess.. I just don't know a lot about the setting yet

>>52681877
Protip: do not play l5r if you don't know the setting

Also this is basic jap mythology

>>52679998
So then how do you solve it if telling her no doesn't work, waiting out the blizzard doesn't work and killing her doesn't work?

>>52682360
You be the CFS creator and say what you had in mind.

Or you be the GM, and you create what you think will work for you & your group.

I'm not the former, nor the latter.

Anyone here know the system really well because I am confused on a certain advantage.
With Servant: Artisan is the servant from the peasant class or the samurai class?

>>52683758

All Servant options give you peasants.

>>52683758
>>52684482
You could get a Samurai Artisan via the Ally Advantage. Said Ally would not be 100% at your disposal like a servant, but it is a viable way to get someone like that in your corner.

So If I would like the threat of a war between two clans be a major aspect of a campaign, how do I have that happen without the emperor shutting it down? Or do I need to set it in an era where the dynasty has recently ended and there's civil war about to go down? Which is not quite the flavor I am going for

If it helps, it's the potential of a Crab-Crane war, before most of the timeline fuckery after first edition

A samurai of a clan is found murdered in a town far away from home and rumors of a blood feud are starting to circulate. The magistrate of the town calls for help.

>>52687385
The emperor doesn't interfere with clans at all. Easy. At best he will send a few magistrates, but Otosan Uchi knows not to meddle with clan feuds, even if it endangers the WALL.

>>52676238
I have a character concept I would like to try out for an Emerald Magistrate game of L5R...

Would it be possible for a Crane Blacksmith to serve an Emerald Magistrate of the Emperor at the wall and earn some respect of the Crab samurai by making very good blades and armour for beating back the creatures of the Shadowlands?

>>52687385

Emperors generally don't interfere unless it threatens the stability of the whole empire. Technically, people need permission to declare war, but getting refused is a big, big deal.

Capping the size of armies or restricting them to a single province is more normal. Some emperors also send out observers who can declare victory for a side once they think it's a foregone conclusion, to prevent wasted resources. That's a good place for intrigue to happen.

Basically, war happens all the time, and it's fine until it gets out of hand. Imperial law tends to be more of a 'don't make me come over there' type of deal.

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>>52676238

A samurai is assassinated on his way to resolving a dispute between two clans. His presence would have helped settle a long-standing feud and avoid further pointless bloodshed.

But since his face is unknown to clan X, Y, and Z (who arranged the assassination to keep the conflict going) his servant took up his sword and armor as the samurai's dying request to assume his identity and take his place at the negotiation.

the PCs know this for various reasons. Do they allow the non-samurai to pretend to be one for an honorable cause? Do they defend him from assassins, and lie about his identity? And if the peace talks are successful, what do they do with him afterwards?

>An ise zumi attributing fictitious quotes to the Tao of Shinsei is causing peasants to question their samurai masters
>plentiful hunting of delicious animals during a rice shortage is causing many honorable samurai to second-guess the uncleanliness of red meat
>a great smith has fallen to a bout of madness and insists on only working with wood

>>52691283
1. Sounds like a the Kolat got themselves a very unsubtle agent

2. That famine would have to be really severe for it to filter all the way up to the samurai. Creating a disturbance amongst the peasantry as they get major gains from a higher protein diet might work.

3. I have no idea where this is going other than sending the nutter to a monastery.

>>52688689
>Crane
Depends on the ST

>>52688689
>Would it be possible for a Crane Blacksmith to serve an Emerald Magistrate of the Emperor at the wall and earn some respect of the Crab samurai by making very good blades and armour for beating back the creatures of the Shadowlands?
It's possible, but simply by what you've stated so far, it doesn't sound reasonable.

Remember, most of Rokugan does not speak of the Shadowlands directly, and work that engages with them is less glorious by default.

Then you have the question of why this particular Emerald Magistrate, when there is so much to do within Rokugan that falls within their jurisdiction, is instead working at it's southern border.

>>52691283
>a great smith has fallen to a bout of madness and insists on only working with wood
Is he a Dwarf? Will his creation menace with spikes?

>>52696760
Yes, that makes sense...

>>52696868
Tantrum spirals in Rokugan, glorious.

>>52682073
Yeah, the most important thing for anyone who wants to play l5r, gm or player, iis to read the setting. As the mechanics and rp are so tied together, you need to know the clans and setting enough to play any character you build.

I will also note that the advantages and disadvantages system makes for wonderful combinations. One character of mine who I never ended up playing had "sworn enemy (someone wants you ded), secret love (yandere after you) and dark fate (your destiny is to royally fuck everything up)"

So it was the sort of setup which would do nothing 90% of the time, and then ruin everything when it all went off.

>>52696760

Note that Rokugani people are well aware of the threat the Shadowlands possess (incursions of various sizes and intensities are fairly common), they just sweep the problem under the rug because the only other thing they could do about it would be admitting that the Crab does a somewhat poor job at defending the Empire. And pointing out others' incompetence is a big no-no in Rokugan.

>>52700305
>Note that Rokugani people are well aware of the threat the Shadowlands possess
Depends very much on which era you're looking at.

Kisada, for instance, only became the (later reformed) villain we all know because the culture and trade clique of Rokugan had long been snubbing the Crab, while badmouthing them to the emperor. They didn't have the first clue about the threat the Shadowlands presented. All they saw was that the Crab managed on what they were given, there never seemed to be any imminent threat breaking through, and always the Crab demanded more preferential trade agreements.

Then he fucked their shit up.

Then there are numerous official stories where samurai from other clans waltz into Crab provinces, expect to show the Crab up at their own duties on The Wall, and get their shit royally fucked up for their ignorance.

>>52700399

It is more about the individual samurai rather than the era. Common sense is an extremely rare superpower in Rokugan, after all.

>>52700494
>It is more about the individual samurai rather than the era.
Really isn't.

>>52701309

Well, it is not like Moto Tsume was the sharpest tool in the shed, if you know what I mean.

>>52701473
He's not the only example, and again, there's vast swathes of entire clans through entire eras who know jack all about the Shadowlands.

There's the gathering of clan daimyo in Crab lands who wager on the effectiveness of their yojimbo (every yojimbo dies, the Crab yojimbo manage a scream). The Scorpion who claimed he would last longer on the wall than a Crab would in court. The portrayal of Oni in Rokugani art being exactly like Japanese art, holding barely any resemblance to the Shadowlands at all. Etc. Etc.

It's only in recent history, ie; the official fiction, that the continuous rain of cataclysm and apocalyptic doomsdays has revealed anything actual threats beyond their ability to ignore, not talk about, cover up, and forget. And they still 'lost' to the Spider in the end.

The fact that a single family of the Crane has not failed to recognise the threat of the Shadowlands over a significant length of time, and sends capable warriors to the Crab is actually noteworthy and the exception. Everyone else's troops are considered about as useful as a lame pony until they prove otherwise - which few do.

>>52701668
>The fact that a single family of the Crane has not failed to recognise the threat of the Shadowlands over a significant length of time, and sends capable warriors to the Crab is actually noteworthy and the exception. Everyone else's troops are considered about as useful as a lame pony until they prove otherwise - which few do.

To be fair, pretty specifically tied to the Battle of the Tidal Landbridge. And not to forget, the southermost Crane lands are close enough to the Crab so the daidoji garrisoned there would in general be a little bit more aware of that craziness.

>>52701668
>He's not the only example

That's my point with
>Common sense is an extremely rare superpower in Rokugan
People in Rokugan tend to be really fucking stupid, regardless of the era. The only real difference in modern times is that they are both stupid AND edgy now.

>>52702161
That might be your point, but it's not mine.

Mis/uninformed doesn't mean stupid. There are different cultural forces at work.

>>52701979
>To be fair, pretty specifically tied to the Battle of the Tidal Landbridge.
Except, y'know, not. That's one of a number of influences on Daidoji / Crab relations, not the only one.

>>52703811
>Mis/uninformed doesn't mean stupid.

It is if you are mis/uninformed about something so relevant like the Shadowlands. And hey, stupidity IS a cultural force, so there is that.